3 minutes ago, Juliajms said:

^ Yes, I do relish getting rid of some of the worst ones. I also celebrate some of the firsts, even though I don't agree with all of their positions. There were some real victories last night. I was seriously worried that the elections would be hacked, so in the big picture it's a relief to me that doesn't seem to have happened.

 

I remember as a child my mother telling me that felons lost their right to vote with the implication that this was the way it was and the way it should be. It's not something I questioned much until the last few years.  I didn't realize it was rooted in Jim Crow either. Anyway, I'm glad Florida restored people's votes because it seems to me that once people do their time they should have their rights back.

 

Closer to home, I'm thrilled and amazed that Kara Eastman came within three points of Don Bacon.  Carl, this tells me that you were right and a more progressive candidate can motivate people to come out, more than trying to play to the center.  Plus Nebraskans voted to expand Medicaid for all, which I did not expect to happen.

The voting rights issue if you think about it is completely contradictory to what prison is alleged to do, reform. (we know it doesn't). People who serve their time should be allowed to vote again. And I'd love to see a breakdown of the 13,000 felons Rick Scott restored voting rights to in Florida. The good news is that this referendum passed with 65% of the vote(they needed 60%). So it was a bipartisan initiative.

 

As to progressive policies,  Healthcare and Medicaid expansion should be considered bipartisan but it's not. The fact that these referendums are passing all over the country in red states(so are minimum wage increases by the way) should tell people something. When you don't inflict red or blue ideology into it, you get a sense of what people really want. And most want progressive policies IMO, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

Officials scramble to tally absentee ballots in Georgia as a runoff remains a possibility between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp https://t.co/whSBJuGSs4 pic.twitter.com/CjZZ4x5XCS

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 7, 2018

I live in Illinois and in Cook County. I worked to help on Lauren Underwood's campaign and in one of the Cook County Commissioner races, but this IMO is the most gratifying.

 

DuPage County a traditional GOP stronghold and suburban Chicago county, just elected democrats across the county. The County board for example had a slate of all women candidates on the democratic side.

 

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181107/democratic-women-make-unprecedented-gains-in-dupage-county

 

These are the areas we are being told to start rebuilding from the ground up and it's happening in DuPage. And while I hate to say it, JB Pritzker running as our governor and winning in Illinois has been a factor. His influx of money into his own campaign and his help with some of the other statewide candidates and congressional candidates, freed up money to help the state and county races. A democratic woman, Terra Costa Howard, won her state assembly seat over the GOP house floor rep, Peter Breen. Not an upset other than the fact Breen has been established in house leadership for years. But she had money and her commercials the past 2 weeks all over the local stations(radio and TV) have been nonstop.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by JaneAusten

1 hour ago, JaneAusten said:

Legalizing marijuana. Get with it. Most Americans want this. And it can be packaged as part of criminal justice reform/

 

I'll go even further: legalize recreational marijuana, legalize gambling (why should the Native Americans have all the fun? ;)), legalize prostitution.  Enough of this hypocritical "We know what's best for you" b.s.  If they truly knew what was best for us, they'd outlaw (again) the sale and consumption of alcohol, as well as every all you can eat buffet and fast-food joint in the land.  Those things, along with the growing opioid epidemic, is hurting this country more than some damn weed.

 

28 minutes ago, JaneAusten said:

When you don't inflict red or blue ideology into it, you get a sense of what people really want. And most want progressive policies IMO, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

 

They do.  But they also don't want Obama to take away their guns (even though he isn't president anymore and didn't when he was), or Hillary (or her emails) to get away with killing those men in Benghazi (even though the fifty-some-odd-and-counting investigations into the matter have cleared her of any wrongdoing), or Planned Parenthood to sell any more aborted fetuses (which isn't true, has been debunked soundly, etc.).

