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December 1, 2016 10:39 AM Subscribe
Big-name elected Republicans who maintain opposition to a Trump Presidency?
Many of my friends are discussing what options we have to derail Trump. One of them is to convert Democrat-voting electoral college voters to a solid Republican candidate. The choice had been Romney–until he and Donald Trump went to dinner night past for frog legs.
But in order to support such an idea, Republicans have to get behind it.
So as a center-based/left-leaning Democrat, who are some of the Republicans in office who have maintained their opposition to Donald Trump (or at least not switched course like Mitt Romney)?
Many of my friends are discussing what options we have to derail Trump. One of them is to convert Democrat-voting electoral college voters to a solid Republican candidate. The choice had been Romney–until he and Donald Trump went to dinner night past for frog legs.
But in order to support such an idea, Republicans have to get behind it.
So as a center-based/left-leaning Democrat, who are some of the Republicans in office who have maintained their opposition to Donald Trump (or at least not switched course like Mitt Romney)?
John Kasisch? Lindsay Graham?
posted by areaperson at 10:45 AM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by areaperson at 10:45 AM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Kasich is probably the biggest.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:52 AM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by kevinbelt at 10:52 AM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There's more in your question than you may realize. Let's peel back the layers...
I'm certain what these people say publicly and what's going on behind the scenes are two vastly different things. Then, everyone with influence has different factions and interests they are seeking to serve. I think any real opposition to the President-Elect is hidden in those layers, and shifts in the public will be apparent or not depending on so many variables. We may or may not end up hearing about it one day after the dust settles.
If you are looking for a model to dig into that might give you some ideas, go back and research Germany between WWI, and then through to the end and beyond of WWII. Just because it's interesting to see how factions with different aims combine or repel each other, and how those relationships play out.
This is a great question! I just think before you seek to understand what's happening today in politics, it is helpful to look at other examples and find analogs between personality types and concentrations of interests and power.
posted by jbenben at 10:56 AM on December 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'm certain what these people say publicly and what's going on behind the scenes are two vastly different things. Then, everyone with influence has different factions and interests they are seeking to serve. I think any real opposition to the President-Elect is hidden in those layers, and shifts in the public will be apparent or not depending on so many variables. We may or may not end up hearing about it one day after the dust settles.
If you are looking for a model to dig into that might give you some ideas, go back and research Germany between WWI, and then through to the end and beyond of WWII. Just because it's interesting to see how factions with different aims combine or repel each other, and how those relationships play out.
This is a great question! I just think before you seek to understand what's happening today in politics, it is helpful to look at other examples and find analogs between personality types and concentrations of interests and power.
posted by jbenben at 10:56 AM on December 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
I think the best chance we have is going to be fighting Trump every inch of the way the same way Tea Party Republicans stymied Obama's first several years. We might roll a natural 20 (or Trump might roll a 1) in the first year or two, and he'll do something so egregiously stupid and criminal that his own party will have no choice but to impeach him. More likely: Midterms are in two years, with some work we can topple the GOP's legislative control then.
Maybe by late 2018 or early 2019, enough NeverTrump-ers still exist in the GOP to put up a primary challenge against incumbent Trump. Failing that, maybe progressives and moderates can line up behind a strong, relatively un-baggaged Democratic candidate, somebody who is able to build a coalition against Trump, and just take the White House back outright. It happened in 1992, it can happen again.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:57 AM on December 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Maybe by late 2018 or early 2019, enough NeverTrump-ers still exist in the GOP to put up a primary challenge against incumbent Trump. Failing that, maybe progressives and moderates can line up behind a strong, relatively un-baggaged Democratic candidate, somebody who is able to build a coalition against Trump, and just take the White House back outright. It happened in 1992, it can happen again.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:57 AM on December 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Mod note: A few comments removed. Let's keep this focused on the specific question asked; if you want to chatter more generally about this stuff, head over to one of the open threads on the blue.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:50 PM on December 1, 2016
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:50 PM on December 1, 2016
The electoral college thing just isn't going to happen. And the optics would be that Democrats are undermining the democratic election process.
I do think Democrats badly need to fight a long-term, post-election fight here, but that's getting into chatfilter that doesn't answer the question.
posted by cnc at 12:53 PM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I do think Democrats badly need to fight a long-term, post-election fight here, but that's getting into chatfilter that doesn't answer the question.
posted by cnc at 12:53 PM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think the answer is: there aren't any now that the election has passed. The GOP party structure is very good at internal capitulation.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:56 PM on December 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:56 PM on December 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
The only one I know is Justin Amash.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:49 PM on December 1, 2016
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:49 PM on December 1, 2016
Seconding Kevinbelt re: John Kasich. Trump is giving the first rally of his "Thank You" tour right now in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Notably, neither the city of Cincinnati nor the county of Hamilton, in which Cincinnati is located, actually went for Trump.) Kasich was not present and was instead at a dinner in Columbus with major GOP donors.
posted by none of these will bring disaster at 5:13 PM on December 1, 2016
posted by none of these will bring disaster at 5:13 PM on December 1, 2016
Ben Sasse. (Jeff Flake, alas, seems to have fallen out of the swing)
posted by jackbishop at 7:56 PM on December 1, 2016
posted by jackbishop at 7:56 PM on December 1, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
We need to fight Trump, not capitulate for wild nothingburger reasons that won't work and don't make any sense.
posted by Sara C. at 10:42 AM on December 1, 2016 [14 favorites]