2024 GOP Primary
- Thread starter Mr. Deez
- Start date
Last time I was called that I was in the UK. Greatest vacation (aka Holiday) ever.
Reagan believed Dems when they made the promise to do something about immigration. It wasn't yet a major issue but the writing was on the wall. For a guy who is so often quoted by "Trust but verify" he really was naive on this one.
Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
It depends. With the exception of police and fireman unions, government sector unions are functions of the Democratic Party machine, and they're dominated by ideological leftists - both in their leadership and in their membership. As a practical matter, there's nothing the GOP could do to attract any meaningful number of them. Even if they made some kind of pitch to them (like a pay raise for teachers or other gov't employees), Democrats would scoff at it and then outbid them. It's an auction they can't win.
Private sector unions are different. The leadership is ideologically leftist but much less so than government sector union leaders, and the membership is far less ideolgically leftist than the membership of government sector unions. Many of the members are patriotic (like America), nationalistic (like tarriffs, suspicious of free trade, and oppose immigration), and socially conservative (not fans of abortion, the LGBT agenda, and crime). That's why a lot of union members supported Trump. The reason they've historically supported Democrats is that they're economic populists (like generous unemployment benefits, welfare, and at least some form of government healthcare system), and Democrats used to be far more nationalistic and at least not crazy on social issues.
I think guys like Trump, Josh Hawley, J.D. Vance can do reasonably well with private sector union members, even if I disagree with them. They hit the right buttons on social issues and trade, and they're not entitlement reformers like the GOP broadly is. With how nutty Democrats are on social issues and how they've totally sold them out on trade and immigration, that's enough to win many of them. To get the union leadership, the GOP would have to do what it is doing but then add something big (that most Republicans would never accept) - like flipping on right to work laws (which I actually agree with doing) or backing a government healthcare system (which I'd never support). Hard to imagine either occuring, but if it did, it would be very hard for the union leadership to justify backing Democrats.
I remember when Gary Hart got run out of the Democraric primary for yachting with a floozie. Trump has been found liable in civil court for rape and is a documented serial adulterer. His disdain for obeying laws and being truthful are worrisome. Honestly...for all my oft praised empathy...I can't look at the guy speak and imagine why anyone loves and supports him. Based on how he has treated strong, high integrity people in his administration...his next turn at the helm would see every appointee be an abject syncopath.
Citizen believes in fake news. Not to say Trump is perfect but the image from fake news is fake. Rick Perry said he had no issue but he wasn’t selling his own agenda.
Last edited:
I thought it would be useful in this far right of center forum to see an assessment of Trump electability from someone well to your left ...but still way more conservative than Beto, AOC and Bernie. I'm praying for a better Democratic nominee than Joe Biden and barring Trump as the GOP standard bearer I won't vote for that seriously unimpressive man.
I like varying perspectives. To be clear, I don’t like Trump as a human, but his policies were mostly outstanding except for Covid. I will not vote for him as I think he is not the right person to lead the country. DeSantis, Scott, Haley or Ramaswamy will all have similar policies without the childish behavior.
Biden is a corrupt pervert and his policies are horrible. It’s a perfect time for a 3rd party candidate.
Biden is a corrupt pervert and his policies are horrible. It’s a perfect time for a 3rd party candidate.
A non-majority electoral college vote throws the election to the House where GOP would surely have majority of states. 3rd party ticket to prevent 270 to Biden or Trump could be the ticket.
Hard to believe that the same party that dumped Gary Hart embraced Bill Clinton (who made Hart look like a choirboy) just a few years later.
I'm pretty anti-Trump, but I get it. It's about hatred and political tribalism. They support Trump mostly because the people who hate Trump largely hate them and make that very clear. Furthermore, they believe those going after Trump are doing so in bad faith and don't have any credibility, so they don't put any stock in criticisms that come from them.
And they're largely right. The reason I don't go along with the Trump people is that I don't like that style of politics and because I don't like to needlessly take on massive political liabilities. Nominating Trump is like receiving a kickoff at the 15-yard line and running backwards to your own 1-yard line. It's making your goal much harder to reach with no upside.
