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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260526: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:39:56 PM

[up][up][up] Yeah, pretty much, I was so afraid that by the time the midterms came that the Republicans had managed to manipulate the voting so well that the Democrats wouldn't have a chance even with a majority of voters.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#260527: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:40:14 PM

In ballot measure new both Missouri and Arkansas passed minimum wage increases.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Ludlow Since: Apr, 2013
#260528: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:40:51 PM

Now that the big questions of who's going to get a majority in what house of congress are over, I'm wondering what the big lessons will be for the Democratic party. Is going further left the way to go? Or do more moderate, centrist politicians actually still win. What do we need to emphasize in 2020 in order to win? Who should be our candidate for the 2020 elections?

[up][up] How big? In 2016 Colorado raised it minimum wage to 12.00 an hour.

Oh, also, for anyone in Colorado worried about amendment 74, it looks like its losing decisively.

Edited by Ludlow on Nov 6th 2018 at 8:43:28 AM

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#260529: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:41:47 PM

Oh god. Give us at least until December before we have to deal with that 2020 crap.

Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#260530: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:42:02 PM

Reminder that the 2016-18 House was responsible for passing the worst versions of the healthcare, wall, and tax bills, and the roadblock to reinstating net neutrality. Having it under Dem control means less of the Senate barely managing to contain its excesses on account of a handful of moderate Republicans

Edited by Tuckerscreator on Nov 6th 2018 at 8:42:41 AM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#260531: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:42:07 PM

Ludlow: From 538,

"So far, establishment primary candidates who fended off liberal insurgents in House races are looking good (Pennsylvania 7th, Kansas 3rd and Texas 7th), while winning liberal insurgents are fairing poorly (Nebraska 2nd and Pennsylvania 1st)."

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#260532: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:42:33 PM

@wisewillow, Seriously; is the US ever not in an election?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Illven Since: Jun, 2016
#260533: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:42:45 PM

@Mio.

The thing is thanks to gerrymandering, and self sorting, the house map didn't favor democrats. We had to overcome the popular vote by 5-7 points to gain a majority of seats.

PresidentStalkeyes Eats moldy bread and flies into windows from United Kingdom of England-land Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: Do you like me? (Yes ⎕ Definitely ⎕ Absolutely!!! ⎕)
Eats moldy bread and flies into windows
#260534: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:43:01 PM

Also, about the Senate (again); since the Senate was already in Republican hands before this election, have the Democrats really lost anything?

Obviously it'll take more Republican defectors to stop decisions made in the Senate (I can't remember what exactly they do that the House doesn't, but I know they have some unique duties), but I was under the impression that basically no Republican senators defect anyway, by virtue of Trump's 'effect' on the party (though I suppose with Mitt Romney ascending to the Senate, he might prove to be the exception), so has the situation really changed at all?

Those sell-by-dates won't stop me because I can't read!
TheAirman Brightness from The vicinity of an area adjacent to a location Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Historians will say we were good friends.
Brightness
#260535: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:43:15 PM

All I can say right now that is that I’m proud to have helped kill Brownbackistan and keep Kkkobach out of office. I have no intention of staying in Kansas in the long run, but still.

Thank fuck, and if any fellow Kansans are here or lurking, thank you.

PSN ID: FateSeraph | Switch friendcode: SW-0145-8835-0610 Congratulations! She/They
TechPriest90 Servant of the Omnissiah from Collegia Titanica, Mars, Sol System Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Servant of the Omnissiah
#260536: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:43:50 PM

I'd say Centrist is (at least for now) the way to go. Not everyone can be as charismatic as Occasio-Cortez.

And there's some places where that kind of rhetoric will go down very poorly with the locals, who still see Left-wing policies as an existential threat.

I hold the secrets of the machine.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260537: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:43:57 PM

As an outside observer: The candidates which were more aggressive and ready to call the Republicans out on their BS seemed to be more successful.

Clear goals also seemed to help. You know, giving people something to vote for, not against.

And this might be a local thing, but it doesn't seem to me like Democrats fishing for Republican voters were particularly successful. The ones which focussed on getting as many people as possible to the ballots were.

Edited by Swanpride on Nov 6th 2018 at 8:45:16 AM

TechPriest90 Servant of the Omnissiah from Collegia Titanica, Mars, Sol System Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Servant of the Omnissiah
#260538: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:45:04 PM

[up] Alright, fair point.

