Trump has won Indiana. Ted Cruz has dropped out of the race. Kasich is still in but has no chance of winning.
Where does that leave the Republican Party? Has Trump changed the face of the traditional GOP?
The pundits and talking heads have gone wild. The Trumpites have been seen as the usurpers and the new face of what defines a Republican. Supposedly they want change and feel that ‘the establishment” has been unresponsive to them.
I don’t have an opinion at this point. I am just sitting back and watching the circus.
Your opinion, por favor. What is this phenomena? Has Trump replaced what we normally think of as the GOP?
Here is a YouTube video of a commercial from 1964 against Barry Goldwater. I think you could use the same one today. I had no idea the KKK actively supported Goldwater.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiG0AE8zdTU&feature=youtu.be
Is Donald Trump our next President? All I know is I wouldn’t underestimate him. I do have faith in the people of the US though.
I am not betting on anything. I will go cast my motley little vote and that’s the name of that tune…but not for Trump.
Shudder.
@MoonHowler
“I don’t have an opinion at this point.”… “but not for Trump” … LMFAO!!!!
Did you have a point to make?
I will punish every Republican on this ballot and for years to come for helping to nominate Trump.
@Ed
But you Democrats are the ones who nominated Trump! You are seeing history repeat itself. Trump *is* Hitler. And his rise to power is a reaction to liberal policies.
Do you understand how ridiculous your statement is?
@Ed
Why should this year be any different than any other year, Ed..or would you have me believe that you are a regular Republican voter, and now we’ve lost your support?
Trump will lose to Hillary by double digits and bring the GOP down with him.
@Starryflights
Bet?
As the only professing Republican to chime in, I would say that Trump has changed the face of the party, by bringing in new people (hate to break it to y’all, but he pulls more democrats than Hillary does Republicans). This is one of those transformational elections, like Reagan in 1980. It might also be a time to have a “logs and specks” discussion. Sanders is transforming the Democrats. Neither party will be the same after this cycle.
Other than not knowing what “logs and specks” are, I tend to agree with you.
I cast no bets. Its all uncharted territory.
@MoonHowler
Jesus…take the log out of your own eye, and you can then see the speck in his eye…ring any bells?
@Steve Thomas
Ah, I always go with splinter rather than log….Gotcha.
It’s a transformative election all right, but I don’t think it’s on the same level as Reagan so that comparison gives no credibility to Trump. It really is closer to 1964 given the anti-immigrant, anti-muslim, anti-women rhetoric. Was he the one who called Carly Fiorina ugly? I don’t remember but I can’t imagine anyone else doing that. Can you ever see Reagan saying one iota of the items that have come out of Trump’s mouth? I think not, Reagan was a statesman.
I just keep wondering who all these people are who think this man with no social skills and hateful rhetoric should represent the US? His words are too vile to be forgotten.
Public words are more vile today than they were in 1980. Anything goes now. Perhaps Trump is just a reflect of todays’s society.
@MoonHowler
I agree. Our society has become less civil.
@Watching
1964 wasn’t transformational. You’ve totally missed my point. I am not calling Trump the 2nd coming of Reagan from an ideological perspective. What Reagan did was build a coalition that hadn’t existed previously, and this changed the party for 25 years. Trump’s defeating both establishment, libertarian and conservative nomination contenders means he, like Reagan, has tapped a new vein within the Electorate. Perhaps you missed that undeniable fact.
@Steve Thomas
Okay I will agree he is building a coalition but the strength of that coalition is not like Reagan’s. Trump only got in because the vote was so splintered against him because of the number of candidates . He never had a majority in any state until these very end primaries and I credit Cruz with that. Even I would rather have Trump than Cruz. He may have a new coalition but the size of it is not as large as the one Reagan built. No one hated Reagan like they hate Trump unless I am remembering history incorrectly. The disdain people have for him mirrors 1964 and I still say this is closer to that than 198?.
@Watching
This election isn’t ideological…it’s situational. People are supporting Trump not because he espouses some defined ideology. They support him because of their individual situations.
@Steve Thomas
Ah, I always go with splinter rather than log….Gotcha.
@Steve Thomas
He also appeals to some sort of national pride they seem to want to express. I don’t think Trump has ideology personally. What you see today might not be what you see tomorrow.
