So what happens now?
I tried to warn you people. While remaining a registered Republican, I have complained for years that the party is on the wrong track, that it has strayed from its founding principles. I voted for Barack Obama twice, and endured constant criticism for supporting him. This is not because I think he's an amazing president - I don't - but rather he's "above average and far better than McCain or Romney." He didn't propose that we build a wall with Mexico and make them pay for it. He didn't propose banning all Muslims from entering the US. He didn't pick Sarah Palin, an absolute moron, as his running mate. He didn't try to divide the country by characterizing anyone on public assistance as a "taker who feels entitled." He has tried to end Bush's endless wars and his unjust, indefinite detentions and torture scheme. Those unfunded wars are a bigger impact on our national budget than all the food stamp programs that modern Republicans love to vilify. Obama probably doesn't even make a top 10 list of great Presidents in terms of his leadership or accomplishments, and I'm fine with that. He was still a good president. He represented us well, he didn't shag any interns, we're in fewer wars and a better economic position than when he took office, and those things are good enough for me.
It's sad that we've come to this standard, but that's where we are. The obscene amounts of money that pour into the election cycle these days, and the amount of influence that those corporations and donors expect in return, has driven both parties to whore themselves out to the highest bidder. Politicians seek not to advance the interests of our nation, but to advance their own egos and improve the status of their party. The Republican debacle this cycle is easier to make fun of because it contained so many buffoons, but don't kid yourself. Hillary is in bed with every Wall Street bank and Silicon Valley firm who wishes to shape the next 4 years in ways that further their own interests. Bernie may be a kook, but I will vehemently defend his principles of not taking Super PAC money. and refusing to accept corporate donations. The fact that he's come so far while staying true to those principles is extremely impressive, and he deserves more credit for that than he's getting.
But now look what's happened. All you moderate Republicans who refused to speak up, and to call out your idiot bigot friends for being idiot bigots have gone and landed us a Trump nomination. I refuse to believe that a majority of registered Republicans like Trump. It's just not possible. I do believe, however, that enough reasonable/rational Republicans stayed home and didn't vote in their state primaries. I do believe that the GOP leaders at the national level refuse to address the elephant in the room, that Trump has been spitting out hateful, ignorant, racist, xenophobic language for some time now. Not borderline, not "open to interpretation," and not "entertainment" as he tries to paint it after the fact, but downright hateful speech. Props to Mitt Romney for coming back on the scene to say "this guy doesn't represent me and doesn't represent my party," but that was too little, too late. The big shot Republicans who did speak our against Trump frequently pointed to Ted Cruz as an acceptable alternative which, again, is complete bullshit. No rational, educated person looks at Ted Cruz and says "yeah, he'd make a good leader of the free world."
So what happens now? Does someone else get nominated at the convention; someone who's not been on the ballot in any primaries? What if Sanders doesn't get the Democrat nod? His supporters aren't going to back Clinton because they hate her. So then the election will be won by whichever candidate fewer people find completely repulsive. I think in a Trump v Clinton election, we'd see even WORSE turnout than we have lately, because so many Americans will refuse to vote for either of them. There are a lot of moderates and independents like me who, under other circumstances, would switch hit and vote for someone from "the other" party, yet, in a Trump v Clinton race will not vote for either. I believe that, in that scenario, Trump wins. His supporters are angrier than hers, and he's won these last 7 races by > 50% because his supporters show up at the polls. To be clear, turnout in the last 7 states was unbelievably low, but the people who did show up and vote cast their ballots for Trump by a wide margin. He beat expectations in Indiana by 15% or more - he was forecast to get 40% and took over 55% of votes cast. I believe that many of Hillary's supporters would not vote because they'd assume that Trump can't possibly win so they don't need to vote.
Kentucky just saw this in our Governor's race - turnout was abysmal because so many people assumed that Jack Conway would walk away with it since Bevin can't form a complete sentence. Then Bevin won, and now our state is sponsoring Noah's @#$% Ark while he's cutting funding to our biggest universities in between criticizing his predecessor for things like no-bid contracts (which Bevin has already awarded $4M in less than 6 months in office). Yeah, I'm pretty pissed about that outcome. I don't blame Bevin's supporters, but I do hope they realize that he doesn't have any claim to a mandate - he won because of who didn't vote as much as who did.
