Chris Jansing, Zerlina Maxwell, and the other Michael Steel (the one who worked for John Boehner and Jeb Bush) had questions about Joe Walsh's candidacy for the Republican nomination.
"I don't think it makes it less likely that President Trump will be the nominee of the Republican party in 2020. There are two important facts here. One, every incumbent president who has failed to be re-elected in the modern era faced a primary challenge. Every incumbent president who has been re-elected in the modern era did not. President Trump now has two primary challengers and I think is likely to get a third in the form of Mark Sanford," Steel said.
"I think this is a sign that there is a portion of the Republican party that still wants a sane, rational, honest, inclusive, conservative, reform minded Republican party and they do not see themselves getting that with President Trump as their nominee. Do I think he is going to win the nomination? No. Do I think it's an important danger signal for the president? Absolutely."
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Where has this "sane, rational, honest, inclusive, conservative, reform minded Republican party" been hiding all these years? I'd have to go all the way back to Eisenhower!
And conservatives keep trying to sell the public on the idea that Trump isn't a conservative. Let's see:
- Extreme right wing court appointees? Check.
- Racist and bigoted policies? Check.
- Deregulation that worsens global warming? Check.
- Wars of choice? Trying hard.
- Untrammeled tax cuts and the resulting deficit, used as political coverage for attacks on Medicare and Social Security? Check.
As Driftglass famously says, the only real problem Republicans have with Trump is that he says the bad parts out loud.
Chris Jansing pointed out that Walsh has his own controversial record, listing some of his greatest hits.
"Now he's apologizing and says he regrets that, but is he the person to make a moral argument against the president?" she asked.
"No but I think it is good to hear republicans say what a lot of us are thinking when we see the president in front of the helicopter ranting and raving about the news of the day," Zerlina Maxwell said.
"He said he is unfit and unqualified. essentially said he is not mature enough to be the president. We can see that. those are things that we can see if we're just paying close enough attention whether or not it's to the tweets or his rhetoric every day. So I think it's actually critically important for more Republicans like Joe Walsh to speak out, because this is not normal. Every single day that goes by when President Trump is in charge and has the launch codes, we are in serious danger as a national security threat. We cannot have the president essentially dictate foreign policy or any policy via tweet. That is no way to run a country."
