The majority of FP readers seem to be either totally disillusioned liberals or lifelong conservatives. The comments overwhelmingly focus on the insanity of modern progressives, while the writers try to straddle the line. I think this is most apparent in the TGIF column, where Nellie or Suzy will make the majority of stories about Democratic hypocricy/hysteria, but then end most such stories with some kind of "cute" joke about it, and then the comments jump down the authors' throats for not condemning Leftist hysteria enough while ignoring whatever stories mention the most recent Republican idiocy.
Meanwhile, conservatives continue to support Trump in disturbingly high numbers. We know who Trump is. We know he is unfit. He stands little to no chance of again winning the presidency in an election that should be a shoo-in. Yet seemingly the majority of conservatives still support him and not only that, refuse to consider anyone else.
I fall in line with the thinking of most FP readers/commenters, and I have expressed my admiration for the writers as well as my frustration that they all seemingly continue to refuse to consider voting Republican. But as long as Trump exists as the face of the party, I ultimately can't blame them.
Want disenchanted liberals to finally vote Republican for once in their lives? Want the writers of FP to finally stop straddling the line and come out fully against the modern Democratic party/progressive cult? Then cast out the Orange Man. As long as he is around, 100% of the 50% of this country who don't vote Republican never will. If it's Desantis in 2024, maybe only 10% of them finally wake up and "switch sides", but that 10% would be enough, and it's a 10% that sure as hell ain't switching as long as Trump is around, and I can't blame them.
When Trump announced for President the first time I thought he got in to throw the election to Clinton. He wasn't really a Republican and was wholly unqualified for the job. I wondered who, west of the Hudson would vote for this a-hole? But as soon as he was polling ahead of Jeb the other 16 candidates had to get out of the race to have any chance to stop Trump. That said his performance as President was extraordinary given that the establishment Republicans who would normally slit someone's throat to get a cabinet job wouldn't step up and the Dems, Media, Tech and the Deep state conspired to take him down. Amazing performance really. But his time is over and of course his ego and hubris will not allow a graceful exit. His sophomoric behavior towards challengers grates. His hardcore supporters will find that they are in the minority. Every Republican I know wants him to bow out. We love Nikki and Tim here in SC. DeSantis is a a very strong and highly qualified candidate. The Dems are screwed with either Joey or Kamala. Trump is the only candidate who could screw the pooch or at least grab 'em by the...Take a powder Don.
Trump will lose. People are tired of both he and Biden’s divisiveness and hateful speech. Give me Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, candidates who’s egos aren’t bigger than the job.
Isn't the sad spectacle of a diaper wearing imbecile making a joke of America enough to warn that 80 year old's should not be leading a modern nation? Trump was fine and did great service to our country. But he will be in his 80s if he were to be re-elected. In the world we now live in, it is dangerous and reckless to have a leader that old. I am in my early 70s and still working. But I know I don't have the vigor and energy I had in my 50s or even early 60s. That's just life. Time to elect young and vibrant leaders. Our Senate should not be a geriatric nursing home. Our presidency should not be in the hands of a angry, demented clown. Stop voting for these relics. Please.
I find most people on the Left and in the center (like this site) don't really understand why Trump still resonates with so many people. They really don't get it. They see the version of Trump the media sold. Not the real guy, not the guy MAGA sees. To understand you have to understand them. And most people -- sadly, especially this wonderful site -- do not. That's because the divide in this country is not left or right but rich, educated and working class, non-educated. To be educated in this country is not unlike it was back during the Civil War -- you get a ticket to a certain kind of American life. They educate you in a certain way to be a certain kind of person.
But if you do not attend universities, if you aren't part of that experience, you're going to see life in a different way. Plenty of educated people support Trump, of course, but when I look at the tapes of January 6th I see people who have been completely abandoned by American culture on nearly every level.
I didn't understand the Trump phenom so I spent much of 2020 heading into the election watching all of his rallies, all five a day. I have spent about two years fully immersed in Trump world and I think I understand it pretty well by now. What I find is that almost everyone else doesn't - from heterodox writers like Bari, or Blocked and Reported. Two people get it: Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi, I'll add Russell Brand to the mix. But that's pretty much it.
Candidates like Glenn Youngkin and Vivek Ramaswamy understand both worlds. But the Never Trumpers -- forget it. You'll get nowhere.
