The Midterm Results: My Commentary

[IMPress Polly]

At this time, there are still many races undecided, but some of the basics of what just happened are clear:

-Democrats have netted more than 30 additional seats in the U.S. House of Represents, easily exceeding the 23 they needed to retake the chamber.
-Democrats have gained 7 additional state governorships, while the Republicans can be credited with replacing an independent governor in Alaska with one of their own in their only gubernatorial gain.
-Republicans have netted an additional 4 Senate seats.
-Womenz kicked ass.
-Voters hate conservative Democrats.

For the most part, this mirrors what I had predicted yesterday, which included easy Democratic victories in the House and major Democratic gains in state governor's races. However, I was completely and utterly wrong about the U.S. Senate, having predicted that Democrats would win one or two additional seats there, potentially retaking that chamber as well, while instead Democrats lost five seats and gained one for a net loss of four, leaving the balance 55 Republicans, 43 Democrats, and 2 glorious New England independents who both caucus with Democrats (Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine). In retrospect, I should've factored the realities that the Republican Party focused the vast bulk of its resources on retaining control of the Senate and also the numerous rallies that Trump held across key states with vulnerable Democratic Senators into my calculations. It was a big mistake not to.

Though the progressive candidates for state-level elections who I most wanted to win, Andrew Gillum, who was contesting the governorship of Florida, and Beto O'Rourke, who was running to unseat Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate in Texas, were both defeated, it's worth pointing out that their margins of defeat were small and that, by contrast, the Democrats who lost by the widest margins were all conservative ones who had bragged repeatedly of their contempt for immigrants and the frequency with which they voted for the policies advocated by the Trump Administration. (e.g. Defeated Senator Donnelly of Indiana boasted in the campaign that he voted with Trump "62% of the time".) Apparently this was not very motivating for Democratic-leaning voters.

Overall, Republicans picked up Senate seats in North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, and (it appears as of this writing) Montana, while losing a Senate seat in Nevada, resulting in a net gain or four seats. However, this was the only bright spot for the governing party. Democrats picked up the governorships of three states in the industrial Midwest -- Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois -- while also retaining the governorship of Pennsylvania, indicating a clear shift of that region toward the Democratic Party politically for the first time appreciably since the tea party wave of 2010. Democrats also gained the governorship of two rural states, Maine and Kansas, as well as of two Western states, New Mexico and Nevada. And Stacey Abrams came close enough in the Georgia governor's race to trigger a run-off election for that post later this month, which you can expect will now become a major focus of national attention, to say nothing of redoubled Democratic efforts. Republicans replaced the nation's only independent governor (that of Alaska) with one of their own for their only gain in gubernatorial contests, and frankly that was really only a technical gain at that, as said independent had been pretty right-leaning on balance anyway. Most of the new Democratic governors elected last night (four of the seven) were women (and it will be five of the eight if Abrams wins her run-off later this month). Similarly in the House of Representatives, Democrats have so far (some contests in California are still being counted) gained more than 30 additional seats, with most of these being gained by female candidates.

Exit polls showed an historically unprecedented sex-split in the vote, with most men predictably favoring Republicans, while women broke for Democrats overall by a record 20-point margin, with 59% of women indicating that they had favored Democrats overall.

There were also state ballot initiatives on the line, most of which were defeated, including notably a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota (marking an unusual defeat for such a proposal) and a proposal on the ballot in Massachusetts to outlaw single-sex public spaces (e.g. single-sex restrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, etc.) in the name of accommodating transgender people (which frankly I'm glad went down to defeat at the hands of voters). Some state-level constitutional amendments that would ban abortion the second that Roe V. Wade is overturned (which, with this Senate balance, is more likely to happen than ever now, as the Republicans will now be positioned to easily confirm any new Supreme Court justices they wish to should any more retire in the next two years) passed in conservative-leaning states. YaY! :rollseyes: Missouri voted to legalize medicinal marijuana and Florida voted very easily to re-enfranchise former felons who have served their time already in decisions that I agree with.

Positioning for the 2020 presidential election, which will effectively begin in the near future, oft-cited potential candidates Bernie Sanders of Vermont, of course considered the strongest champion of economic populism in the Senate, and (my preference) Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, considered the leading voice of the women's movement in the Senate and a reliable proponent of the resistance, as well as an emergent economic leftist, emerged in the strongest position in the Senators, carrying 68 and 67% of the popular vote in their respective re-elections, while another prospective contender, economic populist Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, acquired about 60-61% of the vote in her re-election.

The Democratic gains, it is clear, were largely driven by America's suburbs, and more particularly by suburban women, which/whom traditionally have favored Republicans, but broke strongly for Democrats this time around in revulsion to President Trump. That demographic has been the heart of the resistance as a movement from the outset, surveys of major march attenders have shown. Largely as a result of their increased enthusiasm not only to vote, but run for public office as well, women will now compose easily more than 100 members of the House of Representatives for the first time, whereas the previous record for female-held seats in that same chamber had been 84, so a significant leap in female representation in the House, driven by Democrats, as well as in state governorships, also driven by Democrats.

My personal votes went to incumbent progressive Democrat Peter Welch in the House of Representatives and left wing independent Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom won re-election easily, and to Emily Peyton of the Liberty Union Party (which is the authentically democratic socialist party that Bernie Sanders left decades ago to campaign as an independent, for those who don't know) in the state governor's race, who unsurprisingly was defeated easily by our popular, centrist Republican sitting Governor Phil Scott. (It was a protest vote on my part.)

