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[Aaron Strife]

wut

Romney in office would have been a disaster, especially on foreign policy. Russia, Iran, Syria...I don't even want to think about it.

I'm sorry, are YOU saying this?

 

[HylianTom]

Well, I mean that's the crux of the problem.

Republican politicians have campaigned on promises of repealing Obamacare knowing they'd never actually succeed at it. And they kept doing it because it was an effective campaign strategy.

GOP voters thought they were being sincere, and now they're realizing they weren't. And it's especially toxic now that the GOP controls both houses and GOP voters actually expect tangible results.

Pretty much. They won two historically colossal midterm victories, and what do they have to show for it?

In the meantime, Obama and liberals have racked-up some pretty big victories - Cuba, ACA funding, marriage, the Iran deal (soon), the GOP's government shutdown cave-ins, etc - and it's driving their base absolutely apeshit insane. Folks post that "he can't keep getting away with it!" gif on here, and it's pretty damn representative of FreeRepublic/Breitbart/etc on many days.

 

[RustyNails]

For all his flaws Romney would have been a mediocre but competent president.

wut

Romney in office would have been a disaster, especially on foreign policy. Russia, Iran, Syria...I don't even want to think about it.

What the fuck just happened here!!!!!

 

[NeoXChaos]

I remember people saying the same thing about Romney compared to McCain and yet this is totally on point. For all his flaws Romney would have been a mediocre but competent president. I could trust him not to massively screw anything up. I used to think this about Bush (and of the GOP frontrunners, only Bush - Walker, Trump, Paul, Rubio etc. would be disasters) but man he has no idea what he's doing.

People have said Bush's time was in 2012 but would he be any better then? He's a terrible politician and the baggage of the Bush name would have been even stronger then.

wut

Romney in office would have been a disaster, especially on foreign policy. Russia, Iran, Syria...I don't even want to think about it.

^^I expected the opposite

Sure you guys did not switch bodies?

 

[Wafflecakes]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1069850&highlight=

Thanks!

 

[Farmboy]

Haven't seen this Krugman piece posted here, although it's from Friday. Stating the obvious maybe, but doing it well.

This was, according to many commentators, going to be the election cycle Republicans got to show off their “deep bench.” The race for the nomination would include experienced governors like Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, fresh thinkers like Rand Paul, and attractive new players like Marco Rubio. Instead, however, Donald Trump leads the field by a wide margin. What happened?

The answer, according to many of those who didn’t see it coming, is gullibility: People can’t tell the difference between someone who sounds as if he knows what he’s talking about and someone who is actually serious about the issues. And for sure there’s a lot of gullibility out there. But if you ask me, the pundits have been at least as gullible as the public, and still are.

For while it’s true that Mr. Trump is, fundamentally, an absurd figure, so are his rivals. If you pay attention to what any one of them is actually saying, as opposed to how he says it, you discover incoherence and extremism every bit as bad as anything Mr. Trump has to offer. And that’s not an accident: Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in today’s Republican Party.

Remember how Mr. Trump was supposed to implode after his attack on John McCain? Mr. McCain epitomizes the strategy of sounding moderate while taking extreme positions, and is much loved by the press corps, which puts him on TV all the time. But Republican voters, it turns out, couldn’t care less about him.

Can Mr. Trump actually win the nomination? I have no idea. But even if he is eventually pushed aside, pay no attention to all the analyses you will read declaring a return to normal politics. That’s not going to happen; normal politics left the G.O.P. a long time ago. At most, we’ll see a return to normal hypocrisy, the kind that cloaks radical policies and contempt for evidence in conventional-sounding rhetoric. And that won’t be an improvement.

 

[Mario]

Haven't seen this Krugman piece posted here, although it's from Friday. Stating the obvious maybe, but doing it well.

CNN was pointing out the same thing before. One of the candidates said they were going to ignore the Supreme Court and ban abortion? And another said they would make the IRS investigate Planned Parenthood, an apparently illegal act?

Crazy extreme talk that has been overshadowed by other crazy talk.

 

[Oblivion]

I'm legit surprised at Cruz's numbers in that poll. Sure, he said all the right things that night, but I was almost certain that he got drowned out by Trump and everyone else. I heard people talking about Trump, Rubio, Carson, and even Jeb, but almost no one even mentioned Cruz.

A couple of days old, but still worth posting.

WaPo: As campaign heats up, Republican candidates are rushing to the right

According to the stats in this piece, 65% of Republicans support abortion in cases of rape. Seventy-five percent of the general population supports it.

