Internal Republican Conflicts

[CitizenZero]

The Republican Health Care Failure has revealed internal divisions in the Republican Party. The Republicans nominally control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and yet they could not even bring a "Health Care Bill" up for a vote.

The Republicans are divided amongst themselves. The divisions in Congress are between the Tea Party/Freedom Caucus Right-Wingers and more Moderate Center-Right Republicans. The White House faction is an incoherent mix of Alt-Right amateurs and confused "populists".

The failed Republican Health Care bill was "dead on arrival" because it wasn't conservative enough for the radical Right Freedom Caucus, and because it was too conservative for Moderate Republicans who are at risk in the next election cycles. The Bill also failed because the People in the White House are by and large a bunch of amateurs who understand little to nothing about governing and how the American System of Government works.

Some questions I have for DUers: How can we capitalize on these fault-lines and divisions in the Republican Party? Should we encourage Republican Moderates and Center Right types to run a Primary against Trump for 2020? Would a Primary run by Kasich (or someone like him) against Trump be in our interests? Would it weaken Trump, or even defeat him at the Primary stage? Would we not prefer a more conventional opponent like Kasich over the unhinged incompetent Trump?

I am curious to know the views of folks here on DU about these issues.

[rzemanfl]

1. If Drumpf is still around in 2020 I will either be in an institution or dead. We are at two months

and a few days into 48 freaking months. This farce cannot continue.

[CitizenZero]

20. Yes, It Is Difficult

It will be difficult in any case. If Trump gets impeached or indicted, then we will go through the national trauma of an impeachment and removal of a sitting President. Hopefully, in a case like that, Trump would resign like Nixon, but I am not confident that Trump would do that. Maybe.

The only other option right now is a political war of attrition. It is an endurance test, like a war. We must dig in and fight Trump and his Regime at every level and at every opportunity. Hopefully the Republican Party will remain fragmented internally and we can capitalize on that.

The failure of the Ryan Health Care Bill is frankly a great start. We need to fight every day for outcomes like that, and propose positive policies designed to help the average American, not strip away their rights.

The battle continues. Impeach, Oppose, Resist.

[Cary]

2. Democrats must vote Democratic

Period. End of story.

I could not care less what happens to Republicans.

[CitizenZero]

3. Not Suggesting That

I am not suggesting that Democrats vote other than as Democrats. I am asking if the internal conflicts we are seeing in the Republican Party are useful in some way to us.

Would we would like to see more moderate Republicans like Kasich run a Primary against Trump? Would we rather be dealing with more conventional Republicans, or be dealing with more alt-Right types and the Tea Party/Freedom Caucus extremists? Are these divisions in the Republcian Party useful to us in any way?

[pangaia]

4. What do you think about it?

[CitizenZero]

7. My Thoughts

I would like to see Kasich or someone like him run in the Republican Presidential Primary against Trump for 2020. I do not much like Kasich and other "moderate" center right Republicans, but they are a much more desirable opponent than Trump and his Gang. I really think that Trump is unhinged and dangerous in a way that previous Republicans are not and have not been.

So, Trump is dangerous and unpredictable, whereas more conventional Republicans are not as much so. I would still oppose the more "moderate" Republicans, but I think I would sleep better with Trump and his crack-pot Team out of power. I am hoping for Democratic victories in 2018 and 2020, but I would prefer to run against saner Republican opponents rather than Trumpian madmen and his alt-Right Gang.

[pangaia]

12. Kasich is a shit and smarter than trumper...

They are all sick fucks, every last one of them, each in his own way...

In a way we're maybe lucky it was Trumper and not someone who can APPEAR to be sane while killing off humanity.

[CitizenZero]

15. My Preference

I want a Democrat in power. But, I would rather have a sane and stable opponent in the White House than Trump and his alt-right cronies. Trump is an unmitigated disaster. I would like someone to Primary him in 2020 and then lose to the Democratic Candidate.

