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LiberalArkie

(19,820 posts)
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 11:16 AM Feb 25

I was talking to a neighbor who is running for JP as a "R". I asked him about it as I thought he was always a "D"

He said than in Arkansas you have to run as a Republican and that doesn't mean that they like Trump...

That needs to change.. To me, we need to use "Republican" instead of "Trump" now. They are all complicit even down to local JP's.

They are all Guilty, maybe not ALL pedophiles, but are guilty of enabling it, accessories to it. Guilty

22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I was talking to a neighbor who is running for JP as a "R". I asked him about it as I thought he was always a "D" (Original Post) LiberalArkie Feb 25 OP
Absolute must. Magats are not adept at connecting the dots SheltieLover Feb 25 #1
I disagree. They don't deserve to be called republicans anymore. CrispyQ Feb 25 #2
Not when they say that Trump is just one person and he does not represent the party. The party has to be guilty also. LiberalArkie Feb 25 #3
In NC there is a bit of an organized effort to have people run in GOP primaries for state house and senate dsc Feb 25 #4
We don't need duplicitous candidates. Baitball Blogger Feb 25 #5
"you have to run as a Republican" Ferrets are Cool Feb 25 #6
well, pedophelia isn't a deal breaker... ret5hd Feb 25 #7
I agree. We can't let them get away with dismissing it as "MAGA" or "the Tea Party." It is the GOP. Martin68 Feb 25 #8
pardon my ignorance ClaudetteCC Feb 25 #9
Justice of the Peace, a judge for misdemeanor offenses. surfered Feb 25 #11
Thank you! ClaudetteCC Feb 25 #12
And civil suits under a certain dollar amount surfered Feb 25 #14
The same in our area. Former local elected officials switched from Democrats to Republican purely for electability surfered Feb 25 #10
It was the other way when I was young. Warren_Pointe Feb 25 #13
I personally hate the non-partisan races. I really want to know which is a maga and which is a Democrat. LiberalArkie Feb 25 #19
We need to run as what we are, even in magat areas, mwmisses4289 Feb 25 #15
There are only two sides: Republicans and non-traitors. hay rick Feb 25 #16
if you are a Republican azureblue Feb 25 #17
Someone in TN DownriverDem Feb 25 #18
I have told kin in Arkansas that I cannot vote for them if they are running as a Rethuglican. TomSlick Feb 25 #20
What is weird is that from 2019 and before all county and city offices were Democratic. The R's only got in with Trump LiberalArkie Feb 25 #21
Before President Obama was elected this was a solidly Democratic county. TomSlick Feb 25 #22

CrispyQ

(40,974 posts)
2. I disagree. They don't deserve to be called republicans anymore.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 11:27 AM
Feb 25

We need to pin Trump to them until they all publicly denounce him or go down with him.

Someone on DU said every time they hear someone say the Democrat party they're going to respond with the Epstein party.

LiberalArkie

(19,820 posts)
3. Not when they say that Trump is just one person and he does not represent the party. The party has to be guilty also.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 11:30 AM
Feb 25

Otherwise nothing at all will change..

The Germans made the Nazi party and beliefs toxic not by just going after individual politicians but buy going after all who were in the party.

That has to be done to the Republican Party. Because in essence they do in fact believe in Trump.

dsc

(53,398 posts)
4. In NC there is a bit of an organized effort to have people run in GOP primaries for state house and senate
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 11:38 AM
Feb 25

Here we have GOP near super control of the legislature despite Dems actually winning the two party vote for state legislature. We figure this is the only way we can break through to have pro education people run in those primaries. We will see the extent to which it worked on Tuesday.

Baitball Blogger

(52,370 posts)
5. We don't need duplicitous candidates.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 11:40 AM
Feb 25

They'll keep throwing lambs in the fire to appease the lions.

Ferrets are Cool

(22,964 posts)
6. "you have to run as a Republican"
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 11:48 AM
Feb 25

Tell that to all the magats who have been losing in special elections lately.

Martin68

(27,758 posts)
8. I agree. We can't let them get away with dismissing it as "MAGA" or "the Tea Party." It is the GOP.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 12:48 PM
Feb 25

surfered

(13,510 posts)
10. The same in our area. Former local elected officials switched from Democrats to Republican purely for electability
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 12:55 PM
Feb 25

It’s worth remembering that Rick Perry was once Al Gore’s Texas campaign manager.

Warren_Pointe

(345 posts)
13. It was the other way when I was young.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 01:44 PM
Feb 25

I've lived in Arkansas since I was 5. In high school, my history teacher told the class that a candidate had to run as a democrat because the democrats ran unopposed in the general election, so the battle was really in the Democratic primary.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Republicans run unopposed in the general election. The party needs to get behind candidates all the way down the ballot. I don't know how far down the ballot goes along party lines. I My father was a JP in Sherwood and he had no party affiliation. I know school board candidates run without affiliation, but that is usually a politicians first taste of competition.

LiberalArkie

(19,820 posts)
19. I personally hate the non-partisan races. I really want to know which is a maga and which is a Democrat.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 02:32 PM
Feb 25

mwmisses4289

(4,211 posts)
15. We need to run as what we are, even in magat areas,
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 01:46 PM
Feb 25

and be proud of who we are. Running as repuke, then espousing a democratic agenda, will cause all sorts of issues for any dem who goes down that path, even with the best of intentions.

hay rick

(9,612 posts)
16. There are only two sides: Republicans and non-traitors.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 01:59 PM
Feb 25

People who don't approve of Trump have to reject the Republican brand which can not be separated from tolerance, if not support, of authoritarianism.

azureblue

(2,729 posts)
17. if you are a Republican
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 02:01 PM
Feb 25

Unless you say out loud that you refute Trump, you approve of a pedophile.. End of Story...

TomSlick

(13,018 posts)
20. I have told kin in Arkansas that I cannot vote for them if they are running as a Rethuglican.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 07:17 PM
Feb 25

I get it. A Democrat cannot win in local elections in my county. Nevertheless, I will not vote for a Rethuglican - ever. I will vote for a woefully unqualified Democrat or a mangy, three-legged yellow dog first. If no Democrat is running, I skip that part of the ballot.

LiberalArkie

(19,820 posts)
21. What is weird is that from 2019 and before all county and city offices were Democratic. The R's only got in with Trump
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 08:22 PM
Feb 25

TomSlick

(13,018 posts)
22. Before President Obama was elected this was a solidly Democratic county.
Wed Feb 25, 2026, 10:23 PM
Feb 25

My town still trends Democratic but the good Christian folks out in the county will be slow to forgive the Democrats for putting an African-American in the White House as anything but a servant.

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