US Politics: Happy Anniversary.

[Zorral]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

funeral service for the Republican National Party cannot be too far away i

It's been dead for years already.  Where have you been?  MTG has just been too occupied by Dem dicks to organize a memorial.

[The Anti-Targ]

2 hours ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Chris Christie has suspended his Presidential bid. I dont think his supporters will migrate to Trump, so lets hope Haley gets a boost to challenge Trump more.

 

2 hours ago, Mr. Chatywin et al. said:

Interesting that he's endorsing no one. 

If Christie is to honestly endorse the person who is least unlike him he would endorse Biden. He won't do that of course, but if he did he could possibly influence a big enough handful of Republicans of his ilk to pull the lever for Biden, or just stay home hoping for someone more sane to emerge for 2028 that it will get Biden across the line. Trumps win in 2020 came down to a mere 10s of thousands of people in a handful of states. Every anti-Trump influence helps no matter how small.

[Tywin et al.]

7 minutes ago, The Anti-Targ said:

If Christie is to honestly endorse the person who is least unlike him he would endorse Biden. 

That's the curiosity.

[kissdbyfire]

7 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

 

If Christie is to honestly endorse the person who is least unlike him he would endorse Biden. He won't do that of course, but if he did he could possibly influence a big enough handful of Republicans of his ilk to pull the lever for Biden, or just stay home hoping for someone more sane to emerge for 2028 that it will get Biden across the line. Trumps win in 2020 came down to a mere 10s of thousands of people in a handful of states. Every anti-Trump influence helps no matter how small.

 

7 hours ago, Mr. Chatywin et al. said:

That's the curiosity.

Don’t know enough about him to even take a guess, but just saw/heard two clips last night and it was interesting. In both he goes on about how trump is unfit for office, but more importantly and interestingly, how the other candidates who said they’d support trump if he’s the nominee even if he’s a convicted felon are equally unfit. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. 

[mormont]

The flaw in Christie's campaign was that it was focused on how the other candidates (particularly Trump) were unfit for office, but Christie himself was also unfit for office. 

[Tywin et al.]

34 minutes ago, kissdbyfire said:

Don’t know enough about him to even take a guess, but just saw/heard two clips last night and it was interesting. In both he goes on about how trump is unfit for office, but more importantly and interestingly, how the other candidates who said they’d support trump if he’s the nominee even if he’s a convicted felon are equally unfit. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. 

TV/Podcast. His political career is likely over. 

26 minutes ago, mormont said:

The flaw in Christie's campaign was that it was focused on how the other candidates (particularly Trump) were unfit for office, but Christie himself was also unfit for office. 

Christie was more fit than most Republicans and did what you're suppose to do if the goal is to win. He had a sharp contrast. Problem is that's not what the base wanted which is why Haley is sucking up and hoping Trump's legal issues get worse, but I doubt that makes a difference in the end. 

[Jace, Extat]

So do we think Haley is Trump's VP? 

There might actually be an argument that she should take the gig if he offers it to eventually protect the republic from him. 

Pence didn't save the country or anything on Jan. 6th, but he did the right things and helped facilitate the transfer of power as was his duty. 

[kissdbyfire]

14 minutes ago, Jace, Extat said:

There might actually be an argument that she should take the gig if he offers it to eventually protect the republic from him. 

Because that notion worked so well the first time around? I mean, if she’s offered the position and if she accepts it, that’s going to be the rationalisation. But if Kelly, Mattis, Bolton, Taylor, etc etc etc. are to be believed, it doesn’t and wont work.
 

ETA: she’ll rationalise it like that, that she’ll reign in his worst impulses. But the truth will be that she’s accepting in the hopes all the Big Macs and diet cokes do their job asap. 

Edited January 11 by kissdbyfire

[Jace, Extat]

You're not wrong, but at this point I'm just desperate that there be someone with access to him who isn't utterly deranged or sycophantic. 

 

[IheartIheartTesla]

9 hours ago, Zorral said:

Why would it have been better?  

In my opinion the numerous candidates were just splitting the anti-Trump GoP vote, and a 2 person race would make a long, drawn out affair that would highlight that there was a credible alternative to Trump. Similar to 2016 with the Democrats, and every little bit would help. 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

38 minutes ago, Jace, Extat said:

So do we think Haley is Trump's VP? 

There might actually be an argument that she should take the gig if he offers it to eventually protect the republic from him. 

Pence didn't save the country or anything on Jan. 6th, but he did the right things and helped facilitate the transfer of power as was his duty. 

After Trump suggested she is Constitutionally ineligible to hold the office of President of the United States because her parents weren’t citizens when she was born (inside the United States) while Trump plans to attack birthright citizenship?

How would that work?

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223940451/donald-trump-birther-nikki-haley-citizenship-president-14th-amendment

Edited January 11 by Ser Scot A Ellison

[kissdbyfire]

She’s not sycophantic? Why? Just because she isn’t attacking him right now? All right then, good luck w/ that. 

[Darryk]

1 hour ago, mormont said:

but Christie himself was also unfit for office. 

He literally couldn't fit in the office.

[TrackerNeil]

11 hours ago, Mr. Chatywin et al. said:

Interesting that he's endorsing no one. 

