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You are here: Home / Politics / Glibertarianism / “Amash for Prez”: Another GOP Jagoff Heard From

“Amash for Prez”: Another GOP Jagoff Heard From

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As a former amateur observer of Michigan politics, I’d describe Justin Amash as ‘Rand Paul with a working forebrain.’ Which of course is why, given the recent attention he drew for his ‘principled’ stance against RINO Donald Trump, he couldn’t resist the eternal libertarian impulse to make the most dangerous election of our lifetimes ALL ABOUT HIMSELF. (The deVos family can afford to buy the best jagoffs available on the open market — and they do.)

… Amash, a 40-year-old conservative lawmaker who has been a member of Congress since 2011 and had helped found the House Freedom Caucus, left the Republican Party last July after his criticisms of President Donald Trump alienated him from his former allies.

He joined with Democrats to vote to impeach Trump, but on most policy issues still votes as a straight-line Republican…

Amash has as much chance of becoming president as our beloved Blogmaster, but for the next six months, he’ll have the worshipful attention of every horse-race tout among the Media Village Idiots. Not to mention the teeth-gnashing envy of some hundreds, even thousands, of dedicated large-L Libertarians. The Washington Post‘s Dave Weigel (who used to be a perceptive reporter) is already very excited!

… “Things have really taken a turn for the worse, in terms of the growth of libertarianism in Congress,” Amash told The Washington Post in a 2018 interview. “You have some bright spots here and there. But for the most part, the party’s become more nationalistic, more anti-trade.”

In 2019, Amash became the only Republican to call for Trump’s impeachment. Not long after, he left the party and continued to vote against spending bills, while opposing many White House priorities. He faced a tough reelection in his Grand Rapids, Mich.-based district, with Republicans and Democrats both filing against him…

The Libertarian Party is set to meet in Austin over Memorial Day weekend to pick its presidential nominee, with the convention making its choice on May 25. While the pandemic has canceled many political events, the Libertarian Party had not moved the convention, and earlier this week Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state would “reopen” on May 1.

I would *never* wish a contagious coronavirus outbreak on anyone. But a nice contained bout of norovirus, maybe?…

Reader Interactions

75Comments

  2. 2.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Sounds like Joe Rogan found the place to vote in the next election, but one thing is for sure Rogan was never going to vote Democratic. I really don’t buy this is going to pull votes from Biden, more like suck up the Republicans who won’t vote for Trump.

  3. 3.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I shall offer some good news:

    A former top donor to Sen.Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and business executive is jumping across the aisle to support Democrat Jaime Harrison in South Carolina’s Senate race. 

    Richard Wilkerson, the former chairman and president of Michelin’s operations in North America, said he has known Harrison for years and is confident he can “bring lasting economic opportunity to the people of South Carolina.”

    My usual disclaimer: My dream is a Harrison upset, my hope is he has the kind of statewide coattails O’Rourke seems to have had in TX, and helps build the party. And gives Lindsey Graham a terrible case of acid reflux or hives on his ass or some other stress induced malady that couldn’t happen to a more loathsome piece of trash

  5. 5.

    Kent

    There are ALWAYS no-name 3rd party candidates on every presidential ballot I have ever voted on.

    Seems like it only makes a difference when there is some sort of groundswell of loyal foot soldiers out there to campaign. Nader had a shitload of Naderites.  Jill Stein had a bunch of loyal greenies.  Ralph Perot and John Anderson had a bunch of very loyal supporters.  As of course did the racist sege candidates like George Wallace.

    Does Amash actually have any sort of following at all?  I mean I assume the Libertarians are going to be on the ballot everywhere like they always are.  Does it matter who’s name is on there if it isn’t someone with a shitload of support?  And how are they going to go around and get support in a pandemic?

    Not saying he isn’t a dickwad.  But I’m having a hard time getting alarmed at this point.  Seems kind of Howard Schultz-ish.   Some sort of dickish fake centrist in search of a constituency.

  7. 7.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    on topic: Maybe the Never-Trumper network blowback will have an effect?

