Posted on 05/21/2014 11:53:32 AM PDT by centurion316
Yesterday I laid out some scenarios for the 2014 Senate races. At President Obama's current job approval rating, Democrats would likely suffer substantial losses in the upper chamber. On the other hand, if the president were to improve his standing, and if Republican candidates implode in some races, the GOP could break even or even lose a seat or two.
But aside from bragging rights, 2014 is a sideshow for the following two years. Obama is a lame duck, and the GOP already has blocking power with the House. A Republican majority in the Senate could provide added leverage by forcing Obama to use his veto, and it could force vulnerable Democrats to cast tough votes. But where it really matters -- where it could make a huge difference -- is in the next round of Senate elections.
Given the playing field that year, Republican losses are at the very least probable in 2016. In fact, they are likely. So if the GOP blows it this year, and if a Democrat wins the presidency in 2016, he or she could have a sizable -- perhaps even filibuster-proof -- majority. Moreover, if the GOP doesn’t win a decent-size majority this year, it stands a good chance of losing it in 2016 if Democrats have a good year.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
You are as free as you make of yourself. Freedom is a place in my head that expands or diminishes over time.
One of these days I may need to make more room for RAM by running my mind’s anti-virus program and getting rid of useless people. It could be a bloody day in Texas. That day has not yet arrived.
Scary stuff huh?
“This country survived a Civil War, the 60s, the Carter presidency...you get the idea. We’ll survive the final two years of the Obama administration without breaking a sweat. Give the American people a little more credit.”
AMEN! We’ve made it this far on American Spirit, despite Obama!
Thanks for the insight. That was my gut feeling as well, but I’ve learned the hard way to pay attention to the guys who work the numbers. Still, the range of +2 to -5 is something that deserves attention.
Well said, although I expect that you will see some criticism slung your way. When I cast my first vote, the Democrats were the conservatives in my neck of the woods. That has changed completely, but it happened over a period of years.
He popped his head out on the VA. Like in his immortal Senate career he’s ever done anything to hold the VA bureaucrats accountable.
I agree that we should take a longer term view, but it might not be quite the long term view that you’re looking for.
There is only one party and that’s the uniparty, and the ‘rats and gop are it’s collaborating factions. So long term, there isn’t much difference between whether the ‘rats or gop wins this November, given that they’re operating to implement essentially the same agenda.
Our efforts should be toward minimizing the impact of the uniparty agenda on our lives. And that is not a strategy that necessarily involves electoral politics. It might involve migration. It might involve removing oneself from state control (e.g. Going Galt). And it might involve other actions. But one thing I’m certain it shouldn’t involve is spending time and resources electing people to political office because they have an R after their name.
The challenge will be to figure out how to cull the herd of those on the bottom of the list without them replaced by a Democrat who is worse and I think that is the scenario that is being painted in this article.
Ya just gotta vote for the gop! Ya just gotta!
The economy is not going to get any better..neither will the unemployment rate..overseas, the world is a mess..America is viewed as weak by both our enemies and friends..gas prices continue to creep up, as Keystone is again stalled. The IRS investigation will reveal more bad news for Dems...as will Benghazi...and most of all, Obamacare...all the bad stuff has been postponed..now they pay the piper..
last night, I listened to Reagan’s 1964 “A Time for Choosing” speech in its entirety. There wasn’t a defeatist sentence or word in it. Sounds like you’ve already surrendered.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
-—— Ecclesiastes 3
And add this: In mid-30’s Germany, the smart Jews were the ones that gave up everything and took a boat to England.
And the other side of the same coin is that a GOP majority of fewer that 60 (like-minded) can't get what it wants (passed), either.
When the GOP has a majority or a supermajority, it tends to pass MORE laws, and to futher increase the encroach of the federal government into personal matters. Big spenders, big borrowers, etc.
Until the GOP adopts a fairly radical agenda (ala Reagan, the government is the problem), they are more useful in the minority, in the Senate.
I see the real problem as international. I’m not seeing this as a USA thing. The entire world is coming apart at the seams in a way never before seen except in the middle of WWII. I think this will be much worse. I think it will be Ezekiel 39. One reason that is completely out of scope of this thread is the march of human technology and where it will put us in 20, 40 or 60 years.