Overall, I'm happy with this outcome. It will translate into more accountability for the White House in the coming two years and set the tone for the upcoming presidential election, though the clear divisions revealed in this contest certainly won't heal the nation spiritually. One cautionary note I would sound though is that this outcome also reveals that the Democratic Party overall needs to do more to offer class-based appeal to working class white voters (obviously a demographic near and dear to my heart, as one of them), as the overall shift in the Democrats' favor that we saw among this group last night was present, but minimal. They need to be offer bolder messages promoting wealth redistribution, frankly, not just defensive ones promoting the continuation of what's left of the Affordable Care Act and America's basic entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security). Standing generally to the left on the culture wars may be good enough to win over affluent suburban moms concerned about the bad moral example that Donald Trump's policies and general conduct are setting for their children, but working class people still have bills to pay, steadily mounting credit card debt to escape, and, frankly, often addictions to overcome.

[Don29palms]

At this time, there are still many races undecided, but some of the basics of what just happened are clear:

-Democrats have netted more than 30 additional seats in the U.S. House of Represents, easily exceeding the 23 they needed to retake the chamber.
-Democrats have gained 7 additional state governorships, while the Republicans can be credited with replacing an independent governor in Alaska with one of their own in their only gubernatorial gain.
-Republicans have netted an additional 4 Senate seats.
-Womenz kicked ass.
-Voters hate conservative Democrats.

For the most part, this mirrors what I had predicted yesterday, which included easy Democratic victories in the House and major Democratic gains in state governor's races. However, I was completely and utterly wrong about the U.S. Senate, having predicted that Democrats would win one or two additional seats there, potentially retaking that chamber as well, while instead Democrats lost five seats and gained one for a net loss of four, leaving the balance 55 Republicans, 43 Democrats, and 2 glorious New England independents who both caucus with Democrats (Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine). In retrospect, I should've factored the realities that the Republican Party focused the vast bulk of its resources on retaining control of the Senate and also the numerous rallies that Trump held across key states with vulnerable Democratic Senators into my calculations. It was a big mistake not to.

Though the progressive candidates for state-level elections who I most wanted to win, Andrew Gillum, who was contesting the governorship of Florida, and Beto O'Rourke, who was running to unseat Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate in Texas, were both defeated, it's worth pointing out that their margins of defeat were small and that, by contrast, the Democrats who lost by the widest margins were all conservative ones who had bragged repeatedly of their contempt for immigrants and the frequency with which they voted for the policies advocated by the Trump Administration. (e.g. Defeated Senator Donnelly of Indiana boasted in the campaign that he voted with Trump "62% of the time".) Apparently this was not very motivating for Democratic-leaning voters.

Overall, Republicans picked up Senate seats in North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, and (it appears as of this writing) Montana, while losing a Senate seat in Nevada, resulting in a net gain or four seats. However, this was the only bright spot for the governing party. Democrats picked up the governorships of three states in the industrial Midwest -- Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois -- while also retaining the governorship of Pennsylvania, indicating a clear shift of that region toward the Democratic Party politically for the first time appreciably since the tea party wave of 2010. Democrats also gained the governorship of two rural states, Maine and Kansas, as well as of two Western states, New Mexico and Nevada. Republicans replaced the nations only independent governor (that of Alaska) with one of their own for their only gain, and frankly that was really only a technical gain at that, as said independent had been pretty right-leaning on balance anyway. Most of the new Democratic governors elected last night (four of the seven) were women. Similarly in the House of Representatives, Democrats have so far (some contests in California are still being counted) gained more than 30 additional seats, with most of these being gained by female candidates.

Exit polls showed an historically unprecedented sex-split in the vote, with most men predictably favoring Republicans, while women broke for Democrats overall by a record 20-point margin, with 59% of women indicating that they had favored Democrats overall.

There were also state ballot initiatives on the line, most of which were defeated, including notably a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota (marking an unusual defeat for such a proposal) and a proposal on the ballot in Massachusetts to outlaw single-sex public spaces (e.g. single-sex restrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, etc.) in the name of accommodating transgender people (which frankly I'm glad went down to defeat at the hands of voters). Some state-level constitutional amendments that would ban abortion the second that Roe V. Wade is overturned (which, with this Senate balance, is more likely to happen then ever now, as the Republicans will now be positioned to easily confirm any new Supreme Court justices they wish to should any more retire in the next two years) passed in conservative-leaning states. YaY! :rollseyes: Missouri voted to legalize medicinal marijuana and Florida voted very easily to re-enfranchise former felons who have served their time already in decisions that I agree with.

Positioning for the 2020 presidential election, which will effectively begin in the near future, oft-cited potential candidates Bernie Sanders of Vermont, of course considered the strongest champion of economic populism in the Senate, and (my preference) Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, considered the leading voice of the women's movement in the Senate and a reliable supporter of the resistance, emerged in the strongest position in the Senators, carrying 68 and 67% of the popular vote in their respective re-elections, while another prospective contender, economic populist Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, acquired about 60-61% of the vote in her re-election.

