A Short Take On The Midterm Elections
The midterm elections in the United States had mixed results. Both sides will claim victory. There was no landslide in either direction.
The Republicans extended their majority in the Senate while the Democrats took the House of Representatives.
My hunch, that the Republicans would keep a majority in the House, was wrong. I underestimated the turnout for the Democrats. Some 114 million people voted yesterday compared to 88 million in the 2014 midterms.
The Democrats won at least 26 additional seats in the House. They needed 23 seats to gain a majority. Republicans increased their majority of 51 seats in the Senate to at least 54 seats.
The Democrats will chair all House committees and will run dozens of investigations against President Trump and his administration. They will subpoena his tax records, launch more 'Russian collusion' investigations and will question the ethics of Trump administration members. It will be a lot of political theater with little value. With a solid Republican majority in the Senate there is no chance that Trump will be impeached.
Trump's domestic agenda will be hindered by the new House majority. He may well compensate for that with a more aggressive foreign policy.
With more than $5 billion spent on midterm election campaigns the elected people are more indebted to their rich donors than ever before.
Florida passed an amendment that will restore the voting rights of some 1.4 million people with past felony convictions. This will change the political landscape. Most of the felons are people of color, often convicted for very minor crimes. In 2016 Trump carried the state by 100,000 votes.
Brothel owner Dennis Hof, who died on October 16, defeated Democrat Lesia Romanov and wins a Republican seat in the Nevada state assembly.
The campaign for the 2020 election has begun.
Posted by b on November 7, 2018 at 8:04 UTC | Permalink
next page »apparently there will be marijuana legalization in Michigan - that's fine by me
and the first and progressive Native American lesbian woman Sharice Davids.... in Kansas
I'm all for that.
she's from the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin
"....After graduating from Cornell Law School, Davids moved back to Kansas City as an attorney working with tribes to create economic development opportunities and initiatives. The former MMA fighter then spent five years on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota where she ran an economic development program and later served as the deputy director of a nonprofit that helps launch businesses and build housing on the reservation, according to McClatchy..."
.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Nov 7 2018 8:51 utc | 2
very sweet, too, that Scott Walker
got booted out in Wisconsin...
I love it as that race was soooo close
the very epitome of anti-union, anti-progressive and anti-working class... a real scuz
Posted by: michaelj72 | Nov 7 2018 8:55 utc | 3
"Trump's domestic agenda will be hindered by the new House majority. He may well compensate for that with a more aggressive foreign policy." (b.)
----
I suspect he is quietly happy with the outcome. Lots of room to maneuver on the stage and bluster & twitter (and get nowhere fast) while easily blaming the new Democrat House (and the "insane" Fed) as the fall guys for the emerging mess all the way up to 2020.
His "Reality TV" show presidency is safe (from impeachment) and he can bail as a frustrated 'one-term' or go on as a determined two-term as best fits the time frame.
Political paralysis maximus!
Posted by: imo | Nov 7 2018 9:05 utc | 4
Hopefully the Democrats will be intelligent enough to stop the Russian collusion investigation, which is going nowhere and is a perfect example of "fake news".
Posted by: Daniel Good | Nov 7 2018 9:47 utc | 5
naw, the democrats will not stop the russia bullshit, because it plays to a certain segment of democrats and deflects attention from their failures. they don't care if it goes anywhere or not.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Nov 7 2018 9:50 utc | 6
What a shambolic election process. The people have been duped for so long that they have no energy to demand a better system. Every conceivable ploy is applied to sabotage people's right and means to vote in that facked up country.
What's the bet that the new Dem majority in the House will never introduce legislation to truly fix it. The USA is off to hell in a handbasket. Burn baby burn.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Nov 7 2018 10:11 utc | 7
@7 (uncle tungsten | Nov 7, 2018 5:11:40 AM)
"... Dem majority in the House will never introduce legislation to truly fix it."
Just like they never closed Gitmo Bay. Morally bankrupt and doors ever open to the conga-line of lobbyists and their influence peddling $$$$. Blue pill team; Red pill team -- what does it matter ... same, same.
Posted by: imo | Nov 7 2018 11:10 utc | 8
It's not even decent theatre. Drama is much lacking, character development zilch. The outcome that dems take congress,& rethugs improve in senate is exactly as was predicted months ago.
The dems reveal once again exactly how mendacious and uncaring of the population they are. Nothing matters other than screwing more cash outta anyone who wants anything done so that the DC trough stays full with the usual crew of 4th & 5th generation wannabe dem pols guzzling hard at the corporate funded 'dem aligned' think tanks which generate much hot air yet never deliver. Hardly suprising given that actually doing something to show they give a sh1t about the citizenry would annoy the donor who would give em all the boot, making all these no-hopers have to take up a gig actually practising law.
These are people whose presence at the best law schools in the country prevented many who wanted to be y'know lawyers from entering Harvard, Cornell etc law school. "one doesn't go to law school to become a lawyer It too hard to even pull down a mil a year as a brief, nah, I studied the law to learn how to make laws that actually do the opposite of what they seem to. That is where the real dough is."
Those who think that is being too hard on the dem slugs, should remember that the rethugs they have been indoctrinated to detest act pretty much as printed on the side of the can. They advertise a service of licking rich arseholes and that is exactly what they do. As venal and sociopathic as they are, at least they don't pretend to be something else; so while there is no way one could vote for anyone spouting republican nonsense at least they don't hide their greed & corruption under a veneer of pseudo-humanist nonsense. Dems cry for the plight of the poverty stricken then they slash welfare.
Or dems sob about the hard row african americans must hoe, then go off to the house of reps to pass laws to keep impoverished african americans slotted up in an over crowded prison for the rest of his/her life.
Not only deceitful and vicious, 100% pointless since any Joe/Jo that votes on the basis of wanting to see more blackfellas incarcerated is always gonna tick the rethug box anyhow.
Yeah- yeah we know all this so what?
This is what - the dems broke their arses getting tens of millions of young first time voters out to "exercise their democratic prerogative" for the first time. Dems did this knowing full well that there would be no effective opposition to rethug demands for more domestic oppression, that in fact it is practically guaranteed that should the trump and the rethug senate require it, in order to ensure something particularly nasty gets passed, that sufficient dem congress people will 'cross the floor' to make certain the bill does get up.
Of course the dems in question will allude to 'folks back home demanding' that the dem slug does vote with the nasties, but that is the excuse, the reality is far too many dem pols are as bigoted greedy and elitist as the worst rethugs.
Anyway the upshot of persuading so many kids to get out and vote, so the kids do but the dems are content to just do more of the same, will be another entire generation lost to elections forever.
If the DNC had been less greedy and more strategic they would have kept their powder dry and hung off press-ganging the kids until getting such a turnout could have resulted in genuine change, prez 2020' or whenever, would be actual success for pols and voters.
But they didn't and wouldn't ever, since for a dem pol, hundreds of thousands of fellow citizens living on the street isn't nearly as problematic for them, as the dem wannabe pol paying off the mortgage on his/her DC townhouse by 2020, something that would have been impossible if they hadn't taken congress as all the 'patrons' would have jerked back their cash figuring there is no gain giving dosh to losers who couldn't win a bar raffle.
As for that Sharice Davids - a total miss she needed to be either a midget or missing an arm or leg to qualify as the classic ID dem pol. Being a native american lezzo just doesn't tick enough boxes. I predict a not in the least illustrious career since she cannot even qualify as the punchline in a circa 1980's joke.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Nov 7 2018 11:19 utc | 9
Republicans have been making a fool of themselves by not standing up for their republican president for the past years. No wonder Democrats are gaining more power.
Posted by: Zanon | Nov 7 2018 11:20 utc | 10
Trump's domestic agenda will be hindered by the new House majority.