Hillary is going to crucify these fuckers in the general election over this stuff.

Oh, and the video of Rubio in this story is fucking amazing:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/marco-rubio-abortion-rape-incest

Oh god yes. That's it. Double down, you twit. He's pretty much fucked himself for the general. And this was only after the FIRST debate!

Some dumb libruls are trying to attack Rubio for supposedly being hypocritical cause he sponsored a bill that had exemptions for rape and incest. But as someone else pointed out, that's like saying someone who voted in support of Obamacare means they didn't want a public option or single payer. For Rubio, that was probably the best he could get.

So instead of calling him out for his supposed inconsistencies, we need to hammer home the fact that he's an anti-abortion absolutist.

 

[HylianTom]

This is SOOO much fun!

Carly Fiorina Attacks Cruz: 'No Honor' in Fight to Defund Obamacare

Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO Northern California Republican who ran as a conservative to get the Republican Senate nomination in 2010, attacked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday, saying there was “no honor” in his fight to defund Obamacare.

Fiorina made her remarks just days after she joined the American Conservative Union, an establishment organization on the right that supports comprehensive immigration reform.

In an appearance on CNN’s The Lead, Fiorina blamed the government shutdown on Cruz and implied that Republicans would have been better off waiving the white flag from the beginning on eliminating Obamacare.

“There’s no honor in charging a hill that you know you can’t take, only casualties, although Ted Cruz maybe got name recognition and money along the way,” she said. “But President Obama wanted this shutdown. And Ted Cruz played right into his hands.”

Fiorina said she felt “badly for [House Speaker] Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)” and emphasized that “this is Ted Cruz and President Obama’s shutdown.”

“Everybody could see this train wreck coming,” Fiorina said.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...s-cruz-no-honor-in-fight-to-defund-obamacare/

The comments are gold, as usual. She's instantly given RINO status.

 

[B-Dubs]

This is SOOO much fun!



http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...s-cruz-no-honor-in-fight-to-defund-obamacare/

The comments are gold, as usual. She's instantly given RINO status.

Welp, she's done. So much for moving up to the top tier.

 

[RustyNails]

I'm legit surprised at Cruz's numbers in that poll. Sure, he said all the right things that night, but I was almost certain that he got drowned out by Trump and everyone else. I heard people talking about Trump, Rubio, Carson, and even Jeb, but almost no one even mentioned Cruz.

This just tells me that if The Donald collapses, Cruz is ready to take the flavor of the month.

 

[Coriolanus]

This is SOOO much fun!

http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...s-cruz-no-honor-in-fight-to-defund-obamacare/

The comments are gold, as usual. She's instantly given RINO status.

Hah. That liberty score voting record thingamabob they have is quite nifty.

 

[NeoXChaos]

Why hasnt Trump attacked Cruz or Carson?

 

[B-Dubs]

Why hasnt Trump attacked Cruz or Carson?

Carson isn't a threat, Trump has time to deal with him. As for Cruz, it sounds like the two might have a peace treaty for now.

 

[Mario]

Why hasnt Trump attacked Cruz or Carson?

Have they attacked him yet and put themselves in the firing line?

He seems to have a reactionary style. As soon as someone comes out in opposition they are a "loser".

 

[B-Dubs]

Have they attacked him yet and put themselves in the firing line?

He seems to have a reactionary style. As soon as someone comes out in opposition they are a "loser".

He does have the ability to plan ahead, you can see him laying the groundwork for the devouring of Fiorina's soul already.

 

[Coriolanus]

It's interesting how you all treating Trump like he's a kaijin.

 

[Trouble]

It's interesting how you all treating Trump like he's a kaijin.

 

[B-Dubs]

It's interesting how you all treating Trump like he's a kaijin.

That's probably the best explanation of Trump's campaign I've heard so far.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I'm sorry, are YOU saying this?

I don't think Obama's foreign policy has been effective but it has been better than the sabre rattling, aggression, and perhaps ground troop war we'd see with Romney. His foreign policy was more extreme than Bush's. Some of that was likely just campaign bullshit, of course. But the problem is that he would surround himself with neoconservatives in his cabinet and give neoconservative writers access to his administration.

Romney, like Obama (see: Afghanistan surge), would likely be vulnerable to being pressured into doing things that he didn't want to do; that tends to happen to presidents with no foreign policy experience. In Obama's case the consequences weren't as dire as what could happen in a pressured Romney White House.

