To defend our democracy against Trump, the GOP must aim for a brokered convention

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  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    By Editorial Board


    DONALD TRUMP’S primary victories Tuesday present the Republican Party with a stark choice. Should leaders unite behind Mr. Trump, who has collected the most delegates but may reach the convention in July without a nominating majority? Or should they do everything they can to deny him the nomination? On a political level, this may be a dilemma. As a moral question, it is straightforward. The mission of any responsible Republican should be to block a Trump nomination and election.

    We do not take this position because we believe Mr. Trump is perilously wrong on the issues, although he is. His proposed tariff on Chinese imports could spark a trade war and global depression. His proposed tax plan would bankrupt the government while enriching his fellow multimillionaires. But policy proposals, however ill-formed and destructive, are not the crux of the danger.

    No, Mr. Trump must be stopped because he presents a threat to American democracy. Mr. Trump resembles other strongmen throughout history who have achieved power by manipulating democratic processes. Their playbook includes a casual embrace of violence; a willingness to wield government powers against personal enemies; contempt for a free press; demonization of anyone who is not white and Christian; intimations of dark conspiracies; and the propagation of sweeping, ugly lies. Mr. Trump has championed torture and the murder of innocent relatives of suspected terrorists. He has flirted with the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists. He has libeled and stereotyped wide swaths of humanity, including Mexicans and Muslims. He considers himself exempt from the norms of democratic contests, such as the release of tax returns, policy papers, lists of advisers and other information that voters have a right to expect.

    Does a respect for democracy require the Republican Party to anoint its leading vote-getter? Hardly. We are not advocating that rules be broken but that they be employed to maximum effect — to force a brokered convention and nominate a conservative candidate who respects the Constitution, or to defeat Mr. Trump in some other way. If Mr. Trump is attracting 40 percent of Republicans, who in turn represent about one-quarter of the country, that is a 10 percent slice of the population — hardly a mantle of legitimacy.

    There are some Americans, Democrats in particular, who are happy to watch the Republican Party self-destruct with Mr. Trump at the helm. We cannot share in their equanimity. For one thing, though Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, would be heavily favored, a Trump defeat is far from sure. For another, the country needs two healthy parties and, ideally, a contest of ideas and ideology — not a slugfest of insults and bigotry. Mr. Trump’s emergence already has done grave damage to American civility at home and prestige abroad. The cost of a Trump nomination would be far higher.

    On Wednesday, Mr. Trump offered what was meant as an argument for his nomination. If he reaches the convention with a lead short of an outright majority, and then fails to win, “I think you’d have riots,” Mr. Trump said. “I think you’d have problems like you’ve never seen before. I think bad things would happen.”

    A democrat disavows violence; a demagogue wields it as a threat. The Republican Party should recognize the difference and act on it before it is too late.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...4399d4-eb9c-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html
     
    SlyPokerDog, Mar 17, 2016
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  2. rasheedfan2005

    rasheedfan2005 Well-Known Member

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    Trump should promise to drop out if hillary drops out first. Nothing could be more patriotic.
     
    rasheedfan2005, Mar 17, 2016
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  3. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    I think republicans shouldn't take advice from the Washington Post or the New York Times. Neither have the country's or the party's best interests at heart.

    Geez.
     
    Denny Crane, Mar 17, 2016
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  4. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    SlyPokerDog, Mar 17, 2016
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  5. santeesioux

    santeesioux Just keep on scrolling by

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    santeesioux, Mar 17, 2016
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  6. VanillaGorilla

    VanillaGorilla Well-Known Member

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    I don't like Hillary at all but I don't see any way he could beat her. She will win the overwhelming majority of female and minority votes.
     
    VanillaGorilla, Mar 17, 2016
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  7. DaLincolnJones

    DaLincolnJones Well-Known Member

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    That article is chock full of horse shit and half truths, and tops it off with an outright lie. I watched Trump on Fox. His comment was not offered as "an argument for his nomination. If he reaches the convention with a lead short of an outright majority, and then fails to win," His was a reply to a question, and I paraphrase "What do you think would happen if you took a near majority into the convention and the GOP tried to bring in someone who had not won any delegates, and handed the nomination to him" The question was a veiled reference to Mit as near as I remember.

    Trumps response was a bit longer than just the quote mined bit, as you can imagine
     
    DaLincolnJones, Mar 17, 2016
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  8. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

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    This sort of thinking pisses me off no end! The idea that the political elite can and should override the majority of the people voting is so damn wrong.

