Nice summary, Jay. And while my natural sympathies would extend to a shooting victim and cancer patient like Scalise, when he opens his mouth, he says hateful things. Jordan isn’t fit to live among cockroaches. I feel like I’m trapped on a long car ride with strangers, and all I can do is exercise patience.
I felt terrible for him when he was shot, until he spoke afterwards. He learned nothing. Same now, he's masking up to protect himself, but didn't give a damn about who he might have been putting at risk before.
Good point! But, if it boils down to the two I do have a clear preference that I never thought I would have. Of course, I have no effect on this, and we shall see who else might be included, and what happens. However, I am always prepared to pick between worse and even worse when I have to, but as you point out, I do not in this case. So, choice withdrawn.
As an Ohioan, “Gym” Jordan is a nightmare. Most of his supporters love that he is loud and angry, with little care about his past or the fact that he is usually blatantly misleading them.
Simply because he raises his voice and pounds his desk, they firmly believe that he “owns the libs,” facts be damned.
As former Ohioans (also from southwestern OH), my 96 yr old mother who lives with me gets excited when she sees Gym Jordan on tv. She yells "that little pipsqueak!"
Basically, the Republicans led by Frank LaRose stalled and steamrolled. Finally they came up with a map that was slightly better but still poor. The Democrats on the committee realized they couldn't win, so threw in the towel. For now. Activist organizations are still all over this issue.
Frank LaRose might as well be trump. He's a Nazi thru and thru. If he somehow wins a Senate seat, I assure you all I am not only out of Ohio, I'm leaving the country. LaRose and Vance, from the same state?? Satan is a Buckeye in that case.
I wish I could tell you it gets better in my part of the state. Our local senator (Huffman) appears to believe that people of color aren’t as hygienic as white people, and our state rep (Creech) is a MTG fanboy- selfies and all.
Please know that as a fellow Ohioan I firmly believe that we are really a purple state except for the gerrymandering and the people who only half listen to what is going on. Proud to see you and other Ohioans here trying to understand all the garbage
I remember we used to be purple when I was a kid. Hope it returns.
It’s become exhausting in my county. Our local Republican headquarters has an actual Trump store. The Democratic headquarters is set up seasonally in some guy’s garage. It isn’t even a nice garage lol.
I’m not even sure that we my town has a Democratic headquarters . I still think that we haven’t changed to red. We just need to pay attention to who we are voting for statewide.
Well said, he is also consulting with his confidant, the Former President who is considering stopping by the House Chambers tomorrow to offer his help!
How astounding that even their own Republican colleagues somehow seem to believe that if they all say or do the right thing, they will all be able to work together in harmony and peace and “get the job done”. This, I think,shows just how blind to reality those on the Right are. No one who is a part of the Freedom Caucus is interested in a working government, they are the destroyers. All they care about is forcing their views on everyone else on pain of punishment if ignored and burning down the entire governmental systems. In other words aping their Orange God and doing everything in their power to get him to notice them and what they are willing to do for him!
Fascism isn’t something to be worried about happening IF Trump gets elected, it's already in place and functioning perfectly!
The Rs are new to the whole concept of outcome driven bipartisan work groups, compromise and effective solutions. They have no idea how to do that. Anyone with any experience has long since been driven out or died.
With this pair, as you well know, nothing will change and will probably erode more. I am very concerned that Jordan thinks he's qualified for the job (he isn't). He can't even manage to look the part. Scalise is better qualified, but is a despicable character, too.
Neither man is a good choice. Petulant children who have forgotten why they were elected. It's embarrassing. We'll have to hold our nose until the 2024 elections and the Democrats REALLY need to get their messaging straight!
