Republican Party - General Discussion

According to Vladimir Šeks, anyone left off the ballot is basically guaranteed a job once the elections are over!

- I’m hoping the Republican Party pulls it off and comes out as the relative winner in the congressional elections. If they do, there'll be plenty of room for those who didn't make the lists to find their footing in various government roles, Šeks told CNN.

Ashley Brown3 said:And what exactly do you expect? Do you think any Republican Party supporter—especially a spineless, power-hungry sycophant like Bačić—is actually going to admit the party will team up with Vulkan Pupovac or IDS once the elections are over?

Campaign rhetoric is one thing; reality after the votes are counted is something else entirely...

I'm not expecting it. He didn't even say who he *would* work with, just who he wouldn't. Not that it matters anyway, obviously. But it is pretty interesting that he didn't mention staying away from Milan Škoro...

Nancy Gomez26 said:That leaves the DP and... well, the Democratic Party. Let’s not underestimate Plenković’s ability to maneuver through such scenarios. He has proven himself to be quite a creative operator when his own seat is on the line; he knows that if he doesn't manage to assemble a government now, he likely never will again. Personally, the man seems indifferent to everything else. He's acting like a drowning man who would grab onto any floating debris just to keep his head above water.
The Democratic Party finds itself in a similar predicament, making this look like a potential win-win situation.
The real question for those parties is how they intend to vote over the next four years—assuming they even last that long—but that is a problem for a much more distant day.

From the get-go, it’s obvious that a coalition built on "Mio Mamin's shady deals and loose ends" will just hand another term to the same old corrupt establishment.

If they need more votes, we might see a coalition of "Lažo Petrov, his family, friends, and the Raspudić mercenaries," or maybe a few stray votes pushed through by that political idiot Zoran Bernardić. Bernardić is such a fool that joining forces with this corrupt clique would finish off the Democratic Party once and for all—though it would likely trigger an immediate collapse of the party or force them to purge him and his allies.

The Democratic Party's only real strength comes from pretending to oppose this corrupt establishment; in reality, they are merely a reaction to it. That establishment—along with its various fringe factions ranging from ultra-conservative to hard-core radicals—has been the only real power in America for the last thirty years.

That fact explains a lot about the slow, steady decline of the American people and the nation we've witnessed since our founding. This decay is living proof of the theory that only the fittest survive (and don't confuse "fittest" with whatever these people are! 🤣).

Noah Perez5 said:Well, he mentioned Restart. But you have to remember that Restart is essentially just a coalition.

I suppose Restart could potentially fall apart, leaving behind nothing but the Democratic Party, the American Peasant Party, the Reformists, the HSU, Snaga... and a whole bunch of minor players. 🙂

If Bero went rogue and joined a coalition with the Republican Party alongside the Democratic Party—effectively killing off the Restart alliance—it would be straight-up political suicide. And honestly, I don't think he's planning that. He isn't quite that stupid...

So, here’s my take—just some random rambling as we get closer to election season—but I honestly think we’re looking at one of two possible outcomes:

- The Republican Party somehow strikes a deal with Milan Škoro, only for history to repeat itself just like it did with the Bridge Party back in 2016. You know, when Plenković basically kicked them out of the Government to make room for parties that actually play nice with him. This time, Škoro might be the one getting the boot. My gut says Plenković is probably thinking, "Let me just grab enough seats to secure a majority first, and then I'll settle the score with Škoro later."

- Negotiations between the Republican Party and Škoro hit a brick wall, making any kind of deal impossible. That leads straight to new elections—where everyone’s running solo because the left-wing coalition will be too busy sulking about failing to seize power—and right in the middle of an economic meltdown, maybe another COVID wave, or whatever disaster hits next, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party end up forming this massive "Grand Coalition." They'll use all those tired old excuses like "we need a government of national unity," or "we have to unite our strengths during these trying times," or "now isn't the time for ideological divides" and all that nonsense...

If I were putting money on it, I’d say that second scenario feels way more likely...

Amanda Kim2 said:According to Vladimir Šeks, anyone left off the ballot is basically guaranteed a job once the elections are over!

- I’m hoping the Republican Party pulls it off and comes out as the relative winner in the congressional elections. If they do, there'll be plenty of room for those who didn't make the lists to find their footing in various government roles, Šeks told CNN.

