Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

A consequence of cucumbers

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

The revolution will be supervised.

It’s a doggy dog world.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Second rate reporter says what?

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

You are here: Home / 2024 Elections / 2024 Primaries / Monday Evening Open Thread: The GOP (Back End of the) Horse Race

Monday Evening Open Thread: The GOP (Back End of the) Horse Race

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Some people are very hard to satisfy…

… The criteria for the debate, scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, come as the Republican presidential primary field grows more crowded, with several contenders expected to join the race in the coming days and weeks. A second debate could be held on Aug. 24 if enough candidates qualify, the R.N.C. said in a statement.

To qualify for the stage, candidates must garner support of at least 1 percent in multiple national polls recognized by the committee, and some polling from the early-voting states will count as well. The candidates must also have a minimum of 40,000 unique donors to their campaign, with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory, in 20 states and territories, according to the committee.

The 40,000-donor debate threshold is likely to prove a consequential and costly barrier to some underfunded candidates. Republican campaigns had already been told informally about the criteria, and some were racing to ensure they had enough donors. Some super PACs are spending money for online ads to drive small donations to the campaigns…

This is not the first time there have been efforts to cull the Republican debate stage participants. In 2016, lower-polling candidates were relegated to undercard debates…

Two Republicans familiar with the discussions said Gov. Ron DeSantis’s team had wanted a higher threshold than 1 percent, which would have been likely to thin out the stage, giving him a more direct interaction with former President Donald J. Trump, the current Republican front-runner.

Mr. Trump, for his part, has already suggested that he may skip primary debates, claiming that it was not worth his time to debate his rivals because of his polling advantage.

Candidates hoping to debate in the August matchup are also expected to promise not to participate in any debate not approved by the party committee for the rest of the election cycle, and to pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee…

Reader Interactions

124Comments

  2. 2.

    Redshift

    The criteria are a little better than 2016. One of the underrated factors in TFG’s rise is the initial Fox News debate, where qualifying and stage position was (if I recall correctly) based entirely on polling. Several major pollsters warned them against it and asked that their polls not be used, because they reflected nothing but name recognition which TFG had bigly for reasons unrelated to politics.

  4. 4.

    JCJ

    Not looking forward to this debate.  Downtown Milwaukee is about 13 miles from my house.  I am concerned that a portal to the underworld will open with so much evil in one place.  I hope not to get sucked in.

  7. 7.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    CavsKermit via Anne Laurie @ Top:

    The pledge only works towards Trump’s benefit and to the detriment of candidates like Christie whose sole purpose is to prevent Trump from winning.

    That’ll be easy enough for Christie (or anyone, really) to get around: “When we signed that pledge, none of us knew that Trump would be indicted even before the first primary was underway.”

  8. 8.

    SpaceUnit

    So the debate will basically be twelve monkeys all screeching and flinging poo at the biggest monkey.

    I may have to watch.

  9. 9.

    japa21

    @JCJ: Take a drive up to Holy Hill or Kettle Moraine, or if you don’t think that is far enough, meet up with Omnes in Madison.

    Holy Hill should be safe enough.

  11. 11.

    Mousebumples

    @JCJ: I at least live further away (in Wisconsin) from that. Good luck to you! 😬

    Crazy (for me) to think of Wisconsin getting at least 1 debate. I was stoked to get tickets to an 08 Dem Primary debate since it was being held at my college in Iowa. Then-first in the nation status had perks.

    Lots has changed since then…

  13. 13.

    BlueGuitarist

    @sab: on point, as usual.

    Alito is (hmm, how to convey how disgustingly evil?) a Republican.

  14. 14.

    Mousebumples

    @japa21: Holy Hill should be safe enough. be safe enough

    Do we have any odds on GOP candidates wanting to prove their religiously conservative bona fides and staging a photo op at the Cathedral?

    **Note – I’m less religious than I used to be, but in the interests of full disclosure, I have prayed and reflected at Holy Hill.

  16. 16.

    Ken

    @gliese1288: Yeah, I was wondering if the 1% threshold could actually eliminate anyone.  I would have set it at the poll’s margin of error, at least.

  17. 17.

    JPL

    People say Trump won’t sign the pledge, but he’ll 100% sign it and then just break it later under the theory that *what happened was very, very unfair.*

    unless they promice to pardon him if they win.

  18. 18.

    mrmoshpotato

    Not to be too churlish, but Tom Nichols is an idiot who didn’t notice that his party was full of bigots and imbeciles (h/t driftglass) for decades!