The pesky gerrymandering and voter suppression issues are way bigger than messaging problems - but dumping on messaging is so much easier because it is so subjective with a vague curative process. I know the media pushes messaging as the reason Dems don't always get what is needed
Of course you’re right. Having been in advertising all my life, I feel there should be some effort to clarify what’s really going on. It’s a choice between a dictatorship or a democracy. Republican voters don’t realize (I don’t think) that they will have to live in the confines of the authoritarianism they (unwittingly) are supporting. Ugh. Politics is too f’ing complicated! 😂
I agree - and know too many (decent, hard working people) who scoff “oh it won’t happen” - take the blinkers off people - in many states it’s already in place, and CouId easily be finalized in 2024 - thanks to voter restrictions, gerrymandering & media spin.
I was formerly an active member of the Democratic Party, but I’m losing faith in them. I’ve come to the conclusion that they likely serve the same masters as the Republican candidates, just with different branding.
It’s like Reese’s Cups vs. Hershey bars, if you’re into candy references.
I’m not a troll, and I don’t mean to come off as one. I’m a Democrat in a deep red state that feels left behind by a party that plays too nice with these extremists.
There are actually a lot of us, if you look around.
I understand what you’re saying and I hope you’re not a troll. You can be liberal but not like some things about the party that most represents you. Eternal Vigilance…
Most definitely not a troll- I’m a fan. I donate to Jay, Jim Wright, and other writers because I believe that their voices and analyses are important and I want to help. Trolling or otherwise undermining valuable informational resources in the comment section is not my intention.
That being said, I am still upset with the Democratic Party.
It’s just like my relationship with the Reds and Bengals; I still love them, I just don’t like them very much right now lol
I understand you, and I have friends who are just like you. The problem we have right now is this: unfortunately, the choice is binary. NO third party candidates have (at least for the foreseeable future) a prayer of getting elected to anything that matters. If you vote third party (or "No Labels", whatever that actually means) or don't vote out of pique or despair, you will have effectively voted Republican. Cornell West is brilliant, and maybe even very good. He cannot beat either major party candidate (sorry - just reality), so if you are as afraid of a 2nd Trump term as the rest of us, please vote blue and get to work trying to change things. I repeat - the choice is binary. Not choosing is a choice, and IMO, a bad one.
How anyone can say that after 2015 is beyond comprehension. There is ONE party, the GQP, that is actively and aggressively trying to destroy democracy in the US and burn our entire government down.
It’s just frustrating that it feels like fire alarm was pulled nearly eight years ago and we’re still standing around in the burning building.
And I agree about Hillary.
I remember that I was so positive that Hillary would win that I brought a Hillary-themed cookie cake to work to harass my Republican coworkers the night before the election.
The thing is -- Hillary DID win the popular vote, which is what MSM, social media, voters, non-voters, everyone focused on. A very small group looked at that beast, the Electoral College, and saw the potential outcome.
In 2024, polls need to pay attention to the Electoral College as much as or more than the popular vote.
I have a friend who insists the world is controlled by 7 (I forget the exact number) billionaire families who enjoy watching us argue amongst ourselves so we're not paying attention to the corruption and ruthless activities they are involved in. I dunno. Maybe he's watching too much George Carlin. But I WANT to believe that the Democratic party has the right intentions, and lousy communications people. 🤷🏼♀️
I used to think I enjoyed Robert Ludlum because once in a while it was fun to believe that the world is run by a small cabal of the rich. Not fun anymore.
Since Charlottesville I no longer even consider that both sides annoy me equally POV. If Hillary had been President 2016-2020 we would not be as deeply embroilled in waste product as we are now.
I get the frustration in a let's get going, let's hit back, let's bring it type of way.
Perhaps the deep unknown pockets flow into many coffers and we need to drop kick Citizens United, like, yesterday.
But, we need you and all similar-minded people who seek fairness and decency and want to see their team come out swinging. I think we are mow seeing that resolve, energy and ferocity, and, also, we need to model that within ourselves and our communities.
At this point, ALL Republicans are racist dogwhistlers AND sexual assault enablers. This duo has been around for years, and any alleged moderates could have said something at any point.
“How do we get past the anger and anxiety we’ve had? How do we govern?”