So, I assume at least a hundred thousand members of that corrupt, old-school political machine have a guaranteed paycheck waiting for them, all funded by the taxpayers.

Kudos to the old guard for a rare moment of honesty. 👍

Brenda Taylor13 said:So, here’s my take—just some random rambling as we get closer to election season—but I honestly think we’re looking at one of two possible outcomes:

- The Republican Party somehow strikes a deal with Milan Škoro, only for history to repeat itself just like it did with the Bridge Party back in 2016. You know, when Plenković basically kicked them out of the Government to make room for parties that actually play nice with him. This time, Škoro might be the one getting the boot. My gut says Plenković is probably thinking, "Let me just grab enough seats to secure a majority first, and then I'll settle the score with Škoro later."

- Negotiations between the Republican Party and Škoro hit a brick wall, making any kind of deal impossible. That leads straight to new elections—where everyone’s running solo because the left-wing coalition will be too busy sulking about failing to seize power—and right in the middle of an economic meltdown, maybe another COVID wave, or whatever disaster hits next, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party end up forming this massive "Grand Coalition." They'll use all those tired old excuses like "we need a government of national unity," or "we have to unite our strengths during these trying times," or "now isn't the time for ideological divides" and all that nonsense...

If I were putting money on it, I’d say that second scenario feels way more likely...

Are you sure Plenković can't just round up enough votes within the Democratic Party's coalition?

The closer we get to the election, the more that second option looks like the only real path forward.

Today over on CNN, historian Ivo Lučić also gave what I'd call an "imprecise expression" regarding #beroš.

Ashley Brown3 said:Are you sure Plenković can't just round up enough votes within the Democratic Party's coalition?

The closer we get to the election, the more that second option looks like the only real path forward.

I don't think he can—honestly, the Democratic Party coalition isn't nearly as diverse as you’re imagining. Their only real glue is being anti-Republican Party. He won't pull it off, especially if they don't perform well in these upcoming elections, and looking at how things are trending, I don't see them doing great.

The Republican Party might be able to sway maybe 5 or 6 people by throwing favors around, but if he needs something like 15 votes to scrape together a majority? That’s a suicide mission. There just aren't enough people he can bribe.

Plus, after watching this last session of US Congress and seeing all those representatives jumping ship from one party to another—and dealing with the massive backlash from that—it's going to be way harder to justify switching sides right after an election. People are fed up. It’s gonna be a tough sell.

For instance, if the Republican Party grabs 50-55 seats—which, let's face it, is pretty likely—that means he’d need to flip at least 15 people from other parties, not even counting the minority representatives.

Impossible.

Time just put out an article today where they "predict" that to secure a coalition and stay in the Prime Minister's seat, Plenković will have to offer the State Department to Bartulica and the Department of Culture to Hasanbegović. Personally? I think there's zero chance Plenković agrees to that. The other option they mentioned—since a deal might fall through—is heading back to the polls for new elections, which, if you ask me, is the most probable outcome.

Plenković can't go straight to negotiating with the Democratic Party right away; it wouldn't fly. He couldn't justify it to his base, and the Democrats wouldn't bite immediately either. But—and here’s the kicker—he could take the "scenic route." After new elections, he can play the victim: "Look, we tried everything! We gave it our all to build a coalition with Skor and the conservatives, but their demands were just too extreme, so we had no choice but to call for new elections." Then comes the pivot: "It's time to unite," "America is facing uncertain times," "we need to move past ideological divides." In that scenario, teaming up with the Democratic Party becomes a much easier pill for voters to swallow.

So, it’s not Plan A, it’s Plan B—after you've supposedly exhausted every single option with the right wing. You act like you were forced into it because of some massive crisis, forcing you to bridge the divide and form a grand alliance with the Democratic Party for the sake of the country. That would pass without any drama among the voters.

Like I said before, if I were putting money on it, I'd bet on this second scenario: snap elections followed by a massive coalition.

Because the Republican Party will be backed into a corner—too weak to flip enough votes for a majority—and the Democratic Party will be stuck too, since their ability to form alliances is basically non-existent. Skor holds all the cards, and if they play hardball, we’re headed for new elections where both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party end up with a majority, even if their individual numbers are at an all-time low.