The Democratic gains, it is clear, were largely driven by America's suburbs, and more particularly by suburban women, which/whom traditionally have favored Republicans, but broke strongly for Democrats this time around in revulsion to President Trump. That demographic has been the heart of the resistance as a movement from the outset, surveys of major march attenders have shown. Women will now compose easily more than 100 members of the House of Representatives for the first time, whereas the previous record for female-held seats in that same chamber had been 84, so a significant leap in female representation in the House, driven by Democrats, as well as in state governorships, also driven by Democrats.

My personal votes went to incumbent progressive Democrat Peter Welch in the House of Representatives and left wing independent Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom won re-election easily, and to Emily Peyton of the Liberty Union Party (which is the authentically democratic socialist party that Bernie Sanders left decades ago to campaign as an independent, for those who don't know) in the state governor's race, who unsurprisingly was defeated easily. (It was a protest vote.)

Overall, I'm happy with this outcome. It will translate into more accountability for the White House in the coming two years and set the tone for the upcoming presidential election, though the clear divisions revealed in this contest certainly won't heal the nation spiritually. One cautionary note I would sound though is that this outcome also reveals that the Democratic Party overall needs to do more to offer class-based appeal to working class white voters (obviously a demographic near and dear to my heart, as one of them), as the overall shift in the Democrats' favor that we saw among this group last night was present, but minimal. They need to be offer bolder messages promoting wealth redistribution, frankly, not just defensive ones promoting the continuation of what's left of the Affordable Care Act and America's basic entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security). Standing to the left on the culture wars may be good enough to win over affluent suburban moms, but working class people still have bills to pay, steadily mounting credit card debt to escape, and, frankly, often addictions to overcome.

It's really disgusting that are so many unpatriotic unamerican communist sheeple like you that want to destroy this country. Shame on you and your family and all like you.

[Hoosier8]

It signals Trumps judge nominations will sail through the Senate. Probably the biggest win.

Democrats only have about 950 seats to win to take back their losses.

[Common Sense]

It's really disgusting that are so many unpatriotic unamerican communist sheeple like you that want to destroy this country. Shame on you and your family and all like you.

Lol...your response is cartoonish and moronic.

Have you considered running for office?

[nathanbforrest45]

Lol...your response is cartoonish and moronic.

Have you considered running for office?
Good retort from a foreigner, eh what.

[Common Sense]

Good retort from a foreigner, eh what.
The "what" is redundant in your sentence, eh.

[Standing Wolf]

Lol...your response is cartoonish and moronic.

Have you considered running for office?

It's the 'More Trumpish Than Thou' mentality. They reduce everyone they disagree with and everything they dislike to a cartoonish stereotype and then insult it in the most ridiculous, hyperbolic fashion imaginable - always within sight or earshot of their fellow Trumpanzees. It's a little like territorial peeing, but with less thought involved and a worse odor.

[Common]

It's the 'More Trumpish Than Thou' mentality. They reduce everyone they disagree with and everything they dislike to a cartoonish stereotype and then insult it in the most ridiculous, hyperbolic fashion imaginable - always within sight or earshot of their fellow Trumpanzees. It's a little like territorial peeing, but with less thought involved and a worse odor.

hmm "they" and trumpanzees so you are calling me a trumpanzee for being a trump supporter. Patience and the real deal eventually surfaces

[Common]

It's really disgusting that are so many unpatriotic unamerican communist sheeple like you that want to destroy this country. Shame on you and your family and all like you.

TB'd for Personal Attack

[Chris]

hmm "they" and trumpanzees so you are calling me a trumpanzee for being a trump supporter. Patience and the real deal eventually surfaces

Oh, no, he wouldn't do that, would he? He complains all the time about that sort of behavior.

[Chris]

The Midterm Results: My Commentary: Dems take house, Reps keep Senate. Whoopdidoo.

[Common]

Oh, no, he wouldn't do that, would he? He complains all the time about that sort of behavior.

Most all forum liberals only complain about what the right does, they totally miss all the vitriole, insults and trolling from the left.

If I would have called someone on the left an Obamorilla or a Hillorilla he would have gotten all indignant and insulted

[Cletus]

It's the 'More Trumpish Than Thou' mentality. They reduce everyone they disagree with and everything they dislike to a cartoonish stereotype and then insult it in the most ridiculous, hyperbolic fashion imaginable - always within sight or earshot of their fellow Trumpanzees. It's a little like territorial peeing, but with less thought involved and a worse odor.

There was also a lot of truth in what he said. The election was bad for the country. It was bad for my state. It was bad for my county, although the results in New Mexico were easy to predict.

Expect many anti-Second Amendment proposals to come down the pike. The one positive result of this election is that it will make confirming the President's judicial nominations more of a sure thing and the Democrats won't be able to do too much harm because they can be blocked in the Senate.

Our new Governor Elect has already said ban various classes of firearm, limit magazine capacities, and push other issues that take away the rights and freedoms of New Mexicans. The majority in the House will try to do the same to all Americans. The fools who voted them into office deserve what they get. Unfortunately, the rest of us will also have a price to pay.

[Captdon]

It's the 'More Trumpish Than Thou' mentality. They reduce everyone they disagree with and everything they dislike to a cartoonish stereotype and then insult it in the most ridiculous, hyperbolic fashion imaginable - always within sight or earshot of their fellow Trumpanzees. It's a little like territorial peeing, but with less thought involved and a worse odor.