Here's a look back at the Republican platform from 1952. They spend a lot of time complaining about what the Democrats have done, including FDR, but take a look at their principles:
It's sad that we've come to this standard, but that's where we are. The obscene amounts of money that pour into the election cycle these days, and the amount of influence that those corporations and donors expect in return, has driven both parties to whore themselves out to the highest bidder. Politicians seek not to advance the interests of our nation, but to advance their own egos and improve the status of their party. The Republican debacle this cycle is easier to make fun of because it contained so many buffoons, but don't kid yourself. Hillary is in bed with every Wall Street bank and Silicon Valley firm who wishes to shape the next 4 years in ways that further their own interests. Bernie may be a kook, but I will vehemently defend his principles of not taking Super PAC money. and refusing to accept corporate donations. The fact that he's come so far while staying true to those principles is extremely impressive, and he deserves more credit for that than he's getting.
But now look what's happened. All you moderate Republicans who refused to speak up, and to call out your idiot bigot friends for being idiot bigots have gone and landed us a Trump nomination. I refuse to believe that a majority of registered Republicans like Trump. It's just not possible. I do believe, however, that enough reasonable/rational Republicans stayed home and didn't vote in their state primaries. I do believe that the GOP leaders at the national level refuse to address the elephant in the room, that Trump has been spitting out hateful, ignorant, racist, xenophobic language for some time now. Not borderline, not "open to interpretation," and not "entertainment" as he tries to paint it after the fact, but downright hateful speech. Props to Mitt Romney for coming back on the scene to say "this guy doesn't represent me and doesn't represent my party," but that was too little, too late. The big shot Republicans who did speak our against Trump frequently pointed to Ted Cruz as an acceptable alternative which, again, is complete bullshit. No rational, educated person looks at Ted Cruz and says "yeah, he'd make a good leader of the free world."
So what happens now? Does someone else get nominated at the convention; someone who's not been on the ballot in any primaries? What if Sanders doesn't get the Democrat nod? His supporters aren't going to back Clinton because they hate her. So then the election will be won by whichever candidate fewer people find completely repulsive. I think in a Trump v Clinton election, we'd see even WORSE turnout than we have lately, because so many Americans will refuse to vote for either of them. There are a lot of moderates and independents like me who, under other circumstances, would switch hit and vote for someone from "the other" party, yet, in a Trump v Clinton race will not vote for either. I believe that, in that scenario, Trump wins. His supporters are angrier than hers, and he's won these last 7 races by > 50% because his supporters show up at the polls. To be clear, turnout in the last 7 states was unbelievably low, but the people who did show up and vote cast their ballots for Trump by a wide margin. He beat expectations in Indiana by 15% or more - he was forecast to get 40% and took over 55% of votes cast. I believe that many of Hillary's supporters would not vote because they'd assume that Trump can't possibly win so they don't need to vote.
Kentucky just saw this in our Governor's race - turnout was abysmal because so many people assumed that Jack Conway would walk away with it since Bevin can't form a complete sentence. Then Bevin won, and now our state is sponsoring Noah's @#$% Ark while he's cutting funding to our biggest universities in between criticizing his predecessor for things like no-bid contracts (which Bevin has already awarded $4M in less than 6 months in office). Yeah, I'm pretty pissed about that outcome. I don't blame Bevin's supporters, but I do hope they realize that he doesn't have any claim to a mandate - he won because of who didn't vote as much as who did.
Here's a look back at the Republican platform from 1952. They spend a lot of time complaining about what the Democrats have done, including FDR, but take a look at their principles:
- "We shall have positive peace-building objectives wherever this will serve the enlightened self-interest of our Nation and help to frustrate the enemy's designs against us.
- In Western Europe [replace with Middle East] we shall use our friendly influence, without meddling or imperialistic attitudes, for ending the political and economic divisions which alone prevent that vital area from being strong on its own right."
- With foresight, the Korean War [replace with Iraq/Afghan wars] would never have happened
- Pro environment
- Pro union
- Pro civil rights, womens' rights, native American rights
- Statehood for Puerto Rico
- Spending on infrastructure projects (water rights were the big issue at the time)
You get the idea. It's a criticism of the Democrats for doing exactly what the GOP is doing today. It's a platform that couldn't win two votes if they proposed it this summer. That's a shame. So if you're a Republican thinking about becoming an independent or switching parties, I think now would be a great time to do that.
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