# 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:** 59
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1162 "2015-03-31T16:31:05Z")
Does anyone truly think that the new Indiana Freedom to Discriminate bill will hold up under scrutiny? I can imagine that as soon as the law goes into effect, there will already be a line of people willing to be plaintiffs and the ACLU or somebody would already have a case plan ready. Meanwhile, I’m hoping anybody actually trying to discriminate will have their business shut down by protests and boycotts. Let’s face it, this isn’t Chick Fil’A or some massive corporation trying to discriminate, these are small private businesses like that photographer or bakery. Those will have little will or power to fight massive outcry. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1163 "2015-03-31T16:33:10Z")
If the national RFRA is not only upheld, but faithfully used by the courts to interpret the 1st amendment, what makes you think the state versions will be struck down? All the law says is that the state must prove a compelling interest to substantially burden religious freedom. In what way do you think that’s unconstitutional? Third, how will there be a massive outcry? The only people who are going to win are people who would actually be forced to violate their religious beliefs. I don’t think anyone’s going to have sympathy for the state vs. the little guy, or in a likely case, a little wedding planner who would rather not do a gay wedding. I’m not sure what virtue there is in forcing people to participate in gay weddings. From a pure political standpoint, our side will be reminding voters that once again, the left can’t be trusted. They promised this wouldn’t happen, went so far as to call those who said it would liars and scaremongerers, and now they are going ahead and trying to do it: force people to participate in gay marriages who don’t want to. They lied. They always lie. All liberal promises have are merely tactical. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1164 "2015-03-31T17:40:29Z")
How’s that workin’ out for ya so far? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1165 "2015-03-31T17:46:05Z")
We haven’t begun to campaign yet. Never underestimate the right-wing noise machine. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1166 "2015-03-31T17:46:59Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > We haven’t begun to campaign yet. When did you ever _stop_? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1167 "2015-03-31T17:52:15Z")
Despite the fact that there are already state-level RFRA laws, and despite the fact that many individuals can actually discriminate for any reason they choose, the media decided to focus on the Indiana law and caught us off guard. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1168 "2015-03-31T17:55:48Z")
You simply refuse to get it, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1169 "2015-03-31T18:00:18Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Despite the fact that there are already state-level RFRA laws, and despite the fact that many individuals can actually discriminate for any reason they choose, the media decided to focus on the Indiana law and caught us off guard. It used to be so easy when you could gin up your base and put anti-SSM measures on the ballot. Now that you have to actually live in the 21st and not 17th centuries, it’s gonna be hard for Team Red. It isn’t just the media focusing on the Indiana Let’s Hate Gays law. Apple Corporation and the NCAA, other states all are reconsidering how much business to do with Indiana. But you can rejoice in how happy this makes your ultra-right wing base. If you aren’t gay, female, black, poor, or Hispanic there might be room for you in the Republican Party! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1170 "2015-03-31T20:01:15Z")
And while they’re at it, a whole passel of GOP candidates [have endorsed](http://www.sba-list.org/wheredotheystand2016) legislation that would outlaw abortion after 20 weeks. This includes Jeb, Rubio, Walker, Perry, Paul, Cruz, Christie, Santorum, Huckabee, Jindal, Carson, Lindsey Graham, Carly Fiorina, and Gov. Pence. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1171 "2015-03-31T20:09:43Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If you believe that the government should be able to substantially burden religious practice without a compelling interest at stake, then make that argument. Oh, I agree that government should need a compelling interest in order to substantially burden religious practice. But regardless of how the Nine Wise Souls see it, I personally don’t classify taking pictures or baking a cake in exchange for money as “religious practice.” And it’s times like these that I wish I owned some sort of retail business, so that I could refuse to serve the religious yahoos who support legislation like this, on the grounds that they’re Pharisees who are corrupting Christianity. It would give me great pleasure to use their own weapons to discriminate against _them_. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1172 "2015-03-31T22:37:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If you believe that the government should be able to substantially burden religious practice without a compelling interest at stake, then make that argument. Because if there’s one thing Jesus was all about, it was avoiding all contact with people he considered to be sinners. I can certainly see why that became (apparently) a Christian value… ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1173 "2015-04-01T10:11:41Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Despite the fact that there are already state-level RFRA laws, and despite the fact that many individuals can actually discriminate for any reason they choose, the media decided to focus on the Indiana law and caught us off guard. Not accurate. The Indiana Law differs from the Federal Law and most state laws by assigning the same religious rights to businesses as are assigned to persons and by acting as a defense against private lawsuits as well as against government interference. While a couple of states have similar language to one or the other of those provisions, only Indiana has both. This was not “the media deciding to focus” on Indiana, but Indiana taking their law to a greater extreme than any previous legislation. