John Boehner Unchained

[brooklynite]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Politico

Breaking the ice, I mention some news of the day—that Trey Gowdy appears likely to become chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The previous chairman, Jason Chaffetz, had abruptly announced his resignation from Congress; House conservatives had hoped that Jim Jordan, a senior member on the committee, might pursue the chairmanship. Boehner grins. “Gowdy—that’s my guy, even though he doesn’t know how to dress,” he says. Then Boehner leans back in his chair. “Fuck Jordan. Fuck Chaffetz. They’re both assholes.”

And away we go.

...snip...

When I ask Boehner whether the Republican Party can survive this, he cuts me off. “There is no Rep—.” He stops himself. “You were about to say, ‘There is no Republican Party,” I tell him. He shrugs. “There is. But what does it even mean? Donald Trump’s not a Republican. He’s not a Democrat. He’s a populist. He doesn’t have an ideological bone in his body.” So who, I ask, is the leader of the party? “There is nobody,” he says.



Read more: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/29/john-boehner-trump-house-republican-party-retirement-profile-feature-215741

[George II]

1. Holy crap, that's amazing. I wonder why he waited so long to "come out"?

[cos dem]

2. Because, like all of them, he was addicted to power.

Now he's out, and he can tell us what we already know.
Thanks Boner.

[Achilleaze]

3. As usual, "republican family-values' role models go low in thought, speech and deed

Screw the much-promoted hypocritical "republican family values" bullshit meme.

republican wankers need to abandon their lowlife ideation, and embrace American values like respect, honesty, decency, fairness, and loyalty to the USA, not some god-forsaken draft-dodging, money-mob casino kinkster with korrupt kremlin konnections.

The KGOP Kongress is pissing all over American integrity and democracy. Sick, and sad.

[Skittles]

4. for someone who doesn't have an ideological bone in their body

Trump surely comes across as a repuke whore

[Liberalagogo]

5. Unsurprisingly

Boner STILL can't take any responsibility for the GOP and what they are.

[hibbing]

6. Donald Trump a populist? BS

[GulfCoast66]

9. He is the very picture of a populist

America is best and all our problems are the fault of _______. Fill in the blank depending on the leanings of the populist. But it is always someone else's fault.

It can many groups both left and right. And can change depending on the mood of the country.

[hibbing]

27. Not my understanding of populism

I think it was nationalism and of course a lot of blatant racism, those were his dominating campaign strategies, I didn't hear a lot of populism at his rallies and in debates. In terms of populist policies once in office , of course not.

I suppose some bullshit populist rhetoric with bring back coal and some other stuff.

"True" populism has a progressive connotation to me.


We can agree to disagree on this.

support for the concerns of ordinary people. (As long as they are white)


Rambling rambling rambling, one too many scotches.


Peace

[GulfCoast66]

36. You are correct...

Historically populist and progressive are about the same. And historically the same toxic Brew. You ever wonder why many of we liberals reject the title progressive? Because some of us know the history of the progressive movement better than many claiming to be progressive today.

Historically Progressives threw away social concerns and the rights of underrepresented populations in the quest for 'economic justice'. Progressive movements have never cared much about minority rights.

Not necessarily talking about progressives today and never all progressives, but Wilson was a Progressive president and he cemented Jim Crowe.

Liberals and oppressed populations have good reason to be wary of populist or progressive labels. And we have seen things lately that make us think that wariness is still valid

If you doubt me look up the racial views of Famed Progressives Woodrow Wilson or firebrand progressive Huey Long.

[meow2u3]

7. Donald Trump is NOT a populist

He's a nihilist rabblerouser hellbent on the fall of the United States.

[Kolesar]

18. Donald Trump is a typical Republican

Racist whether they know it or not. Thin skinned. Ignorant

[Sunlei]

23. sure the donald is popular with nazis, the republican party, radical RW hate groups-they love donald

[BainsBane]

24. Of course he's a populist

He is marshaling popular discontent for his own political benefit. The point of populism is to siphon off the revolutionary potential (real revolution, as in armed), co-opt it and maintain capitalism. He's a demagogue, which is also common among populists. In some cases, populists bring benefit to the people, but it is always within the context of maintain the existing economic and social order. Vargas and Peron are perfect examples.

[unblock]

8. he most definitely has an ideology. it's white supremacy.

people keep insisting he doesn't have an ideology because he's ignorant about some issues and because it's not a traditional left/right ideology. it's mostly right-wing, but includes things like protectionism, which the business-oriented right-wing opposes.

it only sounds like a muddled ideology if you're stuck in the usual paradigms. if you think of him as just plain always siding with whites over blacks, men over women, christians over muslims, etc., then it's clear that he has an ideology.

it's just a horrible one, that's all.

