'It's Trump's party now' and U.S. Republicans could pay in November

[webfact]

'It's Trump's party now' and U.S. Republicans could pay in November

By John Whitesides

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) questions U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on President Obama's executive action on immigration as Johnson testifies at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 2, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Mark Sanford is the latest Republican to learn a tough lesson - challenging President Donald Trump can be political suicide.

 

The South Carolina Republican congressman's upset loss on Tuesday to a primary opponent who questioned his commitment to Trump, along with a recent setback for Trump critic Martha Roby in Alabama and the Senate nomination of a controversial anti-establishment Trump supporter in Virginia, reinforced the degree to which loyalty to Trump has become a party litmus test.

 

While fealty to the Republican president may be a requirement to win low-turnout Republican primaries dominated by conservative activists, it could prove a tougher sell against energized anti-Trump Democratic forces in midterm elections this fall.

 

"A lot of Republicans who hid behind Trump's toga in the primary are going to pay a price in November," said veteran Republican consultant Rich Galen, a former aide to ex-U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich.

 

"It's the tyranny of small numbers," Galen added. "In a primary in an off year, a few votes make a difference. But the 35 percent that are Trump voters will represent a small minority in the general election."

 

Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House and two seats in the Senate in the Nov. 6 elections to regain control of those chambers, allowing them to block Trump's agenda and possibly launch investigations or even impeachment of the president.

 

While Trump is popular with Republicans, opinion polls show his general approval hovering in the low 40s percent overall. Many key political battles of the midterms will be fought in swing House districts and big battleground states where loyalty to Trump is not necessarily a badge of honour.

 

"If those are the candidates we are nominating in swing districts - those who are pro-Trump first and foremost - that could cause problems in November," Republican strategist Doug Heye said.

 

Trump's power among Republicans in nominating primaries was evident when Sanford lost just hours after Trump issued a tweet criticizing him and endorsing his opponent.

 

The result is likely to be a cautionary tale for other Republicans considering questioning Trump's personal or policy choices, even when the president strays from long-held party principles on issues like free trade and federal debt.

 

"It's Trump's party now. If you criticise the president, you will face the wrath of the Trump voter," said Republican strategist John Feehery, a former congressional aide.

 

'A CULTISH THING'

Republican Senator Bob Corker, who declined to run for re-election in conservative Tennessee after tangling with Trump, said on Wednesday the party was now in "a strange place," and not a good one.

 

"It’s becoming a cultish thing, isn’t it? And it’s not a good place for any party to end up with a cult-like situation as it relates to a president that happens to be of, purportedly, of the same party," Corker told reporters.

 

Corker, whose efforts to block Trump on tariffs have been rejected by congressional party leaders, is not the only Republican to step aside. Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, a harsh critic of Trump, is retiring at the end of the year.

 

In the House, more than 40 Republicans will not return next year, including Speaker Paul Ryan, with some citing the strain of partisan politics under Trump as a factor.

 

In Alabama last week, Republican U.S. Representative Roby was forced into a runoff by voters angered that she dropped her support for Trump during the 2016 campaign after the "Access Hollywood" video surfaced showing him bragging about assaulting women.

 

On Tuesday, Virginia Republicans rejected the party establishment to nominate pro-Trump Corey Stewart, an immigration hardliner and supporter of Confederate monuments whose aggressive campaign style recalls that of the president. He will challenge Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.

 

While Kaine was already expected to have an easy ride to re-election, Republicans fear Stewart's harsh style could hurt other candidates by association, including endangered incumbent Representative Barbara Comstock, whose suburban Washington district is a top target for Democrats.

 

Comstock got a surprisingly low 61 percent of the vote in her primary against a little-known challenger who attacked her willingness to criticise Trump.

 

A brothel owner who calls himself "the Trump from Pahrump" even won the Republican nomination to the Nevada State Assembly.

But in South Carolina, Republican Governor Henry McMaster, an early Trump supporter, was forced into a runoff later this month with a political novice, businessman John Warren. The governor has faced questions over corruption in state government.

 

Trump's mostly winning touch in Republican primaries has not translated to general elections.

 

He backed Roy Moore for Senate in Alabama and Ed Gillespie in the Virginia governor's race last year, as well as Rick Saccone in a Pennsylvania special House election earlier this year. They all lost.

 

"Trump can flip a congressional primary given his strong support among Republican voters," said Texas-based Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak. "We will see if he can flip U.S. Senate races in red states this fall."

 

(Reporting by John Whitesides,; Additional reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-14

[khwaibah]

2413 more days DJT as POTUS.

