The Republican Party, 2017 and beyond...

[TranaGreg]

... Really look at why "middle America" voted for Trump. Capitalize on winning the disenfranchised by understanding ho to creat jobs that replace the coal mine but pay relatively the same and don't need years of training and education....

You've hit on the big ticket item, but I'm afraid that this horse has left the barn. The gap is only going to widen. High skills/high pay jobs will continue to focus in areas that they are already congealing around; others will have to settle for low skills/low pay - at best.

If we can have a discussion without politics this would make for an interesting new thread (impossible, I know).

[Sour Masher]

You've hit on the big ticket item, but I'm afraid that this horse has left the barn. The gap is only going to widen. High skills/high pay jobs will continue to focus in areas that they are already congealing around; others will have to settle for low skills/low pay - at best.

If we can have a discussion without politics this would make for an interesting new thread (impossible, I know).

Yes, it would. And I don't want to sound like some technophobe tinfoil hatter, but robotics and ai will play a big part of this. An awful lot of jobs we have now won't be needed in 20 years, and we have to figure out how to replace them with new types of work. But a lot of the work will require high levels of training or education.

[chancellor]

Following the Democratic thread, I'm curious to see what the non Democrats on this board see as the future path for the GOP. They control the House, Senate, Presidency, and many statehouses around the country...can they keep control? And are you happy with the current direction of the party?

Last question first - of course. The GOP, under Priebus' leadership, has absolutely demolished the Dems at every level, but especially the state level. The turnaround in the last ten years in that area is staggering. Since I'm a firm believer in the efficacy of more local governance, having more state governments under GOP control can be nothing but a wonderful event.

I love the direction of busting up the bureaucracy in Washington. The correlation to Panem was becoming frightening. I'm sincerely hoping for the complete dismantling of the DOE and elimination of the awful, awful teach to test laws and programs like No Child Left Behind.

Can the GOP keep control? Sure. Highly different question as to whether they will. Keep state control through 2020, and maintain control of district design (and quit whining, we're just dishing out what the Dems did for about five decades), and House control odds are high. Short term in the Senate, the Dems have very hard rows to hoe this swing.

Now, will the GOP screw it up? Possibly. We could hire a flaming idiot akin to Debbie Wasserman-Strauss, and create a strategy that borders on French WWII battle planning. But I'm optimistic we won't.

[chancellor]

Yes, it would. And I don't want to sound like some technophobe tinfoil hatter, but robotics and ai will play a big part of this. An awful lot of jobs we have now won't be needed in 20 years, and we have to figure out how to replace them with new types of work. But a lot of the work will require high levels of training or education.

On this, we have a great deal of agreement. We have a huge cultural gap in the US right now - trades education is nearly shunned at the middle school and high school level. There's a few exceptions, but the norm is college prep or bust. And that poorly serves a significant chunk of the population that neither has the inclination nor the wherewithal to attend college. Meanwhile, we have a vast gulf in skilled trades. Locally, those graduating from VoTech schools in skilled trades land decent paying jobs with immense upside if they can resist chewing tobacco in an interview and pass a drug test. (Yes, I have experience with the former. It's a great story)

[hacko]

is this on the gop agenda?

It is very much part of a lot of Republicans thinking. I live in a Staunch religious Republican area in Ohio. Almost Everyday in the local paper there is a letter to the editor about living by Gods standards. No abortion , no same sex marriage ......

[hacko]

On this, we have a great deal of agreement. We have a huge cultural gap in the US right now - trades education is nearly shunned at the middle school and high school level. There's a few exceptions, but the norm is college prep or bust. And that poorly serves a significant chunk of the population that neither has the inclination nor the wherewithal to attend college. Meanwhile, we have a vast gulf in skilled trades. Locally, those graduating from VoTech schools in skilled trades land decent paying jobs with immense upside if they can resist chewing tobacco in an interview and pass a drug test. (Yes, I have experience with the former. It's a great story)

With in the last couple of years the local vocational school has team up with local Companies to start programs for high school and adult programs to Answer needs of the Manufacturing fields. I work for a Plastic company and we sorely lack people as Tool die makers, Plastic technicians, maintenance workers....