    Corey Ostby @CoreyOstby · 9m
    @justinamash @WalshFreedom @RadioFreeTom
    Congressman, I was wondering if you could refund my campaign contribution which was for your congressional seat. I didn’t realize it was a bait and switch to help re-elect the president.

  8. 8.

    Krope, the Formerly Dope

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: I really don’t buy this is going to pull votes from Biden, more like suck up the Republicans who won’t vote for Trump.

    I worry that it gives the Republicans who won’t vote for Trump a reason to actually show up at the polls and vote a Republican down-ticket while they’re there.

  11. 11.

    Duane

    A person that would vote for Biden but decides Amash is a better choice also struggles to operate a toaster.

  12. 12.

    different-church-lady

    Welp, there go all those Bernie voters who weren’t ever going to vote for a Democrat.

  13. 13.

    Mary G

    My governor’s got NFLTG:

    BREAKING: A source has provided me with this bulletin that will be sent out to all California police chiefs notifying them that tomorrow, Governor Newsom will announce the closure of ALL beaches and state parks effective May 1st in response to recent beach crowds in OC . @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/RG53HhmySf— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) April 30, 2020

    Orange County closed beach parking lots, but not the beaches themselves. I live about half a mile up from a very popular beach here, and parking was packed bumper to bumper on my street Saturday and Sunday. People interviewed came from miles inland. We also had an astroturfed protest the week before last.
    Also, too, the county COVID19 stats, which had been looking really good, have started inching up, so thanks you selfish assholes. They still look good, but the hospitalized and people in ICU numbers are their highest to date. Still low, but heading in the wrong direction.
    I did finally get five pounds of flour in today’s Instacart order, plus some bleach. So that’s good.

  17. 17.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Krope, the Formerly Dope: I worry that it gives the Republicans who won’t vote for Trump a reason to actually show up at the polls and vote a Republican down-ticket while they’re there.

    That makes more sense

  18. 18.

    Another Scott

    @Yutsano: No, not at all.

    I think there are several things going on here.

    1.  Re-elections are always about the incumbent.
    2.  When have 3rd party candidates helped an incumbent president seeking re-election?  Not Anderson, not Perot, not Wallace.  Anyone?

    “Yeah, I really hate Trump, but I’m going to vote for some guy who can’t win to make sure Trump loses!!1” – says anyone, really??

    “I’m a Democratic-leaning person who hates Trump, so rather than voting for a sensible guy who’s demonstrated he’s competent and can learn, I’m going to vote for a guy who’s on the far-right fringe who has a rigid ideology of magical thinking because reasons!!1” – says anyone, really??

    I don’t see how Amash has any impact at all in throwing Donnie out on his ear.  Especially when 2nd quarter GDP shows -40% growth…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  19. 19.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Duane: preening lefties aren’t the only ones who like to tell themselves their vote is an expression of their innermost specialness, especially if their financial interests are served by a second trump term, and they can cash those checks while they tut tut and roll their eyes at that ill-mannered boor—cause if you got no problem with babies in cages, voter suppression, McConnell getting to pick two more seats on the Supreme Court… in fact if you kinda secretly like the first two and really like that third, that’s all trump is to you, and voting for Amash makes sense

  21. 21.

    Shalimar

    @Yutsano: You’re not.  I really don’t think this is a year when any 3rd party candidate gets any traction.  Prospective voters either love Trump or despise Trump.  People who don’t have a strong opinion on that question aren’t going to bother to vote.

  22. 22.

    dmsilev

    @Mary G: You’re probably getting a bunch of spillover from LA County. Sorry about that.

    On the plus side, the County and City announced today that people who aren’t showing any symptoms can get in line for testing. Priority goes to symptomatic folks as well as various classes of essential workers, but testing capacity is rising. That will help.

  23. 23.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Yutsano: I suspect he’ll drop it eventually, but …

    David Burbach @dburbach
    Some polling data on this question that’s come up today — in Michigan, Amash in the race hurts Biden, not Trump. Hurts Biden significantly.

  25. 25.