To me it's completely unsurprising. In 2016, Many Republican politicians wanted The Donald's campaign derailed, but none of them were willing to be the derailer, and so we got President Trump. I see something similar shaping up for 2024, except hopefully with a different ending.

Trump wins because he gets strategic pluralities, which someone like Christie could help deny him. If Chrisitie's not willing to do that, then he doesn't really think Trump is all that bad. Actions shout out loud, baby.

Edited January 11 by TrackerNeil

[Jace, Extat]

21 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

After Trump suggested she is Constitutionally ineligible to hold the office of President of the United States because her parents weren’t citizens when she was born (inside the United States) while Trump plans to attack birthright citizenship?

How would that work?

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223940451/donald-trump-birther-nikki-haley-citizenship-president-14th-amendment

He's Trump, dawg. He'll loom over her at a podium and shout "Look at my Indian American!" And that'll be that.

17 minutes ago, kissdbyfire said:

She’s not sycophantic? Why? Just because she isn’t attacking him right now? All right then, good luck w/ that. 

I'm graspin' at straws, sister 

The hour grows late.

[Phylum of Alexandria]

47 minutes ago, Jace, Extat said:

You're not wrong, but at this point I'm just desperate that there be someone with access to him who isn't utterly deranged or sycophantic. 

She would be another Pence, to a T.

I agree that someone who might do the right thing once in a while, given certain incentives, is better than someone who has no sense of fear or shame. Ramaswamy would clearly be worse in that respect. 

Even with Pence, though, it was basically a coin toss as to whether he would do the right thing, on that one day. We're lucky that he decided to fear the prospect of federal prosecutors more than he feared his boss, but it certainly wasn't a guarantee.

But yeah, no one Trump might pick as VP will be in any way good. Unless it's by accident, like how he picked Jim Mattis as SecDef because he had the nickname "Mad Dog."

[Phylum of Alexandria]

37 minutes ago, TrackerNeil said:

To me it's completely unsurprising. In 2016, Many Republican politicians wanted The Donald's campaign derailed, but none of them were willing to be the derailer, and so we got President Trump. I see something similar shaping up for 2024, except hopefully with a different ending.

Trump wins because he gets strategic pluralities, which someone like Christie could help deny him. If Chrisitie's not willing to do that, then he doesn't really think Trump is all that bad. Actions shout out loud, baby.

At this point, I wonder if the sane thing really is to shut Trump down at the Republican primary level, at least given the candidates who remain.

All of these candidates have demonstrated that they are cowards who are beholden to Trump and MAGA extremism. They don't have Trump's particular pathologies, but at this point the problem of MAGA is well beyond Trump himself.

The GOP base is the biggest pathology of all, and that's why we have the so-called moderate candidates saying that the Civil War was about getting government out of your life, and that they would pardon Trump if he were convicted of defrauding voters. 

In order for there to be any chance of the MAGA fever to abate, the spirits of those voters need to be crushed over and over, to demonstrate to them and to their representatives that anti-democratic extremism is not a viable path forward.

Given that Christie was really taking Haley to task for her abhorrent responses, I think he understands this too. If she somehow beats Trump, she has a good chance of defeating Biden. And then she simply becomes the MAGA figurehead if elected president.

[TrackerNeil]

1 hour ago, Phylum of Alexandria said:

In order for there to be any chance of the MAGA fever to abate, the spirits of those voters need to be crushed over and over, to demonstrate to them and to their representatives that anti-democratic extremism is not a viable path forward.

Given that Christie was really taking Haley to task for her abhorrent responses, I think he understands this too. If she somehow beats Trump, she has a good chance of defeating Biden. And then she simply becomes the MAGA figurehead if elected president.

I'm not so sure. I mean, if the Republican brand wasn't killed by Iraq and Katrina and the recession, I begin to doubt if it can be killed at all. Maybe if the GOP were to lose ten consecutive elections, but...

Regarding Haley, I wouldn't assume that MAGA fever would work on her the way it does on Trump. Part of being Trump is craving the attention and disregarding the rules, and I'm not sure those are true for Haley. I'm sure her presidency would suck--she would implement policies I don't want--but as far as I can tell, she would see herself as a civil servant, and the presidency as a sacred trust, and not as an ego-boost and an ATM. I can't say for sure, but I don't see in her the overweening corruption and swagger that Trump just about invented.

Edited January 11 by TrackerNeil

[Gorn]

Yesterday, I was behind a car with "Biden owes me gas money" bumper sticker.

Not too long ago, a seemingly-intelligent person at a party was explaining to me how the real estate market will improve under Trump presidency because "mortgage rates go down under Republicans, and up under Democrats".

Another seemingly-intelligent person was telling me how they expect their trucking business to become more profitable after Trump's victory since that will cause the gas prices to drop.

GOP isn't going anywhere.

[Phylum of Alexandria]

21 minutes ago, TrackerNeil said:

I can't say for sure, but I don't see in her the overweening corruption and swagger that Trump just about invented.

That's probably true, but Trump would still be around, making it known that he's the alpha.

He still has his Project 2025 agenda, and I imagine she would be pressured to adopt them for her own administration, and also take on MAGA-faithful in her cabinet. Sure, she might do it reluctantly, and might stymie an effort or two, but the MAGA machine beyond Trump has been energized and organized, and they're not going to let a squish like Haley get in the way of their vision.