What is the future of the Republican Party?

[knapplc]

14 minutes ago, Archy1221 said:

Updated headline @DevoHusker  Should we post it in big fancy red letters. 

 

You guys realize that's how links come from the website, right?

[DevoHusker]

3 hours ago, Archy1221 said:

Updated headline @DevoHusker  Should we post it in big fancy red letters. 

Exactly what I was trying to say. 

Thanks for the update.

[Ulty]

The Josh Hawley situation reminded me of some things I haven't thought about in many years. You see, young Ulty and young Josh Hawley were both 15 years old when the OKC bombing happened, and you may be surprised to know that we were both into far-right propaganda as well.

 

In my early teenage years I had read an inflammatory pamphlet warning of a liberal "new world order" that would destroy American ideals and form a single globalist government unless true, patriotic Americans did something to stop it. The government was behind it all, so it was up to grassroots efforts, including militias, to take up the cause. I started studying the Constitution, especially reading a lot about the second amendment, got sucked into news stories about the siege in Waco in 1993 and OKC in 1995.  I passionately consumed news and books on these subjects. I bought all the conspiracies about the liberal news media being slanted, liberals wanting to take away our guns, and the erosion of our national identity. I wrote a paper in English class defending our right to bear arms. I even wrote to a columnist in our school newspaper about his lack of patriotism. I was probably very much like Josh Hawley at the time. 

 

However, the more I learned about this stuff, the harder I found it to defend. I started to see the connections between the militia movement and things like religious fanaticism and white supremacy. Seeing old white men whine about loving their country but fearing their government, and seeing people trying to gain influence by undermining the US government was quite a turn off. I realized that the people who play militia in the woods are whackadoos. I realized that the new world order fears were based on nonsense. And I realized that I did not want to be associated with religious fanatics, racists, or gun nuts. 

 

So I don't blame a naive 15-year old Josh Hawley for writing what he wrote back in 1995. He and I were both dumb kids at the time. The problem is, all these years later, Hawley still apparently thinks the same crazy things he did 25 years ago, which is evident in his support for Trump's brand of fascism and his support of a redneck insurrection on the US Capitol. I am fortunate to have actually grown up and evolved. People like Hawley have never grown up and never evolved. 

[BigRedBuster]

16 hours ago, DevoHusker said:

Not everyone that believes in limited government and the Constitution want to bomb a Federal building...or storm the Capital. 

This is where you lose me.

 

The very essence of militias isn't limited government or protecting the constitution.  They organize with the dream of someday needing to over throw the government. That's why they go out in the woods and play war games...etc.  We saw that materialize on January 6th.  These people aren't some noble army to protect Americans.  In their warped mind, they feel they are ready to act if and when the government doesn't do what they want it to do.....even though the government is doing it constitutionally.  

 

There is a big disconnect between what they THINK they are doing and what they will do or are doing.

[DevoHusker]

1 minute ago, BigRedBuster said:

This is where you lose me.

 

The very essence of militias isn't limited government or protecting the constitution.  They organize with the dream of someday needing to over throw the government. That's why they go out in the woods and play war games...etc.  We saw that materialize on January 6th.  These people aren't some noble army to protect Americans.  In their warped mind, they feel they are ready to act if and when the government doesn't do what they want it to do.....even though the government is doing it constitutionally.  

 

There is a big disconnect between what they THINK they are doing and what they will do or are doing.

 

The original post said Hawley praised and/or defended McVeigh. He didn't. 

 

As for the outlook of people associated with militia groups, that is like saying "they" all want socialism and free stuff when talking generally about Democrats. 

[BigRedBuster]

11 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

As for the outlook of people associated with militia groups, that is like saying "they" all want socialism and free stuff when talking generally about Democrats. 

I don't think this is apples to apples.  To be that, you would need to be talking about someone who is associated with a group that plans, practices and arms themselves for an ultimate time when they feel they need to attack the government to implement those socialist ideas.

[TGHusker]

This is were the GOP is at now:  One congress woman's staff member telling one fellow GOP congressman to leave his 'make up bag' at home.