    Oh wait!  They did notice!  And they used that to their advantage!

    They’re just pissed they got outconned by a better conman!

    Fuck ’em! as efgoldman would say.

  23. 23.

    sab

    So a couple of weeks ago I ordered a cat stroller from Chewy. Husband was furious. Expensive and our cats are indoor.

    I said they might want to go outdoors. He said ” That is dangerous and they should not be encouraged. We have large coyotes out back.”

    So I will roll Dobby out. He will probably be horrified by the wild. Then I will donate the stroller to Humane Society thrift shop.

    Or he will love it and the battle will continue.

    ETA He used to be a forced outdoor cat and the experience almost killed him. The vet sent us home with advice assuming he would die. We followed her advice and he didn’t die. Five years later he is well and frisky. And maybe needs a stroller.

  25. 25.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    @sab: Nobody goes to the underworld anymore, it’s too crowded

  26. 26.

    SuzieC

    Trump will never be able to stay off that debate stage, because he thinks it will make him look like MegaGodzilla in the primary.

  28. 28.

    Anne Laurie

    @Baud: Citizens United hasn’t been bad for Republicans.

    The party’s been on a bad path for decades, but Citizens United gave the dedicated alcoholics the keys to the brewery.

    We’ve all of us suffered from the predictable effects, but the GOP is liable to die of it, and not pleasantly.

  29. 29.

    Immanentize

    @sab: cats live to smell the smells. I will represent you pro bono in your divorce.

    (Warning, I am a criminal defense attorney)

  30. 30.

    Mousebumples

    @Immanentize: You may be right. The last time I was there, it more helped me reach peace with my elderly grandfather’s impending death (this was 10+ years ago). Solace can be found anywhere – no religious connotations required.

  33. 33.

    Amir Khalid

    @SuzieC:

    Or worse, he’ll want to debate to prove that in the GOP, he’s the winner and still champion at playground taunts, the campaigning skill that won him the nomination back in 2016.

  36. 36.

    Cameron

    @Amir Khalid: Given who he’d be up against, he’s probably right to think that way.  He’d toss some infantile insult at DeSantis who, incapable of finding a retort, would stand there shod in his white boots, pudding dripping from his fingers, and the expression of an outraged frog on his face.

  40. 40.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Cameron:

    He’d toss some infantile insult at DeSantis who, incapable of finding a retort, would stand there shod in his white boots, pudding dripping from his fingers, and the expression of an outraged frog on his face.

    Sure, but while everyone was distracted, Tacky O would knife Melania and blame it on the usher.

  41. 41.

    mrmoshpotato

    *I didn’t know they were going to rig the primaries when I signed the pledge.*

    “How stupid are the people of all the states that were rigged against me?!” bellowed the fat, orange, fascist shitstain who’s been sucking Kremlin ass since at least 1987.

  44. 44.

    mrmoshpotato

    @SpaceUnit:

    So the debate will basically be twelve monkeys all screeching and flinging poo at the biggest monkey. 

    So the 2016 GOP shitshow again!  I still regret paying any attention to that mess.

  46. 46.

    mrmoshpotato

    @sab:

    So a couple of weeks ago I ordered a cat stroller from Chewy. 

    Link please.  I NEED to see what this looks like!

  47. 47.

    Mallard Filmore

    @sab: He used to be a forced outdoor cat

    Back when I lived in an apartment, my cat was an indoor-outdoor type.  Then the lady across the sidewalk bought two male Siamese kittens.

    Now, 5 years and 2 moves later, my cat is still an indoor only cat.

  48. 48.

    Citizen Alan

    @sab: I am honestly baffled at the idea of a cat stroller and had to google the term to make sure I wasn’t misreading it.

  51. 51.

    bbleh

    I can’t imagine there won’t be a Dem campaign organized to donate $1 each to selected candidate wannabes, unless they DON’T want a stage-full.  I actually wonder which would be better ..

    @SpaceUnit: @mrmoshpotato: it MIGHT be that a stage-full of poo-flinging monkeys would be most useful at damaging the Republican BRAND.  Like, they’d need to out-crayzee each other, but the overall result would be outright scary to normies.

  52. 52.

    Brachiator

    JUST IN: RNC announces criteria for first GOP debate this summer

    — Candidates must sign pledge to support eventual nominee

    How about a pledge to agree to accept a clear loss if the Democratic Party candidate wins the general election?

    I would love to see the turmoil if Trump refuses to attend any debates because of this pledge.

