How is Donald Trump not a Republican?

[ZiprHead]

But what are the issues where he differs?

He likes porn and his wife participates in making it.

 

[Biscuit]

Both parties have changed and morphed over the decades. Donald is the republican party as we now know it. He isn't a republican from 20 or even 10 years ago, he is what a republican is now. Even just 4 years ago Mitt Romney was a republican but the party has been dragged away from people like him.

 

[BStrong]

Conservatives has always been great adherents of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.
But simply by trying to map Trump's policies on historically republican policies we can see that there is very little overlap.

Free Trade, Immigration, Deficit Spending are all prime topics on which the party is not in line with its nominee.


But by virtue of the nomination, the GOP has declared that, at least for this election, Trump's policies are their policies: every Republican who didn't refuse to endorse Trump on July 21st can not disavow him on policies.
As the saying goes: cling together, swing together.

Way back when they managed to send the John Birchers and the "Ike is a commie!" factions packing, but that was then and this is now.

In reality, Trump is not a member of any group - He's a singularity unto himself. He's no more a republican than Howard Stern was a Libertarian when he tried to run for office in N.Y. state.

 

[Hlafordlaes]

More.

Broadly, the Party has stood for whatever could be used as surrogate issues for white power, and bogus economic policies all translating into low or no taxes on the rich. Trump is very much a Republican; he stands for exactly the same things, only explicitly. (On free trade, his only real threat to the elite, if elected, one can expect some fast turnarounds in the form of "greatest deals ever" announced with gold leaf fanfare.)

 

[phiwum]

Way back when they managed to send the John Birchers and the "Ike is a commie!" factions packing, but that was then and this is now.

In reality, Trump is not a member of any group - He's a singularity unto himself. He's no more a republican than Howard Stern was a Libertarian when he tried to run for office in N.Y. state.

To be perfectly fair, I could see Stern as a Libertarian.

 

[Cain]

Trump is a huckster and a vulgarian, not a true conservative. He's now advocating traditionally conservative policies, but brags about opposing the Iraq War (he was initially in favor of it). He opposes Obamacare, but years ago supported national healthcare. And so on.

The positions he's espousing are generally conservative, bu they're not the sort of thing that energize him and his hard-core supporters. No, that would be personal attacks. He defended Clinton in the 90s, calling the accusers "unattractive" and describing Paula Jones as a "loser."

Trump took advantage of the immigration issue, and rode it to a nomination. He was able to do so because the Republican Party is disproportionately dominated by idiots and troglodytes, exactly the type of people attracted to a huckster and vulgarian.

 

[Foolmewunz]

Way back when they managed to send the John Birchers and the "Ike is a commie!" factions packing, but that was then and this is now.

In reality, Trump is not a member of any group - He's a singularity unto himself. He's no more a republican than Howard Stern was a Libertarian when he tried to run for office in N.Y. state.

That was a different era. Republicans actually had the balls to stand up to Welch, McCarthy and Cohn. They didn't do away with the miscreants, though, just forced them underground.

Moderates fell back on those memories and thought that as they raised their ugly heads they could cast them out with "Begone, bigots. Begone, I say!" The internet gave life to the ugly underbelly of conservative politics, but they were always there, mutating like a swine flu virus until we reached the point where the masses picked a candidate whose mentor was one of the discredited three.... Trump learned his politics from Roy Cohn, fer crissake, one of the most reprehensible humans in history.

 

[fuelair]

Conservatives has always been great adherents of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.
But simply by trying to map Trump's policies on historically republican policies we can see that there is very little overlap.

Free Trade, Immigration, Deficit Spending are all prime topics on which the party is not in line with its nominee.


But by virtue of the nomination, the GOP has declared that, at least for this election, Trump's policies are their policies: every Republican who didn't refuse to endorse Trump on July 21st can not disavow him on policies.
As the saying goes: cling together, swing together.

Hopefully all by their necks until discorporated!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Belz...]

He's not a Republican in the sense that he shows no loyalty to the issues that define the party.

He is a Republican in the sense that he's registered as one and, more importantly, has been nominated by the party to run for president.

Is this so hard to understand?

He's Schrodinger's republican.

 

[Dr. Keith]

He's a loser and Republicans are winners.

 

[Shadowdweller]

"Republican", like any other party or movement in the real world occupies a spectrum of possible, general beliefs. Personally, I applaud any attempt by the GOP to distance themselves from Trump's more odious beliefs - such as his racist or sexist tendencies.

 

[rustypouch]

"Republican", like any other party or movement in the real world occupies a spectrum of possible, general beliefs. Personally, I applaud any attempt by the GOP to distance themselves from Trump's more odious beliefs - such as his racist or sexist tendencies.

They should own it. Stop making excuses, and take some accountability.

He's the person they chose to represent them. Chosen as the person they want to lead to country.

There was a lengthy process to pick the person they think is the best to lead them, and they picked Trump.

 

[Garrison]

"Republican", like any other party or movement in the real world occupies a spectrum of possible, general beliefs. Personally, I applaud any attempt by the GOP to distance themselves from Trump's more odious beliefs - such as his racist or sexist tendencies.

Except they really didn't do that, it took him admitting to a sexual assault to get them to turn on him. Those sexist and racist tendencies found a strong resonance with what passes for the grassroots of the Republican party.

 

[fuelair]

Except they really didn't do that, it took him admitting to a sexual assault to get them to turn on him. Those sexist and racist tendencies found a strong resonance with what passes for the grassroots of the Republican party.

They do not pass for it, they are it. Thus deplorable. I'm sorry their lives suck, but I didn't cause it - they and those they trusted and voted for are the ones responsible for their problems.

 

[John Jones]

He is the freaking nominee of their trash party and most rank and file Republicans and elected Republican "leaders" support him. So how could he possibly not be a Republican? Obviously, he makes them look bad, but that's their problem.

Do you have a real question?

 

[Tony Stark]

Do you have a real question?

How is that piece of trash not representative of the Republican party?

 

[RecoveringYuppy]

There was a lengthy process to pick the person they think is the best to lead them, and they picked Trump.

And with large numbers. More people voted for him in the primary than any other Republican nominee. He came away with 45% of the votes against the largest primary field ever.

 

[Shadowdweller]

They should own it. Stop making excuses, and take some accountability.

He's the person they chose to represent them. Chosen as the person they want to lead to country.

There was a lengthy process to pick the person they think is the best to lead them, and they picked Trump

Except they really didn't do that, it took him admitting to a sexual assault to get them to turn on him. Those sexist and racist tendencies found a strong resonance with what passes for the grassroots of the Republican party.

The Republican party isn't any more monolithic than the Democratic party is. There have been "Anyone But Trump" factions since well before the primary. There are many who turned on him as a result of many factors before the latest sex thing. As a result of the Khans, for example, or his general cluelessness regarding the rest of the world. And there are STILL plenty of people who support him in spite of the sexist and racist rhetoric. Sean Hannity's latest line, for example, seems to be that Bill Clinton is guilty of the exact same behavior. Because, even presuming that were true, we all know that Bill and Hillary Clinton are secretly the same individual

Not every member of the Republican constituency deserves responsibility for Trump. Though certainly some do.

 

[trvlr2]

I always figured das drumpf was the very paragon of republicans. He's white, old, rich, racist, clueless and a pervert.
QED, republican.

 

[catsmate]

"Republican", like any other party or movement in the real world occupies a spectrum of possible, general beliefs. Personally, I applaud any attempt by the GOP to distance themselves from Trump's more odious beliefs - such as his racist or sexist tendencies.

Then why haven't they de-selected him as a candidate? The RNC has that option.