This country survived a Civil War, the 60s, the Carter presidency...you get the idea. We’ll survive the final two years of the Obama administration without breaking a sweat. Give the American people a little more credit.
1. The american people do not have the character they have then.
2. Our problems are really international. The entire civilized world is about to pop.
But aside from bragging rights, 2014 is a sideshow for the following two years. Obama is a lame duck,
This NOT a normal, legal Presidency. This is a rogue criminal who rules by decree. If he isn’t impeached, the Constitution is dead - NO ONE will EVER follow it again. Its as simple as that.
Having SAID that, if you are one of the FEW SANE Republicans in Kentucky, HOLD YOUR NOSE AND VOTE FOR THIRD PARTY.
Mitch McConnell, like John Boehner, is Obama’s BEST friend in congress.
John McCain sticks out like a sore thumb on that list. Surely Arizona can field a more conservative candidate than that.
“We need to keep the Dems from being able to secure another seat on the USSC.”
Y’know, this is the same tired argument that we’ve been hearing for more than 20 years now. If we don’t show up and vote for those republicans, then by God, all forms of evil will befall us.
Happily, we already know what happens when the gop controls both houses of Congress, the presidency, and when most members of the ussc are appointed by gop presidents. We know for certain that it doesn’t result in elimination of infanticide, a balanced budget or balanced budget amendment to the constitution, nor does it mean the elimination of gun control, a reduction in government spending or an increase in our personal liberty. No. All those things are just too hard to do when the gop controls all of government. Amazingly, the gop agenda when in power is remarkably similar to the ‘rat agenda when they’re in power. Gosh, you could almost say that they act like.....a uniparty!
Oh and as for control of ussc appointments, I find it fascinating that people who presumably support a republican form of government spend so much time focusing on who gets to appoint members to it. While rarely if ever asking a more basic question of why 9 unelected politicians who are completely isolated from accountability given their lifetime appointments should hold the balance of political power? Did we really give up the monarchy in the 18th century, or did we decide that we liked it so much that we should have 9 monarchs instead of merely one?
In closing, I would argue that indeed our political field doesn’t change in 60 minutes. And it doesn’t change at all so long as we continue to follow the same failed strategies.
Arizona could field a more conservative candidate, but McCain would spend uncounted millions attacking him, and the AZ GOP would assume before the primary that anyone with a competent conservative record would be squashed like a bug. The GOP in AZ would rally around McCain, and I suspect Palin would support McCain again. I voted for the democrat last time, but that bastard is in office until he dies. And maybe for a term or two after he dies...
The problem is lack of just LEADERSHIP and it derives from a lack of VISION. Unfortunately, there is little of the Founding Fathers vision and international leadership is so uniformly bad that whatever idea is transmitted by the newest technology (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat et al) is grasped and elevated as the latest answer to the void of human spirit. We’ve been warned in so many ways that this would happen.
If a strong just leader doesn’t step forward soon with the correct vision then I may fall in line with the ‘it’s over’ crowd and simply live for the day when my term on this planet is ended.
Strong people I have worked for have a solid vision of what is right and just. Strong leaders like President Reagan don’t make excuses for failures of policy. And they, as did he, explained to the people of the US and the rest of the world why what we were doing as a lighthouse was to expand freedom and opportunity.
The Barack Obama’s, Vlad Putins, and other dark figures of the age are so lacking in inner strength thru God our Father, there is no hope they will be able to rally a world to stability and reasonable contentment. So, yes, the problem is an international problem but it could be solved by a strong US President that exudes REAL hope and REAL change and not the ersatz Socialist ideals that have been so discredited so often since Marx started making toys of the Russian people.
Each of us has to make his own decisions, and I respect yours. But mine is to fight and resist as long as I have the strength to do so.
I think that you are rationalizing a very bad idea. The the political world, it’s always better to be in charge than it is to be in the minority. If you happen to be in the minority then you try to make the best of a bad situation. I’m sure that the Democrats will be more than happy to take you up on an offer of surrender.
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