People that you've never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows -- US Politics September 2020

ok i will worry about things when shit gets really bad but i sure heard the note of doom

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, September 18, 2020 7:57 PM bookmarkflaglink

Yeah I'm mr "calm the fuck down" guy and i have no soothing words.

Holding out hope that during an evening of sundowning that Trump nominates a live horse

it is a good time for handwringing

_I think more Biden voters will early vote more than the polling indicates or pundits think rather than vote by mail-- they've heard enough post office nightmare stories and they want him out._

That would be my guess too--that those long lines being reported today are filled with Biden voters. Probably not a majority, but a good number ( at least 30%?).

Whether he will be successful or not, I don't know, but I guaranty McConnell will do everything in his power (and everything not in his power) to get this seat.

At least now people will stop believing in law of averages

Every single Democrat needs to go on the record right now and say if Trump fills that seat and they regain power they will pack the court. Idk what else they can do. This is a fucking nightmare.

Need to see Schumer Pelosi et al ASAP promising they will expand the court to 11 if McConnell pushes someone through

Ha xp

Democrats don’t need to do anything right now except repeat McConnell’s words from 2016. They can talk about packing the court after the election.

Xpost Promising that would make US happy, but would it hurt the moderate vote who might see that as EXTREEM

Maybe Kavanaugh will get hit by a train this weekend.

At this point, if you need Chuck fucking Schumer to say something to get you to show up to the polls in November, then I don’t know how to help you get your head on straight.

And Gorsuch will eat a radioactive hotdog

wtf is repeating McConnell’s words from 2016 going to do?

They don’t control the senate.

wtf is doing what you just said going to do? It’s nonsense.

Uh the idea is to either a) provide cover for actually packing the court in the event they get their nominee through, or b) use that threat to dissuade an appointment

Meantime:

News: @SenatorCollins told me earlier this month in Maine that she would not seat a Supreme Court justice in October.

“I think that’s too close, I really do,” she said.

She said she’d also oppose seating a justice in the lame duck if there’s a change in presidents.

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) September 19, 2020

They have no parliamentary leverage. All they have is political positioning.

^unless of course per above they can pull 4 (?) R’s over

a) is unnecessary, b) the threat is already clear enough to the Republicans, they don’t care

now you’re getting somewhere! Pulling a few republican senators over is the only option that might actually work.

Imagine if Biden called McConnell and said, "Listen, mother fucker, you do this and if we win the Senate we expand the Court to 15 members."

Hmm, odd little factor:

"If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, we'll wait to the next election," Lindsey Graham said in 2018.

"Hold the tape," he added.

He is Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. https://t.co/KjUgcw1QWf

— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) September 19, 2020

In that if it is a close race in SC, hm. If it is.

McConnell would laugh in his face and tell him to win the senate first.

Why would providing advance justification for such a controversial move be “unnecessary”? That’s just simple politics.

xp of course he will, so fucking what?

OK dude, you’re right, these people and their staff have unlimited time in the day to commit to meaningless signaling exercises so that people who are already on their side will support them.

Certainly wouldn’t want them to spend that time turning opposition votes that could actually help prevent the worst from happening.

What time are you taking about? You mean like time for the standard messaging which they already spend all their time on? (When not fundraising.)

Not really sure what we’re arguing about.

Anyway one thing I’m more immediately concerned about is that this will give Trump some squeamish R voters back.

New board description.

xp

To the people saying we're fucked we put Trump in a bunker already once this year we can do it again and fucking Hitler him this round

Moreover, ICE must be destroyed

— ICE must be destroyed 🏴 (@Itmechr3) September 19, 2020

Let’s see how energized the Lincoln Project and company are tomorrow now that there’s something weightier than “ew gross Trump” on the table

Yeah the fact that this will bring Rs back into the fold is what’s really worrying here

God this country is so fucking stupid

the way henry kissinger is just. right there

— giabuchi lastrassi (@jaboukie) September 19, 2020

thing I’m more immediately concerned about is that this will give Trump some squeamish R voters back

Couldn't it also retrieve some of the anti-Biden lefty "tHe parTiEs aRE bOtH thE same" crowd? Because, um, no

BREAKING >> McConnell: “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” pic.twitter.com/BcWlantNph

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) September 19, 2020

i woke up to this news, and now mcconnell's statement.

i do feel sick

You mean he was LYING!???

no you see he is making a very principled argument as to how this is DIFFERENT

are we allowed to panic now?

no

Yeah this feels like the straw that’s gonna break this country’s back. Trumps nominee will get a vote. Every R save Romney and maybe Murkowski will vote for him. The 2020 election and progressive policy goal for the next 25 years will be fucked. RIP

McConnell probably doesn't travel with anywhere near the amount of personal security Trump does.

Just sayin'.

panic now

you sound like a man in need of a friendlier, more helpful towel

McConnell still pretending to not know what "lame duck" actually means is pretty funny

I'd say "all of ILX please collectively pray for Trump to die in his sleep", but all Pence would do is just pick somebody from the same Heritage Foundation list Trump just put together.

also fuck dying in his sleep, his head needs to fall off in the bathtub with Clint Eastwood in it with him

I wish I was as sanguine as you all

Mitch McConnell set the precedent. No Supreme Court vacancies filled in an election year. If he violates it, when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress, we must abolish the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court.

— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) September 19, 2020