# Who is the most extreme and unbelievable candidate Republicans are running this cycle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 1, 2022, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912 "2022-08-01T11:00:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/21 "2022-08-02T00:35:21Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > What’s even keeping him alive? Isn’t he something like eleventy-thousand years old? Injections from the glands of puppies stolen from animal shelters. At least that’s what people are saying. People are talking about it at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/22 "2022-08-02T02:15:52Z")
Just saw a nifty factoid on PBS Newshour that at least 120 candidates who denied the results of the 2020 election have won GOP nominations this year. 🥇 🥈 🥉 ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/23 "2022-08-02T03:33:23Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > As for despising the primary system in general – what’s your alternative method for selecting candidates? The old “smoke-filled room” looks better to me with every passing election cycle. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/24 "2022-08-02T04:01:33Z")
Here’s a link to Greitens’ divorce case, which has reared its ugly head in recent days. [https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchDockets.do](https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchDockets.do) I’d also place Dr. Oz on the list of unbelievable candidates. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2022, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/25 "2022-08-02T08:30:45Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > > [@pkbites](#): > > > > It stinks, and is why I oppose open primaries and despise the primary system in general. > > The kind of hijinks that Democrats have been up to in Republican primaries have nothing to do with open primaries. Their MO is to run ads tagging their preferred candidate as “too conservative for [state]” – knowing that it will make that candidate _more_ attractive to Republican primary voters. Crossing over and voting for a candidate in the primary who you won’t vote for in the general certainly does have to do with open primaries. > [@flurb](#): > > As for despising the primary system in general – what’s your alternative method for selecting candidates? Have the party leaders select the candidates like they used to do . Yes, I am advocating for a return to the smoke filled back rooms. This would ensure that candidates would be chosen who adhered to the parties platforms and rid the electorate of “RINO’s” and such. Anyone who doesn’t care for this can run as an independant. Having the public at large decide who the candidate is in the general election is absurd. Especially in states like mine with open primaries. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/26 "2022-08-02T22:30:08Z")
And here’s a more functional link to the Greitens divorce case. [https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/header.do?inputVO.caseNumber=20BA-FC00579&inputVO.courtId=CT13](https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/header.do?inputVO.caseNumber=20BA-FC00579&inputVO.courtId=CT13) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/27 "2022-08-02T23:54:57Z")
Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/28 "2022-08-03T13:07:43Z")
Last night incumbent Michigan GOP Rep. Peter Meijer – one of ten House Republicans to vote for Trump’s second impeachment – lost his primary to John Gibbs. Gibbs is an election denier, but that’s just baseline for Republican candidates. He’s also supported right-wing conspiracy theories linking Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign to satanic rituals and described Democrats as the party of Islam and gender-bending. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/29 "2022-08-03T13:22:26Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Even if we do defeat them in the general, it still moves the Overton window in their direction which is bad for everyone. This, damnit. It contributes to normalize the wackery and define “compromise” as halfway to _them_ from the center. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/30 "2022-08-03T20:29:31Z")
Gibbs also received considerable indirect financial support from Democrats, on the theory that he will make an easier general election opponent. A risky and ethically dubious approach, imho. If Donald Trump really is an existential threat to democracy, then donating to his allies should be out of bounds. (CIte: [Peter Meijer, Republican who voted to impeach Trump, loses Michigan seat | Republicans | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/03/peter-meijer-loses-republican-voted-impeach-trump-michigan) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/31 "2022-08-03T20:37:16Z")
Extreme and unbelievable _is_ the norm for today’s Republican Party. They are now the _Real_ Republicans, and the rest of y’all are over on the bench with the Log Cabin Republicans. ---
**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 3, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/32 "2022-08-03T23:54:54Z")
Yeah I don’t get why the Democrats did that to Meijer. He is one of the guys on the other team that did the right thing, even if you are odds with other stuff about him. Couldn’t they have saved their powder for some other nutball who needed removing from office more urgently? I guess they think this seat will be an easy flip now. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/33 "2022-08-04T00:06:12Z")
All in all, Doug Mastriano is the most revolting candidate I have ever been able to vote against. The media attacks on Oz (by Fetterman) have a comic quality. The ads attacking Mastriano are merciless and deadly. ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/34 "2022-08-04T01:48:15Z")
It looks like Arizona is going to make Penn look quaint pretty soon. With a few more votes to count, it looks like the most loony candidate won in each major race. Some a bit less religiously extreme than Mastriano – but all nuts While I do hope these extremists are easily beaten in the general elections across all those states, it does clarify where republican voters tend to be philosophically. Lastly, The hit job by Democrats upon Meijer was a huge mistake on two counts. First it was very cynical and could backfire. But more important it was overtly immoral and put those operatives in the same category as Republican operative who will do anything to win an election. They need to go back to primary school and learn that if you have to cheat to win - - - - - you didn’t really win. ---
**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 4, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/35 "2022-08-04T16:09:17Z")
> [@Temporary\_Name](#): > > They need to go back to primary school and learn that if you have to cheat to win - - - - - you didn’t really win. I dunno. Tell that to the Pro-Choice movement. I am not sure “play by the rules” matters any more. My point was that this tactic should only be used in selected, extreme situations and not across the board, mainly because it will not work all the time, and should only be deployed when there is a VERY strong possibility of success. For Meijer, it did not seem like an extreme risk situation, and the risk of failure is non-zero, so there is the possibility of ‘crazy-train’ Gibbs becoming a lawmaker instead of Meijer. I mean, you have people like Boebert and Taylor-Greene getting elected these days, so anything’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/36 "2022-08-05T01:31:22Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I dunno. Tell that to the Pro-Choice movement. ??? I was not under the impression that it was pro-choice who crafted the Kansas ballot measure in a deceptive manner, nor did they send out misleading (outright lying!) texts that said the complete opposite of the truth of the matter. While Democratic operatives may have some small exposure to being the win-at-all-cost cheaters – it is a far smaller exposure than seemingly every single Republican operative. Not sure I am following you here? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/37 "2022-08-05T03:16:00Z")
> [@Temporary\_Name](#): > > Not sure I am following you here? I am not snowthx and cannot speak for them, but the way I read that remark was along the lines of “Well, to the pro-choice movement it must look an awful lot like their opponents did ‘really win’, even though they cheated in many respects, because abortion rights really are getting drastically restricted in a lot of places.” In other words, once you’re on the losing end of a battle where your opponents cheated and nonetheless won significant victories, primary-school ideals of fair play aren’t much consolation. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/38 "2022-08-05T03:45:10Z")
in. She’s anti abortion to ridiculous extremes. Big surprise there.Every Repub. Gov. candidate we had in MI were crazy election deniers. One of them was indicted for participating in the riot on Jan. 6. Oddly, he didn’t win the primary. On the other hand, the loon that orange boy backed did w ---
**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 5, 2022, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/39 "2022-08-05T04:40:56Z")
@Kimstu has it right. Republicans have been successfully manipulating the system to hold onto power - call it cheating or whatever. Losers of elections don’t get to write laws. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912/40 "2022-08-05T04:45:12Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Losers of elections don’t get to write laws. And, given enough time, they don’t get to enforce them either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-extreme-and-unbelievable-candidate-republicans-are-running-this-cycle/968912.md?page=3)