Death Of A Party?

GOP  So, as I sit waiting for the next installment of the GOP primary debates, I am pondering whether a Trump nomination would be the final nail in the coffin of the GOP as we know it.   I have made my feeling quite clear about Donald Trump as the GOP nominee. I have to admit I may be wrong about his being able to pull off this grand scam of the Republican voters. I may have miscalculated the level of anger, but also the number of uninformed voters, in being able to sustain Trump’s sideshow of a campaign.

I say may for now, because technically, and mathematically it is not a lock just yet. And yes, I know that this may also be like, when at the end of the NFL season someone will say, “mathematically the Bears still have a chance to make the play-offs”, and I am sitting home saying, “yeah right”.

So we may be fast approaching a time when all reasonable Republicans must ask the question, “who am I to vote for, if Trump is the nominee?” However, a more pressing question may be, can the GOP survive Donald Trump as the nominee, and God forbid a Trump presidency?

Look, it’s not that I believe Donald Trump will have single-handedly destroyed the GOP, but he may be the “Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique”.

No, this death march actually can be traced back to 2010 and the birth of the TEA movement, and please, no one need remind me of my part here in Delaware.

So how did we get to the point where a loud mouth bully, rich brat type, end up being so popular with the American people? Of course his supporters will tell you it’s because the people are sick and tired of business as usual, and to a certain extent I will agree with this. But I think it runs deeper than simple discontent.

What the GOP has seen grow out of the TEA movement, has been a growth in the number of candidates who have nothing beyond empty rhetoric about the Constitution, and “We the People”.  They throw around all the right catch phrases such as Liberty, and talk without end about the 2nd Amendment. What this has done, is to increase the number of uninformed voters, because if the candidates are not challenging the voters to look deeper, and beyond hot button words, then the voters will settle for this. Isn’t it easier to simply run on emotion? I mean if a candidate can get the applauds every time they say “Constitution”, why would they work harder? After all, it’s not about informing the voters anymore, it’s about a popularity contest.

So following the TEA movement, people like myself were moved to the middle while standing still. The TEA people moved the party to what I had previously thought was the far right fringe. So, while I held to my principles and my view of what it means to be a conservative, the TEA people worked hard to redefine what conservatism means, and if you didn’t agree with their definition, then you became a liberal. The TEA movement was made up of libertarians pretending to be Republicans, they seemed bent on also redefining what it means to be a Republican.

Well I would like to welcome all of my TEA people friends to the middle. These are the people who in the beginning of this primary were supporting Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson. These were the holy trinity of the libertarian TEA people. But they also have been nothing more than grist for the mill.

So in the end, the number of uninformed voters which the TEA movement was able to mobilize, the fact they dumbed-downed the conversation, the fact they raised the level of anger within the political process, has now come home to roost. That beast which was unleashed in 2010, has grown now to be Godzilla.

Just when I though it was impossible for things to get any crazier, onto the stage steps Donald Trump. Not only is his rhetoric empty, it is hate filled. Whether it be about immigration of Hispanics, or his attack on religion, both Islam and Catholics, or simply his name calling technique of debating.

The TEA people are now on the outside once again. They wasted the opportunity to build and grow the GOP when they had the momentum following 2010, by choosing  to go on witch hunts to take out any candidate or elected official who did not fit their narrow definition of conservatism. The fact that Paul and Carson never got any traction, and that Cruz seems to be going down in the end, shows that the TEA candidates are in the exact same place as the so-called establishment candidates like Bush, Rubio and Kasich.

The Trump train seems poised to run down all comers. But this time, it is not even about defining conservatism, it’s not about defining anything. The question is never raised whether it is important if Trump is a conservative or not, and if it is, his supporters simply say, “yes, but he says what we are thinking”. Really? Then keep your thoughts to yourself.

My TEA people friends are about to become the establishment if they fail to get on board the Trump train, and if they do, then in my opinion they have sold out everything they have been professing to believe in since 2010.

If Donald Trump becomes the GOP nominee, I truly believe it will mark the point of no return for the Republican Party. How can reasonable Republicans support him? How can TEA people support him, at least the honest ones? Will we be driven to vote for a Democrat? Will we be forced to stay home? Will we simply leave the box empty? All of which results in the same end, President Hillary.

Or, will we be forced to vote for Trump? And if we do, and he wins, is the GOP and every person who votes for him responsible for whatever comes from it? And if I am correct on how dangerous he is, can the GOP ever manage to convince people to vote Republican again?

