A Deeply Fractured US

[mariomike]

Just like a weather report: Tropical storm in Florida peters out before reaching the rest of the country.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on midterms: ‘Definitely not a Republican wave, that is for darn sure.'​

 

[brihard]

Pretty mind blowing results for a midterm.

Bobert and Oz getting trounced is hilarious.

DeSantis won resoundingly. Trump & co. will have the knives out- DeSantis is the obvious successor for the MAGA faction. Trump’s political brand took a huge blow last night.

It’s looking pretty decent for the Democrats to hold the senate, especially with Fetterman flipping a seat. If they pull that off it’ll curb a lot of potential shenanigans.

This is very far from the result the GOP needed or wanted.

I wonder if DOJ will consider the Georgia senate runoff in the application of their ‘no overt investigative steps 60 days before an election’ policy? If not, a few ongoing matters will likely get really spicy in a few weeks.

 

[KevinB]

I wonder if DOJ will consider the Georgia senate runoff in the application of their ‘no overt investigative steps 60 days before an election’ policy? If not, a few ongoing matters will likely get really spicy in a few weeks.

Based on previous cases, I believe that Run offs and Special Elections don't count in that respect.

 

[Remius]

Pretty mind blowing results for a midterm.

Bobert and Oz getting trounced is hilarious.

those two results alone was worth seeing…

 

[TacticalTea]

Biden election presser + Q&A

Commenting on Russia's declared withdrawal from Kherson, Biden said:
''I find it interesting they waited till after the election to make that announcement'', adding: ''I'll be at the G20, I'm told VVP is not likely to be there, but other world leaders will be, we'll have an opportunity to see what the next step may be."

Edit1: Presser was not so interesting but he's giving some insightful answers in the Q&A.
Edit2: Will take a week off around thanksgiving or Christmas, then make known 2024 decision ''early next year''.
Edit3: ''We didn't give them [HIMARS rockets] that go up to 600 miles because I don't want them to start hitting Russian territory.''
Edit4: ''Clarifying earlier comments ''No I'm not suggesting any compromise [on territorial concessions from Ukraine]. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.''' Echoes of wars past; misspoke, calling Kherson ''Fallujah'' instead, before quickly correcting himself. Regarding the post-Kherson reality and winter warfare / negotiations: ''We're not gonna tell 'em what they have to do.''

 

[TacticalTea]

"Looking ahead, American democracy now has some breathing room," @RadioFreeTom (Tom Nichols) writes. But the United States isn't out of the woods yet.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Somewhere, in a darkened house with the curtains drawn, the Senate legislative filibuster is anxiously waiting to see whether it has to continue another two years in seclusion as the shameful legacy of slavery, or whether it may re-emerge into polite society as a pillar of democracy.

American democracy is fine. Be better if more states could run their elections like Florida.

 

[TacticalTea]

Somewhere, in a darkened house with the curtains drawn, the Senate legislative filibuster is anxiously waiting to see whether it has to continue another two years in seclusion as the shameful legacy of slavery, or whether it may re-emerge into polite society as a pillar of democracy.

American democracy is fine. Be better if more states could run their elections like Florida.

The current filibuster is a modern creation. Used to be they had to actually hold the mic for hours.

Another case of actions and consequences, or as they like to put it nowadays; F'ing around and finding out.

 

[Brad Sallows]

What it used to be is beside the point. The point is that the Democratic position on the filibuster flips depending on whether they are the minority or majority.

 

[OceanBonfire]

Midterms full of firsts for female, Black, LGBTQ candidates

A Massachusetts Democrat is the country’s first openly lesbian candidate to be elected to the office of governor.

apnews.com

Conspiracists seeking key state election posts falling short

Republicans who backed Donald Trump’s failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election lost key races to oversee elections in some competitive states, even as others remained positioned to take those offices in more conservative parts of the country.

apnews.com

And the social issues that were voted on on some states:

Kentucky, Michigan voters approve protecting abortion rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in reliably red Kentucky rejected a ballot measure aimed at denying any state constitutional protections for abortion while voters in battleground Michigan enshrined abortion rights in their state's constitution — joining Democratic California and Vermont in taking that...

apnews.com

Abortion rights support helps Kansas Gov. Kelly win 2nd term

TOPEKA, Kan., (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly narrowly won reelection in Republican-leaning Kansas by racking up big leads in the Kansas City area and other places where abortion rights are popular, while her party helped an independent candidate deny the GOP nominee a few crucial votes.

apnews.com

Abortion supporters win in conservative, liberal states

WASHINGTON (AP) — Abortion rights supporters won in the four states where access was on the ballot Tuesday, as voters enshrined it into the state constitution in battleground Michigan as well as blue California and Vermont and dealt a defeat to an anti-abortion measure in deep-red Kentucky.

