Republicans continue to be "stupid party"- even with viable alternatives instead of extremists

Republicans certainly have intelligent candidates, options they can choose from, as their 2016, presidential nominee. Yet, their popularity polls continue to favor the extremists. Donald "Trump the Chump" and Raphael "Ted" aka "Cruz to loose", both extremists, continue to rise to the top  of the Republcian 2016, presidential candiate polls. This is concerning, because neither of the two men are considered to be electable, in a national election. Worse, both Trump and Cruz could even loose so badly as to set the Republcian party's policies backwards, for decades. (Maybe, that's even reason enough to see the two men nominated- ...but, America's smart voters are better and more intelligent than that...)

"Trump the Chump" hasn't explained how he can "make American great again...."

Nate Silver says Republicans can do better. Silver is the pollster who compiles statistical data to project election outcome probabilities. Silver asks why Republicans continue to choose Trump and Cruz, as their preferences, when viable alternatives like John Kasich, Jeb (Jeb!) Bush and Chris Christie are reasonable alternatives?

It's a simplistic response, of course, but I continue to refer to Louisiana's immediate past Governor Bobby Jindal's observation, about his GOP analysis. "We've got to stop being the stupid party", he said.  In my opinion....Jindal is right. It's plainly stupid for Republican voters to continue supporting Donald Trump and Raphael "Ted" Cruz, when neither one are considered electable in a national election.

Nate Silver, one of the nation's top polling analysts, says real-estate magnate Donald Trump "the Chump" is unlikely to win the Republican presidential nomination.

Nate Silver, the founder and editor-in-chief of the data-journalism website FiveThirtyEight, told an audience at an event in New York that he didn't think Trump would be the nominee, because he wasn't conservative enough. (Certainly, Trump is "stupid" enough because his first major endorsement was from Sarah Palin.)

"I don't think Donald Trump is very likely to win the nomination, in part because he's not really a Republican," Silver told journalist Mo Rocca at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.

"He's very far to the right on immigration, but he also wants socialized medicine," Silver said. "He wants to tax the rich, right? There's an alternate reality in which he decided to run as a Democrat instead — he wouldn't have to change his policy positions all that much."

Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination, leading in both national polls and polls of key early-nominating states including Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

But Silver, who was heralded for correctly predicting which candidate would win every state in the 2012 presidential election, isn't quite clear on how or when Trump's demise will occur.

Trump has managed to outlast predictions regarding his campaign's viability from some pundits and pollsters — including Silver, who claimed that Trump's favorability ratings were too low — and numerous controversies stemming from his statements about women, immigrants, and more.

Silver said that at this stage, polls wouldn't yield much accurate predictive information, a claim some political observers have cited as reason not to take Trump's poll numbers too seriously.

"People haven't given [the candidates] more than two seconds' worth of attention ... Calm down — it's not a tennis match, where you're going back and forth all the time," Silver said. "Keep calm."
Silver cited recent history as proof that candidates in September didn't typically hold up: Hillary Clinton was leading the Democratic primary race in September 2007, but she went on to lose to then-Sen. Barack Obama. And Republican Rick Perry, then the governor of Texas, was dominating polls at this stage in 2011.
Silver also predicted that if Trump's support did not erode, the Republican Party establishment — which remains vehemently opposed to Trump — could still work overtime to make changes to the primary rules that would make it difficult for Trump to compete.

"The nomination party isn't purely democratic — it's also party's process to bestow," he said. "The fact that the Republican Party establishment hates Donald Trump isn't a very good thing — the party has to give you the nomination."

There's already some evidence that party officials have taken steps to attempt to box out Trump.

Before Trump declared last week that he would not run as an independent if he lost the Republican nomination, party officials in states including South Carolina were already making plans to allow candidates into the primary only if they pledged not to pursue an independent campaign.

And The New York Times reported earlier this week that conservative fund-raisers and advocacy groups were quietly exploring different strategies to undermine Trump.