I'll believe that when I see it. I predict they'll do little to no hindering at all.
"With a solid Republican majority in the Senate there is no chance that Trump will be impeached."
The Republican majority in the Senate is irrelevant for impeachment, which is exclusively under the purview of the House of Representatives.
Impeachment is indictment. If there is impeachment/indictment, the Senate is then supposed to organize and carry out a trial. This Senate will find a hundred and one ways to avoid doing that, but the president will remain impeached -- as William Jefferson Clinton was.
The only impeachment that ever ended in a trial was that of Andrew Johnson, and the Senate failed, by one vote, to convict him.
Posted by: RJPJR | Nov 7 2018 12:03 utc | 12
Daniel Good
Hopefully the Democrats will be intelligent enough to stop the Russian collusion investigation
Adam Schiff: Russia ‘Collusion’ Investigation Top Priority If Democrats Win
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/11/06/adam-schiff-russia-collusion-investigation-top-priority-if-democrats-win/
Posted by: Zanon | Nov 7 2018 12:06 utc | 13
I don't necessarily believe "election" "results". The regime got caught rigging the D and R 2016 primaries. But, D's blame foreigners for "interfering" with their "elections". And R's criticize the D's "collusion" angle but stay mum about the actual rigging even within their own primary, which means R's are complicit.
To provide practical motive for Jackrabbit's hypothesis that Trump "winning" in 2016 was a "high-level establishment decision", the military is mostly stocked with Republicans who seethed at the thought of working for Hillary. How many more whistleblowers would've emerged during 2017-2020 had they hated the murderer in chief? A Trump win served the status quo.
D's winning one part of government provides both parties with the "gridlock" and "we had to compromise" excuses that otherwise go missing. Partial wins serve the status quo.
Posted by: dumbass | Nov 7 2018 12:13 utc | 14
Another thought on the Democrats' control of the House and impeachment: preparation for such an act would justify all sorts of revelations as the criminal investigation necessary to bring the impeachemnt/indictment moves into high gear. And Mr Jefferson Beauregard Sessions would be helpless to impede it.
The Great Orange Grifter does, indeed, have something to fear, for exemple the subpoenaing of his tax returns, which would show how much he is in debt, and to whom (Russian-mafia controlled banks in Cyprus, inter alia).
Posted by: RJPJR | Nov 7 2018 12:13 utc | 15
Posted by: dumbass | Nov 7, 2018 7:13:28 AM | 14
D's winning one part of government provides both parties with the "gridlock" and "we had to compromise" excuses that otherwise go missing. Partial wins serve the status quo.
Real gridlock would be a fine thing since only evil, destructive legislation ever is enacted.
But it won't happen since Ds and Rs basically concur on this campaign of destruction. But as always the Ds will insist on the need for "compromise" as their excuse for acquiescing in everything the Rs want, when they really do so because they agree with the Rs.
So the Democrat faction of the Corporate One-Party took back control of the House from the Republican faction. (It’s one hard-right party, of course; only liars and those ignorant of history call the Dems “centrist”. By any objective or historical standard they’re a right-wing party.)
It’s no big surprise. Last two years it’s been the normally self-assured Republicans who, because of their ambivalence about Trump, have uncharacteristically taken on the usual Democrat role of existential confusion and doubt. Meanwhile the Democrats, in a berserk batsh$t-insane way, have been more motivated and focused.
So what are these Democrats going to do with this control now that they have it?
I made no prediction on what would happen in this election, but I’ve long predicted that if/when the Democrats win control of either house they’ll do nothing with that control. Jack squat. Status quo all the way, embellished with more retarded Russia-Derangement stuff and similar nonsense.
If there really were a difference between these corporate factions, here’s the chance for the House to obstruct all Senate-passed legislation. And as for things which are technically only in the power of the Senate such as confirming appointments, here’s the chance for the House to put public moral pressure on Democrats in the Senate. And there’s plenty of back-door ways an activist House can influence Senate business. Only morbid pedantry, so typical of liberal Dembots, babbles about what the technical powers of this or that body are. The real world doesn’t work that way. To the extent I pay attention at all to Senate affairs it’ll be to see what the House is doing about it.
They claim there’s a difference between the two parties? And they claim Trump is an incipient fascist dictator? In that case there’s a lot at stake, and extreme action is called for. Let’s see what kind of action we get from their “different” party in control of the House.
But I predict this House won’t lift a finger vs. the Senate, and that it’ll strive to work with the Senate on legislation, and that it’ll fully concur with the Senate on war budgets, police state measures, anything and everything demanded by Wall Street, Big Ag, the fossil fuel extractors, and of course the corporate welfare state in general.
Nor will any of these new-fangled fake “socialist” types take any action to change things one iota. Within the House Democrats, they could take action, form any and every kind of coalition, to obstruct the corporate-Pelosi leadership faction. They will not do so. This “new” progressive bloc will be just as fake as the old one.
Nothing I’ve talked about here is anything but what is possible, what is always implicitly or explicitly promised by Dembots, and what it would seem is the minimum necessary given what Dembots claim is the scope of the crisis and what is at stake.
"Brothel owner Dennis Hof, who died on October 16, defeated Democrat Lesia Romanov and wins a Republican seat in the Nevada state assembly."
How does a dead guy win an election?
Posted by: Johny Conspiranoid | Nov 7 2018 12:50 utc | 18
Although I still believe there's no democracy in the U.S. with the Zionist-owned duopoly, I can't wait for the dirty scumbag Trump to cough up those tax returns. Oh glory day on that!
Trump promised more sanctions on Iran. We'll see where that goes with the Zionist duopoly. I hope the Dems obstruct just to revenge Trump tearing up the deal. One thing's for sure: no war powers approval for Trump!
Posted by: Circe | Nov 7 2018 12:50 utc | 19
The House dems will create even more severe sanction bills against the Russians looking to gain politically by making Trump and gopers look pro-Putin and anti-patriotic, plus serving business interests in pushing out euro and Russian competitors. Domestically House dems may work with gopers to cut social security and medicare much as Obama tried to do. Russian xenophobia will go through the proverbial roof.
Posted by: Erelis | Nov 7 2018 12:57 utc | 20
Good old divided government, it's the American Way.
Well with the democrats gaining the HOR, maybe the pressure will be off and they'll call off the Antifa attack dogs and the other SJW's and go back to being civil. Note yesterday, the Donald signaling perhaps a new softer approach, at least till the first broadsides land.
In the meantime with absolute control of the Senate, the real important business can go into high gear, filling federal court vacancies etc unimpeded by democrat histrionics. And of course the wars, approved by both parties, can continue.
My prediction is that neither side will go against their true natures with the scorpions stinging with abandon their hosts midstream.
In other words, both sides got enough red meat from this election to continue their antics unabated through the presidential campaign and beyond.
Posted by: morongobill | Nov 7 2018 13:11 utc | 21
Posted by: RJPJR | Nov 7, 2018 7:13:40 AM | 15
"The Great Orange Grifter does, indeed, have something to fear, for example the subpoenaing of his tax returns, which would show how much he is in debt, and to whom (Russian-mafia controlled banks in Cyprus, inter alia).
Hey, RJPJR, have you checked the ethnicity of the "Russian mafia"? -- You should. Time for you to learn what is the ethnic kind of the"mafia" that has been influencing the US elections and buying the US government, including POTUS. A fat hint -- this ethnic kind is not Russian.
For example: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-06/unraveling-netanyahu-project-middle-east
Posted by: Anya | Nov 7 2018 13:12 utc | 22
I really can't stand Cruz!!! Six more years - gag! That arrogant shet Nunes gets another two years, but he'll be under Schiff's thumb - good, get ready for Nunes' drama queen hissy fits.
KKK Florida and Georgia. YOU SUCK.
