"He really cares about the institution"

[rah]

We can only hope that they've learned the lessen and will take advantage of the reverse situation when it swings back around.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I personally would prefer a more stable system than an out-an-out free for all every 4 years. I don't want the Democrats holding group interviews for judges anymore than the GOP but it does seem that this is the system we have to work with now as the previous rules and guidelines and basic decency have completely broken.

 

[Estebonrober]

We can only hope that they've learned the lessen and will take advantage of the reverse situation when it swings back around.

Yea treat it as bloodsport. If there are legitimate repercussions to it (like slow walking into civil war), it’s not worth not fighting anyways the way things are moving.

 

[Estebonrober]

I personally would prefer a more stable system than an out-an-out free for all every 4 years. I don't want the Democrats holding group interviews for judges anymore than the GOP but it does seem that this is the system we have to work with now as the previous rules and guidelines and basic decency have completely broken.

No outside force ie Commies to unite us. So we pick at our scabs.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Related to the recent ruling on the Census question - Texas has decided they will not provide any supplementary funds to ensure an accurate count in their state. California and other states provide this supplementary funding to bolster counting efforts to ensure they get their full piece of the federal pie but the GOP in Texas is so against the concept of equal representation they decided they won't play ball at all even if this means their state gets a lower cut of apportionment seats and funding than they're entitled to. It's cutting off your nose to spite your face but that won't stop them. Half our country has gone completely bonkers in a quest for absolute power.

 

[Estebonrober]

Related to the recent ruling on the Census question - Texas has decided they will not provide any supplementary funds to ensure an accurate count in their state. California and other states provide this supplementary funding to bolster counting efforts to ensure they get their full piece of the federal pie but the GOP in Texas is so against the concept of equal representation they decided they won't play ball at all even if this means their state gets a lower cut of apportionment seats and funding than they're entitled to. It's cutting off your nose to spite your face but that won't stop them. Half our country has gone completely bonkers in a quest for absolute power.

I’m always surprised by such naked stupidity. Oh well. The “Don’t mess with Texas” line should be changed to “Make sure you buy our politicians before you rape Texas”.

 

[Sommerswerd]

As with gerrymandering, the left has not picked up the importance of court appointments until it was way too late to affect the outcome. Of course, we did have a Republican Senate holding up as many appointments as they could in order to 'save' them for a Republican president but it's not like Obama really put a lot of political energy into overcoming that particular source of obstruction and I don't see the current Democrats in Congress doing a whole lot to stop the mass appointments of the GOP.

Obama should have just done a recess appointment for Merrick Garland instead of trying to go the high route to prove some sort of point about the Republicans. Once Garland was in the Republicans would have needed to overcome a filibuster to remove him, which they would never have been able to do.

 

[Lexicus]

Obama should have just done a recess appointment for Merrick Garland instead of trying to go the high route to prove some sort of point about the Republicans. Once Garland was in the Republicans would have needed to overcome a filibuster to remove him, which they would never have been able to do.

I said it half in jest at the time, but I now feel pretty vindicated in my view at the time that Obama should have suspended the transition of power and arrested the leading Republicans until we could figure out what was going on.

 

[Phrossack]

Obama should have just done a recess appointment for Merrick Garland instead of trying to go the high route to prove some sort of point about the Republicans. Once Garland was in the Republicans would have needed to overcome a filibuster to remove him, which they would never have been able to do.

One of the Democrats' greatest weaknesses is a naïve belief that they can win against an opponent who fights dirty by playing fair. They do it for the image, I think; but Republican voters will oppose them no matter what anyway, while centrists and apolitical people just don't care, and Democratic voters just want some wins for once.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Obama should have just done a recess appointment for Merrick Garland instead of trying to go the high route to prove some sort of point about the Republicans. Once Garland was in the Republicans would have needed to overcome a filibuster to remove him, which they would never have been able to do.

I sometimes wonder if Obama never really understood the intransigence he faced or if he really thought he would make things worse for himself and/or the party by using the same tactics he was facing.

 

[Lexicus]

I sometimes wonder if Obama never really understood the intransigence he faced or if he really thought he would make things worse for himself and/or the party by using the same tactics he was facing.

