Georgia Senate Runoff Election Jan. 5

[Fugus]

Yeah, it will be more bending the knee to GOP... bleeding heart liberals should expect it... they can’t resist a wounded calf and GOP is going to cry about their under represented constituencies like they are the most wounded calf there ever was...

At which point the voters need to remind them just how much they worked with the Democrats under Obama and Trumps last 2 years and just how much they compromised with them during Trumps first 2 years. If the Democrats are that spineless, they NEED to be primaried by candidates with balls who aren't just paper tigers playing lip service at best and the Democrats need to find a better redeeming quality than "We aren't as shitty as they are".

[beanman12345]

If and when the seats officially go blue they need sit his ass in a corner and say, "Listen here you little shit, you're going to do as you're told or we're bringing the hammer down on that ass."

disagree. having a dem senator in west virginia, even a Joe Manchin I'll take any day. I don't think he needs to be threatened, he easily without question voted to kick trump out over impeachment, so he's malleable, unlike any republican fuck we might get from that state.

[eschatological]

If and when the seats officially go blue they need sit his ass in a corner and say, "Listen here you little shit, you're going to do as you're told or we're bringing the hammer down on that ass."

The problem is, losing a Dem seat in a traditionally red place like WV is bad. Like, is there a Dem who can win in WV besides Joe Manchin?

If we give up on Joe Manchin and WV, where do we find new Dem Senators? Florida seems to have gone far right. We have double blue in NY and the NE, except for Maine, and Susan Collins is toast soon. I guess Pennsylvania, solidifying the blue wall to include Senators might be in order?

I have very little faith that a Dem majority will do jack shit. We had a 59 seat advantage and we did jack shit last time around, because of the filibuster, and us respecting it.

[cubby]

If and when the seats officially go blue they need sit his ass in a corner and say, "Listen here you little shit, you're going to do as you're told or we're bringing the hammer down on that ass."

Yeah, um, no. Kid gloves. If he switches parties the Senate flips to GOP. I wouldn't be surprised if McConnell isn't already sending out feelers on that.

[Fugus]

As for how fast it is going. Think of it this way, it is a single state and only for 2 seats in that state, not multiple positions in each district. Its literally only 2 votes per. That should speed up the counting considerably.

[Kaleredar]

That assumes the Democrats actually show some balls for the first time in our lifetimes and don't try and "Play Nice", "Reach Across the Isle", and "Compromise" with them to get stuff passed even when they have shown just how much they care to during the past 12 years.

I fear them basically doing just enough to keep the ship from sinking and then sitting on their hands till they lose power again, almost like they are paid to be weak and refuse to work unless the voters drag them kicking and screaming to do it.

If the Democrats do indeed cinch this, I would hope that Biden and co. have learned from Obama's perhaps well meaning but ultimately naive and vain attempts at political unity.

The face the Republicans were putting on in 2008 publicly was one of at least some semblance of decorum and decency. (For instance, I've no doubt that McCain or, even in 2012, Romney, would have publicly admonished groups like the proud boys or other white supremacists doing half the shit they did under Trump.) You can assert, probably with a good deal of accuracy, that all of the cancerous filth we're seeing in the GOP today existed under the surface, but that wasn't the attitude in Washington when Obama took office in his first term.

All of that pretense of the GOP has since fallen away, through their commitment to making Obama a one-term president, obstructing him at every turn, denying his supreme court justice appointment, and of course all of the stuff they've turned the other cheek on Trump doing while riding the suffering of American people for obvious attempts at political gain. The political landscape as become far more divided than the one Obama entered into, with the right wing skewing ever more heavily to the right. So much so that it should be obvious to the democrats that the GOP is to be considered an obstacle at all times, rather than an entity willing, or even worthy, of cooperation. Even if Biden isn't gung-ho on distancing himself from the GOP and forging ahead without them for whatever reason, I've no doubt people like Pelosi and Schumer have far more conviction in doing so.


Though I'll say again, the counting isn't finished. I'm saving any celebrating for when the races are called.

