POL: What if...Trump or Sanders actually won???

[JPhillips]

Not sure if this should go here or the pathetic Facebook posts thread.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by Subby

Congrats @LindseyGrahamSC. You just got 4 points in your home state of SC—far better than zero nationally. You’re only 26 pts behind me.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2015

Basically, he's TRiUMPh, the insult comic dog candidate. Conan would be proud.

He gets 20-30% because a lot of people will vote based on shtick. It's not enough to win the nomination.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Basically, he's TRiUMPh, the insult comic dog candidate. Conan would be proud.

How many candidates are more deserving of some treatment than Graham though? He's a p.o.s., what he gets, he brought upon himself.

And yes, Trump giving him just a bit of the business does make him more attractive as a candidate. It's a fraction of what he deserves.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

One thing I noticed when I moved from New Jersey to Georgia is that Republicans from the Northeast are a vastly different breed which don't necessarily exist in other parts of the country (or if they exist, they are more accurately described as Conservative Democrats).

One thing I've noticed is that 'RINO' is a far more prevalent term than 'DINO' is. Republicans, for whatever reason, have difficulty accepting that "all politics are local," and that as a result, Northeastern Republicans (say, Mainers) look a LOT different than Arizona Republicans.

I've never seen Democratic grassroots go after a Midwestern Democrat for insufficient liberalism, but they lose their minds when a New York Democrat votes with Republicans to restrict access to abortion or against the social safety net.

[Solecismic]

From what I've seen, each side firmly believes that about the other side.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

One thing I've noticed is that 'RINO' is a far more prevalent term than 'DINO' is. Republicans, for whatever reason, have difficulty accepting that "all politics are local," and that as a result, Northeastern Republicans (say, Mainers) look a LOT different than Arizona Republicans.

All politics can be "local" ... when they're local. But that doesn't make them proper policy either.

I think there's a significant gap, or rather the long-standing significant gap is more commonly realized/recognized, between what constitutes "the GOP".

A lot of us who came over in/around the '94 "Republican Revolution" are basically realizing that we have no more use for a lot of "Republicans" than we had for the party that abandoned us in the first place. And that's a very slippery slope for the party to deal with, because if they lose the South as a guaranteed base -- which they're getting closer & closer to doing -- then they are effectively finished as a truly national party.

The White House may be very close to becoming unattainable for anyone other than the (D) for a while, at least for as long as they remain a consistent voting block. I believe a major split is closer than a lot of people think.

The varying bases of a pair of parties could still control Congress (or deny control to the Ds at least) without ever managing to retake 1600 Penn Ave.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

As for Sanders, if he actually won and took office, I'm not sure he's too far off. An actual socialist, not a black guy with an easily mocked name who is about as center as they come? I'd imagine secession is seriously being talked about in a lot of states.

I actually think the secession talk gets really serious...I can't imagine the states like Texas and Alaska wanting to follow the Bernie Sanders, moving-to-the-left platform. I've always been a believer that a top-down government system, and growing it, is a terrible way to do things for a country as geographically and demographically as large and diverse as ours.

I think if Bernie wins, he'll widely disappoint his followers who don't understand that Congress will be split, at for his first term, and nothing he campaigned on will be achieved.

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

You have prominent GOP Senators like McCain who have said nice things about her in the past (even if they turn on her now), indicating that she may be able to leverage some of that past experience. She's a wonk and can do some compromising, which will help matters somewhat.

I don't see Sanders really being all that into the nitty gritty of compromise - I think he'll consider it "selling out" some group or another.

McCain is actually trailing in early primary polls right now to a Tea Party candidate and current Arizona State Senator.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

From what I've seen, each side firmly believes that about the other side.

You may be right. OTOH, I grew up in a Republican household, voted Republican the first few elections for which I was old enough to cast a ballot, and "RINO" was a term I heard with some frequency, between my parents and the circles I ran with then.

My circle of friends these days leans more to the left of those I had as a teenager, but I've never heard equivalent terms come from any of my politically active liberal friends.

I know, personal anecdote isn't proof of anything but personal experience. Still and all.

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

All politics can be "local" ... when they're local. But that doesn't make them proper policy either.

Yeah, but you'll forgive me if I view with some skepticism your idea of "proper policy."

A lot of us who came over in/around the '94 "Republican Revolution" are basically realizing that we have no more use for a lot of "Republicans" than we had for the party that abandoned us in the first place. And that's a very slippery slope for the party to deal with, because if they lose the South as a guaranteed base -- which they're getting closer & closer to doing -- then they are effectively finished as a truly national party.

Truthfully, we're probably overdue for something like that. The last time we saw a major political party rise and stick was...the Republicans. A hundred and fifty years ago. The labels with which the power brokers draped themselves used to change much more frequently than that.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

If Trump wins, we can use the film Idiocracy as a reference material for how the next 4 years will go.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Yeah, but you'll forgive me if I view with some skepticism your idea of "proper policy."

That's fine, but what I was trying to say is really independent of any particular policy. I simply meant that whatever "local" was might be acceptable to a plurality in Place X but still be lousy as a broader/national policy.

All politics are, as you referenced, "local" ... but just because it plays in Peoria doesn't mean it doesn't suck. And suck is suck, regardless of what brand name gets put on it.

[RainMaker]

No one is seceding for christ sake. Can't even get people to care enough to vote and you think people are going to start an armed conflict. Come on.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

No one is seceding for christ sake. Can't even get people to care enough to vote and you think people are going to start an armed conflict. Come on.

Lots of cases where there not a choice worth voting for.

There are an increasing number of cases where there are choices made worth dying to avoid however.

[RainMaker]

It's just extremist talk by crybabies who lost an election. Secession is the right-wing version of "I'm moving to Canada" that left-wingers tout when they lose.

Lives don't dramatically change when a new President is elected and most of the country doesn't care all that much.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's just extremist talk by crybabies who lost an election. Secession is the right-wing version of "I'm moving to Canada" that left-wingers tout when they lose.

Lives don't dramatically change when a new President is elected and most of the country doesn't care all that much.

To be fair, I've seen some right-wingers make the Canada ultimatum. Which is just all kinds of funny.

[Dutch]

I'd imagine its not to unlike the demographics of Wisconsin, actually.