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WI_Red

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She was weak as piss on Trump.
I disagree to an extent. On impeachment she could have been more aggressive, but for the rest of the 4 years she acted as a foil/target for his ire and it allowed the house to function as best it could with a GOP Senate majority.
 

WI_Red

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Hoyer stepping down as well, although he would not have been minority leader anyway. I wonder if Clyburn also steps down
 

SirAF

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Sensible call by Pelosi - intrigued to see who the Dems will put up to succeed her.
 

MrMarcello

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Say what you want about the Dems, but at least they have some interest in actually governing. The GOP has turned into a vengeance/rage/own the libs cult with no intent on actually doing anything.
Unless it helps themselves, a select few uber wealthy benefactors, the religious right, and corporations.
 

Blood Mage

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The GOP knows it can't win over voters with their deeply unpopular policies. They have to turn their Dem opponents into boogeymen/boogeywomen.
 

Revan

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Say what you want about the Dems, but at least they have some interest in actually governing. The GOP has turned into a vengeance/rage/own the libs cult with no intent on actually doing anything.
The GOP strategy is a) when in government, lower the taxes for the rich and appoint conservative judges, b) when in opposition, obstruct.

Also mention Jesus.
 

Revan

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The GOP knows it can't win over voters with their deeply unpopular policies. They have to turn their Dem opponents into boogeymen/boogeywomen.
They just won 51.2% of the popular vote for the House (more than Dems the last time around, and just 0.1% less than Biden va Trump). Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to like those policies.
 

SinNombre

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They just won 51.2% of the popular vote for the House (more than Dems the last time around, and just 0.1% less than Biden va Trump). Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to like those policies.
They also won a lot of House seats in NY and CA - it is unpopular on the Caf but a lot of suburban voters are not “progressive”. And then it becomes a choice for them between two candidates where they prefer and dislike some of each.

School reopening, removing merit based admissions, renaming schools, defund the police vs increase in violent crime and homelessness rates (which could be pandemic+inflation driven but bad optics nonetheless) have all allowed moderate GOP candidates to make inroads.
 

RedDevilQuebecois

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Hoyer stepping down as well, although he would not have been minority leader anyway. I wonder if Clyburn also steps down
With Adam Schiff angling towards the Senate, that's another one on the way out of the House. Gotta wonder with whom the Democrats will fill those shoes in order to maintain a very disciplined front. It would be less complicated to replace one person, but we're talking of filling 3 or even 4 pairs of big shoes.
 

Revan

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They also won a lot of House seats in NY and CA - it is unpopular on the Caf but a lot of suburban voters are not “progressive”. And then it becomes a choice for them between two candidates where they prefer and dislike some of each.

School reopening, removing merit based admissions, renaming schools, defund the police vs increase in violent crime and homelessness rates (which could be pandemic+inflation driven but bad optics nonetheless) have all allowed moderate GOP candidates to make inroads.
Indeed, the Democrats have their share of insane policies. Not near as bad as GOP, who essentially start from insane and get worse, but still. Probably why they do not comfortably win elections.
 

Pexbo

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Indeed, the Democrats have their share of insane policies. Not near as bad as GOP, who essentially start from insane and get worse, but still. Probably why they do not comfortably win elections.
Defund the police has terrible PR (as in the name) but solid principles.

The police are first call for many incidents they are not trained for and do not have the nuance or compassion to deal with. The idea is that instead of giving the police 80% of state funding (and then spending it or army gear) you invest in social and medical services which can address the root of the issues.
 

WI_Red

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Indeed, the Democrats have their share of insane policies. Not near as bad as GOP, who essentially start from insane and get worse, but still. Probably why they do not comfortably win elections.
What are these insane policies?
 

RedDevilQuebecois

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Defund the police has terrible PR (as in the name) but solid principles.