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1174 "2015-04-01T10:14:10Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > All liberal promises have are merely tactical. Pretty much the same as all conservative promises. _::: shrug :::_ ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1175 "2015-04-01T11:10:59Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Not accurate. > The Indiana Law differs from the Federal Law and most state laws by assigning the same religious rights to businesses as are assigned to persons and by acting as a defense against private lawsuits as well as against government interference. While a couple of states have similar language to one or the other of those provisions, only Indiana has both. > > This was not “the media deciding to focus” on Indiana, but Indiana taking their law to a greater extreme than any previous legislation. Businesses are regarded as persons by the law, even if the law is not written to say that. Thus the Hobby Lobby decision, which was decided under the RFRA. Legislatures do not get to say who a person is and isn’t. I think we can all see where that could go horribly wrong. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1176 "2015-04-01T11:17:03Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Pretty much the same as all conservative promises. _::: shrug :::_ Let’s hear an example. I can cite several: Voting rights- Liberals make tactical compromises in the Help America Vote Act that tighten up the system while making it easier for people to vote, then turn around and either sue or simply illegally fail to cooperate when states carry out their responsibility to do purges under the Act. The courts, of course, ruled in Florida’s favor: > **[Florida wins access to federal database in effort to purge voter rolls](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/15/florida-federal-database-voter-rolls)** > > Homeland security department may also allow other states to use its immigration lists to challenge registered voters Immigration enforcement- support better enforcement of immigration laws in exchange for amnesty, then call even workplace immigration enforcement “Un-American”. > **[Pelosi Tells Illegal Immigrants That Work Site Raids are Un-American](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-tells-illegal-immigrants-that-work-site-raids-are-un-american)** > > The speaker of the House told a group of both legal and illegal immigrants recently that  enforcement of immigration laws in the United States is "un-American." But anyway, your admission that this does indeed happen is enough. We have reason not to make deals with Democrats on issues where they can’t be trusted. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1177 "2015-04-09T12:52:22Z")
Chris Christie is kind of in, kind of out for 2016: [http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/politics/election-2016-chris-christie-comeback/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/politics/election-2016-chris-christie-comeback/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1178 "2015-04-09T12:56:14Z")
He’ll block that bridge when he comes to it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1179 "2015-04-10T01:38:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Voting rights- Liberals make tactical compromises in the Help America Vote Act that tighten up the system while making it easier for people to vote, then turn around and either sue or simply illegally fail to cooperate when states carry out their responsibility to do purges under the Act. When states carry out their responsibilities under that act, liberals do nothing, or applaud them. When states use that act as a fig leaf to carry out exactly the sort of activity that the act was designed to prevent, liberals fight back against it as hard as they can. In both cases, they are keeping their promises. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1180 "2015-04-10T03:35:55Z")
That’s not what a court ruled. In order to do a purge right, you need good data. The administration refused to give Florida the data, then turned around and had the chutzpah to claim that Florida couldn’t do a good purge because they didn’t have good data! In the end, the law, and Florida, prevailed. But it was a striking example of bad faith on the part of a Democratic administration and liberal activists. we’ll see a lot more of that when an immigration bill passes. Amnesty will happen quickly, but enforcement will be blocked in the courts by activists and slow walked by Democratic administrations. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1181 "2015-04-10T03:53:55Z")
Republican candidates eschew accountability when reporters start [quoting their own words](http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/04/09/1376620/-Republican-field-tired-of-gotcha-questions-sob-stop-quoting-me?detail=facebook_sf): > [@](#): > > For his part, Rand Paul spent the first day of his official candidacy testily explaining to reporters that nothing he said before about 2009, when he began running for office, is in any way relevant to his presidential run now and so it’s all off limits. In one case, he even claimed that something he said in 2009 was said in 2007, pushing it back out of the acceptable-to-ask category, per his rules. This from the man who’s been trying to run against Hillary Clinton based on things her husband did in the 1990s. > > For guys gearing up to run on accountability for everyone else, “it’s not fair to ask me about that stuff I said” is an interesting and nervy approach to dealing with the media. But the truth is, it is likely to appeal to a Republican base strongly rooted in the victim mentality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=58) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=60)