 

[Oblivion]

It's interesting how you all treating Trump like he's a kaijin.

You mean kaiju, right?

 

[Coriolanus]

You mean kaiju, right?

Well, it is vaguely humanoid, thus...

 

[HylianTom]

Well, it is vaguely humanoid, thus...

I admit.. I had to google both terms, and I nodded each time thinking, "hmm.. that could work."
(and I still love that Klaus avatar)

 

[Oblivion]

Carly Fiorina said she wants a 3 page tax code.

My man, the Cain Train is alive and well, in spirit!

 

[Aaron Strife]

I don't think Obama's foreign policy has been effective but it has been better than the sabre rattling, aggression, and perhaps ground troop war we'd see with Romney. His foreign policy was more extreme than Bush's. Some of that was likely just campaign bullshit, of course. But the problem is that he would surround himself with neoconservatives in his cabinet and give neoconservative writers access to his administration.

Romney, like Obama (see: Afghanistan surge), would likely be vulnerable to being pressured into doing things that he didn't want to do; that tends to happen to presidents with no foreign policy experience. In Obama's case the consequences weren't as dire as what could happen in a pressured Romney White House.

I'm not saying he would be a great president and Obama is infinitely preferable. All I'm saying is I have faith that he'd have enough common sense not to blow the world up ten times over compared to someone like Palin.

 

[RDreamer]

Carly Fiorina said she wants a 3 page tax code.

My man, the Cain Train is alive and well, in spirit!

What's with Republicans and wanting to simplify shit to ridiculously stupid levels. They're always talking about how a bill should only fit on one page and now 3 page tax codes. Fuck that shit. 3 pages is legit nothing, especially when you're talking rules for the entire country. It's like these people never wrote anything in their lives and were afraid when their teachers gave them a 3 page paper... well... I suppose they probably were.

 

[Plinko]

What's with Republicans and wanting to simplify shit to ridiculously stupid levels. They're always talking about how a bill should only fit on one page and now 3 page tax codes. Fuck that shit. 3 pages is legit nothing, especially when you're talking rules for the entire country. It's like these people never wrote anything in their lives and were afraid when their teachers gave them a 3 page paper... well... I suppose they probably were.

Because republicans think everything government-related is overcomplicated. That's why they believe people like Fiorina or Carson, two people with zero qualifications, should be president.

 

[NeoXChaos]

Why the CNN Debate May look a lot like the FOX debate, maybe even exactly the same.

If we assume that we continue to average 3 polls per week (which is actually high), then there would be 15 new polls before the CNN cutoff. And if we assume that you need 3% or more to make the debate (something that has held true for the last 3 months monitoring the FOX debate), then certain things about the CNN debate become clear.

1. Three candidates have already qualified for the CNN debate
Trump, Bush and Walker have already qualified, even if they scored 0% in every poll between now and the cutoff.

2. Five candidates are almost sure to qualify
Huckabee, Carson, Rubio, Cruz and Paul all just have to average 1% to 1.5% in the post FOX debate polls to get a spot in the CNN debate.

3. Three candidates are on the bubble
Christie and Kasich have to stay where they are or improve to keep their spots and if Perry can start averaging around 4% he could knoock one of them out.

4. The rest need to overperform to make it in
Because of starting off with such low poll numbers, the rest of the seven who were at the early Fox debate need to double, triple or more their current polling numbers to make it in. In general most need to be polling in the 4-5% range to be sure to make it.

EXAMPLE:
Let's say that in 15 polls between now and the CNN debate Fiorina averages 4%, Kasich and Christie average 3%, Rubio, Huckabee, Cruz and Paul all average 2% and Carson Averages 1%. In that scenario the only one who doesn't get into the CNN debate would be Carly. It is simple math.

from another forum

 

[Hobbestetrician]

Saw two bumper stickers on a car yesterday: one had a picture of Obama and said something like "World's Greatest Gun Salesman" and the other had a Confederate flag on it and said "Heritage Not Hate".

Now, there is nothing uncommon about those two bumper stickers, unfortunately, except for the fact that I live in Victoria, British Columbia, a place that could not be further away not only geographically but also culturally and politically from the South. No idea how that shit ends up here.

 

[StoveOven]

Saw two bumper stickers on a car yesterday: one had a picture of Obama and said something like "World's Greatest Gun Salesman" and the other had a Confederate flag on it and said "Heritage Not Hate".

