The American Politics Thread

was surprised to read this piece on the right of center The Hill site... but one can see it coming. I sure as hell did though I did lose my office pool thinking this would happen last year, but one figures at some point the rats will leave the sinking ship and much as we have discussed before.. the reason the GOP survived Nixon was they didn't stand behind him. Does the GOP finally turn on Trump and open their eyes to what is generally known.. Trump is dead meat in 2020 and is dragging the party into national irrelevance by alienating key demographic groups. 2018 showed one thing very clearly.. white rural votes are not enough to win. Even wringing a high percentage of them to turn out as they did in 2018, as they are declining as a total percentage is not enough when you are alienating damn near everyone else. At some point they have to turn their backs on Trump and right wing/white identity politics..  and if they don't now..  it may be too late by the time 2024 (or 2028 by my estimation) comes about. 

another great year end article.. but a damning one as it comes from historians.. not those with political axes to grind. 

that is the kind of senseless political hardball that Republicans might play, and part of what has poisoned and paralyzed Capital Hill so completely. However both Chuck and Nancy are responsible politicians who are bipartisan in the way they lead.. I doubt they will play that card.. but will offer money for the wall.. but like any good compromise.. it should leave both sides unhappy. 

Trump and Republicans are going to have ALSO compromise.  I can see the 2013 immigration reform bill killed by conservatives in the House, coming back up and into play with firm commitment of being introduced by McConnell and getting a Senate vote and obviously getting a signature by Trump. I can see a compromise happening but for funds for the wall... the Republicans are going to have eat something just as unpleasant to them as any money for that stupid pointless waste of taxpayers money wall will be for Democrats. That is the way things should work, especially in a divided government.  Curous to see what this end game is going to be but do expect it to be over soon for shortly paychecks will be due for federal workers.. and ummm..  the IRS who have our annual tax season to prepare for. .and with a messy new system they have to work thorough. Already heard the tax filing deadlines are likely to be pushed back because of the shutdown.. it really can't last too much longer.. even with Trump at the head of things.

you are talking of 'Trump voter'  I am talking about Republican Senators who are no fans of Trump and perhaps the last men standing in many cases of the old Republican Party. Sure they have been whistling past the graveyard taking what he has given them and hoping his excesses and mistakes keep to a minimum.

the author raises a good point. .there is likely a breaking point with support in the Senate..  in which yes one could see them voting to remove him.  The interesting part is the House itself and whether or not they would impeach Trump..  I really don't see that happening in most any case.  By the time Mueller drops his bomb on Trump .. we will likely be within a year of the next election cycle.  I think for various reasons.. not the least of which Trump is dead man walking in 2020 and likely to be a major down ballot drag that will flip the Senate and strenthen their majority in the House.. why remove him.  

as far as Nixon.. not as much comparison as lesson from him.  The GOP came back strong and established a decade and a half of national dominance a mere term after Nixon because the GOP at that time were Americans first, and Republicans 2nd and when faced with what Nixon did.. they made clear he was out.  The Republican leaders (in the Senate) face the same choice...  cut ties and try to save the party from the stain of a President who violated the law.. or will party loyalty (and fear of 'Trump voter') keep them supporting him till the end.  Hard to see that they do. .but unless the House impeaches him.. they are sort of tied up in bed with him. The deal with the devil they made.. and that prices will be.. as it always is..a steep cost they and the party will pay.  I do think we are about to see what we saw in 1980.. but on the flip side..a decade and more of Democratic dominance at the National level and a progressive revolution much akin the Reagan revolution which only recently finally petered out.. it influenced our poltics for many decades.. I can see the same coming of the 2020 election.

we shall see.. fascinating times ahead.

I don't get this at all (gawping incredulously).

If national security is the point of all this, how does a prolonged government shutdown help US security in any way at all?

At this point it seems that the USA is ground zero of a pandemic of stupidity sweeping the western world.

You're probably right, I haven't, that's why I'm asking. Because from an outside perspective it just looks so very, very weird.

But if you feel you've got it all under control, that's great. Good to hear it.

Those are just a few stupid things that are ticking through my brain right now.  I come to this site to get away from politics, and I end up here anyway.  But the name Trump just raises my blood pressure, even before he ran for President.

Just a stupendous waste of money when there are so many other important things that need attending to in our country.  And that work.