Your party has been about literally nothing but anger and anxiety since before you were born. It may be possible that you legitimately didn’t know that, but ask (horrors!) a Democrat and you’ll find out.
The GOP House caucus would be smart to consider nominating a Problem Solvers moderate like Brian Fitzpatrick to improve the chances that a new GOP speaker could not only get seated, but could work with both sides of the House to actually govern....what a concept.
I'm not sure the GOP has any interest in what we could consider true governance. So much of what they are dedicated to doing is stopping the federal government from doing practically anything to help the American people. A protracted fight over House leadership doesn't necessarily make the Republicans look reasonable but it does work towards their mission of stopping the government from functioning as it creates less time to work out a deal to avoid the next possible shutdown. Then when things don't work, naturally they'll blame the Democrats. And those deep red districts will believe them.
On the other hand they talk about winning in 2024, getting more of their agenda into policy and law, etc. It doesn't make sense to look to the near and far future and see themselves as winners if they are behaving like lunatics and burning the place down. I realize they have no game to bring but I still don't see the point of all of this. What is the real end game here? I am obviously missing a key chunk of understanding
The. Repubbies. Don't. Want. To. Play. Nice. They aren't interested in cooperation with Dems OR governing. They WANT chaos. They WANT to burn down the government. What they hope to gain from this is a mystery. It's clear that they have no knowledge of what ultimately happens to those who enable and actively assist the fascists to take complete control.
What is the Republication inclination for seeking to elect as Speaker of the House men involved in the sexual exploitation of young men and boys who compete in wrestling?
Leave it to Republicans to send the phrase "Lesser of two evils" into obsolescence in favor the much longer, "All options are on the table, as long as they are nuclear."
The NYT's David Leonhardt sent out his usual morning newsletter with the very overdue reporting that there is only one viable political party. I like Leonhardt overall, but he, along with the NYT more generally, is guilty of helping to normalize the frenzied insanity of the Republican Party. The Times isn't as bad as, say, CNN, but treating "elected officials" with kid gloves in the name of coverage balance needs to end. As the Jeff Bezos-owned corporate media outlet The Washington Post says, "Democracy Dies in Darkness." It also dies when the media treats the other party as if it is legitimate. It is not. Even under Gingrich, it kind of pretended to be. Now, they just have decided to run amok.
The republican caucus is certainly crazy enough to elect either one of these two train wrecks. The question is will anyone else step up to the plate to keep both of these extremists from becoming speaker? Now is the time for everyone and especially the media to put pressure on the moderate wing of the republican caucus to keep them out. How do they do that you ask? Well, it's really very simple; stop giving air time to the crazy caucus. Amplify moderate voices now, or regret it later.
P.S. Yes I know, I used the term "moderate" and "republican" in the same sentence; but I have to hope there are still a few Liz Cheney's or Adam Kinzinger's left in their caucus.
I don't know what anyone else thinks, but it is crystal clear to me that both Biff (that's what I call trump now) and Bannon are behind this mess in DC.
I hate to think these are the only choices. Where the hell are the moderates in the party? It would be better for the GOP in the long-term to have someone who woukd be accepted by (at least some) Democrats and work across the aisle to get things done, and freeze out the far right. They'd have a better chance in those swing districts.
Moderates get primaried. Any Republican who dares say or do anything to annoy tRump will face a MAGAt in the primary, and primaries being what they are (hardcore single-party voters show, no one else does), they will lose.
At least the Attorneys General and judges are keeping tRump busy and will continue to do so. He's sweating now & if he had any hair he'd have hair dye running down his temples by next week. I'm hopeful he'll run out of time and energy to drive the GOP bus off a cliff in the next few weeks.
I know this is unlikely, but what if several of the "moderate" Republicans - especially those from swing districts - were to be convinced to switch sides,or at least become independents? Is there any possibility at all that Dems could gain the majority?
There are no moderate Republicans. There are only infantile chaos agents and those who support them.
Oh, sure. Some will claim “I didn’t light this fire. In fact I voted against doing so!” but they also stepped aside to let the guys with the match thru.
