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

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#262151: Nov 17th 2018 at 7:13:59 AM

Something I noticed about California: It has nearly gone completely blue, but the few Republicans which are left were ALL incumbents (and some of them had a hard time to hold onto their seat). Same in Washington. Same in Oregon. Same in Arizona. Same in Maryland. Same in New Jersey. Same in New York. Same in Iowa. Same in Colorado.

Just in general, the Republicans had a hard time to push any new candidates outside of the truly deep red states.

Edited by Swanpride on Nov 17th 2018 at 7:14:38 AM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#262152: Nov 17th 2018 at 7:22:47 AM

Speaking just for California, the places that kept their Republican incumbents are very red districts. The odds of them flipping were always low so the current representatives felt comfortable running again, and even then some of them struggled. Almost all the Republicans who retired were from districts that went for Clinton and saw the writing on the wall.

Edited by Parable on Nov 17th 2018 at 7:23:47 AM

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#262153: Nov 17th 2018 at 7:56:13 AM

Trump’s panic gives me life.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. insist they aren’t worried about special counsel Robert Mueller.

But half a dozen people in contact with the White House and other Trump officials say a deep anxiety has started to set in that Mueller is about to pounce after his self-imposed quiet period, and that any number of Trump’s allies and family members may soon be staring down the barrel of an indictment.

Then there are the president’s own tweets, which have turned back to attacking Mueller after a near two-month break. Thursday morning, Trump launched an oddly detailed condemnation of the special counsel and his team: “They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want,” adding that the investigators “don’t … care how many lives the[sic] ruin.”

The presidential taunts, launched during a week in which Trump has been sequestered with his lawyers to discuss how to respond in writing to a series of Mueller’s questions, have only added to the intrigue that something big is about to happen.

Mueller obsessives, political junkies and Washington insiders have been scrutinizing the president’s every mannerism, such as snapping at a CNN reporter for posing a “stupid question” about whether he wanted the new acting attorney general to stymie the Russia investigation.

“You can see it in Trump’s body language all week long. There’s something troubling him. It’s not just a couple staff screw-ups with Melania,” said a senior Republican official in touch with the White House. “It led me to believe the walls are closing in and they’ve been notified by counsel of some actions about to happen. Folks are preparing for the worst.”

Adding to the unease is a spate of anonymously sourced media reports suggesting Mueller’s self-imposed quiet period that started about two months before 2018 Election Day is about to transition into a Category 5 hurricane.

Mueller, as has been his custom throughout the investigation, hasn’t said a word about what’s next for his probe into the Trump 2016 campaign and whether it conspired with Russian hackers to win the White House. Instead, the special counsel has let his legal filings do the talking. On Wednesday, Mueller stirred the speculation pot yet again, delivering a one-page motion to a federal judge in Washington, D.C., confirming that former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates “continues to cooperate with respect to several ongoing investigations” and still isn’t ready to be sentenced. Gates pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy against the U.S. and making a false statement in a federal investigation.

Late Thursday, Mueller and attorneys for Paul Manafort confirmed in a joint motion that they’ve been meeting since the former Trump campaign chairman’s mid-September guilty plea and requested a 10-day extension until Nov. 26 to file a status report that will help set the stage for the longtime GOP operative’s sentencing.

In and around Trump world, the pressure is tangible.

Jerome Corsi, a conspiracy theorist and ally of longtime Trump associate Roger Stone said during a live-streamed video broadcast on Monday that he expects to be indicted by Mueller for perjury.

For his part, Stone told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in May that he was “prepared” for the possibility of an indictment. In the months since, the self-proclaimed dirty trickster has beefed up his legal team and even designated friends to be his spokesmen just in case a judge slaps a gag order on him.

Also on indictment watch: Donald Trump Jr., the president’s oldest son, who has told his friends in recent weeks that he believes he could be facing charges from Mueller, according to one of those people.

Lawyers for the president and Trump Jr. insist they aren’t worried about Mueller.

“I have no reason to be concerned about that. I can't imagine what they'd indict him for,” Rudy Giuliani, one of the president’s personal attorneys, said in a recent interview when asked about Donald Trump Jr.

Alan Futerfas, who represents Trump Jr., referred POLITICO to a statement he gave earlier this month to Vanity Fair, denying his client had been expressing any concerns about Mueller.

“Don never said any such thing, and there is absolutely no truth to these rumors,” Futerfas said.

But others in contact with the White House say they are picking up a very different sentiment — paranoia that Mueller is far from finished and that there may indeed be more indictments either about to be filed or that have already been entered in federal court under seal.