I hold the secrets of the machine.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#260539: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:45:21 PM

Like, the one major time enough Republicans went against Trump to defeat his agenda was repealing the ACA. If we win the House, then it doesn't matter if the Republicans all vote party line from here on out, a repeal will be killed before it reaches Trump.

Cris_Meyers reluctant author, willing misanthrope from Chicagoland (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
reluctant author, willing misanthrope
#260540: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:46:24 PM

Obviously it'll take more Republican defectors to stop decisions made in the Senate (I can't remember what exactly they do that the House doesn't, but I know they have some unique duties), but I was under the impression that basically no Republican senators defect anyway, by virtue of Trump's 'effect' on the party (though I suppose with Mitt Romney ascending to the Senate, he might prove to be the exception), so has the situation really changed at all?

Kinda.

Bills need to pass both houses of Congress to become law, so holding the House provides some leverage in legislation. The Republicans made extensive use of this during Obama's presidency. Also, I may be wrong here, but I believe tax legislation must come from the House. Plus, the House can order investigations: so, say, they could launch an investigation into whether or not Kavanaugh lied to the Senate during the hearing.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#260541: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:46:29 PM

@LSBK: Imca's not an American, so more explanation and less insults might be in order.

@Imca: Let me put it this way. Trump can order a wall built all he wants, but unless he wants to pay for it out of pocket, he has to have the House agree to budget for it.

The Wall is dead. The ACA cannot be repealed, and it can't be defunded without a government shutdown that the Republicans will lose. Mueller's investigation will continue racking up hits.

A House victory can damn well stem the bleeding from having Trump in the White House, as well as setting us up for a 2020 trifecta.

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#260542: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:46:30 PM

Democrats playing Republican never really succeed. Those guys got fucking obliterated in 2010 and 2014. What saved Manchin, for example, wasn't kissing Trump's ring, but the long history of voting for the Democratic policies his white voters love. The ACA put more win in his sails than probably anything else. When voters want a Trump collaborator, they vote brand-name Republican, not bargain-bin poor man's Republican.

Edited by CrimsonZephyr on Nov 6th 2018 at 11:48:16 AM

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#260543: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:47:22 PM

Guys, you've won the ground floor of the federal government. This isn't a loss. smile

In many ways, this wave has done better than what you could reasonably have expected. It just didn't go according to your wildest hopes.

On a scale of hopeful to Brexit-level skip-fire, you're currently more sturdy than you were.

Congrats. grin

Don't slack off. <wags finger>

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#260544: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:47:33 PM

Bills need to pass both houses of Congress to become law, so holding the House provides some leverage in legislation. The Republicans made extensive use of this during Obama's presidency. Also, I may be wrong here, but I believe tax legislation must come from the House. Plus, the House can order investigations: so, say, they could launch an investigation into whether or not Kavanaugh lied to the Senate during the hearing.

And Democrats have promised to do exactly that if they won the House.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260545: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:47:40 PM

Damn...looks like Kemp got away with his BS....

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#260546: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:48:11 PM

Sorry, but I don't get the negativity. Yes, this is only the first step, but if you now act as if taking the house by such a huge margin isn't a win (as well as the voting right amendments in Michigan), you might discourage people. Tomorrow is the time to gear up for the next fight. Today it is time to celebrate. Now there is a chance to investigate Trump properly.

You know what, that's fair. Today is the time to celebrate. We fought hard for Colorado and it paid off in spades.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#260547: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:48:17 PM

Centrism was the tactic taken by Clinton but failed miserably because the Republicans have doubled and tripled down on right wing politics with no compromise. I don't think the public really wanted to hear watered down Leftism.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#260548: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:48:46 PM

@Ramidel, Imca might not be American, but it seems like she's lived in the United States fairly long and following all of this, and this is always her general take on things (overly pessimistic, looking at everything in the worst possible light) so I don't think I was being particularly insulting.

Edited by LSBK on Nov 6th 2018 at 10:49:43 AM

AzurePaladin She/Her Pronouns from Forest of Magic Since: Apr, 2018 Relationship Status: Mu
She/Her Pronouns
#260549: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:49:00 PM

Holy crap anyone seeing what I'm seeing in Iowa for House?

The awful things he says and does are burned into our cultural consciousness like a CRT display left on the same picture too long. -Fighteer
Cris_Meyers reluctant author, willing misanthrope from Chicagoland (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
reluctant author, willing misanthrope
#260550: Nov 6th 2018 at 8:49:07 PM

And Democrats have promised to do exactly that if they won the House.

And he did say something about reaping a whirlwind...


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