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There Is a Moderate Republican in this Race, but She’s Running as a Democrat

 

 

Who is the real Democrat — Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton? Why are fringe candidates getting all of the attention this year? Who are the moderates?

 

These questions can all be answered by understanding something that has been unfolding for forty years: The center of American politics has shifted steadily to the right. Today neither party is even remotely similar to what it was when Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, for example, first entered politics.

 

In the late 1970s, as large corporations turned into transnational giants, they pumped huge amounts of cash into the political system. This largesse lured, first, the Republican Party, in the 80s, followed by the Democratic Party in the 90s, and precipitated a rightward political shift as both parties rewrote their policies to compete for the same corporate contributions.

 

Before this, from 1932–1976, the Democratic Party as a whole was far more progressive. The issues and approaches advocated today by Bernie Sanders were considered mainstream Democratic ideas by Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson, and even many moderate Republicans. It was common to support strict financial regulation, liberal immigration, social services for the poor, and progressive tax policies.

 

Hillary Clinton’s stances, while fluid during this election cycle, are historically most in tune with classical Republican ideas, as advocated by Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and others. As a young woman, she volunteered for the conservative Barry Goldwater, and while today she’s become liberal on some social issues, she’s generally at home with moderate conservative ideas, such as a hawkish military, strict immigration laws, reduced welfare, laissez-faire rules for Wall Street, and international business treaties that favor large corporations. One group started a petition this year asking Clinton to run as a Republican, suggesting that while she is “liberal on some issues, on a wide range of important issues she lands squarely as a moderate conservative.â€

 

As for the Republican candidates still running in the primary this year — Donald Trump, John Kasich, and Ted Cruz — they are all to the right of Goldwater, and they would have been considered unelectable extremists and distant outliers on the spectrum before 1996.

 

...

 

https://medium.com/@tonybrasunas/there-s-only-one-moderate-republican-in-this-race-2f0e2fa6becd#.sjtwbxbwb

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There Is a Moderate Republican in this Race, but She’s Running as a Democrat

 

Hillary Clinton’s stances, while fluid during this election cycle, are historically most in tune with classical Republican ideas, as advocated by Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon,

 

 

Eisenhower and Nixon both WON ! smiley.gif

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Been a long time. Not surprised to see US politics as the main topic.

 

Trump - Being President was never Trump's ideas as his goal originally. Trump entered the race for two things. 1. For his branding. The attention would keep his name in the news and relevant and that will help his commercial assets, tv shows, properties, etc. and 2. He's at heart a narcissist and wants his opinion heard. He spent 7 years saying Obama is born in Kenya and everyone laughed and ignored him. By running he can say what he wants heard and have a platform. Trump wasn't serious and the proof is he didn't do what all serious candidates do BEFORE running: assemble a team. Get policy wonks to advise you. Put together a ground team in the states you are going to. etc. He did none of that. He made a statement and one part of it resonated (Mexicans) and he ran with it. Things changed. He is now thinking 'why not?". I think there are a few things that even now he may not want the presidency and that major thing is releasing his taxes. Its not a law but its tradition that the party candidates reveal their tax returns over the last few years and my guess the last thing Trump wants is to see what under that hood of the car and its not going to be flattering. Most serious financial news magazines like Forbes has long said he has vastly over stated his wealth and the emperor will be seen as having less clothes than he said. My guess? if he doesn't get the nomination he'll run 3rd party and if he does, he' refuse to show his tax returns and it won't hurt his followers as they don't care.

 

There is a very strong fringe right, supremacist core to his rallies (neo Nazis, KKK, they have been robocalling folks to vote for him) and the media ignores just how big they are or even that they exist. I am from Pennsylvania and a friend went to a rally (he's white..lol...which explains some things) out of curiosity and he was shocked at the amount of hate groups and the "small talk" amongst them. Scary stuff. I don't think Trump even likes them to some extent but that's who is interested and who is going to vote so he'll ride that horse. He's an opportunist. All billionaires are. Its how they make their money.