Many have said as time passes, Trump will moderate his behavior and begin to act more presidential. For me this would mean only that he is a complete phony. And does his angry base continue to support him if he stops attacking in the manner they have come to expect? I can only imagine the wet dreams these angry people are having imagining Trump attacking Mrs. Clinton in the same way he has attacked his Republican opponents.

I simply can’t see how the GOP survives Donald Trump, at least not in a way, which resembles in any way, what the Republican party once stood for.

 

32 Comments on "Death Of A Party?"

  1. JS says:

    My take is that the Republican Party will survive in some form with the far right wing keeping the name “Republican”. Trumpism will have to eventually lead (maybe sooner rather than later) to a third major party compromised of moderate republicans, moderate democrats and independents.The hated “establishment” still controls the money, the life blood of politics. (One simply has to look at the financial condition of the Sussex County Republican party to understand that the the far right wing doesn’t attract much in the way of donations)
    What is so infuriating isn’t the embracing of Trump’s message but more the embracing of the messenger. He is lying to his followers, they know it and still don’t care. In last night’s debacle (debate??) he stated that he is “flexible” and admitted that the hard line positions he has taken (deporting millions for example) is the starting point and you negotiate down from there. Another word for negotiate is “compromise” and isn’t that the Tea Party’s most hated word in the english language? His positions are always evolving (you can tell when he is going to evolve because just before he sheds his skin he licks his finger and sticks it in the air”. Where Obama pandered to hope, Trump panders to fear. The following is lengthy but worth the read.
    ww.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
    There is a part of me that wants to let him burn down the party just to see what will rise from the ashes. The fear he plays to in me is that he’ll burn down the country along with the party.

  2. Rick says:

    I am pondering whether a Trump nomination would be the final nail in the coffin of the GOP as we know it…

    You mean the GOP that holds more legislative seats than at any time since the 1920’s?

    So how did we get to the point where a loud mouth bully, rich brat type, end up being so popular with the American people?

    Because the American people are sick-and-tired of professional liars who will say anything to get elected and then do nothing to stop Obama’s agenda once they get to Washington. You know, the cross-the-aisle “moderates” like Graham, McCain and McConnell who helped give us a 19-trillion-dollar deficit.

    The TEA people are now on the outside once again. They wasted the opportunity to build and grow the GOP…

    The GOP holds thirty-three out of fifty governorships. They hold more legislative seats than at any time since the 20’s. And GOP primary turnout is up 30-40 percent. So, what are you talking about?

    …what the Republican party once stood for.

    The Republican Party once stood for low taxes, personal responsibility, free-market capitalism, states’ rights, fiscal moderation, adherence to the US Constitution and limited government. Which of those tenets does Trump threaten?

    With the help of establishment stalwarts McConnell and Boehner, we have seen increased taxes, socialized medicine, “green” fascism, unconstitutional executive orders, currency manipulation and an expanded government with an associated 19-trillion-dollar debt. If Trump can alter that trajectory, good for him.

  3. Honi Soit says:

    Frank: “The TEA movement was made up of libertarians pretending to be Republicans, they seemed bent on also redefining what it means to be a Republican.”

    A libertarian believes in minimal government control over people’s lives, including social issues. That means support for same-sex marriage and women’s reproductive choices, decriminalization or legalization of marijuana, etc. No libertarians in the TEA movement.

  4. Rick says:

    TEA is an acronym for Taxed Enough Already. Concommitantly, smaller government.

    Pat Buchanan’s take on the hysterical “establishment”…

    If Speaker Paul Ryan wishes to be “on the right side of history … he must condemn Mr. Trump clearly and comprehensively. The same goes for every other Republican leader.”

    “Maybe that would split the (Republican) party,” but, “No job is worth the moral stain that would come from embracing (Trump). No party is worth saving at the expense of the country.”

    If Republican leaders wish to be regarded as moral, every one of them must renounce Trump, even if it means destroying their party.

    Who has laid down this moral mandate? The Holy Father in Rome?

    No. The voice posturing as the conscience of America is the Washington Post, which champions abortion on demand and has not, in the memory of this writer, endorsed any Republican for president – though it did endorse Marion Barry three times for mayor of D.C….

    read more

  5. Sam Chick says:

    Rick’s analysis is spot on, as usual. Always enjoy reading your comments. Keep it up, Rick.

    If Trump wins the nomination, he’ll be a more than capable chief executive. Enough of the hysteria.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Government run healthcare at it’s best:
    http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/03/02/va-releases-details-wilmington-hospital/81224166/?hootPostID=eed32324f4a17eaf58ed90aadb131fc0

    Can’t post this on Delaware Liberal, not unless you believe in their viewpoints!

