Beck: ‘I’m out of the Republican Party’

[Saundra Duffy]

I became so discouraged when Boehner took impeachment off the table.  On the other hand, I am grateful to Boehner for inviting Netanyahu to speak before Congress.  So I am conflicted.  I guess I'm lucky in a way because I cannot afford to send any money to the Republicans, anyway!  So there.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Dan, I know we are far from seeing eye to eye, but I've long suspected you might feel similarly when it comes to R vs D and third parties. You believe the Republicans are controlled opposition designed to "fight" the encroaching leftist agenda (please correct me if I've misunderstood any of your beliefs). Does that mean you would support a shift to alternative parties?

If that is TRULY the case, then let's shut this site down, open up a movie and TV trivia site and go hand out there, because it is over Johnny.

[kevindavis007]

What we need to do is stop thinking everything will get better if we just elect XYZ. the politics and government we have is a symptom of the attitude of the people. Nothing will change until the people change. That is up to us working from the ground up, neighbor to neighbor, school to school, city to city, county to county. Change the foundation and you fix the top.

 

[alicewonders]

I have some confessions to make. 

I'm a RINO.  Republican in name only, only because my state has closed primaries and I can't vote in primaries if not registered in one of the two parties that have a monopoly in my state.

I vote for the person - not the party.  I have voted for Democrats in local elections where I know the person.  I have voted third party too, in state elections because of issues I care about.  I almost always vote Republican nationally though. 

I thought Glenn Beck had left the Republican party a long time ago and that he already considered himself to be a libertarian. 

I stopped giving money to the RNC when John McCain became our nominee.  I kept sending their beggar letters back to them with my opinions until they stopped sending them to me.  I still give money to individual candidates.  Did you know Matt Bevin is running as a Republican for Governor of Kentucky?  Yep, I gave him money.

I vote for the person, not the party.

 

[Dexter]

I vote for the person, not the party.

Congratulations on having the ability to think for yourself; it's a rare thing to have these days.  ^-^

[evadR]

I'm starting to wonder if the Parliamentary system isn't better than what we have.  At least I would have a vote that counts.

[aligncare]

Some of us posting here came of age in the transformative 60s. When our sheer numbers and our audacity of youth scared our parents and when we tested the limits of social norms.

We questioned the war in South East Asia and as history suggests, our influence hastened it's demise.

We swore always to question authority.

So what happened?

We capitulated. In the vernacular of our generation, we sold out. We are establishment.

I pray Gen Xers gets it right.

[NavyCanDo]

When has Glenn ever been a Republican? He has always said he was a Libertarian. Glenn even played the part of giving the Libertarian response to the State of the Union speech. Going back two elections, he has on occasion used his soap box to oppose all the Republican front runners. Until the field is narrowed then he jumps onboard. He has done the same thing during the last two elections, and as a listener, I remember being angered a bit with his speech saying he could not vote for the Republican candidate in both 2008, and 2012.

This headline from Oct 2012... "Glenn Beck Might Not Vote For Mitt Romney"

Jun 25, 2008 - Glenn Beck says he won't vote for Obama but may not vote for McCain, either.

Not worried about Beck, he understands the importance of not handing the election over to Hillary. He will once again jump onboard later in the campaign. I'm more worried about the listeners that are swayed by his talk of not going to the polls, or voting third party. These elections are now too close to drive conservative voters away, from the only person than can prevent 8-years of Hillary.

[olde north church]

When has Glenn ever been a Republican? He has always said he was a Libertarian. Glenn even played the part of giving the Libertarian response to the State of the Union speech. Going back two elections, he has on occasion used his soap box to oppose all the Republican front runners. Until the field is narrowed then he jumps onboard. He has done the same thing during the last two elections, and as a listener, I remember being angered a bit with his speech saying he could not vote for the Republican candidate in both 2008, and 2012.

This headline from Oct 2012... "Glenn Beck Might Not Vote For Mitt Romney"

Jun 25, 2008 - Glenn Beck says he won't vote for Obama but may not vote for McCain, either.

Not worried about Beck, he understands the importance of not handing the election over to Hillary. He will once again jump onboard later in the campaign. I'm more worried about the listeners that are swayed by his talk of not going to the polls, or voting third party. These elections are now too close to drive conservative voters away, from the only person than can prevent 8-years of Hillary.

I'm surprised he didn't make people wait a week before saying something.

[jmyrlefuller]

Discussions of 3rd parties reinforce my thesis, that many on the political right are math and logic challenged.

The GOP has LOST the national popular vote in 5 of the last 6 elections. The idea of further splitting that minority vote total, with another party to the right of the GOP is ridiculous.

In 2000 Buchanan was the big item, on the "conservative" interweb forums. Wow, look at how that worked out.

A more conservative 3rd party is just about the most damaging idea that can be conceived. It would lose badly, and also cause the Republican candidate to lose to the democrat, in usually GOP districts.

What does make sense is moving the GOP to the right, but not at the cost of losing elections.

But if the GOP is going to lose anyway, why continue to support a sinking ship? It's a lose-lose scenario. The country is addicted to liberalism.

[Luis Gonzalez]

But if the GOP is going to lose anyway, why continue to support a sinking ship? It's a lose-lose scenario. The country is addicted to liberalism.

Why would the GOP lose "anyway"?