For his part, Trump said last week upon signing the Republican National Committee's "pledge" against running as an independent that he felt as if he had been treated "with respect" by the RNC.

"It is my great honor to pledge my total support and loyalty to the Republican Party and the conservative principles for which it stands.  This is far and away the best way to secure victory against the Democrats in November 2016," said Trump.
"I'm leading in all local and national polls — my whole life has been about winning, and this is what must be done in order to win the election and, most importantly, to make America great again!"

(Trump "the Chump" thinks this concept of "greatness" is somehow correlated with anti-immigration.)

So, to "Dear Donald 'Trump the Chump'"- Listen up! America is already great! Moreover, our nation became "great" because of our patriotism supported by ambitious immigrants and their decades of support for growing our economy, protecting national security, and the ingenuity they have for protecting democratic-humanitarian values.

Donald Trump attracts thousands of followers to his campaign rallies, reminiscent of "beerhall speeches", once held during the days of nationalistic Germany. Those who cheer Trump are blinded by his clarion calls to "make America great again". Trump's eerie message is a scary throwback to pre- World War II Germany's dangerous nationalism.

Americans are smart people, but Republicans are creating a political brand easily to label as "the stupid party". There's no need of stupdity, when viable, conservative, and "winnable" alternative candidates are working hard to educate Republicans about how their political vision might win intelligent votes.

Donald Trump is dangerous: Stop this insane campaign

"Addressing Trump’s controversial past statements about women, Baker writes, 'Houston, we have a problem'.”- The Washington Post reports quote from Ward Baker, NSRC (National Republican Senatorial Committee).

First They Came ...

Republicans better figure out what to do about Donald Trump- and fast. Maine Writer was having lunch with staunch Republicans who are devoutly religious, when I learned there is no support for his candidacy.  

I don't know who among Republicans are keeping Donald Trump's poll numbers ahead of the GOP line up, but it isn't the Christian community.

My friends are harbingers of how the Christian community perceives his candidacy. If Donald Trump is the Republican presidential nominee, based on my friends response to his potential candidacy, it will literally tank the entire GOP.  

What can the GOP do in the face of the Trumponian lunatic candidate? Obviously, Donald Trump the Chump's candidacy is a classic example of "what goes aroudn come around". Republicans have spewed right wing rhetoric for so long that they've created a bona fide ideological monster.

Unbelievably, the incendiary presidential campaign of Donald Trump the Chump is calling for a moratirium of all Muslims in America and, therefore, the entire world.

It's impossible to understand how Americans, who've been the beacons of liberty for the world, have somehow become victimized by the Islamic fear, and paranoia spewed by Donald Trump and echoed by many "stupid party" Republican colleagues.

Americans must remember the terrible lessons learned from the experience of Nazi Germany:

First They Came..for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

"First they came ..." is a famous statement and provocative poem written by Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and the subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Many variations and adaptations in the spirit of the original have been published in the English language. It deals with themes of persecution, guilt and responsibility.

Yet, rather than stand up to Trumponianism, the Republicans are now trying to adopt his caustic style.

Article by Robert Costa and Philip Rucker report in The Washington Post

Donald Trump is now such a force in the Republican Party that the official overseeing next year’s Senate races has proposed a delicate strategy for GOP candidates: Tap into Trumpism without mimicking Trump.

In a seven-page confidential memo that imagines Trump as the party’s presidential nominee, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee urges candidates to adopt many of Trump’s tactics, issues and approaches — right down to adjusting the way they dress and how they use Twitter.

In the memo on “the Trump phenomenon,” NRSC Executive Director Ward Baker said Republicans should embrace Trump’s tough talk about China and “grab onto the best elements of [his] anti-Washington populist agenda.” Above all, they should appeal to voters as genuine and beyond the influence of special interests.

“Trump has risen because voters see him as authentic, independent, direct, firm, — and believe he can’t be bought,” Baker writes. “These are the same character traits our candidates should be advancing in 2016. That’s Trump lesson #1.”

