Just think--if Republicans had voted to remove Trump after 1/6, they could've been on the road to redemption by now. And they would have insured that no future President would refuse to transfer power to the winning candidate.
His abject failure in the final outcome of J6 will no doubt feature prominently in "The Incredible Senate Career of Mitch McConnell." Many writers will produce some version of the bio, but any with credibility will devote a lengthy chapter as to what accounted for this decision.
These voters fall into one of five categories: (1) Republican office holders who want to get re-elected by the base, democracy be damned, (2) Republican operatives who want the disinformation lucre to keep coming in, democracy be damned, (3) Rich republicans who want less regulation so they can game the system and get more tax breaks, democracy be damned (4) Misinformed morons, the single largest group, who don’t realize the democracy is in peril or don’t give a damn and (5) Hateful conservatives who relish “triggering the libs”, democracy be damned. There are no other reasons to support DJT.
This is written in a weird sort of normalizing way. The idea of Trump being somehow sullied by another awful candidate feels like we’ve gone through the looking glass. Again. And the quotes from gutless integrity-free elected Republicans are, as always, sickening. Why is all this being reported in this column purely in terms that the GOP needs to find better candidates in order to win general elections? The whole party needs to lose and lose big. They are all a threat to our democracy. The ones that actively attack it and the spineless ninnies who go along.
Why isn’t the media pressing evangelical leaders for more comments on this guy? Especially those who are on record supporting him? Does he get the same “God works in mysterious ways” pitch as Trump or is that a show of hands vote outside the celestial world?
Fox is schooling the major media limp lightweights in how to go to war in PR. Sort of need to rage up the game a bit here with this guy in such a key state. Not Kamala but the rest of the guys. The evangelicals scare people away. These are the closet slavery fans and confederacy romantics who rationalize anything with the Bible. Something for everyone in it. Peace or war. Old time Americana.
And there’s a lot of silence about the abortion in Robinson’s personal background. I wonder why, when it’s a top issue in this election and the hypocrisy is stunning - even though we always suspected hypocrisy on a gargantuan scale in all the GOP with regard to abortion.
"The Problem Isn’t Mark Robinson. It’s GOP Voters."
We talk a lot about giving "normie" GOP elected officials permission structures to bail on trump and join the Harris/Walz coalition, and when they don't, we blame their voters more than we blame them. Does anyone ever wonder what would have happened if the GOP elected officials had stood up from the beginning, held true to their "supposed" values - maybe their voters would have as well. Why should we expect their voters to show more backbone, courage, and integrity than their elected officials did all along the sorry way? Want judges? Trade your integrity for it. Want Tax Cuts for the wealthy? Trade more of your soul for it.
So they ALL hold responsibility, and even more so the elected officials who took an oath to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution.
I lost faith in the intelligence of the American people when Dubya got re-elected. The dumbest person (at the time) ever to hold the office, draft dodger, wrong-country-invader tool won, beating a decorated war veteran.
I continue to hold reality TV responsible for making American voters favorable to “crazy” politicians. And I’m not even referring to Trump’s history with reality TV. Reality TV rewarded dysfunctional behavior, the more outrageous the better, and added the subliminal lure that everyone’s life is actually, potentially reality TV worthy - as long as there’s enough crazy to be entertaining. The spillover to our politics was inevitable. The line between “reality” and “entertainment” is blurred, perhaps permanently. And people now expect entertainment 24/7. Trump delivered.
I don’t know how we pull out of this unhealthy way of living. I often think another Trump presidency would teach voters a lesson, except for the fact that there will be no corrective allowed. Project 2025 will make sure of that.
It's never over. If Nebraska-2 is the electoral vote that tips the election for Harris, they'll change it the next day, retroactively. And Dems will go 'that's outrageous' and the Supreme Court will scratch their head for a couple weeks, then sign off on it.
I expect the Supreme Court to hand the election to Donald Trump regardless. The GOP is ginning up multiple scenarios for getting SCOTUS involved for that presumption.