[Felya]

At which point the voters need to remind them just how much they worked with the Democrats under Obama and Trumps last 2 years and just how much they compromised with them during Trumps first 2 years. If the Democrats are that spineless, they NEED to be primaried by candidates with balls who aren't just paper tigers playing lip service at best and the Democrats need to find a better redeeming quality than "We aren't as shitty as they are".

It doesn’t mater... the problem with liberals, is the same reason why we vote for them... they seem to care, with healthcare and shit... this is not people who will be able to resist the puppy eyes of GOP crying that they are in pain.

[Fugus]

At this point, I think just adopting the Wyoming Option which address representation in Congress and by extension the Presidential electors and admitting the 2 states would be a huge boon to fixing much of the issues, especially if we can outlaw gerrymandering at a federal level (If that part is even possible).

[Kaleredar]

It doesn’t mater... the problem with liberals, is the same reason why we vote for them... they seem to care, with healthcare and shit... this is not people who will be able to resist the puppy eyes of GOP crying that they are in pain.

I have a distinctly different impression... Obama, despite having a super majority for half of his first term, deigned to reach down to the GOP in an effort to unite the country against increasing partisanship... an effort he was promptly bitten on the hand for, and essentially wasted a tremendous amount of political capitol because he erroneously believed that the GOP politicians weren't actually just a bunch of rats only interested in power.

I really don't get the impression that the democrats ever "felt bad" for the GOP politicians... and I really don't think, among non-zero numbers of GOP politicians attempting to reject Biden's appointment, that they'll engender much sympathy if the democrats can secure the majority in the senate.

[beanman12345]

The problem is, losing a Dem seat in a traditionally red place like WV is bad. Like, is there a Dem who can win in WV besides Joe Manchin?

If we give up on Joe Manchin and WV, where do we find new Dem Senators? Florida seems to have gone far right. We have double blue in NY and the NE, except for Maine, and Susan Collins is toast soon. I guess Pennsylvania, solidifying the blue wall to include Senators might be in order?

I have very little faith that a Dem majority will do jack shit. We had a 59 seat advantage and we did jack shit last time around, because of the filibuster, and us respecting it.

looking at '22 it doesn't look like republicans have any pickups, but dem's have 2 potential pick ups in wisconsin and pennsylvania, but still to lose a democrat senator in WV, who is popular enough to win re-election the heart of trumpism, is the wrong play.

[cubby]

The problem is, losing a Dem seat in a traditionally red place like WV is bad. Like, is there a Dem who can win in WV besides Joe Manchin?

If we give up on Joe Manchin and WV, where do we find new Dem Senators? Florida seems to have gone far right. We have double blue in NY and the NE, except for Maine, and Susan Collins is toast soon. I guess Pennsylvania, solidifying the blue wall to include Senators might be in order?

I have very little faith that a Dem majority will do jack shit. We had a 59 seat advantage and we did jack shit last time around, because of the filibuster, and us respecting it.

Interestingly, the longest serving Senator is U.S. history was a Democrat from West Virginia: Senator Robert Byrd.

I don't know how that worked out, nor now another Democrat won a seat. I would always think of West Virginia as hardcore Red. And yet they've had Blue representation for 60+ years.

[Fugus]

It doesn’t mater... the problem with liberals, is the same reason why we vote for them... they seem to care, with healthcare and shit... this is not people who will be able to resist the puppy eyes of GOP crying that they are in pain.

The liberals I have met aren't like that, the ones who want the same stuff as them but pretending to actually care for the populace on the other hand will pretend to in a moments notice.

The liberals I have met wouldn't be that dumb. If someone has no issues pointing a gun at you and laughing about it with the full intents on pulling the trigger, you don't give them even chance to put you into a position to do it again just because they cry, especially when they spent over a decade showing you how they don't care about what you think or whats best so long as they can game it for themselves. They know that they would be screwing their kids over trying to play nice to people who would spit on them and their kids the moment the option presented it.

