It's election day, vote if you haven't. Vote early, vote once, vote if you're legally eligible. Don't vote if you are not legally eligible, and don't facilitate anyone who's not legally eligible to vote. In the absence of clearly evident vote fraud that is well documented, don't immediately default to "illegitimate" if the outcome doesn't go your way.
Based on the polls, it seems likely that there will be a 40-60 seat swing in the house, and a GOP majority in the senate. Does this constitute a "Red Wave"? I don't know.
One recent news story, that is troubling, is the increase of districts/states who are making excuses for not being able to get ballots counted quickly. Especially the ones claiming it'll take several days. Given the fact that most of these seem to be blue strongholds, this does raise some questions. I'd expect some scrutiny of these areas just to reassure people that the count is correct.
What I'm interested in is the response of folx on the left if the GOP does well. I'm especially interested in the demographic breakdowns. Polling is showing us that there might be a swing away from the DFL among certain "minority" demographics, and it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. Mostly what'll be interesting is to see how the MSM will spin a GOP win tonight (or a GOP loss). I'm especially intrigued by how folx like Dan will respond.
One last thought. After the 2020 election, I expect to there y'all who've been bitching about election deniers come down hard on folx like Stacey Abrams if she loses and complains about the election being rigged. She's done it before, there's no reason why she won't do it again.
10 comments:
First, there's already been "predictions" by some Dems, including Biden, that the GOP will cheat, so as to prepare for defeat. In other words, election denying as is common among them every time a Republican wins. Unlike that which occurred in 2020, they do so with nothing akin to actual evidence. It's like when they say a black person failing to get a promotion or a job or anything else is always the result of racism. That is to say, it's enough for them to use the outcome as evidence. If a black person falls short, it must be racism. If the GOP wins, it must be cheating. That's all it takes.
Secondly, this also will likely be how the leftist media spins GOP wins. Where the Dems prevail, however, they'll spin it as some true manifestation of Americanism. One needn't wonder how they'll spin anything.
Art, I'm aware of those predictions, as well as the fact that the MSM has uncritically broadcast them. What I'm asking for is an end to the double standard. If one side is going to bitch about "election deniers", then they need to not engage in the behavior they bitch about. Obviously there will be partisan spin, that's not news. I will point out how absurd it is that our ability to get results quickly has gotten worse, even as technology and communication have gotten faster and better. Clearly not the Red Wave that was predicted, but it's a step in the right direction. My initial impression is that when the GOP fielded candidates that weren't significantly better than the DFL candidate, that the races were tight and the GOP candidates didn't perform well. My second takeaway is that the DFL candidates doubled down on lying about abortion, and way too many people believed the lies.
My third takeaway is that Trump gloating over a GOP loss is CO, isn't a good thing. Trump support seemed to hurt rather than help for the most part.
Your last comment doesn't make sense to me. What do you mean by "CO"? I want to respond, but will wait for clarification.
Art,
I think it's a typo. That Trump gloating over GOP losses, and attacking GOP victors isn't a good thing, is the point.
Frankly, I haven't heard a lot about what he said of GOP losses, as I haven't been seeking out his opinion on any of this. Thus, I can't speak to his opinions on the matter. However, in the same vein, others are pointing to him as a reason for GOP losses and in the cases where such people are ostensibly conservative or right-leaning, I don't see that as a good thing, either, or no more significant that just one more reason among many...many of which are likely more likely to be the reason.
In the meantime, I'd like everyone to make up their minds as to whether Trump is supposed to be a major factor in GOP politics or someone who's time is past. If the latter, who cares what he says?
Art,
I think Trump's reaction to the GOP performance is important. The fact that he's blaming others for the candidates he endorsed, attacking Youngkin and DeSantis, and the like tells me that he's less concerned about any sort of party or movement victory, than he is about clearing the field for his 2024 run. His inability to take responsibility for his endorsements, doesn't speak well of him either.
The problem is that there are plenty of people who think his time is past, unfortunately he thinks differently. As long as he's positioning himself for a 2024 run, endorsing bad candidates, and going scorched earth on his perceived challengers, what he says matters.
Has he rejected his endorsements or the candidates he endorsed? Or do you mean he isn't taking responsibility for endorsement of them being the reason they lost?
And what, exactly, made the endorsed candidates "bad" candidates? Simply because he endorsed them, or because they aren't establishment worthy, which is far more likely. Many of them got no support from the GOP establishment, as if the will of the people which propelled them to the general election is of no importance. Thus, what I need to know is, does money matter to the success of a campaign or doesn't it. If it does, then McConnell refusing to fun candidates such as Blake Masters, or pulling funding from Bolduc clearly indicates they failed not because they were "bad" candidates or because they were endorsed by Trump. It was because the GOP establishment once again cut their own throats...and the nation's as well.