 

Cruz - He is far, far scarier than Trump. The scariest by far of anyone in the field. Cruz is a true Sith Lord. Cruz is Sauron. Cruz believes what he believes and no matter what the polls say or what the constitution says about it, he will do what he believes in. The shut down is evidence of that. Boehner has said he is the worst person he has ever had to deal with....ever. Let that sink in. The former leader in the Congress. Been there for a couple decades and seen hundreds if not thousands of people come through there and Cruz is the worst. His own party boss. Let that marinate. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/john-beohner-ted-cruz-lucifer-222570

 

Cruz won't care what the Congress, the Supreme Court, you or I or his mom thinks. Trump in the white house, Trump will sway with the political wind. He has already gone back and forth on things. Cruz, will do it and damn the consequences. The good news? Neither stands a chance.

 

Hillary - Hillary will win the white house. No question. Both parties know it. Its just a matter of how big is the win. I am not a fan of Hillary but i'm not a fan for political reasons. She was the more progressive between her and Bill but she's become firmly establishment. AIPAC supports her and NOT Bernie, a fellow Jew. That does not happen with certain groups. Black groups always support Blacks (Obama was he exception), Jewish groups always support a fellow Jew. Its the 11th commandment. Its the same for other groups. Fundamentalists, etc. I've noticed this and its something I will ask some of you, but it seems white males have this visceral hatred for her. Always had and its sans ideology. Non white males, blacks, latinos, Asians either are neutral or like her. No real feelings. Many blacks prefer Bernie more now but if Bernie was not in the race they would support Hillary. For years, even on here, I've noticed there was this visceral, deep hatred and when ever I've asked why, policy and ideology were rarely if ever mentioned. Maybe she represents the ball busting American woman every guy hates. I don't know but its a very strong hatred. Hillary would have been president in '08 was it nor for Obama. He had a huge grass roots appeal similar to Bernie now. What the DNC has done since then is make sure Hillary or anyone they deem heir apparent wins with having rules that are rigged. Its unethical and immoral but its the rules they have to ensure their choice wins the nomination. Hillary will win and Hillary will be the President for the next 8 years. Im' not saying that because I want it to happen, I'm saying it as a matter of reading the political tea leaves and it is what it is.

Sanders - Sanders, like Trump, never expected the nomination and like Trump he is shocked at his popularity. And that is where the similarities ends. Trump is popular for the wrong reasons and Sanders is popular for the right reasons. I believe Sanders entered the race solely to change the narrative and direction of the party farther left of center than it has and to force it to be more progressive. Politically America has drifted right..farther right than we care to admit. Obama is a centrist. Yeah, gay rights is progressive but we were heading there anyway. National healthcare was going that way as well. Every democratic candidate since Bill Clinton has proposed the same thng in their platform and had Gore won in '00, he'd have done the same. He just took advantage of it. But the way he has governed is centrist

 

Sanders has been far more successful than he thought he would. Hillary will have to go farther left than she wanted to, to hold on to Bernie's voters who are young and like Trump's, were not involved politically before.

 

The GOP is no longer a major national force. Both parties know the Democrats will win. The media knows the Democrats will win. What the GOP is trying to do now is win with grace for a start. If Hillary gets over 500 electoral votes and its completely possible with a Trump nomination. It will be viewed as a mandate and what is not being discussed is that, a Hillary win that big will also coattail 2/3 of the Congressional seats up for election. Dems won't be a majority but they will make very huge inroads towards taking over Congress. Also, hundreds of state races will go Dem. The GOP biggest fear is to lose relevancy. The US will be a one party state (Dem) and the GOP as a clearly second party trying to get back to being the same on a national level. The GOP will prepare Rubio, is my guess, to run against Hillary in 2020. He is a bit more moderate than the others, young and handsome, from a crucial swing state (Florida), is latino, and owned by the establishment and is not smart. He will need to be guided and told what to do and think and its perfect. Its Reagan all over again and they would love that. If the GOP wanted any kind of hope of winning, a Kasich/Rubio ticket would be the best possible way. They would lose but it would be close. No President has ever won without taking either Ohio or Florida and such a ticket could possibly take both.

