How Will Republicans Explain Away A Loss in 2020?

[Alben Barkley]

We saved America from Hillary Clinton, and saved two Supreme Court seats from becoming liberal. We wipe out the dems in 2022, and run a youthful energetic Republican against 81 yr old Joe Biden in 2024.

Is “saving” America what you call it when you push aside one of the most qualified candidates in history for this absolute disaster we’re seeing right now? Is “saving” a Supreme Court seat what you call stealing one from the previous president?

[McGarnagle]

Trumpist Republicans: "Voter fraud! Fake election! I want a do-over! Trump 2024!"

The Few Moderate Republicans That Remain: "Maybe this unstable cocktail of belligerent far-right populism souring into fascism isn't the best way to go if we want to remain a viable political entity."

Unfortunately, I expect the Trumpists will retain influence in the party for the next decade, if not longer.

[T'Chenka]

We won't lose.

Humility comes to us all. The only difference is that some wisely accept it and some have it smash into them like an extinction comet.

[Dr. MB]

Some of the red avatars in this thread really ought to take a little time for introspection. Y’all try and laugh and mock at Republicans for believing in conspiracy theories, but didn’t your entire party fall prey to the Russia collusion shtick? What about “the Republican Secretaries of State rigged the results!” (Often found on Twitter). No, neither party is immune to that sort of nonsense.

Anyway, Republicans are not a monolith. Obviously our responses will be different. Some will doubtless blame “voter fraud.” Some will take it as evidence that America is truly ready to elect a real Conservative, and that Trump could have won without his foolishness. Some will say it indicates a need for a more moderate candidate. Some will say that it indicates that we need more Hispanic outreach, or more WWC immigration toughlining. If I said I knew how it would turn out in the end, I’d be lying, and so is anyone else here who says they do know — we will only truly know how the base feels at the end of the 2024 primaries, and maybe not even then.

I for one never cared about the Russia sh!t and neither did most people outside MSNBC's pundit and viewer base

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Trump wasn't a real conservative.

 I see this has been covered ITT, but it's the answer.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Trump wasn't a real conservative.

 I see this has been covered ITT, but it's the answer.

I think some combination of this and blaming the lamestream media for engaging in four years of character assassination. They were Very Unfair!! He was never given a chance!!!

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

They have had Palin, Boehner, McConnell and Trump, whom have been polarizing forces, the R leadership havent learned that take charge, doesnt mean not compromising, it means working with Dems like John McCain has done. Kevin McCarthy may never be Speaker, even in a Biden midterm, he is following in polarizing footsteps of predecessors

[Orser67]

Some of the red avatars in this thread really ought to take a little time for introspection. Y’all try and laugh and mock at Republicans for believing in conspiracy theories, but didn’t your entire party fall prey to the Russia collusion shtick?

Tell that to Roger Stone

And Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos...

It really sucks how many people are convinced that well-documented interference by a foreign power (which isn't even limited to the Trump campaign or the U.S.) is bs. I would hope that this would be the type of thing that would offend people from all parties.

[Cassandra]

Some of the red avatars in this thread really ought to take a little time for introspection. Y’all try and laugh and mock at Republicans for believing in conspiracy theories, but didn’t your entire party fall prey to the Russia collusion shtick? What about “the Republican Secretaries of State rigged the results!” (Often found on Twitter). No, neither party is immune to that sort of nonsense.

Anyway, Republicans are not a monolith. Obviously our responses will be different. Some will doubtless blame “voter fraud.” Some will take it as evidence that America is truly ready to elect a real Conservative, and that Trump could have won without his foolishness. Some will say it indicates a need for a more moderate candidate. Some will say that it indicates that we need more Hispanic outreach, or more WWC immigration toughlining. If I said I knew how it would turn out in the end, I’d be lying, and so is anyone else here who says they do know — we will only truly know how the base feels at the end of the 2024 primaries, and maybe not even then.

I for one never cared about the Russia sh!t and neither did most people outside MSNBC's pundit and viewer base

Let's not rewrite history, liberals completely lost their minds in the first two years of Trump's presidency over Russiagate. Hell, you have deranged liberals on Twitter who think the riots are all a Russian op.

[SingingAnalyst]

We won't lose.

Humility comes to us all. The only difference is that some wisely accept it and some have it smash into them like an extinction comet.

^^^This.

"Mostly", or "Moistly"?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Every poll says different and Trump doesnt have a 3.5 percent unemployment economy he has a 25 percent and he is corrupted and has 3 lawyers in prison, and been impeached for tampering with 2016 election with Kremlin,  Trump is finished

[Yellowhammer]

Trump will eventually become the new W, but his policies aren't and will never be the reason for his loss.

Will be entertaining to see Trump whitewashed just as Dubya has been -- "well at least he wasn't a literal Nazi" -- once we've got a President Hawley or Cotton.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Trump will eventually become the new W, but his policies aren't and will never be the reason for his loss.

Will be entertaining to see Trump whitewashed just as Dubya has been -- "well at least he wasn't a literal Nazi" -- once we've got a President Hawley or Cotton.

https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1256985512121753606

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Trump will eventually become the new W, but his policies aren't and will never be the reason for his loss.

Will be entertaining to see Trump whitewashed just as Dubya has been -- "well at least he wasn't a literal Nazi" -- once we've got a President Hawley or Cotton.

I have thought a lot about how Trump will be viewed 10 or 15 years from now. I think his cult will never die. He will be held up next to Reagan as someone who "talked sense to America," and could have done great things for our country if he didn't face constant media scrutiny and a full-on assault by Democrats.

