29 Comments
Jan 4, 2023·edited Jan 4, 2023

They are very dangerous. It either broadcasts what disarray our governing body is in or we can laugh and say it just begs the definition of what democracy really is and will settle out. They do have this right legally to disrupt, and the right to their nihilism. Democracy is messy. Gaetz and Boebert stick out as figures that epitomize villains; they have a love of attention. I still have the image of their Zelensky speech sit down when everyone else was standing and applauding. This rowing against the current shows they are on the wrong road leading to a waterfall off the cliff. Who are they without their oppositional disorder? Better yet, who put them in their positions? What is worrisome, when we stop laughing, is the ignorance of the voter, the appeal to nihilism as entertainment bolstered by media resulting in lack of confidence in governance. Anarchists are in our government, like termites, and they are not there to serve you but to eat away and cause collapse.

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Love the comment on object permanence. I agree the potential for great harm exists and is terrifying. The fact that they prefer Putin to Zelenskyy is chilling. I hope some moderates will show leadership and form a coalition government, but I fear the dynamics favor more chaos.

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Remember when Pelosi gave McCarthy everything he asked for re: Republican representation on the J6 committee and he still refused to be reasonable? What goes around comes around.

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I don't know whether to laugh or scream. What an embarrassment for our country. But then again, these Republicans are an embarrassment 24/27/365. So why be surprised? I'm concerned for the damage they will do over the next two years.

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"Performative terrorism" worked for the Nazis and it's creeped into the

GOP.

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If or more likely when Kevin McCarthy gets the speakership, he will be starting as a super weak leader. The next two years he will not pass anything, it will be a mess where nothing gets done and they’ll find a way to blame the Democrats for it as usual.

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The funniest thing I saw yesterday was the letter Gaetz sent to have McCarthy evicted from the Speaker's office. So much pettiness, so little time.

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I'm wondering how long the Republicans are prepared to let this failure to find a Speaker go on for. While the more moderate Republicans lack the passion and love of destruction of the Freedom Caucus I'm wondering if they're going to be pushed too far and decide to play hard ball with the rebels. Refusal to accept an 85-15% ballot is a pretty serious thing and generates a lot of person resentment. If the 'moderates' decide it's important not to give the Freedom Caucus anything approaching a victory than who knows how long this could go on for.

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The Democrats, diverse as they are in perspectives and priorities, are capable of pulling together in pursuit of a common goal. The last two years should have proven that even to the pundit parrots. The Republicans, however, overwhelmingly white and mostly male, have no common goal and nothing to pull together around. What's the famous Yeats line? "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold." He may have got it backwards: when the center isn't there, things do indeed fall apart.

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founding

It's amusing in a schadenfreude type of way - until the time comes to raise the debt ceiling when we will discover that Boebert, Gaetz, Gosar and their ilk are perfectly fine with blowing up the world's economy. :(

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I’m hoping this clown show continues until six of the moderates eventually say *screw this* and jump over and vote for Hakeem.

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Bobert narrowly gets re-elected, Gaetz is a personal scumbag, Greene is whatever, Gosar is a loser But these are the people that constantly have 'something' to say, are always quoted and followed by the Media and Us...so why are we the bit surprised at the Circus in DC. McCarthy is getting what he asked for! He epitomizes the the phrase "No Guts...No Glory" Just change the word Guts with a round circular object used in sports

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I think we should recommend to the moderate Republicans that they consider going the direction of Sinema and becoming Independents. That would make the Republican Party quickly have to appease them instead or they might vote Hakeen Jeffries in as Speaker so that things could get done. In that way he would have to work with Republicans who want to be worked with to get legislation passed, but he would at least lead in governance. However, Moderate Republican is like an oxymoron. Still, I presume there might be some who are moderate enough to do this, and then, perhaps they need to be appealed to, to become Independents, and that will upset the balance in the Republican Party even more. The USA is hampered by this 2 party system. Out of the 2 parties we really should have 4 parties. One of the ways to handle this would be to have renaming of parties and what they stand for. There is the left wing of the democratic party which could be called the Government Protects the people Party(G-PTPP), the moderate branch could be called the Government Supports Business and Protects People Party (G-SBAPPP), the Moderate Republicans can be called the Government Supports Business Party (GSBP), and the right wing branch of extremists can be called the No Government At All Party (NGAPP). Then, Sinema can move to the Government Supports Business Party and so can Manchin. The more moderate Republicans can be in that group as well. The extreme branch is now the N-GAAP. They would be known by their acronyms. I would not know where to start with recruiting Republicans to become Independents. I anyone has a list, it sounds like we would just need to recruit 6 people. That is fewer than McCarthy currently needs to recruit.

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They are showing us just how dangerous they are. If they win the Presidency in 2024, it’s game over for democracy and our country. They are so power hungry and mean spirited.

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It's impossible to see where this ends. There's really only three things that must pass, the two omnibus to fund through 2025 and the debt ceiling. I figure enough Republicans will cross over. But who knows.

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Craven. A perfect descriptor for key players in this disgusting display of bastard Democracy.

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