An email from a friend in England waiting in the in-box for me this morning asked “how go the mid-terms?” I’m posting my answer here for all of you, too. Caution: when looking across a valley filled with fog, it can be difficult to get a good view of what’s on the other side.
Interesting and informative. I have to admit at first I thought the title was Peeing in the Fog. In my neighbourhood in Wales this probably happens a lot. We have ramblers (walkers) that roam the hills, probably get lost or slip into a gully and end up finding biological refuge any where they can find it. I was looking forward to the exploration of this as a political metaphor. Alas, that rumination awaits a less tumultuous time in history. A time I so fervently wish for.
Cannot thank you enough TC for your races/vote count updates. I'm holding my breath. Especially for Katie Porter. Like her so much. Would so love to have all 3 houses with no Joe Manchin/Kyrsten Sinema hostage takers to see what Biden could accomplish. Also LOVE the BEE SWARM southern version of my old saying that getting artists to agree is like "herding cats". xo
it still strikes me as horrifying that these fringe candidates did as well as they did. or are doing, with control of congress still up in the air as of midnight.
I always find this time of post-election waiting the hardest. I'm usually not tempted to dip into the heated rhetoric and vulgar overspending of American elections that go on longer than other countries'. Longer, in fact, than is in any way appropriate. I'll just go ahead and get southern about it. They last so long and they spend so much $$ and, worst of all, they TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY, that it boils down to one word TACKY.
But now the craziness has come and gone, the band has gone home, tents folded (of course they aren't, but officially election day came and went and now we have this impressive collection and sane analysis of numbers and I ,at least, can't tell if they are encouraging numbers or devastating numbers.
TC your particular way of sorting them, or maybe your distinctive "voice " have made them easier to swallow and still go on with the day. Thank you
yes, but one slight semantic quibble: to me, "tacky" suggests something that can be easily dismissed; tasteless but pretty low-impact. I'd never say that about all this keeping track of who's outspent whom. I think it's fundamentally evil.
or do I not have that right?
about this particular Substack, I agree. god knows I open my big dirty mouth here enough to show it..
I agree that what we have seen in the growth of a particularly brutal capitalism in this country is evil. And the heartlessness of it is "made in America." Evil is not a word I use often, but in this case I can't think of another one. As for "tacky," as used in my homeland, it refers to something so over the limits of decency that it's not possible to name it. I read somewhere in a novel I can't recall that "There are worse things than dying. There's being raped T here's being tacky." I know Im paraphrasing, and I think it was a novel by Anne River Siddons, but I hope you can dig out my point. I have overslept and am struggling my way into consciousness. A question of semantics, by the way, is never a slight quibble to an old teacher of literature.
I hope your math holds up for the House. I'd love to see what our country could accomplish with unity between Congress and the White House (I'm assuming SCOTUS will keep tilting right). Democracy is messy, but it's a beautiful thing.
Boy, have you described D’s messaging. Still pissed that none of their begging mentioned R plan to kill SS and Medicare. The young voters could have used a few oldsters interested in their future.
They say it will depend on uncounted votes in Pueblo, Colorado. My oldest friend (like back to when we were too young to know what friends were when our sorority-sister moms brought us together) lives outside Walsenburg in the district and says Pueblo is the bluest part of the area. So there's some hope.
Work to do going forward. This is Leigh McGowan, Politics Girl, podcast with Thom Hartmann posted on day of election. Done so to emphasize work to be done going forward supporting Democracy and the issues that we know were on the ballot Tuesday regardless of outcomes. Interesting perspective. Now, as we look at the outcomes as they roll out, Democracy has a leg up and hand up in moving forward effectively with efficacy. Especially, if Dems pay attention for once at obv lessons, how to plan and engage for 2024. ESPECIALLY with young voters.
Give a listen. Thom Hartmann is something. The Supreme Court is a focus in this podcast.
I remain guardedly optimistic..... We are now in the process of counting all the early and absentee ballots, and that can and usually does affect the outcome of elections in the US. Trump was leading Biden at the end of Election Day in many states, but lost by 7 million votes as a result of counting the early and absentee ballots later. I think some of the close races will go to the Democrats, and there is even a chance we can keep the House despite the fools in New York. We live in hope, and even if the Republicans eke out a win, they will self-destruct with their investigations and impeachment stuff.
