tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post2471519710267781369..comments2024-03-29T09:23:53.797-05:00Comments on The Signal Watch: This Moment in History: Trump is Basically the Bad Guy from "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo", Except Worse, and Trying to be PresidentThe Leaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-42563681999313834472016-10-25T23:13:17.087-05:002016-10-25T23:13:17.087-05:00Hey @jake - For a very, very long time I've be...Hey @jake - For a very, very long time I've been wondering where the GOP was headed. I consider most of the conservatives I'm friends with to be very reasonable people but with different priorities or convictions. But I can't account for the people who look and sound nothing like them who wind up in office (the top three elected officials in Texas are each more bonkers than the next, with 2 of 3 of them also possibly criminally corrupt).<br /><br />But for going on 18 years or so, in the Red states, the only qualification for getting elected was "I'm more conservative than that guy" paired with holding any actual political experience up as a flaw. Meaning, if they had ever held office and been able to work across the aisle, they were seen as a traitor rather than "effective". I kept wondering: where will this end? And I am unsure that the split occurring in the Republican party is anywhere near the end of the trend. <br /><br />I am unsure what will become of the GOP in the wake of this election and while I am hoping we don't get Trump, I assume nothing til they call the election, and even then I don't know what he and his true believers will actually do if things don't wind up in his favor. I'm really nervous about what comes after the election, from a messy election night and following lawsuits to domestic terrorism. <br /><br />At work we use the Simpsons term "cris-a-tunity". And I think, for both parties, this is that. This isn't as bad as it can get, but it sure as hell is a canary in the coal mine. <br /><br />Both parties can consider how this occurred and work to address it immediately. And it's not going to be easy, because the stuff that IS easy is how we got here. And the GOP has the extra hurdle of deciding whether it wants to try to reintegrate, purge the Trump-types or rebrand under a new name. <br /><br />It's very depressing. <br /><br />But I don't think you're alone, and I think if the right people get together and really analyze how we got here and - most importantly - honestly face up to what they have done and said to get to this point, then strive to not play to those baser instincts, provide a vision of a future rather than clinging to some imaginary time when America was great, not bunkering when they feel anxiety but seek solutions - and, man, address the fact that America is, in fact, leaving it's own behind and creating massive class divides even as it's driven wedges into the racial divide - there's a chance for a much stronger party that actually should claim the mantle of Lincoln again. The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-14864609567859919272016-10-25T17:29:58.743-05:002016-10-25T17:29:58.743-05:00@Jake Shore this current election for you reminds ...@Jake Shore this current election for you reminds me of a Canadian Election where the conservative party was absolutely slaughtered at the polls going from a majority government with 156 seats to 2 seats. That caused the conservatives to split into two separate parties one of which was the more extreme (cough, racist) party. The two remained apart for the next 10 years never making their way back to power. This Trumping of the GOP may have long lasting affects on the American political landscape.Simon MacDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14749383583517044214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-11180557305324863542016-10-25T16:47:15.757-05:002016-10-25T16:47:15.757-05:00Trump is going to get blown out on November 8, jus...Trump is going to get blown out on November 8, just as I and others said he would if we nominated him. The question is, then what? Does the Republican Party split? I don't see any reconciliation between people who share my point view and those hardcore populists who make up the bulk of Trump's supporters. It's amazing to think we began with the deepest, most qualified and promising group of GOP candidates ever (unlike 2012). I believe any of them would have beaten Hillary Clinton easily. But we nominated the only public person more unlikable than her. Now, they (Rubio, Cruz, Bush, Christie, etc.) look weak and compromised. All because of Trump; not only because of the degraded rhetoric which poisoned the primary process, but the awkward politicking the other candidates were forced to do in order to appease a divided GOP electorate. We could have nominated Rubio, for example, and completely re-cast the image of the Republican party, while winning the White House and finally having able to pass legislation. Instead, we look like a home to white nationalists. On November 9, my party will be in ruins. The GOP's only hope will be a rejection and purging of Trumpism. If not, my days as a Republican are numbered.Jake Shorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00124378230594689452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-85303360744228434222016-10-25T16:46:52.015-05:002016-10-25T16:46:52.015-05:00I meant to comment sooner but there are so many th...I meant to comment sooner but there are so many things I want to say, I just had to wait until I could keep at least somewhat concise.<br /><br />I generally agree with your analysis, although for reasons I will explain I don't see the choice to be as clear as you do. But I bear no ill will against anyone who votes for what they believe to be the lesser of two evils. We are faced with a horrible choice. But I am a little nauseated by people who elevate and cheer-lead either of these two candidates.