General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: A question for HRC supporters ... [View all]calimary
(81,179 posts)That ONE thing. That single thing is just so powerful and WILL strongly influence the next 20, 30, maybe 50 years. At least a generation or two. We've got three on there who aren't exactly spring chickens. Whether it's scalia or thomas or RBG, at least one of 'em is gonna give up the ghost one of these days and retire. At least one of 'em is gonna need to be replaced.
This is a Presidential Election year. Dems tend to come out to vote more. So THIS would also be the time to make as strong a showing as possible in the Senate. And farther down-ticket, too. If you can possibly bring yourself to do so, vote ALL "Ds". I have found over many years voting in many elections that some general themes tend to show themselves again and again. You CAN pretty much make generalities, a lot of the time. If you dig down deep enough, you'll see the GOP is reactionary or old-fashioned on multiple issues, where most of the people who see things differently and want to look ahead tend to wind up with the Dems. You'll notice the business interests that sponsor the "r's" versus those who support "D's". And look at what the organizations are who are lining up on each side. And the people. Are these a bunch of wish-you'd-go-away's from the last term run by the other party? Are too many of 'em from the Heritage Foundation or some such? Sometimes the research is easy. There are all kinds of "tells" that tip their hand and blow their cover and their attempted subterfuge. Look at who they hang out with or which names keep coming up on the same issues. When I looked down the list of PNACers and found Michael O'Hanlon's name on there - I was SHOCKED! During the run-up to the Iraq War (and during the war too), when you could barely find ANYBODY on the left getting any face time on TV. Except Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, at the time the ONLY even mildly leftward-leaning organization out there, compared with an expanding collection of right/far-right outfits. And he's got a mark on his soul, with jeb bush and one of his foreign policy advisors - paul wolfowitz, and richard b. cheney and the kagans and the "Dark Prince" richard perle and the whole rotten stinking rest of those weasels, too. Election by election I've noticed that this is a common thread.
It would also be intriguing to study the governorships and state legislatures in various states while it's still early. Which one's on the brink of going red? Which one's on the brink of going blue? Which needs to be shorn up and by how much? Where do we have a shot at turning an "r" to a "D"? And for four-year terms that start or end in 2018 - it might be smart to start lining some things up ahead of time. Or at least studying and analyzing more closely.
And ANOTHER thing about this next one being 2016: It's a KEY election cycle. That will begin to set us up for the next Census. That always happens on a zero year. 1980. 1990. 2000. 2010. 2020. 2030... Which CON positions are six-year terms? That'd take us OVER the 0-year mark and there'd be a D in power when the Census is taken and Congressional districts are reapportioned to reflect changes in population that the Census will reveal. YOU DO NOT WANT THE GOP IN CHARGE ON THOSE YEARS!!!!!! Haven't we seen enough of that ridiculous snaky gerrymandering of districts? They look like what you have to trace in the sky while you're trying to spot the stars that will allow you to put constellations together. Ridiculously ridiculous!!! OUR team has to be in charge for the Census and the impact it has on Congressional districts. The GOP so far has very shrewdly stacked the deck.
Fortunately, SOME Dems have finally been shaken awake about this. Freakin' FINALLY!!!!!
http://dlcc.org/news/dlcc-launches-advantage-2020-key-success-next-round-redistricting-70-million-plus-effort
I just hope it's not too late.