Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 132 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    Guruforhire:

    Lily Bart:

    Guruforhire:You understand that this is not a 1 turn game right? So after you go down in flames in 2016 in your blaze of toddler like petulance, then what?

    You’re talking to Trump supporters here, right?

    You understand that your ceiling is like 10-15% nationally right? Who, new, is going to vote for this candidate? I mean you need an ever living crap ton of them.

    That’s old school. These are different times.

    No I am talking to you. You aren’t thinking clearly, and haven’t been for a long time. Ricochet and the rest of the NR safe space is warping your view of reality. Its a fun house of crazy around here.

    You have no friends because you have alienated them all. Your practical agenda such as one exists is unpopular and deeply misanthropic. You use words you have no conception of, except as a kind of tribal password. You use poorly thought out and understood concepts as axioms for internet virtue signaling, and smug moral onanism.

    Until that changes, going off to start your own moonbase without even the benefit of blackjack and hookers is the height of foolishness.

    Sorry to yuck your yum, but somebody had to tell you.

    You don’t know me.

    • #31
  2. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    • #32
  3. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Son of Spengler:

    Merina Smith: But you don’t need a whole new party to field a third party candidate who is actually conservative and can give down ballot candidates someone to endorse and many of us someone to vote for. Everyone in the nation will know why such a candidate is running, and many will vote for that person, who I would expect to win a few conservative states that threw the apprentice out on his ear in the primaries.

    Another thought on this. This is basically what we saw in CT in the 2006 Senate race. Ned Lamont, a kooky leftist, beat Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary. Lieberman ran anyway as an independent, and beat both Lamont and the Republican candidate in the general election. He then caucused with the Democrats.

    This was touted as a blow for centrist sanity. But it was short-lived. The state’s Democratic Party primary voters ultimately got what they wanted in Senator Chris Murphy, whose philosophy and positions are indistinguishable from Lamont.

    The problem is the party, not the candidate. Even if a one-time third-party run stops Trump, it will not stop Trumpism’s takeover of the party.

    Lieberman won the general election with approximately 50 percent of the vote; exit polls showed that Lieberman won the vote of 33 percent of Democrats, 54 percent of independents, and 70 percent of Republicans.

    Two problems:

    1. CT democrats were in a dominant position. There were enough of them to split and so few Republicans that even though we had a brilliant candidate he could not win.
    2. Republicans are generally decent thinking people. Democrats are not. There is a reason why the term “yellow dog Democrat” exists. Almost no Democrats will vote for your mythical moderate third party candidate.
    • #33
  4. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    You’re the one that seems to be filled with bile.   Such a personal and ugly attack you just unloaded on me.

    Things have changed. These are different times, indeed.  Old rules don’t really work anymore.

    • #34
  5. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Son of Spengler:

    Merina Smith: But you don’t need a whole new party to field a third party candidate who is actually conservative and can give down ballot candidates someone to endorse and many of us someone to vote for. Everyone in the nation will know why such a candidate is running, and many will vote for that person, who I would expect to win a few conservative states that threw the apprentice out on his ear in the primaries.

    True.

    In that case, the bigger challenge may be finding donors to underwrite such an effort. Rick Perry flamed out early in the primary because he couldn’t get donor support. Walker has a donor network, but after his mismanaged attempt to transition from local candidate to national, donors will be wary. Cruz has shown that even 1-on-1 he can’t beat Trump. Jindal has thrown in his lot with the party. The only power center outside the GOP that might be able to bring in money is the Bush family, but their open support for a candidate will kill that candidate’s chances with the electorate (presuming they would go to bat for a Constitutionalist instead of a squish).

    You make good points, SoS, but I will argue that you don’t reckon with the widespread dismay and embarrassment about being stuck with The Apprentice.  For example, I don’t generally give money to political candidates.  I have occasionally, but not very often, but I’d be all over giving to this candidate no matter who it is because I am so disgusted with what has happened and so dislike Trump.  I think there are a lot of people who feel that way.  And there would be quite a lot of free publicity just for the novelty of the fight with he whose name I speak as little as possible.

    • #35
  6. Owen Findy Inactive
    Owen Findy
    @OwenFindy

    I haven’t read every comment, on every article, in the last couple/few days concerning a suggestion for a third party, but I have yet to read one that suggests we all move to the Libertarian Party.

    I’m sure there must be a good reason, but what is it?  Aren’t most of us who are fed up and thinking of jumping ship roughly close enough to libertarian to make common cause with them?  Wouldn’t that give us a better chance over the long haul than forming yet another party?

    • #36
  7. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Guru et al;

    Is it really that odd or unacceptable that we think the US Constitution is the greatest politically document in the history of mankind? And that, if so, we crave a government that is true to its founding document and the principles found therein?

