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

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260751: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:08:48 AM

Also....I might be wrong, but isn't that the highest number of women in the house ever? And a lot more diversity in general?

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#260752: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:10:11 AM

Trump is physically incapable of acknowledging failure. He could have been clapped in irons and exiled to Timbuktu today, and he'd have found a way to call that a win.
If he loses in 2020, I could totally see him pulling a George H.W. Bush on The Simpsons:

"Because I was able to accomplish all of my goals in one term, there was no need for a second. The. End."

EDIT: [up] I don't have exact numbers but yes, diversity was up, which is good.

Edited by speedyboris on Nov 7th 2018 at 8:11:24 AM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#260753: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:12:52 AM

Y'know, I was pretty frustrated yesterday watching Senate seats flip red, but those House numbers are a nice thing to wake up to.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#260754: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:17:51 AM

It's irritating, but it's not enough for them to break Filibuster and the more comfortable the Reps majority, the more quarrelsome they seem to become.

"You can reply to this Message!"
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
#260755: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:18:20 AM

Nevada is a nice concelation prize in the Senate, still hopping for Montana and Arizona final numbers to see them go blue.

Governorships are good genrlaly, the hurt just comes in Dems loosing the big races of Georgia, Florida and Ohio.

Edit: A fun factoid, Democrats now control all urban house seats, having picked up the one urban Republican seat.

Edited by Silasw on Nov 7th 2018 at 2:21:25 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#260756: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:20:59 AM

[[quote]]Also a dead man won in Nevada? How does this work? [[/quoteblock]]

A dead rapist pimp.

Republicans, Party of Family Values.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#260757: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:22:08 AM

What family would that be? The Borgias?

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#260758: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:23:09 AM

I believe that a dead guy getting elected means that there will be a special election in the near future.

At least, that's how they wrote off a character on The West Wing.tongue

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260759: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:23:44 AM

Yeah, I am kind of getting tired of "close but no cigar", too. But if you consider the odds and how much good the Democrats can do as long as they have control of the house, this was still a huge win.

This isn't just a race, it is a marathon, and the goal isn't two year away, it will take at last a decade to repair the US. But they have now a chance. If the Democrats had only managed a small majority or, even worse, not won the house, the US would have been lost to democracy.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#260760: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:24:38 AM

A bunch of miscellaneous notes:

From a number of sources, it looks like this midterm election has set a turnout record. Almost half the eligible voters.

Still nothing clear in Arizona and Montana?

~Swanpride: If a candidate dies before the election but after the ballots are printed, they usually stay on the ballot. It's not the first time a dead person was elected this way, actually.

Aside from legislative and gubernatorial elections there are a number of ballot measures, including the aforementioned Florida initiative to allow released felons to vote, 12 items discussed in the "California matters" thread, there are:

  • Colorado will have a redistricting commission as will Michigan (a heavily gerrymandered state). Possibly Utah as well. And that crack-brained refund amendment appears to have failed.
  • Florida now needs 2/3 of all lawmakers to approve fee and tax increases. A somewhat more lenient similar measure failed in Oregon.
  • Florida also disallows offshore drilling.
  • Indiana now requires a balanced budget.
  • In Louisiana, a felony conviction now needs an unanimous jury.
  • Nevada now wants 50% renewable energy by 2030; a similar amendment in Arizona failed.

Finally, yesterday I was reading a comment on the FiveThirtyEight podcast that Democrats should not investigate Trump over things that Mueller is already investigating as historically such double-dipping has resulted in the investigations interfering with each other. Ergo, I'd say that the Democratic House should keep the Russia investigation alone and focus elsewhere.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#260761: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:27:03 AM

Hannity called the house win "meaningless". This is after he joined Trump on stage at the last rally, something which even Fox News reporters called disgusting. Yeah, he's not biased at all.

TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#260762: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:28:03 AM

What family would that be? The Borgias?

You know, doing a "Is this the Borgias or the Republicans?" comparison would probably net a lot of things in common. Bloodthirsty, ruthless quest for power? Check. Make a mockery of religion and pervert it to further your own power? Check. Interest in incest? Check

Any others springing to mind?

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#260763: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:32:24 AM

[up]Their coat of arms even looks like something Trump would have made for his family. Tacky as hell and with too much gold in it.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260764: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:35:12 AM

Russia is only one thing. Trump is also violating the rules of his office in order to funnel money into his own pocket, he is apparently mismanaging campaign funding and there is still the matter with the children who were taken away from their parents. The Democrats are now able to do something about all of it.