[rudi49jr]

1 hour ago, khwaibah said:

2413 more days DJT as POTUS.

Are you sure that's 2413 more days? Because Mueller - and a whole lot of other Americans - might think otherwise. Just saying ...

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, khwaibah said:

2413 more days DJT as POTUS.

 Can't see him running for re-election. more out of personal lifestyle choices. He can "retire" gracefully, anointing a successor, play more golf (if that's possible), then go on to make a huge wad of cash and find wife #4.

 

He's running the GOP like the Dons ran the five families. Anyone who steps out of line gets sent to the Pine Barrens.

[alanrchase]

The dictatorship continues to slowly take shape.

[quandow]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 Can't see him running for re-election.

His YUGE ego won't let him sit out a 2nd term. He's already been campaigning and has set up a re-election fund. As well, unless the Dem's doing some serious restructuring, they are guaranteeing Trump a win in 2020.

Edited June 14, 2018 by quandow
Shorten post

[Tug]

God I hope so I voted for McCain but was and am proud of my countery when Obama’s won,and you know I think McCain would understand my feeling of pride.donald and his ilk on the other hand must be neutered and disposed of before more damage is done!

[spidermike007]

No more than 350 days to wait, until Trump steps down, if all goes well. Mueller is waiting and gathering alot of dirt, on el capo. The kingpin may end up facing jail time, impeachment or resignation as choices. Alot can happen in the next 6 months. More than likely the dems are going to take back control of the house. That is likely. My niece, who is a professor of political science and American history, and is very active within the democratic party, said she has never in her life seen the party more mobilized, and seen more excitement and enthusiasm and participation, among rank and file dems. Trump is bringing them out of the woodwork. Also, more than likely the American people will see that there was no substance behind the summit, and it was mostly for show. When they see that North Korea is not doing anything concrete, and that Trump gave away the store in exchange for that, due to his inability to negotiate a good deal for the US, combined with the penalty Americans will pay for the fractured relationship with our closest allies, which amount to a TAX HIKE on the average American due to the tariffs, enthusiasm may wane greatly. 

 

Trump is all pomp, and no substance. All talk, and no positive or beneficial action. The true definition of an empty suit. A real pussy.

 

 

[spidermike007]

37 minutes ago, quandow said:

His YUGE ego won't let him sit out a 2nd term. He's already been campaigning and has set up a re-election fund. As well, unless the Dem's doing some serious restructuring, they are guaranteeing Trump a win in 2020.

Not gonna happen. I would bet the farm on it. Relax. Tiny Don is going down in flames. Just wait.

[lannarebirth]

1 hour ago, quandow said:

His YUGE ego won't let him sit out a 2nd term. He's already been campaigning and has set up a re-election fund. As well, unless the Dem's doing some serious restructuring, they are guaranteeing Trump a win in 2020.

The thing about those re-election funds is, it can be used for legal expenses.

[Rimmer]

A troll / flame jpg has been removed.

[riclag]

4 hours ago, alanrchase said:

The dictatorship continues to slowly take shape.

 That's nonsense,America's democracy has a  Constitution,it uses a President,not a dictator. It also has a  Congress to implement laws and keep the President in check .

[Dumbastheycome]

6 hours ago, riclag said:

 That's nonsense,America's democracy has a  Constitution,it uses a President,not a dictator. It also has a  Congress to implement laws and keep the President in check .

The  signs  are: the system  is  failing ! Unless  the  checks are  cheques!

[mrwebb8825]

On 6/14/2018 at 8:13 PM, Dumbastheycome said:

The  signs  are: the system  is  failing ! Unless  the  checks are  cheques!

The only thing that's failing is the status quo at the trough. The bottom feeders are deeply entrenched and will take a little more time to be dislodged and removed but it IS happening. The time of Pelosi and Shumer are quickly evaporating. Those that have been at the trough for shorter periods are fleeing from both sides.

Maybe the dems can get Ryan and Warren to run as their 2020 ticket. McCain will be dead by then so it'll be too late for him to change colors even though everybody already knows he's a party traitor.

"The Big Blue Wave" will go back to just being a halfassed movie designed for Bosworth's daughter to follow in her failed father's acting dream.

Guess that kind of makes it a fitting title for the wayward dem party though.

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

The only thing that's failing is the status quo at the trough. The bottom feeders are deeply entrenched and will take a little more time to be dislodged and removed but it IS happening. The time of Pelosi and Shumer are quickly evaporating. Those that have been at the trough for shorter periods are fleeing from both sides.

