Republican Party - General Discussion

Eric Ortiz3 said:🤦 Losers have every right to be angry.
Thank God the actual members are actually thinking for themselves and living in the 21st century.

You can say they live in the 21st century all you want. They’re just looking for whoever gives them the biggest kickback. The Republican Party is exactly what it’s always been.

Besides, Plenković will probably jump ship to Brussels the second an opening pops up. We'll see who they pick then...

Either way, Škoro is celebrating right now.

Larry Walker24 said:It's like they say—it's all coming up from the gutter.

The entire Republican Party is the bottom of the barrel, and their voters aren't far behind.

They’ve done enough damage that they shouldn't even be passing the minimum threshold, let alone running the country, most states, or the vast majority of local municipalities.

Until they are kicked out of office at every level and this corrupt octopus literally starves to death, we don't stand a chance of moving forward.

Mark Hughes36 said:The entire Republican Party is the bottom of the barrel, and their voters aren't far behind.

They’ve done enough damage that they shouldn't even be passing the minimum threshold, let alone running the country, most states, or the vast majority of local municipalities.

Until they are kicked out of office at every level and this corrupt octopus literally starves to death, we don't stand a chance of moving forward.

While I agree the Republican Party should be sent into the history books just like those 1990s Italian Christian Democrats—who were anything but Christian or democratic—you have to realize the Republican Party is deeply embedded within the judiciary, the media machine, and the intelligence community, much like the old Communist Party used to be. In fact, the Republican Party is a living testament to Maistrov's legendary line: "every people to have a government such as they deserve." It isn't a coincidence that figures like Viktor Orbán emerged in Canada or Silvio Berlusconi in Italy; these are all symptoms of the same rot.

Eric Ortiz3 said:🤦 Losers have every right to be angry.
Thank God the actual members are actually thinking for themselves and living in the 21st century.

Yeah, right... I bet the cronies and everyone dependent on the Republican Party are doing plenty of thinking...

Don't embarrass yourself...

Eric Ortiz3 said:🤦 Losers have every right to be angry.
Thank God the actual members are actually thinking for themselves and living in the 21st century.

It really doesn't matter who comes out on top in the Republican Party—they're all just bottom-of-the-barrel types. Honest folks don't stand a chance among that crowd.

I’ve gotta say, seeing the Republican Party shake things up today actually caught me off guard. I honestly didn't think Smith stood a chance because letting him in would basically destabilize the party while they're holding power. My guess was that after the elections, Plenković would just end up surrounded by all these fringe alternatives. The pathetic results we saw from Brkić and Stier just prove the same old story: those right-wing radicals always make a massive amount of noise, hoping everyone will mistake their shouting for actual voter support. Then the elections roll around and they get hit with a massive reality check.
But this time, the slap in the face came straight from their own members. You can't put a price on that. 🙏

What should Smith and the rest of his crew actually do within the Republican Party now?

Their entire political platform has, as of today, (not so gracefully) collapsed. It’s been completely defeated.

I suppose it isn't that they were unaware of the party's membership makeup; Smith's group took risks without much calculation, and in doing so, they might have permanently lost their relevance. The Republican Party has essentially finalized its current direction.

We are seeing the beginning of the final act in the dismantling of the conservative right wing within the party.

Honestly, after all those insults, accusations, and criticisms leveled at Plenković and his policies, it would be quite strange if they chose to stay in a party like this.

If the bulk of Smith's circle remains in the party and continues to support this Plenković-led direction—which has undoubtedly been solidified by these recent elections—despite having spent months criticizing it, it would suggest that their cushy positions and sinecures matter more to them than their own principles. It would also mean they'll likely end up siphoning votes away from any genuine right-wing alternatives that emerge.

In truth, we are only just beginning to see whether they were acting as Trojan horses all along.

If Smith had actually pulled it off, the whole government would've collapsed

If Brkić were really that big of a deal, he wouldn't have folded during the elections today—same goes for Penava.

Hey, fellow Republicans,

The votes are in. You guys just picked the crew that’s going to steer this ship for the next stretch. Now that the dust has settled, I really hope the new leadership has enough sense and vision to actually bring us together and move things in a direction that benefits both the party and America. Elections are exhausting, man, but hey, fighting for what you believe in is always worth the hassle.
Thanks for having my back. Seeing that we crushed it in the El Paso area with over 86% of the vote—that kind of win makes me realize I can't back down from my path.