    The only strong dislike I get for my politics is on Ricochet (I don’t belong to Facebook). Even my highly-placed Democrat friends and I cordially agree to disagree when it comes to politics.

    Bullying #nevertrumpers is not a winning move if your goal is to win people over. Though I sense the real goal is to gloat; I still do not understand why anyone would want to.

    • #37
  8. Ball Diamond Ball Member
    Ball Diamond Ball
    @BallDiamondBall

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily, as your attack was indistibguishable from a personal attack.  I’m willing to accept that you meant “you” in the plural rather than singular, but that’s not the way it read in context.  I recommend editing the comment to make it clear.

    I’ve disagreed with Lily, but she’s always been civil, so a group condemnation which reads like a personal attack is a disservice.

    • #38
  9. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    Lily Bart:s because you have alienated them all. Your practical agenda such as one exists is unpopular and deeply misanthropic. You use words you have no conception of, except as a kind of tribal password. You use poorly thought out and understood concepts as axioms for internet virtue signaling, and smug moral onanism. Nobody, not already within your faction, is going to come and join your new club, because they have all met you and deeply dislike you.

    Until that changes, going off to start your own moonbase without even the benefit of blackjack and hookers is the height of foolishness.

    As a factual matter nothing I said was ugly.  Facts can be unpleasant to hear.

    Until conservatives change the problems listed, they will not achieve success.

    Refusal to listen, absorb, and change only marginalizes your movement further.  Its your collective choice, so choose wisely.

    • #39
  10. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Owen Findy: I have yet to read one that suggests we all move to the Libertarian Party.

    I have said I am very likely to vote Libertarian this cycle.

    • #40
  11. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    Ball Diamond Ball:

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily, as your attack was indistibguishable from a personal attack. I’m willing to accept that you meant “you” in the plural rather than singular, but that’s not the way it read in context. I recommend editing the comment to make it clear.

    I’ve disagreed with Lily, but she’s always been civil, so a group condemnation which reads like a personal attack is a disservice.

    I will do so.

    So edited.

    • #41
  12. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Owen Findy:I haven’t read every comment, on every article, in the last couple/few days concerning a suggestion for a third party, but I have yet to read one that suggests we all move to the Libertarian Party.

    I’m sure there must be a good reason, but what is it? Aren’t most of us who are fed up and thinking of jumping ship roughly close enough to libertarian to make common cause with them? Wouldn’t that give us a better chance over the long haul than forming yet another party?

    Absolutely not.  The harm principle makes zero sense because there is no way to define harm, and aren’t the underlying principles of the party based pretty much on that?  No, we need to either rescue the Republican brand or start something new.

    • #42
  13. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    Guruforhire:

    Lily Bart:s because you have alienated them all. Your practical agenda such as one exists is unpopular and deeply misanthropic. You use words you have no conception of, except as a kind of tribal password. You use poorly thought out and understood concepts as axioms for internet virtue signaling, and smug moral onanism. Nobody, not already within your faction, is going to come and join your new club, because they have all met you and deeply dislike you.

    Until that changes, going off to start your own moonbase without even the benefit of blackjack and hookers is the height of foolishness.

    As a factual matter nothing I said was ugly. Facts can be unpleasant to hear.

    Until conservatives change the problems listed, they will not achieve success.

    Refusal to listen, absorb, and change only marginalizes your movement further. Its your collective choice, so choose wisely.

    Facts can indeed be unpleasant to hear, if they are actually facts.   This is just your own blowing off of steam, in my view.

    • #43
  14. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Son of Spengler:

    Merina Smith: But you don’t need a whole new party to field a third party candidate who is actually conservative and can give down ballot candidates someone to endorse and many of us someone to vote for. Everyone in the nation will know why such a candidate is running, and many will vote for that person, who I would expect to win a few conservative states that threw the apprentice out on his ear in the primaries.

    Another thought on this. This is basically what we saw in CT in the 2006 Senate race. Ned Lamont, a kooky leftist, beat Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary. Lieberman ran anyway as an independent, and beat both Lamont and the Republican candidate in the general election. He then caucused with the Democrats.

    This was touted as a blow for centrist sanity. But it was short-lived. The state’s Democratic Party primary voters ultimately got what they wanted in Senator Chris Murphy, whose philosophy and positions are indistinguishable from Lamont.

    The problem is the party, not the candidate. Even if a one-time third-party run stops Trump, it will not stop Trumpism’s takeover of the party.

    But it gives many of us a chance to say to any and all that Trump does not represent conservatism and the party and to show that by our vote.  I have already said that to anyone who will listen, and even my lefty friends actually listen to this because they know I am a passionate conservative.  It gives us a chance to rescue the party from this horrible man.

    • #44
  15. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    iWe:rnment that is true to its founding document and the principles found therein?