Then: The election wasn't much of a message. The commentary here wasn't either. All that happened was history. Nothing else.

[Captdon]

Oh, no, he wouldn't do that, would he? He complains all the time about that sort of behavior.

In others, in others.

[Chris]

Most all forum liberals only complain about what the right does, they totally miss all the vitriole, insults and trolling from the left.

If I would have called someone on the left an Obamorilla or a Hillorilla he would have gotten all indignant and insulted

You'd'a been called a racist before you could bat an eyelash.

Some on the right are, admittedly, as bad, but they do post how it should stop and everyone be civil.

[Captdon]

Polly: Let's take PA for an example. The Democrats won the Governorship they already held. Incumbents almost always win re-election on PA.

Bob Casey won re-election for the Senate there. No one beats a Casey in PA. No one. They were both in office when Trump won PA. Hard to see what last night changed there.

If women voted 59% Democratic, where was the Wave?

You commentary was nothing more than a normal liberal Democratic screed. It wasn't anything real about it as to the why.

[gamewell45]

I'm hoping that ideally, both sides in January will work as a team and forge a working partnership which will benefit all Americans otherwise very little will get done over the next two years.

[Green Arrow]

All of the conservative/Republican aligned posters here that swore up and down that there would actually be a red wave and the Democrats would be destroyed for generations are now saying, “It’s not a big deal, it’s history, it was expected.”

[Cletus]

All of the conservative/Republican aligned posters here that swore up and down that there would actually be a red wave and the Democrats would be destroyed for generations are now saying, “It’s not a big deal, it’s history, it was expected.”

That is untrue.

[Chris]

All of the conservative/Republican aligned posters here that swore up and down that there would actually be a red wave and the Democrats would be destroyed for generations are now saying, “It’s not a big deal, it’s history, it was expected.”

Who said that? I recall jokes about blue wave and red tide but that's about it. The results were pretty much what many predicted.

[suds00]

trump is threatening the democrats with investigations.he's a fine public servant.not!

[nathanbforrest45]

trump is threatening the democrats with investigations.he's a fine public servant.not!


LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

How fucking stupid can one poster be and still be able to tie his own shoes in the morning?

[Jeb!]

trump is threatening the democrats with investigations.he's a fine public servant.not!
Thought the Democrat mantra was that if you did nothing wrong you should want to be investigated.

[mamooth]

Thought the Democrat mantra was that if you did nothing wrong you should want to be investigated.

When did we say Trump shouldn't demand investigations? We're all for him looking even more openly Stalinist, as all of his followers fervently cheer the Stalinism.

What exactly is he going to investigate? His own staff's repeated security leaks, which he's insanely trying to blame on Democrats? Yeah, that will work out well. Or maybe he can try to investigate Clinton's email server again.

[Tahuyaman]

At this time, there are still many races undecided, but some of the basics of what just happened are clear:

-Democrats have netted more than 30 additional seats in the U.S. House of Represents, easily exceeding the 23 they needed to retake the chamber.
-Democrats have gained 7 additional state governorships, while the Republicans can be credited with replacing an independent governor in Alaska with one of their own in their only gubernatorial gain.
-Republicans have netted an additional 4 Senate seats.
-Womenz kicked ass.
-Voters hate conservative Democrats.

For the most part, this mirrors what I had predicted yesterday, which included easy Democratic victories in the House and major Democratic gains in state governor's races. However, I was completely and utterly wrong about the U.S. Senate, having predicted that Democrats would win one or two additional seats there, potentially retaking that chamber as well, while instead Democrats lost five seats and gained one for a net loss of four, leaving the balance 55 Republicans, 43 Democrats, and 2 glorious New England independents who both caucus with Democrats (Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine). In retrospect, I should've factored the realities that the Republican Party focused the vast bulk of its resources on retaining control of the Senate and also the numerous rallies that Trump held across key states with vulnerable Democratic Senators into my calculations. It was a big mistake not to.

Though the progressive candidates for state-level elections who I most wanted to win, Andrew Gillum, who was contesting the governorship of Florida, and Beto O'Rourke, who was running to unseat Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate in Texas, were both defeated, it's worth pointing out that their margins of defeat were small and that, by contrast, the Democrats who lost by the widest margins were all conservative ones who had bragged repeatedly of their contempt for immigrants and the frequency with which they voted for the policies advocated by the Trump Administration. (e.g. Defeated Senator Donnelly of Indiana boasted in the campaign that he voted with Trump "62% of the time".) Apparently this was not very motivating for Democratic-leaning voters.

Overall, Republicans picked up Senate seats in North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, and (it appears as of this writing) Montana, while losing a Senate seat in Nevada, resulting in a net gain or four seats. However, this was the only bright spot for the governing party. Democrats picked up the governorships of three states in the industrial Midwest -- Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois -- while also retaining the governorship of Pennsylvania, indicating a clear shift of that region toward the Democratic Party politically for the first time appreciably since the tea party wave of 2010. Democrats also gained the governorship of two rural states, Maine and Kansas, as well as of two Western states, New Mexico and Nevada. And Stacey Abrams came close enough in the Georgia governor's race to trigger a run-off election for that post later this month, which you can expect will now become a major focus of national attention, to say nothing of redoubled Democratic efforts. Republicans replaced the nation's only independent governor (that of Alaska) with one of their own for their only gain in gubernatorial contests, and frankly that was really only a technical gain at that, as said independent had been pretty right-leaning on balance anyway. Most of the new Democratic governors elected last night (four of the seven) were women (and it will be five of the eight if Abrams wins her run-off later this month). Similarly in the House of Representatives, Democrats have so far (some contests in California are still being counted) gained more than 30 additional seats, with most of these being gained by female candidates.

