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Don Gates's avatar

That paraphrase from Bowers was just jaw dropping.

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Anne's avatar

It's just so hard to fathom. Any candidate who tried to overturn the legitimate vote result - one doesn't vote for them again. Ever. No matter how many years pass.

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TomD's avatar

People vote against, not for. He believes Biden is worse than Trump. It's sad.

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Anne's avatar

I would just not vote rather than vote for a traitor. but maybe I'm too harsh

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suzc's avatar

Cognitive Dissonance? Gob smacking, I agree. But then you and I probably equate intelligence and integrity (or at least a red line of some sort, like belief in the Constitution) with good character and honor, and we are apparently wrong. Or we assume intelligence and character would never support Trump behavior. We are definitely wrong about that. Or we have to redefine character at the very least.

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Don Gates's avatar

For all these Republicans who either quit the administration because they realized he was a delusional maniac or who stood up against him despite his attempts to end our democracy through coercion and ruining their lives personally, but still maintain they will vote for him in 2024 if he's the nominee, I think we should play them Trump's "Shoot someone on Fifth Avenue" clip over and over so they can tell us how right he was when he said it.

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Don Gates's avatar

That's just psychotic, really. If you can't pull the trigger for Biden, fine, but how do you then pull the trigger for Trump? Especially if you're Rusty Bowers?

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Catie's avatar

OMG, what the heck is wrong with Republicans?! trump sicced his supporters on this man's family while his daughter lay dying, and he would vote for trump AGAIN?! Talk about betraying everything he said in the hearing yesterday! If it was all so serious, and so damaging, how could you possibly choose that traitorous thug again?! Ugh....

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suzc's avatar

This! Well said. He is betraying everything he said he believes and stands for. And will do it again. Mind boggling. The Stepford Wives.

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TomD's avatar

Maybe the key is the part about the US Constitution being "divinely inspired." God's Plan, etc.

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Catie's avatar

If he truly believes that, then his voting for trump again after trump tried to overthrow the Constitutional order makes even less sense.

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TomD's avatar

But the Lord works in strange ways, making odd choices of His instruments, blah blah blah.

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suzc's avatar

exactly

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TomD's avatar

Seriously... He finds Biden to be the greater evil???

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Patricia Oliver's avatar

That reveals the depth of their delusion.

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JF's avatar

OMG. тАЬ But while Bowers said the efforts by Giuliani and other Trump backers have been hurtful, he does not levy any criticism on Trump directly and would support him if he were on the ballot.тАЭ (Dateline today)

I DO NOT GET IT.

I felt so gratified, seeing his sincerity and integrity. But I get betrayed every single day!

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suzc's avatar

Someone was saying today that Bowers is also among those leading voter suppression efforts in AZ, so it is hard to reconcile where his red line is with love for the Constitution and the Republic. Yet he seems to intelligent and sincere.

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Patricia Oliver's avatar

ThatтАЩs gutting

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suzc's avatar

I think gutted is a great word for how so many of us feel these days.

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M A's avatar

Gut-wrenching.

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Mary's avatar

I think it is a fundamental value of deeply religious folk. He said he reveres Reagan. DidnтАЩt Reagan preach about never talking bad about other Republicans? This isnтАЩt politics, this is religion to him. I watched his testimony, I love my country too, but the flaws in our History are numerous and (imho) reverence should be used VERY sparingly.

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JF's avatar

Great observation, Mary. Reverence should be used sparingly. ItтАЩs a double-edged quality.

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Kevin Bowe's avatar

Reagan said never attack Republicans and years later challenged Gerald Ford, splitting the party. I have no patience for "these people".

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Patricia Oliver's avatar

ThatтАЩs the problem. TheyтАЩve been so brainwashed by right wing media that theyтАЩll vote for a GOP criminally corrupt traitor who tried to overthrow the country than any Democrat.

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Terry Hilldale's avatar

They have been told over many decades that Democrats are all either sexually immoral or okay with sexual immorality. That is why Pizzagate, etc are the conspiracy theories of choice. For them, immoral Republicans are outliers. But then they reveal their lack of principle when confronted by Trump's immorality by saying, "We are voting for a president, not a pastor."

Bowers' church teaches him that Christlikeness is to be the hallmark of all aspects of life. No compartmentalization allowed. It is beyond appalling that any christian votes for Trump.

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Liberal Cynic's avatar

I've said about a million times that squishy Rs are going to be the death of our country.

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Terry Hilldale's avatar

Martin Luther King had a similar opinion about moderate whites.

тАЬFirst, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the NegroтАЩs great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White CitizenтАЩs Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to тАШorderтАЩ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: тАШI agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct actionтАЩ; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another manтАЩs freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a тАШmore convenient season.тАЩ Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.тАЭ

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Linda Oliver's avatar

That is so disheartening, that a guy with apparent principles would still vote for Trump. Barr practically acknowledges TrumpтАЩs nuts and would still vote for him. What the absolute heck is WRONG with these people?

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Patricia Oliver's avatar

They erroneously think Democrats and liberals are evil, even demonic. ItтАЩs religiously motivated, mostly because Democrats support choice. IтАЩve had people ask me how I can vote for a Democrat since IтАЩm a Christian.

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suzc's avatar

If that's true, then they are not very intelligent, because Govt is not meant to legislate morality nor can it do so (though it can impose it, as we have all seen). Govt is supposed to govern. And neither party seems capable of even minimal standards in that regard.

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JF's avatar

You make an important point, Patricia. Our political divisions have very strong religious overtones. For some reason, that scares me even more. Maybe because thereтАЩs an implied righteousness they use as impunity in their actions. Religion with politics is a recipe for trouble. Always has been.

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Douglas Peterson's avatar

Agreed. There's a lot of binary thinking among my devoted Catholic family members. Trump for religion/Biden against it; Trump against abortion/Biden for it; Trump for passing my inheritance on to my children/Biden against it....

The beliefs are supported not only by the right-wing news media they watch, but by the religious media they watch even more.

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Terry Hilldale's avatar

What did you answer?

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Douglas Peterson's avatar

Apparently like Senator Susan Collins, they believe that Trump has learned his lesson. /s

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JF's avatar

Same with McConnell.

I guess they fear Democrats with the same fervor that I fear Republicans. Of course, mine is justified.

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Peter  V's avatar

wasn't that great? I don't think it was a paraphrase. I think it was a quote.

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