U.S. President Joe Biden, standing beside the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, called for patience amid a political stalemate on getting Democratic proposals on voting rights and police reform through a divided Congress https://t.co/kMhryoQmb5 pic.twitter.com/U3xGUniZ5v
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2021
The GOP needs to update its motto: We’re not a democracy republic, we’re a republic kakistocracy!
For the third time this year, Senate Republicans have blocked Democrats' efforts to pass sweeping voting legislation. Amid the stalemate, there are signs that Democrats are making headway in their effort to change Senate procedural rules. https://t.co/Do2AETsjmu
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 20, 2021
It's been remarkable to watch Republicans, even "moderates," realize they don't have to pretend they support voting rights anymore in the post-Shelby era. As recently as 2006, the Voting Rights Act renewal passed the Senate 98-0 and was signed by George W. Bush. https://t.co/TKMQMsZq82
— Steven White (@notstevenwhite) October 20, 2021
Breaking: Senate Republicans block debate on Freedom to Vote Act
It’s completely undemocratic that 41 GOP senators representing just 21% of country can filibuster legislation supported by 70% of Americans that would expand voting access for tens of millions
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) October 20, 2021
— Bess Levin (@besslevin) October 20, 2021
Baud
Oooh. Hidden post.
The Moar You Know
Not hidden now, and damn, whoever authorized that King statue needs to be fired. It’s atrocious. The man deserves some respect.
Elizabelle
Thank you for this post. We can handle more than one fresh thread.
Juju
I am so sick of Republicans. Even the so called decent Republicans don’t support voting rights reform.
Juju
@Baud: Is that anything like Hidden Numbers Fence?
Baud
@Elizabelle:
Speak for yourself. I’m a nervous wreck.
Brantl
That picture of McTurtle looks like he just got kicked in the balls. Couldn’t happen to a more appropriate person, if it did.
Elizabelle
@Baud: I live in Virginia, and am studiously avoiding the horse race shit about the governor’s race.
Maybe Redshift could tell us what he’s finding on the ground (he’s been canvassing for weeks). I was out last weekend, and found a lot of households where several members had already early voted, and parents who were on board with making sure their college students were set to absentee vote.
I just don’t see Virginia boarding the crazy train, no matter how much money the Republicans and their backers throw at this race. They are always noisy and confident.
Will go out this weekend too, and report back.
Ksmiami
@Juju: just all in on fascism… I really don’t understand why any American not earning at least 700k would vote GOP unless they’re just dumb af
Baud
@Elizabelle:
Hope your right. I’m especially interested in the Lieutenant Governor candidate.
Ksmiami
@Brantl: sign me up!
Baud
@Ksmiami:
Filibuster reform: Senators must hold the floor while getting kicked in the balls.
Elizabelle
@Baud: Yeah. The Old Dominion is getting a woman as lt. governor. The only question is sanity of said woman. Both candidates are women of color. Democrat Hala Ayala vs. GOP Winsome Sears.
When polls report that independents are breaking for the GOP, I truly think the “independents” were people who did not want to disclose they’re actually Republicans. Or don’t realize they’re actually low information voters; float about like flotsam.
The Monmouth poll that had a 46-46 race and has everyone chattering this week. Yes, perhaps the polls are tightening. Terry McAuliffe has been ahead in all of them, although generally not beyond the margin of error. His 2013 race was tight, too, against a known nut job GOP (Ken Cuccinelli).
Per NBC:
There may be a problem with their likely voter screen.
Baud
@Elizabelle:
Polls don’t matter to me that much. Especially any single poll. Obviously I wish the spread was huge in the Dems favor, but that’s not going to happen in Virginia.
Juju
@Ksmiami: my brother once said to the Republican brother of our sister in law, if you vote Republican you are either rich or stupid, you’re not rich… To this day I don’t think that man understood exactly what my brother was implying.
Betty
I would add Anti-American to the title. I hope that remains true. I see Murkowski defending herself by saying she really wanted to vote for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and not this one. What? The one her colleagues already gave thumbs dowm. Shameless people.
Citizen_X
So is there any hope for the Freedom to Vote Act?
Texas is getting a hardcore vote-suppression pro-Trump (used to be one of his lawyers!) guy for Sec. of State. A lot of our people are saying that it’ll be the beginning of the end next November if we can’t protect voting. Can we?
MoCaAce
@Ksmiami:
I think you may have hit on something there!
Subsole
@Ksmiami:
Hate.
Fear.
Epistemological lobotomization.
Pathological inability to admit you were wrong or the other person was right.
Assorted slovenly bigotries.
Anyone else hear David Byrne??
Subsole
@Betty:
They can afford to be shameless.
It’s not like any of the Beltway clownshoe parade would be so unforgivably gauche as to mention it in public.
soapdish
So are the polling numbers in NJ looking so good that no one is actually concerned?
justsomeguy
Trust Democratic leaders to finally agree on eliminating the filibuster at the exactly the moment when they only have 48 Democratic Senators and votes. Paving the way for a small Republican majority in the Senate in 2023.
Zelma
@soapdish:
I think Murphy has a decent lead but the gap has narrowed somewhat. The odious Republican candidate keeps complaining about high taxes, but the fact is the taxes everybody yells about are local property taxes, especially school taxes. And frankly the governor doesn’t have much to do with them. Our income taxes aren’t that bad, our sales tax is pretty average and our gasoline taxes are low. (And we don’t have to pump gas.)
Murphy has done a pretty good job with COVID. North Jersey got hit really hard during the first wave and mistakes were made. The vaccine rollout wasn’t bad. But who knows. One can never overestimate the stupidity of the American voter.
El-Man
Did the “The Party of No” ever really change during Dishonest Don’s tenure?
randy khan
@Zelma:
Even considering that it’s (usually) deep blue New Jersey, the numbers in the early polls were, shall we say, unrealistic. Basically, the R was somebody nobody had heard of, and so a lot of the polls were just name recognition.