apnews.com

Where abortion was on the ballot, midterm voters largely signaled support

Voters in several states were asked to weigh in on ballot measures specifically related to abortion rights.

www.npr.org

A mixed bag for cannabis legalization efforts in five states

Voters in Missouri and Maryland approved adult-use recreational pot, but similar measures were rejected in Arkansas and the Dakotas.

www.npr.org

Kentucky voters reject amendment that would have affirmed no right to abortion

Amendment 2 would have added language to the state constitution rejecting a right to abortion, effectively leaving the question to Kentucky's Republican-controlled legislature.

www.npr.org

Michigan voters approve amendment adding reproductive rights to state constitution

The vote effectively scraps a 1931 state ban on the procedure that could have taken effect following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

www.npr.org

California voters enshrine right to abortion and contraception in state constitution

Proposition 1 was a direct response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling.

www.npr.org

 

[KevinB]

The Donald is now reinventing the narrative

 

[Brad Sallows]

Trump's done. He can damage Republican prospects, but it's improbable he can win a general election after the damage he has done, and it will be improbable for him to win a primary if does any more damage. Independents know his measure now, and independents decide US elections.

 

[brihard]

Trump's done. He can damage Republican prospects, but it's improbable he can win a general election after the damage he has done, and it will be improbable for him to win a primary if does any more damage. Independents know his measure now, and independents decide US elections.

That, and the populist/MAGA crowd have a viable successor in DeSantis. Not to mention the real possibility that some of Trump’s potential legal woes may make him ineligible.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Watch the Georgia runoff for indications how things may unfold. What Republicans would most like is for Trump to remain silent and DeSantis to show up at rallies for Walker. Worst case would be Trump pollutes it again and shows there are no more advantages that can plausibly be squeezed out by supporting him.

 

[mariomike]

At the state level,

Democrats make big gains in state legislatures after beating expectations

Democrats took control of the Michigan state Senate for the first time in nearly 40 years. They're on track to flip other legislative chambers when all the votes are counted.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[KevinB]

Pretty much spot on

 

[brihard]

Mind blowing that both the House and Senate are still too close to call.

It’s 49-49 in the hundred seat senate right now. Good chance that Nevada will break for the Democrats tonight. Georgia’s seat will likely head to a runoff, but if Dems take Nevada, it won’t matter much anyway.

The House, incredibly, is getting closer and closer to a near even split. I think Republicans will probably take it by a seat or two, but that’s still a very far cry from what was expected to be a pretty bad showing for the Dems.

Predictably, the claims of fraud from Republicans have already started, centered around late game ballot tabulations from Arizona and Nevada that are favoring the Democrats. This is a product of how some of the ballots come in, and some methods being more preferred by democrats. So we’ll likely see some petulant repeats of 2020 on a more minor scale, but I’ll be surprised if many lawyers will be willing to push the bs claims through court this time.

So yeah- a very different likely outcome from what many expected, and Dems holding the house isn’t even totally out of the cards as of yet. Wow.

 

[Lumber]

Mind blowing that both the House and Senate are still too close to call.

It’s 49-49 in the hundred seat senate right now. Good chance that Nevada will break for the Democrats tonight. Georgia’s seat will likely head to a runoff, but if Dems take Nevada, it won’t matter much anyway.

The House, incredibly, is getting closer and closer to a near even split. I think Republicans will probably take it by a seat or two, but that’s still a very far cry from what was expected to be a pretty bad showing for the Dems.

Predictably, the claims of fraud from Republicans have already started, centered around late game ballot tabulations from Arizona and Nevada that are favoring the Democrats. This is a product of how some of the ballots come in, and some methods being more preferred by democrats. So we’ll likely see some petulant repeats of 2020 on a more minor scale, but I’ll be surprised if many lawyers will be willing to push the bs claims through court this time.

So yeah- a very different likely outcome from what many expected, and Dems holding the house isn’t even totally out of the cards as of yet. Wow.

It's happening even in Canada. A more right leaning friend of mine just posted (and has many comments in about "last minute finding" of votes in Nevada that favor the Dem. I just responded and explained the whole mail in ballot and vote "fixing" process in Nevada. Waiting on their response now...

 

[dimsum]

It's happening even in Canada. A more right leaning friend of mine just posted (and has many comments in about "last minute finding" of votes in Nevada that favor the Dem. I just responded and explained the whole mail in ballot and vote "fixing" process in Nevada. Waiting on their response now...

 

[brihard]

It's happening even in Canada. A more right leaning friend of mine just posted (and has many comments in about "last minute finding" of votes in Nevada that favor the Dem. I just responded and explained the whole mail in ballot and vote "fixing" process in Nevada. Waiting on their response now...

Don’t hold your breath.