Exit polls showed an historically unprecedented sex-split in the vote, with most men predictably favoring Republicans, while women broke for Democrats overall by a record 20-point margin, with 59% of women indicating that they had favored Democrats overall.

There were also state ballot initiatives on the line, most of which were defeated, including notably a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota (marking an unusual defeat for such a proposal) and a proposal on the ballot in Massachusetts to outlaw single-sex public spaces (e.g. single-sex restrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, etc.) in the name of accommodating transgender people (which frankly I'm glad went down to defeat at the hands of voters). Some state-level constitutional amendments that would ban abortion the second that Roe V. Wade is overturned (which, with this Senate balance, is more likely to happen than ever now, as the Republicans will now be positioned to easily confirm any new Supreme Court justices they wish to should any more retire in the next two years) passed in conservative-leaning states. YaY! :rollseyes: Missouri voted to legalize medicinal marijuana and Florida voted very easily to re-enfranchise former felons who have served their time already in decisions that I agree with.

Positioning for the 2020 presidential election, which will effectively begin in the near future, oft-cited potential candidates Bernie Sanders of Vermont, of course considered the strongest champion of economic populism in the Senate, and (my preference) Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, considered the leading voice of the women's movement in the Senate and a reliable proponent of the resistance, as well as an emergent economic leftist, emerged in the strongest position in the Senators, carrying 68 and 67% of the popular vote in their respective re-elections, while another prospective contender, economic populist Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, acquired about 60-61% of the vote in her re-election.

The Democratic gains, it is clear, were largely driven by America's suburbs, and more particularly by suburban women, which/whom traditionally have favored Republicans, but broke strongly for Democrats this time around in revulsion to President Trump. That demographic has been the heart of the resistance as a movement from the outset, surveys of major march attenders have shown. Largely as a result of their increased enthusiasm not only to vote, but run for public office as well, women will now compose easily more than 100 members of the House of Representatives for the first time, whereas the previous record for female-held seats in that same chamber had been 84, so a significant leap in female representation in the House, driven by Democrats, as well as in state governorships, also driven by Democrats.

My personal votes went to incumbent progressive Democrat Peter Welch in the House of Representatives and left wing independent Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom won re-election easily, and to Emily Peyton of the Liberty Union Party (which is the authentically democratic socialist party that Bernie Sanders left decades ago to campaign as an independent, for those who don't know) in the state governor's race, who unsurprisingly was defeated easily by our popular, centrist Republican sitting Governor Phil Scott. (It was a protest vote on my part.)

Overall, I'm happy with this outcome. It will translate into more accountability for the White House in the coming two years and set the tone for the upcoming presidential election, though the clear divisions revealed in this contest certainly won't heal the nation spiritually. One cautionary note I would sound though is that this outcome also reveals that the Democratic Party overall needs to do more to offer class-based appeal to working class white voters (obviously a demographic near and dear to my heart, as one of them), as the overall shift in the Democrats' favor that we saw among this group last night was present, but minimal. They need to be offer bolder messages promoting wealth redistribution, frankly, not just defensive ones promoting the continuation of what's left of the Affordable Care Act and America's basic entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security). Standing generally to the left on the culture wars may be good enough to win over affluent suburban moms concerned about the bad moral example that Donald Trump's policies and general conduct are setting for their children, but working class people still have bills to pay, steadily mounting credit card debt to escape, and, frankly, often addictions to overcome.
The Blue Wave which was supposed to sweep the country did not materialize as expected just a few months ago. The Democrats who did win were mostly those who are considered centrists. The far left didn't do so well.

[Tahuyaman]

All of the conservative/Republican aligned posters here that swore up and down that there would actually be a red wave and the Democrats would be destroyed for generations are now saying, “It’s not a big deal, it’s history, it was expected.”

I'm a conservative. When did I predict a "red wave? I was skeptical about this blue wave the media was predicting and hoping for and I was right. It wasn't even close to what was predicted six months ago.

The fact that the Republicans increased their majority in the Senate does take a lot away from the Dems win in the House of Representatives.

[Orion Rules]

trump is threatening the democrats with investigations.he's a fine public servant.not!

Nothing will be over until it is finished. A house divided by itself cannot stand. Has there been any voter fraud? How many leakers' information "investigations" against the White House will be initiated by the Democrats intent on another bend? Is it just themselves retaining that power that some may think they also have a right to keep a country divided? That if a nation cannot work on many important issues together, then what purpose is there to a government that feels it works best if it is divided?

[mamooth]

The Dems also flipped 7 governors, and about 333 statehouse seats. Giant blue wave at the state level. Walker and Kobach getting booted was especially nice.

Initiatives to restrict gerrymandering and restore voting rights won in Michigan. So, at least 2 more House seats picked up there in 2020.

