Ilhan Omar's Opponent Wants Her Hung

[TurkeysGhost]

It is a problem of not having competitive elections that some seats do not draw serious candidates.

I wouldn't necessarily say it's a problem if there isn't a candidate from each party. Often these seats are still competitive, but the competition is occurring during the party primary rather than the general. Take AOC for example. Her big race was winning the democratic primary against the incumbent from the same party. Sure, she had a cakewalk in the general, but that it wouldn't be fair to call that race noncompetitive. Even though they were in the same party, the difference between AOC and her opponent were significant.

You can say it's noncompetitive because there is virtually no chance that a Republican will win the seat, but often that's just an honest reflection of the constituency. There's no way to slice many of these big cities that doesn't result in Democratic strongholds.

 

[plague311]

So much for Minnesota Nice...

 

[luchog]

There's a growing "nutbag" wing of the party, with a handful of open Q-anon candidates, but this is still very much the fringe. The fringe I'm more worried about is the nationalist and proto-fascist wings, which are having much more success infiltrating and taking over the party.

How is it the fringe when you have the Very Stupid President pushing their conspiracies? When Gym Jordan, Elise Stafanik ,and Devin Moooones are pushing these theories during Congressional hearings?

When Senators McConnell, Graham, and Kennedy go on the Sunday talk shows and discuss them?

The violent lunatic fringe is running the GOP. Everyone really needs to come to terms with that fact.

Anyone who thinks this is fringe hasn't really been paying attention for the last half-century or so. Nationalist proto-fascists have been the face of the GOP since Nixon and the Southern Strategy, and fully in control since Reagan. The Tea Party wing was a bit late to the game.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Anyone who thinks this is fringe hasn't really been paying attention for the last half-century or so. Nationalist proto-fascists have been the face of the GOP since Nixon and the Southern Strategy, and fully in control since Reagan. The Tea Party wing was a bit late to the game.

Q-anon is a kind of a special case to my eye. They are one part proto-fascist, one part tin foil hat. These are the people that think JFK Jr. faked his own death and is coming to arrest Clinton for sucking adrenochrome out of babies.

Even for the fascist right, Qanon is fringey. Most of the fascists aren't delusional like this, they're just fascists.

 

[Babbylonian]

Anyone who thinks this is fringe hasn't really been paying attention for the last half-century or so. Nationalist proto-fascists have been the face of the GOP since Nixon and the Southern Strategy, and fully in control since Reagan. The Tea Party wing was a bit late to the game.

They're the fringe when it's convenient for those [supposedly] of the mainstream to claim such in order to distance themselves from specific nuttery. The rest of the time they're just the good old salt-of-the-earth Americans that should be running this country.

Look at Steve King. It took 16 years (eight congressional terms!)for the Republicans to get their **** together to condemn him and his over-the-top conspiracy-nut racism...and he's still a member of the House of Representatives!

As far as I'm concerned, there is no significant right-wing fringe distinct from the Republican party. At best, there are nuts who are absolutely tolerated and catered to by the "moderate" (HA!) Republicans until they start negatively impacting poll results. Those nuts are then asked to keep it down while still getting whatever they want from their slightly more acceptable Republican pals.

 

[Venom]

Look at these disgusting human beings.

Lock em up.

 

[dudalb]

Arthur Jones, Illinois third Congressional district. He was the only republican that ran in the primary in 2018, so he won. His opponent, William Lipinski, is the most conservative Democrat in the House of Representatives, so there isn't much point in opposing him in that particular district, which is pretty conservative / democrat leaning. Like blue dog democrats, lots of police and firemen, etc.

Lipinski almost lost the Democratic primary to a progressive candidate in 2018, and he will probably lose in 2020, so it might be a competitive election next time.

In which case some legitimate GOP candiates will run in that district.
Jones won the GOP Primary because no GOP candidate of any standing ran in what was thought to be a hopeless battle.
I argued that the GOP should have found some sacrificial lamb willing to bite the bullet and run in a hopeless case just to keep some nubjob from getting the nomination and embrassing the party.

 

[dudalb]

It's worth mentioning that the Illinois Republican party has been a dumpster fire since 2004. Alan Keyes and Mike Ditka were considered viable Senate candidates to fill Obama's seat. Jack Ryan had his divorce records unsealed and released to the media to kneecap his campaign. The Republican governor before Blagojevich was in jail. That they weren't able to convince some functioning adult Republican to run a guaranteed losing Congressional campaign on Chicago's southwest side in 2018 is not surprising.