Posted by: Circe | Nov 7 2018 13:13 utc | 23
Correction : The auction for the 2020 election has begun.
Posted by: Dave | Nov 7 2018 13:28 utc | 24
One of the more dramatic narratives playing out in the midterms.....b is not very good at pontificating US elections.
How about providing some insight into, say, German politics, now that Merkel is stepping down and the neo-nazis are stepping up?
Europe in general is roiled with anti-immigrant fever, which comes shining through in some MoA comments. In fact Europe is trending xenophobic much moreso than the US, which has always had its share of nativist nutjobs but is much more accustomed to housing diverse populations and mostly takes them in stride, our racist baiting racist grifter in chief and his baloneycrat base nowtwthstanding.
What we saw last night was the perversely calming effect of the US political system which has become an every 2-4 year taffy pull between the politcal polar opposites. This is not to say the system is effective because it isn't, obviously. The center or the compromising space if you will, within which governing (such as it is) in the US used to happen is now essentially gone. The Democrats lost in the Senate, which is slanted demographically towards rural, low population states and won in the House, state legislature and Governors's races which are closer to the representational aspects of the system than the Senate. Gerrymandering and voter supression will change only when state level political contril changes.
Healthcare was the winning issue. The GOP stubbed its foot on its attempts ridiculous and show offy to kill Obamacare. What had been an unpopular law while Obama was in office became a truly populist lightening rod when the GOP tried to kill it.
Going forward, the Dem House should immediately confront the GOP with infrastructure bills and bills to strengthen and increase Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security.
The GOP will twist in the wind politically once more for the next two years.
The Russia collusion nonsense will continue as a sideshow until Mueller, a Republican, ends his investigation without indicting any Trump family members.
The Trump tax returns do need to be released of course and his financial gain since assuming office needs to be thoroughly investigated and reversed, as this is in direct contravention of the law.
Posted by: donkeytale | Nov 7 2018 13:31 utc | 25
@17 Russ
You are wrong thinking they can "do" anything about Trump, anyway, as if to say that if they really wanted to take down Trump, they would embark on a full-fledged crusade against him. They can't do anything against him except maybe be a fly in the ointment. This is why there was no overt celebration from any side last night, and why b is right that they both know that this next two years will be one hell of an annoying time for both sides.
I wish we could put the "cahoots" argument to bed once and for all, because the dems do viciously hate Trump. But that is not to say that they hate him for the right reasons. That would mean that they would really have the interests of the people at heart. But as this election tells us, the Dems are now more big-business than the Rethugz.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Nov 7 2018 13:45 utc | 26
how does a dead guy win an election? well, he won't do as much harm as whichever dem or republican he was running against. probably mainly name recognition, i would think.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Nov 7 2018 13:54 utc | 27
That's all right b because nancy p. is going to lead by following the same old plan.
Posted by: jo6pac | Nov 7 2018 14:06 utc | 28
One little discussed aspect of Social Security is the modest wealth redistribution resulting from disability benefits. The upward trend of disability in previous decades mirrors the decline in working class and lower middle class jobs and income.
SSDI has been a target of the cutters for years and puts Trump in the middle between his conservatives and his more lumpenproletariat base members, an increasing number of whom live off SSDI benefits.
The number of SSDI recipients has tripled since the 1980s.
Democrats should continue to exploit the divergence between GOP policy and the grim reality of a significant share of the Trumpist base.
Posted by: donkeytale | Nov 7 2018 14:09 utc | 29
This election was business as usual. The American electoral system is designed to be perpetually two-party. There won't -- and never will be -- a "blue/red wave" in the USA.
As for domestic policies, I don't understand what's being discussed here. If you abstract from the bombastic rhetoric on Twitter, Trump is acting like a normal POTUS on the domestic front. The differences between the two parties are cosmetic.
jo6pac, great point.
2019 presents an opportunity for Democrats to ditch Pelosi and Schumer both. There is a huge need to get younger at those positions.
And even if they are too firmly entrenched in their little geriatric cocoons, a splashy, show offy internal struggle from the left for those spots will provide useful optics.
Republicans have shown over recent years that messy internal struggles are not detrimental but in fact lead to increased interest and turn-out.
Democrats need to stop being deferential to the GOP as well as to each other.
Posted by: donkeytale | Nov 7 2018 14:20 utc | 31
@ Nemesis 26
I think you better read my comment again because your response has nothing to do with anything I said. For example, it has vanishingly little to do with Trump.
@ Donkeytale
Gee, I thought you claimed you weren't a Dembot. Yet I've never seen such Dembot nonsense.
Five billion dollars spent on midterm elections! What an insane waste of money to keep the established criminal cabal "smoothly" pilfering the insouciant serfs who voted for them thinking it was their patriotic duty, and of course the chance to proudly wear an "I voted!"sticker on their blouse or flannel shirt.
Posted by: Eric Jacobson | Nov 7 2018 14:27 utc | 34
Observation and interpretation of external remote phenomena must pass through what I observe as 'axiomatic filters'.
These cognitive 'assembly points' can and very much are shaped and influenced by external forces such as meme promotion, social engineering and controlled narratives. Since the printing press The Map has increasingly eclipsed The Territory.
"I believe it simply because they said so..." That is the blind assumption that governs the core beliefs of most of the people I have known and am surrounded by. Very pivotal principles and assumptions that shape our entire reality are taken to be true with no investigation into available evidence whatsoever.
What have been called 'checks and balances' appear to be nothing more than a theatrical stalemate. The two party system unlike any other seems to be a duopoly designed from the outset to allow the plutocratic sliver of society to shape the course of civilization as they please. There is ample evidence of this within easy reach, and troves of documentation if one digs a bit further.
Yet somehow in the USA people cling to the belief that politicians of any stripes are working in their interest. It is as if they cannot bear the notion that it could be otherwise. When confronted with overwhelming evidence of a false flag of epic proportions an acquaintance responded "Ok, but I dont wanna live in world where that's possible..." And that sums it up, or to cite Mark Twain, It's easier to fool a man than to convince him he has been fooled (appx).
In the world of controlled narratives and directed history, there emerges a dichotomy which manifests in the individual as well as the culture at large. The more extreme the example the more clear cut this divide is. September 11 2001 is a prime example of this: has the individual questioned the official conspiracy theory (911 commission) or have they waded through the quagmire of mi-dis-info and winnowed out something more plausible. One cannot have it both ways. Apollo missions are somewhat similar, and illuminate the human need to hold onto a narrative no matter what the evidence to the contrary. Often with events such as these the knee-jerk reaction is something to the effect that such trickery would be impossible because SOMEBODY would say something! This response is symbolizes the slamming of the door: "I dont wanna hear it!" "That's just crazy!"
Thus it is with the USAn political process. A citizen has either looked behind the curtain or they are glued to the tube seeing which horse is gonna win this time. It's not as though Divide and Rule(tm) isn't in the manual! It's not as though policy hasn't essentially remained the same despite which color controls more turf. Sure, it's important to throw the masses an emotionally triggered bone. Thus Hope & Change(tm) are embodied in same gender marriage and very little else. Though I am loathe to use the expression 'studies have shown' they have revealed that a subject will continue to cling to their original imprint or belief despite evidence presented to them.
From a social engineering perspective this past few decades or so has been rather brilliant. First you have two white collar crime families swapping offices for multiple terms culminating in the latest and by far greatest paradigm shift, GWOT and all the attendant screw turning. Next we drive a wedge further into an already divided population by selecting a half white Harvard attorney with a rather curious background. One of the primary effects was to alienate the southern anglo population and anyone not living in an urban area. Then we swing the pendulum back in the other direction, enraging the other side.
The stroke of genius here is getting the so called lefties to embrace Hate. In addition they fell for the connecting of Russia with the selection of Trump and now all the hybrid warfare policies are cheered on by both sides!