Dems shot down pro-gerrymandering initiatives in NC, installed another state SC justice there, and ended NC statehouse supermajorities for the Republicans there. The Dem gov's vetoes now can't be overridden. So, gerrymandering in NC is going bye-bye. Another 2 house seats.

Restoring the right-to-vote of those with felony convictions won in Florida. Given how close Florida elections are, that's huge.

The House, of course, was the prize. Everything else is gravy. The House can stop awful legislation, and the House can and will investigate the massive corruption that the Republicans willfully ran cover for.

And the Democrats who won were liberals, not centrists. There aren't just more Democrats, there are better Democrats. Conservative Democrats essentially don't exist, outside of maybe Sen Manchin. Thus, Democrats don't have to worry about turncoats. Democrats look like America, Republicans look like bitter scared old white men.

The disappointments? The senate seats, plus GA and FL gov, and Republicans doing well in Ohio. Most everything else was a Democratic romp.

[Tahuyaman]

The Dems also flipped 7 governors, and about 333 statehouse seats. Giant blue wave at the state level......

Yep, they got back about a quarter of what the lost during the Obama era.

[Tahuyaman]

...And the Democrats who won were liberals, not centrists...

Most were centrists. Even CNN and MSNBC have acknowledged that.

[Chris]

Most were centrists. Even CNN and MSNBC have acknowledged that.

They all say they're centrists/moderates now.

[IMPress Polly]

Oh Chloe, here (in the OP) is the promised commentary I mentioned last night.

[Tahuyaman]

They all say they're centrists/moderates now.
Most overt far left candidates were defeated.

[Orion Rules]

Is not what Jesus was a central figure for bringing to pass that the water could be changed to wine.

The mainstream media owes a U.S. President apologies. Such disrespect demands some repenting.

[Jeb!]

When did we say Trump shouldn't demand investigations? We're all for him looking even more openly Stalinist, as all of his followers fervently cheer the Stalinism.

What exactly is he going to investigate? His own staff's repeated security leaks, which he's insanely trying to blame on Democrats? Yeah, that will work out well. Or maybe he can try to investigate Clinton's email server again.
Good, you already listed one example because you know your side is corrupt. He should also investigate Obama telling illegal aliens to vote, Obama's illegal ransom to Iran, Bob Menendez's child prostitution scandal, James Comey and Peter Strzok lying to a FISA judge, James Clapper lying under oath about a FISA warrant, McCabe's multiple lies under oath, Keith Ellison's domestic violence, and Dianne Feinstein withholding evidence on Brett Kavanaugh.

[Green Arrow]

That is untrue.

My observations suggest otherwise.

[Chris]

Most overt far left candidates were defeated.

Yea, just kidding earlier.

Though Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won.

[MisterVeritis]

All of the conservative/Republican aligned posters here that swore up and down that there would actually be a red wave and the Democrats would be destroyed for generations are now saying, “It’s not a big deal, it’s history, it was expected.”
Republicans won a campaign by increasing the number of conservative Republicans in the Senate. This is important because Republicans who are conservative will have a greater say in judicial appointments. The so-called moderate Republicans, Murkowski, and Collins have lost their spoiling power.

Republicans lost the battle in the House.

I believe the Republicans have lost the country in the mid-term (meaning within the next ten years). As long as Republicans fail to correct the massive invasion from third world countries this country will continue to move toward socialism.

[Tahuyaman]

Yea, just kidding earlier.

Though Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won.


I said most lost, not all. There are always going to be pockets where the far left is popular.

[Tahuyaman]

Republicans won a campaign by increasing the number of conservative Republicans in the Senate. This is important because Republicans who are conservative will have a greater say in judicial appointments. The so-called moderate Republicans, Murkowski, and Collins have lost their spoiling power...


I would agree with that.

[Green Arrow]

Most overt far left candidates were defeated.

What do you base that on? My viewing turned up different results.

[Captain Obvious]

It's the 'More Trumpish Than Thou' mentality. They reduce everyone they disagree with and everything they dislike to a cartoonish stereotype and then insult it in the most ridiculous, hyperbolic fashion imaginable - always within sight or earshot of their fellow Trumpanzees. It's a little like territorial peeing, but with less thought involved and a worse odor.

Exactly

I rarely agree with Polly on things, her analysis partly to a degree included but I have to wince when her post is well thought through and detailed then some 3 brain celled monkey cones along and shits on it with a childish one liner.

How this guy thinks he looks smart is beyond me, he looks like a total asswipe as far as I'm concerned.

[Tahuyaman]

What do you base that on? My viewing turned up different results.


Im basing my view on a realistic real world analysis. Very few far left wing types won. Most of the winning Democrats were centrist types. Especially those who won governorships.

[Jets]

The election seems fascinating. In spite of the influence of gerrymandering the Democrats won almost 30 seats flipping the House. Yet, in spite of this election being a referendum on President Trump the GOP gained seats in the Senate.

Points to ponder...

[Mister D]

Midterms are usually bad for the current administration. All things considered, Trump didn't come out of this in bad shape. Furthermore, since he made those two appointments to the USSC his term could end tomorrow and it will still have been worthwhile.

[Captain Obvious]

Midterms are usually bad for the current administration. All things considered, Trump didn't come out of this in bad shape. Furthermore, since he made those two appointments to the USSC his term could end tomorrow and it will still have been worthwhile.