As far as Trump winning - he can only serve one term and that means the whole thing starts over again. That would be great for Democrats. They could blow out their boomer class and find new leadership. But it would be terrible for Republicans. They'd be better off with someone who can run two terms. If Trump is the nominee, he should pick someone who is the number 2 - like DeSantis (neither of them would agree to this) or Youngkin. Anyone who can hold the office for another term. Otherwise, it's a vanity run for him and a major loss for his supporters.
Whispering that you want someone else simply means you have to grow the courage to grow a movement. That is supposedly how all of this works. Just don't make your argument about Trump the cartoon. Make it about the real Trump and you'll do much better.
I left the GOP when Trump was nominated for the Presidency, and I have never regretted it. Do I support Biden? No, and why should I? I am a classical conservative but also one who realizes that in order to have an effective national government, there has to be negotiation and compromise, give-and-take, to make this vast and diverse country work. Eisenhower knew it; Nixon knew it; Ronald Reagan showed how it could work for everyone; and the Bushes knew it too. Trump didn't/doesn't have a clue. It's his way or the highway. Well, I for one wish him a happy trip in his retirement.
It will be very interesting to see these current preferences play out as more candidates announce. Personally, as a lifelong Democrat who first voted Republican (yes, the Donald) in 2020 and just switched party in 2022, I am hoping for a tow of "Trumpism without Trump" to strengthen. I agree with one of the protagonists of the piece that the party needs to move on, now that DJT has set this new direction. My very personal opinion is that a reversion to past Republican ideas and ideals as represented by the likes of Nikki Haley is a) not desirable and b) would lead to masses of defections from the Populist center to -right. If faced with the choice between a traditional Republican and a Populist Dem like Ro Khanna, my vote would still be up for grabs.
Overall Trump did a good job as President. Especially considering everything he had to deal with. But he has too much baggage, much of it his own doing. We'll see how things fall out and learn more about other candidates as time goes on but right now Desantis is looking pretty good to me.
The majority of FP readers seem to be either totally disillusioned liberals or lifelong conservatives. The comments overwhelmingly focus on the insanity of modern progressives, while the writers try to straddle the line. I think this is most apparent in the TGIF column, where Nellie or Suzy will make the majority of stories about Democratic hypocricy/hysteria, but then end most such stories with some kind of "cute" joke about it, and then the comments jump down the authors' throats for not condemning Leftist hysteria enough while ignoring whatever stories mention the most recent Republican idiocy.
Meanwhile, conservatives continue to support Trump in disturbingly high numbers. We know who Trump is. We know he is unfit. He stands little to no chance of again winning the presidency in an election that should be a shoo-in. Yet seemingly the majority of conservatives still support him and not only that, refuse to consider anyone else.
I fall in line with the thinking of most FP readers/commenters, and I have expressed my admiration for the writers as well as my frustration that they all seemingly continue to refuse to consider voting Republican. But as long as Trump exists as the face of the party, I ultimately can't blame them.
Want disenchanted liberals to finally vote Republican for once in their lives? Want the writers of FP to finally stop straddling the line and come out fully against the modern Democratic party/progressive cult? Then cast out the Orange Man. As long as he is around, 100% of the 50% of this country who don't vote Republican never will. If it's Desantis in 2024, maybe only 10% of them finally wake up and "switch sides", but that 10% would be enough, and it's a 10% that sure as hell ain't switching as long as Trump is around, and I can't blame them.
Donald Trump is cancer. We can do so much better than him or Biden.
Trump policies without Trump…
DeSantis/Haley ‘24! 🇺🇸
When Trump announced for President the first time I thought he got in to throw the election to Clinton. He wasn't really a Republican and was wholly unqualified for the job. I wondered who, west of the Hudson would vote for this a-hole? But as soon as he was polling ahead of Jeb the other 16 candidates had to get out of the race to have any chance to stop Trump. That said his performance as President was extraordinary given that the establishment Republicans who would normally slit someone's throat to get a cabinet job wouldn't step up and the Dems, Media, Tech and the Deep state conspired to take him down. Amazing performance really. But his time is over and of course his ego and hubris will not allow a graceful exit. His sophomoric behavior towards challengers grates. His hardcore supporters will find that they are in the minority. Every Republican I know wants him to bow out. We love Nikki and Tim here in SC. DeSantis is a a very strong and highly qualified candidate. The Dems are screwed with either Joey or Kamala. Trump is the only candidate who could screw the pooch or at least grab 'em by the...Take a powder Don.