  7. delacrat says:

    If rich people like Trump got their healthcare at the VA, this stuff would not be happening !

  8. Dave says:

    @Anonymous. Sure you can post that at DL. I can help you if you find it confusing or would you like me then post it there for you? Or do you just like pretend you can’t do it?

  9. pandora says:

    @Dave. He likes pretending. I offered to look into his claims by asking him to email me, several times. What did I get? Crickets. Which is typical – Whine, complain, accuse and do nothing. Hey, that’s the Republican platform!

  10. Frank Knotts says:

    Rick says, “The Republican Party once stood for low taxes, personal responsibility, free-market capitalism, states’ rights, fiscal moderation, adherence to the US Constitution and limited government. Which of those tenets does Trump threaten?”
    Well just for a couple, “low taxes”. Trump has proposed tariffs. Are these not taxes? Will the cost not be passed on to the consumer as is always the case? Tariffs also could be pointed to as being anti-free-market capitalism. After all, the reason companies move their businesses off shore is because of over regulation and high taxes. As a private business that should be their right to protect themselves, and I do believe tariffs had a little to do with some small disagreement here in the good old USofA called the Civil War which was fought over states rights.
    As for adherence to the Constitution? Well in my view banning people based on their religious beliefs seems to fly in the face of the Ist Amendment.
    As for limited government, if we are to take Trump at his word, not something I recommend, but do you consider a president who seems to think he can do whatever he chooses without congress, limited?
    As for the original meaning of TEA, you are correct, however that movement was taken over a long time ago by libertarian leaches. Though even the ideals of libertarianism have been so muddied due to the anger that has now given rise to this tin dictator.
    And really? Pat Buchanan? Okay.
    And Rick, your ability to change direction on a dime is amazing. One moment the elected Republicans are nothing but the same old, same old establishment, and the next they are something to brag about, “You mean the GOP that holds more legislative seats than at any time since the 1920’s?”
    So which is it? Oh! That’s right, you’re a Trump supporter, consistency is not a priority.

  11. Mike Rowe says:

    Frank…… You have an disturbing definition of Libertarianism. Libertarians, specifically Republicans who lean Libertarian believe in small government, capitalism, personal responsibility, the Constitution, and we don’t get too consumed in social issues. You see virtually every single Republican preach about staying away from social issues and that we must focus on the economy and jobs, yet they support apology legislation or introduce bills that would make being the drug dealer of someone who OD’s on heroin a criminal, which I already thought was a crime. They preach private property rights, yet they vote to make it a crime for a father to drive around his own property with his son on his four wheeler. On social issues, we don’t care if John loves Jim, but we do care if the government is involved in marriage (just as we are in heterosexual marriages). We have seen the farce that is the ‘War on Drugs”, and think there are better things our law enforcement should be engaged in, instead of busting people for a little bit of pot. You’ve called Libertarians anarchists in the past and that is simply not true. We believe in Liberty for all people, be they white, black, gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and even Athiests. There’s a difference between freedom and Liberty. Anarchists believe in the freedom to live in a world minus government whereas Libertarians believe in Liberty. The difference between the two is that everyone is free to do as they wish, whether it be to murder, rape, steal, etc… Freedom is Liberty WITHOUT morality. Anarchists could care less about morals or Liberty, as they only want the freedom to do as they chose without any moral compass, rule of law, and punishment.

  12. Mike Protack says:

    Sadly, the DE GOP has been dead for a LONG time and will not ever be a force in Delaware Politics. The DE GOP specializes in lies, character assaults and general incompetence.

    At least with the departure of the random idiot wRONg Williams from the News Journal; who the De GOP hacks fed 100% falsehoods about me for many years is no longer a frequent occurrence.

    Nationally, the GOP operates the same as the DE GOP, pseudo leaders failing at every thing.

  13. waterpirate says:

    Pot calling the kettle black? Power corrupts people regardless of their party affiliation. Both parties have inflicted the same or more or less injustice on the tax paying citizens of this state. We need reform and we need it now! No party is offering any, so we are left with the same corruption and the same gridlock. Cue my broken record, We need term limits and we need them now!

  14. Anonymous says:

    The Delaware Dems are doing nothing for this State!
    Paying outrageous cost for farmland.
    Stealing money out of the Transportation fund and not reimbursing it.
    Paying for Fisker and getting nothing in return.
    Stealing money from homeowners and paying Bloom Energy for not making quotas and on top of that claiming it’s “GREEN ENERGY”
    Common Core; waste of time, money and teachers knowledge!
    Wanting to raise gas tax for their own short falls!

