Ilhan Omar's Opponent Wants Her Hung

[luchog]

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.

Yeah, there are, that's why the supposedly liberal Dems turned their back on the LGBTQ community for so many years, and why the centrist wing of the party still does to varying degrees (eg. Bill Clinton's DoMA, and Hillary Clinton's cozying up to TERFs during the campaign).

Both parties are well aware that elections hinge mainly on Independent voters, who are predominantly white and predominantly irrational, emotionalist voters. Trump knew how to leverage this crowd, as did Sanders; but the former was supported by his party, while the latter was not.

That's also why so many "reform" candidates on the left end up being little better than their right-wing counterparts when they finally get into office (eg. Kamala Harris); and why even minority candidates project an image as close to mainstream cis-het white as they can (eg. Pete Buttigieg). They know that they can afford to alienate a sizeable fraction of minority voters (while the bulk of said minorities will still vote for any candidate that leans even slightly to the left), as long as they can keep the enough of the white independents on their side.

In the GOP's case, they know that a huge segment of their voter base are religious and racist nutters. They've been actively courting such people for decades; quietly and behind the scenes since Nixon, and loudly embracing them since Reagan. They've done reasonably well as a result, since such people are far more numerous in this country than many of us would like to admit. Ever since Trump brought them out from under their rocks, the GOP has been forced to acknowledge just how much they depend on these "deplorables" for their power base.

 

[theprestige]

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.

Cut someone out how?

 

[ponderingturtle]

Yeah, there are, that's why the supposedly liberal Dems turned their back on the LGBTQ community for so many years, and why the centrist wing of the party still does to varying degrees (eg. Bill Clinton's DoMA, and Hillary Clinton's cozying up to TERFs during the campaign).

Both parties are well aware that elections hinge mainly on Independent voters, who are predominantly white and predominantly irrational, emotionalist voters. Trump knew how to leverage this crowd, as did Sanders; but the former was supported by his party, while the latter was not.

In that Trump actually won the primaries and got the most votes while sanders did not.

 

[theprestige]

In that Trump actually won the primaries and got the most votes while sanders did not.

Also, Trump was not supported by his party during the primaries.

 

[Donal]

Jeff Sessions wasn't a Republican?

 

[theprestige]

Jeff Sessions wasn't a Republican?

I think there's a difference between "a Republican" and "the Republican Party." But the terms aren't all that clear-cut, and there's plenty of room for ambiguity. So suit yourself. I see it differently than you do, but it's not a major issue for me.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Also, Trump was not supported by his party during the primaries.

Sure he was, that is why he won their votes. This seems to be an argument about smoky back rooms and really those seem to be pretty dead on a presidential level.

 

[theprestige]

Sure he was, that is why he won their votes. This seems to be an argument about smoky back rooms and really those seem to be pretty dead on a presidential level.

Fair enough. I'm not sure it's even an argument. I mean, it's no fun having self-identified neo-Nazis running under the party banner, but I don't really see a better way to handle it, than through primary elections. If JoeMorgue does have a better solution to propose, I'd like to hear it.

 

[Trebuchet]

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?

No. It's where they've been headed for at least 50 years.

 

[Stacyhs]

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

I find their choice of names for the program troubling and telling. Young Guns refers to gunslingers....killers and violence. I know the term is used to describe someone who is up and coming in a position, but to use it politically in these days of so much gun violence I find to be in very bad taste.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I find their choice of names for the program troubling and telling. Young Guns refers to gunslingers....killers and violence. I know the term is used to describe someone who is up and coming in a position, but to use it politically in these days of so much gun violence I find to be in very bad taste.

It may just be a reference to the movie of long ago. If memory serves it showed Emilio Estevez's butt. Great filmmaking is sadly rare now.

 

[Stacyhs]

It may just be a reference to the movie of long ago. If memory serves it showed Emilio Estevez's butt. Great filmmaking is sadly rare now.

I know, which is why I made the "gunslingers" reference. I still find it a very poor choice but I also think it was a very deliberate choice considering the GOP is the party of the NRA.

 

[theprestige]

So much for Minnesota Nice...

There's probably more to Minnesota Nice than a single person's antics.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I know, which is why I made the "gunslingers" reference. I still find it a very poor choice but I also think it was a very deliberate choice considering the GOP is the party of the NRA.

It was probably a stunt double butt anyway, no more genuine than the declared principles of a political party.

 

[Bob001]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politi...ella-ilhan-omar-threat-banned-twitter-919956/

One of Ilhan Omar's potential 2020 GOP opponents wants the Congresswoman hung. Danielle Stella, currently running for her party's nomination to unseat Omar stated that she should be tried for treason and hung. ...

Is this person considered a serious candidate? What are local Repubs saying? Pretty much anyone can run in a primary, or even as a third-party candidate in the general election. Lyndon LaRouche was an official presidential candidate several times.

The real scandal would be not just what she said, but if the Republican establishment doesn't shut her down.

And apparently somebody (at least the operator of this web site) is really mad at her.
https://www.danielle-stella.com/

 

[W.D.Clinger]

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?

In the United States, people tend to identify with the major party that best promotes their ideals, so I don't find it at all odd that many violent, racist, mentally unhinged foiks identify as Republicans.

I'm sure there are many fine people on both sides, just as there are many reprehensible people on both sides. For the purposes of this paragraph, I declare myself unable to estimate the fractions that fall into those categories.

 

[CORed]

Please do not provide us with evidence.

I agree. That would surely get him banned, and this forum would be a lot more boring without Tragic Monkey.

 

[dudalb]

It's a problem for both parties;any nutcase can register as a party member and run for a nomination. You should see some of the kooks who run for Democratic nominations in the San Francisco Bay Area;pretty much as extreme to the left as the nutcase in Florida is to the right.
But I don't find the alternative attractive;Let a few party bosses/insiders control the whole process and freeze the rank and file party member from having much of a choice as to who runs in their district. That is the way it's done in several countries, the UK being a example.

 

[Craig4]

Is this person considered a serious candidate? What are local Repubs saying? Pretty much anyone can run in a primary, or even as a third-party candidate in the general election. Lyndon LaRouche was an official presidential candidate several times.

The real scandal would be not just what she said, but if the Republican establishment doesn't shut her down.

And apparently somebody (at least the operator of this web site) is really mad at her.
https://www.danielle-stella.com/

As of the date of the article, she had the support of some of the Trumptrash pundits at Fox News's streaming service Fox Nation to run against Omar. I assume they were unaware of the arrest warrants. Even the Trumptrash are distancing themselves from her now.