He did not understand. All these people whose idea of politics was formed by the West Wing do not and will not understand.

 

[uppi]

Related to the recent ruling on the Census question - Texas has decided they will not provide any supplementary funds to ensure an accurate count in their state. California and other states provide this supplementary funding to bolster counting efforts to ensure they get their full piece of the federal pie but the GOP in Texas is so against the concept of equal representation they decided they won't play ball at all even if this means their state gets a lower cut of apportionment seats and funding than they're entitled to. It's cutting off your nose to spite your face but that won't stop them. Half our country has gone completely bonkers in a quest for absolute power.

Wait, what? They want to undercount themselves to get less representation? For what reason?

 

[rah]

To try and keep GOP control of the state.

 

[Lexicus]

Wait, what? They want to undercount themselves to get less representation? For what reason?

To add to what @rah said, almost all, if not literally all, the population growth is taking place in localities that are overwhelmingly Democratic. This means that sabotaging the census is one of the most efficient methods the Republicans can use to increase the power of their voters at the state level. The more closely the 2020 census resembles the 2010 one the more power, proportionally, the Republicans gain at the expense of Democrats.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

And honestly, there is probably a bit of 'own the libs' at work as well. If Cali is doing it then SCREW CALIFORNIA IT CAN BREAK OFF AND SINK IN THE OCEAN IT'S NOT EVEN REAL AMERICA

I know that sounds crazy but uh, well, Trump is running a campaign on open racism.

 

[uppi]

To add to what @rah said, almost all, if not literally all, the population growth is taking place in localities that are overwhelmingly Democratic. This means that sabotaging the census is one of the most efficient methods the Republicans can use to increase the power of their voters at the state level. The more closely the 2020 census resembles the 2010 one the more power, proportionally, the Republicans gain at the expense of Democrats.

Ah so it is like "we don't want to know that this carefully gerrymandered Democratic district now has 100000 people more, because we would have to transfer some of them to all these surrounding, carefully gerrymandered Republican districts"?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Ah so it is like "we don't want to know that this carefully gerrymandered Democratic district now has 100000 people more, because we would have to transfer some of them to all these surrounding, carefully gerrymandered Republican districts"?

Maybe not that specific, but yes, generally the trend is higher population = more democrats. If they count everyone, they will in effect be giving more power to democrats indirectly through the redistricting process.

Your specific example could go either way because they have found ways to dilute democratic votes into solidly republican districts but that gets harder the more and more democrats there are.

 

[Truthy]

Obama should have just done a recess appointment for Merrick Garland instead of trying to go the high route to prove some sort of point about the Republicans. Once Garland was in the Republicans would have needed to overcome a filibuster to remove him, which they would never have been able to do.

The Supreme Court shot down Obama's previous recess appointment efforts 9-0 in 2014. I think in 2016 the theory was that he should recess appoint Garland during the brief period between the old and new Congress. Which could have been a matter of seconds. If he tried it, I think it's certain the Supreme Court wouldn't have been ok with it. And the Senate wouldn't have needed to overcome a filibuster. Garland's term would have ended automatically at the end of the next session. And then Trump would get to fill Garland's old seat and a Supreme Court seat. I don't think Obama not trying this had anything to do with proving a point. If he even thought about it, I imagine he quickly realized it wouldn't work and didn't give it much additional thought.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

The Supreme Court shot down Obama's previous recess appointment efforts 9-0 in 2014. I think in 2016 the theory was that he should recess appoint Garland during the brief period between the old and new Congress. Which could have been a matter of seconds. If he tried it, I think it's certain the Supreme Court wouldn't have been ok with it. And the Senate wouldn't have needed to overcome a filibuster. Garland's term would have ended automatically at the end of the next session. And then Trump would get to fill Garland's old seat and a Supreme Court seat. I don't think Obama not trying this had anything to do with proving a point. If he even thought about it, I imagine he quickly realized it wouldn't work and didn't give it much additional thought.

He still could have and probably should have tried for it. The GOP and Trump in particular are doing blatantly unconstitutional or illegal things every day right now and they get away with it.

 

[rah]

It's easier for them since they now control the courts and the senate.