Nicholas King said:"By bringing together people like Steva Culej, Kovac, and Kalmeta, we’re really signaling a commitment to inclusivity and synergy—it’s a clear message that this approach strengthens our internal party democracy and, ultimately, serves the best interests of America," stated Joe Biden.

🤣 🤣 🤣
Newsbar, just choke on it. 🙏

Amanda Kim2 said:According to Vladimir Šeks, anyone left off the ballot is basically guaranteed a job once the elections are over!

- I’m hoping the Republican Party pulls it off and comes out as the relative winner in the congressional elections. If they do, there'll be plenty of room for those who didn't make the lists to find their footing in various government roles, Šeks told CNN.

And what's news about that? That's just how things work in America—it’s been that way since the dawn of time.

Brenda Taylor13 said:So, here’s my take—just some random rambling as we get closer to election season—but I honestly think we’re looking at one of two possible outcomes:

- The Republican Party somehow strikes a deal with Milan Škoro, only for history to repeat itself just like it did with the Bridge Party back in 2016. You know, when Plenković basically kicked them out of the Government to make room for parties that actually play nice with him. This time, Škoro might be the one getting the boot. My gut says Plenković is probably thinking, "Let me just grab enough seats to secure a majority first, and then I'll settle the score with Škoro later."

- Negotiations between the Republican Party and Škoro hit a brick wall, making any kind of deal impossible. That leads straight to new elections—where everyone’s running solo because the left-wing coalition will be too busy sulking about failing to seize power—and right in the middle of an economic meltdown, maybe another COVID wave, or whatever disaster hits next, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party end up forming this massive "Grand Coalition." They'll use all those tired old excuses like "we need a government of national unity," or "we have to unite our strengths during these trying times," or "now isn't the time for ideological divides" and all that nonsense...

If I were putting money on it, I’d say that second scenario feels way more likely...

Personally, I find the prospect of a grand coalition to be the most plausible outcome. It is frankly laughable to listen to people argue, "Oh, the Republican Party won't work with the Democrats, Joe Biden said so," or "The Democrats won't work with the Republicans because they made such a resolute statement years ago." Good grief, it is as if we have forgotten how blatant election fraud was fifty years ago when the "conservative" Republican Party went into coalition with the "liberal" Democratic Party, the "far-right" Donald Trump, the "social democrats" (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ron DeSantis), the hard-left minority interests, and Eric Adams, who essentially embodied all of the above.

And now, the Republican Party loyalists are making resolute declarations of "we will not work with them," and many people actually believe them. It is truly incredible.

I don't see a massive coalition forming here. To secure power, the Republican Party will likely need the full support of the Freedom Party, the entire Alliance party, and a few minority representatives. On the other hand, Beri will be hunting for every single minority vote and a handful of Republican loyalists—though it seems Plenković has already laid out a buffet of political favors on those candidate lists.

Charles Brown9 said:I don't see a massive coalition forming here. To secure power, the Republican Party will likely need the full support of the Freedom Party, the entire Alliance party, and a few minority representatives. On the other hand, Beri will be hunting for every single minority vote and a handful of Republican loyalists—though it seems Plenković has already laid out a buffet of political favors on those candidate lists.

And who exactly are you thinking would jump ship from the Republican Party over to the Democrats? Who's on your watchlist?
I'd say it'll just be the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and maybe a handful of turncoats from the other side.

"Quote:"

Brenda Taylor13 said:I don't think he can—honestly, the Democratic Party coalition isn't nearly as diverse as you’re imagining. Their only real glue is being anti-Republican Party. He won't pull it off, especially if they don't perform well in these upcoming elections, and looking at how things are trending, I don't see them doing great.

The Republican Party might be able to sway maybe 5 or 6 people by throwing favors around, but if he needs something like 15 votes to scrape together a majority? That’s a suicide mission. There just aren't enough people he can bribe.

Plus, after watching this last session of US Congress and seeing all those representatives jumping ship from one party to another—and dealing with the massive backlash from that—it's going to be way harder to justify switching sides right after an election. People are fed up. It’s gonna be a tough sell.

For instance, if the Republican Party grabs 50-55 seats—which, let's face it, is pretty likely—that means he’d need to flip at least 15 people from other parties, not even counting the minority representatives.

