2020 Election - The curtain starts coming down

[Jinx999]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...81754.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/...story.html

Words fail me.

There are still a couple of weeks left to impeach the guy . . .. .

[robkelk]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...81754.html

The race, one of the most expensive in US history,

You people actually think it matters how much an election costs?

Wow. Just... wow.

First-world countries don't care how much elections cost, as long as everybody has the chance to vote.

Lineups for hours at polling stations? Open more polling stations next time.
Voter harassment? Hire security.

And never give a damn about the expense.

[Labster]

You're misinterpreting the word expensive in this context. They're referring to how much has been spent on candidates. The two Democratic candidates have raised over a hundred million dollars each; the Republicans have raised over sixty million each but also have more dark money support. Both campaigns send me daily emails asking for more money, but I read newspaper articles telling me the candidates are having trouble figuring out how to spend so much money. I mean, think about that for a minute.

All in all, I expect half a billion dollars will be spent on the Georgia senate races this year, which is finally an example of politics being priced correctly. Well, still a little under-priced. I'd still say that having a government friendly to your goals is worth at least a billion dollars to someone.

Anyway, we'd never spend that much on actually running an election. The outcome is what's important, not the process.

[RMH999]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/pol...video.html

Here's the leaked phone call with Trump trying to pressure the GA secretary of state.

[classicdrogn]

Damn, man. Hey Republicans, you wanted evidence of election interference, right? Got some for ya.

[Norgarth]

Trump's been tweeting about some "March for Trump" dipshits who will be in Washington on the 6th.

Can we expect them to engage in violence when they find that the latest Trump challenge (like the previous 60) is an ineffictive publicity stunt?

Trump isn't leaving himself an out to ever accept the election result.

And the behaviour of the current republican party is filling me with disgust. It's worrying as it's not healthy for a country to only have one significant political party that achieves the bare minimum of civilised behaviour.

I'm half expecting him to fly to some non-extraditing country a day or 2 before Biden gets sworn in to escape the immanent charges.   Maybe he'll declare himself as President-in-Exile.

[robkelk]

Nancy Pelosi wins narrow re-election as House speaker

[Labster]

Yeah, there wasn't really any doubt there. When the party has more votes, more people get to take protest votes against leadership that they think will play well at home. But Pelosi has shown real skill at taking narrow majorities and getting things passed -- as much skill as Mitch McConnell has shown in killing things in the Senate.

I've always thought that there was a decent chance she'd stay past her negotiated retirement date, but she is getting older. Not older in the sense of losing the ability to govern, just older in probably wanting to spend some time not wrangling with 400 yahoos.

[Bob Schroeck]

From The Atlantic: What Republicans are doing is worse than treason

[Bob Schroeck]

Biden to receive a Special Escort to the White House instead of the traditional inauguration parade. Although he will take the Oath of Office on steps of the Capitol as is traditional.

[hazard]

Well, that's rather worrisome.

[Bob Schroeck]

Well, part of the reason is COVID-19 restrictions. A parade would be a super-spreader event.

But yeah, there are obviously other reasons.

[Black Aeronaut]

What's interesting in this case is that, if something untoward does happen, we pretty much know who is ultimately to be held at fault. After all, he's been screaming for violent acts as of late.

Rarely is a vocal minority so hideously toxic that you don't even have to point any fingers. All eyes automatically turn to them.

[Bob Schroeck]

Now I can't remember if Harris' arrangements were explicitly mentioned in the article, but I'm expecting that she'll be going wherever she's going on a different route with a different escort...

And I'm now wondering if any of the marching morons who might try for an assassination for the benefit of Glorious Leader Trump realize that if they take out Biden, they'll be installing -- horrors! -- a black woman as president. And if they somehow manage to take out both Biden and Harris... well, Nancy Pelosi becomes President. They might as well try for a full-bore revolution because they'll have to murder their way a long way down the chain of command before they reach a Republican. (Which won't do them any good, anyway -- honestly, do you really believe any politician who's been handed the presidency will voluntarily give it up to Trump? Give up that much power handed to them on a silver platter to a guy who's been an asshole to everyone in the party recently? Not likely.)

[Labster]

Parler users call for police station to be burned down over alleged police misconduct

The twist ending: they arrested a white person.

It wouldn't take that many killings to hit a Republican if (God forbid) Biden and Harris were assassinated right away.  Depending on what happens Tuesday, the Senate President pro tem will be either Chuck Grassley (R) or Patrick Leahy (D).  After that, none of the new cabinet members will be confirmed, so it would go to Mike Pompeo and next to Steve Mnuchin.  If the idea of President Mnuchin sounds terrifying, eventually succession winds down to a theoretical President DeVos.  Pompeo, though, would definitely take up the Presidency if it happened to fall in his lap, if you know what I mean.

(If you like this kind of Presidential Succession fanfic, do check out Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission, and start reading the story on page 17.)

[Bob Schroeck]

Ah, that's what I get for speculating without research late at night. Thanks for the correction.

[robkelk]

Trump might actually be incapable of realizing that he lost

Which begs the question: even if he was somehow able to remain POTUS, would you want a person who's that far out of touch with reality in charge of your country?

[hazard]

Why do you think even constitutional monarchies have ways to put the head of state into a completely powerless state?

[robkelk]

Reminder: Georgia's runoff election for both of its Senate seats is on Tuesday. If you are legally allowed to vote in this election, please vote.

Well, the polls have been closed for an hour now. CNN says both races are too close to call - over 60% of the polls have reported, and the difference in each race is 1% or less.

No matter who wins, I expect somebody to call for a recount.

EDIT: Six minutes later, and the difference in both races has shrunk to less than one-half of one percent. Tomorrow's going to be faux-Chinese-curse "interesting".

[Jinx999]

The generally cautious BBC is saying that they're too close to call, but I have seen claims that they've both gone Democrat.

The idea that the current Vice-President (who, a substantial proportion of the time is one of the candidates) has the power to reject a state's votes is . . . completely insane.

Trump is going to have a complete meltdown.

Best of luck to everyone in America. I think you need it.

[Labster]

At this point, Rev. Warnock has very likely won (95% chance I'd say), while the other race is very close, but likely goes to Ossoff (I'd say 66% chance). Among millions of votes cast, Raphael Warnock is doing some ~40000 votes better than his comrade. Politics are nationalized these days but, well, Warnock has deep Georgia roots and a black Senator from the Deep South would be historic, while his opponent Kelly Loeffler is an appointed incumbent who moved to the state, and her husband runs the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange. The other race is a more traditional establishment incumbent versus establishment challenger.

[SilverFang01]

I wonder now that Mitch is a minority, will Republicans allow him to vote?

[hazard]

Oh, the elections have been called?

Keep in mind this just means the Senate is in a deadlock unless the VP shows up.

[robkelk]

Keep in mind this just means the Senate is in a deadlock unless the VP shows up.

Expect Ms. Harris to be spending all of her time in DC for the foreseeable future.

[Bob Schroeck]

I wonder now that Mitch is a minority, will Republicans allow him to vote?

But of course.  The Republicans have always been about minority voting -- as long as you're the right minority, namely rich and white.