DRW50

I'd say that's poor Harriet, but Finn's up there.

How awful. Belinda Onswu (Libby)'s brother has been stabbed to death. http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/ziggy_owusu_eastenders_actress_belinda_owusu_makes_emotional_appeal_after_brother_stabbed_to_death_1_4770436

I know some say they're still together. I'm not sure. The whole scene was awkward, yes. I did love that when Finn found out he tried to beat Ross' ass, even though Ross is so much stronger and a scary guy. It was nice to be reminded of how much Finn cares about Victoria as their friendship has been MIA for ages.

I read that McConnell is already saying no no no to some of Trump's plans, like term limits for Congress and more money for roads. No surprise there. They'll push what they want and plenty of red meat for the bigots but McConnell is the brick wall to any true change. If Trump doesn't know it now he will soon.

Elizabeth Estensen is so different to Diane. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as9rFhpOS_s

Sad news. Wasn't she briefly on a soap?

Both Hope and Mike should have returned permanently, or as strong recurring characters. They didn't mostly because GL and P&G were ashamed of its past.

I would yes. Millennial voters are notoriously fickle and deluded. I doubt it would have offset the many voters who would have never gone near Bernie Sanders.

Very eloquently said. I had not seen any of their original material for eons but I loved them, especially Garrett's work as Holly. It was almost startling watching her original run (what there is of it), because while she still gives good performances, the character is so much more basic. The time away and the generally more complex writing for women on GL in the best years of her second stint were a blessing for her. It's amazing to think how if a few things had gone differently, she may never have returned and may have just been a footnote of a few years like Evie or Hope.

I've never trusted them since they helped send us to war in 2002.

How awful. It reminds me of reports earlier this year like the two Muslim women in NYC who had an insane woman (I think she was a Trump supporter) trying to push over their baby carriages. I imagine the reports of harassment will keep going up and up, with many turning a blind eye. America has always been hypocritical about "all are welcome" - they've been trying to turf people out for centuries. But this time around they are just blatantly saying all people who aren't white (and straight and gentile, I guess) should burn in hell. Once this becomes codified into law, as it likely will sometime in the next 4 years, it's going to probably be carnage in the streets.

2001-2006 was pretty rough. The only reason Democrats had the Senate was because Jim Jeffords left the GOP and that gave Democrats control for about a year and half. That also meant Roberts and Alito on the Court - Roberts, for all the far right rage at him, has helped unleash a slew of rulings that have helped damage America, especially the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. The main difference between then and now was Rove wanted to build things up while Trump's people want to burn it down.

She's such an idiot - my favorite was when she said Trump was a role model. I guess it will go into recount but I hope it sticks. Anyway, I was reading this about the UK leader reactions. I don't think Corbyn is much of a leader, to be honest, as he seems to often have his head trapped inside his hindquarters, but his statement is surprisingly nuanced compared to many. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/09/theresa-may-congratulates-us-election-win

Pence is likely even worse than Trump. Not just his social views, but he too believes in propaganda above all else - he tried to push this in Indiana. The best I can hope for with SCOTUS is that Trump just picks random people, although most likely he will be given a list of extreme far right judicial activists. Hell at this point I'd say even his sister would be better.

What Democrats need to do is oppose, oppose, oppose. Don't worry about grooming new young stars, because most of them end up losing anyway when they try to run for higher offices. Obama came out of nowhere in 2004 and refused to listen to the chatter that he needed to wait and not run in 2008 - he knew the time was narrow, and he was absolutely right. Republicans won this year in part because they nominated a lunatic who had no connections to the party beyond birther extremism. When you run on opposing and opposing and opposing, then you have a higher chance of having an automatic voter base every 2 years. That's the real difference between the parties though - no matter how much the media and the Beltway (who still weep for McCain, Marco and Mitt) try to dance around it, the GOP exists just to sow hatred, fear and destruction in every system of governance. At first it likely was just a sham to win elections, but now it's got their party hostage, whether they like it or not. And this type of lashing out is always going to get results. I wouldn't want Democrats to be like that, but they can't just keep hoping and talking about how things are changing. Generally, changes can be reversed - with frightening ease. No.

