*now is Dan Crenshaw, I'm a bit behind on my right-wing loonies. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/2020-presidential-election.304508/page-84#post-12995170
Amash might agree with Democrats on somethings but he's coming from a different place. He doesn't like M4A but I don't think he even supports the ACA. I can't see him agreeing with Democrats on taxes, spending, environmental policy and he also is Pro-Life. You're right Amash wants to legislate and one of the things I admire about him is he understands his role as a Representative and the role of Congress. I don't see him caucusing much with the Democrats and once Trump is out of office I'm pretty sure we'll see Amash opposing much of a future Democratic administration. Right now Amash is really a man with no party. His principles have made him leave the party of Trump but his principles also means he's unlikely to join the Democrats.
This reminds me of the Will Rogers quote, "I am not a member of any organized party. I am a Democrat." The Democratic Party represents a broad coalition, from far left to center left. But the essential positions of the Democratic coalition are united on the big stuff, just not how to get there. The GOP represents two factions that are really at odds with one another: fiscal conservative/social liberals and social conservatives that may or may not care about the GOP's economic positions. This coalition was sort of taped together by Nixon when he ran with a "Southern strategy," which played to dark instincts to do with race, and united these two unlike groups. And Reagan cemented the coalition. Rarely, though, do those factions align with regard to policy or ideology. R's typically vote for one or the other reason, rarely for both, because they have little to do with one another. The GOP's economic policies largely benefit the wealthy and social conservatives tend not to be wealthy. So the GOP coalition, far more than the Democratic party coalition, is the unnatural one. There are a lot more pro-choice R's than there are pro-life D's, for just one example. And being pro-life is not a moderate position. Reproductive rights are also supported by a growing majority of the electorate. And the idea that Republicans are the party of fiscal conservatism is belied by the fact that they consistently forget to care about the deficit, in favor of one historic tax cut after another, each of which favors the super-wealthy more than anyone else, once in office. And they have left the last two Democratic presidents to clean up after a near recession (GHWB-Clinton) or a legit recession (GWB-Obama). This will be more evident than ever as Biden is left to clean up after Trump. And the idea that D's are anti-guns or anti-2nd amendment is a canard. Every election they trot out the same bull about how the Democrats "want to take away your guns!" D's want to take away assault weapons, not guns for hunting or protection of self, family, property. Democratic gun policy is in tune with the vast majority of voters' belief that we should have reasonable restrictions to gun ownership, while Republicans fight in favor of things like a gun show loophole. Every gun policy R's fight for is supported by the NRA but opposed by a large majority of the American electorate. In fact almost every Democratic party position is in tune with the majority of American voters. And so I say again that the Democratic party is already the moderate party. I could go on and on, but I'll end by saying that no Democrat has much, if anything, in common with a Justin Amash type, apart from being anti-Trump.
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/florida-republicans-cnn-video-083810134.html Ticked-Off Florida Seniors Turn On Trump In Scathing CNN Segment: 'He Blew It' Ed Mazza July 3, 2020, 4:38 AM EDT President Donald Trump could be facing trouble in Florida as he falls behind presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the Sunshine State. While Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there in 2016, polls show him trailing the former vice president by an average of 7.1%, according to FiveThirtyEight (though it’s worth noting that Trump trailed Clinton by a similar margin in Florida in July 2016). Now, a new video from CNN shows why Trump might be having problems, as longtime Florida Republicans ― including some who voted for him in 2016 ― sound off. One interviewee sums it up: “He blew it.” See the clip below: Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
I see your perspective, but I again don't think the GOP is as fractured ideologically. The far right doesn't care about taxes or social welfare even to their own detriment because they care more about nationalism, abortion, anti-immigration, etc. So by virtue of that, a pro-business policy isn't something they are against. It's the moderate republicans who are having a problem with Trump now, but they didn't for many years. What changed?
I wouldn't call the far right you speak of actually Conservative but nationalistic. Economically they are actually more aligned with traditional prairie populism in that they favor isolation, protectionism and don't mind government spending, when it helps them. This is why pointing out things like that farmers had to be bailed out doesn't bother them or they even though they still mouth that Mexico will pay for the wall they don't mind that the US taxpayer is paying for it. This group is also far more interested in social issues. On the other side are people who have a more internationalist perspective including in markets. This is why tariffs were anathema to Republicans for most of their history and traditionally big labor Democrats were the ones who favored tariffs. This group is socially Conservative but not as absorbed in it. At the moment what is holding these groups together is power. If you look at Senators like Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio not that long ago, even prior to Trump running, they were warning against the dangers of isolationism and protectionism but now follow a man who's campaign and presidency is driven by it. There's a smaller group of true Constitutional Conservatives with Justin Amash being the best example but also people like Rand Paul and Ben Sasse. For the latter two while they express that there primary interest is limited government they've also sold out for power.
Right and this proves the GOP is not a fractured ideology - the fact they can dump everything to provide red meat to the base and still hold together as a party is very telling about what truly drives them. Only a small percentage of educated conservatives who actually believe in small govt and pro-business trade policy are the ones being pushed out - but they are a small intellectual fraction of the party. The GOP is still united - united around Trump. There's a reason he is above 40% in the polls.
First, I appreciate those boomers recognizing Trump is a problem for Americans and opting to vote him out of office. Second, other than the reporter asking the questions that had his mask on his chin, only one person answered without a mask: The Republican secretary for Pinellas County. Sad, but predictable.
Don Jr's girlfriend has Corona. Hopefully they all do. I'd love America to effectively and collectively about "Just deal with it!" At the White House.
Not sure why you guys are so down on Trump. I'm pretty sure he can tough it out and put a lot of distance between himself and Jo Jorgenson after the convention to lock up a very respectable 2nd.