Now, there is nothing uncommon about those two bumper stickers, unfortunately, except for the fact that I live in Victoria, British Columbia, a place that could not be further away not only geographically but also culturally and politically from the South. No idea how that shit ends up here.

Do you know what license plate the car had? It could have very easily just been someone from the South that drove to Canada for whatever reason

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

from another forum

They'll surely bend the rules to get Fiorina in no matter what because that's just how they roll.

 

[Hobbestetrician]

Do you know what license plate the car had? It could have very easily just been someone from the South that drove to Canada for whatever reason

Had a BC plate. Sure, the person could have moved here from the South (I myself moved here from the Midwest) but it just could not be more out of place around here.

 

[HylianTom]

And now, the next page of the story.

Breitbart Staffers Believe Trump Has Given Money To Site For Favorable Coverage

As Donald Trump faces a growing backlash from conservative media over his recent attacks on a Fox News host, one prominent right-wing outlet remains firmly in his corner: Breitbart News, which has set itself apart by plastering its homepage with fawning headlines about the candidate, and all-caps assaults on his critics.

But not everyone within the the website’s editorial ranks is on board with Breitbart’s boosterism, and many inside the company believe Trump has provided undisclosed financial backing to the outlet in exchange for glowing coverage, as I report in my forthcoming book about the GOP and 2016, The Wilderness.

According to four sources with knowledge of the situation, editors and writers at the outlet have privately complained since at least last year that the company’s top management was allowing Trump to turn Breitbart into his own fan website — using it to hype his political prospects, and attack his enemies. One current editor called the water-carrying “despicable” and “embarrassing,” and said he was told by an executive last year that the company had a financial arrangement with Trump. A second Breitbart staffer said he had heard a similar description of the site’s relationship with the billionaire but didn’t know the details; and a third source at the company said he knew of several instances when managers had overruled editors at Trump’s behest. Additionally, a conservative communications operative who works closely with Breitbart described conversations in which “multiple writers and editors” said Trump was paying for the ability to shape coverage, and added that one staffer claimed to have seen documentation of the “pay for play.”

All four sources spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize their jobs; and none knew exactly how Trump’s alleged arrangement with the privately-held company worked.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppin...y-to-site-for?utm_term=.ury0oMxm0w#.otPdKRwNZ

I'm going to run out of popcorn gifs before we even get to September.

 

[B-Dubs]

And now, the next page of the story.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppin...y-to-site-for?utm_term=.ury0oMxm0w#.otPdKRwNZ

I'm going to run out of popcorn gifs before we even get to September.

I can't

 

[Retromelon]

Trump should splurge on wonkette as well, they're always hard up for the monies

 

[Plinko]

And now, the next page of the story.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppin...y-to-site-for?utm_term=.ury0oMxm0w#.otPdKRwNZ

I'm going to run out of popcorn gifs before we even get to September.

Generally I'd believe this, but after the massive hitjob Fox News tried to do to Trump this week, I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear this is completely made up by the establishment.

 

[HylianTom]

Generally I'd believe this, but after the massive hitjob Fox News tried to do to Trump this week, I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear this is completely made up by the establishment.

That's what so fun about this - the coverage around Trump, especially among right-leaning media outlets, is starting to resemble a funhouse mirror maze.

 

[NeoXChaos]

If they don't think he is a threat why the desperate attempts at secretly sabotaging him? They seem to be fueled by their own sense of paranoia. You don't see Hillary's camp trying to sabotage bernie sanders. They must not be confident in any of their candidates to survive the primary without huge scars.

 

[B-Dubs]

If they don't think he is a threat why the desperate attempts at secretly sabotaging him? They seem to be fueled by their own sense of paranoia. You don't see Hillary's camp trying to sabotage bernie sanders.

Because for all their talk Trump is a real threat, especially in a field this expansive and divided. If the field was smaller he'd be in second or his lead wouldn't be as commanding and he would just be a sideshow. If his numbers don't drop, or other candidates don't start dropping out, he could very easily win Iowa or New Hampshire and then it's off to the races. They're trying to stop him before he can get real momentum going and starts looking like a real front runner.

 

[Plinko]

I just think the timing is too convenient. My guess is the other campaigns are getting the internal poll numbers after the debate, they're getting worried, and are now moving on to step 2 of their attempt to take him down. It's bizarre.

Why wouldn't this have hit two weeks ago? Why not days before the event? All of a sudden FOUR of these people say it happens? Seems suspicious.