So what will change as a result of this recent round of voting? Very little I would guess. Divisiveness and gridlock combined with additional ratcheting of tensions combined with continued movement toward NeoFeudalism(tm) is more likely than not.
Posted by: Chevrus | Nov 7 2018 14:36 utc | 35
Russ - not a dembot at all. I haven't voted in an election since 1974 when I voted for Jerry Brown as Governor of California.
What can I say about your one party repititive nonsense? Of course this is an extremely safe truism to continually repeat...since about 1781. Lol.
But what ya gonna do about it Russ? This discussion never seems to bubble up to the surface.
So, given we are staying within strict lines of predictably orthodox commentary, I'm offering advice to the Dems to do something differently with their small speck of opposition that.
If you believe protecting Medicare/Medicaid and strengthening social security are typical dembot nonsense, show me your proof. I already see enough empty nihilist rhetoric. Yours isn't remotely interesting except to other nihilists,which makes it preaching to the choir. How cute.
Posted by: donkeytale | Nov 7 2018 14:49 utc | 36
thanks b.. i wasn't as confident of you as the repub slam dunk.. turns out you got that slightly wrong..
bottom line is nothing is going to change.. it is more gridlock basically when it comes to the usa turning a new page.. ain't gonna happen...reality has to catch up with the usa and it will at some point..
Posted by: james | Nov 7 2018 14:50 utc | 37
The Democratic House will not move on impeaching Trump. Most of those 26 House seats that flipped to the Dems are in districts that voted for Trump. That means there are at least 50 Dem House members that had winning margins consisting of Trump voters. I would not predict that these members would be willing to vote for impeachment if they have any interest in getting re-elected in 2020.
Of course the Dems will hold hearings that investigate Trump but they are not going to issue articles of impeachment against him for the simple reason that they would lose the vote. People who say that Trump will be impeached are making the completely unwarranted assumption that 100% of the House Dems would vote for it.
Posted by: ToivoS | Nov 7 2018 15:06 utc | 38
Donkeytale, whose entire internet persona revolved around mocking 3rd parties, stumping for Obama -and then for his policies (and more recently for Sanders oops I mean Clinton or was it Sanders), but hasn't "...voted since 1974" -- Riotous!
Moi otoh, I voted once in my life, for Ross Perot when I was 19. As a joke. See what a state we're in, World? Send help plz.
Posted by: sejomoje | Nov 7 2018 15:06 utc | 39
If you believe protecting Medicare/Medicaid and strengthening social security are typical dembot nonsense, show me your proof.
The fake rhetoric of protecting them, such as you're spewing here, is indeed typical Dembot nonsense.
As for proof of the reality, how about the Erskine Bowles-led Catfood Commissions under both Clinton and Obama, for starters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Commission_on_Fiscal_Responsibility_and_Reform
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erskine_Bowles
As for the rest of your nonsense, I won't bother going through it all, there's too much stupidity. I'll just choose this gem, which you might've lifted straight from the NYT or WaPo:
the US political system which has become an every 2-4 year taffy pull between the politcal polar opposites.
Yeah, they sure run the whole alphabet from S to T. It takes a special commitment to the Corporate One-Party to spew such idiocy. And only a Dembot or similar acolyte of the corporate system would refer to those who want to destroy that system before it destroys humanity and the Earth as "nihilist". On the contrary, nothing could possibly be more nihilistic than your kind of support for such an infinitely vile system.
Voted for Jerry Brown - Good one! Best friend California's frackers and industrial plantation owners have ever had. We see where you're at.
Voted Republican this year, but honestly, I'm not for either party. I don't think the mainstream media covered anything having to do with third parties at all...
Posted by: TruthFinder | Nov 7 2018 15:34 utc | 42
b: darn good summary
dumbass: yup! staged combat for the Kool-Aid drinkers like Kavanaugh hearings and the caravan
russ: clever donkey with a stinky 'tale'
Chevrus: great writing, hope you comment more often
all: lots of other good comments, just can't mention them all.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 7 2018 15:38 utc | 43
Well, exactly. The Catfood Commission was a bipartisan effort to erode SS. That's what I'm saying Russ.
That's why I'm urging the "Dembots" to introduce legislation through the House to increase social security and Medicare Medicaid not just talk about it. This is not the same as Dembot talk versus Dembot uniparty action. This would be action in the face of the GOP and backed up by the reasons the Dems won the House last night.
Of course, the Senate will block anything the Dems introduce or Trump will veto if it passes by some miracle but that is also part of the process leading to 2020.
I'm all for more radical solutions if you got some. But The endless same diagnosis of the same condition that exists since time immemorial isn't a solution, Russ.
Nice gotcha moment on a blog maybe, but I'm well past caring.
Like, great. You got me. Now what?
Posted by: donkeytale | Nov 7 2018 15:39 utc | 44
".......The Democrats will chair all House committees and will run dozens of investigations against President Trump and his administration. They will subpoena his tax records, launch more 'Russian collusion' investigations and will question the ethics of Trump administration members. It will be a lot of political theater with little value. With a solid Republican majority in the Senate there is no chance that Trump will be impeached......."
The most amazing result of this election was the number of women winning seats in the House, principly Democrats. This will have a bearing on the potential nominee for President by the Democrats in 2020 (who I believe will be a woman). Biden might be the most unifying potential candidate to bring together the split Democratic Party, but his age and gender may be a burden in 2020.
I agree that there will likely be endless investigations into the President in the House. However, on Russia-gate the Democrats have a point. Less than 100,000 votes separated Trump and HRC in three key Midwest states which led to the electoral victory for Trump. The release of the DNC emails by the (anti-West and Putin protoge) Julian Assange could have been the deciding factor. This was a calculated gamble by Putin which I believe paid dividends. The Democrats are still smarting from the loss in 2016 - and that wound will fester in the Democraticaly controlled House.
Posted by: craigsummers | Nov 7 2018 15:41 utc | 45
@33 Russ
My apologies Russ. I must have gotten some of my oatmeal on the screen this morning to write that comment and direct it at yours. Please disregard.
Posted by: Nemesiscalling | Nov 7 2018 15:52 utc | 46
And no one speaks of the fraud, which I’m sure happened beyond the shadow of a doubt. I know that because I worked as an election inspector in my area for 6 years. I had seen things happened which made me change my mind about elections in this country. It is all a racket. I also ran for office too. I’m sure both sides committed fraud in this cycle. And those crimes will never see the light of day. I’m sure Trump wanted this election to turn out as it did. He’s the kind of guy who likes a good fight. All to our detriment. Expect far worse events to happen in these next two years. I pray for our country.
Posted by: Jose Garcia | Nov 7 2018 15:52 utc | 47
In fact Europe is trending xenophobic much moreso than the US
- donkey tale at 25.
Yes. Caveat: different countries in Europe accept, allow to enter, and treat immigrants (all categories, incl. illegals) differently. The higher xenophobia is linked to (all that follows…: > read ‘in some places’), to denser population, lower standards of living in terms of energy use, often about half the US - housing space, cars, AC, meat, etc.-, and thus a more acute need for employment. Then there are mysterious tipping points, where attitudes just change abruptly.
Add the fact that Europe officially takes in a large amount of ‘refugees’ whereas the US accepts almost none, and basically only lets in useful labor, i.e. illegals for services who are exploited (also furnish prison labor), visas for qualified ppl from abroad to suppress wages and control employees, etc.
See link: Refugee pop. by territory / country 2017.
Germany logs in at under 1 million, about the same as Iran, and roughly the same as Switz, 93K.
> Pop. of Gemany 83 m, of Iran 81 m (similar) of Switz. 8 m…
Lebanon, a postage stamp country, has 1.5 m …Pakistan, 1.4 m, Uganda 1.3 m…
The US has all of 287 K for a population of 326 m.
