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Oh, right, Charlie Baker is still a Republican
By adamg on Fri, 09/18/2020 - 2:00pm
He's done an ad spot for Brett Kavanaugh-supporting, impeachment-rejecting Susan Collins of Maine in her bid to remain in the Senate.
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Comments
I don't understand
What's in it for him?
Boofing
I think he gets to boof with Moose and Squee.
He probably likes Collins
He gets to say he supported non-extreme Republicans. Collins sucks (she was Bush's pal too) but ideologically she's a lot closer to Baker than most MA democrats would like to admit.
There are no downsides for Baker supporting her. He doesn't care if MA Progressives don't like him as he doesn't need their vote.
Collins is Extreme
She plays the "I'm concerned, but I need contributions to my campaign fund ..." games and then votes with the extremists more often than not.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/susan-m-collins/
If Collins is extreme
What is Lindsey Graham?
Some people decry the decline of moderate members of both political parties, while others call Susan Collins an extremist.
It makes Lindsay blackmailed.
Lindsay Graham is facing enormous pressure and coercion to do exactly what he is told even if it means staking embarrassing, duplicitous, and nakedly dishonest contradictions to previously-stated common sense positions.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lYIu6TTCPl4
And Collins votes with the extreme wing of the GOP 100% of the time except when Moscow Mitch gives her permission to make expedient votes to “appear” moderate.
Are you aware of The Lincoln Project?
Comprised of a bunch of Never Trump Republicans (Wilson, Nichols, formerly Conway before he took leave to tend to his family issues with his wife and daughter).
They've made negative ads against both Collins and Graham at this point due to their capitulation to both Trump's and McConnell's agenda.
Others who have said that they are not moderate are correct, and they have other Republicans calling them out on it.
i have a better question
what is a moderate republican?
They vote the same as a regular republican
They vote the same as a regular republicans but don't say the quiet parts out loud. So they can back Trump and still pal around with the democrats.
Graham fits the stereotype of Closet Case to a T
My sense is that Graham is homosexual. But like Roy Cohn hates himself. That self-hate pushes him to support a would be fascist leader, Trump.
Yes, that puts Graham even beyond extreme It puts him into a psychological class that allows him to support not just anarchy, but a what will be remembered as the greatest US political horror show.
Right out of Cohn's Playbook
When all else fails, question your opponent's sexuality.
Congratulations.
South Carolina is a funny state
Lindsey's predecessor was Strom Thurmond. It was an open secret that he had black skin daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams. This was decades before Ms Washington-Wiliams opened up about him being her father.
Strom was a segregationist, except for when he wanted to have sex with a black woman.
Roy Cohn (Trump's mentor please remember) certainly did tear people down with various accusations, including that they were homosexuals. Although Roy was a closet case who contracted HIV and died from AIDS, as a result of being on the receiving end of anal intercourse with another man. Yet those are just details. Not the ideal reference for a rebuttal.
Lindsey never married; has no children. Yet supported a Constitutional Amendment preventing Gay people from marrying each other.
Lindsey claims he has never had the time to find a wife. That is the worst excuse that any heterosexual man could make.
Hard to not see Lindsey as a closet case.
Lindsey screams when he is excited.
None of these things say he is Gay.
Alright
If Collins is an extremist and Graham is a closeted homosexual (interesting what people obsess about), where does John Hawley or John Cornyn fit? Ted Cruz?
Or are we saying that all Republicans are “extremists”?
There are remaining Republicans?
Between Moscow Mitch and Benedict Donald they have pretty much destroyed what was the Republican Party. Mitch wants a single party nation; Donald is beholden to Vladimir Putin.
Ted Cruz? A nasty fellow that is disliked by most of the peopel in the Senate, regardless of party name.
Considering that a war mongerer, John Bolton, was fired by Trump, anyone who is more extreme than Bolton is by definition extreme to the nth extremity.
If it votes like a duck...
If Hawley continuously confirms unqualified judges, pretend that Trump did nothing illegal during his impeachment hearing and vote to acquit, and votes to continue building migrant concentration camps that torture children at the borders (etc, etc), it’s hard to afford him (as it is Collins) any charity in dignifying “moderate” rhetoric that comes from an office that breaks with Trump and McConnell 0% of the time. Put your vote where you mouth is. “Family separation is bad, but I keep supporting the laws that facilitate it anyway!” Sola fide - salvation comes through action.
And Ted Cruz? Is that really one of the best examples of non-extreme Republicans that you can think of? If Ted “profiles in political cowardice” Cruz is supposed to be a moderate then I guess Cornell West is an exemplary moderate Democrat.
My point being
When the idea is that Collins is an extremist, what are those decidedly to the right of her?
John Ashcroft was considered extreme when named Attorney General, all the while he fought the erosion of civil liberties put forth by his eventual successor, Alberto Gonzalez. As others note, branding those with whom you have ideological differences as “extremist” cheapens the word and makes discourse impossible.
ACA repeal in 2017 aside,
I'm having a hard time coming up with a time when discourse was possible. The past four years have been overwhelmingly about owning the libs.