"Democrats can't win on ideas, so they just call their opponents racists." -- Literal words from a friend of mine.

20 years from now, you will see houses in Alabama flying three flags: USA, Confederate Battle, and TRUMP.

[Yellowhammer]

Trump will eventually become the new W, but his policies aren't and will never be the reason for his loss.

Will be entertaining to see Trump whitewashed just as Dubya has been -- "well at least he wasn't a literal Nazi" -- once we've got a President Hawley or Cotton.

I have thought a lot about how Trump will be viewed 10 or 15 years from now. I think his cult will never die. He will be held up next to Reagan as someone who "talked sense to America," and could have done great things for our country if he didn't face constant media scrutiny and a full-on assault by Democrats.

"Democrats can't win on ideas, so they just call their opponents racists." -- Literal words from a friend of mine.

20 years from now, you will see houses in Alabama flying three flags: USA, Confederate Battle, and TRUMP.

Your friend is exactly correct.

[Libertas Vel Mors]

Some of the red avatars in this thread really ought to take a little time for introspection. Y’all try and laugh and mock at Republicans for believing in conspiracy theories, but didn’t your entire party fall prey to the Russia collusion shtick? What about “the Republican Secretaries of State rigged the results!” (Often found on Twitter). No, neither party is immune to that sort of nonsense.

Anyway, Republicans are not a monolith. Obviously our responses will be different. Some will doubtless blame “voter fraud.” Some will take it as evidence that America is truly ready to elect a real Conservative, and that Trump could have won without his foolishness. Some will say it indicates a need for a more moderate candidate. Some will say that it indicates that we need more Hispanic outreach, or more WWC immigration toughlining. If I said I knew how it would turn out in the end, I’d be lying, and so is anyone else here who says they do know — we will only truly know how the base feels at the end of the 2024 primaries, and maybe not even then.

I for one never cared about the Russia sh!t and neither did most people outside MSNBC's pundit and viewer base

And I never cared for the voter fraud changing two million votes theory, but unfortunately we both have to put up with it.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Trump will eventually become the new W, but his policies aren't and will never be the reason for his loss.

Will be entertaining to see Trump whitewashed just as Dubya has been -- "well at least he wasn't a literal Nazi" -- once we've got a President Hawley or Cotton.

I have thought a lot about how Trump will be viewed 10 or 15 years from now. I think his cult will never die. He will be held up next to Reagan as someone who "talked sense to America," and could have done great things for our country if he didn't face constant media scrutiny and a full-on assault by Democrats.

"Democrats can't win on ideas, so they just call their opponents racists." -- Literal words from a friend of mine.

20 years from now, you will see houses in Alabama flying three flags: USA, Confederate Battle, and TRUMP.

Your friend is exactly correct.

I don't recall any Democratic candidate calling Romney, McCain, or W a racist. Or anyone in the mainstream media, either. This is a myth conservatives tell each other to make themselves feel better.

Furthermore, a majority of Americans want abortion to remain legal. A majority of Americans want sensible gun control. A majority of Americans want universal health coverage. A majority of Americans want to make it easier to immigrate to the US legally. A majority of Americans believe anthropogenic climate change is real and a threat. A majority of Americans would like to see the minimum wage raised.

Republicans can't win on these ideas, so they wrap themselves in the American flag and call Democrats crazy socialists.

[Person Man]

This thread pretty much has it all. He wasn't Republican enough and when they get a REAL (whoever is nominated in 2028) Republican up there again, Trump will be seen as a generic Republican the way W was.

[pbrower2a]

Trump was the wrong nominee in 2016. Biden will of course be a one-term President because the economy will surely tank and he will preside over some international calamity.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Trump was the wrong nominee in 2016. Biden will of course be a one-term President because the economy will surely tank and he will preside over some international calamity.

I'm gonna be sipping my tea and eating my popcorn while the pro- and anti-Trump factions tear one another to shreds.

Lindsey Graham will literally be punching himself in the face.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

They will say they like Trump's xenophobia but things like his twitter account cost him.

Hawley or Cotton is the 2024 nominee

Cotton is terrifying. He has those dark soulless eyes like a serial killer. Creepier than even Lyin' Ted

[2016]

Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton are Social Conservatives in the mold of Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum or Ted Cruz so I can guarantee you all already that they won't win the Nomination because they will mightily struggle with Moderate Republican Men & Women Voters in the Suburbs.

A Republican Social Conservative will never ever win the GOP Nomination. That's why McCain got it over Huckabee & Romney in 2008, Romney got it over Gingrich & Santorum in 2012 and Trump got it over Cruz in 2016.

That's also why a Progressive like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will never ever win the Democratic Nomination.

[politics_king]

They'll claim all kinds of crap, illegal voting, coronavirus, protests, etc. They'll lean heavy on the Social Conservative base to flip in 2022 but won't. The GOP really has to reject the Trumpism part of the party and really just focus on being Fiscal Conservatives and take the collective head out their asses and drag the party on almost a majority of Social Issues. Be the party of Less Taxes/Pro Life. That's all they got going for them right now.

[McGarnagle]

A Republican Social Conservative will never ever win the GOP Nomination.

I think one will in the next decade and it might be Cotton (though that doesn't mean he would win the election). Don't underestimate the sway the religious right still holds over the GOP. Bush was definitely a social conservative - he was just folksier than the new lot which are more obviously zealous.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

That's why they are preparing for a tied Senate so they still have sway over Biden's agenda in case Trump loses. 2000 power sharing compromise gives Leader McConnell sway over legislation and nominations, since the Rs had to give up power when Cheney broke tie.