Who could have predicted that a party tying itself with religious devotion to the most aggressively selfish and defiantly amoral politician in memory would do serious damage to itself - as well as the country.
The current version of the Republican Party is immune to shame, cares nothing about integrity, honesty, or even democracy. They have learned that anything wild and outrageous gets them to the top of the news. There are enough people who really don't care about their future but love the idea of pissing everyone off. There are also many people who are selfish, greedy, racist, and misogynistic. That's the coalition their rich backers are counting on to keep them from paying taxes.
A recent poll had Robinson getting 40, 41% for governor. In another poll, (MN senate race) Royce White polled about the same as Robinson. White is every bit the screwball as Robinson. Why they receive even that amount is beyond comprehension. This just shows that the Republican electorate is lock step behind these candidates. And it is not going away soon. As Tom Nichols suggests, the only way to effect this is to keep voting D's
Jesus, can we stop calling them Conservatives now? How about "Revanchists"?
Hypocrites?
or reactionary or cultists
I like a more cultured term: nuts
"Cultists" is the most accurate term I've heard.
I would call them Radical Rightist. They may be right wing, but they are NOT conservatives
Revanchist
Authoritarian
Cultist
Illiberal
Sycophantic
Transgressors
The GOP should rebrand as the Insane Unknowns. I'm sure the Chicago street gang would license the name.
I like “seditionist”, personally
Just think--if Republicans had voted to remove Trump after 1/6, they could've been on the road to redemption by now. And they would have insured that no future President would refuse to transfer power to the winning candidate.
I’d sure love to know if there is remorse hidden in those cowardly hearts. We may never know, because . . . they’re cowards.
His abject failure in the final outcome of J6 will no doubt feature prominently in "The Incredible Senate Career of Mitch McConnell." Many writers will produce some version of the bio, but any with credibility will devote a lengthy chapter as to what accounted for this decision.
"The Problem Isn’t Mark Robinson. It’s GOP Voters."
Yes, Joe. I would be surprised if any Bulwark readers don't already know that.
These voters fall into one of five categories: (1) Republican office holders who want to get re-elected by the base, democracy be damned, (2) Republican operatives who want the disinformation lucre to keep coming in, democracy be damned, (3) Rich republicans who want less regulation so they can game the system and get more tax breaks, democracy be damned (4) Misinformed morons, the single largest group, who don’t realize the democracy is in peril or don’t give a damn and (5) Hateful conservatives who relish “triggering the libs”, democracy be damned. There are no other reasons to support DJT.
Perhaps the GOP needs to attract some new, saner voters.
Good luck; they're all here at The Bulwark!
Voting for Dems.
JVL has been shouting that from the rooftop for like forever.
This is written in a weird sort of normalizing way. The idea of Trump being somehow sullied by another awful candidate feels like we’ve gone through the looking glass. Again. And the quotes from gutless integrity-free elected Republicans are, as always, sickening. Why is all this being reported in this column purely in terms that the GOP needs to find better candidates in order to win general elections? The whole party needs to lose and lose big. They are all a threat to our democracy. The ones that actively attack it and the spineless ninnies who go along.
Why isn’t the media pressing evangelical leaders for more comments on this guy? Especially those who are on record supporting him? Does he get the same “God works in mysterious ways” pitch as Trump or is that a show of hands vote outside the celestial world?
Fox is schooling the major media limp lightweights in how to go to war in PR. Sort of need to rage up the game a bit here with this guy in such a key state. Not Kamala but the rest of the guys. The evangelicals scare people away. These are the closet slavery fans and confederacy romantics who rationalize anything with the Bible. Something for everyone in it. Peace or war. Old time Americana.
And there’s a lot of silence about the abortion in Robinson’s personal background. I wonder why, when it’s a top issue in this election and the hypocrisy is stunning - even though we always suspected hypocrisy on a gargantuan scale in all the GOP with regard to abortion.
"The Problem Isn’t Mark Robinson. It’s GOP Voters."
