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Post by timmullen1 on Oct 10, 2020 8:10:44 GMT
Am only reporting what is percolating out of Washington; Schumer and other Democrats are demanding all Judiciary Committee members (including Democrats) are tested prior to any committee hearings, some have broadened it to all Senators before the Chamber returns to session, but McConnell et al are refusing. Given the timescale, and the unspoken need of some vulnerable Senators to be in their States campaigning, there’s little wiggle room should the GOP caucus be subject to another positive test. Given that 48 Senators are over the age of 65 it's lunacy that the confirmation vote has to take place in person. Actually the method of voting in the Senate is one of the easiest to do safely. Normally on a showpiece vote like this the 100 Senators would be sat at their desks, which certainly on TV look more than a metre apart, and just stand and answer aye or no as the Clerk calls their name. If you just tweaked the arrangements so that each Senator left the Chamber after casting their vote, then there’d be no contact in the Chamber itself (what they did outside the Chamber is obviously their choice and unconnected to the vote). |
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Richard Allen
Non-Aligned
Four time loser in VUKPOTY finals
Posts: 17,078
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Post by Richard Allen on Oct 10, 2020 8:36:51 GMT
Though, I don't want the Democrats to gain the US Senate, so a very close call to scare him will do. Lining him up to piss off in '26 or be primaried. I am torn over what I want to happen with the Senate. In some ways I think Biden as President and a GOP Senate to check him would be an ideal outcome but another part of me thinks that the GOP should be punished severely for having gone along so totally with Trump. Either way if the Democrats do take the senate I sure as hell hope Graham goes down to defeat. |
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Richard Allen
Non-Aligned
Four time loser in VUKPOTY finals
Posts: 17,078
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Post by Richard Allen on Oct 10, 2020 8:38:00 GMT
I’m guessing he’s more worried about testing positive and thus having to isolate making him unable to begin the Judiciary Committee hearings into Amy Coney Barrett; a number of US media sources are reporting that all remaining Republicans on the committee are refusing to be tested. That's Death Cult territory. I think it is more that they think they are going to lose the Presidency and probably the Senate as well so they want one last big win. |
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 17,690
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Post by neilm on Oct 10, 2020 9:04:24 GMT
Good, I can't stand him. He's got no real principles, is a creature of power, like a mini McConnell, is so blatantly gay he makes me look straight, yet carries on with this pretence. Ugh. Though, I don't want the Democrats to gain the US Senate, so a very close call to scare him will do. Lining him up to piss off in '26 or be primaried. ^^this. |
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Post by bigfatron on Oct 10, 2020 9:36:03 GMT
The problem with hoping for a republican Senate to moderate a Democrat president is that the GOP have already shown they will obstruct pretty much everything a Democrat President will try to enact - we saw that for four years 2012-2016 where little substantive was passed, and McConnell has made it clear that he intends the same if he retains control in 2020. It's a recipe for stagnation and paralysis.
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Post by conservativeestimate on Oct 10, 2020 9:46:33 GMT
The problem with hoping for a republican Senate to moderate a Democrat president is that the GOP have already shown they will obstruct pretty much everything a Democrat President will try to enact - we saw that for four years 2012-2016 where little substantive was passed, and McConnell has made it clear that he intends the same if he retains control in 2020. It's a recipe for stagnation and paralysis. I also think government being paralysed is a recipe for a more populist shift. It wouldn't surprise if Tucker Carlson runs in 2024. |
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Richard Allen
Non-Aligned
Four time loser in VUKPOTY finals
Posts: 17,078
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Post by Richard Allen on Oct 10, 2020 10:17:13 GMT
The problem with hoping for a republican Senate to moderate a Democrat president is that the GOP have already shown they will obstruct pretty much everything a Democrat President will try to enact - we saw that for four years 2012-2016 where little substantive was passed, and McConnell has made it clear that he intends the same if he retains control in 2020. It's a recipe for stagnation and paralysis. Well obviously people who are on the left want full Democratic control and a radical program for government. As a conservative I obvious don't want that even if do want to see Biden elected President. |
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Post by relique on Oct 10, 2020 10:19:27 GMT
The problem with hoping for a republican Senate to moderate a Democrat president is that the GOP have already shown they will obstruct pretty much everything a Democrat President will try to enact - we saw that for four years 2012-2016 where little substantive was passed, and McConnell has made it clear that he intends the same if he retains control in 2020. It's a recipe for stagnation and paralysis. Well obviously people who are on the left want full Democratic control and a radical program for government. As a conservative I obvious don't want that even if do want to see Biden elected President. Maybe senator Manchin and an independent from Alaska or a senator from Kansas would act as a "conservative control" without blatant obstructionism ? |
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Richard Allen
Non-Aligned
Four time loser in VUKPOTY finals
Posts: 17,078
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Post by Richard Allen on Oct 10, 2020 10:25:50 GMT
Well obviously people who are on the left want full Democratic control and a radical program for government. As a conservative I obvious don't want that even if do want to see Biden elected President. Maybe senator Manchin and an independent from Alaska or a senator from Kansas would act as a "conservative control" without blatant obstructionism ? Manchin acting as "control" in a 50-50 senate is certainly a possibility. I suspect however that if the Democrats win Alaska or Kansas they will be in the 53+ seats range and so will likely have 50 votes for a lot of what they want. |
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Post by curiousliberal on Oct 11, 2020 3:17:02 GMT
I wonder who could be running ads for the withdrawn Constitution Party candidate?  |
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johng
Labour
Posts: 1,630 
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Post by johng on Oct 11, 2020 9:32:12 GMT
I wonder who could be running ads for the withdrawn Constitution Party candidate?
