The Rift Widens
Reuters, the NY Times, and Axios are all reporting that 100 prominent Republicans, sick of Trumpism, are threatening to form a new party. In a letter titled “A Call For American Renewal,” which may come out as soon as today, outlines the positions of these Republicans, who are alarmed at the iron grip Trump continues to exert on the once great party. The as yet unnamed Republicans are threatening to start a new party if the GOP does not break with Trump and his lies. Clearly the situation is seen as dire, and the group, said to include prominent figures such as Tom Ridge, is ready to break with the GOP, saying “The Republican Party is broken. It’s time for a resistance of the ‘rationals’ against the ‘radicals.'”
This move, if undertaken, will be a seismic shift from our status quo two party system, and hopefully will restore a loyal opposition and isolate the insurrectionists and screwballs who now control the GOP.
wait, Tom Ridge is still a “prominent figure”?
First question for all of them: Your position on gerrymandering? Second question for all of them: Your position on the so-called “preventing voter fraud” bills being passed all over the country?
Yeah, didn’t think so. See y’all….
1It’s a drop in the bucket but it’s a start at making the repugnantican party a split party. That’s a good thing. Divide and conquer as they say.
2It’s much like the destruction of a star. All the planets that orbit that star can’t help but be effected. A splintered Republican party is not just a problem unto itself. There will be ripple effects as the political landscape grapples with how to move forward. I’m watching with a ton of trepidation. Yes, it looks good for progressives, but looks can be deceiving.
3I’m just waiting for the indictments to drop. Then we’ll see just who the “true believers” really are.
4So does this mean I have to google Tom Ridge since I have absolutely no idea who he is?
5“as yet unnamed Republicans” tells you that these Profiles in Courage lack both courage and leadership abilities. They are frightened silly of T**** and his bonkers acolytes, and want to be able to run back under the rock when this weak-kneed effort fails.
I’ll take it seriously when someone other than out of work Republican politicians actually put skin into the game.
6If ignorance is bliss, that explains why all the thugs are smiling.
7We’ll see who sings the letter tomorrow. Otherwise it will be meaningless. Might be anyway.
8I’ll see their 100 and raise them 124 retired flag officers who put out a letter (which is getting little attention) saying trump is too president and Biden is a commie.
I’ll say one thing for Donnie. He is a terrific sheep/goat separator.
9It’ll depend on where they get their voters. If they can pull enough Republican voters away from the Trumpista crowd, it’ll break some of those gerrymandered districts – maybe enough for Democrats to win.
10@Harry Edgar: Call the retired members up for active duty, charge them with violating their oath to defend and support the Constitution, courts-martial every one of them, and strip these traitors of rank and benefits.
11I hope it happens.
12And since they would be reorganizing & returning the Republican Party to a pre-Trump era, I’m rooting that they name themselves the Rerepublican Party.
I’d love to see the party split and not be able to form a coalition because of constant squabbling. Let their power go down the tubes.
13I’ll believe it when I see it, but if they were able to form a new party, it’s unclear whether their votes would come from Republicans who stayed loyal last year, or the many former Republicans in suburbia who voted Biden last year. If the former predominated, then it could be good news for Dems, and could flip some seemingly impregnable districts and states. If the latter predominated, then Dems would be in deep shit.
14In the’60’s, Nixon invited the DixieKKKrat camel into the Wall Street GOP Big Tent to fight LBJ’s Civil Rights acts. Reagan blew them hugs and kisses. The John Birchers were already in house. Old man Cheney sucked up to our home-grown Fascists. Now, 50 years later the smell of camel stink is driving the old GOP out of the tent into the harsh cold. Tough Beans!!Lay down with camels, wake up with camel fleas and reek.
15Everyone has 2 sides to their talking holes in their head, but cavein mccarthy talks out both sides at the same time. Guess that’s called double speak. He bad mouths Liz cheney for being honest about the big lie out one side at the same time he says no one is saying the election wasn’t won legitimately by Joe Biden (today). I’m not confused but he certainly is. Oh and almost at the same time cheney’s replacement backs up the big lie. And cavein also called Biden corrupt seconds later. Ok, get your stories straight repugnanticans.
16If “they” form a new party, they are going to have a very difficult time getting any of their candidates elected. This is because the Republican party can field any candidate they choose on state ballots as they already have a reserved slot on all state ballots. New parties only get a reserved ballot slot once they have gotten a certain percentage on one or more election cycles. Write-ins almost never get elected. So the New Repubs have an almost insirmountable hurdle to overcome if they want to supplant the GOP candidates.
17Steve from Beaverton says: @8
May 12, 2021 at 1:26 pm
We’ll see who sings the letter tomorrow.
