Can the Republican party be saved?

[plague311]

I don't get the "Trump" bit. Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party.

How about Steve King? Is he representative of the Republican Party? He's been a member of said party for decades.

Most recently, as in this week, he had such intelligent statements as:

"What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?"

“Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations, I know that I can't say that I was not a part of a product of that."

Which members are we picking and choosing as being representative? Do you even think a single GOP member will come out against this statement?

Even here there will be a few GOP supporters that'll say something like, "Well, he's not wrong. He makes a good point."

 

[Belz...]

How about Steve King? Is he representative of the Republican Party? He's been a member of said party for decades.

Most recently, as in this week, he had such intelligent statements as:



Which members are we picking and choosing as being representative? Do you even think a single GOP member will come out against this statement?

Even here there will be a few GOP supporters that'll say something like, "Well, he's not wrong. He makes a good point."

Well he's probably not wrong, in a way. The issue is that it doesn't change anything about rape being wrong.

 

[plague311]

Well he's probably not wrong, in a way. The issue is that it doesn't change anything about rape being wrong.

LoL ANY population left? I have no idea what I would even search for to find out "population as a result of incest or rape", but I bet it wouldn't be 7 billion.

ETA: Mind you, he also stated that he's a product of rape or incest. Even if true, it's odd ass statement to make.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Given Steve King history I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of those "Anything to keep the darkies from outbreeding us" types.

 

[Belz...]

LoL ANY population left? I have no idea what I would even search for to find out "population as a result of incest or rape", but I bet it wouldn't be 7 billion.

I think he means, including ancestors. You know, like how everyone in Europe is a descendant of Charlemagne?

 

[plague311]

I think he means, including ancestors. You know, like how everyone in Europe is a descendant of Charlemagne?

I guess anything is possible.

 

[Tony]

At one point the Democrat Party was literally the party of slavery. The seem to have moved on which implies that their is a chance for the GOP as well.

More recently, the Democrat Party was literally the party of jim crow too.

What’s your point?

 

[JoeMorgue]

If I could literally make one change to American history to prevent the most pointless hijacks in political threads I would have made the Democratic and Republican parties either switch names or adopt totally new ones after the "Southern Democrat / Dixiecrat" cultural shift so "But you know Lincoln was a Republican" or one of another handful of variations wouldn't get dropped into every political discussion.

 

[plague311]

If I could literally make one change to American history to prevent the most pointless hijacks in political threads I would have made the Democratic and Republican parties either switch names or adopt totally new ones after the "Southern Democrat / Dixiecrat" cultural shift so "But you know Lincoln was a Republican" or one of another handful of variations wouldn't get dropped into every political discussion.

Really? That's the change you'd make?

...I mean, not to Godwin or anything LoL.

 

[Segnosaur]

How about Steve King? Is he representative of the Republican Party? He's been a member of said party for decades.

Most recently, as in this week, he had such intelligent statements as:

"What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?"

“Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations, I know that I can't say that I was not a part of a product of that."

Which members are we picking and choosing as being representative? Do you even think a single GOP member will come out against this statement?

A little bit of context for that quote...

His statement was done not as a justification for rape, but as a rational for banning all abortion. Often, anti-abortionists will make exceptions for rape/incest, but King wants things to be much more restrictive... you're a woman who's sexually assaulted? For the next 9 months you get to carry the child of your attacker.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/14/steve-king-iowa-republican-rape-incest-abortion

The problem with his argument is that he is assuming that rape would have been necessary for women to have gotten pregnant in the past, whereas in reality it would have likely just delayed their decision to have children.

 

[plague311]

A little bit of context for that quote...

His statement was done not as a justification for rape, but as a rational for banning all abortion. Often, anti-abortionists will make exceptions for rape/incest, but King wants things to be much more restrictive... you're a woman who's sexually assaulted? For the next 9 months you get to carry the child of your attacker.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/14/steve-king-iowa-republican-rape-incest-abortion

The problem with his argument is that he is assuming that rape would have been necessary for women to have gotten pregnant in the past, whereas in reality it would have likely just delayed their decision to have children.