Baker’s memo, titled “Observations on Donald Trump and 2016,” amounts to a clear-eyed approach to the Trump challenge, to which many Republican elites have responded with only hand-wringing and the vague hope that somehow, someday it will disappear. In fact, the memo posits that Trump could build a powerful enough coalition to win the general election. Regardless of how far Trump’s candidacy ultimately goes, the memo is evidence of the effect he has had on his party.

Still, Baker sees limits to being like Trump. He writes that it is prudent for Senate candidates to craft their own political brands distinct from Trump’s and to distance themselves by quickly condemning his more controversial comments, such as “wacky things about women.” He cautions candidates against “piling on” Trump, however, warning that Republicans up and down the ballot would suffer if the GOP vote was divided or depressed.

Implied in the memo is an understanding that the national party would back Trump if he secured the nomination — managing his candidacy rather than disowning him as the standard-bearer.

The memo was dated Sept. 22 and addressed to NRSC senior staff members, but it since has been shared more widely and has become the subject of considerable discussion at the highest levels of the party in recent weeks as Trump continues to lead polls in early-voting states and nationally.

The document was shared with The Washington Post by a high-ranking Republican who did so on the condition of anonymity because it was not intended to be made public. Its authenticity was confirmed by a second top GOP official.

Trump is not the only candidate who has attracted Baker’s attention. The NRSC confirmed Wednesday that it has similar strategy memos about the possible nominations of other presidential candidates.

In a statement, NRSC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said, “It would be malpractice for the Senatorial committee not to prepare our candidates for every possible Republican and Democrat nominee and election scenario.”

Baker begins his memo by foreshadowing Trump accepting the party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention in July in Cleveland. He draws a historical comparison to Wendell Willkie, a businessman and political outsider who won the GOP nomination in 1940, but lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who secured his third term.

Baker writes that Republicans must “understand the changing environment and recalibrate now.” For instance, he writes, “Trump is saying that the Emperor has no clothes and he challenges our politically correct times. Our candidates shouldn’t miss this point.”

(Maine Writer- Seems like Baker would rather see Republicans become ideological followers rather than inspirational leaders.)

Baker explains how Trump has connected with voters, especially when it comes to trade with China and immigration. “Trump will continue to advance those messages, but you don’t have to go along with his more extreme positioning,” Baker writes. “Instead, you should stake out turf in the same issue zone and offer your own ideas.”

Addressing Trump’s controversial past statements about women, Baker writes, “Houston, we have a problem.”

“Candidates shouldn’t go near this ground other than to say that your wife or daughter is offended by what Trump said,” Baker adds. “We do not want to re-engage the ‘war on women’ fight.”

Although some of Baker’s recommendations are unique to the current environment, many are standard tactics employed in campaigns past, such as show­casing “citizen narrators” or talking about “basic solutions” to policy problems to make candidates appear as accessible as Trump. This shows the conundrum the GOP is in: In grappling with Trump, it does not have many new tools at its disposal.

Time and again, Baker frames a future with Trump atop the ticket as an intense high-wire act for other Republicans. He calls Trump “a misguided missile” and says he “is subject to farcical fits.” With grim candor, Baker writes that he foresees a campaign year in which candidates repeatedly will have to fend off questions from reporters about the businessman’s comments and behavior.

“It is certain that all GOP candidates will be tied in some way to our nominee,but we need not be tied to him so closely that we have to engage in permanent cleanup or distancing maneuvers,” Baker writes, adding, “Don’t get drawn into every Trump statement and every Trump dust-up.”

Republicans, who hold a slim majority in the Senate, will be defending 24 seats next year, including in presidential battleground states where Democrats are mounting strong challenges. The most endangered GOP incumbents include Sens. Patrick J. Toomey (Pa.), Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.).

