One year from now, we’ll be on the verge of electing our next president.
The GOP primary field, while comically huge now, will have been narrowed down to a single candidate, who by that time will be making appeals to all Americans, not just right-wing primary voters.
But grand ol’ rhetoric won’t conceal the fact that everyone in the current Republican field has spent years saying crazy shit.
On birth control: “If the Democrats want to insult the women of America by making them believe that they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it.” — Mike Huckabee, 2014
On slavery: “Sometimes the best way to deal with a nonviolent criminal behavior is what you just suggested.” —Mike Huckabee, 2015, in response to a question on whether he thought enslaving criminals was a better punishment than prison.
On attracting black voters to the GOP: “[O]ur message is one of hope and aspiration. It isn’t one of division and ‘get in line’ and we’ll take care of you with free stuff.’” —Jeb Bush, 2015
On gun control: “Look, stuff happens.” — Jeb Bush, 2015, in the wake of the Oregon campus shooting.
On the U.S. Constitution and Obamacare: “Just because a couple people on the Supreme Court declare something to be ‘constitutional’ does not make it so.” —Sen. Rand Paul, 2012
On evolution: “Whether the Earth was created in seven days, or seven actual eras, I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to answer that. It’s one of the great mysteries.” —Sen. Marco Rubio, 2012
On gun control: “I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed.” —Ben Carson, 2015
On global warming: “NBC News just called it ‘The Great Freeze’ — coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?” —Donald Trump, 2014, via Twitter
On vaccination: “I am being proven right about massive vaccinations — the doctors lied. Save our children and their future.” —Donald Trump, 2014, via Twitter
On same-sex marriage: “I believe that engaging in homosexual conduct is a choice, and I do not believe that unelected judges should force States to adopt gay marriage.” —Sen. Ted Cruz, 2012
On Putin: “What I would do, immediately, is begin rebuilding the Sixth Fleet, I would begin rebuilding the missile defense program in Poland, I would conduct regular, aggressive military exercises in the Baltic states. I’d probably send a few thousand more troops into Germany. Vladimir Putin would get the message.” —Carly Fiorina, 2015