Yeah, in that link I had he also was quoted as saying the standard anti-abortion line "don't make the child pay for the sins of the mother and the father."

 

[theprestige]

How about Steve King? Is he representative of the Republican Party? He's been a member of said party for decades.

Most recently, as in this week, he had such intelligent statements as:



Which members are we picking and choosing as being representative? Do you even think a single GOP member will come out against this statement?

Even here there will be a few GOP supporters that'll say something like, "Well, he's not wrong. He makes a good point."

Seems like you have it all figured out. Not sure what you need me for.

Are you stipulating that Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party?

 

[plague311]

Seems like you have it all figured out. Not sure what you need me for.

Are you stipulating that Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party?

Sometimes I just don't know what to say around here.

Of course I'm not stipulating that. I'm trying to figure who, in your book, IS from the GOP establishment? If Trump isn't, and he's got 70%+ of support from the party, is King? Is Herd? Who?

 

[Dr. Keith]

I don't get the "Trump" bit. Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party. He's not an ideological conservative. He's not part of the GOP establishment. He's a non-ideological self-centered demagogue who put an R next to his name in 2015 because that's where the fun was.

Now he's like a dog who caught the car he was chasing. What's he supposed to do now? Not even the dog really knows. You're blaming the car's owner for having this angry mutt clamped to their bumper.

No, we're blaming the car's owner for saying: well you caught us so I guess it's your car now. Where we going?

 

[eerok]

I don't get the "Trump" bit. Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party. He's not an ideological conservative. He's not part of the GOP establishment. He's a non-ideological self-centered demagogue who put an R next to his name in 2015 because that's where the fun was.

Like it or not, he's the leader of the GOP. Perhaps you think that the conservatives who stoop to embrace Trump are somehow still above him. Think again.

Now he's like a dog who caught the car he was chasing. What's he supposed to do now? Not even the dog really knows. You're blaming the car's owner for having this angry mutt clamped to their bumper.

Yeah, that analogy doesn't work for me. How about if your dog kills and eats children, and it's still your dog. Disgusting, right? Welcome to the GOP under Trump. They could've put the dog down, but it wasn't convenient to do so. What a bunch of dickholes. You can imagine that your position is not hopeless and horrible, but you'd be wrong.

 

[Upchurch]

I don't get the "Trump" bit. Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party. He's not an ideological conservative. He's not part of the GOP establishment.

I suspect he’s closer than you think. It’s not like that “small government” schtick is real.

 

[Cabbage]

I don't get the "Trump" bit. Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party. He's not an ideological conservative. He's not part of the GOP establishment. He's a non-ideological self-centered demagogue who put an R next to his name in 2015 because that's where the fun was.

Now he's like a dog who caught the car he was chasing. What's he supposed to do now? Not even the dog really knows. You're blaming the car's owner for having this angry mutt clamped to their bumper.

So? It's a legitimate blame since the car's owner smeared bacon grease on his bumper.

 

[Cabbage]

I don't get the "Trump" bit. Donald Trump isn't really representative of the Republican Party. He's not an ideological conservative. He's not part of the GOP establishment. He's a non-ideological self-centered demagogue who put an R next to his name in 2015 because that's where the fun was.

Now he's like a dog who caught the car he was chasing. What's he supposed to do now? Not even the dog really knows. You're blaming the car's owner for having this angry mutt clamped to their bumper.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

 

[dudalb]

I want to say no, but the facts of the entrenched two-party system ensures that the Republican Party or a party like it will live on.

You forget, the GOP came into existence because one of the two Major parties died....(the Whigs in the early 1850'S).

 

[Stacyhs]

If I could literally make one change to American history to prevent the most pointless hijacks in political threads I would have made the Democratic and Republican parties either switch names or adopt totally new ones after the "Southern Democrat / Dixiecrat" cultural shift so "But you know Lincoln was a Republican" or one of another handful of variations wouldn't get dropped into every political discussion.

Hallelujah to that! I'm so sick of ignorant Republicans claiming they're the 'Party of Lincoln". Like hell they are. It's about as accurate as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) actually being a democratic republic.