Current Events > Intrusive thought: do you think it possible for a Republican to win in 2028

(+) Yeah! (+)

...And for it all to have been a complete scam towards the Republicans?

Which is to say, the candidate is himself progressive or at least liberal (yes of course it has to be a him), but there's no record of that. He runs on a false ticket of placing himself as a successor of Trumpian policies, keep up every bit of Trumpian rhetoric, not have Trump's baggage, but just completely fool the Republican electorate into voting for him, and then win the electorate and reveal at his inauguration that he's going to do none of what he promised?

Effectively fooling both the Republicans who buy into it and the Democrats who try and fail to organize a counter-strategy to get someone better?

Like I'm just wondering if there are any laws against that.

And yes I am asking this under the presumption that Trump won't run and win in 2028.

Yes this is a harebrained idea, but like I said. Intrusive thought.

And now as I finish typing this, I'm wondering if it was attempted historically downballot or in other countries.

the voters can but tricked into it if the runner plays their cards right like a certain new york dude who scammed them into voting for him
but would they even bother with voting after this they intend to scrap it if they can before you guys reach the voting date

Republicans have been doing this on a smaller scale lately. There are a few cases of people running as Democrats, winning, and then immediately flipping.

It's scummy, but not illegal.

It would be impossible without a decades long ruse, getting into the pockets of all the right people.

You don't become President of the United States without some kind of track record.

If there even is an election in 2028, considering SCOTUS has basically put Trump above the law.

No because they would instantly get removed from power if they did

Yes I know Republicans have pretended to run as Democrats and flipped once elected for decade but Republicans never ever face consequences

No. It is not possible.

Evil in the Republican Party is not a bug it is a feature.

No one rises to become President out of nowhere. The hypothetical candidate would need to have had a lifetime of Trump level beliefs in order to ascend the Republicans ladder. This means countless situations where he was outwardly racist, outwardly sexist, outwardly homophobic.

Times when (if he was a politician) voted for bills that said trans kids should die in the street rather than be allowed to see a doctor. Times when he supported ICE agents deporting a non-violent brown person who was here legally and he said.

A litany of horrible acts he would have supported or committed all without any guarantees he would ever be president. No one could do that much evil, and turn out to be good.

No good person will ever be the republican nominee for president (at least not in our lifetimes). It is not possible.

You're saying the Republicans are stupid, but not THAT stupid?

Is this more for Jimmy Voter or is this more for James Donor III?

Unless the GOP successfully ends free and fair elections, or the Dems make a grievous error even worse than Hillary 2016 or Biden 2024, they're not winning in 2028.

But as for the actual topic at-hand, someone pretending to be Republican only to pull a Krysten Sinema or Eric Adams but in reverse after they're elected, yes it's possible for politicians to just lie, but it's rare for someone that good at lying to also have the moral constitution to turn down all the GOP dirty money and sacrifice their political standing purely to do good things for other people. There's actual personal incentive to being a fake Democrat, not so much for being a fake Republican.

There are no laws whatsoever against it... Though if this candidate did too well, and put the GOP in power of Congress through a wave election, he'd definitely be getting his ass impeached.

not for president, maybe for a senate or house seat.

dotsdfe posted...

Republicans have been doing this on a smaller scale lately. There are a few cases of people running as Democrats, winning, and then immediately flipping.

It's scummy, but not illegal.

This, it's not illegal and has in fact been done, just it has been Republicans doing it.

There was a guy in the UK who used to run for Parliament under deliberately deceptive names.

He ran as a 'Literal Democrat' (against the Liberal Democrat), and used the name 'Gerald Maclone' (against Gerald Malone). They had to change the law to stop people doing this shit.

All I'm saying is that, if a left leaning candidate wanted to run as 'D0na1d Trump' for the 'MAGA Republican Party' . . .

It would be incredibly hard to pull off in a Republican primary, especially the higher the political office. Republicans have their propaganda machine, and if they get one whiff that someone is up to something, which could be anything as small as a social media post from decades ago. They'll amplify it, and influence their viewers not to vote for this candidate, who could be a liberal in disguise.

Akuryu posted...

You don't become President of the United States without some kind of track record.

Did you not pay attention in 2016? Trump won without a political track record.

Yes very possible. Too possible. Americans have memories of goldfish.

The only way for Dems to win 2028 is to run the table. Unlikely even the party properly reconstitutes itself.

And then 2032 becomes functionally impossible because of a harsh reapportionment.

Nothing will change until Florida and Texas start moving. Even then, probably too late due to compounding EV losses elsewhere.

And to answer the topic: I literally just went through George Santos.

Starks posted...

Nothing will change until Florida and Texas start moving.

So then nothing's changing?

Unless those 4 NY seat populations and other blue EV losses are perfectly distributed among red states, something will noticeably moving over the next decade. Meaningful movements TBD.

there is now 2028 democracy is dead

As usual itll Depends on whoever appeals to the majority and their concerns/wants more.

So If immigration is still an issue by then and the populace want something done about them then you either appeal to and follow up on that, or dont and lose.

Takuya_Lee posted...

Did you not pay attention in 2016? Trump won without a political track record.

He ran for the Reform Party nomination in 2000.