[US Election 2016] Republican Primary Megathread

[Banija]

#EstebanOliverez2016

[Ashmoria]

Why? He's running on a platform of "fuck unions and the working man"

People are more focused on rhetoric and character than on actual policy.

For example, Hillary Clinton supports what the majority of Americans want. Universal child care/pre-K, affordable college programs, the Affordable Care Act when viewed in individual parts, LGBT rights, etc. Her foreign policy stances (generally) and climate change proposals are also solid. But Scott Walker will appeal to more as a "man of the people" who "stood up to the special interests." Unfortunately, citizens may go for the latter.

or they could go with jeb bush who has proposed getting rid of medicare. but he speaks Spanish!!

[Geilinor]

Rand Paul's campaign isn't doing well. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/rand-paul-2016-downward-spiral-gop-campaign-120716.html?hp=t2_r

Interviews with more than a dozen sources close to the Kentucky senator, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of an underfunded and understaffed campaign beaten down by low morale.

They described an operation that pitted a cerebral chief strategist against an intense campaign manager who once got into a physical altercation with the candidate’s bodyguard. And they portrayed an undisciplined politician who wasn’t willing to do what it took to win — a man who obsessed over trivial matters like flight times, peppered aides with demands for more time off from campaigning and once chose to go on a spring-break jaunt rather than woo a powerful donor.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/r ... z3hE5wF5UI

[Gauthier]

Rand Paul's campaign isn't doing well. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/rand-paul-2016-downward-spiral-gop-campaign-120716.html?hp=t2_r

Interviews with more than a dozen sources close to the Kentucky senator, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of an underfunded and understaffed campaign beaten down by low morale.

They described an operation that pitted a cerebral chief strategist against an intense campaign manager who once got into a physical altercation with the candidate’s bodyguard. And they portrayed an undisciplined politician who wasn’t willing to do what it took to win — a man who obsessed over trivial matters like flight times, peppered aides with demands for more time off from campaigning and once chose to go on a spring-break jaunt rather than woo a powerful donor.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/r ... z3hE5wF5UI

He's even less of a snowball in Hell than his old man.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Rand Paul's campaign isn't doing well. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/rand-paul-2016-downward-spiral-gop-campaign-120716.html?hp=t2_r

He's even less of a snowball in Hell than his old man.

He was supposed to be the Great Libertarian Hope, but he ended up being quite non-Libertarian.

[Zurkerx]

Rand Paul's campaign isn't doing well. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/rand-paul-2016-downward-spiral-gop-campaign-120716.html?hp=t2_r

He's even less of a snowball in Hell than his old man.

I wouldn't say that but, his campaign losing support. He banking on the first debate on improving his numbers; otherwise his campaign will collapse.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

People are more focused on rhetoric and character than on actual policy.

For example, Hillary Clinton supports what the majority of Americans want. Universal child care/pre-K, affordable college programs, the Affordable Care Act when viewed in individual parts, LGBT rights, etc. Her foreign policy stances (generally) and climate change proposals are also solid. But Scott Walker will appeal to more as a "man of the people" who "stood up to the special interests." Unfortunately, citizens may go for the latter.

or they could go with jeb bush who has proposed getting rid of medicare. but he speaks Spanish!!

That way, he can tell the dirty illegals to go back to their own country a lot more easily.

[Alien Space Bats]

The Politics of Donald Trump's Candidacy

Heading into next Thursday's debate, the various major candidates and would-be candidates are each pursuing their own particular strategies.

For the pack, the biggest imperative is to get into the debate and try to make a splash. That's going to be hard with Trump in the middle of it, stealing all the oxygen; but they're going to have to try. For those who don't make the cut (like Santorum), the biggest remaining hope is to organize in Iowa and hope to make the next debate, especially if any of the Top Ten flame out.

For Jeb, there's a different strategic imperative. Jeb benefits the most from Trump's continued candidacy, in so far as Trump's presence in the race weakens most (if not all) of Jeb's potential adversaries. Trump himself is both unelectable and has no serious chance of securing the nomination; all Jeb has to do is let Trump crowd out all of his opponents, and then lower the boom on the Donald with a massive ad campaign devoted to annihilating Trump's image as a conservative (something that will be extraordinarily easy to do once conservatives start getting reminded of how dismissive the Donald is of faith and religion, how liberal he is on abortion and gay rights, how little he cares about gun rights, and how he's anything but a fan of small government). Ideally, Jeb gets to wait for everybody else to fold; he then destroys Trump and breezes to the nomination without any further difficulty.

For the next tier of challengers (and especially Scott Walker), there's also (some) incentive to waiting before letting Trump have it with both barrels. If Trump can winnow out the field, it will then be easy for somebody like Walker to inherit all of Trump's support and emerge as Jeb's principal challenger by annihilating Trump before the race gets too far along. Essentially, Trump would end up running interference for such a candidate, reducing the race to three people (Jeb, Trump, and Jeb's main challenger). Then, using the same strategy as Jeb might use (i.e. a massive media nuke job), this challenger (Walker would be ideal for this) knocks Trump out of the race and gets to go one-on-one with Jeb as the "conservative alternative" to Bush III.

