Sen. Jeff Flake saying the GOP is 'toast' if it's the party of Trump and Moore

[leekohler2]

Jeff Flake is part of the establishment, the same establishment that Trump went to war with in his campaign, and which the voters want neutered.

Is that why Trump has such a high approval rating?

[Ravens Fan]

Is that why Trump has such a high approval rating?

I don't pay attention to polls, If I did, I would think Hillary was going to win in a landslide.

Back to the topic though, do you deny that he ran as an anti-establishment candidate? Do you deny that Flake is part of the establishment? Can you refute my points without distracting from my comments?

[Mini Me]

The majority of Republicans in Congress refuse, for the most part, to bow to Trump's whims and wishes...which infuriates and frustrates Trump, which upsets those who've been sucked into his personality cult and believe he can do no wrong.

As for Trump's chances in 2020, that date may be portentous, in that it may well mark the year many Americans regain their eyesight and good sense and nominate someone - pretty much anyone but Trump - to represent the Republican Party in the general election. Trump's true colors and cluelessness have been on full display for some time now, and if he actually manages to remain in office for the next three years it's doubtful that he's going to get any smarter or more effectual; even most Republicans will be more than ready to replace him with an actual adult man or woman.

I predict that someone will be annoited to stand in for Trump, and take over the decision making for him. A proxy, if you will.
I think that Trump doesn't like the job, and deep down realizes he is not fit for the office. And would gladly support such a deal.He'd rather be golfing, and pulling off hotel deals and such.

[Chris]

The party of Trump and Moore vs the party of Clinton and Franken, yea, wonder who's going to win that one.

[Standing Wolf]

That was the speech where he told the NFL players off. And appropriately so. I remember thinking 'yeah, finally someone with the balls to say it..' Get em, Donald John.

A very large part of Trump's appeal for many is his willingness to say things publicly that they have long wanted to say, themselves, or say with a louder voice - whether it was disparaging Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug-dealers, or commenting on some relatively trivial event like the NFL protests (which were confined to only a couple of players until Trump shot his Tweet off and made it a much bigger story). Trump's appeal is similar to why we love certain comic actors, like Groucho Marx and W.C. Fields; their characters always tell the truth as they see it, regardless of circumstances or consequences. Ditto Al Bundy and Homer Simpson - they have neither the intelligence or the filter to keep their mouths shut about things they know nothing about.

President Obama unwisely made public comments - in response to questions from the media, it is worth noting - about a few police matters that turned out to be other than how he seemed to view them at the time; I called him out about that at the time, as did many other of his supporters. Trump does that kind of thing on some subject several times a week. It is glaringly obvious that Trump fails to comprehend the essential difference, in terms of what is expected and necessary in the way of public behavior and pronouncements, between being a corporate CEO, the host of a reality t.v. show, and the President of the United States. The line between the real world and the realm of entertainment and make-believe just gets fuzzier and fuzzier.

[nic34]

The GOP is going to get mangled in the midterms but its not going to be trumps fault. Its going to be a dysfunctional cant agree on anything republican congress, that have $#@!bags, like flake, corker, and mcain in it.

If you were really an Eisenhower Republican you'd want more like that in Congress to help "drain the swamp"...

[Standing Wolf]

TPF forum....Standing Wolf is the Bush, Romney, Establishment Republican voice here. He truly believes...that a Marco Rubio and his cool boots....or a Ted Cruz....or a Jeb Bush.....or a John Kasich....or a John McCain would have won this last election. That one of those candidates would have leapt that blue wall, that a Florida or Ohio or Iowa or a North Carolina would have voted GOP if not for Trump. He truly believes the turnout, the GOP morale, the numbers in the rural areas of our nation would have been the same without a Donald Trump. Standing Wolf can be summarized by two words recently in the state of Virginia. Ed Gillespie.

It's apparent that you've discovered how much easier it is to "win" in a discussion when you're permitted (or presume) to argue both sides of it.

I don't know whether to call your post, quoted above, a lie or simply a childish Straw Man. It's a bit of both, I think. Whatever...

No, in actual fact, I'm not convinced that any of the five individuals you mentioned could have beaten Hilary Clinton, as none of them could have possibly drawn in and captured the imagination of many of the demographics that Trump's candidacy was able to. Cruz might actually have garnered a bit more of the fundamentalist Christian Right vote than Trump did, but not nearly as much of the xenophobe, racist and alt-right vote. Many good, well-intentioned folks voted for Trump, and I have never said otherwise - but, ultimately, they were not the ones who pushed his Electoral College total over the top.

[Newpublius]

A very large part of Trump's appeal for many is his willingness to say things publicly that they have long wanted to say, themselves, or say with a louder voice - whether it was disparaging Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug-dealers, or commenting on some relatively trivial event like the NFL protests (which were confined to only a couple of players until Trump shot his Tweet off and made it a much bigger story). Trump's appeal is similar to why we love certain comic actors, like Groucho Marx and W.C. Fields; their characters always tell the truth as they see it, regardless of circumstances or consequences. Ditto Al Bundy and Homer Simpson - they have neither the intelligence or the filter to keep their mouths shut about things they know nothing about.

President Obama unwisely made public comments - in response to questions from the media, it is worth noting - about a few police matters that turned out to be other than how he seemed to view them at the time; I called him out about that at the time, as did many other of his supporters. Trump does that kind of thing on some subject several times a week. It is glaringly obvious that Trump fails to comprehend the essential difference, in terms of what is expected and necessary in the way of public behavior and pronouncements, between being a corporate CEO, the host of a reality t.v. show, and the President of the United States. The line between the real world and the realm of entertainment and make-believe just gets fuzzier and fuzzier.

Trump is the ultimate $#@! you vote. Not much more to it really. So when Bush, Corker, Flake do their thing and no question they have every right to do their thing, but it shows a lack of insight into their own shortcomings.

Why wasn't a vote for 'Jeb' a 'no brainer'?

From my point of view why shouldn't I infer intent from the results? Shouldn't I?

Did I see the Republicans bring about a smaller limited government?

I'm pretty sure, I didn't see that happen. In fact, I think I saw government grow, a complete lack of fiscal responsibility and the beginning of what is turning into a perpetual state of war.

Can't blame Trump for ANY of that, because after all he wasn't in the government. Turns out he was building useful things -- like buildings.

Hmmm

[Standing Wolf]

TPF forum....Standing Wolf is the Bush, Romney, Establishment Republican voice here.

P.S. I haven't been registered as a Republican since Gerald Ford was in office, and I haven't voted for the Republican candidate in a Presidential election since 1984.

[Mini Me]

If you were really an Eisenhower Republican you'd want more like that in Congress to help "drain the swamp"...

Flake and Corker are such a rarity in the GOP nowadays; they have a conscience!