    The only strong dislike I get for my politics is on Ricochet (I don’t belong to Facebook). Even my highly-placed Democrat friends and I cordially agree to disagree when it comes to politics.

    Bullying #nevertrumpers is not a winning move if your goal is to win people over. Though I sense the real goal is to gloat; I still do not understand why anyone would want to.

    I no longer vote.  I do not care what happens.  I am, personally enjoying watching you all put the gun to your own head and threaten to kill yourselves.  I have never said anything that isn’t some form of “your behavior and choices are unwise.”

    I mean it, nobody not already in your small faction is going to join it.

    When self-awareness is achieved, your strategy will look more like dominos pizzas, than running off to your treehouse to pout.

    • #45
  16. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Lily Bart:

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    You’re the one that seems to be filled with bile. Such a personal and ugly attack you just unloaded on me.

    Things have changed. These are different times, indeed. Old rules don’t really work anymore.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily here.  All of this said in defense of the Apprentice and supporters?  The man whose negatives are off the charts?  Who says unhinged and horrible things about anybody who doesn’t kowtow to him?  And you lump everyone who disagrees as all of one mind and beside the pale?  This is astonishing.

    • #46
  17. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    Merina Smith:

    Lily Bart:

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    You’re the one that seems to be filled with bile. Such a personal and ugly attack you just unloaded on me.

    Things have changed. These are different times, indeed. Old rules don’t really work anymore.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily here. All of this said in defense of the Apprentice and supporters? The man whose negatives are off the charts? Who says unhinged and horrible things about anybody who doesn’t kowtow to him? And you lump everyone who disagrees as all of one mind and beside the pale? This is astonishing.

    I have said nothing in the defense of Donald Trump.  This leap is exactly what I am talking about.

    And honestly, he isn’t any worse than most of the commentary on Ricochet.  So its hard to get worked up about.

    • #47
  18. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Guruforhire:

    Merina Smith:

    Lily Bart:

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    You’re the one that seems to be filled with bile. Such a personal and ugly attack you just unloaded on me.

    Things have changed. These are different times, indeed. Old rules don’t really work anymore.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily here. All of this said in defense of the Apprentice and supporters? The man whose negatives are off the charts? Who says unhinged and horrible things about anybody who doesn’t kowtow to him? And you lump everyone who disagrees as all of one mind and beside the pale? This is astonishing.

    I have said nothing in the defense of Donald Trump. This leap is exactly what I am talking about.

    Don’t you support him?

    • #48
  19. David Knights Member
    David Knights
    @DavidKnights

    A third party candidacy is pure fantasy.  I am sure one can be done for ideological purity’s sake.  However, there is NO chance that it does anything but install Hillary in the White House.  I am no Trump supporter, but the thought that Trump is some sort of temporary fever in the electorate that will eventually break and we can all go back to our two party system that is really a one party system is wrong in my estimation. Trump represents an electorate fed up with the one party system.  That isn’t going to go away, even if Trump goes down in flames in the general.  In fact, if Trump goes down in the general, I suspect that may make the dissatisfaction worse, and the next thing you know you’ll see President Camacho in 2020. (Idiocracy reference, Google it.)

    • #49
  20. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    ctlaw:

    Claire Berlinski, Ed.:

    Is there anyone who could step in now and save us from these hideous space reptiles?

    You really don’t get it. For a large number of people, that was why Trump got into the race. They don’t care that he may also have issues.

    I also worry that a third party candidate would hand Hillary the nomination on a silver plate

    • #50
  21. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    Merina Smith:

    Guruforhire:

    Merina Smith:

    Lily Bart:

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    You’re the one that seems to be filled with bile. Such a personal and ugly attack you just unloaded on me.

    Things have changed. These are different times, indeed. Old rules don’t really work anymore.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily here. All of this said in defense of the Apprentice and supporters? The man whose negatives are off the charts? Who says unhinged and horrible things about anybody who doesn’t kowtow to him? And you lump everyone who disagrees as all of one mind and beside the pale? This is astonishing.

    I have said nothing in the defense of Donald Trump. This leap is exactly what I am talking about.

    Don’t you support him?

    Nope.

    • #51
  22. Owen Findy Inactive
    Owen Findy
    @OwenFindy

    iWe: I have said I am very likely to vote Libertarian this cycle.

    I’m seriously considering that, too.  Did you also mean you were thinking of joining them?  I was more talking about the suggestions to form a new party.

    • #52
  23. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    Guruforhire:

    Lily Bart:s because you have alienated them all. Your practical agenda such as one exists is unpopular and deeply misanthropic. You use words you have no conception of, except as a kind of tribal password. You use poorly thought out and understood concepts as axioms for internet virtue signaling, and smug moral onanism. Nobody, not already within your faction, is going to come and join your new club, because they have all met you and deeply dislike you.

