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The G.O.P. is Rotting

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
I used the headline from Republican David Brooks' opinion piece as this thread title. There is an existential battle for the soul of America being fought right now between those who would tear it down and betray its high ideals and those who would try to build it up and repair its flaws. Of course it's not totally black and white given that ordinary human beings are involved. But that to me is the root of much of what we're seeing today.

David Brooks in his piece wrote:

You don’t help your cause by wrapping your arms around an alleged sexual predator and a patriarchic bigot. You don’t help your cause by putting the pursuit of power above character, by worshiping at the feet of some loutish man or another, by claiming the ends justify any means. You don’t successfully rationalize your own tawdriness by claiming your opponents are satanic. You don’t save Christianity by betraying its message.
...
The rot afflicting the G.O.P. is comprehensive — moral, intellectual, political and reputational. More and more former Republicans wake up every day and realize: “I’m homeless. I’m politically homeless.”


Here's one example of the effect on someone who at one point worked for Breitbart!!! I know some will say "good riddance", of course, but I say "may his tribe increase".

Roy Moore is the last straw, you can now call me a Democrat


I have spent the better part of my adult life working with and for Republicans at every level of government. I’ve worked at City Hall, for members of the California state legislature, members of the House and Senate, a congressional committee, moderates and conservatives. From Olympia Snowe to Breitbart News, I’ve traveled throughout the entire spectrum of the Republican Party.
...

For the first time since I was in high school, I was free from any professional loyalties. .... I couldn’t understand how so many in the GOP could stand by, silently, as Donald Trump and Steve Bannon remade and redefined the Republican Party. An unrelenting assault on the Constitution, the free press and freedom of expression while Republican “leaders” do nothing. Ignoring legitimate issues about race relations in America, environmental policy, gun reform and equality to instead pander to a lunatic fringe that subscribes to an ideology of hate and fear.

Which brings us to Roy Moore and the Alabama Senate race.

President Trump and the Republican National Committee are endorsing, supporting and funding Moore because they would rather elect a sexual predator who preys on underage teenagers at the local mall, than a crime-fighting prosecutor who happens to be a Democrat.
...
The embrace of Moore by the Republican Party’s top “leadership” is all the proof you need to know that this is a party that no longer stands for anything.

I believe that the Democratic Party will do more to create equality in America than the Republican Party ever will.

...
I am throwing in with the Democratic Party because at the end of the day, I believe its portrait of America is better than the one being painted by today’s Republican Party. And I want to be a part of it.


Kurt Bardella is a former spokesperson for Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, and Breitbart News.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Of course if one likes racism, Harvey Weinstein is your hero, and perving on teenagers is okay, then do I have a Party for you!
 

Kemosloby

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
What about upholding those American values like right to a fair trial. He says he didn't do it... It's her word against his.
 

Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
There is an existential battle for the soul of America being fought right now between those who would tear it down and betray its high ideals and those who would try to build it up and repair its flaws.

Things will become very dark indeed if America loses track of its capacity for reason and courage to believe in individual liberty and the rule of law. I really hope that the constitution is preserved, not simply as a scroll of parchment to be abused and manipulated, but as living, breathing ideals worthy of effort and sacrifice to fulfil the promise of human dignity. It will be a far easier and certain outcome than the alternative which could take decades of resistance to get results and turn the tide.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
They should just get rid of the Republican party and have everyone run as Democrats. A one party system.

I doubt it would fix anything but at least no one could use the opposing party as an excuse for the government's failings.
 
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esmith

Veteran Member
They should just get rid of the Republican party and have everyone runs as Democrats. A one party system.

I doubt it would fix anything but at least no one could use the opposing party as an excuse for the government's failings.
No, they will find a way....they're politicians.
 

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
What about upholding those American values like right to a fair trial. He says he didn't do it... It's her word against his.
By "he," are you referring to Harvey Weinstein, Roy Moore, Donald Trump or someone else? The allegations against these men cannot be characterized as "her word against his," but as "their word against his." And in the case of the allegations against Moore, there is apparently evidence of him writing notes and signing the year books of these high school girls.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
No, they will find a way....they're politicians.

Party doesn't matter in Calif. District lines are drawn around party affiliation. So if you want to win in a district, you simply run as the party that will get voted in. Whatever the party platform is, you just play lip service to it. Smart politicians can slip into whatever political identity that will get them elected.

Roy's a good example. He knows to reflect in his public persona whatever will be supported by a majority of voters. In his private life, he can believe and practically do anything he wants, just as long as he is a member of the correct party.
 

Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
They should just get rid of the Republican party and have everyone runs as Democrats. A one party system.

I doubt it would fix anything but at least no one could use the opposing party as an excuse for the government's failings.

Ideally the Republicans will lose to a third party, such as the Libertarians. Or maybe it splits. That would be much more preferable to a one-party system as you still have an opposition to check the power of the governing party. It would be quite an electoral earthquake for that to happen though.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
The U.S. works best if we have two fully functional political parties. Dreamers and pragmatists working together. Instead the Republicans have become merely a party of obstruction for the most part.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
By "he," are you referring to Harvey Weinstein, Roy Moore, Donald Trump or someone else? The allegations against these men cannot be characterized as "her word against his," but as "their word against his." And in the case of the allegations against Moore, there is apparently evidence of him writing notes and signing the year books of these high school girls.

Sadly there will be no trial against Moore. The statue of limitations has long since run out on those activities. I do not want the Republican Party to become the party of the child molesters. I have said that Moore's election would harm the Republicans in the long run, but that is harm that we can live without. For the good of the party and the U.S. overall I hope that he loses.
 

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Sadly there will be no trial against Moore. The statue of limitations has long since run out on those activities. I do not want the Republican Party to become the party of the child molesters. I have said that Moore's election would harm the Republicans in the long run, but that is harm that we can live without. For the good of the party and the U.S. overall I hope that he loses.
Agree with each sentence. However, I fear he will win. If so, the Senate should kick him out, but I suppose they won't. The Senate may initiate an ethics investigation, which will probably have little effect.
 

It Aint Necessarily So

Veteran Member
Premium Member
What about upholding those American values like right to a fair trial. He says he didn't do it... It's her word against his.

Moore still has a right to a fair trial if he is indicted.

Unless a verdict comes in in the next few weeks, people will have to judge Moore by other criteria, including both the voters in Alabama and the rest of the nation and world looking on in disbelief.

Things will become very dark indeed if America loses track of its capacity for reason and courage to believe in individual liberty and the rule of law

I'd say that that ship has sailed. America can now be reasonably seen as the nation that elects gropers and applauds pedophiles.

I do not want the Republican Party to become the party of the child molesters.

The party doesn't seem to mind.
 
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Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Agree with each sentence. However, I fear he will win. If so, the Senate should kick him out, but I suppose they won't. The Senate may initiate an ethics investigation, which will probably have little effect.
We might have to wait for 2020. The writing is so clearly on the wall and yet so many Republicans appear to be ignoring it. Both parties shot themselves in the foot with the candidates for the last election. The Democrats hopefully learned their lesson. The Republicans seem to be intent on shooting off every last toe.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Moore still has a right to a fair trial if he is indicted.

Unless a verdict comes in in the next few weeks, people will have to judge Moore by other criteria, including both the voters in Alabama and the rest of the nation and world looking on in disbelief.



I'd say that that ship has sailed. America can now be reasonably seen as the nation that elects gropers and applauds pedophiles.

What could he be charged with after all of these years? I am pretty sure that everything he has been accused of happened so long ago that it is well past the statute of limitations.
 

Kemosloby

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
By "he," are you referring to Harvey Weinstein, Roy Moore, Donald Trump or someone else? The allegations against these men cannot be characterized as "her word against his," but as "their word against his." And in the case of the allegations against Moore, there is apparently evidence of him writing notes and signing the year books of these high school girls.

You didn't watch the video. They said it wasn't his handwriting. Anybody can forge a note in a yearbook.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Ideally the Republicans will lose to a third party, such as the Libertarians. Or maybe it splits. That would be much more preferable to a one-party system as you still have an opposition to check the power of the governing party. It would be quite an electoral earthquake for that to happen though.

In a democracy/republic, aren't the voters supposed to be the opposition check to bad politicians?
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
You didn't watch the video. They said it wasn't his handwriting. Anybody can forge a note in a yearbook.


I could not forge a convincing note, so there goes that argument. And of course they would deny it. So what? Moore has no credibility left in this issue. Why not get a handwriting expert and compare those signatures to other signatures of Roy's from the same time period? Perhaps they are not forged after all.
 

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
We might have to wait for 2020.
Yes, we might--unless, of course, Mueller finds some really bad stuff, and Democrats win big in 2018 (both of these possibilities are looking plausible at the moment). In any case, it will still be a victory to make the Trump debacle a one-term thing that forever ruins the reputation of the GOP.
 
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