    The arrogant bastards will leave this nation with one left to center organization, and a half dozen others from center to right.

    I can only hope Trump wins it out right and we then screws these self appointed power brokers over big time.

    Actually the voters have been doing their job quite well.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2016
    MarAzul, Mar 17, 2016
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  9. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

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    Kasich has only one road to becoming President, become Vice President first.

    If Trump does not have the votes to win out right on first ballot, then I still don't know what the hell these stop Trump assholes are talking about.
    Trump and Kasich surely will have the votes if they make the deal. Very doubtful any other two could combine and have enough votes.
    Trump could combine with anyone and have the votes, although I can't see him dealing with Rubio, he doesn't need any help with Florida.

    Can't imagine what these stop Trump fools are thinking? Maybe I am exaggerating their activity, calling it thinking.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2016
    MarAzul, Mar 17, 2016
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  10. DaLincolnJones

    DaLincolnJones Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, funny enough, I was just reading an article, seems the self appointed or should I say anointed party wise men are contemplating a third party run if Trump prevails.

    Does their self preservation show yet?
     
    DaLincolnJones, Mar 17, 2016
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  11. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

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    Too damn loud!
     
    MarAzul, Mar 17, 2016
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  12. speeds

    speeds $2.50 highball, $1.50 beer Staff Member Administrator GFX Team

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    That's a dig, right? I know some people have postulated that he's worth a fraction of what he claims.
     
    speeds, Mar 17, 2016
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  13. GrandpaBlaze

    GrandpaBlaze Predictions Game Master

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    Maybe that's true and he is looking to take a page out of the Clinton book and make millions due to the fact of who he is/was.

    Has worked well for the "totally broke leaving the white house" Clintons and their "foundation" which makes them millionaires many times over.

    Cynic? Maybe just a little.
     
    GrandpaBlaze, Mar 17, 2016
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  14. VanillaGorilla

    VanillaGorilla Well-Known Member

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    I really don't pay attention to "the media" at all.

    What makes you think that?
     
    VanillaGorilla, Mar 17, 2016
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  15. VanillaGorilla

    VanillaGorilla Well-Known Member

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    I don't think they all do. I'm pretty confident that most do though.
     
    VanillaGorilla, Mar 17, 2016
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  16. JFizzleRaider

    JFizzleRaider Yeast Lords Global Moderator

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    If that's true, he should be crushed in the ge.
     
    JFizzleRaider, Mar 17, 2016
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  17. oldfisherman

    oldfisherman Unicorn Wrangler

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    According to this article in the OP, the republican leadership believes the way to protect democracy is to take away the voice of the voters? Did I read that right? WOW!

    This faulty thinking will further fuel the belief of the majority that our government is run by a few big special interests only looking out for themselves, and not the voters.

    What this campaign is really about, and what the voters have been saying is our government is now less responsive to the voters than several decades ago. The voters are angry and looking for new leaders that will work for the people, and not for themselves and their financial supporters.

    As wacky and uninformed on the issues as Trump is, he offers to fill this need. He will shift the power of the government away from the old special interest groups. The old republican guard is not protecting democracy by fighting Trump; they are protecting themselves and the power they will lose if Trump wins. And that is why Trump is becoming so popular.

    Many people do not want more socialist programs that results in running up a larger national dept, but that also do not want the special interest groups controlling their future. The people want to have more of a say in our government and our future, which is true democracy. Is anyone in government listening???
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2016
    oldfisherman, Mar 17, 2016
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  18. Further

    Further Guy

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    As someone who wants to see the Republican party damage itself, I really don't know what I would prefer. Assuming Trump doesn't win the pick outright, stick with Trump and alienate a huge swath of republicans who detest Trump and have vowed to never vote for him. Supplant Trump with some other republican and alienate the huge swath of voters that will feel disenfranchised by their votes not counting. Either way, as long as Trump doesn't win the nomination outright, I think the Republican party gets ripped apart.
     
    Further, Mar 17, 2016
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  19. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

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    I am thinking of wishing a kidney stone on you.
     
    MarAzul, Mar 17, 2016
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  20. Stevenson

    Stevenson Old School

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    Man, I feel sorry for you guys. It's OK to disagree, but you can't see the forest for the trees.
     
    Stevenson, Mar 17, 2016
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