All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[The Cool Thatguy]

He was running against the guy.

Was he really? Because his comments about Trump were rather mild, at absolute best

[Tami]

He was running against the guy.



He hadn't qualified for the November 8 debate, so that would be an additional reason.

Maybe the ones running the debates should just come out a say "In order to qualify for the debate, your last name needs to be Trump." It's pretty much heading in that direction.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Maybe the ones running the debates should just come out a say "In order to qualify for the debate, your last name needs to be Trump." It's pretty much heading in that direction.

"You must be named Trump or willing to kiss his ass."

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Wonder if he's going to be smart enough to finally turn on Trump.

Probably not.

Of course not. At the end of the day, Pence is as unfailingly loyal to Caramel Caligula as everyone else in the GQP.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Given how extreme the right has turned, are people like Pence going to be the new moderates?

[Tami]

Given how extreme the right has turned, are people like Pence going to be the new moderates?

If they are the new moderates, this country is swinging too far to the right. Current moderates are unlikely to be associated with them.

[JCAll]

Got an alert that Mike Pence suspended his campaign for president. He either ran out of money, or read the writing on the wall (i.e., poll numbers) that said he had zero chance of winning.

Probably filled his pockets with all the money on the way out the door.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

If they are the new moderates, this country is swinging too far to the right. Current moderates are unlikely to be associated with them.

But, they voted for Mike Johnson who’s clearly a nutbag Trumper, though a quiet one. So, just how moderate are they really?

[The Cool Thatguy]

Probably filled his pockets with all the money on the way out the door.

As popular as he was, I imagine it was just dimes and nickles.

[Tami]

But, they voted for Mike Johnson who’s clearly a nutbag Trumper, though a quiet one. So, just how moderate are they really?

That's the point.....none of them didn't vote for MAGA Mike. Which makes them all MAGA. They may have been moderate in the past but they can't call themselves moderate now.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

That's the point.....none of them didn't vote for MAGA Mike. Which makes them all MAGA. They may have been moderate in the past but they can't call themselves moderate now.

Agreed. In my opinion, ALL Republicans, including so-called moderates are MAGA. If they don’t condemn Trump’s Big Lie, that means they condone it. No shades of gray whatsoever.

[aja_christopher]

A moderate Republican can, by definition, still be to the right of 60 percent of the country.

Views like homosexuality being a sin or abortion not being allowed are common enough in the country that it's not far-right.

Being against something is one thing -- not allowing it in a nation that is based on freedom and democracy is another thing entirely.

You are falsely equating the left and the right and ignoring the fact that Republicans support policies that directly contradict the separation of church and state.



And that their intent is to enforce these policies nationwide regardless of what the vast majority of Americans actually want.

Deflection and dodging questions -- seems to be a running theme in the Republican party.

Say what you will about Sanders -- he will stand and clearly state his views rather than being dishonest about his motives and goals.

Republicans can't do that because they know the public does not agree with many of their policies -- such as no abortion even in cases of rape.

And it should go without saying that leading the charge of election denial for Trump is not a "moderate" position at all.

[aja_christopher]

Given the relative success of Rumsfield and Cheney and the abandonment of Powell and Ryan it could be argued that modern Republicans have never been moderate.

They have moderate options but they veer towards the extremes with Gingrinch and Limbaugh and Fox being catalysts and Trump and DeSantis being the results.

As can be seen the Moderate Republican likes to lie about Democratic positions on things such as Abortion while defending the views of Moderate Republicans. AKA I don't think any significant percentage is advocating that people have third trimester abortions unless the mother's life is at risk. That sort of lie is something Trump might say along with "They're Killing Babies!"

Repeated intentional misrepresentation is one of the primary reasons many of these arguments can't be taken as being in good faith.

If someone doesn't respect another's position enough to represent it fairly then it's obvious they don't really care about said viewpoint.

[aja_christopher]

Moderate Republican policies.

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"US Judge Orders New Congressional Map in Georgia, Citing Harm to Black Voters"

A federal judge on Thursday ordered Georgia lawmakers to draw a new congressional map for the 2024 election, ruling that the current Republican-backed plan illegally diluted Black votes in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

U.S. District Steve Jones gave legislators until Dec. 8 to enact a new map that includes an additional district with a Black majority or near-majority, which would likely flip a Republican seat to Democrats.

Republicans won nine of the state's 14 U.S. House of Representative districts in the 2022 elections, which took place under the map that Jones invalidated.

The litigation is among several redistricting cases across the U.S. that could help determine which party takes control of the House in next year's congressional elections. Democrats need to add only five seats nationally to wrest back the House majority they lost in 2022...."

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...rs-2023-10-26/

[Powerboy]

As well he shouldn't. The Middle East has been a bottomless quagmire of hate, bloodshed and violence going back to the Last Supper, and things are no better today, if anything, the mess over there is worse now. While offering material support to Israel is one thing, and I'm okay with that, but getting any further involved in their war with Hamas than that is a non-starter, and the last thing we need is to find ourselves sinking in said quagmire.

Oh, I didn't mean Biden should get us directly involved, just urge a ceasefire.