What is the future of the Republican Party?

[TGHusker]

1 hour ago, JJ Husker said:

Really? Some of y’all don’t understand exactly who Mike Johnson is yet. He’s a MAGA republican from Louisiana who opposes gay marriage (and gays generally), abortion rights, race mixing and who wanted the 2020 election results overturned just like Trump. How much more do you need to see or know?

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/mike-johnson-house-speaker.html

Sounds alot like David Duke - another inspiring former Louisiana Rep   better put one of these here:  

[Scarlet]

26 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

It has been shown that in the past, these were his views.  Now, if people want us to believe that his views on these issues have changed, maybe it would be nice if they could show how he has proven that his views have changed like campaign speeches, voting record, speeches on the floor of congress....etc.

 

Or....are these views on these issues what earned him the support that got him the position?

His views have changed and mellowed so much over the years that moderate beacons of democracy like Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, and Trump all give him their full-throated support.  So much so that he'd never think about being involved in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election and drive our democracy into the ditch. 

 

Of course that's ancient history being almost three years ago.  Since then he's been a fervent supporter of, among other things, democracy in the face of unprovoked aggression and genocide.  Putin absolutely has to hate this choice.  I mean other people have changed their minds before.  

[Guy Chamberlin]

14 hours ago, Archy1221 said:

I can’t believe this guy was elected speaker!   I was told over and over and over and over and over and over that MTG or Lauren boebart were the leaders 

 

so strange.  

 

The entire story of the speakership saga has been the ability of a handful of hardline Republicans to control GOP destiny, first by forcing McCarthy to undermine his own power in return for their endorsement, then this same minority using that very leverage to oust McCarthy for collaborating with Dems. Then the same minority continuing to use its wedge in the selection of a new speaker, preferring fellow hardliner and general embarrassment Jim Jordan. Jordan fell about 20 votes short of the nomination, but in a telling secret ballot, Jordan was more than 100 votes short, confirming the GOP was afraid of its own extremists and their voters.

 

Of course it all got sorted out when the Republican fell in line for Mike Johnson, whose first order of business was to assure the extremists he was their extremist ally, and that election denial -- the thing even you find detrimental to GOP credibility -- remains the lynchpin of party unity. 

 

Are you suggesting that because neither MTG or Boebert was elected speaker themselves, they are not helping lead the party down this path?  

 

Would you feel better if we simply gave Matt Gaetz more credit? 

[Archy1221]

2 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

Are you suggesting that because neither MTG or Boebert was elected speaker themselves, they are not helping lead the party down this path?  

I’m suggesting people here on your side kept telling me those two were leaders of the Republican Party.   I’m quite shocked they weren’t elected Speaker or finished second in voting, or third, or fourth, or fifth, or sixth, seventh, eight…..based on what I was told anyways.  
 

Kevin made a deal that all but guaranteed his eventual outcome at some point because he was hell bent on being Speaker.  It was a stupid deal to make.   He also screwed himself over by not getting appropriations  voted on in time. He’s probably still speaker if he just does that.  

[knapplc]

26 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

Are you suggesting that because neither MTG or Boebert was elected speaker themselves, they are not helping lead the party down this path?  

 

 

MTG, Boebert, Johnson... 

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

26 minutes ago, Archy1221 said:

I’m suggesting people here on your side kept telling me those two were leaders of the Republican Party.   I’m quite shocked they weren’t elected Speaker or finished second in voting, or third, or fourth, or fifth, or sixth, seventh, eight…..based on what I was told anyways.  
 

Kevin made a deal that all but guaranteed his eventual outcome at some point because he was hell bent on being Speaker.  It was a stupid deal to make.   He also screwed himself over by not getting appropriations  voted on in time. He’s probably still speaker if he just does that.  

 

You keep contending that if the Boberts, Gaetz's, and MTGs are not appointed to actual capital L Leadership positions, then they can't be claimed as leaders of the Party.

 

It's a nice dodge, but near impossible to overlook their influence. They were never running for speaker. 

 

The fact that everyone is scrambling to find out who Mike Johnson even is confirms being a party leader was not requisite for the job. Probably the opposite. 

[DevoHusker]

Finally been able to do some research on Johnson. It sure seems that those of you most vocal against his selection are probably correct in that he is not any better than Bobert, Gaetz, Jordan, MGT et al. Legitimate thanks for telling me to dig deeper. Thought I would share some for others who haven't done some research.

 

I went to accounts I follow on Twitter that are fairly moderate, and are anti Trump. (and one that popped up)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Devo, I will say that the video you provided of Mike Johnson's personal and unambiguous reaction to the George Floyd shooting was illuminating. 

 

But where did that man go?

 

 

[DevoHusker]

2 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

Devo, I will say that the video you provided of Mike Johnson's personal and unambiguous reaction to the George Floyd shooting was illuminating. 

 

But where did that man go?

 

 

 

No idea, but that was one of the posts that made me say "hmm, not your typical hardliner". It appears that guy was a one hit wonder. 

[ZRod]

9 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

Devo, I will say that the video you provided of Mike Johnson's personal and unambiguous reaction to the George Floyd shooting was illuminating. 

 

But where did that man go?

 

 

Broken clock and all.

[Archy1221]

37 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

The fact that everyone is scrambling to find out who Mike Johnson even is confirms being a party leader was not requisite for the job. Probably the opposite. 

He was vice chairman of the House Republicans prior which is considered a leadership position. 

 

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

6 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

No idea, but that was one of the posts that made me say "hmm, not your typical hardliner". It appears that guy was a one hit wonder. 

 

Wouldn't it be interesting to sit down with him and watch that video, then run through the comments section, then ask how he feels about racism today, and what GOP party leaders might do to address it? 

 

My understanding is that the GOP strategy is to have a standing chorus boo whoever asks these questions as a way of never answering them. 

[teachercd]

I still can't see why anyone would be against gay marriage.  They should have to suffer just like the straight married couples suffer!

 

ZING!

 

No, but for real, if your faith is against it, fine, whatever.  But the government should not have one tiny little say in who a person cam marry, with the exception of age*.  That is it.  Nothing else, not gender, not human, animal anything.  

 

 

 

*We still should be allowed to identify as any age we want.

[Guy Chamberlin]

3 minutes ago, Archy1221 said:

He was vice chairman of the House Republicans prior which is considered a leadership position. 

 

 

 

And when you're asked to name the leading voices of the Democratic Party, you are no doubt quick to cite Jaime Harrison, Katherine Clarke, James Clyburn, Tammy Duckworth, Henry Munoz III, Cedric Richman, Ken Martin, or Pete Aguilar. Right?

 

Listen, Devo just served up the definitive post on the subject. You've tried to pretend the far right wing is a clown show that gets too much attention, when in fact it's a clown show that is now driving the party. Admit you were wrong and move on.

 

Better yet, stand up for your oft stated beliefs and demand that your party get its s#!t together.  

[Guy Chamberlin]

10 minutes ago, teachercd said:

  

*We still should be allowed to identify as any age we want.

 

I just don't see claiming "she identified as 19!" getting you off the hook.