[cubby]

looking at '22 it doesn't look like republicans have any pickups, but dem's have 2 potential pick ups in wisconsin and pennsylvania, but still to lose a democrat senator in WV, who is popular enough to win re-election the heart of trumpism, is the wrong play.

Agreed. We cannot afford to lose anyone on the Blue side. So Manchin is off limits, and to be placated.

2022 will be interesting. Way out of left field, I predict a huge swing Blue. COVID "cured", economy on the upswing. Huge infrastructure bill to bring back millions of jobs. "A time of celebration, with Democrats leading".

[Kaleredar]

Interestingly, the longest serving Senator is U.S. history was a Democrat from West Virginia: Senator Robert Byrd.

I don't know how that worked out, nor now another Democrat won a seat. I would always think of West Virginia as hardcore Red. And yet they've had Blue representation for 60+ years.

Well, West Virginia did come into existence so that they could be separate from Virginia when the latter dipped off to kill American soldiers in the civil war, so... perhaps that progressive streak exists enough to otherwise stand against the south's obsession with championing traitorous slavers that keeps the region overall pretty red.

[Felya]

I have a distinctly different impression... Obama, despite having a super majority for half of his first term, deigned to reach down to the GOP in an effort to unite the country against increasing partisanship... an effort he was promptly bitten on the hand for, and essentially wasted a tremendous amount of political capitol because he believed that the GOP politicians weren't actually a bunch of rats.

I really don't get the impression that the democrats ever "felt bad" for the GOP politicians... and I really don't think, among non-zero numbers of GOP politicians attempting to reject Biden's appointment, that they'll engender much sympathy if the democrats can secure the majority in the senate.

That’s exactly what I mean... they care about the constituents, even when their elected officials bite their hand. Did all the crying about economic anxiety, something ever reflected in Trump?

[PACOX]

Yeah, um, no. Kid gloves. If he switches parties the Senate flips to GOP. I wouldn't be surprised if McConnell isn't already sending out feelers on that.

Damn right he is already compromised.

Joe doesn't give an actual damn about the party and will gladly flip or hold up legislation to get his way so there's no point in treating him otherwise,crazy even. He is a Democrat because Republicans treat him like shit, a toy to be used and tossed around, he needs to be reminded of that. Don't give him the power or the perception of power even if he holds. He can while but be a team player or go down the road where they are going to treat him like shit.

Senate Democrats need to operate under the assumption that they are going into the game 49-51 hoping to flip a Republican despite Joe's bullshit.

[Kaleredar]

That’s exactly what I mean... they care about the constituents, even when their elected officials bite their hand. Did all the crying about economic anxiety, something ever reflected in Trump?

Caring about the GOP's constituency doesn't mean caving to the GOP politician's wishes. In fact, I feel it means quite the opposite.

It means instituting policies the constituents might not actually like at face value, but that will actually help them and raise their standard of living despite that.

[eschatological]

Interestingly, the longest serving Senator is U.S. history was a Democrat from West Virginia: Senator Robert Byrd.

I don't know how that worked out, nor now another Democrat won a seat. I would always think of West Virginia as hardcore Red. And yet they've had Blue representation for 60+ years.

I mean, the dude was elected when Southern Dems were still a thing because Democrats were the old party of the Confederacy. Not to mention Byrd was a former KKK member. It's just that......WV voters never replaced him when he renounced the KKK and the Democratic Party became the party of cities, minorities, and the academic elite.

[Hollycakes]

Kelly Loeffler is so loyal to Trump she also lost an election in Georgia.

Twinsies.

[PhaelixWW]

Agreed. We cannot afford to lose anyone on the Blue side. So Manchin is off limits, and to be placated.

2022 will be interesting. Way out of left field, I predict a huge swing Blue. COVID "cured", economy on the upswing. Huge infrastructure bill to bring back millions of jobs. "A time of celebration, with Democrats leading".

I think it depends a lot on what the Democrats try to get done in the next two years with a stacked house. They should focus the first two years on rebuilding efforts and executive orders. Then, once they make those gains in 2022, go for broke. PR and DC statehood might have to wait until then, because I'm not sure Manchin is pro-statehood.