As for Trump, I can't really imagine a winning strategy for him, although I CAN imagine several that would keep him in the race for the maximum possible length of time. The best, I believe, is to try to use criticism from his opponents as a virtue. The way this works would be for the Donald to essentially come back unapologetically swinging at his adversaries, doubling down on his position, and then playing on his unyielding stubbornness by saying something like:

"All of these other candidates are pussies (well, not that precisely; but who knows?). If they were under this kind of attack, they'd back down, they'd equivocate, they'd dissemble, they'd pretend they didn't say what they said or believe what they believe. But me? I'LL NEVER BACK DOWN. If the media attacks me, I'll go straight at the media; if Hillary attacks me, I'll go straight at Hillary. I'll never apologize and never let them shut me up; I'll tell them what I think 24/7, and make THEM back down, because they're pussies, too. I'll always be exactly what I say I am and always stand behind what I say, because that's what America wants. So fuck 'em (or words to that effect)!

This plays into Trump's appeal: Rank-and-file Republicans want a rude, in-your-face, unapologetic jerk who'll sya whatever he thinks and tell the Democrats, the media, the political establishment, and anybody else he doesn't like to go to Hell. They're angry and they want someone to channel their anger, to tell the world that they've had enough of politeness and political correctness and dissent and all the other pressures they feel that hold them back from saying whatever in the Hell comes to mind and just making everybody else around them eat it. They want to EMOTE, and the Donald is the best surrogate out there who can do it on TV and thus make them feel good about following him and doing it within their own lives. They want (in John Stewart's words) an asshole who makes it OK for them to be assholes, too, and that's what the Donald does in spades.

Will that win him the election, or even the nomination? No. But it can keep him in the race for a goog long time.

That leaves it to the bottom tier of candidates to try and prick Trump's bubble by outing him as a false conservative. Right now, none of these guys have the money to do it with an ad campaign, so if anybody at the bottom end who faces the danger of getting crowded out by Trump is going to take him out, it's got to be in the debates. Chris Christie is one potential candidate who could do this; Ted Cruz is another, and Mike Huckabee is a third. Marco Rubio is currently too close to the upper tier to take that kind of risk, Ben Carson doesn't have the temperament, and Rand Paul needs to spend the debate trying to reestablish his father's brand. That leaves whoever ends up drawing that 10th debate seat (which is currently being fought over by John Kasich, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Carly Fiorina [I consider Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham, and George Pataki too far back to have a hope of grabbing it) as the other possible anti-Trump gunslinger; but then again, there's gong to be considerable pressure on the "bubble" candidate not to make a mistake that could cost them their place in the NEXT debate.

That said, this is a positively STUPID way to run a Presidential nominating race, and the GOP ought to be ashamed of itself. They've fucked this thing up royally.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

God fucking damn it ASB, stop making us all look like uneducated idiots with no idea what we're talking about.

Also, if you've never published a book in any subject, I would be highly surprised.

[Othelos]

Ted Cruz, say good-bye to all hope of ever becoming president. Even your party doesn't want you.

The Republican party is killing itself from the inside out.

Can we think about for a minute just how bad the GOP is at their job, and how terrible the people representing the party are? As well as the fact that they only stand against things, they don't have a single pro-position in their agenda. It's all anti this, anti that.

It's really obnoxious, counterproductive and sad. The fact that people vote for them is, honestly, silly.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Chris Christie decides that he doesn't want the youth vote or the Libertarian vote.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday doused the hopes of those who might want to enjoy state-legalized marijuana with him in the White House.


"If you’re getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it," Christie, a Republican presidential candidate, said during a town-hall event in the early voting state of New Hampshire, according to Bloomberg.

“As of January 2017, I will enforce the federal laws,” he added.

Christie, who has long opposed recreational marijuana and said early this month that he has never tried pot, has stated that unlike President Obama he would not selectively choose which federal laws to enforce.

“If you want to change the marijuana laws, go ahead and change the national marijuana laws," the former prosecutor said Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

Colorado and three other states have legalized recreational marijuana in recent years, including Washington, Oregon and Alaska, along with the District of Columbia.

Christie currently sits ninth in a crowded GOP field of more than a dozen candidates hoping to make it onto the stage for their party's first debate Aug. 6, which is capped at the top 10 based on recent polls.

[Geilinor]

If Christie sues the four states that have legalized marijuana, the case will end up at the Supreme Court. I can't say what the ruling would be, but Our Political Genius ASB might have a guess.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Chris Christie decides that he doesn't want the youth vote or the Libertarian vote.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday doused the hopes of those who might want to enjoy state-legalized marijuana with him in the White House.


"If you’re getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it," Christie, a Republican presidential candidate, said during a town-hall event in the early voting state of New Hampshire, according to Bloomberg.

“As of January 2017, I will enforce the federal laws,” he added.

Christie, who has long opposed recreational marijuana and said early this month that he has never tried pot, has stated that unlike President Obama he would not selectively choose which federal laws to enforce.