Brilliant strategy to be fair. With Facebook ads, you can target quite specifically the type of person you want to see the advert.
He isn't the first and won't be the last to do something like this.
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Post by relique on Oct 11, 2020 9:49:59 GMT
I wonder who could be running ads for the withdrawn Constitution Party candidate?
Brilliant strategy to be fair. With Facebook ads, you can target quite specifically the type of person you want to see the advert.
He isn't the first and won't be the last to do something like this.
True. Although in France for instance social network spending is forbidden in the previous 6 months before an election. Your campaign accounts could be invalidated and if you were elected your election would be as well. |
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Post by bigfatron on Oct 11, 2020 10:19:20 GMT
I believe the technical term for this in the US is 'ratfuck1ng' - the promotion of a third party candidate to take votes off your principal opponent and/or the promotion of opposition candidates through the primary process who you believe are less likely to be successful in the main election than the alternative.
I also believe Richard nixon was a prime exponent of this and may be the source of the word.
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 17,690
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Post by neilm on Oct 11, 2020 12:05:52 GMT
I believe the technical term for this in the US is 'ratfuck1ng' - the promotion of a third party candidate to take votes off your principal opponent and/or the promotion of opposition candidates through the primary process who you believe are less likely to be successful in the main election than the alternative. I also believe Richard nixon was a prime exponent of this and may be the source of the word. Someone did it very well recently, a female senator but I can't remember who it was. |
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CatholicLeft
Co-operative Party
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 2,836
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Post by CatholicLeft on Oct 11, 2020 12:13:36 GMT
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Post by yellowperil on Oct 11, 2020 12:16:58 GMT
I believe the technical term for this in the US is 'ratfuck1ng' - the promotion of a third party candidate to take votes off your principal opponent and/or the promotion of opposition candidates through the primary process who you believe are less likely to be successful in the main election than the alternative. I also believe Richard nixon was a prime exponent of this and may be the source of the word. I guess Nixon wouldn't have spelt it with a 1. |
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 17,690
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Post by neilm on Oct 11, 2020 12:31:00 GMT
He's raised the equivalent of £28m in the last quarter, and £65m overall. The population of South Carolina is a shade over 5m so he's raised about £13/head. Obviously most of it is coming from out-of-state but this is ridiculous. We're easily looking at over £100m in a Senate campaign, or £20/head, and it's a higher figure when you just look at the actual electorate.
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Richard Allen
Non-Aligned
Four time loser in VUKPOTY finals
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Post by Richard Allen on Oct 11, 2020 12:39:33 GMT
Just quoting this post for no reason whatsoever. |
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mondialito
Labour
Everything is horribly, brutally possible.
Posts: 4,725
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Post by mondialito on Oct 11, 2020 12:54:18 GMT
I believe the technical term for this in the US is 'ratfuck1ng' - the promotion of a third party candidate to take votes off your principal opponent and/or the promotion of opposition candidates through the primary process who you believe are less likely to be successful in the main election than the alternative. I also believe Richard nixon was a prime exponent of this and may be the source of the word. Someone did it very well recently, a female senator but I can't remember who it was. Claire McCaskill. Her campaign ran ads during the Republican primary in 2012 claiming Todd Akin (who she wanted to face) was "too conservative" and "anti-abortion" and primary voters took the bait. www.dailykos.com/story/2014/5/18/1298418/-How-to-pick-your-opponent-A-guide-to-gaming-Republican-primaries |
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Post by curiousliberal on Oct 11, 2020 13:13:08 GMT
Democrats tried to do that in Kansas this year but Kobach still lost the primary. |
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