All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!(Part II)

[Mecegirl]

The Dems was just handed the house and the senate.
It’s official, the GOP has become the party of <20th century white male thinking.

Only if people turn out to vote that is. And don't count on at least half the White female population to pull any of that weight.

[Gray Lensman]

Only if people turn out to vote that is. And don't count on at least half the White female population to pull any of that weight.

The polling numbers actually saw that the allegations against Kavanaugh is motivating GoP voters more than Dem voters. Red state Democrats are going to be politicians here, rather than take a stand that would be their last.

[numberthirty]

No, we want people to be excited to vote period. Folks always rant and rave after the fact, but do shit to prepare for the event.

There wouldn't be a Manchin if people in his state didn't want him and primaried him. But when one doesn't vote often and consistently they get the scraps. Until left leaning people of his state step up and organize behind a more liberal candidate they deserve him as representation. Either way, he wouldn't have the opportunity to vote for a Trump pick if Trump weren't the one picking.

Just to point this out again, he had a primary opponent. Who was running on a pretty liberal platform.

"Business As Usual..." Dems have been making excuses for this guy for a while.

Where would you be if you had put together a serious effort to replace him years ago? The guy is voting for this, and might lose his seat anyway?

What is the exact upside there?

[Dalak]

Those are actual votes, what do you mean?

I don't understand your confusion. For Heitkamp and Donnelly their Pro-Trump votes are both 55%, nothing to brag about or defend. They are projected for voting his way 92.1% and 83.7% respectively, while Bernie has a 11% With Trump rate projected for 21%. The predictions on those links are WAY off.

[Robotman]

The Dems was just handed the house and the senate.
It’s official, the GOP has become the party of <20th century white male thinking.

I don’t really get all the optimism for the midterms. There’s a good chance the democrats will take the House but they probably won’t take the Senate. So there will be at least a little bit of a check and balance but not much.

[Tami]

I don’t really get all the optimism for the midterms. There’s a good chance the democrats will take the House but they probably won’t take the Senate. So there will be at least a little bit of a check and balance but not much.

Only time will tell.

[numberthirty]

Only time will tell.

Sure.

It would be great to see Dems do well in a year where the opposition has basically put a ball on a tee for them.

It would be even better to see Dems seem like they had more of a direction than it feels like they have right now. Still feels like they are counting on mostly "Against!" votes.

[Jack Dracula]

Only if people turn out to vote that is. And don't count on at least half the White female population to pull any of that weight.

Those women who are willing to overlook the misogyny and objectification if it means repealing Roe v Wade and preventing brown kids from going to the same schools as their own precious little darlings.

I don’t really get all the optimism for the midterms. There’s a good chance the democrats will take the House but they probably won’t take the Senate. So there will be at least a little bit of a check and balance but not much.

I'll take it. Whatever we can get.

[Gray Lensman]

Sure.

It would be great to see Dems do well in a year where the opposition has basically put a ball on a tee for them.

It would be even better to see Dems seem like they had more of a direction than it feels like they have right now. Still feels like they are counting on mostly "Against!" votes.

The Senate map for Dems is the worst ever. Period. If they pull it off I will be incredibly surprised.

[Kevinroc]

I don’t really get all the optimism for the midterms. There’s a good chance the democrats will take the House but they probably won’t take the Senate. So there will be at least a little bit of a check and balance but not much.

That little check is going to drive Trump crazy.

[numberthirty]

The Senate map for Dems is the worst ever. Period. If they pull it off I will be incredibly surprised.

To say the least.

That said, even pulling off a "Draw" in the Senate would feel like something of a win.

[numberthirty]

Also...

Avenatti pitching a fit today after his coverage wasn't really what he thought it should be?

Maybe that old boy ain't the tough guy folks thought he was. Dude has been putting words into folk's mouths and fussing.

[aja_christopher]

Let's keep things in perspective -- the Dems controlled the House, the Senate and the Presidency when Obama was first in office because people were tired of the Republicans (Bush).

The "right" got angry, formed the Tea Party, took over the House and the Senate, blocked most of Obama's legislation -- including a Supreme Court pick -- for about ten years, and then propelled Trump to the Presidency.

Now the "left" is getting angry and about to take the House, and possibly the Senate and the Presidency in 2020 -- it's the same political cycle we've seen for a while so all this "doom and gloom" talk about Democrats doesn't make sense in any real and objective political context.

The worst you can really say about the Democrats is that they tried too hard to reach across the aisle under Obama and so long as they learn from that moving forward they should be fine -- in my opinion they should do their best to raze the entire Republican party through legal means, which shouldn't be difficult with Trump in office, so long as the voters give them the numbers to do so.

With regards to the Supreme Court, so long as they have the numbers, they can always reshape it as they see fit (term limits, additional justices, etc), but it's up to the voters to make that happen.

Of course, a lot of people would rather complain and criticize than vote, so here we are.

Still feels like they are counting on mostly "Against!" votes.

How about you just try voting "for" the party that doesn't believe in cutting health care, torturing innocents, supporting police brutality, denying climate change, and treating refugees like criminals.

Simple solution -- let's see if you can do it.

[Malvolio]

It should be like balancing your checkbook -- you might not be "excited" to do it but if you don't, then you can't complain when you suddenly run out of money.

Exactly. You're voting, not going to a rock concert. You shouldn't need to get "excited" about it. Unless, of course, you're planning on running yourself. Then, by all means, get super excited.

[Tendrin]

For Dems to break the Republican majority in the US Senate through elections is like cutting an iron bar with a butter knife.

I don't see how Democrats can seize any Republican strongholds, especially Wyoming (the state with the highest percentage of votes for Trump). They can't gain any new seats. All the Democrats can do is defend the seats they won from the previous elections.

In 2012, Wyoming Republican incumbent John Barrasso was re-elected to the US Senate with 76% of the vote. Due to Wyoming’s low population and rural setting, it is considered the most Republican state in the nation. It has not voted for a Democratic senate candidate since 1970

They have some good shots to pick up seats in Texas, FL, but that's counterbalanced by Heitkamp's vulnerability.