Maybe the dems can get Ryan and Warren to run as their 2020 ticket. McCain will be dead by then so it'll be too late for him to change colors even though everybody already knows he's a party traitor.

"The Big Blue Wave" will go back to just being a halfassed movie designed for Bosworth's daughter to follow in her failed father's acting dream.

Guess that kind of makes it a fitting title for the wayward dem party though.

Frustrated a little?

[Becker]

49 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

The only thing that's failing is the status quo at the trough. The bottom feeders are deeply entrenched and will take a little more time to be dislodged and removed but it IS happening. The time of Pelosi and Shumer are quickly evaporating. Those that have been at the trough for shorter periods are fleeing from both sides.

Maybe the dems can get Ryan and Warren to run as their 2020 ticket. McCain will be dead by then so it'll be too late for him to change colors even though everybody already knows he's a party traitor.

"The Big Blue Wave" will go back to just being a halfassed movie designed for Bosworth's daughter to follow in her failed father's acting dream.

Guess that kind of makes it a fitting title for the wayward dem party though.

As the man-child is the ultimate swamp dweller bringing along the worst kind of bottom feeders (e.g. Manafort, Cohen) it's hilarious to imagine the reality disconnect needed to post the above drivel.

[FritsSikkink]

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 1:47 PM, riclag said:

 That's nonsense,America's democracy has a  Constitution,it uses a President,not a dictator. It also has a  Congress to implement laws and keep the President in check .

Nobody keeps a check on this idiot so far, could change a lot after November though.

Edited June 17, 2018 by FritsSikkink

[rudi49jr]

11 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

The only thing that's failing is the status quo at the trough. The bottom feeders are deeply entrenched and will take a little more time to be dislodged and removed but it IS happening. The time of Pelosi and Shumer are quickly evaporating. Those that have been at the trough for shorter periods are fleeing from both sides.

Maybe the dems can get Ryan and Warren to run as their 2020 ticket. McCain will be dead by then so it'll be too late for him to change colors even though everybody already knows he's a party traitor.

"The Big Blue Wave" will go back to just being a halfassed movie designed for Bosworth's daughter to follow in her failed father's acting dream.

Guess that kind of makes it a fitting title for the wayward dem party though.

I just wish there were more ‘party traitors’ like McCain in the Republican party, then maybe America wouldn’t be in the terrible state it is in right now. But let’s just wait and see what happens in November, shall we?

Edited June 17, 2018 by rudi49jr

[Opl]

Here is how Trump used claims of ‘fake news’ to create his dangerous cult of fanatics

" Trumpism is far from a benign cult, but rather the most dangerous and destabilizing movement in the world today. “letting the subjective entirely override the objective, [and] people thinking and acting as if opinions and feelings were just as true as facts” as being characteristic of American “magical thinking, anything-goes relativism, and belief in fanciful explanations, small and large fantasies that console or thrill or terrify us.” ”

 

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/trump-used-claims-fake-news-create-dangerous-cult-fanatics/

[sirineou]

On 6/14/2018 at 2:47 AM, riclag said:

 That's nonsense,America's democracy has a  Constitution,it uses a President,not a dictator. It also has a  Congress to implement laws and keep the President in check .

 Wow!! perhaps other countries should get a constitution.

[Opl]

"Trump Is Making Us All Live in His Delusional Reality Show And he is constructing a reality-television show in which he is a World Historical Figure.The bad news is that a vast chunk of the American public wants all this to be true as well.Republican voters have decided that they will follow their leader no matter what he says, and if that means changing their minds on a dime, so be it."

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/06/trump-is-making-us-all-live-in-his-delusional-reality-show.html

[Monomial]

On 6/14/2018 at 10:28 AM, spidermike007 said:

Not gonna happen. I would bet the farm on it. Relax. Tiny Don is going down in flames. Just wait.

 

Never go against a demagogue when a country is deeply divided. It's a sucker's bet.  Trump is extremely skilled at setting the stage in such a way that he will get the majority.

 

Many people are hoping that he will be impeached and convicted. Very unlikely in the current climate. Nobody really has the stomach for that today. It's not a Nixon situation, no matter how much the media might be portraying it like it is. Times have changed, and people's tolerance for corruption is much higher than it once was. The establishment politicians over the last 50 years have made them mostly numb to scandals such as Trump's. They are all crooks and thieves, or so the thinking goes.

