interesting article in Politico:

Voters in November may throw out several Democratic incumbents and hand the reins to Republicans because they want less dysfunction in Washington. They will receive a rude awakening when they realize dysfunction is all that a divided Republican Party can provide. No longer accountable for any “Washington” gridlock, liberated Democrats will giddily run against “Republican dysfunction” in 2016, which not only will abet the presidential nominee but also smooth the path to retaking the Senate as several blue state Republicans will be on the ballot. For the Democrats, losing the Senate couldn’t come at a better time.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/ ... z3EuQLbrUs

The problem I have with that scenario, mac, is what could/would be destroyed in the next 2 years ~ ~ and while it will be close, I'm not convinced the Ds will lose the Senate next month ~

Sooz

After the reps rolled back the achievements of the 20th century in those two years we'll just have to start over again.

To me the article linked in the opening post has a sort of "whistling past the graveyard"/"there must be some silver under all this tarnish" quality. In the years I've been on the boards following American election cycles, this is the quietest one ever. It's hard to believe there's even an election in the offing. Even the American news channels only mention it if somebody does something incredibly stupid and/or it is a real slow "the paints all dry and the grass ain't growing anymore" news day.

We were just talking about how quite this has been jim. It's eerie.

I think it's so quiet because nobody has a 'positive record' to run on.

I do expect things to heat up in the next week or so. I believe most campaigns are holding on to their $$$ for a media blitz.

Political donations drying up?

Mac... Sooz is right. The Canadian experience should be proof enough. It's quiet and you should be worried because that means the right has learned to keep their fat mouths shut.

There's a part of me that hopes they win the Senate. With them having 'control' of both houses, if they don't have the 'ship righted' in the first year, there will be hell to pay. And we know what the chances of them accomplishing that are!

Problem is, as stated earlier, the damage they could cause could take forever recover from!

They'll just blame every future Democratic president for it.

You just hit the nail on the head Jab!

What percentage of US voters actually understand the different roles/powers of the President and Congress? How about those who understand the house/senate relationship?

Heck. if someone sneezes in Topeka they blame Obama .....

hey, i just offered the piece. but i am not convinced sooz is right at all. there is very little that the GOP can accomplish with Obama in their way, and i am VERY confident that they will win back what they lost in 2016.

i give the GOP a 60% chance of winning, as of today. the odds have been GROWING in the last month.

what damage?

The devil's advocate will throw in the president's veto pen, but we all know how that's gonna work with small, but loaded items thrown into bills to sign.

sorry- how is all that stuff going to make it by a filibuster and get signed by Obama?

what am i missing?

oh ye of little faith.....

I agree with mac- with a small majority they will be powerless. And dysfunctional. This will cause them to say all kinds of stupid and controversial things, because they will not even agree with each other, and will mobilize Democrats and independent voters for 2016.

You think damage requires Obama's signature, mac? Corporations are people now, ffs!

i think the worst damage does. i think that they can throw monkey poo. but what else is new?

different subject. in MANY states the GOP controls all THREE branches. that is not the case at the federal level, NOR IS IT LIKELY TO BE IN THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE.

Given the sheer number of serious domestic issues we're facing, you don't see 100% gridlock as adding to the list, mac? ~ sure, the Ds might be able to filibuster [depending on the numbers] and Obama can use his "veto" for the next 2 years ... but where does that leave us?

Sooz

queenoftheuniverse wrote:

I agree with mac- with a small majority they will be powerless. And dysfunctional. This will cause them to say all kinds of stupid and controversial things, because they will not even agree with each other, and will mobilize Democrats and independent voters for 2016.

I think you are being optimistic. They say all kinds of stupid and controversial things now. They even act on a goodly number of them. And now we are happily discussing their potential victory.

Leftists/centrists need to get a whole lot more aggressive.