    Shalimar

    @Krope, the Formerly Dope: I doubt those people exist.  The Republicans who can’t stand Trump were going to show up regardless to vote for down-ballot races.  They always do.  Maybe Amash gets a few million of them to vote for him too, but he won’t be the draw that brings them to the polls.

  27. 27.

    Redshift

    That shrinks to 6 points when a third party is introduced

    What does that even mean? If “when a third party is introduced” means that “or a third party” was added to the polling question, then we’re in “vs. unnamed D/R” territory.

    In the actual election, Amash running makes no difference to whether people can vote third party or not.

  29. 29.

    James E Powell

    @Yutsano: 

    Am I the only one who thinks this is going to come to nothing in the end?

    No. I think it’s good news . . . for John McCain Joe Biden.

    Amash will draw R voters who hate Trump but can’t bring themselves to vote for a D. Nobody who was ever going to vote for the Democratic candidate is going to say, hey, this Amash guy makes sense to me.

  30. 30.

    John Cole

    Amash has as much chance of becoming president as our beloved Blogmaster

    I challenge not only the implication that I am as electable as Amash but my status as beloved.

  31. 31.

    LeftCoastYankee

    Weigel started out writing for Reason magazine, and has always been a Libertarian fan-boy.

    After a major pandemic, the choices are guy who fucks up everything and people die, guy no-one’s heard of who thinks the government should do nothing, and Uncle Joe.

    Amash’s impact?  Yawn….

  35. 35.

    trnc

    There is plenty of chance that Amash’s votes will not come from Trump’s cult, but at Biden’s expense. There is a large chance this will reelect Trump.

    Ah, so DeVos will fund his campaign, after all.

  38. 38.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump · 51m
    I must admit that Lyin’ Brian Williams is, while dumber than hell, quite a bit smarter than Fake News @CNN “anchorman” Don Lemon, the “dumbest man on television”. Then you have Psycho Joe “What Ever Happened To Your Girlfriend?” Scarborough, another of the low I.Q. individuals!

    it’s almost as if the President of the United States has spent the whole day watching TV. Doesn’t Morning Joseph start at six am DC time, and Williams’ show is called “The Eleventh Hour”

  42. 42.

    Achrachno

    @James E Powell: “Nobody who was ever going to vote for the Democratic candidate is going to say, hey, this Amash guy makes sense to me.”

    I dunno.  Some people are remarkably irrational, including some of our people.  Being ignorant and inattentive leads to all sorts of weird decisions.

  43. 43.

    Anya

    @Yutsano: I am usually a hair on fire nervous but this dude doesn’t scare me. What we need to worry about is the Dem voters showing up not some phantom republicans who might vote for Biden.

    I honestly don’t think anyone who would vote for Biden would vote for tea party Amash. But then, I am not a beltway pundit so what do I know.

  45. 45.

    Amir Khalid

    I can’t take a Republican House backbencher very seriously as a candidate for president. Does this Amash person even have a chance of getting on the ballot in all 50 states?

  46. 46.

    CaseyL

    @Yutsano: The problem is, or may be, not-crazy former GOPers who can’t stand Trump but can’t quite bring themselves to vote for a Democrat.

    Biden’s margin of victory depends on disaffected GOPer votes, particularly in areas where Democratic votes are going to be suppressed.

    Such voters might decide they’ll vote for Amash, who is at least somewhat GOP-ish, and definitely RW, rather than “soil their hands” voting for a Democrat.  They still get to say they didn’t vote for Trump.

    Amash might also draw the contrarian morons, but I’m less worried about them since they’re unreliable voters at best.

  47. 47.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    So apparently the push for reopening is because Trump lost it and he is insisting on his campaign rallies now.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-hes-not-extending-042912840.html

    Trump laid out a vision of a return to pre-coronavirus normalcy — “with or without” a vaccine — with packed restaurants and filled stadiums. That vision flies in the face of sober assessments from doctors who say the country will need to embrace a “new normal” that includes extended social distancing and mask-wearing.

    “I don’t want people to get used to this,” Trump told reporters. “I see the new normal being what it was three months ago.”

