Has the GOP lost all of their sanity?

[Lunatic Goofballs]

Or, we could stop voting for Democrats and Republicans.

Who am I kidding?

So "Thank you please may I have another?"

Until the public wises up, yep. Your only real choice is if you're going to vote for an ass reaming, or if you'll vote for something better and get an ass reaming anyway.

[Alvecia]

Dumb people keep voting for them though. Its really sad to see people voting against their own interests.

Was there not a study recently that showed people would actively and knowingly vote against their own interests if it meant being loyal to their party?
Can't remember the details.

[Duvniask]

No its fine.

They produce exactly the type of populist candidates that you would expect democracies to produce; it is after all nothing but a mix of popularity contests and corporate sponsorships.

Actually, it's the type of candidates one would expect from a broken, dysfunctional democracy.

[Infected Mushroom]

No its fine.

They produce exactly the type of populist candidates that you would expect democracies to produce; it is after all nothing but a mix of popularity contests and corporate sponsorships.

Actually, it's the type of candidates one would expect from a broken, dysfunctional democracy.

when you constantly try to cater to the lowest denominator and to the unwashed masses, expect less than stellar candidates

[Liberty and Linguistics]

They need to ditch some of their religious right policies, they need to appeal to the urban youngsters by offering a combination of small government, economic freedom, and social tolerance. Furthermore, the strategy to reach out to Hispanic voters simply isn't working. Hispanics don't vote GOP not because they're Hispanic, but because of their average economic situation.

[Alvecia]

Actually, it's the type of candidates one would expect from a broken, dysfunctional democracy.

when you constantly try to cater to the lowest denominator and to the unwashed masses, expect less than stellar candidates

[Infected Mushroom]

when you constantly try to cater to the lowest denominator and to the unwashed masses, expect less than stellar candidates

there's no reason to assume everyone is equally qualified, informed, and rational to be making the choice of choosing a leader

[The Qeiiam Star Cluster]

So don't complain and call for change. Just accept life for what it is and when it gives you surprise buttsecks just say "Thank you please may I have another?" That or live off the grid as an extra on Doomdsday Preppers.

Or, we could stop voting for Democrats and Republicans.

Who am I kidding?

Go ahead. Throw your vote away!

[Alvecia]

there's no reason to assume everyone is equally qualified, informed, and rational to be making the choice of choosing a leader

I would probably agree, but denying them the right has some interesting logical conclusions.

[Zurkerx]

Their sanity is disappearing no question about. At the rate they are going, they may dissolve and be replaced or wise up and change. Time will only tell.

[Havenburgh]

Worst part is less and less people are voting, and the ones who do vote for Republican or Democrat because they always have and they dont know anything else. Ask them about socialist parties or the Green party and they have no idea. A couple years ago my farher and I were watching the New York Goveners debate when he pointed to Howie Hawkins and asked who that was. He didnt even know we had a green party. And if you vote for republicans or democracts, its all the same, they are all in the pockets of big business, and the big business uses those politicions to help stamp out the smaller ones for no competition. And why wont politicions help the middle class, everyday people? Becuase that means a loss of money amd profits for them. And I see where they are coming from. If you had millions of dollars would you want to give that up? If you had power, were basically above the law would you want to give that up? Most of would say no sadly. Thats the problem with not only democracy but government in general, it corrupts. And a two party system makes it so much easier. When you grow up being told to only listen to one party, you will believe anything that party says, and the Republicans have learned that. They are told growing up that gays are bad, abortion is bad, muslims are bad, so they will spew the same hate when they grow up to the young people of thier time. And the cycle continues for years to come.

[San Lumen]

Their sanity is disappearing no question about. At the rate they are going, they may dissolve and be replaced or wise up and change. Time will only tell.

I hope people wise up and vote them out in Congress and and many state legislatures next year.

[Kelinfort]

They need to ditch some of their religious right policies, they need to appeal to the urban youngsters by offering a combination of small government, economic freedom, and social tolerance. Furthermore, the strategy to reach out to Hispanic voters simply isn't working. Hispanics don't vote GOP not because they're Hispanic, but because of their average economic situation.

That'll never happen. As long as their base is largely socially conservative and elderly, it's unlikely there will be a change.

[Havenburgh]

-omit-

[Gauthier]

So "Thank you please may I have another?"

Until the public wises up, yep. Your only real choice is if you're going to vote for an ass reaming, or if you'll vote for something better and get an ass reaming anyway.

By "wises up" you mean "Swallow a guaranteed hit on their personal lives to vote the most flagrant outsider imaginable".

[Infected Mushroom]

there's no reason to assume everyone is equally qualified, informed, and rational to be making the choice of choosing a leader

I would probably agree, but denying them the right has some interesting logical conclusions.

It does indeed.

[San Lumen]

I would probably agree, but denying them the right has some interesting logical conclusions.

It does indeed.

What are those logical conclusions? You'd rather live in a one party state or dictatorship like China or Kazakhstan?

