What does Cantor's loss mean in US politics

[toeg]

I think it's funny just how stupid Americans are, but I thought I would get the reaction of the crowd on this. Cantor, a clear nutjob, wasn't nutty enough for the position apparently. Just how crazy do you have to be to become an elected official in the US?

:laugh:

[CaptainCool309]

To become an elected "Republican" official in the U.S., you might as well dress up as the Mad Hatter, because you'll have to get used to going to a lot of Tea Parties to prove you're not a dirty-stinking-Obama-loving-RINO-traitor!

[Red Commissar]

Primaries get even lower turnouts than general elections so it's possible for a small group of ideologues to game elections and shove through their own candidates. What's interesting is that the tea party, wallbuilders, americans for prosperity, and other groups didn't even bother supporting Cantor's opponent and he won anyway. Cantor represented a cushy suburban district in Virginia so it attracts the scatter-brained small government tea party types.

It's not as if the Dems have been immune to this either though. In New York left groups threw themselves behind Gov. Cuomo's bid for re-election despite his neoliberal positions. State-level primaries have seen candidates trying to appeal to various bigotry and climate change denial. Here in Texas the Democratic Primary was so messed up that in the run-off for one of the Texas senate seats (currently held by John Cornyn so it's not really a viable race for them), resulted in a LaRouchite making it to the runoffs.

Cantor's loss doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things, since he was already pretty far out in tea party territory anyways. What was surprising is that despite how much he bent over backwards for them that he still got booted out. He must've rubbed someone the wrong way in his district who got just enough people to push the primary in their favor.

[Sinister Intents]

I think it's funny just how stupid Americans are, but I thought I would get the reaction of the crowd on this. Cantor, a clear nutjob, wasn't nutty enough for the position apparently. Just how crazy do you have to be to become an elected official in the US?

:laugh:

All Americans are stupid? Indeed this politician is pathetic haha. I saw shit on this on the TV and I thought it was funny he got booed at, Never trust a politician.

[voodoojoey]

It's not as if the Dems have been immune to this either though. In New York left groups threw themselves behind Gov. Cuomo's bid for re-election despite his neoliberal positions.

I know this is probably for a different discussion, but support for Howie Hawkins (a man I volunteer for), the Green nominee, is rising because the Working Families Party is facing a severe backlash over its support of Cuomo despite Cuomo not supporting really any of their platform.

As for Eric Cantor, it's just showing the lack of viability of primaries in terms of actually being representative of the electorate. They really need to do blanket elections with all the candidates from all of the parties with IRV or approval voting (to get rid of the extremely undemocratic top-two system) for the general elections.

This also could be the turning point for right-wing politics. I've said for years that the Republicans are going to implode and the Democrats will become the new right-wing party, with the socialists making the left, and the libertarians making the center/right protest party. This might be the beginning of the realization of that. With candidates like Brat, the Republican Party will no longer be nationally viable. Something else will replace it.

[Five Year Plan]

This also could be the turning point for right-wing politics. I've said for years that the Republicans are going to implode and the Democrats will become the new right-wing party, with the socialists making the left, and the libertarians making the center/right protest party.

And for years you have been wrong, and will continue to be wrong.

[Loony Le Fist]

I think it's funny just how stupid Americans are, but I thought I would get the reaction of the crowd on this. Cantor, a clear nutjob, wasn't nutty enough for the position apparently. Just how crazy do you have to be to become an elected official in the US?

:laugh:

We are definitely stupid as a society. The good thing is that some of us see through it. I think it's a good thing any time the establishment takes a hit, so I'm happy Cantor is gone. In fact, I hope it happens everywhere. I want to see the whole established order go away. I'd be just fine if the US political system just collapsed. It isn't like politicians are doing anything for anyone. Now is the time, since Congress and the President are disliked by wide swaths of the US population.

[Left Voice]

I'm not American so I don't know the inner workings of primaries quite as in-depth as some others, but my understanding is that Eric Cantor lost because his rival David Brat portrayed him as 'soft' on immigration due to his belief that children of immigrants should be given citizenship. Except, others maintained their positions despite holding similar positions on immigration. It doesn't sound representational of anywhere except that specific district.

Is the American political mainstream so narrow that people consider one right-wing Republican losing out to another right-wing Republican constitutes a notable shift in American politics?

[voodoojoey]

You could say I'm wrong all you want, but something's gotta give here.

[Wonton Carter]

Is the American political mainstream so narrow that people consider one right-wing Republican losing out to another right-wing Republican constitutes a notable shift in American politics?

Kind of. The man that won the primary is extreme-right-libertarian. Cantor was just an annoying establishment Republican. Still pretty right-wing, but not as much as the guy that just won.

[Max]

Cantors loss means that politics are becoming more conservative in the US. Cantor was very conservative, I always thought that he was crazy. But they guy that beat him is batshit insane. HE believes in no social programs, is a religious nut job, denies science, and wants to cut education spending vastly.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Cantors loss means that politics are becoming more conservative in the US. Cantor was very conservative, I always thought that he was crazy. But they guy that beat him is batshit insane. HE believes in no social programs, is a religious nut job, denies science, and wants to cut education spending vastly.
Or some Democrats voted for his opponent so their candidate would have a better shot in November.

[consuming negativity]

It means the Republican establishment lost control of the fire they set and are now getting burned. Serves them right, the slimy assholes.

Beyond that, I'm sort of surprised to see Cantor come up on RevLeft of all places.

[OGLemon]

And for years you have been wrong, and will continue to be wrong.
One can hope