If a Republican wins, he'll need to be strong the below points.

[hippie_hunter]

Even though you personally disagree with those concepts, you have to understand why they have come to those conclusions. Rubio is tied to the old Cuban-American bloc that is vehemently anti-Castro, Cuban-Americans that still vote Republican are die-hard anti-Communist. Chris Christie's situation has become so dire in the GOP primaries that he is taking his anti-marijuana, anti-vaccination position to make himself more appealing to the GOP base. And recent events with ISIS and Russia have made Rand Paul's foreign policy ideas so unpalatable to the general American populace that he has to make himself look tough.

 

[Thundercrack85]

With the exception of Paul, all the support bases for those positions are eroding.

Arguably even with Paul. Americans are tired of war. The American military is tired of war. The country's infrastructure is in dire state, and we don't need more military spending.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Paul's base isn't eroding. Paul is. In the past two years, he's turned from an isolationist into another DC hawk.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

With the exception of Paul, all the support bases for those positions are eroding.

Arguably even with Paul. Americans are tired of war. The American military is tired of war. The country's infrastructure is in dire state, and we don't need more military spending.

American's won't vote primarily against war unless there's a draft.

And even then it would probably end up a stale mate, partisan issue.

 

[souvlaki]

Hippie, I disagree a bit

"Obama's win in Colorado, a key swing state, can be attributed in part to Latino voters, who make up about 20 percent of its population" Latino's voted for Obama 75%. That's huge.

I think the Dem's can expect a decline in the black voter turnout in 2016, and if Jeb is the Rep candidate a steep decline in the Latino vote advantage. This is a double whammy in some swing states such as Colorado, and Nevada.

Without the black and Latino vote, Obama is blown out in 2012.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/then...hic-percentages-of-the-2012-election-20121109

Without looking up statistics I feel like whatever Latino and African American votes Democrats lose they would gain in women voters if they ran Clinton. Even with Bush the Latino vote is not going to just magically flip. Way too many bridges have been burned in the last 8 years. Things won't just magically go back to how they were in 2000. Add to that the fact that Castro is considered fairly likely to get the VP nod. Not saying this is how it's going to play out, just saying people are overestimating Bush's ability to win back Hispanics. It's Clinton's election to lose. The biggest obstacle to her winning isn't the other candidates, it's herself.

 

[hippie_hunter]

With the exception of Paul, all the support bases for those positions are eroding.

Eroding yes, but still extremely important parts of the Republican base.

Arguably even with Paul. Americans are tired of war. The American military is tired of war. The country's infrastructure is in dire state, and we don't need more military spending.

The American military may be tired of war but it still doesn't change the fact that looking weak on national security is never a good image. ISIS and Russia made Paul look weak and now he has to make up for it. Now I'm not criticizing his policies because I personally agree with them, but Russia and ISIS kinda ruined the momentum the non-interventionist movement gained in the past couple of years.

 

[Taarna]

Even though you personally disagree with those concepts, you have to understand why they have come to those conclusions. Rubio is tied to the old Cuban-American bloc that is vehemently anti-Castro, Cuban-Americans that still vote Republican are die-hard anti-Communist. Chris Christie's situation has become so dire in the GOP primaries that he is taking his anti-marijuana, anti-vaccination position to make himself more appealing to the GOP base. And recent events with ISIS and Russia have made Rand Paul's foreign policy ideas so unpalatable to the general American populace that he has to make himself look tough.

The Cuban American story is under told on a national level. Cuba was a fine nation until Castro came along. Then a leftists revolution went after its own people duping the rest that it was for the greater good. First Castro took their guns, then he took their wealth. Anyone who stood in his way was killed or a political prisoner. Some fled, others tried to fight.

Cuban Americans understand what freedom means. They know that any deal with Cuba only benefits those in power. Joe average Cuban citizen won't see a dime. That's why they are Republicans.

 

[SV Fan]

The Cuban American story is under told on a national level. Cuba was a fine nation until Castro came along. Then a leftists revolution went after its own people duping the rest that it was for the greater good. First Castro took their guns, then he took their wealth. Anyone who stood in his way was killed or a political prisoner. Some fled, others tried to fight.

Cuban Americans understand what freedom means. They know that any deal with Cuba only benefits those in power. Joe average Cuban citizen won't see a dime. That's why they are Republicans.

Only problem is that when you have no problem dealing with China(or a host of many other countries that have questionable leadership that the US has no problem dealing with) you lose any moral high ground you have saying you don't want to deal with Cuba. I am sorry but our policy on Cuba should not be based on one small group of people in a state that happens to be a swing state. In all honesty it makes the US look very petty the way they deal with Cuba(you don't see other countries holding such grudges against them)

 

[Thundercrack85]

Cuba was not a fine nation until Castro. Batista was a brutal military dictator. We still don't know how many people he killed since they're still finding bodies. Estimates put it anywhere from 4000 to 20,000. Batista just liked American money. Now Castro is a bastard, but we do business with bastards all the time.

It's been fifty years since the embargo started. After half a century of no change, you have to admit your policy isn't working and move on. Open up relations, invade and depose the Castros by force, whatever. But the embargo is a failed policy.

 

[herakles]

Cuba was not a fine nation until Castro. Batista was a brutal military dictator. We still don't know how many people he killed since they're still finding bodies. Estimates put it anywhere from 4000 to 20,000. Batista just liked American money. Now Castro is a bastard, but we do business with bastards all the time.