The police are first call for many incidents they are not trained for and do not have the nuance or compassion to deal with. The idea is that instead of giving the police 80% of state funding (and then spending it or army gear) you invest in social and medical services which can address the root of the issues.
Better PR could have been done surrounding Defund the Police indeed. Nevertheless, the fact remains that several countries are succeeeding in increasing standards of policing with budgets that do not come even close to all the money that US police departments receive on an annual basis. That's the part that needs to be hammered time and time again. The budget should have strings that ensure that cops being deemed "fully qualified" must have succeeded a serious training curriculum like those used in Europe. That would be a responsible use of public funds that would eventually lead to lesser spending.

Why is there no unified national police academy in the US though? In the small group of islands that is Japan with its 125-million population, the National Police Academy is in Tokyo.
 
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nimic

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And I'm all out of bubblegum.
They just won 51.2% of the popular vote for the House (more than Dems the last time around, and just 0.1% less than Biden va Trump). Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to like those policies.
That's one way of looking at it, sure. Another way is to acknowledge that the President's party almost always loses in the midterms, and that it's potentially more useful to look at House midterm margins the last 20 years:

2022: +3.9% for the GOP
2018: +8.6% for the Dems
2014: +5.7% for the GOP
2010: +6.8% for the GOP
2006: +8.0% for the Dems
2002: +4.8% for the GOP (this one is an outlier for obvious reasons)

There's a reason winning 51.2% of the vote and taking the House felt like a defeat.
 

WI_Red

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Removing merit based admission in schools, for example.
That’s one, I would honestly like you opinion on the other “insane” policies.

As for your example I would ask how you define merit. Do you mean only grades/SAT should be taken into account? Should extra curricular count? How about the strength of the high school? What defines if student A is more meritorious than student B?
 

utdalltheway

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Say what you want about the Dems, but at least they have some interest in actually governing. The GOP has turned into a vengeance/rage/own the libs cult with no intent on actually doing anything.
They have to distract with this BS especially now they have the majority. Some voters might have actually expected real policies like a healthcare plan, a plan to fight inflation… :lol:
 

Revan

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Pray for McCarthy! Usually, it is a formality getting the votes for leadership (see McConnell, Reid, Schumer in senate, Pelosi in the House). But McCarthy had to leave way for Paul Ryan the last time they had the House, and now after they won it after 4 years in opposition, he probably won't become Speaker again too.

Couldn't have happened to a better guy. Although, GOP will probably manage to find someone even worse.
 

WI_Red

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Pray for McCarthy! Usually, it is a formality getting the votes for leadership (see McConnell, Reid, Schumer in senate, Pelosi in the House). But McCarthy had to leave way for Paul Ryan the last time they had the House, and now after they won it after 4 years in opposition, he probably won't become Speaker again too.

Couldn't have happened to a better guy. Although, GOP will probably manage to find someone even worse.
This is where I think it gets interesting. There are more than enough "moderate" GOPers who won Biden districts (see NY and CA) who know they need to appear moderate if they want to get reelected. With such a tiny minority they can't hide behind protest "no" votes to keep that appearance. I think at least one has said he would be open with working with Dem's to nominate a moderate speaker should the GOP be unable to elect a normal speaker. This is going to get nasty over the next few months and the promises that KM is going to have to make to grab the speaker role are going to be crazy. Same with anyone who wants the Q wing on board (which they will need to be speaker).
 

WI_Red

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This is a sexual release for some of these people...

And just most of their incel acolytes this is nothing but an impotent performance.

The house can't actually do anything to a cabinet member other than waste their time.
 

WI_Red

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This is an interesting idea. He would only need 4-5 GOP members to join the Dems to get this done. Could you imagine the meltdown in the Qrazy caucus?

 

WI_Red

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Won't happen, they have zero desire to govern.
It would only take a handful of moderate GOP members for it to happen. Amash is an ex-GOP congressman who lost his seat by going against Trump, so the optics are good. This is also likely the best scenario for the Dems and would be Scalise/McCarthy/MTG as speaker.
 

RedDevilQuebecois

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Won't happen, they have zero desire to govern.
We can have different opinions about Oliver Cromwell, but this speech (if there is anything as historically close to this) would be appropriate to describe the majority of the GOP right now.


"You are no more capable of conducting the affairs of this nation than you are of running a brothel!"