Trump will lose. People are tired of both he and Biden’s divisiveness and hateful speech. Give me Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, candidates who’s egos aren’t bigger than the job.
Come on , America, wake up.
Isn't the sad spectacle of a diaper wearing imbecile making a joke of America enough to warn that 80 year old's should not be leading a modern nation? Trump was fine and did great service to our country. But he will be in his 80s if he were to be re-elected. In the world we now live in, it is dangerous and reckless to have a leader that old. I am in my early 70s and still working. But I know I don't have the vigor and energy I had in my 50s or even early 60s. That's just life. Time to elect young and vibrant leaders. Our Senate should not be a geriatric nursing home. Our presidency should not be in the hands of a angry, demented clown. Stop voting for these relics. Please.
I find most people on the Left and in the center (like this site) don't really understand why Trump still resonates with so many people. They really don't get it. They see the version of Trump the media sold. Not the real guy, not the guy MAGA sees. To understand you have to understand them. And most people -- sadly, especially this wonderful site -- do not. That's because the divide in this country is not left or right but rich, educated and working class, non-educated. To be educated in this country is not unlike it was back during the Civil War -- you get a ticket to a certain kind of American life. They educate you in a certain way to be a certain kind of person.
But if you do not attend universities, if you aren't part of that experience, you're going to see life in a different way. Plenty of educated people support Trump, of course, but when I look at the tapes of January 6th I see people who have been completely abandoned by American culture on nearly every level.
I didn't understand the Trump phenom so I spent much of 2020 heading into the election watching all of his rallies, all five a day. I have spent about two years fully immersed in Trump world and I think I understand it pretty well by now. What I find is that almost everyone else doesn't - from heterodox writers like Bari, or Blocked and Reported. Two people get it: Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi, I'll add Russell Brand to the mix. But that's pretty much it.
Candidates like Glenn Youngkin and Vivek Ramaswamy understand both worlds. But the Never Trumpers -- forget it. You'll get nowhere.
As far as Trump winning - he can only serve one term and that means the whole thing starts over again. That would be great for Democrats. They could blow out their boomer class and find new leadership. But it would be terrible for Republicans. They'd be better off with someone who can run two terms. If Trump is the nominee, he should pick someone who is the number 2 - like DeSantis (neither of them would agree to this) or Youngkin. Anyone who can hold the office for another term. Otherwise, it's a vanity run for him and a major loss for his supporters.
Whispering that you want someone else simply means you have to grow the courage to grow a movement. That is supposedly how all of this works. Just don't make your argument about Trump the cartoon. Make it about the real Trump and you'll do much better.
The stroke guy won in Pennsylvania in 2022 which means to me Biden would beat Trump again. The goal is any nominee but Trump.
I left the GOP when Trump was nominated for the Presidency, and I have never regretted it. Do I support Biden? No, and why should I? I am a classical conservative but also one who realizes that in order to have an effective national government, there has to be negotiation and compromise, give-and-take, to make this vast and diverse country work. Eisenhower knew it; Nixon knew it; Ronald Reagan showed how it could work for everyone; and the Bushes knew it too. Trump didn't/doesn't have a clue. It's his way or the highway. Well, I for one wish him a happy trip in his retirement.
I’d love to see an article about those of us who have migrated towards the center. I’ve been moving right from left for the last 5 years.
If it’s Trump vs Biden again, I’m just going to write in a dead Roman from the early republic. It’ll be less of a waste of my vote.
Vivek 2024.
His platform is spot on. He trumps Trump and is young, smart and articulate.
It will be very interesting to see these current preferences play out as more candidates announce. Personally, as a lifelong Democrat who first voted Republican (yes, the Donald) in 2020 and just switched party in 2022, I am hoping for a tow of "Trumpism without Trump" to strengthen. I agree with one of the protagonists of the piece that the party needs to move on, now that DJT has set this new direction. My very personal opinion is that a reversion to past Republican ideas and ideals as represented by the likes of Nikki Haley is a) not desirable and b) would lead to masses of defections from the Populist center to -right. If faced with the choice between a traditional Republican and a Populist Dem like Ro Khanna, my vote would still be up for grabs.
The Center can save us from both Trump and Biden.
Will they?
Overall Trump did a good job as President. Especially considering everything he had to deal with. But he has too much baggage, much of it his own doing. We'll see how things fall out and learn more about other candidates as time goes on but right now Desantis is looking pretty good to me.
It isn't just young conservatives who want Trump to go away. This retired conservative also wants him to go away.