Better get used to President Trump – as he will be elected. I do hope the Republican Party can deal with what it created.
@Pat.Herve
Pat,
I agree…and as a Iife-long Republican, who’s served in party leadership at the local and congressional district level I’m looking at the uncharted waters, trying to spot the icebergs.
I am also someone whose preferred candidate at the start of the primaries has never been the eventual nominee, with the only exception being 1988 HW Bush (who was a pseudo-incumbent). 1996 (Forbes) 2000 (McCain) 2008 (Thompson), 2012 (Perry) and 2016 (Walker). I’ve always ended up throwing my full support behind the nominee, with no reservations. This cycle is different. While I’m not ready to say #NeverTrump, I’m not yet ready to jump on the Trump Train yet either.
I do believe he will be president. The media has thrown the kitchen sink, the pots and pans, AND the family dog at him. He’s been underestimated from the start. Pundits and talking heads have twisted themselves inside out, trying to pin down the roots of his popularity. He’s ignored the consultant class.
It really clicked for me, when I had a chance to speak with Trump supporters who were at the RPV convention, last weekend. I finally understood why they are supporting him. More will support him, because he’s the nominee, and even more, because he’s not Hillary. Exit polls show that Trump pulls more Democrats from Hillary, than Hillary pulls Republicans from Trump. In the primaries, Trump has outperformed Romney and McCain amongst minorities. Sure, there’s the #Never Trump group, talking about staying home, or drafting an independent. While the former may happen, the latter is a pipe-dream, if only they will carry the blame for a Hillary presidency…and I doubt Bill Krystal is ready to be PNG’d by his party.
I also say that Democrats are underestimating Hillary’s issues, negatives and flaws, as well as the “Bernie Effect”. I see it here. I see it on the news. They aren’t looking overseas at China and Russia, not to mention the ME, and won’t admit that Hillary’s record as SecState is not something she should be running on….and the “Made Up” server scandal. Even if she’s not formally indicted, it will be a significant drag on her campaign.
Lot’s of variables and algebra here.
I think much of it is also wishful thinking. I do not believe Trump will win. I still have some faith in the American people. Having nothing to do with issues, he just has horrible manners and is a bully.
Then there are the issues. I can’t imagine that any latino or muslim would vote for him. My biggest issue would have to be the way he spoke about women. Totally unacceptable. I think he has enough baggage that it will ruin him. But. I am not a betting woman. The masses can be asses.
Talking is doing in this case. I don’t think Hillary has done anything that horrible. Trump is repugnant and he is rude.
I don’t think socialism is cool but I also accept that we have socialism components of our society.
I certainly can have assets and means taken. (and do, every month and year)
I should probably be more sensitive about this, especially to “establishment Republicans.”
However, It would be insincere. I feel that the GOP was been letting incredibly poor candidates run and that they have been really allowing atrocious behaviors out of tea party people just to get votes.
The Trump phenomena is where it all leads, in my opinion.
I actually now am going to give a shout out to the “establishment.” The “establishment” pays the bills. Most of the disgruntled don’t pay the bills. They win and bitch. The Establishment GOP of yesteryear were good people. They weren’t lead around by upstarts and the Jerry Falwells of the world. They had a big open tent.
Where are those people? I believe that the GOP belongs to them, if there are any left. I want to ban RINO.
I am not a regular Republican voter (because I am not a party person) but have been a regular voter who has voted for Republicans. I will no more.
The Republican party is enabling and encouraging bigotry and violence through our political system and that is unacceptable. Every single Republican is tarnished by Trump. You can’t be a Republican without embracing the ugliness that is the essence of his campaign. There is no “I support his policies but not his style” since there are no substantive policy he has brought forth. I cannot trust having in office any politician who thinks Trump’s authoritarian style is good for America.
The GOP establishment is now Trump.
I believe Trump will get his butt kicked in November.
@Starryflights
Bet?
@Steve Thomas
Sure
@Starryflights
Wager? DInner? $20.00? What are you willing to bet?
What is the GOP betting on? Why would the GOP risk the White House, Supreme Court and the Senate by going with such a risky bet at the top of the ticket.. A “conservative” bet would be to keep the senate so that even if a Democrat won the presidency there would be pressure to nominate a less liberal jurist. This wild bet with Trump seems destined to backfire and cause losses down ticket. Of course if he wins do you think he can do anything that he promises and if he doesn’t deliver who are going to be the scapegoats?