Iceland has 400 refugees. Turkmenistan 22.
Yes one may quibble about definitions etc. but the rough picture furnished by these stats is very real.
All of the discourse about ‘refugees’, ‘asylum seekers’ etc. is manipulated by the media for political purposes.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.REFG
Posted by: Noirette | Nov 7 2018 15:53 utc | 48
P.S. And watch Trump come out as a Democrat in these next 2 years.
Posted by: Jose Garcia | Nov 7 2018 15:55 utc | 49
@ Donkey
I'm all for more radical solutions if you got some. But The endless same diagnosis of the same condition that exists since time immemorial isn't a solution, Russ.
I'm pretty sure we've been through this before and that there's no point going through it again. I'll just say that I've been writing my own blog for near ten years now and have given my solutions in hundreds of posts by now. If you really wanted to see them, come on over. But since I'm sure you're not really interested, I'll wager I won't be seeing you there.
Posted by: craigsummers | Nov 7, 2018 10:41:27 AM | 47
However, on Russia-gate the Democrats have a point. Less than 100,000 votes separated Trump and HRC in three key Midwest states which led to the electoral victory for Trump.
Would those be the same three Midwest states that Hillary considered herself too good to visit?
You Dembots really ought to look in the mirror and stop looking for non-existent Russian bogeymen under the bed.
@JohnnyHeald (aka craigsummers)
Hey Johnny! Funny that you talk about Russian propaganda given that you lead the effort for survey propaganda at ORB Intl.
Why don't you ask Hillary why she didn't campaign in those states. You probably know her or know friends of her at Gallup International where you are on the Board of Directors.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 7 2018 16:03 utc | 52
How is release of emails (actual things said by actual democrats revealing their actual thoughts) "interfering" in the elections, but payoffs to politicians by AIPAC and ChiComs is not? Do you have difficulty distinguishing between revealing truths and bribery? Finding out what democrat politicians really think about certain portions of the citizenry is "interfering"? More interference please.
Posted by: c matt | Nov 7 2018 16:07 utc | 53
9
As you said, nothing will get out of the House, Pelosi can't lead. They can easily swing 3 Democrats, then Mike Pence puts the hammer down. If anything manages to crawl through, it won't even be brought to a vote in the Republican Senate. Trump can still us his bully pulpit to circle the White wagons, fly in even more than his current 1,125,000 H-visa aliens, and No Taxes for the Rich is now engraved in stone for the Pharoahs.
The imminent $1,500B Omnibus Deficit Bill Three will be lauded as a 'bipartisan solution' by both houses, and 2020 looks to be a $27,000B illegal, onerous, odious National Debt open Civil War.
There is only the Deep Purple Mil.Gov UniParty. The Titanic is dead in the water, lights out, bow down hard. The Rich, the Corporate Profiteers and the Military-Political Establishment have pulled away in their fur and jewel-encrusted life boats. It's one minute after midnight on the Doomsday Clock, the hands have fallen off the Debt Clock, the skies are burning and seas are rising (they say), and we are in WW3 in 8 nations. Or is it 9?
Smart money is moving toward the exits. This shyte is gonna blow. Let's move to Australia, before it becomes part of Xi's PRC String of Girls.
Posted by: Anton Worter | Nov 7 2018 16:13 utc | 54
@55 c matt.. exactly... cs is probably hiding under his orb international desk in fear of the ruskies coming.. oh and that bad julian assange for setting up wikileaks where some truth actually gets out!!! it's all his and the ruskies fault! what is really sad is these folks can't see how bent they really are..
Posted by: james | Nov 7 2018 16:16 utc | 55
"Brothel owner Dennis Hof, who died on October 16, defeated Democrat Lesia Romanov and wins a Republican seat in the Nevada state assembly."
Is this a symptom of tampering with the voting machines?
Posted by: Edward | Nov 7 2018 16:48 utc | 56
A dead Republican brothel owner beating a live Democrat tells you all you need to know about American politics. It's a sick joke.
Ditto the election process. Voting and tally machine that can be easily hacked, no credible chain of custody, floating smart cards, corrupt SOS's that strip voters rolls, partisan MSM announces the winner but no one can prove it and as you mentioned, the corrosive effects of big money.
Noam Chomsky published a study that demonstrated that the top 2% in the US get everything they want, the top 10% get some of what they want and the other 90% get nothing of a what they want.
Posted by: CD Waller | Nov 7 2018 17:01 utc | 57
Great comment by Chevrus here at #35 and also by Russ at #17 talking about the charade of our ziopolistic - SORRY! - duopolist system of government. Two wings, one party: the right-wing ZioWar Party.
Posted by: SlapHappy | Nov 7 2018 17:01 utc | 58
The fight for House Speaker will prove instructive. Battles within several states over the electoral process will also be instructive. But the big domestic issue ought to be the federal budget and the need to lop several hundred billion from Empire maintenance and redirect those funds to aiding the commons and commoners, which is opposite of all the recent documents touting the need to increase spending on military so it can be improved.
I don't see the election's outcome having any affect on current Imperial policy. I'm curious to see how Trump behaves on the 100th anniversary of The Armistice; May, too. And there're a host of other events just concluded, ongoing and upcoming that are all aimed at reducing the weight of the Outlaw US Empire upon the world.
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 7 2018 17:03 utc | 59
But what exactly is Trump's domestic agenda that the Democrats oppose? Did they fight against his huge tax cut for corporations and investor class? No? Have they really fought against environmental protections being gutted? I haven't seen it. They may like to grandstand over a Supreme Court nominee (although they're perfectly happy with pro-corporate judges committed to eviscerating the rights of citizens) but it's more show than go.
Also, I suspect that Trump is pretty darn happy that Nancy Pelosi will be leader of the House again as the more she tries to indict him on supposed Russian interference or his taxes the more people will get annoyed with Democrats.
The Democrats could win any election they wanted it they committed to policies that would benefit the people, and are popular, such as improved Medicare for all, an end to foreign wars, and reining in Wall Street, but the fact is that Democrat leadership is against ALL those things, the same as the Republican leadership.
Posted by: worldblee | Nov 7 2018 17:05 utc | 60
Trump's domestic policy. Take from the bottom ninety percent and give to the top one percent? That domestic policy?
Posted by: Bob In Portland | Nov 7 2018 17:12 utc | 61
The political gridlock will give Trump plenty of room to operate as he has the past two years. I think the election results play into the America downfall plans that are flowing smoothly.
I am going to predict the demise of the US dollar as Reserve Currency before the end of Trump's term. I don't believe the debt bubble will not stay inflated for another two years even though it is just numbers that will fly away in the wind of serious economic change.
What circus acts are up next? It is hard to keep up with all the excitement and I have to go get more popcorn.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Nov 7 2018 17:23 utc | 62
Possibly the most important benefit from the Dems taking control of the House is that they will now be able to keep the Republicans from making cuts to Medicare and Social Security, which they most certainly were planning to do. Those two social benefit programs are extremely popular, even amongst Republicans. Cutting them would, of course, be desirable if you happen to be a private health insurance company or a Wall Street investment bank. It's a source of constant amazement that Republican voters do not see how they are being exploited to enrich their corporate overlords.
Posted by: Rob | Nov 7 2018 17:23 utc | 63
i too would like to commend the post and poster Chevrus @35...
Posted by: james | Nov 7 2018 17:34 utc | 64
> Noam Chomsky published a study that demonstrated that the top 2% in the US get everything they want, the top 10% get some of what they want
> and the other 90% get nothing of a what they want.