[Fresno Bob]

You've hit on the big ticket item, but I'm afraid that this horse has left the barn. The gap is only going to widen. High skills/high pay jobs will continue to focus in areas that they are already congealing around; others will have to settle for low skills/low pay - at best.

If we can have a discussion without politics this would make for an interesting new thread (impossible, I know).

And just wait until driverless cars goes mainstream...

[Fresno Bob]

My company is building a high school on our HQ campus to create cheap domestic programmers

[Pogues]

Following the Democratic thread, I'm curious to see what the non Democrats on this board see as the future path for the GOP. They control the House, Senate, Presidency, and many statehouses around the country...can they keep control? And are you happy with the current direction of the party?

As an Atheist Republican, I have hated the direction on the social issues the GOP has been on for years. We should get out of the marriage issues, LGBTQ issues, and abortion issues. Focus on economics, real growth of jobs and the economy, and stop being asshats when it comes to fixing the medical issues in this country. If I could re-create the GOP platform, that would be my starting point.

I believe at the state level things will remain fairly stable, but the national level it's going to go in the other direction. Trump will do no favors to the party, and the only way we hold onto the Presidency is if Trump doesn't run for a second term or the Democrats put up another awful candidate. 2018 will see a shift toward the Democrats in both houses, though as earlier pointed out not significantly so in the Senate due to most Republicans not even having to run in 2018.

[cardboardbox]

2018 will see a shift toward the Democrats in both houses, though as earlier pointed out not significantly so in the Senate due to most Republicans not even having to run in 2018.

good luck with that prediction. If democrats come out of 2018 down 52-48 in the senate, that would have to be a pretty big victory for them.

If Trump continues as he has for the past month he's in trouble for 2020 but a lot can happen in the next 44 months.

[Redbirds Fan]

As an Atheist Republican, I have hated the direction on the social issues the GOP has been on for years. We should get out of the marriage issues, LGBTQ issues, and abortion issues. Focus on economics, real growth of jobs and the economy, and stop being asshats when it comes to fixing the medical issues in this country. If I could re-create the GOP platform, that would be my starting point.

I believe at the state level things will remain fairly stable, but the national level it's going to go in the other direction. Trump will do no favors to the party, and the only way we hold onto the Presidency is if Trump doesn't run for a second term or the Democrats put up another awful candidate. 2018 will see a shift toward the Democrats in both houses, though as earlier pointed out not significantly so in the Senate due to most Republicans not even having to run in 2018.

In the olden days, before the GOP placed so much emphasis on social issues, there were well known atheists in the party. Do you think there are still many prominent atheists in the party who don't necessarily advertise the fact, or do you think they may have gone Independent or Democrat when the GOP moved in its new direction?

[Pogues]

good luck with that prediction. If democrats come out of 2018 down 52-48 in the senate, that would have to be a pretty big victory for them.

If Trump continues as he has for the past month he's in trouble for 2020 but a lot can happen in the next 44 months.

Good luck? Not putting money on it...and not really looking for that outcome...aside from Trump getting far far away.

[Pogues]

In the olden days, before the GOP placed so much emphasis on social issues, there were well known atheists in the party. Do you think there are still many prominent atheists in the party who don't necessarily advertise the fact, or do you think they may have gone Independent or Democrat when the GOP moved in its new direction?

Well, I feel as if I'm in a minority in any groups/forums I participate in. The highest level any admitted non-religious Republican is currently at the state house level, New Hampshire I believe. I'm sure there are, as the non-religious population is quickly growing in this country, but how high they are, I'm not sure. Except Trump.

[cardboardbox]

Good luck? Not putting money on it...and not really looking for that outcome...aside from Trump getting far far away.

yes good luck because I think your senate prediction has little chance of happening.