Election 2016 – Page 2 – Political Orphans

Everybody, calm down

By Chris Ladd November 2, 2016 November 2, 2016

The most depressing message from this election is not that Trump might win. He won’t. What’s truly frightening is that very few Republicans are peeling away from their 2012 voting patterns. The most abhorrent political figure to rise in from our political system, perhaps ever, will inspire a decline in internal Republican support of only about 3-4 percentage points. That tells a terrible story about the weakness of conscience in the face of group pressure. It is a reminder that “it can’t happen here” is a myth.

Don’t blame ‘The Video’

By Chris Ladd October 24, 2016 October 24, 2016

Perhaps the biggest story of this election is how little impact the video had on the preferences of the vast majority of American voters. Yuck.

When SNL does something important

By Chris Ladd October 23, 2016 October 23, 2016

There was a subtle and powerful message behind the gag lines in a Saturday Night Live skit this week. Kenan Thompson has a recurring bit called “Black Jeopardy.” This week, the gameshow parody featured Tom Hanks playing a Trump supporter.

The fog over the Congressional races

By Chris Ladd October 19, 2016 October 19, 2016

How many traditional Republican voters will split their votes between a Trump alternative and the Republicans farther down the ballot? How many of them will just stay home? It looks like we are seeing an unprecedented surge in turnout among Democratic constituencies. Are we going to get an outcome more like ’06 and ’08? Will this surge be large enough to threaten Republicans who hold strong leads in the polls, like McCain and Rubio?

The key to stopping the next Trump

By Chris Ladd October 17, 2016 October 17, 2016

Failing to address what white racial and cultural supremacy means, especially to whites lower down the economic ladder, creates a risk. Without some wider cultural replacement, we may settle in to a long era of racially Balkanized politics, in which voting behavior is dictated by loyalty to identity rather than any serious discussion of policy.

Josh Barro leaves the GOP

By Chris Ladd October 16, 2016 October 16, 2016

Today Josh Barro posted an explanation of decision to leave the Republican Party. For those you who followed GOPLifer, a lot of what he has to say will sound familiar. His childhood background with the party, his acceptance that Trump is a sort of proto-Fascist, and his disgust with the “sane” Republicans who have sold their souls for power are themes that ring true to many new ex-Republicans.

Real things that are happening

By Chris Ladd October 14, 2016 October 15, 2016

These people deserve to get what they are asking for, but unfortunately we would all have to share the hell they would create. Go vote. It’s the only way to stop them.

Why are abuse allegations emerging now?

By Chris Ladd October 13, 2016 October 13, 2016

Let’s be honest – none of these revelations about Donald Trump, if they had emerged in February instead of October, would have changed the outcome of the primary. Republicans wanted a racist, sexist pig as their champion. They got exactly what they wanted.

We could have a parliament

By Chris Ladd October 11, 2016 October 11, 2016

In the coming Congress, a surviving remnant of relatively rational Republicans like Mia Love, John Katko and Barbara Comstock will be handed remarkable power. They will have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to crack open our two-party monolith by forming a parliamentary coalition with centrist Democrats. Congressmen like John Katko could potentially hand the Speaker’s gavel to a Democrat, opening the door to a new era of multi-party, or rather “sub-party” politics in America.