> Posted by: CD Waller | Nov 7, 2018 12:01:10 PM | 60
I don't know of any such study by Chomsky, but that is essentially what Gilens and Page 2014 demonstrates:
https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf
Posted by: Ash | Nov 7 2018 17:37 utc | 65
Reading most of the comments explaining how the D's won/lost,,, the R's won/lost,,, Trump and company won/lost,,, but couldn't find one post about how America is losing due to the two suffocating party's and a greedy, disunited, selfish, electorate that wants it all free.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the Majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury,,,,,,, After that the Majority always votes for the candidate 'promising the most' ,,,,,,,
Alex Fraser.
The US, and West in general, is proof positive.
Posted by: ken | Nov 7 2018 17:44 utc | 66
donkeytale says:
How about providing some insight into, say, German politics, now that Merkel is stepping down and the neo-nazis are stepping up
if you want some insight, you'll have to check your assumptions at the door.
Posted by: john | Nov 7 2018 18:17 utc | 67
The Republicans extended their majority in the Senate while the Democrats took the House of Representatives.
That's what the Corporate Media reported, and their "news" reflects the readings on the easily hackable voting machines. So your "hunch" may or may not be right in the Real World, but in our world it was an error.
As a blogger at Naked Capitalism endlessly says, we won't know how The People voted until we return to paper ballots, counted under the scrutiny of many suspicious and beady-eyed indivuals in public.
Too many good comments to reply to any, but in general I liked the cynical tone I see here. I have no friends in Washington or Indianapolis. The Democrats have had plenty of opportunities to do good things for me, and they've passed on all of those chances. Recall how it was said that Only Nixon Could Go To China. Well, only Democrats can kill Social Security. IMO we owe Monica Lewinsky a statue someday, for the ba$tard Bill Clinton was going to put a knife in the SS system.
Still an opinion, but the new House situation will allow the Rich People to either control Trump or replace him. Impeachment is pointless because he can't possibly be convicted, but given Trump's business history he can easily be turned into a much, much poorer man. I think that'll be the lever used -if necessary - to 'handle' him, for relative poverty would be both unthinkable and unbearable to him.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Nov 7 2018 18:20 utc | 68
Rob
Isnt it cheaper though?
Trump's Short-Term Health Plan Options Are Cheaper But Cover Less
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/08/02/trumps_short-term_health_plan_options_are_cheaper_but_cover_less_137700.html
Isnt that discussion solely on the freedom to chose your health care plan?
Posted by: Zanon | Nov 7 2018 18:21 utc | 69
ORB Polling Data
Two more sources opposed to US/western support of the opposition cite ORB International. Dimaggio at Counterpunch cites ORB to make some points about the opposition ("Politicizing Victimhood: Human Rights as a Propaganda Weapon in Aleppo and Mosul"):
“......Quality polling data is hard to come by, but what information is available is revealing. For example, one national poll of Syrians by ORB International completed in 2014 found that just 35 percent of respondents agreed Bashar Assad “best represents the interests and aspirations of the Syrian people” (ORB, 2014). But distrust was also evident for jihadi groups. Just 4 percent agreed that ISIS represented “the interests and aspirations” of Syrians, while just 9 percent feeling the same about al-Nusra, and only 21 percent felt this way about the political opposition to Assad in general.Even when opposition to Assad was reframed by ORB in reference to “moderated armed groups,” just 14 percent of Syrians indicated support for opponents of the regime.....”
Global Research also cites ORB. While Global Research (www.globalresearch.ca) has zero credibility in my opinion, it still cites the polling to back up anti-opposition arguments (Poll: Over 80 Percent of Syrians Believe US Created ISIS: “A Foreign/ American Made Group”):
“......More than 81 percent of Syrians believe the United States and its allies are behind the creation of the Islamic State terrorist group, a recent survey found......”
This is not to suggest that ORB has a perfect track record. None the less, if you going to make the accusation that ORB skews polls toward their client, then you are going to have to explain why the polls are cited by people that oppose the western backed opposition in Syria, and oppose US support for regime change in Syria. Additionally, skewing poll data toward the wishes of a client risk the credibility of the polling service (not a great business plan).
Posted by: craigsummers | Nov 7 2018 18:55 utc | 70
Trump's sanctions policy is getting major pushback. "France Will Lead EU Drive to Defy Iran Sanctions, Bolster Euro – Minister" and "US Declares War on ‘Troika of Tyranny’ Pushing Them Closer to Russia". Plus in the past several days I've seen reports of another dozen nations to conduct their bilateral trade in their own currencies, the biggest being between Japan and China. Very much under the Beltway radar is the relationship between China and Pakistan, and between Pakistan and its regional neighbors beyond India. Remember the admonishment Trump gave NATO members to increase their war budgets? Well, they were just reminded again, which is to say he was ignored the first time.
IMO, the greatest clash between Congress and Trump will be over the conduct of Imperial Policy, not domestic issues as the latter will remain gridlocked. The Outlaw US Empire can't escalate its confrontation with the world much higher than it has short of a hot war--and a hot war is one the Empire will lose as it can't win one against any of several peer militaries, including Iran. (If it uses nukes, then we all lose.) Oh and guess what Saudi did yet again--tortured another journalist to death.
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 7 2018 18:58 utc | 71
Anton Worter
Dude you gotta write a book.
My favourite poster here.
By the way, whatever happened to Chipnik?
Posted by: dan | Nov 7 2018 19:07 utc | 72
In an historic First, Ranked Choice Voting will decide a Congressional election. Elsewhere, there's some elaborate speculation on how a meeting between Ocasio-Cortez and her allies with D party establishment will go down. Lots of newly elected, courageous minority women have enough numbers to form their own caucus that will surely push back against the BS spouted by Pelosi and Schumer. Together with Tulsi Gabbard and her allies, this new group will bear watching as they're too many in number to all be frozen out of choice committee positions--AND--they might even be enough to keep Pelosi from becoming Speaker again.
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 7 2018 19:27 utc | 73
69
"... but couldn't find one post about how America is losing due to the two suffocating party's
and a greedy, disunited, selfish, electorate local government bureaucracy that wants it all free."
Even though Washington State government failed for the THIRD TIME to pass a carbon tax, this time as
I1631 titled "Save Washington State" and listed as "regarding pollution" as it was presented to the voters,
the State bureaucracy did manage to impose Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6269, which levies
a 1c per bbl tax for 'oil spill response' (even though the oil companies pay for the response) and an
addition 4c per bbl tax for 'oil spill administration'.
Get it? Bureaucrats are charging, IN ADVANCE, 4x more for 'administration' of some specious futurology
oil spill cleanup, than for the actual cleanup response!
Imagine if 'The Board' had been given a Carbon Tax, where the very first line of the bill states that
tax revenues after administrative overhead costs will be used for moar tinpot dictator oil plantations,
and that only The Board could determine what the ultimate cap on that tax was, up to $400 a ton, or an
astounding $8.67 carbon surcharge on your $12 a gallon gas at the pump, as demanded by the IPCC,
an unelected, unanswerable, unaudited supra-governmental Third Temple of Scientocracy.
Whew! We dodged that bullet, again! Maybe Australia will man up, and pass a Coal Carbon Tax on their massive
fossil fuel resource extraction for China, and the 'global climate change' (sic) that Australian coal causes.
Cough...choke...prolly not...gasp...g'day, mates!
Posted by: Anton Worter | Nov 7 2018 19:32 utc | 74
@76 Not sure where Nancy Pelosi stands on gender issues but she will need to get along with any new group of minority women.
Perhaps she could start an Anti-White Male caucus.
Posted by: dh | Nov 7 2018 19:45 utc | 75
TOT, but hope you are feeling better, b, and just remember to laugh, because Western life is all a big fracking joke today.
Don't forget to do your arm exercises.
