# What does the GOP do about 2020? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 27, 2019, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476 "2019-01-27T09:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/21 "2019-01-27T16:19:38Z")
Hillary was completely unique, and was possibly the only person who could have even come close to losing an election to Trump. For some odd reason people continue to ignore the reality of our political landscape. Registered Republicans and Democrats are irrelevant. They are 30-35% respectively and will brainlessly vote for their letter. The election is decided by the independents., and because of the make up of state population only about 8-10 states even matter there. The independents hate a lot of things, including being polled, and are hard to measure. But one thing a very large number of them were abundantly clear about for the past 20 years is that they were never ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,ever going to vote for Hillary for anything in any circumstance whatsoever, but a bunch of dumbasses put her on the ticket anyway and got Trump elected. However now those same people are saying, “Damn this Trump is a fucking idiot, and dangerous liar . No way in hell we will vote for him again, and in fact the cult like behavior of the R’s makes it clear we can not ever vote for an R again” So yeah, the Republican party is completely fucked in 2020 and beyond. They are deeply committed to an orthodoxy that can’t win another presidential election any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/22 "2019-01-27T16:37:43Z")
They have to ride this rocket into the dirt and see it explode before they’ll try something different. Whichever is the best way to double down on the crazy, that’s what they’ll do. If it’s Trump, they’ll do that. If Rush Limbaugh runs, they’ll do that. There’s nowhere else for them to go. Of course there are moderates in the GOP, but they’ve been so content to rely on the energetic activism of the nutball fringe that their resistance muscles are too weak and frail to do anything. Expect them to publicly clutch their pearls about Candidate Ann Coulter, and privately sigh “well, whatabout bothsides and Hillary would be even worse, and I guess he might get us a tax cut. Taxation is theft, after all.” ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/23 "2019-01-27T16:42:19Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > So yeah, the Republican party is completely fucked in 2020 and beyond. They are deeply committed to an orthodoxy that can’t win another presidential election any time soon. Don’t think that. Never think that. That was 2016 thinking. Yes they will go more extreme, no it’s not impossible for extremism to win again. The “moderate” GOP is never going to vote Democrat. Most of them will vote for the extreme GOP candidate and say they voted third-party or write-in. Never take this pack of liars’ word at face value, there will be no change until they get pounded in 3 election cycles (minimum). ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/24 "2019-01-27T16:53:32Z")
However '20 goes in the end, it will be a close election. And it won’t be the last close election we have in the near future but it will probably be the last close election involving a GOP candidate from the crazy wing of the party. The Don is already in a hole because of demographic changes; there’s about a two million vote flip between the deaths of '16 voters and the enrollment of new voters who are distinctly anti-Trump (and anti-conservative in general). Donald’s margin was already razor thin in '16; to get the centrist voters they absolutely will need in ensuing elections, they will need to track back at least a little towards the center. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/25 "2019-01-27T17:01:11Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > The “moderate” GOP is never going to vote Democrat. Most of them will vote for the extreme GOP candidate Again, that doesn’t matter. The entire GOP, moderate or not will always vote for the Republican. But the Independents will move farther and farther away as they get uglier and uglier. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/26 "2019-01-27T17:32:23Z")
Have you ruled out disbanding, liquidating all of their assets, and turning them over to me for safekeeping? When a NON-insane, CONSERVATIVE (as opposed to RADICAL REACTIONARY) political party emerges and approaches a self-sustaining, I\* would turn over the proceeds to them. \*(More likely my heirs, if we’re being realistic) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/27 "2019-01-27T17:58:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So, you think his support’s gonna crater on account of the _bump stock ban??_ > > _That’s_ gonna be the thing that causes a big chunk of his base to desert him? > > Ho-_kay._ You’re missing the point, but only because I didn’t present it convincingly. It’s not the ban itself but the betrayal that counts. Gun rights advocates are typically reliable Republican voters. The GOA/NRA spent millions to help get him elected and he made hard promises to their agenda. And for every NRA/GOA member there are many more voters who are not members but share their ideology. Trump quickly flipped on a couple of key gun rights issues. I want to emphasize how quickly he flipped. That base stayed home in 1992 against Bush and could do the same in 2020. Doing that plus the absence of campaigning/money is a significant loss to any candidate. Now throw in all the other hi-jinx and the egg he has on his face recently. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/28 "2019-01-27T18:01:04Z")
