After Tuesday, Republicans will lurch even further to the right

[DonViejo]

By Paul Waldman
Opinion writer
November 5 at 12:33 PM

This election has seen some surprises and some things that were absolutely predictable. Few of us would have imagined that Republicans could think they’d be able to get away with suddenly proclaiming themselves the true champions of protections for people with preexisting conditions, for instance. But centering their campaign on racist appeals to fear and hatred? I think we all saw that coming.

It doesn’t look like it’s going to work, though we won’t know for sure until Tuesday night. But it does raise a question that will help determine the shape of our politics for the next few years: What happens afterward? Especially if they lose the House — as pretty much everyone assumes they will — will Republicans conclude that the campaign they ran was a mistake and try to change?

I don’t mean that they’ll conclude it was a moral mistake, because they’ve proved time and again that as a group they really have no moral principles they aren’t willing to transgress if it means winning the next battle. You’d think that when the former grand wizard of the KKK is applauding the president for his racist campaign ads and white supremacist websites are lighting up with joy over his rhetoric, it might lead to some reflection on the right. But we know it won’t.

So if nothing else, if they’re not successful in holding the House, Republicans could decide that it was a tactical mistake to embrace race-baiting as a campaign strategy. And I’m sure some will. The problem is that the party as a whole may be trapped into repeating the same strategy for the next couple of elections.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/11/05/after-tuesday-republicans-will-lurch-even-further-to-the-right/

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

1. Lurch or rocket...

I believe rocket.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

2. This kind of makes me wish the earth was flat

Then they can lurch themselves right over the edge and nothing of value would be lost.

[marylandblue]

3. If R's lose, there will be a split

The map looks bad for Republicans for Senate in 2020, almost an inverse of this year. Vulnerable Senators will distance themselves from Trump. Others will move closer to him. Somebody, probably Kasich, will primary Trump.

[kysrsoze]

4. Please proceed.😄

[lunatica]

5. It took them a minimum of 30 years to get where they are

Much longer if you count Reagan’s years. He took office wrapped in the flag and Nationalism because of the Iranians holding American hostages, and Americans here loved it. Not once was there any self reflection on our major role in the anger Iranians felt at our actions. There still isn’t.

Wherever there is anger at the US you can go back into the causes of it and land squarely on things the US did. Bush’s assertion that “They hate us because of our freedoms” is puerile.

Trump is the epitome of American hubris and imperialism. He is no accident.

If we win we better get ready to fight for real Democracy, both in word AND actions for at least one generation. That’s at least 25 years.

[gopiscrap]

7. OMG Exactly

[k-dub]

9. Outstanding post.

SPOT. ASS. ON.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

6. What's funny is Republicans talk like the whole Democratic party is filled with extremists.

You'd think anyone with a brain could spot who's acting extreme. It isn't the Democrats. Trump and the Republicans have been inciting violence. That's extremism. I get sick of how ridiculous Republicans have become.

[ck4829]

8. Expect more conspiracy theories, more dogwhistles