I didn't follow the campaigns of too many of any of these people except to see who was winning and who wasn't. I hoped for the best but didn't forget the stupidity of Dem voters...who are also a far greater reason Trump-endorsed candidates lost than is Trump's endorsement...the Trump hatred of the GOP establishment and of course the ongoing lack of election integrity...as we're seeing in states like AZ.
As to "plenty of people", the reality is that they want his time to be over and it can be if people choose to disregard him. But there's nothing about his ability which dictates it must be. If a majority of people elect someone who runs against him for the nomination, then it's likely he'll never again be president later, such as in 2028. I know YOU won't be voting for him and not knowing who else will running makes no difference. I'll wait and see.
"Has he rejected his endorsements or the candidates he endorsed? Or do you mean he isn't taking responsibility for endorsement of them being the reason they lost?"
I've seen both. The most egregious was his blaming Melania for getting him to endorse Oz.
Multiple factors. Inexperience, not necessarily conservative, tone deaf campaigns, for some examples. Again, Oz lost to a guy who's health is a major concern. Walker (who's got plenty of baggage) couldn't beat Warnock.
"Thus, what I need to know is, does money matter to the success of a campaign or doesn't it. If it does, then McConnell refusing to fun candidates such as Blake Masters, or pulling funding from Bolduc clearly indicates they failed not because they were "bad" candidates or because they were endorsed by Trump. It was because the GOP establishment once again cut their own throats...and the nation's as well."
I'm not saying that Trump's endorsement/support was the only reason that these candidates lost, but the fact that Trump candidates did poorly across the board, doesn't mean that we can ignore a common denominator. I am saying that if Trump chose to support bad candidates, then doesn't that call his judgement into question? If Trump is blaming others for his choices, is that a good character trait?
Yes, there are plenty of people who want to focus on the future of the conservative movement. Who realize that Trump backed candidates didn't fare well in the midterms. It's not unreasonable to suggest that Trump cost the GOP control of the senate (or at least was one of the major factors).
You don't know anything of the sort. What I'll say is that I will do everything I can to defeat Trump in the primaries, and to support a candidate who can win in 2024.
"I'm not saying that Trump's endorsement/support was the only reason that these candidates lost, but the fact that Trump candidates did poorly across the board, doesn't mean that we can ignore a common denominator."
The most salient and definitive common denominator was a lack of party support. We saw the same thing during the Tea Party days. Perhaps you've forgotten. McConnell came right out and denounced all our Senate candidates as inferior. (Thanks, asshole. With "friends" like you...)
"If Trump is blaming others for his choices, is that a good character trait?"
The question is whether or not the blame is just. You say the candidates he endorsed were crap. But they won their primaries. So now you have to ask why that was. Were their opponents worse than they, or does Trump have the support you no longer think he does and his supporters are all the stupid people Dems and other Trump-haters say they are?
Let's say the ARE crap, and the people who voted for them in the primaries ARE stupid. Does that justify withholding support by the GOP establishment who are supposed to be working for and representing the people? If each of these Trump-endorsed candidates are morons...not likely...the "smart" people can still support and guide them once elected, right?
But it's crystal clear your hatred of Trump is all that matters. There can be no other reason for those he endorsed not faring well but that Trump endorsed them and they sucked in the first place.
Now...all this is not to say that Trump wasn't a factor. But I submit he was an artificial negative factor. That is, it was just TDS which was at play and unfortunately, it still permeates throughout the land, including this blog. So long as people have decided "Orange Man Bad", it relieves one of the heavy lifting required to provide a more legit reason to rebuke him. We can ignore how much better things were after he was elected than they were before him, and how so much more horrid it's become since he was denied a second term. We can just rest easy on "Orange Man Bad" and pretend without him all the other factors which arguably have more impact for good or ill don't exist.
Trump CAN win in 2024 if he had the full support of all conservatives and those who pretend to be. He CAN win if his record is highlighted rather than the insignificant crap upon which too many focus to blame him for tragedy. This is true of ANYBODY we put up against the Dems.
In the meantime, I can't wait to see who else will run in the primaries. Then we can discuss who among them would serve us better than Trump can and likely will. I hope there is such a person. I really do. This petty bullshit has to end, though I believe it never will because of how many are responding with nothing more substantive than "Orange Man Bad". The petty bullshit will just move on like Dems moving on to call the next GOP candidate a racist.
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