  15. Mike Protack says:

    DEGOP: gone and buried.

  16. Rick says:

    Well just for a couple, “low taxes”. Trump has proposed tariffs. Are these not taxes? Will the cost not be passed on to the consumer as is always the case?

    Of course. But Trump will cut taxes. And the tariffs will precipitate trade balance equilibrium and hopefully spawn manufacturing job growth.

    As for adherence to the Constitution? Well in my view banning people based on their religious beliefs seems to fly in the face of the Ist Amendment…

    The First Amendment applies to Americans, not Syrians.

    And Rick, your ability to change direction on a dime is amazing. One moment the elected Republicans are nothing but the same old, same old establishment, and the next they are something to brag about, “You mean the GOP that holds more legislative seats than at any time since the 1920’s?”

    So which is it?

    The Republican who was elected as a state representative in Nebraska has little connection with the GOP power-brokers like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham.

    It is a simple fact that it is the GOP “establishment” that is in the minority. This is why Bush, Graham and soon, Rubio, are gone. The two men the “establishment” hates most- Trump and Cruz- have been running 1-2 throughout the campaign. You should listen to the voters rather than the Washington Post editorial page.

    And really? Pat Buchanan?

    Yeah, really. Buchanan is a nationally syndicated columnist and television commentator. You run a local blog. Buchanan worked for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. You work for a propane company.

    Frank, instead of kicking and screaming, try facing reality. Follow your heart and stick to your beliefs; vote for Hillary.

  17. Frank Knotts says:

    Rick says Trump will cut taxes. Really Rick? And how does the president cut taxes? Isn’t that congress’ responsibility?
    Rick, Trump did not say ban Syrians, he said ban Muslims. And the Constitution is our governing document, which means it guides us in our actions as a nation. It’s not that it applies to this person or that person, it’s that we as a nation apply its principles to everything we do.
    So you quote Pat Buchanan because he is a national columnist, well Wolf Blitzer is also national, does that make him right?

  18. Rick says:

    Rick says Trump will cut taxes. Really Rick? And how does the president cut taxes? Isn’t that congress’ responsibility?

    Of course it is. And it is a GOP Congress. As president, Trump will sign the bill into law.

    Rick, Trump did not say ban Syrians, he said ban Muslims…

    I used Syrians as an example. The First Amendment does not protect Syrians, or Iranians or Finns. Trump has said that he has proposed the ban until we can properly access threats, and 70% of Republicans agree.

    Of course, Trump could always ban immigration from certain nations, thus circumventing your vacuous First Amendment argument.

    So you quote Pat Buchanan because he is a national columnist…

    No, I quote him because I believe him to be right. I mentioned his resume as a way of comparing his bona fides to yours.

  19. Frank Knotts says:

    So in your scenario any Republican president would sign the bill to reduce taxes, which means Trump isn’t so special.
    Rick says, “I used Syrians as an example “, but all Syrians are not Muslims, he said all Muslims. And you see my comment about the constitution as vacuous because you have no real respect for the document, you simply use it when convenient.
    Again Wolf Blitzer has the same level of recognition, or bona fides.

  20. Rick says:

    So in your scenario any Republican president would sign the bill to reduce taxes, which means Trump isn’t so special.

    I never said he was “special.” I said he’d lower taxes.

    And you see my comment about the constitution as vacuous because you have no real respect for the document, you simply use it when convenient.

    The First Amendment does not protect Syrians….or Lithuanians, Finns or Moroccans. In case you didn’t notice, it is the Constitution of the United States.

    Again Wolf Blitzer has the same level of recognition, or bona fides.

    Really? Blitzer worked for Nixon and Reagan?

    When I posted a Buchanan piece, you responded with this snide response;

    And really? Pat Buchanan? Okay.

    What was your implication? That Buchanan is a tin-foil-hat crackpot? A right-wing looney? That his views are irrelevant while yours are sacrosanct?

    Ditch the ego, Frank. You’re no Pat Buchanan.

  21. delacrat says:

    The First Amendment applies to Americans, not Syrians.

    The First Amendment does not protect Syrians….or Lithuanians, Finns or Moroccans. In case you didn’t notice, it is the Constitution of the United States.” – Rick

    Rick needs to read the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

    “No State shall deny to any PERSON…the equal protection of the laws.”

    “[A]ny person” means every PERSON, whether s/he is a US citizen or not.