I had to vote “other” because a simple “they lose” wasn’t a choice. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/29 "2019-01-27T18:01:15Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Again, that doesn’t matter. The entire GOP, moderate or not will always vote for the Republican. But the Independents will move farther and farther away as they get uglier and uglier. Independents don’t matter. They are right-wingers who are picky about who represents them. They clutch their pearls about the horrors of right-wing extremism, but won’t vote for the viable party who opposes that extremism (Democrats). ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/30 "2019-01-27T18:10:37Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Independents don’t matter. They are right-wingers who are picky about who represents them. They clutch their pearls about the horrors of right-wing extremism, but won’t vote for the viable party who opposes that extremism (Democrats). That definition of independents is at odds with reality in that in 2 out of the last 3 presidential elections, including 100% of those elections where they didn’t have to vote for Hillary, they voted for the Democrat… ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/31 "2019-01-27T18:54:39Z")
I have a feeling the Republicans are in a no-win situation but their best hope is the DNC. If the DNC pulls another stunt, or even the appearance of a stunt, like they did favoring Hillary over Bernie history could – just maybe – repeat itself. But after 2016 they could actually nominate Nancy Pelosi and have her come out victorious in November. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/32 "2019-01-27T20:00:37Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > But after 2016 they could actually nominate Nancy Pelosi and have her come out victorious in November. The Republican nightmare is Pence resigns causing Trump to keel over, making Pelosi President. Pelosi is like a freaking whack-a-mole. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/33 "2019-01-27T20:15:02Z")
> [@](#): > > But he was the GOP candidate and noway was I voting for Hillary. It’s not that I don’t like the positions he takes on issues (I agree with them), it’s that he’s a narcissistic nut job who will flip at any given moment, as evidenced by his betrayal of the NRA and GOA. > > The moment otherwise law abiding people get arrested/prosecuted for owning a piece of plastic, a ban that prevents nothing, he will have permanently lost support of a large demographic of his previous supporters. And that’s in addition to all the other previous supporters he’s pissed off. In others words, you wanted him to accomplish nothing on the matter, and what he actually did was accomplish nothing, and so you’re pissed off at him for that? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/34 "2019-01-27T20:52:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > In others words, you wanted him to accomplish nothing on the matter, and what he actually did was accomplish nothing, and so you’re pissed off at him for that? He accomplished getting a major gun control objective through, not only contrary to his promises, but bypassing congress to do so. You may like it, but who gives a rip what you think? You and an organization you belong to didn’t spend major bucks to get him elected, and he didn’t make hard core promises to you or an organization you belong to. Some of my customers spent hundreds of dollars on an item that will now make them a federal felon to posses if they don’t get rid of it without any compensation. I wonder what would happen if folks getting rid of their bump stocks mailed them to the White House so Donny receives them the day the ban kicks in? 😃 ---
**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:** [January 27, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/35 "2019-01-27T21:16:49Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The Republican nightmare is Pence resigns causing Trump to keel over, making Pelosi President. Pelosi is like a freaking whack-a-mole. On the up side, she _probably_ wouldn’t run again in 2020… ---
**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:** [January 27, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/36 "2019-01-27T21:19:28Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > He accomplished getting a major gun control objective through, not only contrary to his promises, but bypassing congress to do so. > > You may like it, but who gives a rip what you think? You and an organization you belong to didn’t spend major bucks to get him elected, and he didn’t make hard core promises to you or an organization you belong to. > > Some of my customers spent hundreds of dollars on an item that will now make them a federal felon to posses if they don’t get rid of it without any compensation. > > I wonder what would happen if folks getting rid of their bump stocks mailed them to the White House so Donny receives them the day the ban kicks in? 