<br /><br />I guess I'll start with a mea culpa of sorts to establish from the outset where I'm coming from:<br /><br />I am depressed, disheartened and despairing of this election and our politics in general. I am ashamed of my party for nominating this ignorant, vulgar, narcissistic clown as our nominee. As a conservative, there is not a single issue or position on which I agree or trust him, mostly because his opinions are captive to the moment, dependent upon its current value to him. But until this election cycle, Trump has taken liberal positions on most issues, particularly the ones I care about. I don't take him or his campaign seriously; I think this is all about his obsession with attention and celebrity. He is an opportunistic fraud who has stoked and exploited the worst fears and prejudices for his own gain.<br /><br />This election season has forced me to face some hard truths about my side of the political aisle. For one, the Republican party is far less conservative than I though it was. The issues and ideas which have defined our party since Lincoln have been jettisoned and subordinated to a personality; a strong man in order to stick it to the "establishment" or to win. I am especially disheartened and ashamed that so many of my fellow Christians have abandoned their values to support a man who values most resemble Caligula. The same messiah complex that afflicted many on the left for Obama has manifested in some Christian circles; those who believe him to be some kind of modern-day Cyrus, a just pagan king sent by God to help restore His people (Yes, it's that crazy and speaks to the depths people will go to reconcile their politics and their faith. Sadly, politics triumphed). In doing so, they have completely forfeited the right of our side to oppose policies or politicians on the basis conservative social values or character. Well done.<br /><br />The other ugly truth is the ugliness within my party. I have never been one to deny that racism exists, but after 2008 I really though we had progressed much further. I've always known there is a xenophobic, if not racist element on the right, particularly with respect to immigration. but the seedy underbelly of racism and anti-semitism that has suddenly been exposed has been disorienting. I've been shocked by the hatred directed at anyone who opposes Trump, with much if not most directed toward conservatives who refuse to bend a knee. The emergence of the so-called Alt-Right has been disturbing. If you want a short summary of the movement, look here: http://www.dailywire.com/news/9441/actual-conservatives-guide-alt-right-8-things-you-michael-knowles#<br /><br />Jake Shorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00124378230594689452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-6418684585257691212016-10-11T10:22:32.908-05:002016-10-11T10:22:32.908-05:00@simon -
Short version: we've done a stella...@simon - <br /><br />Short version: we've done a stellar job of hiding our angry, drunk uncles from the rest of the world for a long time, but they're out there now and they've found their guy<br /><br />Long version: There are a lot of forces at work in this election, and Trump and Clinton are more symbols or symptoms of a lot of what's been going on in the U.S. for generations, somewhat out of the line of sight of visitors or how we present ourselves on the international stage. While I work in a University and I live in Austin, I'm aware I live within a bubble within a bubble of Texas. It's not something you're supposed to talk about, but growing up here, even in the well-to-do 'burbs, I saw no small amount of racism, through overt action, policy and that weird suburban white enclave racism that's probably the most common in the US, where the folks have no idea what they're doing or saying is absolutely racist/ anti-immigrant/ and the culture can be more "traditional" when it comes to expected gender roles. And they're really tired of being told "hey, when you say that... that's racist". It's why they're burned out on Political Correctness.<br /><br />There are a lot of Americans for whom Trump is speaking and speaking plainly. They're terrified of terrorists (but not easy access to guns), uncomfortable with immigrants, and they want to feel safe. Likely they know Trump is coarse, but he's reflecting a lot of the dissatisfaction and seeming wheedling of American politicians who they see as not putting the boot on the throat of anyone they find threatening. Trump is offering solutions, and those solutions won't impact folks who look and sound like me. But they will impact lots of other people, and it's that leap of sympathy or empathy where we're falling down. I suspect it has something to do with America's belief that "everything I do, I do by myself", which is kind of The Big Lie of America, and allows us to turn a blind eye to some very obvious problems so long as they aren't impacting us (in the moment). <br /><br />What's most interesting has been the complete abandonment of the Evangelicals in the U.S. in this election, who seem to be voting for Trump either out of habit or hypocrisy. It's hard to know. What I do know is that the Thanksgiving Table bigots are having their day, and I can't believe that anyone, anywhere, takes Trump seriously. It's bizarre to watch.The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-2368470311414288392016-10-11T08:25:15.940-05:002016-10-11T08:25:15.940-05:00@Ryan as a Canadian I believe I'm prohibited f...@Ryan as a Canadian I believe I'm prohibited from influencing the American election under the rule of law. What I can say as an outsider of your current election cycle; as someone who has visited, talked to locals in the Netherlands, Germany and Spain this year we are all shocked that this is even a thing. The correct choice is abundantly clear. Without getting into specifics, I think your post was very well said.Simon MacDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14749383583517044214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-72970731752880012772016-10-11T00:28:54.715-05:002016-10-11T00:28:54.715-05:00Very well said. Very well said. Dughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04129590794154507955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-72058725689175226012016-10-10T08:46:15.658-05:002016-10-10T08:46:15.658-05:00
Well said!
Dad<br />Well said!<br /><br />DadRickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07279397707079916536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-14532706717361902452016-10-10T07:55:00.482-05:002016-10-10T07:55:00.482-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334865373173505274noreply@blogger.com