2014 American Midterm Election Thread

[mythbuster43]

As my mother put it, "Democrats couldn't keep hold of their dicks if they had superglued them to their hands."

Harsh, but true. They are as much to blame as the Koch brothers for the election of obstructionist partisan pro-gridlock Republicans by a country tired of partisanship and gridlock.

[mythbuster43]

Although even given all of this information, I can't fathom how the voters of Maine were ignorant enough to reelect Paul LePage, an incumbent who has done literally nothing except rant about the outdated and irrelevant demons of "welfare fraud," talk shit about unions, spread wild conspiracy theories about Obama's "war on whites" and climate change being a fraud, and just generally being a disgrace to the state. He's proven himself to be a demagogue with no leadership abilities whatsoever. Even Rick Perry is a better governor than LePage.

Unless rural Maine can be described as a chunk of Mississippi that broke off, I'm stumped by this.

[Witchyjoshy]

Simple:

People are gullible idiots.

[niam2023]

-Spuki having a neurotic fit-

...Damn that reads like a psychotic break in progress.

Has SpukiKitty gone on these kinds of...episodes...often? I mean, it sounds serious. Age of Aquarius? Dwapara Yuga? What the heck is all of this New Age woo?

[Vypernight]

And . . . with Scott, Bondi, and Crenshaw (among other R's) still in office, FL continues to remain in the stone age.  I believe though that, with so many people voting NPA, that the Dems shot themselves in the foot by backing Crist.  Whether he was sincere or not, too many people did not trust him, even if they hate Scott.  And it was just enough to sway votes in Scott's favor.

[Sleepy]

I checked Virginia results this morning and Warner barely won. Whew, that was terrifying.

Since the GOP has Senate control now, I suspect we'll see more of the same old getting absolutely nothing done. Good job, America.

[ironbite]

Yeah Warner won.  Barely and there will be a recount but he won.

Ironbite-shame about Comstock getting in.

[Dakota Bob]

Given the choice between Republican-lite and Republican, is it a surprise people decided to go full Republican?

[Random Gal]

As far as I can tell, the only Democrats who won in Virginia were incumbents. And don't think Warner's seat is completely safe; the margin of victory was narrow enough to potentially allow a recount.

Regarding the choice between Republican and Republican-lite, I will remind you that the "Republican-lite" Bill Clinton managed to beat Republicans twice. Not that he managed to avoid government shutdowns and impeachment threats by being a centrist, mind you.

[Ultimate Paragon]

As far as I can tell, the only Democrats who won in Virginia were incumbents. And don't think Warner's seat is completely safe; the margin of victory was narrow enough to potentially allow a recount.

Regarding the choice between Republican and Republican-lite, I will remind you that the "Republican-lite" Bill Clinton managed to beat Republicans twice. Not that he managed to avoid government shutdowns and impeachment threats by being a centrist, mind you.

True, but one has to remember the fact that Bush and Dole both also had to contend with Ross Perot.  On the other hand, I think his influence has been overestimated.

[Nemo]

As far as I can tell, the only Democrats who won in Virginia were incumbents. And don't think Warner's seat is completely safe; the margin of victory was narrow enough to potentially allow a recount.

Regarding the choice between Republican and Republican-lite, I will remind you that the "Republican-lite" Bill Clinton managed to beat Republicans twice. Not that he managed to avoid government shutdowns and impeachment threats by being a centrist, mind you.

True, but one has to remember the fact that Bush and Dole both also had to contend with Ross Perot.  On the other hand, I think his influence has been overestimated.

I suspect that Ross Perot is, if not the reason, at least an explanation, of why the Republicans are further from center. Conservatives proved with Perot that they would be willing to split the vote and screw their party if that's what it took to make the Republicans more ideologically pure. American progressives, by contrast, can get easily excited, but don't often stay committed to making change. Look at the Occupy Wall Street, the Coffee Party, etc.

[Ironchew]

Conservatives proved with Perot that they would be willing to split the vote and screw their party if that's what it took to make the Republicans more ideologically pure.

Pretty much exactly what I've been saying progressives need to do. If they voted en masse outside the Democratic party and made them lose a few high-profile elections, the Democrats would come crawling to their platform.

American progressives, by contrast, can get easily excited, but don't often stay committed to making change. Look at the Occupy Wall Street, the Coffee Party, etc.

You can't ignore the fact that police brutalize left-wing protesters as often as possible while leaving right-wing protests alone. Cliven Bundy and his pals were able to aim guns at federal officials and they got off scot-free, but OWS regularly got faces full of pepper spray and mass arrests for standing around.

[SpaceProg]

Well'p,  GA's still red as blood and probably will be forever.  And now, I go on with my life because both sides suck and politicians lie.

[Random Gal]

Conservatives proved with Perot that they would be willing to split the vote and screw their party if that's what it took to make the Republicans more ideologically pure.

Pretty much exactly what I've been saying progressives need to do. If they voted en masse outside the Democratic party and made them lose a few high-profile elections, the Democrats would come crawling to their platform.

That did happen once when Nader ran in 2000, but I don't recall it getting the Democrats to be more progressive or anything.

[Ironchew]

Conservatives proved with Perot that they would be willing to split the vote and screw their party if that's what it took to make the Republicans more ideologically pure.

Pretty much exactly what I've been saying progressives need to do. If they voted en masse outside the Democratic party and made them lose a few high-profile elections, the Democrats would come crawling to their platform.

That did happen once when Nader ran in 2000, but I don't recall it getting the Democrats to be more progressive or anything.

That's because not enough progressives did it. If Bush had won a landslide election in 2000 because of a split vote between Gore and Nader, Democrats would've started paying attention.