Bingo - that's the takeaway.

Trump is popular now regardless of what the bedshitters are trying to spin and if the DNC decides to be the party of obstruction and witch hunts they will no doubt shoot themselves in the foot by handing another majority to Trump in 2020

[Chris]

Midterms are usually bad for the current administration. All things considered, Trump didn't come out of this in bad shape. Furthermore, since he made those two appointments to the USSC his term could end tomorrow and it will still have been worthwhile.

And yet people like Polly, howsoever thought out and detailed, try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

[Mister D]

Bingo - that's the takeaway.

Trump is popular now regardless of what the bedshitters are trying to spin and if the DNC decides to be the party of obstruction and witch hunts they will no doubt shoot themselves in the foot by handing another majority to Trump in 2020
Yeah, to me it seems like his opposition is trying to get excited about something that really isn't a big deal.

[Mister D]

And yet people like Polly, howsoever thought out and detailed, try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
I wouldn't call it a defeat but nothing really happened. If I was Trump I would be kind of relieved.

[Chris]

I wouldn't call it a defeat but nothing really happened. If I was Trump I would be kind of relieved.

True, jaws of mediocrity.

[Mister D]

I like that

[donttread]

At this time, there are still many races undecided, but some of the basics of what just happened are clear:

-Democrats have netted more than 30 additional seats in the U.S. House of Represents, easily exceeding the 23 they needed to retake the chamber.
-Democrats have gained 7 additional state governorships, while the Republicans can be credited with replacing an independent governor in Alaska with one of their own in their only gubernatorial gain.
-Republicans have netted an additional 4 Senate seats.
-Womenz kicked ass.
-Voters hate conservative Democrats.

For the most part, this mirrors what I had predicted yesterday, which included easy Democratic victories in the House and major Democratic gains in state governor's races. However, I was completely and utterly wrong about the U.S. Senate, having predicted that Democrats would win one or two additional seats there, potentially retaking that chamber as well, while instead Democrats lost five seats and gained one for a net loss of four, leaving the balance 55 Republicans, 43 Democrats, and 2 glorious New England independents who both caucus with Democrats (Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine). In retrospect, I should've factored the realities that the Republican Party focused the vast bulk of its resources on retaining control of the Senate and also the numerous rallies that Trump held across key states with vulnerable Democratic Senators into my calculations. It was a big mistake not to.

Though the progressive candidates for state-level elections who I most wanted to win, Andrew Gillum, who was contesting the governorship of Florida, and Beto O'Rourke, who was running to unseat Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate in Texas, were both defeated, it's worth pointing out that their margins of defeat were small and that, by contrast, the Democrats who lost by the widest margins were all conservative ones who had bragged repeatedly of their contempt for immigrants and the frequency with which they voted for the policies advocated by the Trump Administration. (e.g. Defeated Senator Donnelly of Indiana boasted in the campaign that he voted with Trump "62% of the time".) Apparently this was not very motivating for Democratic-leaning voters.

Overall, Republicans picked up Senate seats in North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, and (it appears as of this writing) Montana, while losing a Senate seat in Nevada, resulting in a net gain or four seats. However, this was the only bright spot for the governing party. Democrats picked up the governorships of three states in the industrial Midwest -- Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois -- while also retaining the governorship of Pennsylvania, indicating a clear shift of that region toward the Democratic Party politically for the first time appreciably since the tea party wave of 2010. Democrats also gained the governorship of two rural states, Maine and Kansas, as well as of two Western states, New Mexico and Nevada. And Stacey Abrams came close enough in the Georgia governor's race to trigger a run-off election for that post later this month, which you can expect will now become a major focus of national attention, to say nothing of redoubled Democratic efforts. Republicans replaced the nation's only independent governor (that of Alaska) with one of their own for their only gain in gubernatorial contests, and frankly that was really only a technical gain at that, as said independent had been pretty right-leaning on balance anyway. Most of the new Democratic governors elected last night (four of the seven) were women (and it will be five of the eight if Abrams wins her run-off later this month). Similarly in the House of Representatives, Democrats have so far (some contests in California are still being counted) gained more than 30 additional seats, with most of these being gained by female candidates.

Exit polls showed an historically unprecedented sex-split in the vote, with most men predictably favoring Republicans, while women broke for Democrats overall by a record 20-point margin, with 59% of women indicating that they had favored Democrats overall.

There were also state ballot initiatives on the line, most of which were defeated, including notably a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota (marking an unusual defeat for such a proposal) and a proposal on the ballot in Massachusetts to outlaw single-sex public spaces (e.g. single-sex restrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, etc.) in the name of accommodating transgender people (which frankly I'm glad went down to defeat at the hands of voters). Some state-level constitutional amendments that would ban abortion the second that Roe V. Wade is overturned (which, with this Senate balance, is more likely to happen than ever now, as the Republicans will now be positioned to easily confirm any new Supreme Court justices they wish to should any more retire in the next two years) passed in conservative-leaning states. YaY! :rollseyes: Missouri voted to legalize medicinal marijuana and Florida voted very easily to re-enfranchise former felons who have served their time already in decisions that I agree with.

