It reminds me a lot of 2010 where there were a lot of ideas being floated but a few Dems blew them up and then went on to take lucrative lobbying positions a couple years later.

Which pharmaceutical company or lobbying firm will Sinema be working at in a few years?

11 out of the past 12 Governor elections in VA have gone to the party that doesn't control the WH. Sometimes I wonder if campaigning matters at all.

dola

The FEC has ruled that foreign donors can directly contribute to referendums.

That seems problematic.

House Progressives Reverse Course, Say They’ll Vote For Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill After Manchin’s Press Conference

I guess Democrats want to come away with at least something for now.

It's unbelievable the extent that nothing has been accomplished in the last year. Feels like if they had to agree on a toilet for everyone to piss in, they'd all be wetting themselves regularly instead of trying to figure the solution.

One can agree or disagree with Manchin's policy preferences.

But a lot of the trouble the Dems have had is his addiction to attention. All of the negotiation could have taken place behind the scenes, allowing them to present a united front. But he had to make it all play out in public so he could keep getting everyone to follow him around and remind him how important he is.

I'm no marketing wiz, but it sure seems like the Democrats missed a golden opportunity by overshooting with the $3.5T plan and then making it look like it failed by (likely) passing a $1.2T bill + another $1.5T-1.75T reconciliation bill (plus the $1.9T American Rescue Plan Act in March). They are going to end up actually passing some transformative legislation and still look like failures and managed to sink Biden's approval ratings. I feel like going into the summer with those two pieces passed would have led to a much different narrative these last 4-5 months.

I get that we a lot of us liberals want bigger bills, but this + whatever they can get through next year will be pretty high impact and something to build on for the future, but instead of it being a victory it looks like a failure and will likely cost the Dems at the ballot box. Then the GOP will win, can take credit for the good economy they will inherit, and proceed to cut taxes for the wealthy again instead of paying down the debt.

The Dems best hope is that short attention spans work in their favor.

Maybe that's the plan? Do you think this is a party that likes being in control? Or would they prefer to fundraise as the opposition?

I think that both parties kind of like being in charge and kind of like being in the opposition.

dola:

I will say that highly partisan voters care more about who wins and loses than the politicians themselves. If you lose as a politician, you go make big money as a consultant/lobbyist/lawyer, etc. It is not nearly as life or death as it feels like from the outside.

I think, in order of preference, it probably goes like this:

1.) In the majority when things are going well
2.) In the minority when things are not going well
3.) In the minority when things are going well
4.) In the majority when things are not going well

I for one, welcome our pornography and video game overlords.

Nothing screams masculinity like going to a convention to hear Josh Hawley tell you that you jerk off too much.

Prescription drug negotiation is back in the package along with a lower out-of-pocket cap for Medicare. That is very good.

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Looks like Menendez is not on board so hold up. Not a surprise since he narrowly avoided prison years ago for aiding in the scamming of Medicare.

It's impossible to look at this from a rational perspective because so many politicians have personal financial goals that interfere with legislation. How does Sinema support a drug deal if she wants a $3 million a year job with the industry in a few years? How does Manchin support green energy when he is financially invested in coal?

I don't know who you're talking about but I would love to join a porn and video game political party.

Actually Menedez approved this version of the prescription negotiation according to NBC news.

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Looks like VA turnout will be well above the previous record turnout.

Missouri Republican Hawley says men are 'withdrawing' into pornography

That feels like a personal attack on this board.

Courting incels makes a lot of sense. Different perspective, but same pent-up angry, victimized energy.

Right? What world has he lived in the last 35 years? Men have always been into porn and video games.

I thought porn and video games was a sign of manhood. Who knew?

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Not sure why ISIS-K is fighting the Taliban but have at it.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/02/asia/...ntl/index.html

Shia/Sunni

It's the same story it's always been man. None of this shit is new.

The numbers coming out Virgina do not look good for McAuliffe.

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I just checked and yeah, unless major blue areas havent reported it is a very bad sign

dola- should we start a 2022 midterm thread or would that be overkill?

Most of the election experts predicting a 2% win for Younkin now.

Dems in deep shit going forward if the Republicans can replicate this strategy. Push hard on the fascist, racist stuff in rural areas to run up massive numbers and then just scare some of the suburban vote over.

People may not like the Republicans, but at least we know what they stand for. Democrats don't have a cause that attract voters like Republicans do in the rural areas.

Exactly my thought when I first heard about it.

Also, guessing the voter fraud software the Dems run was not working tonight?

Aren't they both Sunni?

Of course not. Mike Lindells crack team is on to them so they are afraid of getting caught.

There has to be a courtroom game out there where we can sue his ass. Let me see if I can find a good deal on it. :D

If there's any consolation in tonight's results, it's that the GOP should see that they can do better without Trump. They won't learn that lesson, so I don't know how much consolation that will be, but if the GOP is going to bounce back in 2022 and 2024, the best case scenario for the country is that they do it without Trump and perhaps party leaders bring the party back to something close to "normal" politics.

Not gonna happen.

Trump will claim responsibility for Youngkins win and the base will go along. 2022 candidates will then trip over themselves to be as Trumpy as possible to get his endorsement. He has made himself a kingmaker. The country is fucked.

Getting a little nervous. The Jersey race is getting closer with a lot of South Jersey yet to report in.

He already claimed victory.

"I would like to thank my BASE for coming out in force and voting for Glenn Youngkin. Without you, he would not have been close to winning. The MAGA movement is bigger and stronger than ever before...”

America is so fucked.

Just read that GOP areas are coming in before the big urban counties and Murphy should still win comfortably.

Also looks like the VA statehouse is going to flip to the GOP.

Hope so. I honestly can't live in a state where "Jack" is the governor.

Jack just took the lead.

Should have bought more edibles when I was in Maine last week, but at least it will be much easier for me to get a gun!

Yep. 538's blog expects this as well, Murphy by several points by the time they're all in.

Hope so, because right now his lead is growing. Regardless it will give fuel to the fire for the " he was up at 10PM" bros

The stuff I'm reading is basically saying lower D turnout than expected in urban areas.

Edit to clarify: In Virginia, not New Jersey.

Jack is barely outperforming 2017 and he needed to greatly overperform. Once Newark and Jersey City come in it will be a pretty easy Murphy win.

Crazy number for tonight. 2020 Trump won 58% of the non-college graduate white women. Tonight, Youngkin won them by 75%. McAulliff actually did better among female college grads than Biden, but obviously there are way more non-college grads.

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I think JPhillips is right, but this from Nate Cohn, who says there just isn't enough info to know in New Jersey yet.

The right has done a masterful job of terrifying moms into thinking their kids are going to be taught to hate themselves because they are white.