Like, QED, no court appointments in an election year yet look at how the context of this post has changed since Friday evening.
Weird to take issue with anyone calling any elected R an extremist when seemingly no Republican has called for the Stormfronter senior advisor Stephen Miller to resign or be fired.
The Senate GOP is the problem
What difference does it make if say a Charlie Baker Republican becomes a US Senator if he votes 100% of the time with an extremist, nihilistic Trump/McConnell regime?
What difference does the ideology of moderation make if never put into practice? The Senate, as currently configured, allows only for voting in lock step with the President and Majority Leader’s extreme policies.
If I believe that adultery is bad, and I tell you that I believe adultery is bad, yet I cheat on my wife, then what does that make me?
If you call Collins an
If you call Collins an extremist, then that's a sign that you're the extremist, so far left that you see everything past the center as extreme.
It's a two party system. Half the country is on one side. Half is on the other side. If you see the two halves as extreme, then you're not seeing the big picture.
big picture, indeed
american politics occurs on a such a tiny sliver of the world political spectrum that kamala harris is currently being called a progressive extremist
Silly rabbit
Collins voted for a man who was drunk at his hearing. Were it not for Moscow Mitch threatening to make her political life hell she might have voted against Kavanaugh. But she chose to fall under the extremism of Moscow Mitch. That make her an extermist.
Meant extremist
But perhaps there is a truth to a typo.
“You’re the real ______!”
“If you call Collins an extremist, then that's a sign that you're the extremist”
“If you bring up race in an argument, then you’re the real racist!”
“If you bring up gender equality, then you’re the one that’s sexist - towards men!”
Ah, the “you’re the real [x]” retort. A stock favorite of low-quality commenters who have zero argument. A refined iteration of “I know you are, but what am I?”
Welp, that's what I get
for saying nice things about Baker to my Dem friends (I opted out of party association after the 2016 mess).
Dumb
Maybe the dumbest move Baker has ever made. Most Mainers don’t even know who Baker is. How many Massachusetts residents can name even one governor of another state? Same for Maine. Baker loses a tremendous amount of the bipartisan support he had in Massachusetts. Every Democrat knows Collins, she’s the one who gave us Brett Kavanaugh. I can only think that Baker is on his way back to the private sector and he does this endorsement because he wants to show some kind of solidarity with a “moderate” Northeastern wing of the Republican Party that doesn’t exist anymore.
Not so dumb
Baker only has upsides to things like this. He's in no risk of loosing re-election in MA. He's the most popular governor in the country so if a few % of MA dems don't vote for him, he'll still coast to re-election in Mass.
If Collins wins, he'll be be able to ask for favors. If she looses, it cost him nothing, politically speaking.
Baker probably has eyes on the White House or a cabinet position. He knows he'll never get on the Democratic ticket. But in 8 years the country might be ready for a moderate. Being able to say he supported "moderate" republicans and didn't turn his back on the party will be important.
Never forget: If the guy wanted to be a democrat, he'd change parties. He clearly hates Trump but he's no fan of Progressives either. (As shown by his distain for public transportation.)
Assuming Republicans survive
The death of the Whig party and the birth of the Republican party during the culture war of the 19th century that culminated in The Civil War is instructive. Whigs were unable to, as the phrase goes, "hold the center." The modern Republican party appears to be walking the same edge.
Baker had no need to throw himself behind Collins. He has successfully maintained a distance from how the label Republican has been pulled to a political and social extremism.
Even if Trump won (God forbid) throwing his name behind Collins still doesn't make sense, unless he wanted to be on her staff. But Charlie knows the taste of political spotlight. He would sacrifice the delicious flavor in favor of being a staffer.
By declaring himself a supporter of a Senator who is a servant of Mitch McConnell, and willing to sacrifice her dignity and honor by supporting the Trump crime family, he has given many people in Massachusetts reason to reject him.
elected officials
“How many Massachusetts residents can name even one governor of another state? Same for Maine.“
And this is why civics are important. If you pay even the slightest attention adults should be able to name all the governors of New England, plus those in the media (CA, TX, FL) and presidential candidates. God I’m tired of living among stupid people. We need to hold our fellow citizens more accountable for their ignorance.
Anyone who has been paying attention since March
Should be able to name most governors, since they have been in the news. Certainly the east coast governors should be familiar to residents.
I can’t possibly be the only one paying attention to what’s going on in other states.
I'm deeply troubled maybe even
concerned....
Well played
;-)
only counts on twitter
I'll believe your concern when you send a useless tweet to back it up!!
Along with ...
thoughts and prayers.
Her comments on not replacing the late, great RBG
until after the 2021 inauguration are set in stone for there next 7 to 10 minutes.
"Always Puts Maine First"
When it comes to avoiding questions from her constituents, she is the first to evade and then whinge about "someone asked me questions = was rude to me". https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/13/1892132/-Portland-Maine-Resi...
Greez
Run out and grab some Preparation H. What the left did to Kavanaugh was embarrassing and abhorrent.
Kavanaugh showed up to his hearing DRUNK
What Kavanaugh did to Kavanaugh was embarrassing and abhorrent. He showed up to a televised hearing drunk.