Positioning for the 2020 presidential election, which will effectively begin in the near future, oft-cited potential candidates Bernie Sanders of Vermont, of course considered the strongest champion of economic populism in the Senate, and (my preference) Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, considered the leading voice of the women's movement in the Senate and a reliable proponent of the resistance, as well as an emergent economic leftist, emerged in the strongest position in the Senators, carrying 68 and 67% of the popular vote in their respective re-elections, while another prospective contender, economic populist Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, acquired about 60-61% of the vote in her re-election.

The Democratic gains, it is clear, were largely driven by America's suburbs, and more particularly by suburban women, which/whom traditionally have favored Republicans, but broke strongly for Democrats this time around in revulsion to President Trump. That demographic has been the heart of the resistance as a movement from the outset, surveys of major march attenders have shown. Largely as a result of their increased enthusiasm not only to vote, but run for public office as well, women will now compose easily more than 100 members of the House of Representatives for the first time, whereas the previous record for female-held seats in that same chamber had been 84, so a significant leap in female representation in the House, driven by Democrats, as well as in state governorships, also driven by Democrats.

My personal votes went to incumbent progressive Democrat Peter Welch in the House of Representatives and left wing independent Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom won re-election easily, and to Emily Peyton of the Liberty Union Party (which is the authentically democratic socialist party that Bernie Sanders left decades ago to campaign as an independent, for those who don't know) in the state governor's race, who unsurprisingly was defeated easily by our popular, centrist Republican sitting Governor Phil Scott. (It was a protest vote on my part.)

Overall, I'm happy with this outcome. It will translate into more accountability for the White House in the coming two years and set the tone for the upcoming presidential election, though the clear divisions revealed in this contest certainly won't heal the nation spiritually. One cautionary note I would sound though is that this outcome also reveals that the Democratic Party overall needs to do more to offer class-based appeal to working class white voters (obviously a demographic near and dear to my heart, as one of them), as the overall shift in the Democrats' favor that we saw among this group last night was present, but minimal. They need to be offer bolder messages promoting wealth redistribution, frankly, not just defensive ones promoting the continuation of what's left of the Affordable Care Act and America's basic entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security). Standing generally to the left on the culture wars may be good enough to win over affluent suburban moms concerned about the bad moral example that Donald Trump's policies and general conduct are setting for their children, but working class people still have bills to pay, steadily mounting credit card debt to escape, and, frankly, often addictions to overcome.



So does this mean a better balance of power and no excuses for each and every represenative NOT to make good on their promises?
A situation where neither "side" can continue to do nothing except line their pockets and blame the other guy.
Because I've been waiting for the exact balance of power under which we could and would hold these guys accountable for decades!

[Tahuyaman]

I think there's a good chance that DC will be in a state of gridlock for the next two years. This is a good thing. The less they do, the more freedoms we keep.

[Cletus]

I think there's a good chance that DC will be in a state of gridlock for the next two years. This is a good thing. The less they do, the more freedoms we keep.

That is the single big positive in this election.

Spot on.

[Captdon]

All of the conservative/Republican aligned posters here that swore up and down that there would actually be a red wave and the Democrats would be destroyed for generations are now saying, “It’s not a big deal, it’s history, it was expected.”

Who said there would be a Red Wave. I missed it.

[Common]

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

How fucking stupid can one poster be and still be able to tie his own shoes in the morning?

TB'd for Personal Insults

[Chris]

Who said there would be a Red Wave. I missed it.

Missed the blue one too.

[Green Arrow]

Who said there would be a Red Wave. I missed it.

Off the top of my head, MMC, Lummy, nathanbforrest. I’ll go back over the posts later to confirm.

[Chris]

I recall talk of Red Tide and then Red Wall. Not here, in the media.

[Tahuyaman]

Off the top of my head, MMC, Lummy, nathanbforrest. I’ll go back over the posts later to confirm.
I'd be interested in whether or not your recollection off the top of your head is accurate.

However, many people here predicted a total blue wave in which the Democrats took everything easily.

[Green Arrow]

I'd be interested in whether or not your recollection off the top of your head is accurate.

However, many people here predicted a total blue wave in which the Democrats took everything easily.

I heard plenty of predictions for both sides that I thought were silly. I was pleased I turned out to be right.

[Tahuyaman]

I heard plenty of predictions for both sides that I thought were silly. I was pleased I turned out to be right.

I certainly didn't hear these predictions of a "red wave". I do know that MV predicted that the Republicans would retain control if both houses of the Congress. I think there were a couple more who thought the same.

[mamooth]

Good, you already listed one example because you know your side is corrupt. He should also investigate Obama telling illegal aliens to vote, Obama's illegal ransom to Iran, Bob Menendez's child prostitution scandal, James Comey and Peter Strzok lying to a FISA judge, James Clapper lying under oath about a FISA warrant, McCabe's multiple lies under oath, Keith Ellison's domestic violence, and Dianne Feinstein withholding evidence on Brett Kavanaugh.

Come on, at least pretend not to be Stalinist. The faking crimes to pin on your political opponents thing is a hallmark of Stalinism.

But hey, go on, investigate away. Since you faked all that, it will come to nothing. Law enforcement is still loyal to the USA, and not your Stalinist cult, so it will go nowhere. And in return, we'll investigate your side just as thoroughly.

Would you take that deal? Of course not. No conservative would. They're fully aware that their own side is guilty as hell, and the Dems aren't.