John Boehner RESIGNS from Congress

Try and put aside partisan tribalism and consider this:

Which seems better for the nation?

Representatives that vote in lockstep with their Party Leaders or representatives who challenge their leadership and the status quo?

One thing to keep in mind when working up an answer to the question is that we often vote by party. It is at least somewhat helpful if we get Democrat support for issues that Democrats generally prefer. In other words, does your congress person reflect the values you thought you were voting.

The Republicans who have given Boehner so much trouble were elected by a majority of people in their district who agreed with what they campaigned upon. It seems to me that their first duty in Congress is to represent the opinions and values of the people who elected them rather than the Party Line as dictated by its professional political class of Leaders.

The problem for Boehner and the GOP is not so much that there isn't a clear consensus as to what being a Republican means, but that the Leadership is more concerned with playing the game and getting along than representing Republican values. Their Democratic counter-parts were never compelled by such niceties.

Republican voters gave the GOP both the House and the Senate with the anticipation that they would forward "Republican" values. Thanks to the leadership, they haven't.

Republican voters expected at the very least that the House & Senate would bombard Obama with bills that he would have to decide to sign or veto. They haven't done anything even like that.

Boehner hasn't been nearly as bad as McConnell in this regard. No Republican I know cares that the bills we want can't possibly override a veto. We want to force Obama and the Democrats to take a stand on them.

The GOP needs to be shaken to its foundation and all of the faux conservatives swept away. Boehner & McConnell would argue that such a thing would render the GOP ineffective and nothing we want would get through, but that is pure bullshit. They've had the power and it was given to them by conservatives...what have they done with it?

I can't stand Donald Trump and would hate to see him win the GOP nomination and, God forbid, the presidency, but he has benefited from the impotence of the GOP Leadership.

We don't need better politicians. We need a better electorate.

Yeah, I can see it that way, too.

I'm definitely not shedding a tear to see him go. I wonder if he would have been as bad of a Speaker if it weren't for the extreme far right Tea Party having so much control over him. The Tea Party republicans philosophy seems to be to get every single thing they want or else.

who decides which ones are the faux conservatives?

looking at the thing from the outside it looks like there's quite a discrepancy between a few groups claiming to represent true American conservatives.

What gives you the idea that he might have some political or leadership skills? I never saw much from him. His people created a lot of chatter in the press but buzz is useless unless it is followed by productive action. Boehner spent a lot of time in a very important position and yet did next to nothing for America. That is by definition a complete fail. Anyone who says nice things about this twit should be condemned for stupidity, if not treason.

I agree with you 100 percent. He did allow the Tea Party republicans to push him around. Under his leadership the Tea Party republicans didn't want to negotiate or compromise with anyone. Not even an inch. It was their way or the highway. We all have our own ideology. But, this is not a dictatorship. There is supposed to be give and take. The Tea Party don't know the meaning of give and take.

Tea baggers have lost a bit of ground since their high days of 2010 and 11.

The GOP will disjoint further and a series of loosely confederated conservative and ultra conservative knots will prbably inherit the main of the party. However they will lose membership numbers that can
only be sustained in a "big tent ethos" kind of membership. The Dems lost most of their "Blue Dogs" to the GOP back in the 60's and now survives based mostly on political variety that covers the center to the extreme left of center.

I'm not sure anyone could've herded those cats. Interesting to see what will happen.

I think about this, too. What IS a true conservative anymore? The negative stereotype that used to offend me so bitterly seems to be materializing at the feet of Donald Trump - in BIG numbers.

How could a conservative person claim any respect or trust in that man? He's got 30%! Hasn't 30% historically been the GOP's share of the electorate? Boggling events.

I agree, except I am not sure interesting quite covers what happens next. Dread might be better. I wonder how long it will take for the House to find someone all the tea partiers and established conservatives republicans (don't know exactly how to word it) can agree on and who will win.

My first LOL this morning. Dread is the better word.

PS, now I think those of us who are, should rally around the fact that we are PROUD to be liberals...
Conservatism has shown its colors and they are mostly beige an white with a philosophical center that includes guys like David Duke and Ken Ham

Yea Finn, most profound observation, they seem to be going 'round in circles not knowing just what to promote

I guess I'm bored this morning, looked under one of my ignores.

Anyway..



Hyperbole much?

You have read me enough to know my style, dont act all innocent....

You are mistaking 30% of Republicans polled with 30% of Americans polled.

BTW - The RCP average for Trump is 23.4% not 30%

Securing 23% of the vote will not win anyone the nomination. There are 14 other candidates splitting 77% of the other votes, and I can only imagine a share of Carson's support moving to Trump should the doctor pull out of the race.

Many of the people who say they like Trump really mean that they're very happy to see a candidate say F-You to the media, and, to a lesser extent, the GOP Establishment. What they might do when it comes time to pull a lever in a primary election remains to be seen. They also like that he doesn't care about political correctness, and see him as a champion in this regard. They are tired of taking grief for saying what they believe to be true things because of a minority of a very loud and obnoxious PC Police who seem to wield more power than they could ever deserve.

A guy in the Army who is scrapping by on too little pay to support his family and who does very well in a work environment that is more integrated than most in this country doesn't want to get scolded about "white privilege" if he says "All lives matter," or "Cops lives matter."

The same thing is true for a lot of white working class folks who very much resent the constant assertions by Progressives (including the MSM) that they are ignorant racists clinging to their guns and religion.

This is the classic audience for a populist and that, above anything else, is what Trump is.

One of my oldest son's friends is a real wild-man. He drinks heavily, is outrageous in terms of the things he says, will do just about anything to gain attention and laughs and is very funny, very intelligent, and very successful in his sales job.

Everyone loves Bobby because he's great fun, and there are different rules for Bobby than for others, but Bobby once told me that every time he dates a girl it starts out great with them saying "Oh Bobby you're so funny!" but it eventually ends with "Bobby can't you ever shut up or be serious?"

The people who are currently supporting Trump are like the girls who date Bobby. Right now it's great fun, but eventually Trump will rub them the wrong way.

Just in my opinion, it is someone that knows you can't have anything you can't pay for, no matter how nice it sounds.