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  1. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    Merina Smith:

    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?

    I was in it for Gilmore, because I thought he could unite the factions and said so repeatedly.

    Now, I am in favor of calling the queen to apologize for the tragic mistake, and seek her mercy.

    Or most likely belligerent alienation.

    • #61
  2. starnescl Inactive
    starnescl
    @starnescl

    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 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.

    Which states do you carry? Can you name a single state where half (being generous) of the last republican vote total wins the electors?

    Experience is giving us a re-education in factions and coalitions.

    Guru, the camp you seem to be with only represents a slim majority, possibly only a plurality, of a “party” that is less than half of likely voters.

    That camp, while more sizable at the moment, is equally powerless on it’s own and has no special claim to power or leadership.

    Again, what is now obvious is that there are real, deal-breaker differences in the factions that made up the Republican coalition.

    In and of itself, there is nothing un-natural or wrong about that.  It’s not criminal.  However, none of us have reckoned with the explicit loss of power that follows from it.

    We’re about to see it first hand and will have to re-learn how to reform winning coalitions on different ties that bind.

    Lack of power will provide enormous pressure to reform, but nothing says it has to or even can happen.

    • #62
  3. Marion Evans Inactive
    Marion Evans
    @MarionEvans

    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 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.

    Check your premise: a large segment of Republicans are more interested in keeping Trump out of the White House, rather than Clinton. #never trump

    • #63
  4. starnescl Inactive
    starnescl
    @starnescl

    Ball Diamond Ball:

    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 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.

    Which states do you carry? Can you name a single state where half (being generous) of the last republican vote total wins the electors?

    AW, leave them alone Guru. They are literally unhinged in their grief, and will come around or at least shut up in the coming weeks.

    Charming, to the last.

    • #64
  5. Son of Spengler Member
    Son of Spengler
    @SonofSpengler

    Marion Evans: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.

    Very interesting. The most promising third-party strategy I’ve seen yet. Though I’d remove some names and insert others.

    • #65
  6. Lazy_Millennial Inactive
    Lazy_Millennial
    @LazyMillennial

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

    I will not stand idly by and see Dominos Pizza smeared in this manner

    • #66
  7. Son of Spengler Member
    Son of Spengler
    @SonofSpengler

    Guruforhire:I was in it for Gilmore, because I thought he could unite the factions and said so repeatedly.

    Now, I am in favor of calling the queen to apologize for the tragic mistake, and seek her mercy.

    Or most likely belligerent alienation.

    Those of us you derisively call “True Conservatives” have failed to persuade people that liberty is better than paternalism. But it looks as if you’re not even in the game. It’s hard to take your criticisms seriously when you’re just carping from the sidelines.

    • #67
  8. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    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.

    Sure, we all feel like retreating to our cabin in the woods and denouncing all other humans as fools once in awhile, but when I feel that way myself, I tend to think I am wanting to take the coward’s way out.  Also, I have grandkids and I care very much about the future for their sakes.

    • #68
  9. Mate De Inactive
    Mate De
    @MateDe

    Sigh!!!!

    • #69
  10. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    starnescl:Experience is giving us a re-education in factions and coalitions.

    Guru, the camp you seem to be with only represents a slim majority, possibly only a plurality, of a “party” that is less than half of likely voters.

    Lack of power will provide enormous pressure to reform, but nothing says it has to or even can happen.

    All I have ever said is that the smart move is to let the populist faction have their turn, and then run your guy in 2020.

    It builds a culture of good faith within the party that is sorely needed after 20 years of internal communication boiling down to “Shut up and send money.”  (especially in 2012, Ricochet was about nothing other) Now its your turn to shut up and send money.

    Then in 2020 you will probably return to running the show.

    I don’t believe the problems are so much ideological so much as a long standing toxic culture.

    The wise move is to swallow your pride and play nice with the other children.  Then go out for a pizza party later.

    • #70
  11. Whiskey Sam Inactive
    Whiskey Sam
    @WhiskeySam

    It’s too late for a third party to materialize this cycle.  The time to form one was two years ago to have a serious shot this time.  Embrace the suck.

    • #71
  12. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Son of Spengler:

    Marion Evans: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.

    Very interesting. The most promising third-party strategy I’ve seen yet. Though I’d remove some names and insert others.

