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He’s the match; we’re the ammo. Only we can stop ourselves - Trump thread 86

977 replies

TheClaws · 30/10/2018 03:24

This is one of the most apt political cartoon I’ve seen.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3393501-Couldnt-think-of-a-pithy-quote-so-have-this-instead-Trump-85

He’s the match; we’re the ammo. Only we can stop ourselves - Trump thread 86
OP posts:
Thread gallery
41
TheClaws · 07/11/2018 03:42

Fox News

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@FoxNews
Following Following @FoxNews
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Ocasio-Cortez wins House seat, becoming youngest woman elected to Congress

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TheClaws · 07/11/2018 03:45

Scott Dworkin

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@funder
11m11 minutes ago
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USA! USA! USA! Dems win the House!

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TheClaws · 07/11/2018 03:47

The Hill

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@thehill
7m7 minutes ago
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Democrat Chrissy Houlahan flips House seat in Pennsylvania hill.cm/7UZxOgy

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TheClaws · 07/11/2018 03:48

James Comey

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@Comey
1m1 minute ago
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We will now have a balance of power, which is a very good thing for our republic. Signs of an awakening are everywhere tonight. The giant is stirring. Do not stop speaking and living American values

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AcrossthePond55 · 07/11/2018 03:48

MSNBC reporting that the (new) House Ways and Means Committee intends to request Scrotus' tax returns. This doesn't require a vote, nor does it require Senate agreement.

TheClaws · 07/11/2018 03:50

Washington Post 🗳️

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@washingtonpost
1m1 minute ago
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Breaking: Republicans have retained control of the U.S. Senate wapo.st/2Dpy1G5

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TheClaws · 07/11/2018 03:52

Democrats take the House: call via Bloomberg. I’m taking a break now!

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-07/democrats-take-control-of-house-as-they-aim-to-thwart-trump

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TheClaws · 07/11/2018 04:25

Sorry, I interrupt my forecasted break for this stupid Trump tweet. He appears to believe he has won everything.

Donald J. Trump

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@realDonaldTrump
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Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!

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AcrossthePond55 · 07/11/2018 04:35

Gavin Newsom (D) predicted winner of CA Governorship. Yay!

Feinstein (D-CA) predicted to return to Senate. This is a bit moot as her opponent was also a Democrat.

Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC) saying that it appears the Dems will pick up 30 seats in the House; estimate new count is 230 Dem, 205 GOP. And that a record 100 women will be serving in the House of Representatives.

One of the really great things about this shift is that Devin Nunes will be booted from the chairmanship of the House Intel Ctme and will be replaced by Adam Schiff.

BolleauxtoBankers · 07/11/2018 05:03

Good morning, and thanks to you lovely people in the US who've been keeping us up to date all night.

I'll be honest, I'm very disappointed about the Senate, and also about Beto O'Rourke and Andrew Gillum not winning. However, below are some positive aspects of this election:

"Brian Krassenstein
@krassenstein
1h1 hour ago

BREAKING: The Democrats Will Win the House!

This means:

  • Adam Schiff will be the Chairman of the House Intel Committee and reopen the Trump/Russia Probe
  • Trump Impeachment is almost certain
  • Kavanaugh Investigation will likely be opened
  • Trump is now gridlocked!
  • NO WALL!"

I want to know if this also means that the blocking of voters' rights and gerrymandering which has gone on since the GOP has dominated both Senate and House to such dramatic anti-Democratic effect, can now be amended, before the 2020 election?

BolleauxtoBankers · 07/11/2018 05:14

This:
Bryce Tache
🇺🇸
@brycetache

One more thing... imagine how big Dem wins would be if there weren’t voter suppression, if there weren’t obscene gerrymandering, if there weren’t racist robocalls and ads demonizing people of color. Imagine.

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 07/11/2018 05:20

Taniel
@Taniel
Earth-shattering result: Wake County, NC (Raleigh) just ousted very-longtime GOP sheriff Donnie Harrison, one of single most ICE-friendly sheriffs.

Harrison is in a 287(g) deal, one of closest forms of ICE cooperation. His challenger Gerald Baker has said he'd withdraw from it.

This comes in the heels of two other NC counties that ousted their ICE-friendly sheriffs in the primaries: Durham & Mecklenburg (Charlotte).

You've seen me talk a lot about the Raleigh election here. On top of immigration,
@theappeal
has reported on the aggressive policing practices Harrison has overseen: theappeal.org/north-carolina-sheriff-criticized-for-unleashing-k-9-dogs-on-black-people-faces-re-election/

It's just such a change for how people vote in law enforcement elections: suddenly, candidates challenging the idea you should be as aggressive and punitive as possible are winning against candidates who warn any change will mean a collapse in public safety.

AcrossthePond55 · 07/11/2018 05:23

Bolleaux, anything that requires votes in both the House and Senate will probably 'stall' due to partisanship. On the upside, that includes budgets submitted by Scrotus and legislation proposed by the GOP at his behest. The downside is that if Scrotus is impeached by the House, the vote to remove him from office will most surely go down to defeat in the Senate.

Gerrymandering is pretty much controlled at the state level as that's where districts are drawn. Districts are drawn based on the US census data. The next census isn't until 2020, so not much redistricting will be done until after that date. It's assumed that states with Dem Governors will see quite a bit of redistricting after 2020 and governors elected tonight will be serving until 2022.