[pangaia]

18. I doubt he will be around that long

[CitizenZero]

19. I Have My Doubts Also

I think one way of undermining the Trump Regime is to oppose him wherever and however we can. One way of doing that might be by sowing dissension in the Republican Party. If Trump survives four years, one way for him to be stopped (or at least injured) is to hope that other Republicans will run against him in a Primary. Talking about that now helps to undermine his legitimacy in the present day.

Anyway, if Trump is ousted in some other way (impeachment), it would be chaotic and traumatic. But the present Administration is already chaotic and traumatic. So, who would succeed Trump in office? If Pence is not included in impeachment, we would have him in place of Trump. The whole thing is a mess. The closest situation like this in history is Nixon and Watergate. Maybe we could get Trump to resign at some point like Nixon.

[Cary]

21. Amazing.

What is wrong with our species?

[tblue37]

10. Kasich has already nixed a 2020 run. nt

[CitizenZero]

11. Kasich

I just saw a video clip of him on CNN today. He denies that he will run, but it is not a strong denial. He is not going to say "never". Anyway, I think Kasich would never announce so early. He is promoting a book and doing other stuff, like visiting Europe and NATO at John McCain's request.

I think that Kasich will continue positioning himself and we will see what develops in 2018 and 2020. If I were a gambler, I would say there is a 50/50 chance Kasich will eventually run. If Trump continues to flame out but does not get indicted or impeached, there will be a strong demand for a stable, conventional Republican to replace him, I think.

Kasich is then at the top of the list for someone to Primary Trump. Of course Kasich would not admit that he might run at such an early stage. Trump is a sitting President in Kasich's own Party. Of course Kasich will not admit that he might run at this stage.

[pangaia]

13. You seem to be the only one who actually took the time to read the invisible link...

I have no idea what that means..it just popped up and is so weird I left it.

Are u on the Kasich payroll?

[CitizenZero]

14. What Link Are Referring To?

I did not see a link.

As far as my loyalties, I am a Sanders supporter who voted for Clinton.

I would rather have moderate Republicans as our opponents than Trump and alt-Right types.

I think saying something like "are u on the Kasich payroll" is unfair. I am just trying to have a real conversation about our Republican opponents. We need to know our enemy.

[pangaia]

17. You missed the joke about the link and the payroll :)))

It was the auto fill that put in that line about a link.. no idea what that is about...


😎

[CitizenZero]

16. CNN Clip

Is this what you were looking for?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/26/politics/john-kasich-2020/

[J_William_Ryan]

5. The reprehensible right

"..it was too conservative for Moderate Republicans who are at risk in the next election cycles."

Pity moderate Republicans didn't oppose the failed measure because it would harm millions of Americans.

[CitizenZero]

8. Medicaid Expansion

I have heard that some of the Moderates were opposed to the Ryan Health Care Bill because they (the Moderates) wanted to maintain the Medicaid Expansions in their districts.

In other words, the Moderates did not want to lose some of the benefits that their constituents were getting from Obamacare, specifically Medicaid Expansion.

They were covering their own backs, because their constituents are in favor of the expanded benefits. Once a so-called "entitlement" is established, it is politically difficult to roll it back if it is popular with voters.

[J_William_Ryan]

6. The failure of the measure

didn’t so much reveal internal divisions in the Republican Party, rather, it confirmed that those divisions still exist – the same divisions that compelled Boehner to resign as Speaker, and the same divisions that existed when the omnibus spending legislation was passed in December of 2015, leading to the rise of Trump.

[CitizenZero]

9. Right

You are correct, but I thought that Ryan was put in the Speakership by the same elements that forced Boehner to resign. You would think that Ryan would be able to put a bill together that the Freedom Caucus would vote for, since they helped put Ryan in power.

I am glad that these Republicans are fractured. They seem to be incompetent at the law-making process, which is good for us, I think. I am glad for the Republican divisions.

That said, my feeling is that I would rather see more Moderate Republicans in charge over these Freedom Caucus people. I would rather have a saner opposition Party of Moderates than one that is more radical right-wing. Just my two-cents.