Impossible.

Time just put out an article today where they "predict" that to secure a coalition and stay in the Prime Minister's seat, Plenković will have to offer the State Department to Bartulica and the Department of Culture to Hasanbegović. Personally? I think there's zero chance Plenković agrees to that. The other option they mentioned—since a deal might fall through—is heading back to the polls for new elections, which, if you ask me, is the most probable outcome.

Plenković can't go straight to negotiating with the Democratic Party right away; it wouldn't fly. He couldn't justify it to his base, and the Democrats wouldn't bite immediately either. But—and here’s the kicker—he could take the "scenic route." After new elections, he can play the victim: "Look, we tried everything! We gave it our all to build a coalition with Skor and the conservatives, but their demands were just too extreme, so we had no choice but to call for new elections." Then comes the pivot: "It's time to unite," "America is facing uncertain times," "we need to move past ideological divides." In that scenario, teaming up with the Democratic Party becomes a much easier pill for voters to swallow.

So, it’s not Plan A, it’s Plan B—after you've supposedly exhausted every single option with the right wing. You act like you were forced into it because of some massive crisis, forcing you to bridge the divide and form a grand alliance with the Democratic Party for the sake of the country. That would pass without any drama among the voters.

Like I said before, if I were putting money on it, I'd bet on this second scenario: snap elections followed by a massive coalition.

Because the Republican Party will be backed into a corner—too weak to flip enough votes for a majority—and the Democratic Party will be stuck too, since their ability to form alliances is basically non-existent. Skor holds all the cards, and if they play hardball, we’re headed for new elections where both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party end up with a majority, even if their individual numbers are at an all-time low.

Bolded (so I don't end up deleting the whole thing)...

I hope you're right, but looking at who’s actually in that Democratic coalition and the seats they managed to snag, I honestly think Plenković could probably sway even 15 representatives his way if he wanted to. He could likely flip people from the Pametan and Ime i prezime groups too, provided he makes them a tempting enough offer. For instance, that married couple over in Puljak's camp would probably jump at a chance to run the Department of Education—and since Plenković already handed that kind of influence over to the NSF, why wouldn't he offer it to them?

There’s one issue with everything you write... actually, make that two.

Plenković is absolutely dreading the idea of a rerun election. It would be a disaster for him, especially if Skor and the Most party actually manage to team up and form a coalition.

Who would actually lead such a massive coalition? If it isn't Plenković—and considering the Democratic Party is running solo this time without any partners, I doubt the Republican Party could pull anything more significant than him—then the whole coalition falls apart. Plenković loses his grip on the Republican Party, and then they just end up forming a coalition with Skor.

3) I’ve touched on this before... Bernardić would absolutely benefit from Plenković losing ground and the Republican Party shifting further right... I honestly can't imagine a scenario where Bernardić would settle for being a junior partner in a Republican-Democratic coalition, subservient to Plenković. That’s exactly why he’s built such a massive alliance—to take down the Republican Party once and for all...

Looking at points 2 and 3, I'm skeptical that this grand coalition is actually a viable fix... It might work if they managed to sideline Bernardić... But once that physicist from Staten Island emerges as the relative winner of these elections (which seems inevitable), making that happen will be an uphill battle.

Which is precisely why I suspect Plenković will spend the post-election period negotiating—negotiating with Skor, while simultaneously working behind the scenes to rack up favors within the Democratic coalition until he's exhausted every option.

It’s really the only way he survives politically.

"Quote:"

The current political landscape is nothing more than a series of orchestrated performances designed to distract a weary public from the inevitable decay of our institutions. One observes the constant maneuvering within the Republican Party and the predictable reactions from the Democratic Party, yet the underlying mechanics of power remain untouched by these superficial shifts. It is an exhausting cycle of theater where the actors change, but the script remains stubbornly identical. Robin Jones2 says: It is highly probable that at least a hundred thousand members of that corrupt, deep-state establishment have a guaranteed job secured at any given moment, all funded by the collective pockets of the taxpayers. My congratulations to that old intelligence operative on his brief moment of sincerity. 👍

If they find themselves without jobs, there is no cause for concern; opportunities will simply be manufactured.