“If you want to change the marijuana laws, go ahead and change the national marijuana laws," the former prosecutor said Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

Colorado and three other states have legalized recreational marijuana in recent years, including Washington, Oregon and Alaska, along with the District of Columbia.

Christie currently sits ninth in a crowded GOP field of more than a dozen candidates hoping to make it onto the stage for their party's first debate Aug. 6, which is capped at the top 10 based on recent polls.

Hah. Yeah, okay.

Speaking as someone who lives in Colorado, he'd lose our state so fucking bad it isn't even funny. Marijuana legalization has given us so many good results it's ridiculous to oppose it. Shit, I'd like to see what he'd do, because I don't see this state taking back Amendment 64 without being literally forced.

[Alien Space Bats]

If Christie sues the four states that have legalized marijuana, the case will end up at the Supreme Court. I can't say what the ruling would be, but Our Political Genius ASB might have a guess.

The current court would rule in favor of a Christie Administration. See Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005) (Stevens, writing for the 6-3 majority, asserted that marijuana can be banned by the Federal government under the Constitution's Commerce Clause, even when a State has a law in place allowing individual use [in this case, the approved use was medicinal], thanks to Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942)], even if the person possessing said marijuana grew it themselves solely for their own use and never entered the market as a buyer or seller).

[Marylandonia]

If Christie sues the four states that have legalized marijuana, the case will end up at the Supreme Court. I can't say what the ruling would be, but Our Political Genius ASB might have a guess.

The current court would rule in favor of a Christie Administration. See Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005) (Stevens, writing for the 6-3 majority, asserted that marijuana can be banned by the Federal government under the Constitution's Commerce Clause, even when a State has a law in place allowing individual use [in this case, the approved use was medicinal], thanks to Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942)], even if the person possessing said marijuana grew it themselves solely for their own use and never entered the market as a buyer or seller).

But not to worry. A Chris Christie Administration only exists in the dreams of Mr. Christie himself. He is a dead political rat lying at the bottom of the trash can politic, just waiting for the garbage truck to haul his forlorn aspirations away to some undistinguished New Jersey landfill. THANK GOD!

[Diopolis]

The current court would rule in favor of a Christie Administration. See Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005) (Stevens, writing for the 6-3 majority, asserted that marijuana can be banned by the Federal government under the Constitution's Commerce Clause, even when a State has a law in place allowing individual use [in this case, the approved use was medicinal], thanks to Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942)], even if the person possessing said marijuana grew it themselves solely for their own use and never entered the market as a buyer or seller).

But not to worry. A Chris Christie Administration only exists in the dreams of Mr. Christie himself. He is a dead political rat lying at the bottom of the trash can politic, just waiting for the garbage truck to haul his forlorn aspirations away to some undistinguished New Jersey landfill. THANK GOD!

He's both a relative moderate and a personally appalling man, so he can't even win the primary.

[Geilinor]

But not to worry. A Chris Christie Administration only exists in the dreams of Mr. Christie himself. He is a dead political rat lying at the bottom of the trash can politic, just waiting for the garbage truck to haul his forlorn aspirations away to some undistinguished New Jersey landfill. THANK GOD!

He's both a relative moderate and a personally appalling man, so he can't even win the primary.

Relative moderation is a plus for me, but the type of moderation I want can't come out of today's GOP.

[Ayothaya]

Why is Trump not on this list? He's doing well in the polls, and I can think of no more perfect embodiment of the GOP than The Donald.

[Geilinor]

Why is Trump not on this list? He's doing well in the polls, and I can think of no more perfect embodiment of the GOP than The Donald.

The Donald hadn't entered the race when the poll was created.

[Diopolis]

He's both a relative moderate and a personally appalling man, so he can't even win the primary.

Relative moderation is a plus for me, but the type of moderation I want can't come out of today's GOP.

It isn't to the type of people who aren't repelled by his personality.

[Ayothaya]

Why is Trump not on this list? He's doing well in the polls, and I can think of no more perfect embodiment of the GOP than The Donald.

The Donald hadn't entered the race when the poll was created.

That's a shame, and they should really update this thread, given that at this point he's a more viable candidate than many others listed here.

[Gauthier]

Relative moderation is a plus for me, but the type of moderation I want can't come out of today's GOP.

It isn't to the type of people who aren't repelled by his personality.

Christie would come off as Diet Coke after those people got a fix of Trump.

[Insaeldor]

Suprise! Trump just showed what a lot of people have been thinking about his policies and the fact that they don't exist. Can wait to see what he does come the Debates.

[Faiz-Izstan]

Rand Paul said that some of his friend's kids got autism from vaccines. Classic Conspiritard.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/electio ... rs-n298821

I'm Fiscally Conservative, and Socially Liberal. Do you know any Republican candidates that fit this role?

[Diopolis]

Rand Paul said that some of his friend's kids got autism from vaccines. Classic Conspiritard.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/electio ... rs-n298821

I'm Fiscally Conservative, and Socially Liberal. Do you know any Republican candidates that fit this role?

No. You'd be better served looking into a libertarian candidate.