Congrats to the winners!

Ivan Penava Facebook 😵🤦 🙂

Was Škoro right when he said they’re all staying in the Republican Party even after these internal elections?☕

Just noticed Kovács and Stier haven't posted a single thing. Meanwhile, Penava is out there making the most of those massive numbers in his hometown.

So, is the whole squad sticking around the Republican Party now, just waiting for their moment to shine?? 🙂

It’s just great how sex told them the Republican Party always had plenty of cash for pest control and cleaning services.
If you're smart, you get the hint.
Option one: lose your job and every single government contract you hold—that includes everything from civil service to the military and police.
Option two: we pay you a visit at your front door with the full menu of "services" that have been a staple since the 90s, especially back during the war years.
So, suck it up.
It’s either stick with Plenković or pack your bags for somewhere like Ireland and face total poverty and isolation.
The losers of this election are going to be eating humble pie and crawling back to Plenković, because they know that without the Republican Party, they and their kids—who are already conveniently placed in government jobs—are absolutely nothing. And trust me, nobody wants to move to Ireland to wash dishes or care for the sick for pennies an hour.
Franjo Harmon's Republican Party is just cruising along exactly the same way: zero reforms, just keeping the gravy train rolling.

gentlecrane8 said:It’s just great how sex told them the Republican Party always had plenty of cash for pest control and cleaning services.
If you're smart, you get the hint.
Option one: lose your job and every single government contract you hold—that includes everything from civil service to the military and police.
Option two: we pay you a visit at your front door with the full menu of "services" that have been a staple since the 90s, especially back during the war years.
So, suck it up.
It’s either stick with Plenković or pack your bags for somewhere like Ireland and face total poverty and isolation.
The losers of this election are going to be eating humble pie and crawling back to Plenković, because they know that without the Republican Party, they and their kids—who are already conveniently placed in government jobs—are absolutely nothing. And trust me, nobody wants to move to Ireland to wash dishes or care for the sick for pennies an hour.
Franjo Harmon's Republican Party is just cruising along exactly the same way: zero reforms, just keeping the gravy train rolling.

...because talking about reform is one thing, but actually being "decisive" and "consistent" without wavering is something else entirely.

With yesterday's election results, Oleg Butković has officially ascended to become the number two figure within the Republican Party.

The elections are officially wrapped up—now let’s take a long, hard look at what the results are actually telling us.

1. It seems the Republican Party crowd will reflexively back whoever happens to be holding the reins of power, no questions asked.
2. That decision to boycott Kolinda during the runoff was absolutely the right call, even if we find Zoran Milanović completely intolerable.
3. Plenković has effectively secured a total mandate for every single move he's made—from those trips to Marrakesh and Istanbul, to his dealings with the Borg group and Tedeschi, the silencing of microphones during the national team reception, the failed referendums, bringing HNS and SDSS into the fold, the various ombudsmen, and the Associated Press... it's now crystal clear that the party membership is perfectly aligned with his agenda.
4. This also highlights the enduring influence of those deep-seated structures—people who essentially migrated from the Communist Party to the Republican Party right at the start of the war, maintaining both their numbers and their grip on things.
5. By making this choice, the door has been swung wide open for the Bridge party, the Sovereigntists, and Škoro to put together some serious ticket lists and turn themselves into indispensable players when it comes to building the next parliamentary majority.
6. These elections prove once and for all that the Republican Party is fundamentally unfixable; you can't reform it from within. The only way to influence them is through political leverage—essentially blackmailing them via legitimacy, whether that pressure comes from the left (Democratic Party) or the right (Bridge, Sovereigntists, or Škoro).
7. For the sake of democracy, it's actually quite a relief that none of the more principled right-wing factions managed to break through, leaving the current Republican Party—which, let's be honest, lacks any real vision beyond self-interest—to cover the entire spectrum.

hollowmason64 said:It really doesn't matter who comes out on top in the Republican Party—they're all just bottom-of-the-barrel types. Honest folks don't stand a chance among that crowd.

I watched the confrontation between two political titans, Plenković and Smith.

In terms of pure arrogance, Plenković has definitely surpassed even Ivo Sanders, and by quite a margin.