Liz Cheney who voted for impeachment finds Matt Gaetz coming to to Wyoming to campaign against her. 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/liz-cheney-matt-gaetz-men-makeup-025819594.html

Quote

 

“In Wyoming, men don’t wear makeup,” an unnamed Cheney spokesperson told The Washington Examiner on Sunday. Gaetz should “leave his beauty bag at home,” the aide added.

The aide was apparently referencing Gaetz’s comment in the recent HBO documentary “The Swamp” that he does his own makeup when he appears on television for interviews. (People who do studio interviews typically wear makeup.)

Gaetz — who is perhaps better known for trying to overturn the election results and baselessly claiming the Capitol insurrection was the work of antifa — has pushed to expel Cheney from the House after she and a handful of other Republicans voted to impeach President Donald Trump.

The Florida Republican is traveling to Wyoming on Thursday to rev up Trump supporters against his colleague.

 

 

[BigRedBuster]

7 minutes ago, TGHusker said:

This is were the GOP is at now:  One congress woman's staff member telling one fellow GOP congressman to leave his 'make up bag' at home.

Liz Cheney who voted for impeachment finds Matt Gaetz coming to to Wyoming to campaign against her. 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/liz-cheney-matt-gaetz-men-makeup-025819594.html

 

It will be interesting to see how people in Wyoming accept him meddling in Wyoming politics.  While there are lots of Trump supporters in that state, I would think they also tend to be people who don't like outsiders meddling in their business.

[TGHusker]

22 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

It will be interesting to see how people in Wyoming accept him meddling in Wyoming politics.  While there are lots of Trump supporters in that state, I would think they also tend to be people who don't like outsiders meddling in their business.

Yes, that was my immediate thought as well besides think Gaetz is a d-bag.   So much for independent thinking in the GOP.  I guess when one goes 'off the reservation' it doesn't matter if that person is the #3 ranking Republican in the House.

[funhusker]

21 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

It will be interesting to see how people in Wyoming accept him meddling in Wyoming politics.  While there are lots of Trump supporters in that state, I would think they also tend to be people who don't like outsiders meddling in their business.

It’s a shame I had to cut the cord with my Wyoming family.  I’d be very curious.

 

They were always huge Cheney fans.  But I think they were even bigger fans of Trump.  They turned outright crazy and I couldn’t bear to watch.

[DevoHusker]

57 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

I don't think this is apples to apples.  To be that, you would need to be talking about someone who is associated with a group that plans, practices and arms themselves for an ultimate time when they feel they need to attack the government to implement those socialist ideas.

 

It may not be exactly apples to apples. Would your outlook be the same if Michigan groups did not have high profile protests against masks and shutdowns this year?...and of course the insurrection at the Capitol is making views extra unfavorable right now, as it should. I don't think a large percentage of the folks that have been arrested are known militia members, but no solid source for that. 

 

I think that most people associated feel they are patriots. They want limited government interference, they protect their right to bear arms, and take the Constitution as a literal guide for governing.  

 

 

[knapplc]

6 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

I think that most people associated feel they are patriots.

 

I think you have an overly favorable view of these militias. They are not patriots. At all.

[BigRedBuster]

9 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

It may not be exactly apples to apples. Would your outlook be the same if Michigan groups did not have high profile protests against masks and shutdowns this year?...and of course the insurrection at the Capitol is making views extra unfavorable right now, as it should. I don't think a large percentage of the folks that have been arrested are known militia members, but no solid source for that. 

 

I think that most people associated feel they are patriots. They want limited government interference, they protect their right to bear arms, and take the Constitution as a literal guide for governing.  

 

 

No....I’ve thought this way for years. This year’s events didn’t change that. 

[DevoHusker]

1 minute ago, knapplc said:

 

I think you have an overly favorable view of these militias. They are not patriots. At all.

 

Notice that I said "they feel" they are. I have professed no favorable views of the organizations themselves.

[Ulty]

34 minutes ago, BlitzFirst said:

 

I'd say that they need to keep up with the times...men seem to be wearing makeup in Wyoming more and more.