# Trump, Cruz, Rubio: the three hairballs the GOP has coughed up for its Presidential nominee **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 26, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192 "2016-02-26T14:11:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/41 "2016-02-26T19:55:07Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > My guess is that once Trump is the official nominee, there will be Republicans coming out of the woodwork to support him like he’s the second coming of Reagan. You know how Republican candidates have pissing matches to see who loves Reagan the most? They’ll be doing that for Trump in 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/42 "2016-02-26T20:26:21Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > You know how Republican candidates have pissing matches to see who loves Reagan the most? They’ll be doing that for Trump in 20 years. The Times had an article about how the establishment was worried that if Trump was the nominee the platform would have to match what he wants. He already supports Social Security, and if he goes back to his previous positions after he finishes pulling the wool over the eyes of the Republican ninnies they are going to have a real problem. A Republican Convention where they are fighting about including tax increases for the rich in the platform might be worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/43 "2016-02-26T21:02:20Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > …and according to FOX News, Chris Christie is, right this minute, endorsing Trump. Been hearing Christie soundbites on the AP’s radio service. Paraphrasing: “Americans need Trump to protect them!” No, we need him in a full-body condom. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/44 "2016-02-26T21:18:30Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Been hearing Christie soundbites on the AP’s radio service. Paraphrasing: “Americans need Trump to protect them!” > > No, we need him in a full-body condom. Hey, I’m scared of many imaginary things. Mr. Trump’s imaginary plans sound like just the ticket to protect me from them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/45 "2016-02-26T21:35:48Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > You know how Republican candidates have pissing matches to see who loves Reagan the most? They’ll be doing that for Trump in 20 years. “You love Trump the most!” “No, you do.” “Uh-uh, you!” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/46 "2016-02-26T21:46:50Z")
These guys are indeed hairballs, but Hillary is what comes out of the other end of the cat. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/47 "2016-02-26T21:50:02Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > These guys are indeed hairballs, but Hillary is what comes out of the other end of the cat. She’s a kitten? ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/48 "2016-02-26T22:06:49Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, if George Pataki had stayed in, I think he might be acceptable (or at least plausible) to Democrat-leaning Americans. Blue-state New York thought so, three times. Or if the 2012 experience hadn’t scared Huntsman off… ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/49 "2016-02-26T22:24:57Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > These guys are indeed hairballs, but Hillary is what comes out of the other end of the cat. Out of the cat’s whatever? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/50 "2016-02-26T23:03:57Z")
You’re saying she’s a piece of tail? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/51 "2016-02-26T23:21:36Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > George Bush: Great President, or Greatest President? It’s too soon to tell! Why can’t they be both?! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/52 "2016-02-27T09:22:52Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > **I’ll believe this schtick from Republicans when they support the Dem nominee over their own.** My guess is that once Trump is the official nominee, there will be Republicans coming out of the woodwork to support him like he’s the second coming of Reagan. In fact, I saw an essay just yesterday published in _The Federalist_ in which a conservative writer argues that, should the race end up being Trump vs Hillary, then Hillary will be the best choice for conservatives. His point wasn’t, of course, that Clinton will be a less-bad prez than Trump (from a conservative PoV), but rather, that Trump will be terribly damaging to the the conservative cause and bring it into great disrepute – whereas Clinton will be a terribly damaging prez but at least will not bring the conservative cause into disrepute. (Richard Nixon made a similar argument in one of his books, suggesting that we needed to have Democrats in power for a few administrations just to prove to everyone how bad that would be and how much better a Republican government would be.) ETA: Oops, forgot a link. Here: [I’ll Take Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump](http://thefederalist.com/2016/02/24/ill-take-hillary-clinton-over-donald-trump/), Tom Nichols, Feb. 24, 2016. > [@](#): > > The future of the entire conservative movement is at stake, and a Hillary Clinton victory over Donald Trump might be the only hope of saving it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/53 "2016-02-27T12:14:49Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Cruz is Richard Nixon without the charm. And with an extra mega-dose of Republican Jesus. But other than that, right on target. > [@Voyager](#): > > No wonder you admire them. Trump makes more sense than you do and Cruz has more friends. Excellent takedown. I applaud. > [@The\_Tooth](#): > > That’s optimistic. I have no reason to think this is just more of the same old garbage from Republicans we’ve been seeing for years. They’re more insane than they were last month, and less insane than they’ll be next month. Culmination my shoe. Yeah, I remember thinking in the fall of 2008 that we’d hit Peak Wingnut, and things would settle down once the election was over. I’m gonna have to really work at it to be that wrong about something ever again. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Would they be acting more dignified if Trump were out of the picture? Don’t know. I think they would be, but the fact is, once he was there, they let him pull them in his direction, both ideologically and behaviorally. They didn’t have to do that: they could have stood up to him, but they chose not to. > [@Ludovic](#): > > You’re saying she’s a piece of tail? She used to be, but now she’s a bit long in the tooth. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/54 "2016-02-27T12:25:23Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > The conservatives are wrong. No shit. