2016 is here already

[Indy]

I remember posting extensively that it was a surefire sign of the decline of the GOP that somebody like Huntsman got wasted first in the primaries while intellectually lacking panderers to rubes continued to poll well--the Bachmanns, the Santorums, the pizza guy whose name I can't even remember. Oh, Herman Cain.

Ultimately it was Romney who was the least offensive of the bunch--and that's setting the bar pretty low--but yet he still lost after he went "severely conservative" but then tried to backpedal on that when it came time for the general election. And it was after that election that non-idiotic GOPers started to ask tough questions like: perhaps it's time to reinvent the party, time to start being inclusive of minorities and women in a non-1950s role... because we just lost an election to a considerably unpopular president with what at that time was their only "mainstream" candidate.

Point being: time to get rid of the Palins, the Bachmanns, the Perrys... i.e., the rube-i-fied bottom feeders (like Cruz) who purposely play to the dumbasses in the electorate, baiting them with everything to race to immigration to Muslims to GGG (God, guns and gays) to whatever Daily Show-bound idiotic quote they're making that week.

Yet here we are, with probably a new low set in Ted Cruz. An educated man who nevertheless comes off like Forrest Gump--if Forrest Gump were a plutocratic shill advancing his agenda in the trojan horse of inciting their hysterical base with a putrefied version of "conservatism," warped "patriotism" and a belief that science is evil, religion is all you need.

Who's next, Louie Gohmert?

The funny thing is, as they keep losing these elections they keep screaming that somehow the "liberal" media is propelling people like Obama to victory through their conspiracy of bias. When in fact, it's the GOP who's getting Obama elected because the choices they present are so odious people would, yes, rather re-elect a president that they don't even like then put somebody so unqualified in the Oval Office.

People like Ted Cruz.

And while we may savor the idea of somebody like Chris Christie wiping the floor with a twit like Cruz in a primary debate, the reality is Christie is doomed, too--if anybody starts paying attention to how he royally screwed the people of his own state with Exxon. I'm surprised he's not being recalled over that.

[uebermann]

Gohmert is the rep in my district actually. The people here in Tyler LOVE him. My VP just took a trip with his daughter and her school to DC and got a private tour from him and he said he couldn't believe some of the things coming out of Gohmert's mouth haha. Pretty bad when a native East Texan says that.

Anywho, Cruz won't get it. He's pissed off far too many people in the GOP to win this. I honestly don't even get why he's running because he literally stands zero chance after all the stunts he has pulled. I can't imagine why he thinks he would get support from anyone in the GOP. Going to be a complete waste of time and money for him but whatever.

[uebermann]

I'm actually kind of surprised to not see Jindal's name being thrown about more. Maybe in the coming months.

[The dane]

[Indy]

[uebermann]

Oh I don't think Jindal would win the primary, just surprised to not see his name more. I know he's been at odds with certain elements of the GOP as well but he is a minority and may be able to secure votes that they might otherwise not be able to get. Though they might, in turn, lose votes from the white supremacists/racists over that, which might result in a larger loss of votes overall.

Tough call on that. White supremacists really hate brown people, but they hate the Democrats much more.

[Indy]

I think the reality is that the GOP has been permanently contaminated by the extremists, whereby you can't even get through the primary without displaying sufficient scorn and hatred for the left or even moderates and of course blowing the dog whistle endlessly.

People like Reagan ("Thousand Points of Light") and even Dubya ("compassionate conservatism") at least pretended to be moderate and offer optimistic messages, no matter how bogus they are.

Now you're trying to appeal to religious fanatics, anti-science droolers, gay-haters, racists, gun nuts, crazy conspiracy theorists and warped "patriots" who believe that--let's be honest--our most pressing war isn't with terrorists or with a foreign power or with income disparity or with joblessness or with ignorance...

It's with "the left." And they're fed this non-stop, 24/7 by the echo chamber media outlets they consume.

I saw a screen grab of an ISIS beheading video being sent around by a "patriotic" group with the heading something like "This is what Obama-supported ISIS does."

I always wondered why after 9/11 everybody's attention didn't turn to jihadists as the #1 threat to this country, like the Soviets were for decades prior. That's because they've been conflated with the left--either indirectly (the left are "appeasers") or directly (Obama supports ISIS).

Let's be honest: Reagan wouldn't stand a chance in today's primaries, as much as the GOP worships him. Nor would Nixon, nor would GWB I... probably not even Dubya himself.

[Dylan]

[Indy]

[Saz]