Which Republican has stood up to publicly call for Santos to be ousted, for Trump to be repudiated, for the impeachment of Biden to stop?
A so-called "moderate" Republican rebelling against the Republican establishment (and let's face it, we can include the Freedom Caucus in that) would quickly see their political career be finished. At the very least, they would be voted out in the next election, likely primaried by a MAGA zombie with delusions of grandeur.
Gym Jordan and Steve Skkkalise are such suboptimal options. Still hoping there is a way to get a moderate in charge (moderate republicans partnering with Dems to vote in someone who can do the job). I realize that’s likely impossible. Thanks for a great summary, Jay!! You’re awesome!!
Nice summary, Jay. And while my natural sympathies would extend to a shooting victim and cancer patient like Scalise, when he opens his mouth, he says hateful things. Jordan isn’t fit to live among cockroaches. I feel like I’m trapped on a long car ride with strangers, and all I can do is exercise patience.
I felt terrible for him when he was shot, until he spoke afterwards. He learned nothing. Same now, he's masking up to protect himself, but didn't give a damn about who he might have been putting at risk before.
Isn’t it amazing that when the chips are down, these charlatans will run to the truth
They know the truth all along, they just feed their base.
Yup! I am rooting for the Klansman over the Nazi sad a statement as that might be.
It's perfectly fine to not root for either one of them and realize that this is a contest between Worse and Even Worse.
Kinda like, "which would you prefer--syphilis or gonorrhea?"
100% Agree!
Good point! But, if it boils down to the two I do have a clear preference that I never thought I would have. Of course, I have no effect on this, and we shall see who else might be included, and what happens. However, I am always prepared to pick between worse and even worse when I have to, but as you point out, I do not in this case. So, choice withdrawn.
Gog and Magog
It comes down to a choice of candidates, all while the House will not function until a new Speaker is selected and perhaps not even then?
Once again the House/the Government is in limbo, with no clear plan forward, except of the sinister wishes of the Freedom, (Chaos), Caucus.
Their intent is to end our Government as we know it!
Buckle up we’re in for a wild ride on the insanity bus!
As an Ohioan, “Gym” Jordan is a nightmare. Most of his supporters love that he is loud and angry, with little care about his past or the fact that he is usually blatantly misleading them.
Simply because he raises his voice and pounds his desk, they firmly believe that he “owns the libs,” facts be damned.
As former Ohioans (also from southwestern OH), my 96 yr old mother who lives with me gets excited when she sees Gym Jordan on tv. She yells "that little pipsqueak!"
I call him a Pitbull without any teeth.
PLEASE! VOTE HIM OUT!!!!
I wish we could vote him out, but the whole state of Ohio is so damn gerrymandered, we are powerless to get rid of him.
Wasn’t gerrymandering in Ohio ruled unconstitutional but allowed to not change until after an election? What happened?
Basically, the Republicans led by Frank LaRose stalled and steamrolled. Finally they came up with a map that was slightly better but still poor. The Democrats on the committee realized they couldn't win, so threw in the towel. For now. Activist organizations are still all over this issue.
Frank LaRose might as well be trump. He's a Nazi thru and thru. If he somehow wins a Senate seat, I assure you all I am not only out of Ohio, I'm leaving the country. LaRose and Vance, from the same state?? Satan is a Buckeye in that case.
Some stuff happened and now the fun gerrymandered shapes are just a little different.
You have my sympathy. He even makes Andy Harris (R-Md) look marginally less terrible.
I wish I could tell you it gets better in my part of the state. Our local senator (Huffman) appears to believe that people of color aren’t as hygienic as white people, and our state rep (Creech) is a MTG fanboy- selfies and all.
Please know that as a fellow Ohioan I firmly believe that we are really a purple state except for the gerrymandering and the people who only half listen to what is going on. Proud to see you and other Ohioans here trying to understand all the garbage
I remember we used to be purple when I was a kid. Hope it returns.
