There was a Blue Wave after all
There certainly was no Blue Wave in the Senate, and only a modest one in the House.
But on the state level there was a tidal shift.
Democrats made strides in a number of statehouses. They seized control of seven legislative chambers, flipping the State Senates in Colorado, Maine, and New York; the House in Minnesota; and both chambers in New Hampshire. Connecticut’s Senate, previously evenly split, is now held by Democrats. They broke Republican supermajorities in Michigan and Pennsylvania’s Senates and both chambers in North Carolina.Democrats also flipped seven governorships on Tuesday. They now completely control all three statehouse branches in 13 states and Washington, D.C., compared to the seven statehouses where they held trifecta control before Election Day.
As of yesterday, the DLCC reported that 350 seats had flipped (as opposed to the 900+ they lost under Obama).
Essentially what we've seen is a reversal of the 2014 election.
It's still not nearly as big as the 2010 election, but it's big.
In related news, the Oklahoma teachers made some more gains in the election, but not enough.
The Oklahoma Education Association said that 16 members of its education caucus -- current or former educators, administrators and support staff -- were elected to the state House and Senate. Nine are Republicans and seven are Democrats.
The list includes a physical education teacher, a retired school counselor, a junior high principal and an elementary school music teacher.The winners were among 65 Oklahoma educators who ran for office on Tuesday, according to the teachers union.
Six other educators were elected during the primary, runoff or by acclamation.
Tuesday's vote grew the education caucus in the Legislature from nine to 25 members.
This comes after the Oklahoma teachers defeated 15 of the 19 legislators who voted against the teacher pay bill in the state House in the primaries.
Comments
Republicans get worse
Uhg!
Why the Repubs fear the Dems taking the House
Repubs changed the rules
oh the irony.
People actually want a state government
They don't like anarchy. The "no government" extreme Libertarian Republicans have lost. People sill vote to drown the federal baby in the bath water, but found out that they actually want schools, roads, fire protection, police protection, county hospitals. Republicans trying to privatize everything and not paying the states' bills, ala Kansas and Illinois, just didn't go down well.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Establishment dems must be hooha'ing in their pants
It seems in the main, that teacher candidates who won are broadly "left-ish" and had to rebel against their democratic front group called a teacher union. These are the people who might just remember and know which nationally known democrats supported charter schools and were just phonies when it came to supporting them say like in WI.
Pundits talk about a split between progressives and centrists at a national level, which is false to me as at a national level, progressives have been purged from the party.
The real split will be between the Rockefeller republicans who run the party and the emerging state level democrats who are like real democrats.
It's interesting that money doesn't work
for them anymore. The Dems have out-raised and out-spent the opposition by large margins, yet to no avail.
I guess it's hard to sell canned dogshit, no matter how big your advertising budget is.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
@MrWebster My local elections mostly
My local elections mostly turned out well. The state constitutional amendments were a mixed bag. Where it was obvious what the good course was, as with giving felons back the vote or ending dog racing, people took it--even when it personally cost them money, such as in not expanding the homestead exemption (though they did vote to decrease taxes on commercial properties, which makes me wonder if they didn't understand what they were doing on the homestead exemption amendment).
Where the legislation was designed to trick them...by leading off with good deeds to first responders when the meat of the legislation was about taking over the governance of the State university system, for instance...they failed to see the trick and voted badly.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
OMG, I actually predicted this outcome.
I said the House and Senate - meh, but the states would flip big time. Really big news is that there is no longer one-party rule in Washington. Having lived under that kind of a dictatorship for the last 8 years, let me tell you how big a deal that is.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
You know what would be interesting?
If this was the beginning, for the first time in American history, of power bleeding back out of the federal government, and back toward lower levels.
I've long-vacillated between federalism and anti-federalism, and have good reasons for both. For the time being, though, I think I can live with this trend.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
@The Liberal Moonbat Power goes where the
Power goes where the money goes.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The blue tidal wave
hit my state. We now have 3 blue Reps, 2 blue Sens, a blue gov, and our state house gained dims too. The rethug party in our state is on life support.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
As noted, the only reason
it wasn't "as big" as the Tea Party massacre of 2010 was becuz their 2010 victory resulted in Gerrymandering the entire country. Tuesday's victory was bigger for Dems in terms of margin of victory: 9.2% this year vs. 7.2% in 2010. That margin just didn't translate into flipping as many seats as the Tea Party flipped, becuz... that gerrymandering. I don't know if the turnout was bigger than 2010, but it was a pretty good turnout! If 2020 follows suit 'we' will get the Senate back! But just getting a bunch of those statehouse seats back gives one a warm fuzzy. Progressives drove this wave. It may have been won by moderates, but progressives drove this wave.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
And, make no mistake, this election
Totally Torks the Oligarchy, the GOP and TPTB.