😃 You have _customers?_ I thought you were a cop. Well, I suppose everybody is _supposed_ to be your customer from one point of view. Except the bad guys, of course. Still… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/37 "2019-01-27T21:24:24Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Hillary was completely unique, and was possibly the only person who could have even come close to losing an election to Trump. > For some odd reason people continue to ignore the reality of our political landscape. Registered Republicans and Democrats are irrelevant. They are 30-35% respectively and will brainlessly vote for their letter. The election is decided by the independents., and because of the make up of state population only about 8-10 states even matter there. The independents hate a lot of things, including being polled, and are hard to measure. But one thing a very large number of them were abundantly clear about for the past 20 years is that they were never ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,ever going to vote for Hillary for anything in any circumstance whatsoever, but a bunch of dumbasses put her on the ticket anyway and got Trump elected. > . The dumbasses being the voters. :rolleyes::dubious: In fact this wasnt even close to obvious until Hillary had pretty much cemented her win, and it was due to the kremlin feeding the Bernie Bros all that nice propaganda. However, trust me, the Kremlin could have hit and killed pretty much anyone. They’d have no problem producing a Communist Party card (and supporting docs and pics) for Bernie- and Bernie then wouldn’t even do as well as Kerry. \*All the polls- even among independents- pointed to a Hillary win. \* ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/38 "2019-01-27T21:31:30Z")
Here’s what will lose the dems- Bernie. Bernie runs, the Dems lose. Simple. if he runs as a Independent or as a Dem. He’d be worse that Hillary running again. The GOP will try very hard to get him to run, or try to make a 3rd party progressive at least halfway possible. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/39 "2019-01-27T21:34:00Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > He accomplished getting a major gun control objective through It was?? Seriously, I had no idea. From the left side, it was more like the least the other side can do to demonstrate it’s not completely insane on the subject. > [@](#): > > not only contrary to his promises Trump made promises about bump stocks? In 2016, they were still mostly under the radar. > [@](#): > > but bypassing congress to do so. I’ll let you in on a little secret: the Executive Branch can’t regulate where neither the Constitution nor Congress has given them the authority. > [@](#): > > You and an organization you belong to didn’t spend major bucks to get him elected, and he didn’t make hard core promises to you or an organization you belong to. No really, what were those “hard core promises”? > [@](#): > > Some of my customers spent hundreds of dollars on an item that will now make them a federal felon to posses if they don’t get rid of it without any compensation. Excuse me while I pull out my microscope. I need to locate the world’s tiniest violin. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476/40 "2019-01-27T21:36:38Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > He accomplished getting a major gun control objective through, not only contrary to his promises, but bypassing congress to do so. > > You may like it, but who gives a rip what you think? You and an organization you belong to didn’t spend major bucks to get him elected, and he didn’t make hard core promises to you or an organization you belong to. You… believed him? Hah, it is to laugh. We’ve been pointing out that he is a pathological liar from the moment that he descended the escalator. He’s lied to everyone about everything, but only now that he has lied to you about something that _you_ care about does he lose your support. I’m sorry that you worked so hard to get him elected, and I’m sorry that he turned out to betray you, but you can’t say that we didn’t warn you. The Obama Admin actually okay’d bump stocks, but they are the evil gun grabber of the party you would in “noway” vote for. You support Trump because you think that he’s got your back, and he betrays you, just as we all told you he would. > [@](#): > > Some of my customers spent hundreds of dollars on an item that will now make them a federal felon to posses if they don’t get rid of it without any compensation. Well, to be fair, they were inspired to buy them by the actions of a mass murderer, so I’m not feeling too sorry for them. Oh, and hundreds of dollars? Really? The bump stocks that I saw were all sub $100, most in the $50-75 range, with some available for even less than that. And that’s not counting if you just use some PVC or a 2x4 > [@](#): > > I wonder what would happen if folks getting rid of their bump stocks mailed them to the White House so Donny receives them the day the ban kicks in? 😃 Please advise that them to do that. While I don’t agree with it, most states do have laws that say that felons cannot vote, and shipping weapons to public figures is probably a good way to get a felony or two on your record. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-gop-do-about-2020/828476.md?page=3)