It’s become exhausting in my county. Our local Republican headquarters has an actual Trump store. The Democratic headquarters is set up seasonally in some guy’s garage. It isn’t even a nice garage lol.
I’m not even sure that we my town has a Democratic headquarters . I still think that we haven’t changed to red. We just need to pay attention to who we are voting for statewide.
Well said, he is also consulting with his confidant, the Former President who is considering stopping by the House Chambers tomorrow to offer his help!
How astounding that even their own Republican colleagues somehow seem to believe that if they all say or do the right thing, they will all be able to work together in harmony and peace and “get the job done”. This, I think,shows just how blind to reality those on the Right are. No one who is a part of the Freedom Caucus is interested in a working government, they are the destroyers. All they care about is forcing their views on everyone else on pain of punishment if ignored and burning down the entire governmental systems. In other words aping their Orange God and doing everything in their power to get him to notice them and what they are willing to do for him!
Fascism isn’t something to be worried about happening IF Trump gets elected, it's already in place and functioning perfectly!
The Rs are new to the whole concept of outcome driven bipartisan work groups, compromise and effective solutions. They have no idea how to do that. Anyone with any experience has long since been driven out or died.
With this pair, as you well know, nothing will change and will probably erode more. I am very concerned that Jordan thinks he's qualified for the job (he isn't). He can't even manage to look the part. Scalise is better qualified, but is a despicable character, too.
Neither man is a good choice. Petulant children who have forgotten why they were elected. It's embarrassing. We'll have to hold our nose until the 2024 elections and the Democrats REALLY need to get their messaging straight!
The pesky gerrymandering and voter suppression issues are way bigger than messaging problems - but dumping on messaging is so much easier because it is so subjective with a vague curative process. I know the media pushes messaging as the reason Dems don't always get what is needed
Of course you’re right. Having been in advertising all my life, I feel there should be some effort to clarify what’s really going on. It’s a choice between a dictatorship or a democracy. Republican voters don’t realize (I don’t think) that they will have to live in the confines of the authoritarianism they (unwittingly) are supporting. Ugh. Politics is too f’ing complicated! 😂
I agree - and know too many (decent, hard working people) who scoff “oh it won’t happen” - take the blinkers off people - in many states it’s already in place, and CouId easily be finalized in 2024 - thanks to voter restrictions, gerrymandering & media spin.
I was formerly an active member of the Democratic Party, but I’m losing faith in them. I’ve come to the conclusion that they likely serve the same masters as the Republican candidates, just with different branding.
It’s like Reese’s Cups vs. Hershey bars, if you’re into candy references.
Ah, the “I was a loyal Democrat but they disappointed me. Both sides are the same.” type of comment we’ve come to expect from trolls.
I’m not a troll, and I don’t mean to come off as one. I’m a Democrat in a deep red state that feels left behind by a party that plays too nice with these extremists.
There are actually a lot of us, if you look around.
I understand what you’re saying and I hope you’re not a troll. You can be liberal but not like some things about the party that most represents you. Eternal Vigilance…
Most definitely not a troll- I’m a fan. I donate to Jay, Jim Wright, and other writers because I believe that their voices and analyses are important and I want to help. Trolling or otherwise undermining valuable informational resources in the comment section is not my intention.
That being said, I am still upset with the Democratic Party.
It’s just like my relationship with the Reds and Bengals; I still love them, I just don’t like them very much right now lol
I understand you, and I have friends who are just like you. The problem we have right now is this: unfortunately, the choice is binary. NO third party candidates have (at least for the foreseeable future) a prayer of getting elected to anything that matters. If you vote third party (or "No Labels", whatever that actually means) or don't vote out of pique or despair, you will have effectively voted Republican. Cornell West is brilliant, and maybe even very good. He cannot beat either major party candidate (sorry - just reality), so if you are as afraid of a 2nd Trump term as the rest of us, please vote blue and get to work trying to change things. I repeat - the choice is binary. Not choosing is a choice, and IMO, a bad one.
