Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[TechTalk]

It's the ones that are both deranged Trump cult members and armed that need to be watched closely right now. I wonder which direction the new QAnon gun-toting Republican members of Congress would be aiming if shooting breaks out.

https://www.reuters.com/Gun-toting U.S. Representative Boebert aims to pack more than her lunch on D.C. streets

https://www.thedailybeast.com/qanon-congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene-refuses-to-wear-mask-at-congressional-swearing-in

[BernardLanguillier]

You're dangerous.

For telling you that you have a responsibility as a voter and, much more significantly, as a hard core supporter, for the deeds of the President you blindly supported?

Cheers,
Bernard

[BernardLanguillier]

Victory or death? Are they bonkers? It's just an election, there will another one in 4 years. Relax.

Part of the beliefs of these extremists appears to be that they will never win an election again.

They think that with the evolving demographics in the US the Democrats will win all future elections, this even though the current system is tremendously in favor of Republicans voters from smaller states.

So, true or not, in their minds this may be the last chance to win. And if they win they want to make sure that they will never have fear losing again...

Obviously this is the result of their hyper partisan views because Democrat voters may decide to vote for a Republican candidate who would be a decent person with a sound program... but they are so entrenched in their own partisan views that this doesn’t even cross their minds. They can’t seem to imagine that others may be able to elevate themselves beyond their own clan.

Although in this case it would appear the their heroe isn’t supporting them very effectively because I would bet that Trump’s actions these past 3 days are directly responsible for the likely loss of the 2 Georgian Senators in favor of Democrats.

Because in a rare moment of lucidity Trump may have understood that it would be not very credible if the Democrats won the Presidential election but not the Senate. So he may have done everything he could to discourage Republican vote just to be able to say “look, they also stole the Senate election in Georgia”...

But... wouldn’t that be putting his own interest on top of that of the Republican party?

Cheers,
Bernard

[LesPalenik]

Although in this case it would appear the their heroe isn’t supporting them very effectively because I would bet that Trump’s actions these past 3 days are directly responsible for the likely loss of the 2 Georgian Senators in favor of Democrats.

That is quite clear and logical conclusion. It is beyond comprehension that half of the republicans still can't see it and continue supporting Trump.

[Alan Klein]

That is quite clear and logical conclusion. It is beyond comprehension that half of the republicans still can't see it and continue supporting Trump.

The country is divided.  Trump won 47% in 2020 and 46% in 2016 of the popular vote.  Nothing much has changed in four years.  The Democrat agenda is supported by only half the country.  The other half doesn't trust them or their policies or believe the press. The Democrats will now pack the senate by making Puerto Rico and Washington DC states so they can secure their power in the senate with four more Democrats.  The states will now get bailed out of their pension crises.  I suspect the price of an ounce of gold will go up $70 today; the dollar will decline.  The stock market should go up for the same reason, inflation.

Iran will agree to go back to the original deal.  But only if the Democrat Senate approves a formal treaty.  They've learned their lesson about presidential deals.   Many of our allies will be happy the Democrats are back in power until the country wakes up that we're broke and Biden starts to pull back on commitments overseas.  That'll take a couple of years.   The Supreme Court might be packed.  But not yet as there are;t enough senators to confirm it.  Some Democrats will want to go slow.  Maybe after they get PR and DC senators.  Rich people who fled to PR to avoid federal taxes will come back to the mainland since they'll be no point to continue living there. 

The biggest problems will be inflation, the deficit and debt, and the required taxes to support it.

Biden's been around a long time.  Hopefully, he'll temper those on the left with his own experience and sanity.

[Alan Klein]

For telling you that you have a responsibility as a voter and, much more significantly, as a hard core supporter, for the deeds of the President you blindly supported?

Cheers,
Bernard

This is what real tyranny is about.   Not the made-up stuff you accuse America of.

Hong Kong arrests 53 activists under national security law
https://apnews.com/article/legislature-primary-elections-democracy-hong-kong-elections-25a66f7dd38e6606c9f8cce84106d916

[BernardLanguillier]

This is what real tyranny is about.   Not the made-up stuff you accuse America of.

Hong Kong arrests 53 activists under national security law
https://apnews.com/article/legislature-primary-elections-democracy-hong-kong-elections-25a66f7dd38e6606c9f8cce84106d916

Alan,

You are not America.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Robert Roaldi]

A bit speculative, but here's an article about what happened historically when good governments went bad, https://scitechdaily.com/when-good-governments-go-bad-history-shows-that-societies-collapse-when-leaders-undermine-social-contracts/.

[faberryman]

Looks like the two Democratic candidates will win the run-off election in Georgia. Rack up another failure for Donald Trump. So much winning whining.

[Robert Roaldi]

Looks like the two Democratic candidates will win the run-off election in Georgia. Rack up another failure for Donald Trump. So much winning whining.

To be fair, Trump did say that people would be winning so much that they might get bored of winning. Maybe he called it.

I saw in a report that one of the races is too close to call at the moment. I bet everyone in Georgia has a recorder sitting next to their phones in case Trump calls them to try and "find" some votes.