 

The only hope of getting rid of Trump is for the Democrats to run someone like Sanders in 2020. If they put an establishment candidate like Hillary up again, you're looking at 4 more years of Trump.  People were angry in 2016. That is why Trump won. People are still angry, and the more the media demonizes the cretin, the more they simply fuel the electorate's hatred of the establishment. The anger has not gone away. If anything, it has grown.

 

The only way anyone like Hillary could ever get elected again is to genuinely fix the problems in the country, and there is no way the elite allow that. I called Trump's victory the last time when most news channels had Hillary up by 10 points. I got ridiculed then too. As for many of those people who are outwardly saying they hate Trump and agreeing with you...that is just so they don't get labeled a Trump supporter. But when the curtains close on the polling booth, they will probably still vote for him, despite what they might be telling you to your face.

That is how much people hate the other candidates.

 

I really wouldn't bet your farm if I were you. You could wind up homeless and hungry.

 

[bristolboy]

45 minutes ago, Monomial said:

 

Never go against a demagogue when a country is deeply divided. It's a sucker's bet.  Trump is extremely skilled at setting the stage in such a way that he will get the majority.

 

Many people are hoping that he will be impeached and convicted. Very unlikely in the current climate. Nobody really has the stomach for that today. It's not a Nixon situation, no matter how much the media might be portraying it like it is. Times have changed, and people's tolerance for corruption is much higher than it once was. The establishment politicians over the last 50 years have made them mostly numb to scandals such as Trump's. They are all crooks and thieves, or so the thinking goes.

 

The only hope of getting rid of Trump is for the Democrats to run someone like Sanders in 2020. If they put an establishment candidate like Hillary up again, you're looking at 4 more years of Trump.  People were angry in 2016. That is why Trump won. People are still angry, and the more the media demonizes the cretin, the more they simply fuel the electorate's hatred of the establishment. The anger has not gone away. If anything, it has grown.

 

The only way anyone like Hillary could ever get elected again is to genuinely fix the problems in the country, and there is no way the elite allow that. I called Trump's victory the last time when most news channels had Hillary up by 10 points. I got ridiculed then too. As for many of those people who are outwardly saying they hate Trump and agreeing with you...that is just so they don't get labeled a Trump supporter. But when the curtains close on the polling booth, they will probably still vote for him, despite what they might be telling you to your face.

That is how much people hate the other candidates.

 

I really wouldn't bet your farm if I were you. You could wind up homeless and hungry.

 

The way you make it sound, Trump won a resounding victory. He didn't. And a lot of the people, particularly women, who voted for him last time, regret it now. So let's not get too carried away with the "people are angry" shtick.

[Basil B]

8 hours ago, Monomial said:

The only way anyone like Hillary could ever get elected again is to genuinely fix the problems in the country,

I think Hilary was the only one with the balls to take on the NRA, as I recall over 50% of Americans are in favour of tougher gun control... could be an election winner.

[Morch]

15 hours ago, Monomial said:

 

Never go against a demagogue when a country is deeply divided. It's a sucker's bet.  Trump is extremely skilled at setting the stage in such a way that he will get the majority.

 

Many people are hoping that he will be impeached and convicted. Very unlikely in the current climate. Nobody really has the stomach for that today. It's not a Nixon situation, no matter how much the media might be portraying it like it is. Times have changed, and people's tolerance for corruption is much higher than it once was. The establishment politicians over the last 50 years have made them mostly numb to scandals such as Trump's. They are all crooks and thieves, or so the thinking goes.

 

The only hope of getting rid of Trump is for the Democrats to run someone like Sanders in 2020. If they put an establishment candidate like Hillary up again, you're looking at 4 more years of Trump.  People were angry in 2016. That is why Trump won. People are still angry, and the more the media demonizes the cretin, the more they simply fuel the electorate's hatred of the establishment. The anger has not gone away. If anything, it has grown.

 

The only way anyone like Hillary could ever get elected again is to genuinely fix the problems in the country, and there is no way the elite allow that. I called Trump's victory the last time when most news channels had Hillary up by 10 points. I got ridiculed then too. As for many of those people who are outwardly saying they hate Trump and agreeing with you...that is just so they don't get labeled a Trump supporter. But when the curtains close on the polling booth, they will probably still vote for him, despite what they might be telling you to your face.

That is how much people hate the other candidates.

 

I really wouldn't bet your farm if I were you. You could wind up homeless and hungry.

 

 

Flawed a candidate as she was, most votes were cast in favor of Clinton. 

While a whole lot can (and probably will) happen until the next elections, a few things to ponder:

 

- Trump's approval ratings remain low.