Thats a flat out lie
He was accused of drinking in excess IN COLLEGE. I know, the horror.
Also the rape
I know the part about not taking his job even a little seriously is part of it, but we should probably also not forget the part about all the raping he did.
Given Kavanaugh's history,
That's not the least bit surprising.
Yes, always remember, he is a Republican
And he will support other Republicans, regardless of their positions on the issues. And he will appoint other Republicans (like, for example, if Elizabeth Warren gets appointed to a cabinet position). I haven't had a lot of issues with Baker as a Massachusetts Republican governor, but in the national context, his being a Republican is a problem. Regardless of how "moderate" Baker claims to be, he is inextricably tied to trump's party and their actions and he will support them.
Doesn't work that way
Remember Scott Brown? He wasn't appointed, he was elected.
I'm sure he would love our
I'm sure he would love our feedback as MA voters
https://www.mass.gov/forms/email-the-governors-office
Just doing what politicians do
The whole loyalty to party thing is typically a pain as it forces politicians to "tow the line" even when they don't agree with something. Baker is pretty good about not towing the national GOP line, so this is a harmless way of being part of the team, without having to implement something he knows is bad.
So you STILL think Cavanaugh is a rapist?
Wow. And OTHERS are ideologues?
There are other reasons to have opposed him
Like his judicial writings, but rape will do.
Party makes strange bedfellows
Adam, judicial "writings" are called opinions. Nice way of denying his authority.
Here's your guy Biden eulogizing the former clan leader and fellow Democratic Senator Robert Byrd. Seems to me that's a bit worse than old Charlie showing support for a female Senator with no racist history: A little misogynist for posting this story Adam, no? See how easy it is with identity politics?
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4454847/vice-president-biden-eulogizes-se...
Biden also eulogized Strom Thurmond
Does that mean that Biden is a closet racist? Or that he was able to develop positive relationships with politicians who otherwise were pretty horrible people.
Thurmond as an ardent segregationist. Except for when he was younger and wanting to put his penis into a black woman. He also played the anti-commie card.
The sad thing about us - as a nation - is that we demand from our "leaders" that they be cartoon characters. Two dimensional. People who are not people.
Ted Kennedy was able to work with Orrin Hatch.
Before the media mavens such as the Fox News mouthpieces, the blowhards of Rush Limbaugh and the Christian-Fascists rose to spread their poison, it was possible for liberal and conservative politicians to find common ground.
Biden is proof that the ability to find common ground in the US government still exists. Moscow Mitch declared that he refused to find common ground with Barack Obama (Mitch does not like what he in private calls "darkies.") But perhaps once the poisons of Moscow Mitch and Benedict Donald are voided from the political scene, maybe we can return to normality where people on opposing sides of the political spectrum can also find ways to work together.
Unclear
but he lied his ass off during the Senate hearings. Not exactly what one would hope from a Supreme Court nominee.
never un-believed it
n/t
Kavanaugh (not Cavanaugh) showed up drunk
At his hearing he was charging ahead with his liquid courage.
No more need be written.
Well
I understand he likes beer.
Don't know if he raped any women
But I saw a man who was exhibiting liquid courage during his televised confirmation hearing. Add his comment about loving beer.
An active alcoholic on the Supreme Court is poison. That told me he was absolutely unqualified.
If he sobers up he could wind up being a very liberal man. But the booze will always get in the way until he stops drinking.
Yes
His accuser was credible, he was not. Do you think having been confirmed by Trump's Senate is proof of innocence?
baker supports collins +
baker supports collins + collins supports trump = baker supports trump.
a lot of whats wrong in this country right here
This type of logic could be applied to:. Antifa people support BLM. Whoever burned down buildings and shot cops during riots supported BLM. Therefore Antifa = BLM = riots. (It's not true, just similarly crappy thinkng to what is below , and what is dividing the country)
Yeah, except that Antifa
Yeah, except that Antifa doesn't exist, and looters did not support BLM (unless you also argue that they support the Red Sox, Detroit Pistons and what ever sports team won or lost that year).
Gee, now I'm waiting for the inevitable
Paul LePage and Charlie Baker appearance at the next Collins rally in Maine!
Won't that be fun?
Baker just earned another
Baker just earned another $100.00 to whoever the Democrat is that runs against him.
And today's sad news of RBG's passing
And today's sad news of RBG's passing illustrates why baker still being a Republican still matters. The Republican party will unite like never before in order to make this appointment and our governor will be one on them.
Well, except he doesn't have a vote on that
Nor is the nominating narcissist likely to seek his advice.
No, but he is in a position
No, but he is in a position to provide support (especially regional support) for a senator who supports trump - which brings us back to this endorsement. Baker, as a Republican, will/must support other Republicans and the Republican platform (such as it is) and policies.
How could any father, let
How could any father, let alone someone in a leadership
position, support Collins who publicly humiliated a young sexual assault victim?
Massachusetts
The blue-est of the blue states but we have a Republican Governor.
Vote 'Competence' 2020.
Who can do the job?