 

They want girls to stay girls, men to stay men, men and girls to marry each other, people to stand up before the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance ("or else"), and all black and brown people to stay the hell out of America.  The GOP knows that, and so that's what they use to win their votes.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by Khan

10 minutes ago, Khan said:

 

I'll go even further: legalize recreational marijuana, legalize gambling (why should the Native Americans have all the fun? ;)), legalize prostitution.  Enough of this hypocritical "We know what's best for you" b.s.  If they truly knew what was best for us, they'd outlaw (again) the sale and consumption of alcohol, as well as every all you can eat buffet and fast-food joint in the land.

I mostly agree with you and the tax revenue gained would be amazing.  Of the three legalizing gambling would bring a new set of problems to be solved (crime, addiction), but that cat is partially out of the bag anyway.

 

 

3 hours ago, Roman said:

now, today, Democrats need to start looking for more Dems like O'Roerke for two years from now. Rafael will get into some serious trouble here soon, and if Repubs think they will act more Trump-like in the Senate....look at the House and see where that got them.

 

The media was saying how Texas isn't as red as it use to and is slowly turning purple. I firmly believe O'Roerke will run for President in the near future. I really hope he does.

8 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

 

 

The media was saying how Texas isn't as red as it use to and is slowly turning purple. I firmly believe O'Roerke will run for President in the near future. I really hope he does.

The ridiculous part is the media going crazy asking who the GOP stars are now that Beto and Gillum lost. Beto raised 70 million dollars from grassroots donors. Are these idiots really thinking Beto should retire and go knit. No one asked Bernie to retire after he lost the primary and I'd venture to guess the Texas election was a heck of a lot more rigged than the 2016 presidential primary was.

 

And I am not comparing the 2 by any means, but Abe Lincoln lost his senate race to Stephen Douglas. What do we think would have happened if he retired and went off to knit for the rest of his life.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by JaneAusten

6 minutes ago, JaneAusten said:

The ridiculous part is the media going crazy asking who the GOP stars are now that Beto and Gillum lost. Beto raised 70 million dollars from grassroots donors. Are these idiots really thinking Beto should retire and go knit. No one asked Bernie to retire after he lost the primary and I'd venture to guess the Texas election was a heck of a lot more rigged than the 2016 presidential primary was.

 

 

I rolled my eyes at CNN making those comments. I'm like he almost pulled off an upset here. Instead they were talking about how it help the outdated Democrats like Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren keep the faith....ugh...really....???

 

And I noticed that the border of Texas where the troops are now stationed by Trump all voted blue and not red....from north of Laredo to all the way down south to Brownsville was blue. So they aren't buying that wall BS. 

White Women suck.

19 minutes ago, JaneAusten said:

And I am not comparing the 2 by any means, but Abe Lincoln lost his senate race to Stephen Douglas. What do we think would have happened if he retired and went off to knit for the rest of his life.

 

Well, for one thing, Mary Todd Lincoln might have had a better wardrobe. 

Lawd Trumpster press conference is a circus.....

45 minutes ago, Juliajms said:

Of the three legalizing gambling would bring a new set of problems to be solved (crime, addiction), but that cat is partially out of the bag anyway.

 

Exactly.  So what would the harm be in legalizing and/or de-criminalizing those vices in this country?  If anything, they're popular, for lack of a better word, because we tend to look at them as "forbidden fruit;" yet, removing that aura of forbidden-ness through legislation might help remove the appeal.

 

2 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Lawd Trumpster press conference is a circus.....

 

Seriously, when is it not?

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by Khan

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

 

 

 

Seriously, when is it not?

It scares me that people actually voted for this clown in 2016.

54 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

I rolled my eyes at CNN making those comments. I'm like he almost pulled off an upset here. Instead they were talking about how it help the outdated Democrats like Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren keep the faith....ugh...really....???

 

And I noticed that the border of Texas where the troops are now stationed by Trump all voted blue and not red....from north of Laredo to all the way down south to Brownsville was blue. So they aren't buying that wall BS. 

They know it won't work even from a practical standpoint. 

Who does Trump think we are?  China?

 

Don't answer that.