[Kaleva]

25. He changes his ideology as often as one changes their underwear.

All he wants is to win.

[unblock]

34. Sure he wants to "win", but what's "winning" to him?

His entrance into politics was based on treating an incredibly accomplished black president as a non-American; he ran a campaign focused mostly on misogyny, racism, and xenophobia; and his tweets and agenda are all about insulting non-whites, non-christians, etc., and undoing the legacy of a black president.

That's his agenda, that's his ideology, and a "win" is anything that furthers that. Even the fact that he didn't make tax cuts a priority shows he cared more about these other things.

Now it's true that he doesn't understand many details and doesn't care about many issues one would expect a president to care about, but when he changes his mind on such things, that's not a ideological change. That's either stupidity or just that he doesn't care if it's not tied to a white supremacy matter.

[JHB]

10. Wrongo, Johnnie. Trump IS a Republican because Republican voters love him.

He IS the leader of your party. Your people wanted him.

Trump's positions in the election were mainstream Republican, he just abandoned the usual dog whistles. Your party won't do anything to restrain him until you get your tax cuts.

You guys paved the road and fired all the cops, and now you're complaining that he's drag racing on your road. But you won't make him stop, so go screw yourself, Boehnhead.

[cstanleytech]

12. Exactly.

[Kaleva]

22. Some of his ideas were mainstream Democrat

He was pro-choice, supported banning assault weapons, was anti-war, supported a massive one time tax on the wealthy and so on.

[world wide wally]

31. All past tense

When he knew it would be easy to win the GOP nomination by just being a lazy, ignorant bigot, he switched on a dime.

[Kaleva]

32. But I think that shows just how expendable his values are.

[gopiscrap]

11. his ideology is trumpism and all the ill gotten

gain that he can get while in the White House

[janx]

13. Sorry, Politico, but this guy is just boring.

I don't know what the publication was trying to do with this lengthy analysis and these pictures, but honestly, this guy is as boring as an overcooked beef stew.

[Sunlei]

16. politico has to make boring interviews because no one leaks them "good stuff" any more.

[janx]

17. Yes, really--working on his lawn mower?

?

[JI7]

14. Trump is the leader of the Republicans. They are the ones that nominated him

The had many other choices and picked him and support him every day.

[Sunlei]

21. Thats right, Trump is the Republicans damn dog & _those people_ won't even clean up his shit!

clean up after your dog Republicans!

[Sunlei]

15. Boehner went to work in the Vadican for the Pope,he washes bird poo off the courtyards on Thursday

Leave him alone politico.

[janx]

19. And he grabs the wet grass

off his lawn mower blades on Saturday.

[Sunlei]

20. blends the grass into the whiskey sour for an eye opening AM health tonic!

No more crying for Johnny

[janx]

26. Playing golf? Ironing a shirt?

Oh, the melodrama! How desperate can a publication get?

[Irish_Dem]

28. What happens if there is no GOP any more? nt

[BigmanPigman]

30. Everyone lives happily ever after.

[BigmanPigman]

29. Right now he is very Repub but that could change

any minute. Woody Harrelson was on Real Time with Bill Maher and was saying how he had a "brutal" dinner with the fake prez in 2004 with Jesse Ventura and was thinking of running as a Dem at the time. Woody said he had to go get toasted 1/2 way into the meal since the moron talked the entire time about his favorite subject...himself.

[herding cats]

33. Quite the read.

Boehner was a breaker, not a maker. As history will show. He helped feed the beast to keep it amicable so his party could have control, but as all too often happens the beast grew too large to manage and turned on its handler.

He, and all of the Republican Party gnashing their teeth and pulling their hair in anguish at what they've become, own it. All of the ugliness, the nastiness and the hate the Republican Party now represents is theirs.

They could have stopped the lunacy budding in their party in the early 1990's rather than feed the hate and division. Now we hear him bemoaning how the RW hate machine turned on him, and we're supposed to feel what? Sympathy? Pity? All I feel is disgust for what they've done to our country in their quest for power and control.

[Cadfael]

35. If Donald Trump is a populist

this country is even worse off than I thought...hope I’m not wrong...

[KelleyKramer]

37. Oh there's somebody, it's the Koch brothers

The Koch brothers and their billionaire buddies own and run the Republican party

[muriel_volestrangler]

38. Locking - the hosts feel this is a feature article, not about a news event

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