They voted down the puppy mill bill? Wow. That's sad.
US Midterms - Predictions and Aftereffects
- Thread starter Tani Coyote
- Start date
They voted down the puppy mill bill? Wow. That's sad.
sonorakitch
Overseas hunter
Sure...some of the best stuff out of Washington in the last thirty years was during a split government.
It means stuff gets through that meets the criteria of the middle...no doubt the most sane people out there....
Disgustipated
Deity
Yeah, but the Republicans in power right now hardly meet the definition of "sane," what with Boehner threatening a government shutdown and all.
I predict that there will be some stuff done as a result of the split government, but ultimately the Senate and House will just block most of what the other attempts to do.
Think the puppy mill ban is winning now.
Also "it's awesome that we had another peaceful election in America" is an incredibly low bar to be happy with.
amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
As of 11:50PM CST, Chip Cravaack has pulled ahead of 35-year veteran Jim Oberstar.
Cravaack (R): 47.54%
Oberstar (DFL): 47.08%
Olson (IP): 4.20%
Here's to hoping that this is the beginning of the end for that crazy old coot.
Oberstar had recently taken to running a bizarre ad that said Cravaack wants to turn Minnesota into Malaysia.
Cravaack (R): 47.54%
Oberstar (DFL): 47.08%
Olson (IP): 4.20%
Here's to hoping that this is the beginning of the end for that crazy old coot.
Oberstar had recently taken to running a bizarre ad that said Cravaack wants to turn Minnesota into Malaysia.
Miles Teg
Nuclear Powered Mentat
Eesh, we lost Oberstar and Obey?
I'm not liking the Democratic bench for next year so much.
Edit: No wait, CNN has him up by a little over a thousand votes. Obey is still not running of course.
I'm not liking the Democratic bench for next year so much.
Edit: No wait, CNN has him up by a little over a thousand votes. Obey is still not running of course.
Martacus
World's Greatest Warrior
Outcome in Indiana was pretty expected. I would have preferred Hayhurst for 3rd district and Ellsworth for Senate, but I don't think the particular R's we're getting in those seats are nearly as bad as some of the nutters running elsewhere. At least my district is being represented again. I bet we'll still have to pay federal taxes for the time we weren't being represented, though.
Miles Teg
Nuclear Powered Mentat
Oh and hey, all the news orgs are calling Nevada for Reid. I kind of couldn't believe that Angle could ever get elected, but the numbers didn't look good for Reid.
amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
As more precincts report in, it looks like Emmer is closing in on Dayton. I guess there's one office Dayton couldn't buy with his daddy's trust-fund.
I'm glad yet disappointed since I really did want Chuck Schumer as our majority leader.
Miles Teg
Nuclear Powered Mentat
How would that make things better? Leaving aside Schumer's tendency to peacock, Senate Democrats can't afford to have anyone much more conservative than Reid in the Majority Leader's office.
Are you confusing Schumer with Durbin? Schumer is more liberal than Reid and for more forceful.
Miles Teg
Nuclear Powered Mentat
Durbin's actually pretty liberal. To clarify, I meant "more liberal than Reid", and then wrote that sentence out wrong. Keep in mind, it looks like the next term will see Democrats with a small majority in the Senate subject to the whims of people like Lieberman and Nelson and the likely opposition of Boehner's House. This isn't exactly a time for liberal reform, and being "forceful" is unlikely to make Lieberman rediscover Democratic orthodoxy.
Schalke 04
Knappe
Well, I kinda agree. "The party hasn't fixed it". That's perfectly true, but could it fix it actually?
I said it before: I just can state from an "outsider perspective". From this point of view the main points were things like:
- public health system (granting basic HEALTH to citizens - I'll never understand how to make a "communism" thing out of it. It looks like a "Nixophobia" to me)
- dealing with inhumane crimes like Guantanamo, representing the acknowledgement of a failed foreign policy in recent years (freedom fries!?)
These two things were really big to deal with, especially for just one president. Therefore he got a huge credit from outside the USA, as well as the whole USA.
But that's not my point. My point is, that I am highly biased in my opinion (I can't change it, as I get my information from local mass media. At least I would like to claim German mass media to be very "objective"). Just to make it clear: Republican = devil ; Democratic = reasonable.
I don't want to say that this is the final truth, but this is what I (and a lot of people in Europe) am/are thinking of the political situation in America. I just want to get know some arguments from republican voters. I am admittedly highly biased by information I get from local media. I just want to know more from people who believe in the republican party. I want to know the reasons.
Just to make it sure: Economy IS NOT a reason for me, because I think that modern applied theory of capitalism is designated to be failed. The "Amercian Dream" is a myth. It's just applicable for some lucky guys, not for a whole population. If in USA or in other parts in the western world. Just to make sure: I am not a Communist, but a reviewer of today's society.
The dude has consistently voted to restrict abortion rights. He's not that liberal.
Sometimes you have to purge the cancer in the party to bring about party unity. In the time of their defeat the Republicans managed it pretty well and managed to get all of their little soldiers to goosestep to the same tune when it came to votes which is why they were so successful with their obstructionism. Maybe it's time we played the same game, after all the fact is that the Blue Dogs have had their ranks ravaged in the House.
I'm not sure what my point is, but I like Schumer, he's more likely to support a liberal agenda, instead of this watered down moderate nonsense we've been getting so far, I mean look at the goddamn healthcare bill, it was pretty damn good in the House version, even had a public option and the "moderate" Democrats in the Senate just tore into it and left it a shadow of its former self we let people like Nelson, Liberman, and Lincoln just completly have their way with it. I mean WTH was that? It was just terrible and it's time we stopped putting up with that sort of nonsense.
_random_
Jewel Runner
Miles Teg
Nuclear Powered Mentat
But the thing is, while the Republican strategy of presenting a united front was good, it only works if you're out of power. The party in power will get blamed for the failures of Congress, even if it's those problems are the other party's fault. So electing Chuck Schumer might be a good idea if it's 1013 and President Palin is raising moose cavalry to fight a new surge in Iraq, I don't think it's a good idea for the here and now. Reid's in the moderate wing of the party, which is just about where we need the majority leader to be.
Anyways, i'm off to bed. Before I go, I'd like to note that I'm a little surprised by how the gubernatorial race in Florida is turning out. Scott seems to have a 1 point lead over sink with 90ish percent of the vote in, although the race hasn't been called yet. Polling's all been within the margin of error, but I was expect a comparatively solid Sink lead to emerge. Scott's really, really unpopular for a candidate with an actual shot of winning. Off the top of my head, his approval rating is in the mid to high 30s.
Anyways, i'm off to bed. Before I go, I'd like to note that I'm a little surprised by how the gubernatorial race in Florida is turning out. Scott seems to have a 1 point lead over sink with 90ish percent of the vote in, although the race hasn't been called yet. Polling's all been within the margin of error, but I was expect a comparatively solid Sink lead to emerge. Scott's really, really unpopular for a candidate with an actual shot of winning. Off the top of my head, his approval rating is in the mid to high 30s.