    Yes–this is quite brilliant.  But what about Rick Perry?  Do you think he’d take Texas?  Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Rubio takes Florida, or I’d be all over a Perry/Rubio ticket.  I’d hate to put Kasich in the bunch, and he might end up as Trump’s veep anyway, but what other large states would serve the purpose?

    • #72
  13. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    Claire,

    If you are going to start a third party the first thing you need is a platform. Give it a catchy title. How about “To Serve Man”

    Ahh…never mind.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #73
  14. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Whiskey Sam:It’s too late for a third party to materialize this cycle. The time to form one was two years ago to have a serious shot this time. Embrace the suck.

    Not a whole party, just a candidate. Sasse is right that a WHOLE  lot of people feel they have no one to vote for.  Let’s give them someone to vote for.

    • #74
  15. Son of Spengler Member
    Son of Spengler
    @SonofSpengler

    Merina Smith:

    Son of Spengler:

    Marion Evans: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.

    Very interesting. The most promising third-party strategy I’ve seen yet. Though I’d remove some names and insert others.

    Yes–this is quite brilliant. But what about Rick Perry? Do you think he’d take Texas? Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Rubio takes Florida, or I’d be all over a Perry/Rubio ticket. I’d hate to put Kasich in the bunch, and he might end up as Trump’s veep anyway, but what other large states would serve the purpose?

    Perry was low on my list at the start of the campaign, because of his condescension to border hawks and his decision to hire a staff of losing GOP establishmentarians. But for the purposes of a narrowly-targeted third-party run in this cycle, he might have the best shot. After all, he was among the first to come out as strongly anti-Trump.

    I don’t think the running mate would make much difference as long as there were some diversity (demographic, ideological, and/or professional): Rubio? Cruz? Fiorina? What’s more important is that there is someone at the top who is prepared to fight smart and fight hard.

    It would still be a longshot.

    • #75
  16. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    I know very little about Johnson, but I agree with anonymous that he is the only viable third-party option we have.

    • #76
  17. Merina Smith Inactive
    Merina Smith
    @MerinaSmith

    Son of Spengler:

    Merina Smith:

    Son of Spengler:

    Marion Evans: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.

    Very interesting. The most promising third-party strategy I’ve seen yet. Though I’d remove some names and insert others.

    Yes–this is quite brilliant. But what about Rick Perry? Do you think he’d take Texas? Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Rubio takes Florida, or I’d be all over a Perry/Rubio ticket. I’d hate to put Kasich in the bunch, and he might end up as Trump’s veep anyway, but what other large states would serve the purpose?

    Perry was low on my list at the start of the campaign, because of his condescension to border hawks and his decision to hire a staff of losing GOP establishmentarians. But for the purposes of a narrowly-targeted third-party run in this cycle, he might have the best shot. After all, he was among the first to come out as strongly anti-Trump.

    I don’t think the running mate would make much difference as long as there were some diversity (demographic, ideological, and/or professional): Rubio? Cruz? Fiorina? What’s more important is that there is someone at the top who is prepared to fight smart and fight hard.

    It would still be a longshot.

    It would, but worth the effort.  How do we get this underway?   A twitter campaign? I’m a Luddite and do nothing more modern than email and face book.  Who here has some idea how to get a grassroots idea underway?

    • #77
  18. starnescl Inactive
    starnescl
    @starnescl

    Guruforhire:

    starnescl:Experience is giving us a re-education in factions and coalitions.

    Guru, the camp you seem to be with only represents a slim majority, possibly only a plurality, of a “party” that is less than half of likely voters.

    Lack of power will provide enormous pressure to reform, but nothing says it has to or even can happen.

    All I have ever said is that the smart move is to let the populist faction have their turn, and then run your guy in 2020.

    […]

    Glad I said “seems to be with” when talking about your allegiance. I would have been making assumptions.

    And, what you just said makes a lot of sense.  Unfortunately, I think we see the “establishment” types really did despise the “populist” types … and vice-versa.

    The ties that held the coalition together were tenuous.  Always hard to know until the break happens.

    But, these breaks only happen every several decades or so.  So, it’s always unexpected and unknown what’s going on and what to do.

    I think these two groups simply have different platforms and are only now realizing it and it feels bitter.  But, there is nothing abnormal at all about these two groups being separate.  It’s just that they haven’t been that makes it so acrimonious.

    Of course, it’s a blow to me because this is the coalition that was the effective protector of things I think are of great importance.

    Those things need a new coalition.