TheClaws · 07/11/2018 05:25

The MAGA boys won’t like this.

ox News

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@FoxNews
52m52 minutes ago
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The Fox News Decision Desk can now project that Democratic Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow will win a fourth term by defeating Republican businessman John James, a combat veteran who was strongly backed by President Trump.

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BolleauxtoBankers · 07/11/2018 05:28

The lovely Dan Rather wrote this a couple of hours ago:
"I know. I see it all too. You don't need the numbers game from me. There is no way to cut this other than we are a deeply divided country, closely so, bitterly so, but in many cases not on the side of the divide that I believe many of you would have hoped to have found ourselves now. High hopes crash against reality.

There will be no big blue wave, but when we wake up there will be many seeds for optimism in the final analysis. These will have to be nurtured. All of that seems so distant now, I know. And painful. But we must recognize that life is big and complicated. And we face many challenges in our personal, professional and civic lives. No matter what happens in the end today, we have to be ready to fight on — whatever our political party or policy persuasions— for a more just, more united America.. We will need new strategies. Victory may be distant or difficult but I refuse to give in. I do not see quitting or throwing up hands in despair as in the spirit of this country, a country I will continue to love with all of my being.

I hug my wife. And talk to loved ones near and far. I will choose to continue. And never, never, ever quit in the never ending struggle for an ever more perfect union."

and then this, an hour ago:
"I think with a lot of high hopes crashing for Democratic voters in places like Florida and with Beto, there is maybe a drastic underappreciation of how Democratic control of the House will change the course of this country. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very big deal."

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 07/11/2018 05:31

THE GOOD FIGHT CONTINUES

crooked.com/articles/trump-democrats-house-majority/

[...]Republicans will continue to stack the courts, warping the democracy well into the future against popular will, and, should we reach that crossroads, they can also block an impeachment conviction. The Constitution doesn’t plainly require the Senate to try an impeached official, which means a serial norm violator like Mitch McConnell could spare Trump’s presidency with an abrupt partisan change to precedent.

But nothing McConnell does can change the fact that Democrats will have real oversight power, the power to obtain Trump’s tax returns, to subpoena executive branch records, and give form and detail to the breathtaking corruption of this administration. They can complete the vetting of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, get inside the books of the Trump organization, and devote good faith and resources to a real, truth-seeking Russia investigation.

BolleauxtoBankers · 07/11/2018 05:33

Hello, Across, thank you for that explanation. I hate gerrymandering, it is the root of the red wave as far as I'm concerned, it's just cheating by another name.

How are you feeling about the results tonight?

AcrossthePond55 · 07/11/2018 05:39

It's turning out pretty much as I expected. I tried to believe we could flip the Senate, but never really believed it. I believed we'd take control of the House by a larger number than we did. I guess I would say that I'm 'quietly pleased'. Having the House under Dem control is going to make a big difference as far as blocking the GOP/Scrotus agenda. We may not get much of our own agenda passed, but there's still a lot to look forward to.

AcrossthePond55 · 07/11/2018 05:43

And now I'm off to bed. I don't think there are going to be any more surprises tonight.

BolleauxtoBankers · 07/11/2018 05:46

What do we think are the chances of getting rid of Trump in 2020? I can't help feeling, if there wasn't a massive "blue wave" this time, what do we you have to do to change things so that Democrats get a clear win in Congress in 2020?

BolleauxtoBankers · 07/11/2018 05:46

Sorry, forgot to thank GrinitchSpinach for the explanation you kindly gave me yesterday.

I've just seen this New Yorker cartoon from early yesterday.

He’s the match; we’re the ammo. Only we can stop ourselves - Trump thread 86
OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 07/11/2018 05:48

Clara Jeffery
@ClaraJeffery
GOP just elected TWO congressmen under federal indictment

[they are Chris Collins and Duncan hunter]

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 07/11/2018 05:52

Gerrymandering and voter suppression have to be addressed. The 2020 census might give some opportunity for that but those two tactics have had a huge impact. Eg

Sam Wang
@SamWangPhD
Current margin between Kemp (R) and Abrams (D): 217,000 votes.

Number of challenged and purged registrations: nearly 400,000 voters.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/midterms-might-result-expanded-voting-rights/574441/

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 07/11/2018 06:04

Adam Schiff will lead the house intelligence committee (so long nunes) and Elijah Cummings the house oversight committee.

Tim Mak
@timkmak
How will House Oversight Cmte check Trump admin?

“Congressman Cummings will try to conduct investigations on a bipartisan basis and attempt to use subpoenas only as a last resort,” a Democratic committee aide told NPR, adding Cummings wants to see Trump's tax returns.

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 07/11/2018 06:08

Ari Berman
Ari Berman
@AriBerman
Huge night for voting rights:

Florida restores voting rights to 1.4 million

Michigan passes automatic & Election Day registration + independent redistricting commission

Kris Kobach loses in Kansas

And

Samuel Sinyangwe
@samswey
40% of all black men in the state of Florida just became eligible to vote today. Think about that.

Here’s how the 40% figure is determined. Estimates of the black population in Florida who have already completed their sentence range from 18%-28%. The Sentencing Project has 18%: www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/6-Million-Lost-Voters.pdf

New research shows a higher 28%:
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13524-017-0611-1

But the vast majority of those disenfranchised in Florida are men. Men are 93% of those currently incarcerated in Florida. So 18-28% of black people overall is more like 35-45% of black men in particular who were disenfranchised just a few hours ago and are now eligible to vote.