2018 Midterms

[McParadigm]

A liberal judge only losing Paul Ryan’s district by 5% is something.

[simple schoolboy]

Big soy fighting Republicans would just play out a pre-existing narrative, they'd just make it literal.

God damn it, who are these meme wizards making their memes reality?

[McParadigm]

[Simple Torture]

Reports out today that Paul Ryan will not seek re-election:

[wease]

Reports out today that Paul Ryan will not seek re-election:

[McParadigm]

Hard to overstate how big a deal that is. A lot of conservative donors and potential candidates will be forming very dark assumptions about 2018, now, and it will affect their decisions.

[Green Habit]

Doesn't surprise me, he's got a terrible job and all.

[McParadigm]

[Biff Pocoroba]

Wow. Did he a pull a Boehner and basically say "screw you guys, I'm out?"
Or did he legitimately think he would get beat?

[tragabigzanda]

Wow. Did he a pull a Boehner and basically say "screw you guys, I'm out?"
Or did he legitimately think he would get beat?

Probably a bit of both. My hunch is that there are a lot of backdoor conversations happening in the GOP right now that are variations on "Oh shit, we did deals with Cambridge Analytica/Nunes/Cohen (who has been the Deputy Finance Chairman for the RNC) and we're fucked."

[McParadigm]

He was polling low enough against his opponent for there to be the potential of a loss, which I’m sure is the last thing he wants to risk ending on. But he isn’t enjoying any of this either, and the word has been out for a while that it might happen.

I find it most interesting that the word is coming out on the same day he’s due to have dinner with the president, and probably get asked for loyalty or more.

[McParadigm]

Dennis Ross joins the list

[Strat]

So much Chaos. I can't keep up anymore.

[McParadigm]

Ryan’s operation in WI is attacking Nehlen.

[tragabigzanda]

Ryan’s operation in WI is attacking Nehlen.

The GOP in-fighting between now and Nov will be fun to watch.

[tragabigzanda]

Ryan’s operation in WI is attacking Nehlen.

The GOP in-fighting between now and Nov will be fun to watch.

So this report + this one https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/11/1756173/-Unnamed-Republican-congressman-goes-off-in-profane-rant-We-might-as-well-impeach-the makes me think that Donn'y dinner date tonight will be more of a soft push from the GOP establishment to see if he might consider stepping down. Which I think everyone knows he won't do. But my gut tells me there are going together to at least report back to the rest of the GOP congress that they tried, and that they now have to begin the messy conversation of "Do we impeach our own POTUS or not?"

Edit: I don't know how to make the URL code work.

[tragabigzanda]

True, true:

[McParadigm]

If I were the Republican Party, I’d definitely take SOME action against Trump in order to upset Democrat enthusiasm, and then I’d try like hell to run Robert Mueller in 2020. Their base will froth in the moment, but they’ll always fall in line with time and anti-abortion promises. And running Mueller would thoroughly revoke the shadow of 2017/18’s weak simpering.

[B]

Holy Shit!

[tragabigzanda]

If I were the Republican Party, I’d definitely take SOME action against Trump in order to upset Democrat enthusiasm, and then I’d try like hell to run Robert Mueller in 2020. Their base will froth in the moment, but they’ll always fall in line with time and anti-abortion promises. And running Mueller would thoroughly revoke the shadow of 2017/18’s weak simpering.

Strategically this makes great sense, but I'd be shocked if Mueller had any appetite for politics.