[stokesjokes]

I thought for a moment after January 6th that the GOP tide might turn and get back on track after hearing Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell call out the nonsense, but, unfortunately they went right back to being sycophants as soon as they realized the base wasn’t on board.

[Yacht Rock]

I actually wish we could quantify how many middle of the road conservatives under 40 have stopped voting Republican because of the last five years. The “I used to be pretty conservative but I can’t vote for that” way of thinking is something I hear a lot.

[thepostman]

I actually wish we could quantify how many middle of the road conservatives under 40 have stopped voting Republican because of the last five years. The “I used to be pretty conservative but I can’t vote for that” way of thinking is something I hear a lot.

I still vote republican but it is now on a case by case basis. I'd imagine that is becoming more and more common with younger conservatives but have zero data to back me up on that.

[Purple Haize]

You just wait for pillow guy to reveal his super secret info on 8/14. It will all be revealed in two weeks.

I’m still waiting for Trump to be reinstated from back in March…

Lookit. The only people who put any stock into those types of proclamations are the Anti Trump cloud who just can’t let go and those on the Right using it for fund raising.

What!?? Did you hear some of the stuff at CPAC this weekend? It has absolutely infiltrated the entire party. But anybody who points this out is labeled a RINO or part of the 'radical left'.

I listened to exactly 0 minutes of CPAC. But if there was a speaker there explaining how Trump is going to be reinstated in August I’d like to see it. That would prove interesting

[thepostman]

No but there was Trump himself spouting off his normal "I didn't lose" conspiracy theories. Among other things.

[Purple Haize]

No but there was Trump himself spouting off his normal "I didn't lose" conspiracy theories. Among other things.

Yuge difference between “I didn’t lose” and “I will be reinstated”.
My point earlier remains

[TH Spangler]

I guess we'll find out in 2024. Looks like Trump runs again. 75% say an ID to vote is the right way to go. Observers know what to watch for now. If he lost the last election he'll lose again.

[olldflame]

I actually wish we could quantify how many middle of the road conservatives under 40 have stopped voting Republican because of the last five years. The “I used to be pretty conservative but I can’t vote for that” way of thinking is something I hear a lot.

Something else you hear a lot. "I have always considered myself a liberal, but a lot of the people I used to agree with have moved so far left, I don't even know who they are any more."

[stokesjokes]

So which middle-ground party is going to emerge? Where do the politically homeless go?

[thepostman]

I'm sure that is true as the democrats go more left and the Republicans goes more right but I couldn't care less what the democrats do. I've never been a Democrat and my views on almost all issues lie right of center and up until a couple of years ago I was a Republican. I care about conservativsm and how it is being lead and represented. So I tuned into some of CPAC since historically this has been one of the places where the vision for the conservative movement has been cast. What I heard was far too similar to the rhetoric spewed on Q'anon message boards. Way too focused on the mainstream media, false 2020 election, cancel culture and outrage poltics. Very little substance and just a clear indication how shallow the entire conservative movement has become.

I said earlier that both parties have gone more left and right but really they have both become very shallow. You could always depend on democrats to play these kind of petty games, but now so are the Republicans.

[paradox]

The middle ground party is still the GOP. There is no middle ground with the Dems. Trump's personality and style doesn't change that dynamic.

[stokesjokes]

Liz Cheney says hi.

[thepostman]

The middle ground party is still the GOP. There is no middle ground with the Dems. Trump's personality and style doesn't change that dynamic.

That was true several years ago, but now the party has completely transformed into something that makes this statement laughable.

[thepostman]

So which middle-ground party is going to emerge? Where do the politically homeless go?

One won't emerge. There is too much power at stake for it to happen. Plus it is the one thing both major parties can agree on!

[paradox]

The middle ground party is still the GOP. There is no middle ground with the Dems. Trump's personality and style doesn't change that dynamic.

That was true several years ago, but now the party has completely transformed into something that makes this statement laughable.

Enlighten us as to what that is now? I enjoy a good laugh too, you know.

[Purple Haize]

The middle ground party is still the GOP. There is no middle ground with the Dems. Trump's personality and style doesn't change that dynamic.

That was true several years ago, but now the party has completely transformed into something that makes this statement laughable.

Moderate Democrats who voted against the Party line?

[paradox]

Things have been pushed so far left that moderation can only exist with its opposition. Not that all opposition is moderate. It's not. Some of it is an overreaction. However, there's still plenty of moderation in the GOP.

[stokesjokes]

Ok, I’ll bite: what Republicans that don’t support Trumpism are backed/accepted by the GOP?

[thepostman]

It is the party of Trump and if you speak out against him, you're pushed to the side. The conservative movement should be bigger than one person but right now it doesn't appear to be the case.

[paradox]

There is bickering about a man's style, character and leadership ability...many who oppose Trump are more conservative than he is.

[thepostman]

Which goes back to what I said earlier.

I said earlier that both parties have gone more left and right but really they have both become very shallow. You could always depend on democrats to play these kind of petty games, but now so are the Republicans.

[stokesjokes]

There is bickering about a man's style, character and leadership ability...many who oppose Trump are more conservative than he is.

And yet they aren’t welcome in the GOP. Where are they to go?

[paradox]

Conservatives and moderates are very much welcome in the GOP. There's an end to Trump. We can anticipate that. But you have to choose your battles. It's too much style over substance for many. However, it's the policies and platform that you should be voting for, not the styles and personalities.

[stokesjokes]

It’s nice of you to say they are welcome, they just haven’t been treated like they are.

And for me, character matters as much as policy or platform. We aren’t in a direct democracy, we don’t vote for a list of platform positions. And most of the time, the president has to deal with some kind of crisis that had nothing to do with their platform positions.

There was a time when character was very important to the GOP. Turns out it was always just about using it as cudgel to go after the opposition. The last 5 years have been disillusioning as someone who grew up as a conservative evangelical. The things we said were important weren’t important when acting like they were meant losing political power.

[paradox]

I never said it didn't matter. Character is vital. It's almost always lacking in politicians though. I will always favor a Pence or a Huckabee over shady politicians. Insurgency ultimately won out due to the dissatisfied rustbelt voter. Too many lost jobs there, and it only escalated more so under Obama, who turned his back on the blue-collar Dem base btw. Trump tapped that anger.