And they can protect the Dreamers.

Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#260765: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:36:11 AM

I'm a bit amused by the dead guy comment, because if this awful guy were alive and the Democratic candidate were dead, who here would have let that stop them from voting D?

When the other guy is just that abhorrent, a potted plant is a lesser evil. In fact, that also counts if the other guy's party is that bad, since that's one congress vote they don't get (I expect potted plants to abstain).

In these times where one party systematically votes in lockstep along party lines and has gone insane, for congressional elections the letter next to a candidate's name is 90% of what counts.

Edited by Medinoc on Nov 7th 2018 at 3:36:33 PM

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#260766: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:37:33 AM

[up]I'd like to think that the Democratic Party officials in Nevada would have at least had an actual replacement determined in advance before the election. At least that way people would have known who exactly their votes would be empowering.

Edited by M84 on Nov 7th 2018 at 10:38:03 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260767: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:39:41 AM

Good news: The Democrats got Connecticut.

I am not quite sure why Gillum gave up in Florida to be honest. The race was so close, shouldn't he have waited until all votes are counted?

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#260768: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:39:46 AM

Also a dead man won in Nevada? How does this work?

Combine dying too close to election day to be taken off the ballot with people voting R out of reflex.

I am not quite sure why Gillum gave up in Florida to be honest. The race was so close, shouldn't he have waited until all votes are counted?

The margin slipped outside the automatic recount range.

Edited by Deadbeatloser22 on Nov 7th 2018 at 2:40:29 PM

"Yup. That tasted purple."
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
#260769: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:40:04 AM

If it goes to a special election I don’t see the need to pre-determin the special election candidate.

It’s only when a replacement is appointed that people need to know in advance.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#260770: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:41:16 AM

[up]It's not going to a special election. They already stated that they would pick someone after the election was over if their dead guy won.

Disgusted, but not surprised
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
#260771: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:43:45 AM

Yeah in that case they should state who they would appoint.

Oh and just to ratchet up everyone’s paranoia this morning, any reports on any voter systems being attacked last night? Or does it seem like the only real election tampering was Georgia with Kemp having removed democrat voters in advance of the election.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260772: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:46:45 AM

[up] Frankly, even if it was it would be impossible to tell. Not everyone is as shameless as Kemp.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#260773: Nov 7th 2018 at 6:47:33 AM

Nope.

Just the fact that the goddamn Secretary of State doesn't have to resign to run for governor is downright criminal, and shows our government even decades before Trumpism/Tea Partyism was a thing, was a Sword of Damocles and gentlemen's agreements.

New Survey coming this weekend!
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
#260775: Nov 7th 2018 at 7:08:02 AM

Just woken up today to see the BBC reporting on the midterm results. I'm a little frustrated that the thing they've chosen to focus on in its big main headline is 'Trump hails 'big victory' despite losses' accompanied by a picture of Trump supporters (with one wearing a MAGA hat, of course). It feels like British media loves to push this narrative that Trump is totally unchallenged and nothing can ever go wrong for him, he can only experience minor setbacks; even the BBC isn't immune to it - which further paints this unflattering picture of the American people just bending over and taking everything he does. I can't speak for media from other countries, perhaps fellow non-Americans can corroborate or dispute this.

Furthermore, I've seen it said on 538 that 'there was no overwhelming blue wave that served as a sharp rebuke to President Trump', but it seems to me like this alone was a pretty sharp rebuke to President Trump, right? I mean, if the House going to the Democrats and parts of the country that have no right to be competitive becoming competitive despite horrible gerrymandering and voter suppression isn't a rebuke against the president, I don't know what is. The Senate became even redder, sure, but as stated previously, it seems like that only happened because all the seats were Dems in red states who were late to the Trumpmania party because they couldn't get voted out back in 2016 (unless they could, I might be wrong).

If there's one good thing I can take away from this, it seems like Trump is getting complacent - I was expecting angry tweets and cries of 'VOTER FRAUD' or 'CLINTON HACKING' or something, but nope. Hopefully that means he'll be sleeping at the wheel by the time 2020 rolls around

Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on Nov 7th 2018 at 3:09:14 PM

Those sell-by-dates won't stop me because I can't read!

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