Big time! This election was and is Yuuuge for Dims!
Especially all of those Statehouse seats! But, too, the take back of The House.
Look at all the legislation set up around the country, designed to fuck Dims and Libs while enhancing the RW majority! The oligarchy, TPTB all perched to send Dems and Libs into oblivion, 2020 just the icing on the coyote cake. Prolly had Acme written on the box. 2020 designed for Total Political Domination.
It's why Beto didn't win. Fixed. Why Abrams didn't win. Fixed. Why Canova didn't win. Fixed.
These all were High Profile races, essentially the "Face" of the 2018 election.
Make sure those don't win, and expect 2014 results in the other races... Dims enthusiasm collapses, their chances for 2020?? Fuhgetaboutit. Toast.
Now?? Now 2020 is a whole new ballgame! One the Oligarchy, the GOP and TPTB didn't expect.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
@Wink I agree.
I agree.
It may turn out that the Dems lost their so-called "marquee" races but winning 35-40 House seats, at least 7 Governor's seats, countless State Legislatures and 3 states voted to expand Medicaid---Idaho, Utah & Nebraska, spin as hard as you want, media, the truth of the election 2018 is getting out.
NYCVG
Optimism is great.
How long before the new dims become the same ole?
What's their plan? Do they have an agenda?
Until the the old school is purged, we'll see the same.
pelosi and schumer will only on their own accord, leave without a shroud covering their dead bodies. They must be removed.
We haven't time for incrementalism.
I just don't see removal of the old guard happening anytime soon in either party. I do hope I'm wrong but again, time is short
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
I believe that had we
lost taking back the House
by just one seat the GOP would have been talking about having us for lunch Wed. morning on all those morning "News" shows. "They came close! But we whupped all their Saviors - Beto, the whole lot - and we're about to open up a can of whoop ass on their asses this afternoon! Trust me, it ain't gonna be pretty!" They get a no doubt from me! "And if those Librul futhermuckers aren't wearing a MAGA hat by noon tomorrow you can bet your sweet ass they'll be wearing one - in jail - by 5pm! We're done playing!"
Maybe not quite as dystopian as that. But had they won Tues., and won again in 2020... yeah, as dystopian as that. Becuz the Oligarchy is done playing, got their ducks in a row.
So, yeah, this election was a Joe Biden BFD. x 10. It literally saved our asses long enough to fight another day. Will it change anything on Capitol Hill?? Doubt it, don't expect it to. But you know what?? An executive from good ol' Syracuse U. (just ranked in the top 20 for the first time since 2000, and playing Louisville tomorrow night) beat a 4-term Repub d!ck for his seat in the NY state Senate! Her first time running for anything! 61 y.o., Zero experience. Kicked his ass! Won by 16. And she's hardly alone! THAT is what I get excited about! The future is bright!
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Not only the oligarchs, but the Koch brothers
Yes I'm aware that they are considered oligarchs, but they have been working hard to flip the states to red so they can do a constitutional convention and totally destroy the last verges of democracy.
I'm wondering how many races were fixed? Nelson was up in the polls and yet Scott squeaked out a win. But I read that Nelson is contesting the results. I want Abrams to win for a few reasons, but mainly because Kemp did everything he could to keep people from voting for him. He should never have been allowed to do his duties as SOS while running too. And if it's found out that he did break election laws then he should be prosecuted for it. And that goes for that woman in Florida that broke the laws during a previous election. She destroyed ballots before there was a recount.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
@snoopydawg Yeah, I assume DeSantis
Yeah, I assume DeSantis and Scott were fixes, like many other fixes we've had over the past twenty years. Good luck finding a judge to do anything about it.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Yay!
Yay!
Since we Jill Stein voters are blamed for Trump, I'll take credit for these wins. Would Democrats have flipped anything if Hillary had won? Not in Wisconsin. And probably not much anywhere else. The midterms are almost always a protest against the President's party, and I can't imagine how big the backlash against Hillary's win would have been.
This is only one of the silver linings to a potential Trump win that I pictured when I voted for Jill in 2016. And really, getting rid of Scott Walker (Hallelujah!) is much, much more than a silver lining.
True, a Hillary win
in 2016 would Not
have generated this backlash!
Dims would have gone back to sleep knowing their princess "got this," and The Left wouldn't have gained a thing.
Some would argue The Left didn't gain a damn thing, anyway, and there's an argument there, but... if 'we' had lost it would look a whole lot uglier. A Lot uglier!
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.