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/55 "2016-02-27T21:49:05Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > In fact, I saw an essay just yesterday published in _The Federalist_ in which a conservative writer argues that, should the race end up being Trump vs Hillary, then Hillary will be the best choice for conservatives. > > His point wasn’t, of course, that Clinton will be a less-bad prez than Trump (from a conservative PoV), but rather, that Trump will be terribly **damaging to the conservative cause** and bring it into great disrepute – whereas Clinton will be a terribly damaging prez but at least will not bring the conservative cause into disrepute. > > (Richard Nixon made a similar argument in one of his books, suggesting that we needed to have Democrats in power for a few administrations just to prove to everyone how bad that would be and how much better a Republican government would be.) > > ETA: Oops, forgot a link. Here: > [I’ll Take Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump](http://thefederalist.com/2016/02/24/ill-take-hillary-clinton-over-donald-trump/), Tom Nichols, Feb. 24, 2016. Very interesting. And my bolding above, and - > [@](#): > > damaging to the conservative cause . I would like to know just what in the hell the conservative cause is? They claim to want smaller gov and allow people to make their own choices while wanting to be a part of everyone’s personal life. Bunch of hypocrites. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/56 "2016-02-27T22:45:05Z")
I for one am stunned the two _cubanos_ made it this far. That implies that the base of support for the other anglos has largely gone to Trump, or to them. So the race is splitting into racist (DT) and anti-racist (MR) blocks, with a fanatic (TC) hanging in who is also largely alive as a choice of non-racists rejecting racism? Oh, yes, Kasich is still around, too. Interesting, though. Will we see a split between white nationalists and more idealistic religious voters? Maybe so. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/57 "2016-02-28T01:25:11Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Be honest; you’d open essentially this same thread no matter who the potential Republican nominees were, right? I can’t speak for the OP, and I’m certainly not objective, but I do recall posting about Santorum and Bachmann four years ago being the same kind of candidate as the three stooges this year. But I did not say that kind of thing about Huntsman and Romney. (Romney was kind of fun with his corporations are people and the trees are just the right height in Michigan bobbles, but nothing like those three.) If Carson still had a chance of winning, I’d put him in with the stooges. Kasich is far more conservative than I care for, but at least he’s not a wild man accusing his opponent of peeing his pants, putting on makeup with a trowel or [misspelling “choker”.](http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2016/02/marco-rubio-mocks-trump-spelling) The GOP show Thursday night was a national embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/58 "2016-02-28T01:44:44Z")
Poor Republicans. They have to revere Reagan, who famously failed to start a war against the declining Soviet Union, after practically _promising_ it, and, perhaps illegally, accommodated/bribed Iran rather than starting an illegal war against _them_! And who declined to deport 12 million people, and committed a dozen other crimes for which they claim democratic presidents and officials should be tried as criminals. There is a stage of cognitive dissonance, apparently, at which cognition simply gives up and dies. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/59 "2016-02-28T05:31:11Z")
Re: Posts [#52](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19135277#post19135277) and [#55](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19136322#post19136322) above, on the idea of conservatives so disgusted with Trump that they contemplate voting for Hillary! Here’s another one I just noticed: [Trump is the GOP’s Frankenstein monster. Now he’s strong enough to destroy the party](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-the-gops-frankenstein-monster-now-hes-strong-enough-to-destroy-the-party/2016/02/25/3e443f28-dbc1-11e5-925f-1d10062cc82d_story.html). Robert Kagan (senior Fellow at Brookings Institution), Washington Post, Feb. 25, 2016: > [@](#): > > When the plague descended on Thebes, Oedipus sent his brother-in-law to the Delphic oracle to discover the cause. Little did he realize that the crime for which Thebes was being punished was his own. Today’s Republican Party is our Oedipus. A plague has descended on the party in the form of the most successful demagogue-charlatan in the history of U.S. politics. The party searches desperately for the cause and the remedy without realizing that, like Oedipus, it is the party itself that brought on this plague. The party’s own political crimes are being punished in a bit of cosmic justice fit for a Greek tragedy. > > \< . . . \> > > So what to do now? The Republicans’ creation will soon be let loose on the land, leaving to others the job the party failed to carry out. For this former Republican, and perhaps for others, the only choice will be to vote for Hillary Clinton. The party cannot be saved, but the country still can be. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192/60 "2016-02-28T21:31:05Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Re: Posts [#52](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19135277#post19135277) and [#55](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19136322#post19136322) above, on the idea of conservatives so disgusted with Trump that they contemplate voting for Hillary! > > Here’s another one I just noticed: > [Trump is the GOP’s Frankenstein monster. Now he’s strong enough to destroy the party](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-the-gops-frankenstein-monster-now-hes-strong-enough-to-destroy-the-party/2016/02/25/3e443f28-dbc1-11e5-925f-1d10062cc82d_story.html). Robert Kagan (senior Fellow at Brookings Institution), Washington Post, Feb. 25, 2016: My summarized translation of that Kagan article: _“Clinton, if elected, is a pretty sure bet to carry on her husband’s brand of what is effectively moderate Republicanism, with proper deference to the economic interests of important rich people. Trump, on the other hand, is a professional drama llama whose personal economic self-interest is centered on attracting attention, and if he’s elected the markets are gonna **HATE** it.”_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-cruz-rubio-the-three-hairballs-the-gop-has-coughed-up-for-its-presidential-nominee/747192.md?page=4)