I wonder why so many politicians looks like they are human hosts in a men in black movie for alien life

It's far too common to be coincidence

I willingly admit this is all anecdotal, but: I know plenty of smart Conservatives here in my class and among my friends. I respect their opinions and enjoy talking with them and sharing ideas and discussing America. I've lived in Texas pretty much my whole life, so I've seen the good, bad and everything when it comes to Republican supporters.

So I know this isn't true or representative of all Republican and Conservative supporters. But the Republican party has fallen off the deep end. That's been pretty much clear with the rise of Donald Trump. Sarah Palin's popularity was also a sign. It pretty much started with the failed George W. Bush presidency and then rolled into the Tea Party nonsense and now we are here with the ultimate monster in Donald Trump.

The party needs a big overhaul. Honestly I do feel a little bad for people like you and Widow right now because you guys have ideas and principles but no one really represents you well on the national level. The Republicans at the forefront of the party and that are supposed to represent you have done a terrible job. It's no wonder Republicans' satisfaction with their own party has plummeted recently and even before Trump.

At the same time, the same Conservatives that I know and respect aren't 100% innocent of this shitshow and circus that is the GOP and Donald Trump. I've seen so many Republicans try and distance themselves from Trump, and for good reason, but they also must realize that they fed this whole "government is bad, government is evil" narrative with the Tea Party and stuff that it's no wonder they are getting an "outsider" candidate who says the government is totally incompetent. When really, I think it has been their own party that has caused so much of the obstruction and incompetence.

Lol.

"Look, I know Donald Trump is a textbook racist, but I still think he should be our president!"

GOP stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. I made a meme for Paul Ryan and all you Trumpers since I know you love them (hell, I love them, too):

Why are you linking a fiscally conservative grassroots group to Trump? The Tea Party movement was concerned with high taxes, high spending, and the increasing American debt, none of which is nonsense. They didn't gather on street corners across America to demand all illegal immigrants go home, or foreign Muslims should be banned from America, or Japan should have nuclear weapons, or a Mexican judge isn't capable of judging an anti-immigrant person's case fairly.

I'm an outlier... most Republicans are frustrated because our party isn't doing enough to fight for conservatism(whatever the hell that means these days). I want both parties to moderate in order to get things done, and the only way to achieve fiscal sanity in Washington is for both parties to come together and compromise.

This post was edited by IceMage on Jun 7 2016 01:09pm

The party itself is currently a joke but the concerns of many Republicans out there raising the meat and growing the vegetables in places where politics are on the hush hush around the dinner table shouldn't be thrown out just because their party is a wreck. I root for 2 strong parties to battle ideas because I think that benefits the country.

I understand why the California farmer might prefer a businessman like Trump and I don't think that farmer is crazy because I've been enough places to know both the right and left can screw towns, cities, and states up pretty bad when left unchecked

There are a lot more issues around this country than just the social ones we throw back and forth on the internet all the time.

Because the groups (Tea Party and Trump camp) are preaching a lot of the same things: "Government is incompetent, politicians are all corrupt, Washington cartel" etc etc.

Certainly when you go down to specific policy, they vastly differ. But in rhetoric and tone, they are surprisingly similar.

If you value compromise, you should consider supporting more Democrats. The party values working together and coming to compromise. Republicans value sticking to principles and not giving up any ground. In many cases, they are ideologues who would rather obstruct everything if they can't get their way on an issue. The most popular Conservative outside of Trump this election was Cruz.

You say you value compromise and want compromise, but you might not support important health care legislation if it had an abortion piece on it. That's another thing. Christianity has really contributed to the radicalization of the Republican party. Not in Trump's case, but in terms of Congress and the policies Republicans fight over. Republicans would rather take a stand against gay and trans people and pass "bathroom" laws then get any sort of real, productive reform passed.

I find it hard to believe the best the right has to offer is what we saw this cycle. In order to show their best they need to find and vote for their best and I don't think he has to give into voting for democrats he should continue to search for pragmatic people that share his values and don't support the dumbass things we have seen lately.

As a Californian I can tell you that the left can be just as nutty as the right in liberal states. Not as hateful but just as nutty.

"an absolute rebuttal to my statement? heh i'm going to pretend it's not!"

I never said he's not allowed to be apart of an association I am saying that Trump is correct when saying the Judge is likely biased against Trump due to his past. You were not editing your posts for grammar and syntax you were completely rewriting your statements as if you were just learning information relevant to your posts from google searches.
I ask you to explain how this makes Trump racist and you say something along the lines of Trump = Hitler. Trump wants a temporary ban on Muslims, not Arabs -- or do you not know the difference? Trump wants to deport illegals, not Mexicans -- do you not know the difference again? You are being the dishonest one here because you are changing his words to fit your racist narrative.

Government is incompetent, and as a Bernie Sanders supporter I'm surprised you don't think at least most politicians are corrupt.

My point is the Tea Party movement became what it is because of fiscal issues. Whatever rhetoric they use to support that basic principle doesn't really matter to me. I'm not swayed by rhetoric.

There's Republican politicians who are willing to work together and compromise, and those are the ones I like to vote for. I rather vote for a Republican who obstructs than a Democrat who votes for big government policies.

Ah, we're having a discussion so the anti-Christianity point has to come up. The lack of compromise between the two parties has basically nothing to do with Republicans holding Christian positions.

Oh, yeah. I wouldn't want to live in California. For some reason, stupid hippy liberals make me more frustrated than dumb Republicans. Perhaps because I mistakenly hold the left up to higher standards.

The Right definitely has more to offer us. Obviously almost anything other than Trump will be better. If Republicans could go back to more of how they were in the 90s and 80s, our country would be in a better place.

But based on what we've seen from GWB, Palin, Trump, etc, I'd say the party is trending downward, not upward. I want to see some hope. But I can't just say something is there when I don't see it right now.

I actually want to like Paul Ryan. I'm trying really hard. He seems more cerebral. I actually liked McCain in 2008, for the most part. Thought he was better than W Bush.