    (snip)

    “We’re going to start to move around and hopefully in the not-too-distant future, we’ll have some massive rallies and people will be sitting next to each other,” he said, adding that having people spaced out in accordance with social distancing guidelines “wouldn’t look too good.”

    So basically wishful thinking, he’s going to try to BS the virus away. Damn. And this is after the Newport Beach fiasco last weekend were Orange County saw a serious spike because to many people went to the friking beach.

  48. 48.

    Anya

    @CaseyL:

    Biden’s margin of victory depends on disaffected GOPer votes, particularly in areas where Democratic votes are going to be suppressed.

    I don’t agree with this. I think Biden’s margin of victory depends on a higher turnout for dem voters. We need to figure out a way to turn out the Dem voters who sat the last election. We are so polarized these days that republicans will never vote for a democrat. Maybe northeastern republicans but not Michigan republicans.

    The good news is, Michigan and PA both have Dem governors so we don’t have to fear voter suppression but the Biden campaign needs to figure out a way to get registered democratic voters to the poll.

  52. 52.

    NotMax

    @Amir Khalid
    Unlike, say, someone entering as an independent who needs to gathers sufficient signatures in each state in order to be given a place on the ballot, in this case the party already has been granted a line listing based on past performance so it’s just a matter of plugging in a name on that line before the hard deadline to allow time for ballots to be printed.

    Haven’t checked to confirm but educated guess is the Libertarian party already has a designated party ballot line in all 50 states.

  53. 53.

    Yutsano

    @CaseyL:  I could agree with that if Amash had more of a national profile. Other than the impeachment vote, he’s barely well known for anything. It also goes back to the psychology of voting: people are more likely to vote for someone as opposed to against someone. I’m trying to wrap my brain around anyone who goes through that vote process just to avoid voting for a Democrat by picking anyone else. There will be other very minor parties on the ballot. There always are. I don’t see how Amash getting in now changes that noise significantly.

    Then again we’re still not over 2016. Maybe some of this relates to that trauma. I still think Dolt45 loses bigly.

  56. 56.

    piratedan

    remember, the people who make a living on Dems in Disarray and horserace narratives will consult their tea leaves and Ouija boards and state that a relatively obscure Conservative purity pony is suddenly going to find 4% of the country would willingly vote for him completely plausible.  Never mind that the vast majority of voters couldn’t pick him out of a police lineup, that’s immaterial as long as they can ride that horse thru October.

  59. 59.

    Gvg

    Getting people to the polls is going to be interesting in an era of social distancing with buses shut down and democrats tending poorer. We normally have more issues with transportation. Of course more of us may be laid off so no job conflict. On the other hand we may still have all the kids at home and what about residency if you have been evicted? Lots of reasons to vote though.

    i need to look into vote by mail for myself and older parents.

  60. 60.

    Fair Economist

    @Krope, the Formerly Dope:

    I worry that it gives the Republicans who won’t vote for Trump a reason to actually show up at the polls and vote a Republican down-ticket while they’re there.

    Yep. If Nader hadn’t run in 2000 Gore would almost certainly have won the presidency, but Maria Cantwell, who won by 0.1% in a state with 4% for Nader, probably wouldn’t have.

  61. 61.

    James E Powell

    @Anya:

    What we need to worry about is the Dem voters showing up not some phantom republicans who might vote for Biden.

    This is exactly what we need to be worried about. We need to worry that they are registered, that they are able to vote, and that they do vote.

  64. 64.

    gkoutnik

    Cole for President.  I could get behind the No Bullshit Party.

    Also:  Trump:  “I don’t want people to get used to this,” Trump told reporters. “I see the new normal being what it was three months ago.”

    Three month ago we were on the brink of losing tens of thousand of Americans to a horrible disease that our official policy said didn’t exist.  And he wants to do it again.

  65. 65.

    Sab

    @Morzer: Thank you. That is a useful response to that Tara Reade story. Much clearer than the garbled mess of an article that they have over on Vox.

