GET OUT: US politics November 2020

MN and AZ have been bright spots in this election

It’s less that they will “give” Tlaib anything to thank her as that they may need to back off from targeting left candidates in clearly left leaning areas, especially in swing states.

🤞

Milo, it could mean things like roles on committees and other benefits accorded reps with seniority. Omar is already a whip ffs, she gets shit done.

one thing I am curious about is how reapportionment will affect things

hope you’re right but I don’t see a universe where the party doesn’t go all-out trying to kneecap them in 2 years

― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Wednesday, November 4, 2020 6:54 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

they won't be able to.

Loyalty benefits career advancement is a different argument from loyalty buys policy changes.

wait, never mind, that already happened

xp - you don't see any connection between career advancement and policy changes?

Perhaps future money will say "In Squad We Trust."

Anyway catching up from earlier

no one has officially called the Juggalos, fans of the Insane Clown Posse

I think someone grabbed 'em by the posse

hope you’re right but I don’t see a universe where the party doesn’t go all-out trying to kneecap them in 2 years

they won't be able to.

tlaib and omar won biden a lot of votes by knocking on doors during a pandemic. said it before upthread, but it seems like the biden campaign's lack of in-person gotv, while defensible from a public health perspective, caused serious problems.

Nate Silver is faster at dividing numbers by other numbers than I am and has easier access to the necessary numbers to divide by other numbers

anyway all eyes on the Congressional Progressive Caucus in January. I think Jayapal is just a hair too decorous to outright challenge Pelosi for the speakership, which may be the main thing I fault her for

seems like the biden campaign's lack of in-person gotv, while defensible from a public health perspective, caused serious problems.

sorta reassuring tbh, it would be bleak if we got all possible Dem votes and this was still the outcome

you don't see any connection between career advancement and policy changes?

Not particularly. Omar or AOC’s career advancement has no impact on the 150 reps taking medical industry money to oppose any steps toward nationalized healthcare.

The Squad’s political goals are not compatible with those of the Democratic center. You don’t resolve that with loyalty.

in a very slightly better world the Republican party would shed the Christofascists and adopt the Democratic center because the Christofascists would have ceased to be a viable base

didn't one of the Republicans who died of Covid still get elected? ... like, maybe more of them can die of covid?

The Squad’s political goals are not compatible with those of the Democratic center. You don’t resolve that with loyalty.

― Donald Trump Also Sucks, Of Course (milo z), Wednesday, November 4, 2020

there is also persuasion, even if it has to be gradual. I think that is one of the genius qualities of AOC

didn't one of the Republicans who died of Covid still get elected? ... like, maybe more of them can die of covid?

as long as they still have to serve their terms

How it started / How it ended pic.twitter.com/abiS4HO7Oe

— Stats for Lefties (@LeftieStats) November 4, 2020

didn’t get the meme right but i applaud the effort

One of my biggest pre-election heartsinking moments was when I read about Biden's fantastic "digital strategy" vs Trump's ground game. I thought "fuck, 2016 all over again, those OZY media types still think they know what they're doing." Knocking doors matters a fucking lot. People take away the wrong message from Bernie doing that and losing -- Bernie is a guy who way outperformed what should have been possible in two elections, and knocking doors helped.

anyway i’m going to sleep and i’m basically feeling pretty fucking good, i’m allowing myself that. anxiety for the future can take a night off. maybe two!

Man alive, your points above are reasonable if you're thinking solely from the point of electoral politics. I care about what's right, and think Joe Biden and the majority of the Democratic party should burn in hell.

there is also persuasion, even if it has to be gradual. I think that is one of the genius qualities of AOC

You don't persuade the guy taking a million dollars from the Sacklers that he should get on board with rigid prohibitions on pharmaceutical advertising. You beat him into submission or at least deperately attempt to do so.

Sorry if that's 'too naive' for some of you

Nevada election officials postpone results until tomorrow at noon (currently at 86% reported).

No victory speeches tonight (from Biden, that is).

If the Squad is the future of the Democratic Party, it's because progressives won enough seats to disrupt the party agenda, not because they helped elect doddering centrist Presidents.

and received special consideration for doing so

so are you in the pizza hut or the taco bell?

the CPC is not quite half the Democratic population of the 116th congress, but they're close.

The trend is towards divestment from Sackler money in other areas, eg philanthropy, so it would make sense to me if their political donations declined in the future.

a dozen or so well-chosen primary challenges could make the CPC the majority of the majority

If the Squad is the future of the Democratic Party, it's because progressives won enough seats to disrupt the party agenda, not because they helped elect doddering centrist Presidents.

― Donald Trump Also Sucks, Of Course (milo z), Wednesday, November 4, 2020 7:25 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I believe that the Squad helping a doddering a centrist becoming president should be seen as proof that they are really really good at elections and that's why I'm optimistic for progressive politics in the near future.

xxp I was thinking of AOC and the squad's eventual persuasion of the Democratic center in regards to the public, because they still need to come around

"The Squad" winning every contest = one of the more reassuring things below the presidential level.

I do wonder if the constant demonization of AOC and the squad on Fox and the like has made Democrats more likely to come around, since they're primed to view everything out of there as a lie. (anecdotally I've seen this happen, for whatever that's worth)

Knocking doors matters a fucking lot.

Sure, but this is also a time when loads of people of my approximate political persuasion were also saying STAY THE FUCK AT HOME, social distance, you shouldn't be going anywhere except for essential things like food.

Democrats usually eat their young.. it was nice to see a (somewhat) unified party for a change.

This was the worst part of the Biden digital campaign for me:
https://youtu.be/KD7gmvXdQak

Tina Smith retained her MN Senate seat over ex right wing radio guy Jason Lewis who I assure is an incredible piece of shit

I was thinking of AOC and the squad's eventual persuasion of the Democratic center in regards to the public, because they still need to come around

Democratic voters are already well to the left of Democratic politicians. Persuading the public appears to have a negligible effect on then persuading the people who throw $10k per plate fundraisers.

You either beat the centrists in primaries or organize enough people to potentially cost them their seats in the general election. Either way, political change is won through force, not being good and loyal.

well yesterday was a display of force

once they turn that force inwards, which should happen soon rather than later, i don't think there's stopping them.

I was worried about Tina Smith, it took longer to call for her than MN. And yes, Jason Lewis is a chode but incredibly popular with goatee/Tommy Bahama exurban douches.

“As usual, the politicians are much slower than the people they want to lead.”
— (-Hunter S Thompson-) Bob Marley

I believe I read somewhere that Lewis said this is the end of his political career. (Presumably making room for MyPillow.com.)

xp, right, "you need my votes to win now" IS force.

You beat him into submission or at least deperately attempt to do so.

corral small-number donations into several sacks of quarters w/ which to beat pharma Dems into submission