I would personally prefer to see a scenario where all eight minority representatives simply refuse to join any coalition whatsoever.

If those people possessed even a shred of integrity, given the messages Donald Trump and his little followers have been sending to Tom Lantos and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., everyone should be standing in solidarity with Tom Lantos and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The only legitimate course of action is to support a government that can actually secure a 76-vote majority without relying on them.

Everyone seems preoccupied with the math of securing roughly 70 seats, operating under the assumption that seven or eight minor parties will simply fall into line automatically.

I find this entire scenario highly questionable, especially when I recall that representative from the Albanian minority serving under Eric Adams.

Kevin Brooks said:And who exactly are you thinking would jump ship from the Republican Party over to the Democrats? Who's on your watchlist?
I'd say it'll just be the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and maybe a handful of turncoats from the other side.

The Republican Party and the Libertarian Party are basically the same thing, just different versions of the same deal.

The Republican Party will try to partner with them—begging for a coalition, buying them off, using leverage, being nice, being tough, or just tearing them apart if they have to.

And if none of that works? Then maybe we see some new elections or a summer break.

🙂

Ashley Brown3 said:"Quote:"

Bolded (so I don't end up deleting the whole thing)...

I hope you're right, but looking at who’s actually in that Democratic coalition and the seats they managed to snag, I honestly think Plenković could probably sway even 15 representatives his way if he wanted to. He could likely flip people from the Pametan and Ime i prezime groups too, provided he makes them a tempting enough offer. For instance, that married couple over in Puljak's camp would probably jump at a chance to run the Department of Education—and since Plenković already handed that kind of influence over to the NSF, why wouldn't he offer it to them?

There’s one issue with everything you write... actually, make that two.

Plenković is absolutely dreading the idea of a rerun election. It would be a disaster for him, especially if Skor and the Most party actually manage to team up and form a coalition.

Who would actually lead such a massive coalition? If it isn't Plenković—and considering the Democratic Party is running solo this time without any partners, I doubt the Republican Party could pull anything more significant than him—then the whole coalition falls apart. Plenković loses his grip on the Republican Party, and then they just end up forming a coalition with Skor.

3) I’ve touched on this before... Bernardić would absolutely benefit from Plenković losing ground and the Republican Party shifting further right... I honestly can't imagine a scenario where Bernardić would settle for being a junior partner in a Republican-Democratic coalition, subservient to Plenković. That’s exactly why he’s built such a massive alliance—to take down the Republican Party once and for all...

Looking at points 2 and 3, I'm skeptical that this grand coalition is actually a viable fix... It might work if they managed to sideline Bernardić... But once that physicist from Staten Island emerges as the relative winner of these elections (which seems inevitable), making that happen will be an uphill battle.

Which is precisely why I suspect Plenković will spend the post-election period negotiating—negotiating with Skor, while simultaneously working behind the scenes to rack up favors within the Democratic coalition until he's exhausted every option.

It’s really the only way he survives politically.

2+2

everything's negotiable once people actually start panicking--

Ashley Brown3 said:"Quote:"

Bolded (so I don't end up deleting the whole thing)...

I hope you're right, but looking at who’s actually in that Democratic coalition and the seats they managed to snag, I honestly think Plenković could probably sway even 15 representatives his way if he wanted to. He could likely flip people from the Pametan and Ime i prezime groups too, provided he makes them a tempting enough offer. For instance, that married couple over in Puljak's camp would probably jump at a chance to run the Department of Education—and since Plenković already handed that kind of influence over to the NSF, why wouldn't he offer it to them?

There’s one issue with everything you write... actually, make that two.

Plenković is absolutely dreading the idea of a rerun election. It would be a disaster for him, especially if Skor and the Most party actually manage to team up and form a coalition.

Who would actually lead such a massive coalition? If it isn't Plenković—and considering the Democratic Party is running solo this time without any partners, I doubt the Republican Party could pull anything more significant than him—then the whole coalition falls apart. Plenković loses his grip on the Republican Party, and then they just end up forming a coalition with Skor.

3) I’ve touched on this before... Bernardić would absolutely benefit from Plenković losing ground and the Republican Party shifting further right... I honestly can't imagine a scenario where Bernardić would settle for being a junior partner in a Republican-Democratic coalition, subservient to Plenković. That’s exactly why he’s built such a massive alliance—to take down the Republican Party once and for all...