  67. 67.

    artem1s

    @Morzer:

    The Democratic Party blundered when it demanded Al Franken resign rather than electing to have an open investigation where all allegations could be presented and/or refuted.  Many of  Franken’s accusers displayed the same lack of credibility.  Believing the accusers or not is moot on rape and/or sexual harassment. Jumping to conclusions without serious examination is only serving to discredit every accuser now.

    Once the GOP has found a way to remove someone from office that they don’t like, they will use that tactic until they can’t get away with it anymore.  They do not care about sexual assault and harassment in the workplace.  These measured arguments only help spread the word that there is something up with Biden’s credibility.

    They were allowed to discredit wounded veterans like Max Cleland and John Kerry based on nothing but foaming-at-the-mouth conspiracy theorists rants. They impeached a President over a blow job.  They spent 30 years spreading false rumors about Hillary including that she was part of secret pedophile ring that operated out of a pizza parlor.  They even threw McCain and his adopted daughter under suspicion so W could win on Super Tuesday in South Carolina in 2000.  This is always going to happen and I, as a victim of the kind of assault Reade is now claiming she suffered, am offended that rape and sexual assault are being used, over and over again as a political football so some loser can advance their weak argument that their opponent shouldn’t be in office.

    If Reade wants to take Biden to court, she should do it and everyone else should just block the trolls on twitter and FB and let it run it’s course.  Thoughtful think pieces aren’t going to stop this rumor mill.

    The GOP and libertarians can’t win elections based on the merit of their policies or the qualifications of their candidates. They only win by knocking down their opponents. Time to stop playing their game.

  68. 68.

    Sean

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: That poll was conducted in May/June of 2019. Not sure that’s necessarily the case anymore. Kind of a lot has happened since then. At least we should wait for some newer info before worrying about MI.

  69. 69.

    cmorenc

    @Another Scott:

    “Yeah, I really hate Trump, but I’m going to vote for some guy who can’t win to make sure Trump loses!!1” – says anyone, really??

    Many Trump-hating unaffiliated folks who informally consider themselves “libertarian” in political philosophy also consider the Democrats less evil, but still unworthy – and soothe their sense of integrity by voting for the Libertarian (or some other 3P candidate).  A few weeks following the 2016 presidential election, a friend of mine in our local astronomy club explained that he hated Trump, but voted for Gary Hart because he couldn’t bring himself to vote for Hillary – and similar to Naderites in the aftermath of the 2000 election, most of these folks refuse to accept any responsibility for the hideously perverse collective result of their purity-pony votes (my friend didn’t).  Not even when I pointed out that the net result of 3P libertarian votes like his was to help elect the candidate most dishonest and destructive to libertarian principles.  It’s enough for these folks that they supposedly upheld the integrity of their own principles in voting 3p, damn the actual consequences.

  71. 71.

    Another Scott

    @cmorenc: Like Ms. Cracker, I voted for Nader in 2000.  Mainly because my J really liked him.  But also because Gore was very unlikely to win VA, so I could rationalize that my vote “didn’t matter”.  :-(

    But at that point, there was no incumbent.

    The calculus is very, very different this time.  Re-elections are always about the incumbent.  There is a horrible incumbent who has killed 60,000+ people (it’s not over yet) through his incompetence, he’s put 25M+ people (it’s not over yet) out of work, he’s blown a gigantic hole in the economy (it’s not over yet), etc., etc.  One can’t say, well my vote doesn’t matter and the other guy is worse.  Not any more.  Not this time.

    My $0.02.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  72. 72.

    Searcher

    Exactly what do you have to “explore” if you’re running for the Libertarian nomination?

    What percent of your campaign donations you can safely embezzle without getting in real trouble for it.

  73. 73.

    J R in WV

    @dmsilev:

    On the plus side, the County and City announced today that people who aren’t showing any symptoms can get in line for testing.

    But I forget your locality…. what county, which City? Jackals want to know.

  75. 75.

    eddie blake

    @artem1s:

    oh, FFS.

    franken RESIGNED. he APOLOGIZED. he admitted guilt.

    he didn’t wait for a hearing because he KNEW he was in the wrong. there were NINE people who accused him of improper behavior. were they ALL gop plants?

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