The Politics Thread

[wingwalker]

Also big news for Puerto Rico last night, they voted to become the 51st state. Congress however still needs to approve, but a big first step for Puerto Rico.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/11/07/puerto-rico-approves-statehood/

[Ann_SS]

Chris Matthews is apologizing for his comments about Sandy being a good thing. He sounds very sincere and as he is trying not cry. Kudos to him for this honest unreserved apology.

[DRW50]

Some of the scrambling and outright anger and despair across the Beltway and at conservative thought pieces seems to center on the distaste that minority groups banded together and were not the minority. You hear this over and over - Obama won in spite of not having a majority of white voters. That means he didn't legitimately win. Or that he is simply not popular, he just managed to pull a fast one. The implication is - did they forget their place?

It's very clear that many still see minority groups as tools, and as part of a divide and conquer strategy. I imagine strong efforts will be made to go back to divide and conquer, probably making a feint at immigration reform and hiding behind scandal-plagued but media beloved Marco Rubio. Whether it will work, I don't know, but at least we're getting some honesty. Case in point:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/11/bill-oreilly-the-white-establishment-is-now-the-minority-148705.html

[Vee]

I think the majority of the media is acknowledging Obama won handily and that the electorate has changed forever. Even otherwise conservative pundits on the networks.

[Ann_SS]

These conservative loons are a minority even in the mainstream media. They are talking to their conservative supporters who live in the racist bigoted bubble with them. I am pleased that they continue to delude themselves. All it does is drive most of the growing coalition further away them. The white working class in the midwest and educated whites in the rest of the country heard this spiel from Reilly, Limbaugh, etc. througout the election, rejected it, and will continue to do so.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

I can't bear to watch most of the TV, I was going mostly on WSJ, Politico, etc. I did watch CBS, suffering through Bob Scheiffer. Sure enough, earlier today someone kept talking to me about how Obama hadn't won the popular vote. I told them he had, but I don't think it got through.

What I noticed most was the rush to say, "No mandate, compromise, no mandate, nothing has changed."

But I do have to give credit to one of the women on CBS This Morning or whatever it's called. I can't remember who she is (she was also on election night coverage) but she kept pushing Virginia's governor, McDonnell, about WHY Romney lost Virginia. He would only say Obama had better ground game, blah blah. She wasn't satisfied. He paused, looking stunned, confused, and we got dead air before he went back to the talking points.

For me the biggest surprise was the Senate. Everyone knew Democrats would keep the Senate, but aside from Arizona (still very far right), Nebraska (lost cause) and Nevada (somewhat shaky Dem candidate, robotic GOP candidate), every Senate race broke the left way. I was especially surprised at how Montana was never even a contest - the Republican, Denny Rehberg, was apparently so disliked that the libertarian sucked up over 6% of the vote.

I was also surprised to hear that Democrats got a supermajority in California. I'm not sure if this will go anywhere, since there will probably be a lot of infighting, but the 2/3 rule has kept them locked in for a long long time.

http://www.orovillem...ce=most_emailed

In state legislative news, Democrats won one or both chambers in ME (veto proof majorities - I guess that tells you what you need to know about opinion of Gov Lepage), NH, MN, OR, and a few others I'm likely forgetting. Republicans won one or both chambers in AK, AR, WI, and some others I might have forgotten.

Edited November 7, 2012 by CarlD2

[JaneAusten]

This whole argument about minority groups is laughable. People should look around to see the results of the entire election not just the presidency. Look at some of the candidates that were defeated and who were elected. Women are now setting record numbers in the senate. Gay marriage bans getting overturned. Marijuana legalized. White males are the only group Romney truly dominated. Obama won every other group. Polls done after the election indicated the economy was not the biggest factor it was partisanship and lack of cooperation that exists in Washington. People are fed up. I think the American people as a whole are tolerant and far more moderate that the wackjobs on the extreme right and yes left want folks to believe and frankly folks are just disgusted with the lack of leadership and cooperation in congress. Obamas approval rating was what 52 percent well guess what congresses is, 18 percent.

Republicans need to get with the program. They need to get back to the fundamental principles of the republican party, fiscal conservatism and less government and draw voters based on those tenets like they used to and forget about the hateful superiority they come across with. Illinois has a moderate republican party and decent public servants, a history of solid republican governorship. That's what the party needs to get back to.

Does the beltway realize that the white population starting in what, 2032, will no longer be the majority in this country? Idiots. I have to say I was frankly turned off by both Mitch McConnell and Harry Reads comments today along with Boehner. These people need to listen to what Americans are telling them.

Edited November 7, 2012 by JaneAusten

[DRW50]

Republicans have no reason to compromise. They said in 2009 that they would fight anything Obama did, and voters rewarded them in 2010. Until we get another wave in the House, nothing will change.

Meanwhile, if you want to believe in Santa, you should move to Michigan.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/11/07/controversial-farmer-bentivolio-wins-mccotters-seat/

I was happy about this. I remember reading about her years ago, as she almost won in 2000.

http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/62802/

[DRW50]

One of the other surprises of the night was that Jim Matheson, the only Democrat Utah sends to Congress, managed to beat Mia Love, who was adored by the media and the national party. He moved to a new district after the GOP drew his old one in a way he knew he had no chance in. One poll had him down double digits.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865566218/Matheson-Love-in-dogfight-for-Utah-4th-District-seat.html

They also tried to draw him into oblivion in 2002. Same result.

http://s670.beta.photobucket.com/user/Cameraman21/media/TrollDadtemplate.png.html?sort=3&o=0

[Money]

I'm watching the repeat right now and I'm stunned. He looks like a little kid knowing he said something really stupid because he got caught up in the moment. The guy might be a bit eccentric and over the top but I like him. I like his passion for Obama, the country and always speaking out against the injustices he feel is done to people without voices. It takes a real man to apologize so sincerely and I applaud him for it

Aside from the fiscal cliff, immigration reform is now the hot button issue on MSNBC, CNN and even Fox and it's one Obama nor the Republicans can ignore - 1) Because Latinos overwhelmingly voted for Obama and he definitely owes them and 2) The 'pubs know they will never have a presidential office again if they don't broaden their coalition and stop acting like the only people with power in this country is old white men. Let's play ball.

[marceline]

Exactly! This election showed that it wasn't Mitt Romney that was rejected by the American people, it was the Republican agenda. Everything about the Republican party got rejected yesterday: the rape fixation, the racism, the homophobia, the class warfare, the lies, the corporate money, and especially the voter suppression. All of it added up to one big fail.

‎"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." - Mitch McConnell

Anytime someone mentions Obama's "failed" policies, I intend to smack them in the mouth with this. The Republican Party failed at their single most important objective.

Edited November 8, 2012 by marceline

[DRW50]

The Trump headache.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/the-donald-problem

GOP plans to make the House even more partisan and ugly.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/exclusive-republicans-draft-rules-to-tighten-cont

[thelma42]

I agree. I'm glad he apologize.

[Money]

So FOX is bemoaning the fact that this was the most expensive election in history and the "status quo" remained. If Romney was president then that six billion dollars would have been well worth it.

[JaneAusten]

Chuck Todd is a idiot. After months of saying how close the race was, his stupid white board, how much Romney gained, tonight on Hardball, he talked about how smart Obamas team was in how they organized and went after the demographics in the swing states they needed to win those states i particular. He said they were right about their poll information. So basically he invalidated the last few months of stats he presented.

Except this election was nothing close to status quo. I don't even think this election was about Obama vs Romney it was a statement made by the real makeup of voters in this country.