    • #78
  19. Whiskey Sam Inactive
    Whiskey Sam
    @WhiskeySam

    Merina Smith:

    Whiskey Sam:It’s too late for a third party to materialize this cycle. The time to form one was two years ago to have a serious shot this time. Embrace the suck.

    Not a whole party, just a candidate. Sasse is right that a WHOLE lot of people feel they have no one to vote for. Let’s give them someone to vote for.

    Where’s the infrastructure going to magically appear from for this campaign?  On the wildly improbable chance they win, how will they get anything accomplished when they will have to take on both political parties in Congress?  The time to start talking new third party was two years ago.  If people are serious about this, win or lose for the GOP in November, they should immediately start working on forming a new party after the election so they will be ready for the mid-terms in 2018.

    • #79
  20. starnescl Inactive
    starnescl
    @starnescl

    (cont.)

    And I wasn’t trying to be profound with that last sentence.

    I think it’s just the practical reality: the old coalition that in contrast stood for liberty has fractured – and was arguably already smaller than the rival, progressive coalition.

    If this is true there WILL be a power vacuum and pressure to find a new coalition on new footing.  I don’t think about this as a third party, which seems diminutive.

    It will have to be a new primary party, able to secure majorities.  Messy business, but that seems to be what’s in store.  Of course, maybe not, but I believe that less-and-less every day.

    • #80
  21. Son of Spengler Member
    Son of Spengler
    @SonofSpengler

    Merina Smith: How do we get this underway? A twitter campaign? I’m a Luddite and do nothing more modern than email and face book. Who here has some idea how to get a grassroots idea underway?

    Grab the ear of a large donor who can pick up the phone and say to Perry, “The country needs you — and I will back you.” As I wrote above, I think donor resources are the limiting factor.

    Or start by writing a brief R> post, hope it gets promoted, then share it like mad.

    • #81
  22. Lucy Pevensie Inactive
    Lucy Pevensie
    @LucyPevensie

    This thread is why Ricochet will die if there are no closed groups. We have a large group of like-minded people here trying to have a serious discussion, and it is derailed by a small and obstreperous group of trolls.

    • #82
  23. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Austin Petersen and Gary Johnson debate:

    • #83
  24. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Put me in the Third Party Now camp.

    It is not true that it is too late.

    The Internet moves at the speed of light.

    That is what Trump has maximized.

    We can too. Use what we have learned from him about mass marketing and politics to save ourselves.

    The times have changed. We have jets now. We don’t have to walk across the country anymore.

    The biggest reason to do this and not wait one more second:

    Trump is a highly volatile stick of dynamite. We have no idea what will happen over the next few months.

    We really should be ready to move. Anything can happen. Trump was a surprise. We can be too.

    • #84
  25. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Lucy Pevensie:This thread is why Ricochet will die if there are no closed groups. We have a large group of like-minded people here trying to have a serious discussion, and it is derailed by a small and obstreperous group of trolls.

    This seems a bit much…

    • #85
  26. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    How about encouraging the Libertarian party to put Rand Paul or even Ted Cruz as their candidate???

    • #86
  27. Lucy Pevensie Inactive
    Lucy Pevensie
    @LucyPevensie

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad:

    Lucy Pevensie:This thread is why Ricochet will die if there are no closed groups. We have a large group of like-minded people here trying to have a serious discussion, and it is derailed by a small and obstreperous group of trolls.

    This seems a bit much…

    You’re right. They left. I wrote this before I got to the last page. I should have said, “trying to derail the conversation,” fortunately unsuccessfully.

    • #87
  28. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Lucy Pevensie:

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad:

    Lucy Pevensie:This thread is why Ricochet will die if there are no closed groups. We have a large group of like-minded people here trying to have a serious discussion, and it is derailed by a small and obstreperous group of trolls.

    This seems a bit much…

    You’re right. They left. I wrote this before I got to the last page. I should have said, “trying to derail the conversation,” fortunately unsuccessfully.

    This happens, esp. when comments fly…

    • #88
  29. Lucy Pevensie Inactive
    Lucy Pevensie
    @LucyPevensie

    Here’s a writer on Redstate making the case for Governor Perry.

    • #89
  30. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    iWe:How about encouraging the Libertarian party to put Rand Paul or even Ted Cruz as their candidate???

    Rand Paul, I think (and I could be wrong), is too committed to the party. But who knows…

    • #90
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