    Until that changes, going off to start your own moonbase without even the benefit of blackjack and hookers is the height of foolishness.

    As a factual matter nothing I said was ugly. Facts can be unpleasant to hear.

    Until conservatives change the problems listed, they will not achieve success.

    Refusal to listen, absorb, and change only marginalizes your movement further. Its your collective choice, so choose wisely.

    No it was ugly –

    • #53
  24. Marion Evans Inactive
    Marion Evans
    @MarionEvans

    Any two of Cruz-Kasich-Bush-Rubio running together (for example Cruz-Kasich) could win Texas and/or Ohio, Florida. This would throw the election into the House of Reps and carry them to the white house.

    • #54
  25. ToryWarWriter Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter
    @ToryWarWriter

    You would be better off embracing the Libertarians and voting for them third party, than trying to start to create a new party at this late state.

    Gary Johnson is a two time former Republican governor with a reputation for using the veto pen.

    Sure he is kinda a lightweight.  But a nice safe place to park your vote.  The Libertarians are a little crazy, but in a good kind of way.

    • #55
  26. Owen Findy Inactive
    Owen Findy
    @OwenFindy

    Merina Smith: Absolutely not. The harm principle makes zero sense because there is no way to define harm, and aren’t the underlying principles of the party based pretty much on that? No, we need to either rescue the Republican brand or start something new.

    What about Charles Cooke’s federalist Conservatarian idea, then?

    I’ve been upset with hard-core libertarians for some time because I consider their seeming inability to give in a little and make common cause with conservatives on individual policies and legislation to have sabotaged many opportunities for moves in the right direction.  Are their intransigence and yours alike?  (Maybe not…)

    I think we should all agree on some tiny, minimal common ground and repeatedly, for the long haul, energetically push any measure that moves the ball, even a small ways, in the direction of that small, common ground.

    • #56
  27. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    We had the cream of the crop in 17 candidates who put themselves out for ridicule, stupid questions at the debates, endless pounding within the party – and still Trump took all.  So that should tell you that floating another candidate via a 3rd party will not make any difference, but further complicate trying to keep Clinton out of the White House.

    I am hoping that the most talented people will be tapped by Trump – surrounding himself with the best in each field. That would speak loudly.  I have always liked Allen West. I also think tapping younger talent would go a long way.  When I heard on Fox the other night, Laura Ingraham saying Newt G. would be a good VP, I cringed. This is the kind of thinking that got us where we are.

    • #57
  28. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Guruforhire:

    Merina Smith:

    Guruforhire:

    Merina Smith:

    Lily Bart:

    Guruforhire:When I use you, I mean the True Conservative faction.

    You’re the one that seems to be filled with bile. Such a personal and ugly attack you just unloaded on me.

    Things have changed. These are different times, indeed. Old rules don’t really work anymore.

    Guru, I have to agree with Lily here. All of this said in defense of the Apprentice and supporters? The man whose negatives are off the charts? Who says unhinged and horrible things about anybody who doesn’t kowtow to him? And you lump everyone who disagrees as all of one mind and beside the pale? This is astonishing.

    I have said nothing in the defense of Donald Trump. This leap is exactly what I am talking about.

    Don’t you support him?

    Nope.

    Who do you support?

    • #58
  29. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Owen Findy:

    Merina Smith: Absolutely not. The harm principle makes zero sense because there is no way to define harm, and aren’t the underlying principles of the party based pretty much on that? No, we need to either rescue the Republican brand or start something new.

    What about Charles Cooke’s federalist Conservatarian idea, then?

    I’ve been upset with hard-core libertarians for some time because I consider their seeming inability to give in a little and make common cause with conservatives on individual policies and legislation to have sabotaged many opportunities for moves in the right direction. Are their intransigence and yours alike? (Maybe not…)

    I think we should all agree on some tiny, minimal common ground and repeatedly, for the long haul, energetically push any measure that moves the ball, even a small ways, in the direction of that small, common ground.

    I wish that would be religious freedom–see Oblamov’s post today, now on the main feed.  Of course, that is not a small thing.

    • #59
  30. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Front Seat Cat:We had the cream of the crop in 17 candidates who put themselves out for ridicule, stupid questions at the debates, endless pounding within the party – and still Trump took all. So that should tell you that floating another candidate via a 3rd party will not only make any difference, but further complicate keeping Clinton out of the White House.

    I am hoping that the most talented people will be tapped by Trump – surrounding himself with the best in each field. That would speak loudly. I have always liked Allen West. I also think tapping younger talent would go a long way. When I heard on Fox the other night, Laura Ingraham saying Newt G. would be a good VP, I cringed. This is the kind of thinking that got us where we are.

    I agree with some of what you say, but not about Newt. Can’t help but love Newt…

    • #60
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.