 

[tmarg]

If they don't think he is a threat why the desperate attempts at secretly sabotaging him? They seem to be fueled by their own sense of paranoia. You don't see Hillary's camp trying to sabotage bernie sanders. They must not be confident in any of their candidates to survive the primary without huge scars.

He's a massive threat, just not for the nomination. He has already been incredibly damaging to the party, and it's getting worse every day he stays in the race.

 

[Brawndo Addict]

The simpler explanation is that they're just trying to capitalize on the Trump crowd by posting positive coverage. The vast majority of outlets take a negative spin on Trump, so if they just follow along there's nothing to differentiate themselves; Trump supporters have to go somewhere to get the coverage they want, so you can generate more traffic by playing along.

 

[NeoXChaos]

Because for all their talk Trump is a real threat, especially in a field this expansive and divided. If the field was smaller he'd be in second or his lead wouldn't be as commanding and he would just be a sideshow. If his numbers don't drop, or other candidates don't start dropping out, he could very easily win Iowa or New Hampshire and then it's off to the races. They're trying to stop him before he can get real momentum going and starts looking like a real front runner.

Then the establishment are idiots. For all the talk of a "large experienced field" they must have been fooling themselves thinking an outside figure like Trump was not out there. They vastly overstimated the quality of their field.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

Something is causing them to act so erratic and desperate.

 

[theprodigy]

from another forum

I thought they were just taking the 5 most recent polls or something?

 

[PhoenixDark]

I doubt any serious republican candidate or operative is worried that Trump will get the nomination - he won't even win one contest. The fear is twofold:

-If you're an establishment candidate like Rubio or Bush you realize Trump's presence hurts the brand. His comments on Hispanics have done real damage to the party, and if I was a GOP official I'd want him out of the race ASAP before he can do more damage.

-If you're a conservative or fringe candidate, Trump is stealing momentum and headlines from you. Cruz has been quite cordial to Trump but I'd bet his campaign is very frustrated that their man cannot grab headlines like he used to. Cruz's big dust up with McConnell last week barely registered in the news due to Trump. Likewise a candidate like Fiorina is being sidelined by him, despite the fact that she's a good enough campaigner to be in the top ten.

 

[NeoXChaos]

I doubt any serious republican candidate or operative is worried that Trump will get the nomination - he won't even win one contest. The fear is twofold:

-If you're an establishment candidate like Rubio or Bush you realize Trump's presence hurts the brand. His comments on Hispanics have done real damage to the party, and if I was a GOP official I'd want him out of the race ASAP before he can do more damage.

-If you're a conservative or fringe candidate, Trump is stealing momentum and headlines from you. Cruz has been quite cordial to Trump but I'd bet his campaign is very frustrated that their man cannot grab headlines like he used to. Cruz's big dust up with McConnell last week barely registered in the news due to Trump. Likewise a candidate like Fiorina is being sidelined by him, despite the fact that she's a good enough campaigner to be in the top ten.

Cruz is very cynical. If Trump getting the nomination meant he could not but in the process screws over the establishment I doubt Cruz ultimately cares. The establishment failing is a win for Cruz.

 

[B-Dubs]

Then the establishment are idiots. For all the talk of a "large experienced field" they must have been fooling themselves thinking an outside figure like Trump was not out there. They vastly overstimated the quality of their field.

They know their field is shit, but they aren't going to come right out and say it. They'd be morons if they did. Trump has been threatening to run for years, they had no reason to think this time would be any different until it was. Even in this thread it took a while for it to sink in that Trump was being serious and was actually running.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

lol, Trump isn't bribing Brietbart. I had the displeasure of following them during GamerGate and they reflect Trump's ideals completely. Their positive coverage is because they love him.

 

[Roland_Gunner]

Something is causing them to act so erratic and desperate.

There's a lot to it. First, Trump is scary because they don't control him. Republican politicians know that once out of office they can make millions in speaking fees, book tours, being a FOX news contributor, etc. So basically they're set for life if they don't get out of line. Trump doesn't care about any of that shit so he really can go rouge and do anything, including run on as a 3rd part candidate.

Also, the GOP establishment knows they have to win white women voters by a huge amount to have any chance of beating HRC. Having their Presidential front runner verbally abuse one of the countries most prominent conservative women is really, really bad and they have to stop it. Its like McCain said, Trump's let all the crazies out. The party is doing everything possible to lock them back up.