The economy is doing pretty good and would needs to really tank over the next 5 months for voters to resist the natural desire not to rock the boat by voting for 4 more years of Obama.
I think McConnell is acting like an infant. His hatred of Obama is consuming. It is President Obama’s constitutional duty to appoint a Supreme Court justice.
I am getting to the point where I can’t even watch TV any more. It is just too upsetting.
I posit that “what we normally think of as the GOP” began committing political suicide immediately after the 2012 national election. Don’t blame Trump for their foolishness. He is merely picking up the pieces and trying to put together a 2016 force which will slay the Democrat dragon and give the country a chance to right itself from the degradation of liberalism.
Yea, like you all have done such a hot job up till now. Give me three reasons why anti-liberals should be given a chance and what they would do to “Save the country.”
@MoonHowler
Blogmistress, if you cannot see for yourself what has gone wrong with this country under a liberal administration, there is, alas, nothing I can do to help you. But perhaps Ben Rhodes can aid you just a bit — if you care to read how the media (and the rest of us) was bamboozled intentionally on the so-called nuclear “treaty,” with the Ayatollahs. You might also want to check out the threatened USG lawsuit against North Carolina over trannies using their restroom of choice. America in 2016. Sooooooo proud!
Why does NC feel it has to have a law to determine where people go to the bathroom?
Did you think the country was better off under George Bush?
I don’t think there are enough “trannies’ to worry about such a law. I basically don’t see what difference it makes which bathroom they use. Plus there is a lot more to worry about than that. I would leave bathroom use up to the local folks without laws.
I haven’t read the NC law but that’s why you don’t have state laws. Let each school district solve their own issues on this issue. This was a self fulfilling prophecy…a problem of North Carolina’s own making.
@MoonHowler
If the feds want such a policy of inclusion, then let them transfer any male inmate currently in the Federal Prison System, who identifies as a woman, to a facility that corresponds with their “identified gender”. That would be great entertainment, watching the ACLU twist themselves into knots trying to figure out which party to represent in their law suits. Do they represent the men who want to be incarcerated with women inmates, or the women who don’t want to be preyed upon by predatory males?
I believe those people are segregated from the general population.
Explain to me again why NC ventured forth with a law to take care of things that weren’t a problem in the first place.
@MoonHowler
Moon, it was in response to actions the City of Charlotte took, which opened all public facilities, restrooms and locker-rooms, including public schools.
Yes. Well, two sets of stupid don’t add well to the mix. Yet who is getting the blame? “The Radical LGBT community” or something like that.
@MoonHowler
Actually, I blame the federal government, and their abuse of title ix, and the insane people who can’t admit that there is a difference between “inines and outties”, XX and XY chromosomes, and “equality of access” doesn’t mean that everyone should be able to use everything. I also blame the people who indulge this insanity.
I would say that republican primary voters have utterly rejected conservative ideology is selecting Trump as their party nominee. These voters oppose any interventionist wars, market economics, entitlement reform, limiting the minimum wage, capital gains tax cuts, free trade agreements and such. These voters have no problem with “big hovernment” so long as they benefit. Trump has little or nterest in social issues like abortion or gay marriage. I’d say that conservatism is in trouble, not liberalism.
@Starry flights
Were it not for the existence of clearly un-democratic “Super Delegates”, Hillary Clinton would be in danger of being rejected in favor of true socialism. If you ever encounter a moment of intellectual honesty, you might see that the upheaval in the electorate is not confined to the GOP. Then again, a duck can never be a goose, so I might be giving you too much credit.
@Starry flights
Looks like there’s a fair amount of rejecting the establishment liberalism happening over on your side, Starry. The DNC and their media allies are trying to sell Hillary as the presumptive nominee, but it would appear that the voters have other ideas. Even better, 44% of Sanders voters in yesterdays primaries say they will vote for Trump, if Hillary is the nominee. Trump and Hillary are tied in FL, OH, and PA. Bernie will slash & bern all the way to the convention, and when the Undemocratic Democrat Super Delegates throw the nomination to Hillary, I predict a major rift in the Dems that will continue to the General.