Probably so.
GOP congressmen who throw Trump under the bus would be massively primaried.
Votes are by states, not by individuals. So it provides some cover.
So do I. That was the Democrat party pre-Bill Clinton shooting his wad all over an intern in a blue dress (among many other indiscretions). At that point, the dumbassocrats pivoted to "it doesn't affect how he does his job". And ever since the dumbassocrats sold their souls to protect Horny Bill, most politicians of all stripes have apparently chosen to follow the path and not care about sexual improprieties.
Mike Pence shouldn't be regarded as a prudish throwback, but he is.
Of course. The left thinks someone with conservative values is evil. Trans and other freaks are the norm to be celebrated by those morons.
Yes, but let's think this out. Three states have GOP at-large members. (We would have four, but we threw away Alaska.)Those will surely go for Trump unless those members are retiring from politics. Two states have 2 GOP members. No hiding there either. The rest of the states have more than 2 and therefore the ability to claim to have voted for Trump while their state votes for someone else. Several have 3 or 4. The fewer members from a state, the harder it is to hide.
And there will be a lot of speculation. For example, almost everybody in the Texas delegation (except mayben Crenshaw) will claim to have voted for Trump, because they won't want primary opponents, but suppose Texas votes 3P. Somebody will lying, and you'll have leaks and other rumor-mongering to determine who voted for him and who didn't.
And I'm honestly not sure how the vote is determined anyway. Is there a record vote among each delegation to determine how each state will vote, or is a secret ballot? I'm honestly not sure.
Last edited:
10 truths, but I could only rate it one winner. Too bad.
Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
Trump chickens out on debate, chooses a cushy interview with Carlson instead.
I'm to the point where I'll sit out November if Trump is nominated . What's the point of having an old self serving narcissist in the white house? I'm looking for an improvement over what we currently have
I'm to the point where I'll sit out November if Trump is nominated . What's the point of having an old self serving narcissist in the white house? I'm looking for an improvement over what we currently have
Again, I think he fears Desantis will torch him on COVID. I also think he fears Christie on the indictments. He will drive home the point that the electorate isn't going to vote for a guy in jail or facing jail, and he'll be relentless about it. That won't get anybody to vote for Christie, but it might get some not to vote for Trump (likely to Desantis's benefit).
Like in '16, Christie isn't in the race to win. He's in the race to kill. Ask Marco Rubio.
Like in '16, Christie isn't in the race to win. He's in the race to kill. Ask Marco Rubio.
And Trump does just the opposite to the dims. No one ignites dims to vote more than Trump. If he's the nominee, which I expect he will be, it just let's the dims keep the WH.
At least with DeSantis, or just about any other R, there are dims that will sit at home because they don't like Brandon.
No.
I see your point. I, too, want someone other than Trump to head the GOP ticket. IMO, if the GOP nominates someone other than DJT, they will win the election - maybe not a landslide, but decisive.
HOWEVER - if DJT is the nominee, I'll have to vote for him. Failing to vote against Biden is not acceptable - the country really needs to get Biden and Harris out of office.
@utahorn the DeSantis camp has unconditionally approved your application now that Trump won’t debate. Your background check was clean except for that incident in 1997. That must have been embarrassing.
Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
Trump is the only R that I'd pass on. He's become Biden, solely in this for himself and not the country
Yeah, whatever. I'll take that and $2.25 a gallon gas up here vs. the $4.50 I'm paying now. Along with the rest of the prosperity we all enjoyed.
Weekly Prediction Contest
* Predict TEXAS-ULM *
Sat, Sep 21 • 7:00 PM on ESPN+/SECN+
Recent Threads
-
The Media Industry
- Started by texas_ex2000
- Replies: 8K
- West Mall
-
'I Feel Duped on Climate Change'
- Started by Namewithheld
- Replies: 3K
- West Mall
Prediction Results Threads
2024 Schedules