Democrats are right now three away from holding the house, or McCarthy is three away from living in hell. Pelosi could take a one vote majority and govern with it. Unlike the world's dumbest Oklafornian.
Nicely done TC, thanks. Your eloquent summation sets up the next two months very nicely even without sure knowledge of the Senate outcome. Also on the less public agenda has to be a strategic plan for the next two years to ensure insofar as possible that we don't face this situation again in '24.
Do you think that Mrs. Pelosi will stand as Speaker again if the Democrats win the House or will she yield to the next generation and become the eminence gris that her record says she deserves to be?
Dave, I think of her husband, Paul, and what he will be thinking about her returning as Madame Speaker if that is an option. She will read him better than anything else she's ever read. Their co-feelings on that choice means a great deal.
I guess we are all going to be on tenterhooks waiting for the later absentee and mail-in votes to be cast..... The trend in past elections is that the later votes tend to favor the Democrats, which could give the Democrats the House, in spite of the Dem-i-goons in New York who botched gerrymandering and sacrificed FOUR freaking Dem seats in the House..... If that happens, and if we can keep NV and AZ, we have both houses, maybe even enough Senate seats to get around Manchinema (if Warnock wins).....
Pooties..... Well, Smokin' Joe managed to pass a fair amount of decent legislation even with Manchinema, so there is hope that at least all the voting reform can get through. That of course will depend on the phases of the moon (for her) and how much coal was brokered (for him).....
Yes, but if the Republicans prove to be absolutely incapable of governing, that will be a strong talking point for 2024. And Biden did get a lot of good legislation passed even with the filibuster and Republican obstruction - considering his slim margins, he had a very good year.
Interesting and informative. I have to admit at first I thought the title was Peeing in the Fog. In my neighbourhood in Wales this probably happens a lot. We have ramblers (walkers) that roam the hills, probably get lost or slip into a gully and end up finding biological refuge any where they can find it. I was looking forward to the exploration of this as a political metaphor. Alas, that rumination awaits a less tumultuous time in history. A time I so fervently wish for.
Cannot thank you enough TC for your races/vote count updates. I'm holding my breath. Especially for Katie Porter. Like her so much. Would so love to have all 3 houses with no Joe Manchin/Kyrsten Sinema hostage takers to see what Biden could accomplish. Also LOVE the BEE SWARM southern version of my old saying that getting artists to agree is like "herding cats". xo
Cats and bees tell the tale on Dems. R’s are much more in tune with each other’s evil. Sadly, in Texas, they are like Siamese triplets
it still strikes me as horrifying that these fringe candidates did as well as they did. or are doing, with control of congress still up in the air as of midnight.
I always find this time of post-election waiting the hardest. I'm usually not tempted to dip into the heated rhetoric and vulgar overspending of American elections that go on longer than other countries'. Longer, in fact, than is in any way appropriate. I'll just go ahead and get southern about it. They last so long and they spend so much $$ and, worst of all, they TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY, that it boils down to one word TACKY.
But now the craziness has come and gone, the band has gone home, tents folded (of course they aren't, but officially election day came and went and now we have this impressive collection and sane analysis of numbers and I ,at least, can't tell if they are encouraging numbers or devastating numbers.
TC your particular way of sorting them, or maybe your distinctive "voice " have made them easier to swallow and still go on with the day. Thank you
yes, but one slight semantic quibble: to me, "tacky" suggests something that can be easily dismissed; tasteless but pretty low-impact. I'd never say that about all this keeping track of who's outspent whom. I think it's fundamentally evil.
or do I not have that right?
about this particular Substack, I agree. god knows I open my big dirty mouth here enough to show it..
Good morning, David,
I agree that what we have seen in the growth of a particularly brutal capitalism in this country is evil. And the heartlessness of it is "made in America." Evil is not a word I use often, but in this case I can't think of another one. As for "tacky," as used in my homeland, it refers to something so over the limits of decency that it's not possible to name it. I read somewhere in a novel I can't recall that "There are worse things than dying. There's being raped T here's being tacky." I know Im paraphrasing, and I think it was a novel by Anne River Siddons, but I hope you can dig out my point. I have overslept and am struggling my way into consciousness. A question of semantics, by the way, is never a slight quibble to an old teacher of literature.