- Trump's actions and conduct may serve as a reminder that mediocre doesn't equate with bad.

- Bottom line, Trump doesn't actually "change the system" or "drain the swamp".

- The common wisdom says an incumbent president enjoys the advantage at the polls.

- Maybe too early, but doesn't seem like the opposition is actually geared or gearing up for the challenge.

- Never underestimate the penchant for backstabbing and in-party quarrels, regardless of challenge.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Morch

[spidermike007]

8 hours ago, Basil B said:

I think Hilary was the only one with the balls to take on the NRA, as I recall over 50% of Americans are in favour of tougher gun control... could be an election winner.

That may be true. And in my opinion the NRA is a terrorist organization, in that they support so much terror within the US. 

 

But Hillary was one of the worst candidates since Mike Dukakis. She was absolutely tone deaf, and suffered from a poor message, no party platform, a totally dysfunctional democratic party apparatus, severe hatred of her foundation, and the corruption that oozes from every pore of that filthy institution, and some really, really dumb things she said.  

 

Had Wasserman Schultz not been leading the party, that would have been another million votes for Hillary. She was a mafia pig. Had Hillary not made that completely ignorant statement about the deplorables, that would have been two to three million more votes. And had the party not treated Sanders like a pariah, that would have been another three million voters, willing to throw their support her way. That was the election right there. They made so many countless mistakes, it boggled the mind. Plus, there was no real message, Trump kept talking about the difficulties Americans were facing, and Hillary would not go there one iota. Neither would she address terrorism, for fear of offending some Muslims. She did everything wrong, and deserved to lose. As a life long democrat, I could not bring myself to vote for her. What does that say?

 

However, in retrospect, had I known what a complete buffoon Trump would turn out to be, I not only would have voted for her, I would have volunteered some time to promote her. LOL.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2018 by spidermike007

[Monomial]

On 6/19/2018 at 10:01 AM, Morch said:

 

Flawed a candidate as she was, most votes were cast in favor of Clinton. 

While a whole lot can (and probably will) happen until the next elections, a few things to ponder:

 

- Trump's approval ratings remain low.

- Trump's actions and conduct may serve as a reminder that mediocre doesn't equate with bad.

- Bottom line, Trump doesn't actually "change the system" or "drain the swamp".

- The common wisdom says an incumbent president enjoys the advantage at the polls.

- Maybe too early, but doesn't seem like the opposition is actually geared or gearing up for the challenge.

- Never underestimate the penchant for backstabbing and in-party quarrels, regardless of challenge.

 

Let's get one thing straight. Nobody likes Trump. Few of the people who voted for him actually like Trump. Of course they will disapprove of him. The problem is that they hate the establishment even more. Approval ratings are always relative.

 

People keep getting distracted by the wrong thing. It isn't how great a job Trump is doing, it is the failure of those who have held the reins for the last century to recognize their mistakes and accept that they need to change.

 

Trump is a demagogue and a psychopath. He is dangerous. Nobody likes him. He is also going to win unless the media stops trying to demonize him and instead starts focusing on the problems that put him in charge.

 

 

[mtls2005]

On 6/14/2018 at 5:19 AM, webfact said:

'It's Trump's party now' and U.S. Republicans could pay in November

 

Hmmm. Seems like tRump caved to the Republican Congressional members.

 

He signed his Executive Order after getting a few "boos" during his meeting with Repubs. 

 

 

[Monomial]

On 6/18/2018 at 7:12 PM, bristolboy said:

The way you make it sound, Trump won a resounding victory. He didn't. And a lot of the people, particularly women, who voted for him last time, regret it now. So let's not get too carried away with the "people are angry" shtick.

 

I agree people regret it. They had hope that he would be better than he is. Knowing that won't change anything though. Given the same options, they will still vote for him, because Hillary was worse.

 

If you think people aren't angry, go to flyover country and talk to them. They may not like Trump, but he will win by default unless something is done about the rest of Washington.

[lannarebirth]

8 minutes ago, Monomial said:

 

Let's get one thing straight. Nobody likes Trump. Few of the people who voted for him actually like Trump. Of course they will disapprove of him. The problem is that they hate the establishment even more. Approval ratings are always relative.

 

People keep getting distracted by the wrong thing. It isn't how great a job Trump is doing, it is the failure of those who have held the reins for the last century to recognize their mistakes and accept that they need to change.

 

Trump is a demagogue and a psychopath. He is dangerous. Nobody likes him. He is also going to win unless the media stops trying to demonize him and instead starts focusing on the problems that put him in charge.

 

 

 

There it is.