I must say, I’m looking forward to the performance.
early indications are that the letter will be signed by those who have been principle participants in various Never-Trump factions … Mickey Edwards, Mindy Finn, David Jolly, Bill Kristol, Evan McMullin, Charlie Sykes, Miles Taylor, Olivia Troye, . It would not surprise me if there were some of the “former” Republican officeholders — Justin Amash, Jeff Flake, Gary Johnson, Christine Todd Whitman, Joe Walsh. Maybe even Michael Steel, who seems to be present a lot to provide a bit of color in the view.
18Steve @ 16 …
love the neologism Cavein McCarthy.
One article on nicknames includes:
**Anthropologist Anthony P. Cohen argues that, “The hallmark of the apt nickname is that deft touch of nuance, mocking humour, pungent wit, and droll equivocality.” **
Cavein meets all those standards very well. Kudos!!
19Don K:
20Good point I hope it’s the first option, because the second would be a truly revolting turn of events.
OT, but has taxation tie-in:
“Jeff Bezos’s newest toy comes with a price tag of $500 million
Maritime News
Bezos’s superyacht, which likely will cost upwards of $500 million to build and have its own support yacht with a helipad.
When completed, it will be 127 meters (417 feet) long, span several decks and sport three enormous masts, according to the scant information available on the website of its manufacturer and various online bulletin boards of yachting enthusiasts. That will make it one of the largest sailing yachts ever built in the Netherlands, the unofficial capital of boat building for the extremely rich. So far the spokesman for Oceanco, the Dutch yachtmaker responsible for the ship, as usual, declined to comment.”
https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jeff-bezos-s-newest-toy-comes-with-a-price-tag-of-500-million/59420/18
.
21Eat your slimy heart out, Rufous Ratbastard. [Ratbastard went out on a financial limb ~1988, bought hisself a measly used yacht for ~$30M [+$10-20M refit], couldn’t keep up the payments and maintenance on it and sold/repo’ed it for $20M within a couple of years; losing his ass when his whole ‘financial empire’ went tits up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_5KR%5D
Lew @ 17
History offers two alternatives.
In 1856, the dissident factions floating around from Conscience Whigs, abolitionists etc. were cobbled together with the Free Soil Party to form the Republican Party. it was quickly successful..
From about 1893, the failed Progressive Party began to colonize the Democratic Party, dragging along Greenbackers, etc. and over a period of about 15 years captured the platform and apparatus of the Democrats, but did not fundamentally alter its conservatism and racism.
I detect no sentiment so far for a third-party movement (there was more of it in 2016 by the Sandersistas than there is today among the Never-trumpers). But I also see no crevice in the Republican Party apparatus to allow an insurgent group to take over.
22Oh, lordy if they split, maybe Ill vote in the Republican primary for the candidates the democrats can beat. Just like the Republicans used to do to the Texas Democrats.
23Well, the Call has arrived: https://www.acallforamericanrenewal.com/
The Preamble tells the tale: “We, therefore, declare our intent to catalyze an American renewal, and to either reimagine a party dedicated to our founding ideals or else hasten the creation of such an alternative.”
they haven’t even decided if they are going to be significant enough to “reimagine a party” or “hasten the creation” of something else.
Many of the “Founding Signatories” are the same as Standup Republic’s counter-convention during the Republican Convention — and I can’t see much difference to what was being said then. 9 months later, and I don’t know if they are going to campaign for or against Republican candidates, endorse both (some) Republicans and Democrats, or run their own candidates.
24I see very few recognizable names and the majority not. Wonder how many mainstream repugnanticans recognize more. If they impact state repugnantican party organizations is a big unknown, cuz seems like some of the most delusional in the QGOP reside there. Will the movement grow?
25#9 Harry notes this important under-reported story:
“Over 120 retired generals and admirals signed on to a letter falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen in a move other veterans say erodes democratic norms.”
https://twitter.com/LarrySabato/status/1392603273199292426
So, these retired retired generals and admirals are apparently no longer following the pledge they took to uphold the Constitution. Yet they are still colleting their government pensions? Why is that?
Until actions have consequences, assume this type of behavior will continue.
26Not just retired military:
Active duty US Marine Corps officer arrested for alleged role in January 6 insurrection: DOJ – Raw Story
https://www.rawstory.com/active-duty-us-marine-corps-officer-arrested-for-alleged-role-in-january-6-insurrection-doj/
27I keep my browser settings on Nixon-in-1973 paranoia levels, and when I go to the http://www.acallforamericanrenewal.com page it’s blank. That means between ad blocking and script refusals, there is not much there. Actually, it’s a blank page. It does have tons of JavaScript, much of it copied from other web pages.
So I recommend caution before clicking on the link. It could just be laziness – e.g., they have the list of alleged signees alphabetized by first name. But it could also have the usual Republican dark patterns, like tracking and something designed to drain your bank account.
On the plus side, the Treason Weasel’s name does not appear anywhere in the web page.
28The Grift Widens
29There. I fixed that for you.
Those 100 people who kept their mouths shut for the last 4 years simply want the donations to keep rolling in as the orange asshole becomes ever more toxic.