# The Republicans really screwed themselves by putting all of their eggs in the MAGA basket **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 18, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770 "2023-08-18T21:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/41 "2023-08-20T12:53:27Z")
The party has indeed become unstable, with strong self-destructive impulses, but is not done yet. And still has its strongholds. Like Tennessee, for example. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/42 "2023-08-20T13:06:42Z")
I’d say it has strong destructive impulses. Some of which are inter-factional and therefore self-destructive, but most of which are outward directed. The Reactionary Wacko Traitor party is definitely going to destroy something. But as between the USA and their party, I put strong odds on them destroying the USA first. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/43 "2023-08-20T13:25:53Z")
Oft quoted: _If conservatives become convinced the cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism, they will reject democracy_. - David Frum ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/44 "2023-08-20T13:31:18Z")
I think this was inevitable since the huge popularity of right-wing info-tainers like Rush Limbaugh (and I think the majority of the blame lies with him specifically). Before then, most Americans could disagree agreeably with those on the “other side” of politics. Limbaugh made the idea popular that liberals/progressives/Democrats actively hated America, and/or were allied with communists, and/or were otherwise were worthy of contempt and anything but respect and agreeableness. There were some wannabes, but never anyone nearly as popular on the left as Limbaugh. And perhaps Limbaugh and his ilk were inevitable since the Republican devotion to the Southern Strategy of Nixon. My point is, ultimately, that Trump, or someone Trump-like, was inevitable, no matter the decisions of the leadership of the Republican party. And the willingness of the leadership of the party to make character and honor such a low priority for their elected officials made it inevitable that most of the party would go along with Trump. So yes, they screwed themselves, but it wasn’t just because of decisions in ~2016, but rather decisions made over several decades. ---
**Author:** ![Digger11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Digger11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger11)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/45 "2023-08-20T20:18:57Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It scares me too. It’s one thing to try to beat your opponents, but they are directly attacking our system of democracy itself. The Founding Fathers would cheer those efforts. They loathed and feared democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Digger11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Digger11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger11)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/46 "2023-08-20T20:21:39Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > And the “left” keep shifting to the right. New York arguably have an extreme right-wing Mayor who is in the pocket of the cops. When homosexual marriage is revoked; when homosexual behavior is criminalized once again; when abortion is outlawed nation-wide; when “gender-affirming care” is criminalized; **ONLY THEN** will this statement be accurate in any way whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/47 "2023-08-20T20:27:40Z")
Sounds like someone thinks there’s something unamerican about homosexuality. Somehow I missed that particular clause in the constitution. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/48 "2023-08-20T20:29:24Z")
It ignores the fact that they rejected democracy long ago. There literally hasn’t been a time in the last 60 when the GOP wasn’t trying to prevent some Americans from accessing the ballot box. Trump is different than previous candidates because he is more open about it. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/49 "2023-08-20T22:38:28Z")
So you’d require 60s-level oppression of homosexuals and reproductive rights as evidence that mainstream Democrats have shifted rightward? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770/50 "2023-08-20T23:52:29Z")
Moderating: > [@Digger11](#): > > The Founding Fathers would cheer those efforts. They loathed and feared democracy. > [@Digger11](#): > > once again; when abortion is outlawed nation-wide; when “gender-affirming care” is criminalized; **ONLY THEN** will this statement be accurate in any way whatsoever. You’re far off topic with these posts. Please review the OP and stay within the discussion outlined. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republicans-really-screwed-themselves-by-putting-all-of-their-eggs-in-the-maga-basket/988770.md?page=2)