  53. 53.

    eclare

    @sab:

    I used to see a couple out with their cat stroller.  They each had a glass of wine, looked like a nice routine.

  54. 54.

    trollhattan

    “Unique donors.”

    Oh, I’m unique alright. You should see my zarf collection.

  55. 55.

    Miss Bianca

    @Anne Laurie:

    We’ve all of us suffered from the predictable effects, but the GOP is liable to die of it, and not pleasantly.

    God, if that’s the only silver lining we get from the Citizens United cloud, I guess we’ll have to take it. Laughing. See? Ha ha HA! Mine is a bitter laugh.

  59. 59.

    Redshift

    @Citizen Alan: First time I saw one was at a rabbit rescue event. It’s probably the best thing for misguided people who believe they can get their pet rabbit to go for walks with a leash. (And yes, it was extremely cute.)

  61. 61.

    Rebel’s Dad

    I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to TFG turning Sununu into Reek at the debates.

  63. 63.

    Amir Khalid

    @Brachiator:

    JUST IN: RNC announces criteria for first GOP debate this summer

    — Candidates must sign pledge to support eventual nominee

    I can easily see TFG refusing to sign this pledge, and then daring the RNC to exclude him from the debates.

  66. 66.

    Redshift

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:

    Sure, but while everyone was distracted, Tacky O would knife Melania and blame it on the usher.

    I’d pay to see that, if only the money wouldn’t go to the GOP. Especially since Tacky O might sneaky get a shiv in first, but I doubt she’d survive the encounter. Hateful small-town American, however ambitious, would be no match for an Eastern European in a knife fight.

  70. 70.

    Another Scott

    Can Pence get 40,000 real people to donate??

    I think we’ve been here before…  NPR from August 2015:

    On the very first question, Trump refused to promise to back the eventual GOP nominee — unless it’s him — and wouldn’t rule out launching a third-party bid.

    The best way to make TFG cranky is to make the debate period 3+ hours long with as many candidates as possible.  He didn’t like that in 2015-2016 – whi[g]ned that it was too long.  It would help to remove the rose-colored glasses from people who still think that he’s some powerful MotU for him to not have control over the situation and have to stand there and take it…

    I won’t be watching. Maybe everyone should boycott whatever advertisers they are able to dig up for it…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  75. 75.

    cain

    @trollhattan: Couldn’t believe that this asshole did the stunt not once more more but twice more ahead of his speech in Sacramento. He’s going to have criminal charges – and the dude would probably hold it up as “see, how hated I am by liberals” – just issue a warrant for his arrest.

  78. 78.

    Rebel’s Dad

    @Redshift: I had to google who Tacky O was and now I’m irrationally angry at her parents for besmirching the good name of Ms. Tammy Faye Bakker (RIP, Kween).

  82. 82.

    TheflipPsyd

    Jen Psaki is filling in for Chris Hayes. I wonder if MSNBC is hoping for a ratings bump

  84. 84.

    Doc Sardonic

    People keep talking about making a promise to pardon Trump. One key element that is missed about pardons, to accept a pardon there must be an accompanying acknowledgment of guilt. Trump is by his very nature incapable of making that admission.

  86. 86.

    mrmoshpotato

    @eclare:

    I used to see a couple out with their cat stroller. They each had a glass of wine, looked like a nice routine. 

    What kind of wine?  I wanna be one of their cats.

  87. 87.

    Brachiator

    @Amir Khalid:

    I can easily see TFG refusing to sign this pledge, and then daring the RNC to exclude him from the debates.

    That would be a bold move and would really mess with the GOP.

  92. 92.

    kalakal

    @Doc Sardonic:  That never slowed down the creatures that Trump pardoned and the MAGAs in general.

    Ambulant pustule Joe Arpaio polluted the media for months about how being pardoned proved his  innocence, and, he was quick to add, he should know, he’d been a cop for years.

  93. 93.

    JPL

    this is my neck of the woods from the local police.

    Ahhh yes, it’s that fleeting, magical time of year when 97% of the posts on Nextdoor change from “what kind of snake is this?” to “DID YOU SEE THE BEAR?!”

    If you live in an area where there are black bears, take down your bird feeder and secure your garbage.

  95. 95.

    SpaceUnit

    @mrmoshpotato:

    I relish the thought of a dozen GOP grifters watching their political ambitions die in a tournament of childish insults . . . and then shuffling off the debate stage with their pants around their ankles.

  96. 96.

    sab

    @JPL: Thank God Ohioans killed all the bears.