The task of protecting the majority has fallen to Baker, a retired Marine and Tennessee native. He was credited with many successes from the 2014 Senate campaigns and is close to such establishment fixtures as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

For months, veteran Republicans have been increasingly alarmed about the possibility of a Trump nomination. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who is up for reelection in 2016, acknowledged the anxiety Wednesday.

“Of course I worry. All of us have to worry about the viability of the top of the ticket,” McCain told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.

McCain made an analogy to Barry Goldwater, a fellow Arizona senator who rallied the conservative grass roots to win the 1964 GOP nomination but lost in a landslide to Lyndon B. Johnson. 

“I think obviously we all know in history that when you have a weak top of the ticket, that has significant impact,” McCain said.
In his memo, Baker says Republicans should understand that Trump is riding a “reformist wave” sweeping the party’s ranks. It is partly ideological, he writes, but also driven by personality and aesthetics. He suggests that Senate incumbents and challengers should cast themselves as reformers.

Envisioning potential advertisements, Baker writes, “Feature candidates working on an old engine and note how sometimes you have to do a complete overhaul to get things working. Consider featuring a candidate in a field ripping up a rotten tree stump so the field can be cleared and planting can be done.”

Baker encourages campaigns to “up the vibe and change the look.”

“Voters are on to you when you do the standard walk and talk through a business, school, or factory,” he writes. He adds that candidates should “lose the suit and visit people in their homes and places of work.”

Baker also takes cues from Trump’s prolific use of social media to drive his message. “Promote tweets that push reforms or condemn Washington’s dysfunction,” he writes.

He warns against being distracted by Trump. “The Trump show may be going on, but back home our families are in a fight for their livelihoods,” he writes. “Always bring the campaign back home to real people and their daily struggle.”

Baker concludes the memo with a section titled, “Covering the Trump Bet,” which seems to throw cold water on the conventional wisdom that Trump will eventually fade.

“Trump has been gaining Democrat adherents and he’s solidifying GOP cohorts who feel they’ve been totally ignored by the Washington Ruling Class,” Baker writes. “If the environment aligns properly, Trump could win. It’s not a bet most would place now, but it could happen.”

Republicans should stop ringing their hands about Donald Trump and his Trumponian bigotry against anybody who he doesn't happen to like.  Moreover, Americans must wake up from this political nightmare and demand for the Grand Old Party to replace Trump the Chump, with a presidential worthy candidate.  

Buffet Says "stupid" to Describe Holding Back the US Dept Ceiling:

I remember when a person who called someone "stupid" and "dumb" was wrong enough to justify a reprimand. Sometimes, however, calling a "spade a spade" is the only way to get the attention of voters. So here's the problem. Elected officials in Congress are using the debt ceiling to blackmail President Obama to unfund health care reform passed in "Obamacare".

They are stupid.  

President Obama can't succumb to blackmail about Obamacare, because it's a law. That's all there is to it.

Instead, we must vote our stupid and dumb Republican politicians in the US Congress out of office, because they're behaving like selfish children who can't get their way. 

In other words, a minority of right wing extremists don't want Obamacare, aka health care reform, so they're holding their breath in a tantrum, threatening to block an increase in the US debt ceiling, until they get their way. The problem is, of course, these childish and obstructionist Republicans are turning blue waiting to get their way. Unfortunately, they're stupidly intent on bringing down US government operations, rather than behave like adults and do the work for which they're elected. Their work is to lift the US debt ceiling and to keep the government operating.  

Republicans need to do their jobs and stop obstructing government. If these obstructionist Republicans worked in the private sector, they'd be summarily fired for incompetence.

Nonetheless, apparently, Congressional Republicans are immune to the degrading "stupid" label. Not only are they holding up the debt ceiling as a threat, but some are even engaged in political blackmail. These stupid politicians are using the debt ceiling as leverage to unfund the implementation of Obamacare, aka health care reform.  

