# The 2016 Republican candidates **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444 "2015-01-09T22:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 41
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/802 "2015-02-23T17:15:36Z")
According to [this prof](http://www.salon.com/2015/02/23/this_man_is_not_a_moderate_why_jeb_bush_is_more_conservative_than_you_think/), Jeb, based on his track record as Governor of Florida, is no “moderate.” ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/803 "2015-02-23T18:41:58Z")
There are two kinds of moderation that people get confused about a lot. First, there’s ideological moderation. Jeb is no ideological moderate. He’s actually more conservative than the last two Bush Presidents and his record backs that up. The reason that Jeb gets portrayed as a moderate is for the same reason John McCain, John Huntsman, and Orrin Hatch often get portrayed as moderates: they are willing to compromise and they don’t regard Democrats as the enemy. There’s moderation in ideology and moderation in partisanship. Jeb, McCain, and Graham are all pretty far right but aren’t particularly partisan. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/804 "2015-02-23T18:48:57Z")
[Scott Walker, after years of insisting he has no interest in “right to work” legislation and “it is not on my agenda” and “would bring the whole firestorm back,” is now ready to sign such a bill.](http://www.thenation.com/blog/198705/scott-walker-says-hell-sign-alec-echoing-right-work-less-legislation) > [@](#): > > That was then. This is now. > > Walker’s not worrying about Wisconsin these days. He’s in a new race—scrambling to win the support of 2016 Republican presidential caucus-goers and primary voters who like their candidates to take a hard line on social and economic issues. > > So Walker’s line just got a whole lot harder. > > On Friday, two of the governor’s closest legislative allies, state Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald and state Assembly speaker Robin Vos, announced that they will call a rare “extraordinary session” to rush through a “right to work” bill with limited public input and debate. With solid Republican majorities in both chambers, they say they aim to pass the measure—which mirrors “model legislation” language peddled by the corporate-sponsored American Legislative Exchange Council —in a matter of days. > > This development took most Wisconsinites by surprise. Republicans and Democrats had thought that the issue was on the legislative back-burner—not just because of Walker’s pre-election and post-election talk about wanting to avoid distractions, but also because some legislative Republicans had griped about the wisdom of advancing “right to work” legislation. > > “It is absurd that Republicans would fast-track legislation to interfere with private business contracts and lower wages for all Wisconsin workers at a time when our state is facing a massive $2.2 billion budget crisis,” Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader Jennifer Shilling said after the announcement that the “right-to-work” fight was on. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/805 "2015-02-23T18:59:25Z")
Hardly a broken promise. He’s not bringing it up himself, he’s just saying he’d sign the bill if it was passed by the legislature. Obama is also going to sign a lot of things he didn’t talk much about or isn’t interested in over the next two years. In any case, right to work is popular. The fact that it’s not the law in 50 states is a testament to special interest politics. > **[Americans Approve of Unions but Support "Right to Work"](https://news.gallup.com/poll/175556/americans-approve-unions-support-right-work.aspx)** > > A slim majority of Americans, 53%, approve of labor unions, near the low in Gallup's nearly 80-year trend. Although more Americans approve than disapprove of unions, they also widely support right-to-work laws. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/806 "2015-02-23T19:03:19Z")
Ah, yes, “special interests”. Narrow groups of selfish concerns. Like, people who work. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/807 "2015-02-23T19:50:02Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > There are two kinds of moderation that people get confused about a lot. First, there’s ideological moderation. Jeb is no ideological moderate. He’s actually more conservative than the last two Bush Presidents and his record backs that up. > > The reason that Jeb gets portrayed as a moderate is for the same reason John McCain, John Huntsman, and Orrin Hatch often get portrayed as moderates: they are willing to compromise and they don’t regard Democrats as the enemy. There’s moderation in ideology and moderation in partisanship. Jeb, McCain, and Graham are all pretty far right but aren’t particularly partisan. A useful and important distinction - thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/808 "2015-02-23T20:56:45Z")
There was a time, not that long ago, when willingness to compromise was simply a given, a fact of adulthood and mature responsibility. Now it’s a minority view in the GOP, one that gets anybody upholding it attacked as viciously as they attack Democrats, and for no better reason. What you’re attempting to call “moderation” isn’t a mark of distinction, it’s a basic requirement for being a fucking grownup. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/809 "2015-02-23T21:18:14Z")
And yet, in limited supply among the solons and philosopher-kings of the GOP these days. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/810 "2015-02-23T21:46:53Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ah, yes, “special interests”. Narrow groups of selfish concerns. Like, people who work. Like union bosses. Even union workers, if they have the option to not be a part of it, many choose to leave it. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/811 "2015-02-23T21:55:07Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > There was a time, not that long ago, when willingness to compromise was simply a given, a fact of adulthood and mature responsibility. Now it’s a minority view in the GOP, one that gets anybody upholding it attacked as viciously as they attack Democrats, and for no better reason. What you’re attempting to call “moderation” isn’t a mark of distinction, it’s a basic requirement for being a fucking grownup. There’s always been a time to compromise and a time to stand on principle. I think that a lot of newer politicians don’t know when each is appropriate. There’s also the fact that due to earmarking rules you can’t just buy votes anymore, which is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/812 "2015-02-23T22:44:45Z")
Another excellent reason not to vote for any of them, then. Someday you might realize how convincing a case you present. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/813 "2015-02-23T22:47:24Z")
It’s a convincing case not vote for Ted Cruz, certainly. That argument doesn’t apply to any of the other candidates. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/814 "2015-02-24T15:13:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Like union bosses. Even union workers, if they have the option to not be a part of it, many choose to leave it. Yeah, well, [that don’t work out too well](http://www.salon.com/2015/02/24/scott_walkers_economic_mess_how_worker_wages_were_gutted_in_wisconsin/). ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/815 "2015-02-24T15:41:05Z")
Looks to me like it worked out great. We’re supposed to have the smallest public workforce possible. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/816 "2015-02-24T16:08:07Z")
How great is it going to be when businesses fail because these people can’t afford to patronize them anymore? But hey, we busted the unions, it’s all good, God Is On Our Side, blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/817 "2015-02-24T16:11:43Z")
Public employees don’t contribute to the economy because they are paid with tax money that would have been spent regardless by consumers. Fewer public employees means more money in consumers’ wallets which means public employees are needed in the private sector. And that’s why Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is 5.2%. What’s Illnois’ unemployment rate again? ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/818 "2015-02-24T16:13:48Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Looks to me like it worked out great. We’re supposed to have the smallest public workforce possible. Smallest? No. Appropriate size for what public wants them to do? Sure. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/819 "2015-02-24T16:14:00Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Public employees don’t contribute to the economy because they are paid with tax money that would have been spent regardless by consumers. :rolleyes: Public employees contribute to the economy because they are paid with tax money that they spend **as** consumers. They also, of course, contribute the economy **as** public employees. In strictly economic terms, the public sector is not some kind of useless parasitic growth on the private sector; it adds actual value to the economy in its own ways. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/820 "2015-02-24T16:20:32Z")
> [@CGav8r](#): > > Smallest? No. > Appropriate size for what public wants them to do? > Sure. Which is the smallest size necessary to get the job done, just like in a private company. It’s not a jobs program, it’s a government that is supposed to perform tasks. If the tasks aren’t necessary, they shouldn’t be spending money on people doing them. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/821 "2015-02-24T16:22:19Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Which is the smallest size necessary to get the job done, just like in a private company. It’s not a jobs program, it’s a government that is supposed to perform tasks. If the tasks aren’t necessary, they shouldn’t be spending money on people doing them. What makes you think they aren’t necessary? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=42)