TroperOnAStickV2 Call me Stick from Redneck country Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Call me Stick
#262154: Nov 17th 2018 at 8:02:18 AM

@Abrams: Basically what Swanpride said. My understanding of it is that she's acknowledged Kemp won, but she's still open to and probably is bringing lawsuits against him. Granted, that's going off my (unreliable) memory.

Hopefully I'll feel confident to change my avatar off this scumbag soon. Apologies to any scumbags I insulted.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#262155: Nov 17th 2018 at 8:30:16 AM

So is Florida still a possibility, or..?

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#262156: Nov 17th 2018 at 8:33:00 AM

I've heard that it would take an unprecedented reversal to change the results of the state wide races in Florida.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#262157: Nov 17th 2018 at 8:39:18 AM

It's worth pointing out that unprecedented isn't the same thing as impossible unless the situation has changed Five Thirty Eight moved Florida from Likely R to Lean R. So we shouldn't expect it but I don't believe it's impossible.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#262158: Nov 17th 2018 at 9:26:51 AM

At this point, the only uncalled race outside of California that has a strong chance of going Blue is Utah-4. note  And I sort of want the Republicans to win that one, because Trump used it as an example of how Republicans that refuse to pay him tribute can't win.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#262159: Nov 17th 2018 at 9:29:01 AM

Mia Love is pulling ahead in Utah 4 last I checked so I think she'll end up winning that one.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#262160: Nov 17th 2018 at 9:47:01 AM

Mia Love is the Republican, for the record. And a black (Haitian) woman. One wonders if it's coincidence that Trump called her out.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#262161: Nov 17th 2018 at 10:45:13 AM

[up] Surely it has nothing to do with the fact she's from one of the countries Trump called a shithole, must be that typical republican voting record.

Life is unfair...
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#262162: Nov 17th 2018 at 2:23:50 PM

It is really impossible to tell how the race in Utah will end. They still haven't reported to 100% yet, and the numbers are extremely close. I am wondering what takes so long with the other races, though.

Imca (Veteran)
#262163: Nov 17th 2018 at 2:26:18 PM

There recounting the votes by hand, there is a reason that they use machines most of the time... US states tend to have as much population as European countries.

The ones in hand recount mode might not be known until December.

Edited by Imca on Nov 17th 2018 at 2:26:39 AM

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#262164: Nov 17th 2018 at 2:31:50 PM

The UK can pretty much count an entire general election within a night and is more populous than even California. "It's hand counting" isn't much of an excuse.

Edited by RainehDaze on Nov 17th 2018 at 10:32:42 AM

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#262165: Nov 17th 2018 at 2:34:32 PM

Knowing election budgets they probably have two or three people a county at the absolute most.

Oh really when?
Imca (Veteran)
#262166: Nov 17th 2018 at 2:51:13 PM

The UK's ballots aren't a full page front and back of 40 or more things to vote on.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#262167: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:02:45 PM

No, but it's helpful for pointing out that comparing the size of states and the size of European countries is pretty irrelevant, because the counting delays are down to the ballot design, staffing, and lower-level population (e.g. county)

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#262168: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:08:21 PM

I remember it being said that Palm Beach County's machines overheated twice over the course of a week while attempting the recount of all votes, forcing the election staff to switch the manual recounting.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#262169: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:22:53 PM

Interestingly, it seems like the biggest casualty for the GOP in this wave was specifically the Californian branch. The California GOP is basically wiped out now, "dead", in the words of Mike Madrid, a former political director. The article points out that it can't last forever, but it IS notable how at this point the Democrats have pretty much complete control over the state.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#262170: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:23:34 PM

So...they are doing a recount? Because they were at 100% reported one week ago….

Imca (Veteran)
#262171: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:26:46 PM

Yes, it's still listed as a 100% reporting even though it is in recount for some reason

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#262172: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:29:20 PM

Also...what is exactly so complicated about counting them by hand? That's kind of how we do it over here all the time...and we don't need THAT long got proper results….

Imca (Veteran)
#262173: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:31:37 PM

Again, the us ballots ate 40 or more questions, front and back. That's a lot of complexity, especially when your focus is accuracy rather then speed.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#262174: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:36:43 PM

Interestingly, it seems like the biggest casualty for the GOP in this wave was specifically the Californian branch. The California GOP is basically wiped out now, "dead", in the words of Mike Madrid, a former political director. The article points out that it can't last forever, but it IS notable how at this point the Democrats have pretty much complete control over the state.

Any chance of copying the text? It's unavailable in the EU.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#262175: Nov 17th 2018 at 3:37:13 PM

Speaking of California isn't Trump there now for wildfire surveying? Although apparently he's been fairly conciliatory so far.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

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