How anyone can say that after 2015 is beyond comprehension. There is ONE party, the GQP, that is actively and aggressively trying to destroy democracy in the US and burn our entire government down.
It’s just frustrating that it feels like fire alarm was pulled nearly eight years ago and we’re still standing around in the burning building.
And I agree about Hillary.
I remember that I was so positive that Hillary would win that I brought a Hillary-themed cookie cake to work to harass my Republican coworkers the night before the election.
The thing is -- Hillary DID win the popular vote, which is what MSM, social media, voters, non-voters, everyone focused on. A very small group looked at that beast, the Electoral College, and saw the potential outcome.
In 2024, polls need to pay attention to the Electoral College as much as or more than the popular vote.
Note: in hindsight, maybe I jinxed Hillary. My bad, everyone.
I have a friend who insists the world is controlled by 7 (I forget the exact number) billionaire families who enjoy watching us argue amongst ourselves so we're not paying attention to the corruption and ruthless activities they are involved in. I dunno. Maybe he's watching too much George Carlin. But I WANT to believe that the Democratic party has the right intentions, and lousy communications people. 🤷🏼♀️
I used to think I enjoyed Robert Ludlum because once in a while it was fun to believe that the world is run by a small cabal of the rich. Not fun anymore.
Since Charlottesville I no longer even consider that both sides annoy me equally POV. If Hillary had been President 2016-2020 we would not be as deeply embroilled in waste product as we are now.
I get the frustration in a let's get going, let's hit back, let's bring it type of way.
Perhaps the deep unknown pockets flow into many coffers and we need to drop kick Citizens United, like, yesterday.
But, we need you and all similar-minded people who seek fairness and decency and want to see their team come out swinging. I think we are mow seeing that resolve, energy and ferocity, and, also, we need to model that within ourselves and our communities.
At this point, ALL Republicans are racist dogwhistlers AND sexual assault enablers. This duo has been around for years, and any alleged moderates could have said something at any point.
“How do we get past the anger and anxiety we’ve had? How do we govern?”
Your party has been about literally nothing but anger and anxiety since before you were born. It may be possible that you legitimately didn’t know that, but ask (horrors!) a Democrat and you’ll find out.
The GOP House caucus would be smart to consider nominating a Problem Solvers moderate like Brian Fitzpatrick to improve the chances that a new GOP speaker could not only get seated, but could work with both sides of the House to actually govern....what a concept.
It’s so clear yet so far.
I'm not sure the GOP has any interest in what we could consider true governance. So much of what they are dedicated to doing is stopping the federal government from doing practically anything to help the American people. A protracted fight over House leadership doesn't necessarily make the Republicans look reasonable but it does work towards their mission of stopping the government from functioning as it creates less time to work out a deal to avoid the next possible shutdown. Then when things don't work, naturally they'll blame the Democrats. And those deep red districts will believe them.
On the other hand they talk about winning in 2024, getting more of their agenda into policy and law, etc. It doesn't make sense to look to the near and far future and see themselves as winners if they are behaving like lunatics and burning the place down. I realize they have no game to bring but I still don't see the point of all of this. What is the real end game here? I am obviously missing a key chunk of understanding
The. Repubbies. Don't. Want. To. Play. Nice. They aren't interested in cooperation with Dems OR governing. They WANT chaos. They WANT to burn down the government. What they hope to gain from this is a mystery. It's clear that they have no knowledge of what ultimately happens to those who enable and actively assist the fascists to take complete control.
What is the Republication inclination for seeking to elect as Speaker of the House men involved in the sexual exploitation of young men and boys who compete in wrestling?
I had to look up Hastert. Had no idea it was also a wrestling team. Yeesh.
Moore, Slaton, Gaetz, Jordan, Hastert. These Republican candidate prerequisites are getting out of hand.
Trump supporter: “How come everyone who goes to college is a Biden supporter?”
