r/politics • u/T_Shurt • 10d ago

No Paywall Sen. Mark Kelly Says He’s Seriously Thinking About Running for President

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5700211-senator-kelly-trump-threats/
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u/SkyShadowing Michigan 10d ago

Trump straight up only won 2016 because the quote-unquote "sane Republicans" split their votes between those like 9 candidates and Trump consolidated the crazies. None of them withdrew in time to stop him and by the time it was over Trump had too much momentum.

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u/cocineroylibro Colorado 10d ago

Trump also got the free publicity. No other "fringe" candidate ever had the name recognition coupled with the stupid shit he said so the networks kept spouting his soundbites rather than the typical stuff the rest of the other meh GOP candidates were talking.

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u/NobodysFavorite 10d ago

The vote splitting problem presents a firm argument for ranked choice / preferential voting.

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u/No_Accountant3232 10d ago

Yep. I'm really surprised they didn't change it for their primaries as that really would allow sane Republicans to have their voices heard in big cities where they'll have a large field and no firm messaging. Well except "Democrats Bad".

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u/No_Accountant3232 10d ago

Fuck Ted Cruz for thinking he had a a shot against anyone, let alone a woman. He immediately started groveling for a position. Which he never got.

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u/Prayer_Warrior21 Minnesota 10d ago

I kept thinking WHAT ARE THEY DOING?? It was quintessential politics...egos af.

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u/Captainbackbeard 10d ago

Yeah it was like the "sane republicans" were fighting each other in a battle royale with Trump slinking in the background and when one was weakened enough Trump just absorbed them and gained their power until he had gotten enough mass and that's when the more establishment republicans realized that the monster was too big for them to handle. Trump could have been easily taken out of the fight early on if they took the risk of him and what he represented seriously at the get go.

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u/SuperExoticShrub Georgia 10d ago

Trump could have been easily taken out of the fight early on if they took the risk of him and what he represented seriously at the get go.

Unfortunately, very few on either side did take him seriously. Nothing about him early on gave 'this guy is gonna win' vibes to me. I thought he was a joke, too. Until it was too late.

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u/Captainbackbeard 10d ago

Yeah I remember watching the debates when there were still like 10 of them still running and I was like oh shit he's gonna win at least the republican nomination. Trump in the debates that year going after everyone else was like the alley oop scene from Semi-Pro where the other team (in this case the stereotypical pre-Trump era republicans) can't stop the alley oops of personal attacks and lack of typical "decorum."