  22. mouse says:

    So in Republican world we cut taxes almost entirely for the 1% since lower middle income people pay very little federal income tax. Then we complain about the debt/deficit which most conservatives seem to lack understanding of the difference. Similar with weather and climate. They hate “illegals” aka”Mexicans” so they advocate somehow rounding up 12 million people and deporting them without any thought of the implications. They advocate a wall on the Mexican border over the meanders of the Rio Grande river or in a straight line that would require giving back land to Mexico. No concern of the cost of some wall in the desert and no acknowledgement that there are border towns where people can go back and forth easily to shop. Never a word about about the people who hire illegals. And no ability to self reflect on reality beyond talk radio dogma. Sad very sad.

  23. Frank Knotts says:

    Rick like Trump would make himself the decider of who the Constitution applies to.
    So you admit that Trump would not lower, congress would, meaning your claim that he would is false.
    And Bychanan? Yes, he does come off as a tin foil hat looney, why else would you be quoting him.

  24. Rick says:

    Rick like Trump would make himself the decider of who the Constitution applies to…

    Huh? What are you talking about. It is the Constitution of the United States, not the Constitution of International Peoples.

    So you admit that Trump would not lower, congress would, meaning your claim that he would is false

    Who signs a bill into law? So, I would be right.

    And Bychanan? Yes, he does come off as a tin foil hat looney, why else would you be quoting him

    I quoted him because, particularly in the article cited, I believe him to be correct. And as I stated, his bona fides are considerably more impressive than yours.

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

    Watching the anarchists on television tonight, I was reminded of ’72. You know, when the antiwar movement shut-down Washington. And the fawning, sympathetic press was giddy with excitement. Youth will be served!

    Then Nixon carried 49 states.

    Thank-you, professional protesters.

  25. Frank Knotts says:

    Just because you believe something to be right, doesn’t make it so, no matter who says it. And as I said before, the constitution doesn’t apply to anyone, it is our governing document, it instructs a nation on how it is to govern.

  26. Rick says:

    Just because you believe something to be right, doesn’t make it so, no matter who says it.

    Duh. That why I said “I believe him to be correct.”

    And as I said before, the constitution doesn’t apply to anyone, it is our governing document, it instructs a nation on how it is to govern.

    That is generally true of the initial text (Article I., Section 8. excepted), but it is not true of the Amendments, particularly the Bill of Rights. For example, the First Amendment forbids the government from “establishing” a religion on The People; The People being citizens of the United States. The Second Amendment secure’s The People’s right to bear arms; but neither Amendment applies to the people of Syria, Finland or Mozambique.

  27. Rick says:

    Oh, I almost forgot. FDR’s Presidential Proclamation 2525:

    Whenever there is a declared war between the United States and any foreign nation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory of the United States by any foreign nation or government, and the President makes public proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of the hostile nation or government, being of the age of fourteen years and upward, who shall be within the United States and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as alien enemies…

    Thus, according the the extremely “liberal’ FDR, even people who are already here are subject to deportation if they are deemed to be a threat by the chief executive.

  28. mouse says:

    The threat is from your corporate heroes who hire illegals.

  29. mouse says:

    And what does the GOP have to offer someone like me? I’m liberal leaning, educated, believe in science, look skeptically at religion and its dogmas and I’m willing to cerebrally negotiate and compromise, I’m pro labor, pro environment, pro education, pro living wage jobs, pro art, pro renewable energy, pro progressive taxation, pro reproductive autonomy, pro universal medical coverage and pro effective government. There’s not a single thing the conservative republican party stands for that aligns with my views or the views of millions like me.

  30. mouse says:

    The GOP is a party of zealots, religious nuts, rich people, hatemongers and racists. Why would some working class uneducated guy making low wages vote for a party that works against him at every turn other than pandering to his hate and fears

  31. Frank Knotts says:

    So Rick believes that non citizens living here legally or not are not to be treated as people.
    And you ignore one small problem with your FDR quote. It says “declared” state of war. That is an act of congress. And it concerns citizens of those countries, not a religion.

  32. Rick says:

    So Rick believes that non citizens living here legally or not are not to be treated as people…

    No, I know that the US Constitution does not apply to the people of Syria or Finland.

    And you ignore one small problem with your FDR quote. It says “declared” state of war. That is an act of congress.

    An act of Congress doesn’t give the President the power to amend the Constitution. This,you prove my point. The President can not only deny immigration- but can deport non-citizens.

    And it concerns citizens of those countries, not a religion.

    If you want to use that rationale, refer to my previous comment;

    “Of course, Trump could always ban immigration from certain nations, thus circumventing your vacuous First Amendment argument.”

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