SMH
Leave it to Republicans to send the phrase "Lesser of two evils" into obsolescence in favor the much longer, "All options are on the table, as long as they are nuclear."
The NYT's David Leonhardt sent out his usual morning newsletter with the very overdue reporting that there is only one viable political party. I like Leonhardt overall, but he, along with the NYT more generally, is guilty of helping to normalize the frenzied insanity of the Republican Party. The Times isn't as bad as, say, CNN, but treating "elected officials" with kid gloves in the name of coverage balance needs to end. As the Jeff Bezos-owned corporate media outlet The Washington Post says, "Democracy Dies in Darkness." It also dies when the media treats the other party as if it is legitimate. It is not. Even under Gingrich, it kind of pretended to be. Now, they just have decided to run amok.
Leonhardt is wishy-washy, but not NEARLY as bad as the Times' Peter Baker, who's the arch-practitioner of "bothsiderist"
reporting...it's so galling to read his political stuff, makes you want to scream, "Open your goddam eyes already!"
I don't really know who he is, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for the byline next time I see one of those bothsiderist stories. Thanks!
."Replacing one dick with a different kind of dick isn’t gonna change anything."
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), on the race to succeed Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House
LOL! I loove John Fetterman. The US Congress could use a few more of him. Bullshit dies at his door.
I knew there was a good reason I supported him.
It seems that the choices aren’t favorable and both are devoted Trump supporters. Democrats must get out and vote and it’s the only recourse we have.
The republican caucus is certainly crazy enough to elect either one of these two train wrecks. The question is will anyone else step up to the plate to keep both of these extremists from becoming speaker? Now is the time for everyone and especially the media to put pressure on the moderate wing of the republican caucus to keep them out. How do they do that you ask? Well, it's really very simple; stop giving air time to the crazy caucus. Amplify moderate voices now, or regret it later.
P.S. Yes I know, I used the term "moderate" and "republican" in the same sentence; but I have to hope there are still a few Liz Cheney's or Adam Kinzinger's left in their caucus.
It's doubtful. Any moderates have been primaried out by now. The extremists and their supporters are nothing if not thorough.
I don't know what anyone else thinks, but it is crystal clear to me that both Biff (that's what I call trump now) and Bannon are behind this mess in DC.
I hate to think these are the only choices. Where the hell are the moderates in the party? It would be better for the GOP in the long-term to have someone who woukd be accepted by (at least some) Democrats and work across the aisle to get things done, and freeze out the far right. They'd have a better chance in those swing districts.
Moderates get primaried. Any Republican who dares say or do anything to annoy tRump will face a MAGAt in the primary, and primaries being what they are (hardcore single-party voters show, no one else does), they will lose.
At least the Attorneys General and judges are keeping tRump busy and will continue to do so. He's sweating now & if he had any hair he'd have hair dye running down his temples by next week. I'm hopeful he'll run out of time and energy to drive the GOP bus off a cliff in the next few weeks.
I know this is unlikely, but what if several of the "moderate" Republicans - especially those from swing districts - were to be convinced to switch sides,or at least become independents? Is there any possibility at all that Dems could gain the majority?
I don’t see this as likely.
There are no moderate Republicans. There are only infantile chaos agents and those who support them.
Oh, sure. Some will claim “I didn’t light this fire. In fact I voted against doing so!” but they also stepped aside to let the guys with the match thru.
Which Republican has stood up to publicly call for Santos to be ousted, for Trump to be repudiated, for the impeachment of Biden to stop?
A so-called "moderate" Republican rebelling against the Republican establishment (and let's face it, we can include the Freedom Caucus in that) would quickly see their political career be finished. At the very least, they would be voted out in the next election, likely primaried by a MAGA zombie with delusions of grandeur.
Gym Jordan and Steve Skkkalise are such suboptimal options. Still hoping there is a way to get a moderate in charge (moderate republicans partnering with Dems to vote in someone who can do the job). I realize that’s likely impossible. Thanks for a great summary, Jay!! You’re awesome!!