It's been fifty years since the embargo started. After half a century of no change, you have to admit your policy isn't working and move on. Open up relations, invade and depose the Castros by force, whatever. But the embargo is a failed policy.

Castro killed a lot more people than Bautista did.

 

[Marvolo]

Well our trade embargo has been going on for decades and last I checked it hasnt helped the cuban people in any measurable way. At this point the only thing keeping it in place is a mixture of pride, politics, and hypocrisy.

 

[The Overlord]

Castro killed a lot more people than Bautista did.

It's not a contest, neither of those leaders are good, but it's naive to say everything was fine till Castro, there was likely a reason why you had a communist uprising there in the first place. That is like saying Russia was fine till the communist revolution, the communists were not great leaders, but neither were the Czars.

The fact is the US is willing to trade with Saudi Arabia and I think the Saudi government is easily worse then the Cuban government. Any moral argument for the Cuban embargo falls flat when Saudi Arabia gets a pass on their behavior.

 

[bats8]

I want a female prez

 

[Marvolo]

It's not a contest, neither of those leaders are good, but it's naive to say everything was fine till Castro, there was likely a reason why you had a communist uprising there in the first place. That is like saying Russia was fine till the communist revolution, the communists were not great leaders, but neither were the Czars.

The fact is the US is willing to trade with Saudi Arabia and I think the Saudi government is easily worse then the Cuban government. Any moral argument for the Cuban embargo falls flat when Saudi Arabia gets a pass on their behavior.

If Cuba brought oil to the table or cheap manufacturing Im sure some of these politicians who are "morally outraged" at the prospect of ending the embargo would shut up real quick.

 

[Marvolo]

I want a female prez

Woman, man, hermaphrodite, transgender...it doesnt matter to me as long as they are a good president who will move this country forward.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

The embargo hurts the Cuban people more than the leaders.

It hasn't worked in 50 years.

That's a pretty idiotic policy.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Castro killed a lot more people than Bautista did.

Batista. And debatable. Castro has been in power for 50 years without interruption. Most liberal estimates put his murder toll between 4,000 and 30,000.

Fact remains Cuba was not fine.

 

[hippie_hunter]

The Cuban American story is under told on a national level. Cuba was a fine nation until Castro came along. Then a leftists revolution went after its own people duping the rest that it was for the greater good. First Castro took their guns, then he took their wealth. Anyone who stood in his way was killed or a political prisoner. Some fled, others tried to fight.

Cuban Americans understand what freedom means. They know that any deal with Cuba only benefits those in power. Joe average Cuban citizen won't see a dime. That's why they are Republicans.

Are you serious with this post?

 

[Kelly]

To me the biggest issue for Republicans is their primary. It's essentially dominated by ultra-conservative Evangelicals. So every Republican candidate has to act like they're Rick Santorum for months. Then when they win, and try to win over the rest of the not ultra-conservative, non-Evangelical country they come off as a double talking flip floppers with no convictions. What I call "Romneys".

I fear Jeb Bush will go down that path. Rand Paul is already reversing his stances.

He hasn't thus far....he has gone into some of the strongest ultra-conservative lobby groups and kept his message as he always has. He has not backed away from his education policy (even though I believe he knows more about education than all the other candidates put together, I do not like Common Core, or his brother's NCLB)....and he has not backed away from his stance on immigration, he is just as conservative as the rest on just about everything else.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Yeah but there's a long way between now and the big day. Not to mention 82 debates.

 

[Marvolo]

Yeah but there's a long way between now and the big day. Not to mention 82 debates.

 

[Kelly]

Yeah but there's a long way between now and the big day. Not to mention 82 debates.

I think they have taken that down to 5.

 

[Thundercrack85]

That is a lot better. In 2012 there were 20 official debates.

 

[Dasher10]

IMO, the GOP's worst enemy is the GOP establishment. They keep taking positions which alienate anyone who doesn't live in a small town far away from any large city. Things like anti-vaxxers, opposition to same-sex marriage, support for teaching creationism in public schools, etc scare the average American.

Then there's taking free market economic policies to the point of opposing net neutrality. Net neutrality is the reason why e-commerce is successful in the first place. The GOP would literally destroy the economy in the name of free market dogma.

The Republican Party hasn't accomplished much during the Obama years despite controlling Congress. If anything, they've proven themselves to be obstructionists.

 

[hippie_hunter]

IMO, the GOP's worst enemy is the GOP establishment. They keep taking positions which alienate anyone who doesn't live in a small town far away from any large city. Things like anti-vaxxers, opposition to same-sex marriage, support for teaching creationism in public schools, etc scare the average American.

I think you're confusing the GOP establishment with the GOP grassroots and certain local chapters of the GOP.

Then there's taking free market economic policies to the point of opposing net neutrality. Net neutrality is the reason why e-commerce is successful in the first place. The GOP would literally destroy the economy in the name of free market dogma.

The only Republican I see actually destroying the economy is Ted Cruz. Saying that they would destroy things is as equally hyperbolic as Republicans who say that Obama has ruined things or that Hillary will destroy things.

The Republican Party hasn't accomplished much during the Obama years despite controlling Congress. If anything, they've proven themselves to be obstructionists.

They've controlled Congress for a little over 100 days . Also this sentence shows a blatant lack of understanding of how government actually works.