[Zurkerx]

They need to ditch some of their religious right policies, they need to appeal to the urban youngsters by offering a combination of small government, economic freedom, and social tolerance. Furthermore, the strategy to reach out to Hispanic voters simply isn't working. Hispanics don't vote GOP not because they're Hispanic, but because of their average economic situation.

That'll never happen. As long as their base is largely socially conservative and elderly, it's unlikely there will be a change.

I read somewhere that the Republican voting base was literally dying. I can't remember where it was from but, these list some reasons for how the GOP will decline and that was one of them. A good size of the party is elderly people but, old age does catch up.

[Entre Rios]

It needs to become the Republican Party of Eisenhower again; that "compassionate conservatism" that embraced civil rights, workers' rights and had a suspicion of the military-industrial complex.

Edit: Touching on the topic of electoral reform, I support introducing single transferable vote for the House of Representatives whilst introducing alternative vote for the Senate and presidential elections. Scrap the Electoral College. It worked (sort of) in the 18th century; not so much now.

[San Lumen]

That'll never happen. As long as their base is largely socially conservative and elderly, it's unlikely there will be a change.

I read somewhere that the Republican voting base was literally dying. I can't remember where it was from but, these list some reasons for how the GOP will decline and that was one of them. A good size of the party is elderly people but, old age does catch up.

Yes and they do awful with minorities. The US will majority minority by 2035 and they will irrelevant as a party by then if they don't start fixing the low margins they get with everyone except white men and seniors.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I think that it's going to start dying out as more of the younger conservatives either go to more centralist or more right wing parties

[Khadgar]

The Republican Party has a fundamental problem. They've got two separate wings of the party that don't actually agree on anything and they're trying to please them both. You've got the rural Guns N' Jesus republicans who are all about their interpretation of the good book and paranoia about the gubmint comin to git 'em. Then you've got the Wall Street sorts who don't really give a fuck about anyone's religion so long as they can make money and all they really want is as lax an environment as possible to fleece as much as they possibly can. The latter simply cringe when the former do something anti-business in the name of bigotry and the former think the latter are RINOs because they're not blind ideologues.

[Ikania]

The GOP has been on a downwards slope since the election of Clinton. They became absolute clowns in the legislature during the 90s and transformed into the mainstream right-wing, typical conservatives we see today in the 2000s. It got even worse with the start of the Tea Party, a bunch of Libertarians-with-exceptions (aka Right to have guns and say things you like... unless you're Muslim, Gay, Atheist, Liberal or Female. No abortions either) who didn't want to spend SO MUCH MONEY on useless things (despite being totally in favor of sinking 70 billion dollars a year into killing Arabs).

The Tea Party and its people like Rubio and Paul are the main source of clownery in the Republican Party. Meanwhile, the lack of a fan favorite or common leader like Reagan or Bush I were, the lack of a clear frontrunner, has created a vacancy, and therefore a power struggle. We see a lot of Governors like Perry, Kasich and Walker jump up to take their shot at being President, hoping to be seen as experienced leaders who can unite the party on the basis of solid conservatism and a return to the Republican values of Reagan and Eisenhower (disregarding the fact that Eisenhower is probably turning in his grave). They talk about a GOP comeback like the second coming of Christ, because they were left in such shambles after 2008 and the Bush years.

Meanwhile, strong national figures that are universally liked are nowhere to be found. Not to say people like Romney or McCain were universally liked, but hey, they were pretty cool guys with a good track record. People like Reagan, Eisenhower and Nixon were able to be elected because they were familiar with the American people, and the American people loved them back.

Because of the infighting between the different factions in the GOP, we've seen the fall of Jeb Bush, heir presumptive to the White House's throne. Instead, we see fed up Conservatives going for someone who they think is a strong leader, a commoner in touch with the American people, who can unite the base and deal with the issues in the country instead of getting into arguments which other party factions. So who's the perfect choice for the job? Donald Trump, the opposite of that, because he puts on a convincing facade and doesn't pander to lobbyists, always speaks his mind. And some conservatives are just so desperate for that they'll take his views for a chance to get an honest leader.

The GOP has lost its sanity because the crazy people have finally gotten enough of a foothold to cause chaos. It's an all out war between every fashion of Conservative, and the moderates have been the prime victims. If the Republican Party can ever hope for salvation and a return to the glory days where they were actually respect, a moderate conservative who is pragmatic and reasonable would be the best choice. Right now Kasich is the closest to that, but they need more for a President. Unfortunately it doesn't seem there's anyone who's gonna take that step. Colin Powell? Old. Plus the domination of the far right at the moment means they'll tear him to shreds for disowning the Bush administration. He's a fantastic guy though. Tim Pawlenty? Rob Portman? America needs a serious, qualified candidate to be President, and the Republicans need to find one, or face the threat of having a Pumpkin be their nominee.

[The Hobbesian Metaphysician]

No they haven't sanity is irrelevant to a collective groups mental status.

[Gauthier]

America needs a serious, qualified candidate to be President, and the Republicans need to find one, or face the threat of having a Pumpkin be their nominee.