Nikki Haley announces her run for President

[*Nately120*]

(03-22-2023, 05:50 PM)Dill Wrote: None of the issues you rightly think important can be effectively addressed so long as manufactured culture war issues get the votes, 

Another aspect of this is that in 2016 I think many people had the idea that the Trump bluster and culture war stuff was just a bunch of hot air to get attention and once he got into office he'd tone it down and start focusing on tangible things and listening to advisors/experts.  I'd say our experience has shown that benefit of the doubt didn't pay off, and I say this as someone who voted for Gary Johnson in 2016 and didn't particularly care that Trump won.

Given the way Trump acted during and after his term I don't see how people can overlook the things he says and the way he acts, same with DeSantis.  The trust that it takes to tell yourself that they are just "pretending" to be extreme in order to win the extreme primary voters and THEN they will move on to more logical national issues, has eroded.

I don't trust either GOP front-runner to talk culture war to woo the GOP and then return a bit to the center once their base had enough red meat.  Maybe DeSantis would do that, but Trump spend his entire presidency catering to the minority of voters that would happily throw themselves under his tires and then cried "rigged election" when independent voters rightly abandoned him.  So when these guys talk about culture war stuff, I believe they are legimately focused upon it and that is their national plan and policy and focus.