    Last night my rose bush was 18 inches high with two buds. This morning it was two inches high with one leaf. Meanwhile deer.

    I need big dogs, not one dog afraid of deer and a bunch of indoor cats.

  97. 97.

    cain

    @Doc Sardonic: Very true. He would basically sharpie it and then say “he’s not guilty, it was a rollback and that I was innocent the whole time” – So, basically he would demand that.

    After which, he will demand that said president give up being president and let him take over because it is his job.

  98. 98.

    TriassicSands

    Having ensured the nomination of ace criminal DJ Trump in 2020 by flooding the primary season with a mob of ridiculous and vanity candidates, the GOP now seems ready to repeat its stupidity.

    You can’t fix stupid.

  99. 99.

    JPL

    @sab: The bear has been foriaging for food within a mile radius and the police advice was leave it alone.  We will only interfere if it is a safety issue and you can prevent that.

    Meanwhile my son who lives in Sandy Springs sent me a picure of the two deer out in his front yard.

  102. 102.

    JPL

    @sab: February we had high temps and then March came with lows around 5.   I lost several plants but farmers lost their entire peach crop.   Somethings are not like the other and that will always be the case.

    Meanwhile

    RFK Jr. Blames Anti-Depressants for School Shootings (Miles Klee/Rolling Stone)

    omg what a kook

  104. 104.

    sab

    @mrmoshpotato: Ask Watergirl. My camera aptitude is D minus. But the stroller is very cool, and just popped out of the box. No assembley needed. Just spread its legs out and pop the crosspiece latches.

    I will try to send photos when we roll the horrified little guy out. He had been very frustrated this week. Used to be trapped outside. Five years inside. He almost starved to death outside. But birds!

  108. 108.

    TriassicSands

    @sab

    I commend you for getting the cat stroller. I highly recommend trying to leash train young cats. Getting outside is definitely good for cats, but a leash doesn’t sound like a good idea for your once traumatized and now no longer young critter. A stroller is well worth trying.

    @sab: I need big dogs, not one dog afraid of deer and a bunch of indoor cats.

    What you need is a puma. I have it on good authority that they are completely safe and won’t eat you, your dog, or your indoor cats. Rumor is they like deer.

    If you decide to go that route, would it be okay if I took out a huge life insurance policy on you with me as beneficiary?

    PS Please don’t get the puma until after the November 2024 election.

    PPS Deer are wonderful, but they can become a problem in the absence of predators. And the presence of human beings means the likely absence or scarcity of predators.

     

    @sab:

  111. 111.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Doc Sardonic:

    One key element that is missed about pardons, to accept a pardon there must be an accompanying acknowledgment of guilt.

    I keep hearing this said.  Can anyone refresh my recollection of Nixon’s acknowledgment of guilt when pardoned by Ford?​
     

    ETA: Looks like several others have made this point with different pardons.

  113. 113.

    sdhays

    @Amir Khalid: Does Donnie even want to be in the debates? He’s a former President and crushing everyone else in the polls. Why would he bother slumming with these people?

    His presence elevates their stature. If he’s not there, does anyone watch?

  114. 114.

    prostratedragon

    What’s the trewtment of the day for manic behavior? Chris Sununu needs that.

  117. 117.

    sab

    @Immanentize: In my brief attorney life I did mostly divorce . In the midwest. No community property. Very bleak. Wives screwed. Comfortably married then single moms.

  118. 118.

    Princess

    Trump is clearly no longer capable of debating.

    if the GOP were at all serious about internal reform and dealing with Trump, the simple solution would be to insist candidates release five years of tax returns.

  119. 119.

    JoyceH

    New topic – I just saw the video of Lauren Boebert claiming that she didn’t vote on the debt ceiling because she was protesting. I’d heard about it and seen the evidence that was a lie and she was really just too late, but first time I saw the video — and MAN, did she overdo the makeup! I mean, Tammy Faye level makeup. My main takeaway from the video was ‘she looks like that on purpose!’

  122. 122.

    El Muneco

    @Redshift: I got called on that over at LGM. It’s not a legally binding admission of guilt, you just can’t claim the Fifth regarding the charge. In the court of public opinion, of course, it’s essentially a confession, but that’s slightly different.

  123. 123.

    Jackie

    @JoyceH: I didn’t recognize her. Between the heavy eye makeup and wearing the ball cap backwards – I was who the hell is that?!?

    Then she started talking. Is this her normal look when not at the Capitol? Or her new recently-separated-from-husband look?

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