We talk a lot about giving "normie" GOP elected officials permission structures to bail on trump and join the Harris/Walz coalition, and when they don't, we blame their voters more than we blame them. Does anyone ever wonder what would have happened if the GOP elected officials had stood up from the beginning, held true to their "supposed" values - maybe their voters would have as well. Why should we expect their voters to show more backbone, courage, and integrity than their elected officials did all along the sorry way? Want judges? Trade your integrity for it. Want Tax Cuts for the wealthy? Trade more of your soul for it.
So they ALL hold responsibility, and even more so the elected officials who took an oath to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution.
Thank you gentlemen! My initial reaction to the "bag" coming down the
"golden" escalator was "...never underestimate the stupidity of the american electorate..."
I stand by that then, now, and - we'll see....
President Obama used to talk about the "wisdom of the American voter"...I knew even then it was NOT true
I lost faith in the intelligence of the American people when Dubya got re-elected. The dumbest person (at the time) ever to hold the office, draft dodger, wrong-country-invader tool won, beating a decorated war veteran.
I continue to hold reality TV responsible for making American voters favorable to “crazy” politicians. And I’m not even referring to Trump’s history with reality TV. Reality TV rewarded dysfunctional behavior, the more outrageous the better, and added the subliminal lure that everyone’s life is actually, potentially reality TV worthy - as long as there’s enough crazy to be entertaining. The spillover to our politics was inevitable. The line between “reality” and “entertainment” is blurred, perhaps permanently. And people now expect entertainment 24/7. Trump delivered.
I don’t know how we pull out of this unhealthy way of living. I often think another Trump presidency would teach voters a lesson, except for the fact that there will be no corrective allowed. Project 2025 will make sure of that.
You're not wrong on that one.
Never watched 'reality teevee'. But I do watch some football. Both seem to produce the same byproduct: unengaged watchers. Lazy thinking
How a naked man on a tropical island shaped our current political insanity https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/opinion/donald-trump-reality-tv-survivor.html?smid=url-share
Written by a guy who is former head of programming at VH 1.
It's never over. If Nebraska-2 is the electoral vote that tips the election for Harris, they'll change it the next day, retroactively. And Dems will go 'that's outrageous' and the Supreme Court will scratch their head for a couple weeks, then sign off on it.
Be forewarned.
I expect the Supreme Court to hand the election to Donald Trump regardless. The GOP is ginning up multiple scenarios for getting SCOTUS involved for that presumption.
Oh it has been clear for at lest 15 years that Republican voters want one thing: the craziest son-of-a-bitch out there.
As JVL often says: "the people are the problem."
Who could have predicted that a party tying itself with religious devotion to the most aggressively selfish and defiantly amoral politician in memory would do serious damage to itself - as well as the country.
Joe
I'd be interested in your views of the fallout from the failed attempt to change the Nebraska electoral college vote distribution.
Accepted wisdom is that Rs have been afraid to get cross-wise with Trump because they are afraid of DJT's ability to primay them.
But for the time being (there's still a couple weeks for renewed pressure) an R Governor and an R Congressman seem to have thwarted DJT.
If they get away with it will other sensible Rs behave differenlty in future? What do you hear on the floor?
The current version of the Republican Party is immune to shame, cares nothing about integrity, honesty, or even democracy. They have learned that anything wild and outrageous gets them to the top of the news. There are enough people who really don't care about their future but love the idea of pissing everyone off. There are also many people who are selfish, greedy, racist, and misogynistic. That's the coalition their rich backers are counting on to keep them from paying taxes.
And frankly, if Trump is re-elected, it doesn't say much about Trump, but it says a hell of a lot about us.
A recent poll had Robinson getting 40, 41% for governor. In another poll, (MN senate race) Royce White polled about the same as Robinson. White is every bit the screwball as Robinson. Why they receive even that amount is beyond comprehension. This just shows that the Republican electorate is lock step behind these candidates. And it is not going away soon. As Tom Nichols suggests, the only way to effect this is to keep voting D's
The Rule is; R’s vote for R’s. Party first. Always.
Yeah, so much for country first. :)