Plus it gives everyone an excuse to use that phrase from the Blues Brothers - "I hate Illinois nazis."

Ah yes, Jack Ryan.Husband, back then, of 7 of 9.

 

[dudalb]

They're the fringe when it's convenient for those [supposedly] of the mainstream to claim such in order to distance themselves from specific nuttery. The rest of the time they're just the good old salt-of-the-earth Americans that should be running this country.

Look at Steve King. It took 16 years (eight congressional terms!)for the Republicans to get their **** together to condemn him and his over-the-top conspiracy-nut racism...and he's still a member of the House of Representatives!

As far as I'm concerned, there is no significant right-wing fringe distinct from the Republican party. At best, there are nuts who are absolutely tolerated and catered to by the "moderate" (HA!) Republicans until they start negatively impacting poll results. Those nuts are then asked to keep it down while still getting whatever they want from their slightly more acceptable Republican pals.

Speaking of King, it is interesting that the GOP House leadership is taking immediate steps to get rid of Duncan Hunter after his felon convinction of misusing campaign funds. but are taking no steps to get force King out.
I guess bigotry and racism are OK, but stealing from your own party is persona non grata material.

 

[Armitage72]

Florida is joining the fun, with Republican primary candidate George Buck saying that Ilhan Omar and other Democrats should be hanged for treason.

"We should hang these traitors where they stand. I have no tolerance for those who are abusing our system to destroy our country."

 

[Donal]

While it is true the Republican party itself has no control over who registers as a Republican or who declares themselves a candidate in their primary, doesn't anyone find it odd that all these violent, racist, mentally unhinged folks identify as Republicans?

 

[Armitage72]

This particular guy was actively recruited as part of the Young Guns program, although his support has now been pulled.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Florida is joining the fun, with Republican primary candidate George Buck saying that Ilhan Omar and other Democrats should be hanged for treason.

"We should hang these traitors where they stand. I have no tolerance for those who are abusing our system to destroy our country."

Basic republican jokes.

 

[Giordano]

Post deleted

 

[JoeMorgue]

While it is true the Republican party itself has no control over who registers as a Republican or who declares themselves a candidate in their primary, doesn't anyone find it odd that all these violent, racist, mentally unhinged folks identify as Republicans?

Apropos of nothing it always has shocked me how given... everything else how little control over their... IP I guess you'd call the major political parties have.

The fact that GOP or Democratic Party can't really declare someone "not part of them" is just... weird.

 

[luchog]

The fact that GOP or Democratic Party can't really declare someone "not part of them" is just... weird.

Votes are more important than principles.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Votes are more important than principles.

Yeah but you'd figure even looking at this 100% cynically and assuming they care about nothing but counting votes you'd still figure there would at least occasionally be scenarios, maybe not this one but sometimes, where cutting someone out would be the best way to get those votes.

 

[theprestige]

Apropos of nothing it always has shocked me how given... everything else how little control over their... IP I guess you'd call the major political parties have.

The fact that GOP or Democratic Party can't really declare someone "not part of them" is just... weird.

For the umpteenth time, the parties can and do declare someone not part of them. They do it by polling all the registered party members in a secret ballot. This is done prior to the general election, where the party's chosen representative campaigns against the chosen representatives from the other parties. This is called a "primary election" in the US.

How would you recommend it be done?

 

[JoeMorgue]

For the umpteenth time, the parties can and do declare someone not part of them. They do it by polling all the registered party members in a secret ballot. This is done prior to the general election, where the party's chosen representative campaigns against the chosen representatives from the other parties. This is called a "primary election" in the US.

How would you recommend it be done?

Oh so Republicans want all those racist, white nationalist, conspiracy theorist reality deniers in their ranks.

That's not better.

We have two options. Either the Republicans can't get rid of Steve King and the like or they won't. Neither is acceptable.

Contrare away.

 

[theprestige]

Oh so Republicans want all those racist, white nationalist, conspiracy theorist reality deniers in their ranks.

That's not better.

We have two options. Either the Republicans can't get rid of Steve King and the like or they won't. Neither is acceptable.

Contrare away.

What kind of process would you implement, to purge Steve King from the ranks of the party?

What kind of process would you implement, to prevent the lady in the OP from being elected as the party's representative, by the party members in her district?