 

The Trump voters, the hard core right, fringe see the demographics of America changing and it scares the shit out of them. Again, the media doesn't talk about it at all but its the elephant in the room and its there but ignored. 50 years ago, America was 80 percent white as defined by the census and what we culturally call white. (that term has changed. 150 years ago Jews, Italians and Slavs were not deemd 'white'), today America is 64 percent white and its dropping fast. Negative birthrate. Last year more than 50 percent of all births were non white for the first time. mostly latino. the rest black (stays steady at 13 percent) and Asian. Formerly solidly red states such as Virginia, North Carolina and even Georgia, all part of the GOP "solid South" is cracking. Salvadoreans, progressives from DC and outside the state, other latinos have moved heavily into northern Virginia and its now a swing state for the first time. Obama won it twice to show you how it is there. Obama barely lost North Carolina. The 'triangle' research cities have moved thousands of out of state progressives into North Carolina, plus latinos and many blacks are moving back to the south. Georgia has had a huge increase in latinos. Atlanta became the 'black Mecca' in the '90s and thousands of blacks from NY, Chicago, etc. moved to Georgia, Atlanta basically because the jobs were there. The jobs were paying well for professionals and it was in a city that was run by blacks so they felt safer against racism. That has completely changed the dynamics of the state. Obama lost it but not by as much as you would think he would. I think it was perhaps 4 or 5 percent. Not sure but the fact is in the next 10 years NC and Georgia will become either blue or at worse swing states.

 

The swing states have changed somewhat. Some were always swing (Ohio, Florida) but former swing states are now blue (Penna., Michigan,) and the new ones are now formerly red (Virginia, NC).

 

Electoral college wise the Dems have about 220 - 230 votes before the election and its an easy road to the 270 number. The GOP has about 170 to at best 190 electoral votes and its almost an impossible road. They will need to get ALL the swing states AND a couple blue states. It won't happen. Not in its present incarnation.

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Thanks Steve, a thoughtful analysis to read for someone like me (non-american white middle aged nearly ex-monger)

 

You are right, I have a visceral dislike of Hillary.

 

Why?

 

Well let's see. I'll try and discern what things cause my dislike.

 

1. appearance - maybe politically incorrect, but, much as I expect a person putting themselves forward as a top Rugby player to be highly skilled a Rugby player, a News reader to be able to speak clearly and fluently and not frighten me in appearance, or a top Chef to be able to cook extremely well, I expect a top Politician to be non frightening in appearance. Hillary scares me.

 

2. honesty - even though I am not an American, the rest of the world has skin in the game, given the USA's dominance of many areas, I would prefer some one who does not have Hilary's reputation for dishonesty.

 

3. ball busting? - maybe, but a distant third in the list. Ball busting could be an attribute, see Helen Clark. (could also apply point 1 to Helen, but never point 2).

 

On a related note to point 3, I'll just give youse a wee anecdote of what happened to me yesterday, clearly noting the ball busters I have to deal with in NZ.

 

Me, driving down a road, approaching a zebra/pedestrian crossing - no-one on the crossing - no-one near the crossing on the pavement either side.

 

On the right side of the road looking into a shop window, a beautiful 20 something Indian girl in a short skirt. I look.

 

I hear an explosive shout/scream from the left and look left. There, standing 2 metres at least, back from the crossing, on the pavement is a woman, looking like Hillary's sister, in lycra and trainers, spitting tacks at me, stamping her feet and raising her hands in the air, as if expecting a referee from above to help her, because I was driving over the crossing, whilst she was not on it or close to it.

 

This is a true story.

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