I heard a bit about that but didn't know the contents. I wish it had come out earlier. I feel like there was an absurdly long period of time where the whole discussion of the election revolved around St. Bernie and how the elitist "Third Way" Democrats were going to ruin America, instead of any actual focus on how terrifying and dangerous Trump was. The response was usually, "Yes, but they're both bad!" and "You're taking away my free speech!" I wasn't surprised that these Bernie supporters popped up in droves last night gloating. They are utterly worthless, even as Bernie himself, who, you know, has actually done something in his life, realized the true stakes of this election many months ago. Yeah I remember reading it this summer, I think. It did have some good points. So much so that Trump supporters were pushing it the last few weeks. I wonder if he regrets it now.

Didn't he end up going back and forth on that? I think it sort of underscores what happens when these "voices of the people" worry too much about their own brands and not wanting to fall out of favor.

Other than pet projects (as Vee or someone said, enemies lists, and likely working on his brand), I imagine he will have other people do everything. The Breitbart people, Fooliani, that vile Pence whose only real goal is making America into a theocracy. I wonder if Christie has been frozen out in more recent weeks. I also have a feeling the lunatics in the House will take this opportunity to jettison Paul Ryan to get one of their own around for this historic opportunity. Mitch McConnell's will look even more like a roadkill turtle by summer. Anyway, not that there is any real good news, but at least it looks like the cretinous, sickening Pat McCrory was booted by NC voters after he drove tens of millions of dollars out of the state for the sake of a hate law. And this was with Trump winning at the top of the ticket. It shows that even the easiest and most gullible have their limits. http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2016/11/09/north_carolina_gov_pat_mccrory_lost_thanks_to_hb2.html That's what happens when so many frou-frou liberals spend a year telling everyone that there is no difference between Hillary and Trump and why bother.

This is a terrible night and I'm genuinely frightened for the world and for my country, but it's not the same thing at all. She was treated so horribly in 2008. I doubt she ever wants to deal with that again.

Not to minimize...any of this, but it is unbelievably surreal to now live in a country where Ivanka "brand? what brand?" Trump will have major influence on national and global politics. Trump's closing ad was essentially a clarion call for anti-Semitism. I wonder if those Jewish Republicans who kept their mouths shut for their own agenda this year will ever speak up. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/anti-semitism-is-no-longer-an-undertone-of-trumps-campaign-its-the-melody/2016/11/07/b1ad6e22-a50a-11e6-8042-f4d111c862d1_story.html

Yes, although when they controlled Congress off and on from 2001-2006 they still didn't go extremely far. But that was Rove - the Breitbart lunatics will be much less restrained.

Very well said. As always. I always respect you and what you have to say. It will be bad - I'm too numb to really cater to the doomsday brigades at places like Daily Kos (now I remember why I stopped going there), but it will be bad - but there are also a lot of strong people who will help us through. If anyone knows anybody out there struggling with their mental health, maybe give them a call, because I've already seen people saying they may attempt suicide.

POC had the ugliest hurdles of this election season - of so many election seasons - and yet always turned out. It's likely that some will blame them, but those people are idiots. I still remember the people who tried to blame gays for Kerry losing in 2004. To some Democrats, it's always about finding someone to blame. Those people can kiss my ass. The truth is that time and time again hate and fear is underestimated, and voter suppression efforts help cement the people who flock to the polls every 2 years lashing out in terror. Trump was an unknown. Trump was an outsider. Trump said things you aren't supposed to say. I think that many Democrats on high assumed that the average voter would be repulsed. And many were. But many are enthralled by this. Many others just got numb. I saw an ad last week, an anti-Trump ad, that was just clip after clip of him saying awful things. It was so much, so fast, that I quickly zoned out. If I, who am terrified and horrified by him, had that reaction, I can't imagine what others who weren't as committed would do. People underestimated Trump from day 1. Those who knew better turned out in record numbers. Those who didn't have damned us all.

I still have some respect for PBS (I have none for NPR or for cable or network news - well, CBS is OK, I guess), so I'm glad they haven't let me down. But so much of the media is just full of deluded, dangerous sycophants. They created Trump and he will make them pay.