Looking at points 2 and 3, I'm skeptical that this grand coalition is actually a viable fix... It might work if they managed to sideline Bernardić... But once that physicist from Staten Island emerges as the relative winner of these elections (which seems inevitable), making that happen will be an uphill battle.

Which is precisely why I suspect Plenković will spend the post-election period negotiating—negotiating with Skor, while simultaneously working behind the scenes to rack up favors within the Democratic coalition until he's exhausted every option.

It’s really the only way he survives politically.

That’s a fair point. I suppose the only person who actually stands to gain from early elections is Joe Biden. He seems to have the luxury of time on his side.

I guess if Joe Biden could just pull off what the Libertarian Party failed to do back in 2015—basically, just tearing into both the Republican and Democratic parties, forcing a new election cycle, declaring total political war, and aiming for an absolute landslide—things might change. That way, he could probably shake off that image of being tied to the Republican establishment, which might offer some hope that we can finally break this two-party duopoly. It's possible the smaller conservative coalitions would fall apart after such a crushing defeat, and maybe even some of them would eventually gravitate toward him. And, who knows, perhaps the Libertarian Party would finally learn their lesson too.

If that were to happen, I might actually consider giving Joe Biden my vote and taking him at his word.

Ashley Brown3 said:"Quote:"

Bolded (so I don't end up deleting the whole thing)...

I hope you're right, but looking at who’s actually in that Democratic coalition and the seats they managed to snag, I honestly think Plenković could probably sway even 15 representatives his way if he wanted to. He could likely flip people from the Pametan and Ime i prezime groups too, provided he makes them a tempting enough offer. For instance, that married couple over in Puljak's camp would probably jump at a chance to run the Department of Education—and since Plenković already handed that kind of influence over to the NSF, why wouldn't he offer it to them?

There’s one issue with everything you write... actually, make that two.

Plenković is absolutely dreading the idea of a rerun election. It would be a disaster for him, especially if Skor and the Most party actually manage to team up and form a coalition.

Who would actually lead such a massive coalition? If it isn't Plenković—and considering the Democratic Party is running solo this time without any partners, I doubt the Republican Party could pull anything more significant than him—then the whole coalition falls apart. Plenković loses his grip on the Republican Party, and then they just end up forming a coalition with Skor.

3) I’ve touched on this before... Bernardić would absolutely benefit from Plenković losing ground and the Republican Party shifting further right... I honestly can't imagine a scenario where Bernardić would settle for being a junior partner in a Republican-Democratic coalition, subservient to Plenković. That’s exactly why he’s built such a massive alliance—to take down the Republican Party once and for all...

Looking at points 2 and 3, I'm skeptical that this grand coalition is actually a viable fix... It might work if they managed to sideline Bernardić... But once that physicist from Staten Island emerges as the relative winner of these elections (which seems inevitable), making that happen will be an uphill battle.

Which is precisely why I suspect Plenković will spend the post-election period negotiating—negotiating with Skor, while simultaneously working behind the scenes to rack up favors within the Democratic coalition until he's exhausted every option.

It’s really the only way he survives politically.

So we're looking at a situation where he can't reach power unless he enters a grand coalition. Sure, Bernardić put together this huge pre-election front, but he knows better than anyone how much actual coalition potential he has once the dust settles. His only real shot at taking power without the Republican Party is if his coalition pulls in at least 65 seats. And if you look back at the 2016 elections—when the Republican Party collapsed its own government and the Democrats were led by the way more popular and beloved Zoran Milanović—his "People's Coalition" only managed to grab 54 seats.

Now, he’d need to swing 10 more seats than that just to stay in the game. I don't see that happening in any realistic universe. Honestly, even if he grabs 60 seats, he still won't have enough because he'd still be short by 16. He needs to start with at least 65. If he fails to take power after this, then a snap election is actually GREAT for him, because it gives him a second bite at the apple.

I don't get why you're saying Bernardić benefits from Plenković's fall and the Republican Party moving right, because if that happens, a coalition between the Republicans and Škoro is basically a done deal, and that's exactly when Bernardić is completely shut out of power.