Posted by: Anton Worter | Nov 7 2018 19:46 utc | 76
@JohnnyHeald
Hey Johnny! We've already been through this, you knucklehead:
LOL Johnny. When your opponents use your propaganda, they GAIN credibility. Using your own propaganda with a knowledgeable audience REDUCES your credibility. No one would do that unless they want to show off their work - like YOU, Johnny.
I know how proud you are of your survey propaganda, Johnny. You write about it in your bio: "[Johnny] ... counts his work in Iraq, Somalia and Syria as some of his greatest achievements...." But you just look foolish when pushing that crap when we known that it's biased.
Seriously, Johnny you'd have better social media success by telling us about your life and quit the propaganda blather. No one's buyin' it.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 7 2018 19:50 utc | 77
dh @78--
Pelosi's akin to Hillary Clinton except when she's up for election, although a bit more circumspect. She's a traitor to the constitution she swore to uphold by refusing to allow impeachment of Bush and Obama while helping to bail out the Banksters. Politically, she should have died in 2006.
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 7 2018 20:01 utc | 79
With democrats getting a win, it looks like Trump is clearing the deck.
Sessions is out.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-sessions/blasted-by-trump-over-russia-probe-sessions-out-as-attorney-general-idUSKCN1NC2QM
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Nov 7 2018 20:09 utc | 80
@82 Well she does oppose the embargo on Cuba and she's on record as being against changing the Iran nuclear deal. On the other hand I think she called Putin a thug.
But I'm sure the success of minority women candidates will not be wasted on her. She's a shrewd politician and tough as nails. It will be interesting to see how she handles it.
Posted by: dh | Nov 7 2018 20:17 utc | 81
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 7, 2018 2:27:24 PM | 76
Lots of newly elected, courageous minority women have enough numbers to form their own caucus that will surely push back against the BS spouted by Pelosi and Schumer.
That's exactly what I predict will not happen. We've been through this before with these kinds of frauds and their fake "caucuses". Hell, Cortez has been on the sellout road for awhile already, on the Palestinians, on war, calling McCain a hero...
I'm sure they'll either keep quiet or actively collaborate. We'll see.
This is a must watch Jimmy Dore show, Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University lays out how Obama and Trump have made a mess of Syria and caused the deaths of half a million people, the panel on MSMBC are stunned into silence by this truth telling..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O2TRzA2ezk
Posted by: Harry Law | Nov 7 2018 20:27 utc | 83
As I gamely attempt to make some sense out of a daily inundation of various alternative political realities and alternative illusions co-mingling, processing as best I can the bits and pieces that I manage to filter through my taxed cranium, it occurs to me again that Trump won the 2016 election against the Establishment of both parties.
Subsequently, Trump has had various anchors attached to him and booby traps placed in his way and arrows shot at him from many political directions, and some self-inflicted. His own behaviors and policies have managed to alienate just about everybody on the planet except some tens of millions of Deplorables of indeterminate faithfulness.
But it appears to me that the strengthening of his position in the Senate, which previously was at best weakly supportive at Trump and for good reason easily suspected of being poised for betrayal, is potentially very significant. The question is to what extent the new Senate will be more willing to flex its enhanced Republican muscles on behalf of Trump.
"The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments." Okay, so the impeachment possibility is nullified.
Another point is that whereas after 2016 the Democratic minority were reduced to political 'guerrilla-tactics', they are now able to actually propose and win the H. of Rep. vote on their proposals. Since they require the assent of the Senate, will this lead to a more cooperative approach to proposed legislation? After all, bashing Trump has not been a great strategy. Might the Democrats try actually proposing and attempting to pass sensible laws?
One potential worry in both the extensive Democratic and Republican political criminal cesspool would be that another wealthy populist-esque candidate for the Presidency will emerge in the wake Trump's faux populism to come closer to the real thing. Perhaps such a political trend/event in the USA is as far fetched as the unicorn, but after all, who would have thought Russia could have rebounded positively so far from their inebriated depressed life support just a short generation ago?
Posted by: Robert Snefjella | Nov 7 2018 20:32 utc | 84
How does a dead guy win an election?
Posted by: Johny Conspiranoid | Nov 7, 2018 7:50:08 AM | 18
If regulations allow for that, any entity can be registered as a valid option for voters, and in this case, the regulation required being a life citizen of some minimal age at the time of registering and subsequent death was not a cause to de-register. The damage is limited in such cases because members of legislatures have to give some appearances of being humans to vote, so one would need at least a realistically looking robot, e.g. Marco Rubio. If too many legislators are dead, there may be problems with quorum requirements.
craigsummers vs Jackrabbit
Personally, I have no idea who are the two. In favor of Jackrabbit, I have seen jackrabbits so I can imagine how does he look, but in my parts I could see deer, grouse, but to craigsummerses, so to me it is an arbitrary combination of alphanumerics (only lower case English letters for some reason). It is irrelevant if cs is an actual Craig Summers or a passingly well informed specimen of marine life (say, an octopus). One think I like about him that he formulates his argument differently in different posts, IMHO he is closer to a human than to a troll. Addressing his arguments may be a valid pursuit.
cs seems to be fond of ORB, and he has a bit of justification, other polls are harder to access -- I need to renew my library privileges or pay 42 USDs per article. The numbers he cites are selected with a larger bias than exhibited by ORB, and once he likes the numbers he makes no allowances of their limited reliability. I did not notice any disclosure of demographic proportions among the persons interviewed by ORB, and such proportions are the first thing to check if you want to evaluate the reliability of a poll.
Interestingly, in 2018 ORB stopped providing numbers about FSA, so whoever the clients are, they gave up on the usefulness of that acronym. Another interesting tidbit is that of the foreign countries and alliances, only Turkey and Russia are not completely reviled, and the differences between the opinions about those two are within statistical error (3% for a sample of 1000).
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Nov 7 2018 20:32 utc | 85
Good eye, b for focusing on the enfranchisement of the Florida felons. Over one million new voters in 2020 should change the vote pattern in that state.
Also, the ratio in party affiliation of senators up for election this time favored the GOP. In 2020 that will be reversed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections%2C_2020
Posted by: Bart Hansen | Nov 7 2018 20:46 utc | 86
Happy to see Sessions gone. How will Newsome govern California is an excellent question, IMO, as he could become the #1 D challenger in 2020, and he sounds like that's what he wants: "In California, 'we don’t demean, we don’t discriminate and we don’t demoralize. We don’t separate families and we don’t lock kids in cages ... There’s a reason why California’s dream is America’s leading brand. Because California’s dream has always been and always will be too big to fail and too powerful to bully.'" Although he has tempered such bullish promotion with accurate observations that lead to tough questions: "We are living in the richest and the poorest state in America. How can that possibly be in an economy as robust as ours?" Perhaps his biggest challenge will be healthcare:
"In September 2017, Newsom told the California Nurses Association convention in San Francisco, 'You have my firm and absolute commitment as your next governor that I will lead the effort to get it done. We will get universal health care.'"
I'll admit to liking Oregon's political scene better than that of my home state, although there are times I miss it. Newsome seems to be unmentioned by BigLie Media; guess the Deep State doesn't want him to become a nationally known name.
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 7 2018 20:47 utc | 87
Robert Snefjella
I cannot see any non forced change occurring within the current US due to aspects of its culture, the first and foremost aspect being exceptionalism. A decade or so of total collapse within the US, similar to what Russia went through might help change the culture.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Nov 7 2018 20:51 utc | 88
One potential worry in both the extensive Democratic and Republican political criminal cesspool would be that another wealthy populist-esque candidate for the Presidency will emerge in the wake Trump's faux populism to come closer to the real thing. ....
Posted by: Robert Snefjella | Nov 7, 2018 3:32:12 PM | 87
Apart from trying to divine inner mental processes of the political leadership of the two major parties, what is this "real thing" that you mention?
