What it Means to Call Yourself Republican

[_Some Schmo]

in my opinion, this type of broad-brush, black and white thinking is a major source of our national dysfunction. All it does is throw gasoline on the fire.

Your point is well taken here, but I'm at a loss for how you're supposed to describe what we're currently dealing with.

Obviously, not every Republican is a rabid racist, but what does it tell you about a person who self-identifies that way today, in the face of everything that's happening? What does it tell you about GOP politicians who are afraid to publicly denounce racist comments for fear of their re-election chances? Don't they have confidence their denouncing of racism will be well-received? What does it show us about what the leaders of the party think of their core voters?

Being Republican may not mean you're a racist, but you're at least a racism enabler (or you're just not paying attention, which I'm sure is a lot of people).

[_Jersey Girl]

It seems to me that if Trump says racist things, and GOP congressmen and senators don't say anything to disavow those comments, that's tacit admission the party stands for racism.

No, it's not. They aren't all racists. They're cowards who fear losing their position, political influence, power and status. Why? Because the tyrannical “F” in the White House eats his own. They're basically letting Democrats do the condemnation piece while they play for time.

The old GOP is long gone. If you belong to this party, Trump's party, you condone racism. You no longer get a pass on it with the benefit of the doubt. There's no such thing as a "different kind of Republican" any more. Calling yourself Republican is standing with Trump, and standing with Trump is promoting racism. Period.

More stereotyping. You are doing the exact thing that we despise Trump for doing.

Yes, there are different kinds of Republicans. Political commentators, private citizens--folks I know in real life condemn his racist remarks and call it what it is in conversation and on social media. Most of us don't have the public platform that GOP reps have and we're not living in fear of losing our public positions like they are.

Calling yourself Republican is no more standing with Trump than calling yourself Democrat is standing with Marianne Williamson.

[_Some Schmo]

More stereotyping. You are doing the exact thing that we despise Trump for doing.

Yes, there are different kinds of Republicans. Political commentators, private citizens--folks I know in real life condemn his racist remarks and call it what it is in conversation and on social media. Most of us don't have the public platform that GOP reps have and we're not living in fear of losing our public positions like they are.

Calling yourself Republican is no more standing with Trump than calling yourself Democrat is standing with Marianne Williamson.

Yes. This is true.

It's just that calling yourself Republican these days gives you the burden of explaining how you're different from Trump; otherwise, people are going to wonder why you still call yourself Republican.

[_Jersey Girl]

in my opinion, this type of broad-brush, black and white thinking is a major source of our national dysfunction. All it does is throw gasoline on the fire.

Your point is well taken here, but I'm at a loss for how you're supposed to describe what we're currently dealing with.

Obviously, not every Republican is a rabid racist, but what does it tell you about a person who self-identifies that way today, in the face of everything that's happening? What does it tell you about GOP politicians who are afraid to publicly denounce racist comments for fear of their re-election chances? Don't they have confidence their denouncing of racism will be well-received? What does it show us about what the leaders of the party think of their core voters?

Being Republican may not mean you're a racist, but you're at least a racism enabler (or you're just not paying attention, which I'm sure is a lot of people).

RI's comment there expresses the same sentiment when I said that your post was everything that is wrong with this country right now. You're engaging in splitting. Black/white. All good/all bad. Us/them. This is the type of "the other" thinking that racism is made of.

Take a step back. Don't be like Trump.

This here.

What does it tell you about GOP politicians who are afraid to publicly denounce racist comments for fear of their re-election chances? Don't they have confidence their denouncing of racism will be well-received? What does it show us about what the leaders of the party think of their core voters?

It tells you that Trump has successfully intimidated the ever loving crap out of them because they've seen what he's done to others. It tells you they are in over their heads and they know it.

[_Jersey Girl]

More stereotyping. You are doing the exact thing that we despise Trump for doing.

Yes, there are different kinds of Republicans. Political commentators, private citizens--folks I know in real life condemn his racist remarks and call it what it is in conversation and on social media. Most of us don't have the public platform that GOP reps have and we're not living in fear of losing our public positions like they are.

Calling yourself Republican is no more standing with Trump than calling yourself Democrat is standing with Marianne Williamson.

Yes. This is true.

It's just that calling yourself Republican these days gives you the burden of explaining how you're different from Trump; otherwise, people are going to wonder why you still call yourself Republican.

It doesn't give me, personally, the burden of explaining anything. I simply voice my opinion on various matters. What sets me apart is my ability to think, consider and evaluate. Not that I'm very invested in politics per se.

Trump is NOT the Republican party.

You've got a majority of Democratic affiliated posters in this forum. Do you all think alike? Do you all hold the same positions?

No, of course not.

So why are you letting the bombastic POS in the White House color your thinking about Republicans?

I remain a registered Republican but I don't plan to stay in that place. I've voted for Democrats and Republicans my whole life. I don't give a crap what the "party" promotes. I speak with my votes.

Surely I am not the only registered Republican who does that. You couldn't find one person on the planet who would describe me as racist.

Stop referring to individuals as a group wherein you cast them as having no ability to think independently. It's offensive. It's shallow. It's wrong.

It's exactly what damned Trump does. Stop being Trump.

[_Jersey Girl]

This is nonsense. I'm done. I'm biding my time until 2020 like the rest of the world is and hoping to God that Trump commits sufficient political suicide before election day so that he isn't re-elected.

Which is probably exactly what the GOP reps are doing right now. Give him enough rope and let him hang himself with it.

[_Some Schmo]

It doesn't give me, personally, the burden of explaining anything. I simply voice my opinion on various matters. What sets me apart is my ability to think, consider and evaluate. Not that I'm very invested in politics per se.

Trump is NOT the Republican party.

Sorry, but yes he is. When practically nobody in congress within his own party challenges him on anything, it's his party.

Certainly, people can opt out of explaining why they remain in such a racist-filled party. You just have to face the consequences of not differentiating yourself.

Besides, you've already demonstrated many times you're not affiliated with Trump, so clearly, I'm not talking about you. You removed that burden long ago.

[_canpakes]

PomM (Schmo) -

Would it be fair to say that your opening post is meant more for folks that vote for those Republicans who appear to condone or promote racism, as opposed to a voter merely calling him/herself a ‘Republican’ in ideological terms?

That distinction still has some issues needing to be fleshed out, but it would be fairer to folks both inside and outside of the Republican Party as a whole.

[_Some Schmo]

The old GOP is long gone. If you belong to this party, Trump's party, you condone racism. You no longer get a pass on it with the benefit of the doubt. There's no such thing as a "different kind of Republican" any more. Calling yourself Republican is standing with Trump, and standing with Trump is promoting racism. Period.

OK, so reading this back, I can see how it comes off harsh. It's clearly an exaggeration/generalization, making it a false statement. Mea culpa. It was a reaction to one of his recent tweets.

I'm really just talking about the perception of the GOP in this thread, and how people justify continuing affiliation with the party, given the avalanche of evidence that racists feel at home in Trump's GOP (not to mention the myriad of other problems with his "leadership"). It's not unreasonable for people to wonder about the motivations of today's self-described Republican. The benefit of the doubt is harder to extend.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I mean. There are a lot of anti-Trump Republicans:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_R ... l_campaign

I don't see why Republicans have to jump at the chance to prove they're not racists everytime Democrats accuse them of being racist. If that were the case, they'd never make landfall. On the flipside, if Democrats had to prove they're not Socialists every time Conservatives accused them of tongue kissing Marx they'd never be able to talk about anything else.

- Doc