[truth_seeker]

But if the GOP is going to lose anyway, why continue to support a sinking ship? It's a lose-lose scenario. The country is addicted to liberalism.

And the flip side is the wins of both chambers' majorities, as well as governorships and statehouse majorities. Not a sinking ship.

The 3rd party fantasy is a way to express frustration, naivety, inexperience, etc. Changing the GOP from within, slowly, persistently is the way to go.

Massachusetts and some California Republicans may not be just your cup of tea, but they are better than the alternatives.

[Lando Lincoln]

And the flip side is the wins of both chambers' majorities, as well as governorships and statehouse majorities. Not a sinking ship.

The 3rd party fantasy is a way to express frustration, naivety, inexperience, etc. Changing the GOP from within, slowly, persistently is the way to go.

Massachusetts and some California Republicans may not be just your cup of tea, but they are better than the alternatives.

Agree t_s.  It takes time and it can be extraordinarily painful.  We all know, don't we?

[massadvj]

Massachusetts and some California Republicans may not be just your cup of tea, but they are better than the alternatives.

I am not sure I agree with this.  In general, I think both Massachusetts and California tend to be better managed by liberals.

A system built on a lie can work so long as everyone buys into the lie.  Look at the Amish.  They believe the world is flat, they take Genesis literally, and they eschew modern technology.  That doesn't keep them from thriving and living happy lives.  Californians and Massachusites also embrace a number of delusions, but they get by on liberal faith.

Personally, I like Texas way better than California, and I was born in California.  But if I was a hippie-dippie, new age millennial metro-sexual surfer boy I think I'd like California and lib politicians just fine.

[evadR]

I am not sure I agree with this.  In general, I think both Massachusetts and California tend to be better managed by liberals.

A system built on a lie can work so long as everyone buys into the lie.  Look at the Amish.  They believe the world is flat, they take Genesis literally, and they eschew modern technology.  That doesn't keep them from thriving and living happy lives.  Californians and Massachusites also embrace a number of delusions, but they get by on liberal faith.

Personally, I like Texas way better than California, and I was born in California.  But if I was a hippie-dippie, new age millennial metro-sexual surfer boy I think I'd like California and lib politicians just fine.

It's obvious that many people prefer fiction to reality.  And their fiction becomes their reality, despite facts to the contrary.  It's not that they don't understand the facts, they just don't care and they ignore them.

That's a concept we conservatives find impossible to understand because we think everyone wants to know the truth.
They don't.

It's like Cypher in the Matrix.  He knew the Matrix wasn't real but he wanted it anyway.  And he killed his friends to get there.

[Luis Gonzalez]

It's obvious that many people prefer fiction to reality.  And their fiction becomes their reality, despite facts to the contrary.  It's not that they don't understand the facts, they just don't care and they ignore them.

That's a concept we conservatives find impossible to understand because we think everyone wants to know the truth.
They don't.

It's like Cypher in the Matrix.  He knew the Matrix wasn't real but he wanted it anyway.  And he killed his friends to get there.

There are few things more dangerous in the world of power politics than people who are convinced that they, and they alone are the sole keepers of some truth that the masses can't seem to fathom.

[Dexter]

people who are convinced that they, and they alone are the sole keepers of some truth that the masses can't seem to fathom.

You just described most people of any political ideology.

[DCPatriot]

You just described most people of any political ideology.

There here among us too.   

[evadR]

"...the masses can't seem to fathom."

That part is actually true.  The masses are in general, politically ignorant.
Gruber knew it...he depended on it.

[Luis Gonzalez]

You just described most people of any political ideology.

Don't confuse most people with people in forums like ours.

Most people hate politics.

[Dexter]

Most people hate politics.

I've never understood this. Almost every aspect of their lives is affected by the politics they choose to remain ignorant of. I get so frustrated with people that act like politics is just a boring waste of time. Maybe instead of familiarizing themselves with all of the characters on the newest reality TV shows they should take a brief moment to familiarize themselves with the people that represent them and the ramifications of the decisions they make. I know I shouldn't but I silently judge the intelligence of people that don't care about politics.

[alicewonders]

I've never understood this. Almost every aspect of their lives is affected by the politics they choose to remain ignorant of. I get so frustrated with people that act like politics is just a boring waste of time. Maybe instead of familiarizing themselves with all of the characters on the newest reality TV shows they should take a brief moment to familiarize themselves with the people that represent them and the ramifications of the decisions they make. I know I shouldn't but I silently judge the intelligence of people that don't care about politics.

I do too.  If you look at the numbers of people that actually bother to vote - even for president, much less in local elections - it's very depressing and doesn't give one much hope for the future. 

 

[Oceander]

You just described most people of any political ideology.

Not really.  Some people who hold ideological positions often feel that those positions are as blatantly obvious as gravity and are mystified that there should be anyone who managed to complete grade school who doesn't see the truth of those positions.

[jmyrlefuller]

Don't confuse most people with people in forums like ours.

Most people hate politics.

Hell, this is about the only place I ever discuss the topic.

[DCPatriot]

Hell, this is about the only place I ever discuss the topic.

Same here, 'Jay'.  Learned it at considerable expense.  LOL!

Seems most of my lady friend's family and circle-of-influence are progressive liberals.   Every once in awhile we'd go out to dinner with her sister, her husband their two best friends.

.....uh.....we don't anymore, and I haven't seen their two best friends since after the 2010 mid-terms.