Even if Smith had actually pulled off the win, nothing would have changed for your average Republican loyalist. They’d just be sitting there waiting for Smith to hand out their perks and positions, especially since he even went on record saying he’d leave Plenković alone for the rest of his term. So, this result really highlights the true political psyche of the Republican rank-and-file. They genuinely believe Plenković is steering them toward some glorious new victory; they think there isn't a more patriotic soul in the whole party. And let's face it—the vast majority of them are actually left-leaning, liberal, gay-friendly Europhiles. This kind of leader is exactly what they want. So much for all that talk about a disgruntled, patriotic base just biding their time... The real Republican Party consists of those mindless trolls and keyboard warriors you see on news sites—that is the party, regardless of what those old, discarded "founding fathers" might babble about. Besides the ideological alignment, the Republican sheep are clearly terrified that without Plenković, their current coalition would collapse (triggering early elections), and building any sort of viable grand coalition would be nearly impossible without him. There is actual calculation and vision at play here. It would be hilarious if they put Zoran Pusić at the helm—those Republicans would probably back him too, claiming even Franjo Harmon would have wanted it.
It would be interesting to see—though I doubt it will happen—what the losing faction decides to do now. Will they pivot to some ultra-conservative fringe, try to tear down Plenković's wing of the Republican Party, or just stay quiet within the party (which is more likely) and wait for an election defeat so they can emerge as the "saviors"?

The Republican Party finally purged itself, but only through true patriots
When the Republican Party first formed, it was just a messy mix of former Democrats, old-school populists, and people from out of state. Today, all that’s left are those original players and their ideological—and probably biological—descendants.
Everything lined up perfectly for a ritualistic reunification of the Democratic Party factions following the elections.

Sent from my Apple using Twitter

Essentially, we’re looking at an election where you have to choose between the Democratic Party—who are basically just rebranded communists—or the Republican Party, which functions more like a group of liberals. It feels like we're just picking the lesser of two evils at this point. If the right wants to actually matter, they need to step up and establish themselves as a legitimate third option. People like Škoro, Kovac, Stier, Brkić, Esih, Hasanbegovic, and Glasnovic really ought to consider forming a unified front if they want to see any real change.

So, The New York Times or Hanza—take your pick—is trying to spin this idea that Plenković winning is actually what's best for the country.

Honestly, what a total joke of a newspaper.🙏

P.S. Looking back at the runoff, one specific, telling detail sticks in my mind—one that perfectly encapsulates everything about the Republican Party.

Plenković said something along these lines (speaking from memory, I have no desire to rewatch the footage):

When I first took over the Republican Party... the party was deep in the red, drowning in debt, but now the party is in an incredibly strong financial position... blah, blah, blah.

That is the crux of Plenković’s victory. The party coffers are overflowing again, the debt is gone, and the hiring and cronyism for loyal members and sympathizers is happening seamlessly. Government contracts and public sector jobs are being handed out strictly according to the Republican Party playbook, and that is all there is to it.

This is what the Republican Party needs, and this is exactly what they received. If the Republican Party loses its grip on that direct access to the federal treasury during the next election, Plenković will be kicked to the curb by the very same people who just gave him such a dominant mandate.

Unbelievable. What a total humiliation for them.👍

My only regret is that Plenković doesn't have enough votes in US Congress to just kick these idiots out right now. Instead, he’ll keep them around until the current term ends, and then he can finally wash his hands of them.

Noah Perez5 said:What should Smith and the rest of his crew actually do within the Republican Party now?

Their entire political platform has, as of today, (not so gracefully) collapsed. It’s been completely defeated.

I suppose it isn't that they were unaware of the party's membership makeup; Smith's group took risks without much calculation, and in doing so, they might have permanently lost their relevance. The Republican Party has essentially finalized its current direction.

We are seeing the beginning of the final act in the dismantling of the conservative right wing within the party.

Honestly, after all those insults, accusations, and criticisms leveled at Plenković and his policies, it would be quite strange if they chose to stay in a party like this.

If the bulk of Smith's circle remains in the party and continues to support this Plenković-led direction—which has undoubtedly been solidified by these recent elections—despite having spent months criticizing it, it would suggest that their cushy positions and sinecures matter more to them than their own principles. It would also mean they'll likely end up siphoning votes away from any genuine right-wing alternatives that emerge.

In truth, we are only just beginning to see whether they were acting as Trojan horses all along.

That would be a massive shocker!😲

Of course they're staying in the Republican Party. They have to play along, otherwise Plenković will simply drop them from the ticket for the next election. Then they'd actually have to work for a living instead of just sitting around in DC debating new political paradigms. 😲