• surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Not all Republicans are Nazis. But all Republicans are ok being part of the party that contains Nazis, and having beliefs that align with Nazis.

    This says a lot about those people, no?

    • atzanteol
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      1 year ago

      Ahh, yes. The “nazi bar” argument.

      There is no other party people like, say, Mitt Romney can turn to. He’s not a Democrat and wouldn’t be welcome by Democrat voters. Third party is typically non-viable for a politician in the US. So what do you do? This isn’t a hypothetical. Quitting removes a moderate voice from the party that could be replaced with an extremist.

      Ideally - yes I think there should be a third party for the whackos to separate them from the mainstream. The US should have at least 4 parties. But that’s not an option right now. It’s in both parties best interest that it remains that way.

      • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        As a start, they could denounce Nazis. Then they could figure out why their policies seem so attractive to Nazis, and change those policies. And they can seek to actively kick them out of their ranks.

        And Romney is absolutely a Democrat nowadays. The only people who don’t know that are his voters.

      • Nougat@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        In case you weren’t aware, there have been multiple party changes over the course of US history. The last one was when the Democratic and Republican parties kind of switched places through the mid-20th century. The political landscape is well-primed for the Republican party to split.

        • atzanteol
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          1 year ago

          I am. But it would mean the short-term destruction of your own party since our “first past the post” election process would ensure that conservatives lose in large numbers. Unfortunately it could also mean the rise of MAGA over the traditional Republicans since Trump and others, who are very popular, would potentially sway lots of voters.

          • Nougat@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            But it would mean the short-term destruction of your own party since our “first past the post” election process would ensure that conservatives lose in large numbers. Unfortunately it could also mean the rise of MAGA over the traditional Republicans …

            The fascists are here already. They support the Republican party. They have been voting fascists into office for years, using the Republican party to do so. They have demonstrated that they are willing to dismantle a functioning government that servers the people.

            If a person still carries water for the Republican party, they are complicit. People of good conscience who have previously identified with the Republican party need to stop supporting it. Whether that means voting for Democrats or creating another party to align with doesn’t matter. The choice for Republicans is now “embrace and support fascism” or “leave the Republican party.”

            • atzanteol
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              1 year ago

              Do you think any of that gets better if the traditionalists leave the Republican party?

              • Nougat@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                I’m not sure I’m a fan of the term “traditionalists,” but since I haven’t landed on a better one, we’ll use it.

                Yes, I do. They would be taking their sociopolitical clout, and their votes, away from fascists. This deprives fascists of the power they currently enjoy as a result of latching onto the Republican party.

                • atzanteol
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                  1 year ago

                  I dunno. The extremists would now win primaries and be closer to winning seats. Many people who vote “party” will just vote for the extremists instead.

                  Trump is the “party leader” - I feel like it would further legitimize the nuts. Not having a moderating influence in the party seems more bad to me…

                  • Nougat@kbin.social
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                    1 year ago

                    Whatever moderating influence there might be, it has been shrinking for some time. It’s all over but the shouting. The fascists are already growing stronger, and again, they’re doing it with the cover of the Republican party - which, I might add, has built this monster over decades by being more attractive to the crazies in exchange for their votes.

                    Extremists are already winning primaries. Donald Trump is still the presumptive Republican nominee for president, and almost all of his challengers (with the exception of Chris Christie, not that I agree with his politics) are just as bad. This speaks not just to the politics of conserbative politicians, but to the politics of conservative voters.

                    It’s over.

                    The choice for Republicans is now “embrace and support fascism” or “leave the Republican party.”

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            1 year ago

            200 Republican representatives just voted to make a guy implicated in an attempt to overthrow an election their leader. The guy who encouraged and possibly orchestrated it is their leading presidential candidate. The party is MAGA, and in the process, nazifying. Its short-term destruction is better than supporting the rise of white supremacist fascism because you believe in lower taxes for business owners.

          • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            The rise already happened. Trump is the leading candidate for the nomination and the MAGA House reps just unseated the more traditional Conservative speaker and nominated one of their own. And they attempted a violent coup, with support from elected MAGA representatives.