I never really thought about the handling of US Senate elections till now. I didn't realize that they actually had two races for the two jobs. I think I assumed that they set up a list of candidates, counted up their votes, and gave the jobs to the two highest vote-getters. Do any states do it that way? Is there an official designation for the two Senate seats, A & B or 1 & 2 or something? Are the 2 positions equal in every respect?

[jeremyrh]

Back to the happy subject of Covid, and an account of a doctor's daily life in the UK (though I imagine it is similar in most places). It is pretty frightening.

https://unherd.com/2021/01/inside-the-covid-ward/

Still, at least some folks can eat brisket.

[faberryman]

I saw in a report that one of the races is too close to call at the moment. I bet everyone in Georgia has a recorder sitting next to their phones in case Trump calls them to try and "find" some votes.

One lead is 50,000 and the other lead is 16,000. There are some outstanding mail-in and provisional ballots which tend to break for Democrats so the leads should hold or increase.

The Republicans ran a joint race which is highly unusual.

[Robert Roaldi]

One lead is 50,000 and the other lead is 16,000. There are some outstanding mail-in and provisional ballots which tend to break for Democrats so the leads should hold or increase.

The Republicans ran a joint race which is highly unusual.

So the two Senate races each cover the entire state, is this the case? It's not as if one candidate runs in the eastern districts and the other in western districts, say?

[jeremyrh]

So the two Senate races each cover the entire state, is this the case? It's not as if one candidate runs in the eastern districts and the other in western districts, say?

It's to help with the slavery, or something. Alan will be along to explain in a minute.

[faberryman]

So the two Senate races each cover the entire state, is this the case? It's not as if one candidate runs in the eastern districts and the other in western districts, say?

Senate seats state-wide positions. The members of the House of Representatives are selected by district.

[John Camp]

So the two Senate races each cover the entire state, is this the case? It's not as if one candidate runs in the eastern districts and the other in western districts, say?

The both run statewide. One race (Warnock's) is to fill an unfilled term, so he wil serve only two years and then have to run for reelection. The other race was for a full term, 6 years. Both seats are up this year because of the unfilled term. The previous Georgia senator had to leave the senate because of health issues. The governor appointed Loeffler to fill that term until the next general election. This was that election.

At the moment, it's apparent that the Dems will win both races. This is absolutely critical because the Senate will then be evenly split, and the "President of the Senate" -- the vice president -- gets to break ties. That means that the majority leader will be a Democrat (Chuck Schumer) and all the committee chairmen *could* be Democrats, and all of Biden's cabinet appointments will probably be approved. The last time there was an evenly split Senate, the two parties worked out a power-sharing agreement that actually worked. But that was in a less partisan time, so...we will see.

[MattBurt]

Because in a rare moment of lucidity Trump may have understood that it would be not very credible if the Democrats won the Presidential election but not the Senate. So he may have done everything he could to discourage Republican vote just to be able to say “look, they also stole the Senate election in Georgia”...

It's hard to figure out if this is his strategy or if he is just an idiot only out for himself. Actually I guess those don't have to mutually exclusive.

[Robert Roaldi]

It's hard to figure out if this is his strategy or if he is just an idiot only out for himself. Actually I guess those don't have to mutually exclusive.

This (mostly Michael Cohen opinion) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/05/donald-trumps-most-audacious-loyalty-test-ever-455245 lines up with "idiot out for himself".  Hard to imagine that any of his moves were based on strategizing, he doesn't strike me as a long-range thinker.

[MattBurt]

Well my fellow liberals, I think all our hard work here on LL has paid off.
Our well-reasoned arguments and fact filled analysis here have brought us victory in Georgia.

[Alan Klein]

The both run statewide. One race (Warnock's) is to fill an unfilled term, so he wil serve only two years and then have to run for reelection. The other race was for a full term, 6 years. Both seats are up this year because of the unfilled term. The previous Georgia senator had to leave the senate because of health issues. The governor appointed Loeffler to fill that term until the next general election. This was that election.

At the moment, it's apparent that the Dems will win both races. This is absolutely critical because the Senate will then be evenly split, and the "President of the Senate" -- the vice president -- gets to break ties. That means that the majority leader will be a Democrat (Chuck Schumer) and all the committee chairmen *could* be Democrats, and all of Biden's cabinet appointments will probably be approved. The last time there was an evenly split Senate, the two parties worked out a power-sharing agreement that actually worked. But that was in a less partisan time, so...we will see.

Schumer said that if the democrats win Georgia, then they take over the world.  So I don't suspect he's in any mood to compromise.  He's been grooming himself his whole life to become president of the senate.  I don't think he'll want to share anything with anyone.

On the good side, or bad side depending on how you look at it, he's from New York, home of Wall Street who's always supported him and he they.  It's one of the major business engines for the state.  So he'll listen to business people.  Of course, he'll print a  lot which may be good for the market if not the country and poor people as the value of their paychecks diminish. As a supporter of Israel, I don't think he'll want to have the Senate ratify the Iran deal in its current form.  But we'll see.  I suspect he'll want to make Puerto Rico and DC states to get four more democratic Senators to assure his continued Senate leadership in the 2022 elections.   I hope power doesn't go to his head because ego can screw up things.  It was the former Democratic leader of the senate who messed up judge selection for the supreme court with his desire for more power when he did away with the filibuster for judges.