These Republican politicians are beyond stupid. They're breaking the law, two times. Obamacare is a law and can't be held hostage to prevent a rise in the debt ceiling. Blackmail is also against the law. 

Being called "stupid" must be the world's most insulting accusation. After all, nearly everyone believes they're smart at what they do, so being called stupid is an insult to the human condition. To be called "dumb" is even worse."Dumb" is a slur, because it suggests a person is incapable of ever becoming smart or being "unstupid".  

Unfortunately, Republican are either deaf to these insults or they are "stupid is as stupid does". I suspect all of the above. 

Now, finance guru Warren Buffett joins the choral ensemble, along with Governor Jindal of Louisiana, who are resorting to appropriate name calling of the minority of dumb politicans who are creating a "dumb and dumber" label for Republicans. 

Governor Jindal of Louisiana warned Republicans, over a year ago, to stop being the "stupid" party.

Nevertheless, the dumb Repubilcans in Congress are holding back the lifting of the United States debt ceiling.  

Reuters reports, in fact, that billionaire Buffett says it's dumb of the Congress not to lift the debt ceiling, in anticipation of yet another fiscal crises, hanging like a grim reaper, over the American government's daunting budget.  

Billionaire Warren Buffett said that Congressional politicians not lifting the U.S. debt ceiling would be "pretty damn dumb" and viewed a prolonged political standoff on the issue as "disturbing."

Dumb Congress

It seems to me, the Republican "dumb" and "stupid" labels are sticking. Yet, they don't seem to care. These stupid and dumb people in Congress are harming middle class economic security by holding up President Obama's American Jobs Act. Furthermore, they're resorting to blackmail about Obamacare, using this law to leverage a vote about raising the US debt ceiling.  

This threatening behavior should be unconstitutional! 

Our US Congress has a responsibility to protect our national security including the economy. This means, passing the Jobs Act, to fix the infrastructure of the US transportation and other concrete infrastructures.

Moreover, Congress has a moral and ethical responsibility to keep the government operating.

Congressional Republicans are acting dumb and stupid. They're irresponsibly using blackmail about Obamacare and obstructionist tactics to hold our economy hostage. They're like spoiled children, while they screech in a tantrum, including a series of wasteful votes to unfund Obamacare.  

Our health care system needs the payment reforms included in Obamacare. Those who oppose the Obamacare law are probably financially secure, so they don't likely need the benefits. Yet, to unfund Obamacare isn't fair to those who need the coverage.

Completely lacking in this stupid cycle is political leadership by House Speaker John Boehner. Rather than behaving like a House Speaker, Boehner looks more like the stupid ring leader of the dumb GOP members of Congress.

Tragically, Republicans don't seem to mind the "dumb" and "stupid" labels. Sadly, Republican indifference to ignorance is the most tragic label of all. They con't care about Americans who need an operational government, so long as they get their right wing way.

Dumb and stupid Congressional Republicans, with their ring leader John Boehner, are hurting America's economy. In so doing, they're eroding the fiscal security of our nation's middle class.

 

Middle class voters realize how a dysfunctional government that can't pay it's bills, because the debt ceiling is frozen, is bad for our economic security. Soon, voters will show the stupid and dumb Republicans how a smart electorate can vote these obstructionist idiots out of office. 

Meanwhile, Republicans must listen to the smart opinions of middle class people who are struggling to maintain economic security. 

We need to employ smart politicians in Congress, officials who will care and nurture our nation. 

America must rid our government of dumb and stupid politicians in the Republican Party. Dangerous right wing Republican politicians appear to be the dumb and stupid puppets of an even dumber extremist minority. They need to disappear and let the real Republican Party lead the nation's conservatives.

Right wing extremists who support a dumb government might find an island off the coast of the uninhabited Easter Island, where they can worship the icons created by another stupid bunch of people who created an obsession with rock formations, eons ago.  

Stupid politicians are better off leading rock formations, rather than allowing them to put our nation into a regressive cycle of dumb and dumber regressive economics.