I hope your math holds up for the House. I'd love to see what our country could accomplish with unity between Congress and the White House (I'm assuming SCOTUS will keep tilting right). Democracy is messy, but it's a beautiful thing.
Sometimes, sometimes it is worse than sausage making
Boy, have you described D’s messaging. Still pissed that none of their begging mentioned R plan to kill SS and Medicare. The young voters could have used a few oldsters interested in their future.
Thx for the analysis
Had not heard the losing Boebert update TC so thank you. Surprising but guess voters in the district were done with having their own feces thrower.
It's not actually certain yet, but it looks probable. Whichever way it goes will be close, maybe under 100 vote difference either outcome.
Oh lord, I thought she was a goner
last time I looked, it was worse than a squeaker. I'm typing this at 12:35 AM.
They say it will depend on uncounted votes in Pueblo, Colorado. My oldest friend (like back to when we were too young to know what friends were when our sorority-sister moms brought us together) lives outside Walsenburg in the district and says Pueblo is the bluest part of the area. So there's some hope.
Work to do going forward. This is Leigh McGowan, Politics Girl, podcast with Thom Hartmann posted on day of election. Done so to emphasize work to be done going forward supporting Democracy and the issues that we know were on the ballot Tuesday regardless of outcomes. Interesting perspective. Now, as we look at the outcomes as they roll out, Democracy has a leg up and hand up in moving forward effectively with efficacy. Especially, if Dems pay attention for once at obv lessons, how to plan and engage for 2024. ESPECIALLY with young voters.
Give a listen. Thom Hartmann is something. The Supreme Court is a focus in this podcast.
https://youtu.be/Pz5unJjBNf4
United! 🗽
I remain guardedly optimistic..... We are now in the process of counting all the early and absentee ballots, and that can and usually does affect the outcome of elections in the US. Trump was leading Biden at the end of Election Day in many states, but lost by 7 million votes as a result of counting the early and absentee ballots later. I think some of the close races will go to the Democrats, and there is even a chance we can keep the House despite the fools in New York. We live in hope, and even if the Republicans eke out a win, they will self-destruct with their investigations and impeachment stuff.
Democrats are right now three away from holding the house, or McCarthy is three away from living in hell. Pelosi could take a one vote majority and govern with it. Unlike the world's dumbest Oklafornian.
Nicely done TC, thanks. Your eloquent summation sets up the next two months very nicely even without sure knowledge of the Senate outcome. Also on the less public agenda has to be a strategic plan for the next two years to ensure insofar as possible that we don't face this situation again in '24.
Do you think that Mrs. Pelosi will stand as Speaker again if the Democrats win the House or will she yield to the next generation and become the eminence gris that her record says she deserves to be?
I think if the Democrats retain the House, they're going to need the best bee-swarm-herder they've got - and they only have one.
Once more into the breech, whether she wants to or not.
Dave, I think of her husband, Paul, and what he will be thinking about her returning as Madame Speaker if that is an option. She will read him better than anything else she's ever read. Their co-feelings on that choice means a great deal.
I agree Fern and that's as it should be. The decision may not be based as much on what the Party needs as what her family needs.
“Bees in a blizzard”
I guess we are all going to be on tenterhooks waiting for the later absentee and mail-in votes to be cast..... The trend in past elections is that the later votes tend to favor the Democrats, which could give the Democrats the House, in spite of the Dem-i-goons in New York who botched gerrymandering and sacrificed FOUR freaking Dem seats in the House..... If that happens, and if we can keep NV and AZ, we have both houses, maybe even enough Senate seats to get around Manchinema (if Warnock wins).....
Nope. The best we get is 51 seats in the Senate. 1 short of dealing with Manchinema.
Pooties..... Well, Smokin' Joe managed to pass a fair amount of decent legislation even with Manchinema, so there is hope that at least all the voting reform can get through. That of course will depend on the phases of the moon (for her) and how much coal was brokered (for him).....
It also depends on if Dems can keep the House and Senate.
If Republicans control either one or both….BLOCKED! Ugh.
Yes, but if the Republicans prove to be absolutely incapable of governing, that will be a strong talking point for 2024. And Biden did get a lot of good legislation passed even with the filibuster and Republican obstruction - considering his slim margins, he had a very good year.
That is all very true!
“Manchinema” 😂