Now let me quote our "in-house populist, Anton Worter"
"only The Board could determine what the ultimate cap on that tax was, up to $400 a ton, or an
astounding $8.67 carbon surcharge on your $12 a gallon gas at the pump, as demanded by the IPCC,
an unelected, unanswerable, unaudited supra-governmental Third Temple of Scientocracy."
The actual initiative on the ballot was about $15/ton of Carbon to be incremented $2 per year, so it would take more than 192 years to reach $400 per ton, and the proposal seemed to make no provisions for inflation. At the start the revenue collected would be about 1% of the state budget, hardly onerous. Gasoline would be still cheaper than in British Columbia, the initial surcharge would be under 5 cents per gallon, 10 cents after 8 years, 15 cents after 16 years etc.
It is also possible that I read a misprint, and the levy is $15/ton of CO2, i.e. 3 times larger. Then it would initially increase state revenue by 3%, initial surcharge on gasoline would be about 13c/gallon etc. Gasoline would be still cheaper than in British Columbia, and the law could have some instantaneous positive potential. For example, people would be spared buying gasoline diluted/mixed with ethanol if they paid a minute extra amount -- slightly complicated because ethanol has some "fossil content" and lower energy value, so ethanol-free gasoline would give more mileage.
In the same time, Washingtonians would consider buying vehicles that properly represent their daily needs, and hybrid vehicles if they live in urban areas (hybrids are particularly efficient in stop-go traffic) and a plethora of energy saving options, and non-carbon energy sources like my favorite, nuclear.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Nov 7 2018 21:15 utc | 89
A number of DINO’s in the house and many others can be bought off one way or another with pork. Will have a few faux investigations as leverage for more pork. Democrats did their best to lose but seems some voters have enough functioning neurons to know Trump=Bad. Not enough though among the crowd that belives the world began 6000 years ago and the sun revolves around the Earth
Trump pushing for Pelosi to head the House as she is the most crooked Democrat there. Her role will be make prvatizing infrastructure a bipartisan deal, which will only benefit the elites, while pushing for and failing to get medicare for all to appease their base
Meanwhile the Khashoggi squeeze and Trumps backing off Iran sanctions (8 big exemptions) has crashed the oil markets. Looks like they want to put off the collapse a bit longer, perhaps until they push through the infrastructure deals
Posted by: Pft | Nov 7 2018 22:29 utc | 90
@92 What might a 'real thing' Populist offer: Well, we have the schooling on the Populist Movement in the United States, late in the 19th century, memorialized in the book by Lawrence Goodwyn - The Populist Moment - and Goodwyn immediately links Populism to Democracy.
Now this much maligned and misused word democracy denotes a political system in which the public, the many - exercise actual sovereignty: an extremely rare event. So that's not about to happen in the current situation.
But the roots of the word populist we can find in the word popular: and the other day I encountered a list of the actual top concerns of Americans, and as I recall the state of the ocean and rivers and lakes, and water quality, and political corruption, and health care figured highly - were 'popular' concerns, and destroying other countries, not so much. So Piotr, we might extend a kindred list greatly, and we don't have to end up with a list trivial desires or maniacal religions, like demonizing carbon dioxide. ;/
'Real thing' Populism would be inevitably be flawed, given the human condition, but still offer 'real' improvement.
Posted by: Robert Snefjella | Nov 7 2018 22:55 utc | 92
@ 92 again: You've picked a very dynamic electricity producing method as your favorite: For a vivid illustration of the wonders of nuclear energy do an internet search for the vistas of tens of millions of large black plastic bags filled with radioactive material neatly arranged as far as the eye can sea along the shores of Japan.
Or if I may be so bold, https://www.countercurrents.org/snefjella280516.htm
Posted by: Robert Snefjella | Nov 7 2018 23:15 utc | 93
The most important House is the Senate. Dems actually lost a lot of ground there. Consider that 60% of voters live in 13 states. That 60% of voters control only 26% of Senate seats. Those living in the most populous states tend to be more liberal and better educated. That trends only getting worse. Democrats may never take the Senate again . The electoral college for President distorts in a similar fashion
Basically if you live in one of these states half of you is not represented. Much like slaves were treated as being half a person to determine representation in the house.
Maybe these 13 states should threaten secession to get more equal representation
Also, consider that these 13 states provide much of the Federal Revenues that are used to support the smaller poor states, many of them Red States that have zero or very low income tax to provide a haven for those elites who may choose their state of residence.
Posted by: Pft | Nov 7 2018 23:34 utc | 94
Democrats betrayed the working man by taking bribes from Capital to get on board with screwing worker unions like the Republicans. As such, their blue collar worker base moved to the redneck Republicans and Fox News which blames all their ills on "Mexican" labor. Which they believe.
Made a thin base of (some, mostly "out") LGBT gays, intellectuals, (some) college students, (some) public school teachers clinging to the last surviving worker unions, males and females concerned about reproductive and other liberal rights.
In foreign policy, both parties are the same warmongering, Israel ass kissers. Also favor police state, anti-constitutional data-mining seizure of citizens' personal papers and effects.
So there's no daylight there between them in many ways.
Posted by: fast freddy | Nov 7 2018 23:44 utc | 95
If Democrats told the truth about the Global Terror War, that would be a good start.
Truth being that it is a MIC money machine and little else.
Posted by: fast freddy | Nov 7 2018 23:49 utc | 96
Piotr@92
“The actual initiative on the ballot was about $15/ton of Carbon to be incremented $2 per year, so it would take more than 192 years to reach $400 per ton”
Thats how they sucker you in. In 1913 when they established the income tax it was a maximum 5% that kicked in on 5000 dollars a year (about 150,000 a year income today). At the same time they approved tax free foundations for the rich to protect themselves and get their support. Most people didnt care thinking it was a tax on the rich.
By the end of the War after some incremental revisions which slip through under the radar most everyone was taxed , with a maximum rate of 90% for the top income earners (who pursued capital gains instead of wage income) that stayed high until JFK lowered it to 55% (about that, my memory fails me)
Posted by: Pft | Nov 7 2018 23:55 utc | 97
Trump fired Sessions. Trump is incriminating himself by actions that cry out guilt. If he's not guilty of anything, then he's guilty of being his own worst enemy. The timing of this is very suspect. When he does something this big in the middle of the week he could be trying to distract from something else.
Could it have to do with election fraud? Don't investigate that -- look what I'm doing over here; It's really big! Something fishy going on.
I don't know. Maybe he thinks indictments are in the works. We're not seeing the whole picture; I think he's up to no good.
Posted by: Circe | Nov 7 2018 23:59 utc | 98
@ Jackrabbit - What proof do you have that the craigsummers troll is this Johnny Heald person from ORB? Just the fact that he cited a poll? CS is a known commodity over at The Intercept and he's been known to cite any poll or think tank publication that backs his continual parroting of Nikki Haley and State Department propaganda. I'm not convinced. Heald is British, Summers seems to be coming from an American angle.
Posted by: Tom_Collins | Nov 7 2018 23:59 utc | 99
@Pft #93 - I agree. I object to the fact that my vote counts less than that of a person in rural Idaho or Wyoming. This is the case for both the Senate and the Presidential elections. In fact, I'm not 100% but it might even affect the House in a less severe manner. This slavery-era relic has long ago passed its shelf life and needs to be re-considered. The problem is that the originalists who make up much of the GOP like to pretend that the founders intended the Constitution to be set in stone and very difficult to change, but given the pop/demographics at the time, it would have been much easier than it is now. And they want it to stay that way.
Posted by: Tom Collins | Nov 8 2018 0:02 utc | 100
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How can there be a more aggressive foreign policy?
Posted by: Domza | Nov 7 2018 8:14 utc | 1