Where do Republicans go from here?

[writingprof]

I side with McConnell in any Trump-McConnell showdown. Cocaine Mitch is the most important conservative politician of his time.

[ciao_yall]

I'll just leave this here.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/16/trump-attacks-mcconnell-in-fiery-statement-469150

Yeah, and he made fun of Ted Cruz' wife. Now they are besties.

[Anselm]

'Away' would be nice.

Then the United States will have only a single national-level political party.  A one-party system is not good for democracy in the long term.

A wise old friend of foreign extraction and less prone to American biases pointed out to me the futility of those who place their hopes upon getting their own party to control government.  Even with one party in charge they would split into a left wing and a right wing.   I am reminded of the Chicago city council in the 1980's with the battles between Mayor Washington and Alderman Vrdolyak.  There you had one single party with a huge divide.   

[spork]

It looks like Ted Cruz has gone to Cancun.

[Langue_doc]

He is reportedly coming back because of the backlash.

[mahagonny]

Sure the optics are bad, and Ted would be exactly the person to not think of that. But is it really different from taking a bath then sleeping in your own bed with your cat when there are the homeless?

[Parasaurolophus]

Sure the optics are bad, and Ted would be exactly the person to not think of that. But is it really different from taking a bath then sleeping in your own bed with your cat when there are the homeless?

When you take a bath and sleep with your cat you aren't helping to spread a deadly disease.

[dismalist]

Sure the optics are bad, and Ted would be exactly the person to not think of that. But is it really different from taking a bath then sleeping in your own bed with your cat when there are the homeless?

When you take a bath and sleep with your cat you aren't helping to spread a deadly disease.

Aah, no, Ted was wearing a mask!

[mahagonny]

Here's an answer to my question: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/ted-cruz-no-hypocrite/618060/

And to the question 'where do republicans go from here' I would answer 'not where Ted goes.' Although there should be ways to promote less government regulation, republicans would need someone who isn't tone-deaf to do it.

Ronald Reagan's dislike for federal bureaucracy (mentioned in the linked article) was kind of like Donald Trump's dislike for political correctness. It was an over-the-top dislike, but it was still something to vote for rather than to vote democratic, because what the democrats were up to was even worse, and you could understand where the dislike came from even if you weren't that over the top with it.

[Langue_doc]

Headline in today's Post https://nypost.com/: "That's cold, man". Cruz apparently left his dog behind in his freezing house. His wife was texting friends recommending that they leave Houston for warmer climes.

The Post, a conservative paper has been having fun with this story. I can only read the headlines as the stories themselves are behind a paywall. I think you get to read six free articles a month.

[writingprof]

Sure the optics are bad, and Ted would be exactly the person to not think of that. But is it really different from taking a bath then sleeping in your own bed with your cat when there are the homeless?

When you take a bath and sleep with your cat you aren't helping to spread a deadly disease.

One of us has got the story wrong. It may be me, since I'm not really following it. But I'm pretty certain that he's being criticized for leaving Texas during a crisis, not for spreading COVID.

[mahagonny]

Headline in today's Post https://nypost.com/: "That's cold, man". Cruz apparently left his dog behind in his freezing house. His wife was texting friends recommending that they leave Houston for warmer climes.

The Post, a conservative paper has been having fun with this story. I can only read the headlines as the stories themselves are behind a paywall. I think you get to read six free articles a month.

Mitt Romney wouldn't approve. A kind hearted person would have strapped the dog on top of the car, then driven to the vacation destination. hee hee
Cruz blames the trip on his daughters, proving that no gaffe causes so much damage that you can't add another one to compound it. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ted-cruz-cancun-texas-storm-b1804308.html
Reminds me of the university president who explained away his lavish salary by explaining it wasn't for him, it was for his family.
on edit: but the Atlantic article makes sense to me. The mistake would be not that he wouldn't have helped if he could, but more he didn't imagine that he could.

When you take a bath and sleep with your cat you aren't helping to spread a deadly disease.

One of us has got the story wrong. It may be me, since I'm not really following it. But I'm pretty certain that he's being criticized for leaving Texas during a crisis, not for spreading COVID.
[/quote]

spreading republican cooties

[clean]

"Flying Ted" is leading them to Cancun!! 

[mahagonny]

I hope in 2024 the republicans run a black man or woman. There is energy out there. Of course the democrats can call him or her an Uncle Tom, but arguing against that starts with the powerful sight of a free black person with conservative ideas. So then debate between a black conservative and the democrat would be more compelling. The democrats would then have to say the party of racism is led by a black. And that would ultimately make it harder for the democratic establishment to corral large numbers of black votes through the victimization narrative and bunch of silly government 'remedies.'

[lightning]

I hope in 2024 the republicans run a black man or woman. There is energy out there. Of course the democrats can call him or her an Uncle Tom, but arguing against that starts with the powerful sight of a free black person with conservative ideas. So then debate between a black conservative and the democrat would be more compelling. The democrats would then have to say the party of racism is led by a black. And that would ultimately make it harder for the democratic establishment to corral large numbers of black votes through the victimization narrative and bunch of silly government 'remedies.'

Dream on. I, too, would like to see Republicans nominate an African-American, but that's never going to happen for the Republican nominee for president.

The stunt that you describe is already done on the local level and regional level, in places where a Republican has little chance of winning under any circumstance. Kim Klacik is one good example. Republicans had NO CHANCE of winning the Maryland congressional district that includes Baltimore. So, Kim Klacik ran a campaign as an African-American woman representing the Republican party. Even though she had NO CHANCE of winning her congressional district, it gave Republicans everywhere exactly what you describe. She was paraded at the convention and given a spotlight by the RNC, as proof that Republicans are not racist. Although she had no relevance in the congressional election where she ran, she was used as a tool to woo African-American votes for the contests outside of her congressional district, in larger national contests like the presidency and more competitive congressional districts in other states. Even more importantly, she was a comforting symbol to white Republican voters, as she could be used as proof that Republicans are not racist, and that casting a vote for a Republican was not part of a referendum on race.

Smart move, if you ask me.

The presidency, however, dream on. That will never happen, because the presidency is the ultimate symbol of power, and the far right Republican base, who now controls the Republican party, will never accept an African American president.