I think that Trump is the most liberal of all the GOP candidates. Not that I want Trump to be the one to make that decision nor do I want him to be president. But I can see him picking someone quite liberal compared to the other clowns.
1 Like
I expect whoever is President - unless there is a genuinely large swing in the electorate towards the Republicans - to come in with a Democratic Senate, but not one that is particularly more ready for “progressive change” than the last one, even if Sanders is President.
6 Likes
Or another alternative is a moderate republican who is old. Undercuts both the wild liberal and change for a generation argument. I think Richard Posner, Chief of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, is a good one. Appointed by Reagan, pro-choice, pro gay marriage and 77 years old… He’s universally recognized as brilliant and was a professor at the University of Chicago Law School at the same time the President was there.
I can agree with that. Until we have campaign finance reform to get the money out of politics there are really only establishment candidates for the left to choose from when electing members of congress.
Unless or until we have a grassroots movement akin to the Tea Party on the right capable of electing our own candidates, it will be pretty hard to sweep in a congress ready for “progressive change”.
Buzzkill !!! wah…wha…wa
No, no, no. It did not just get more important. The only thing that has changed with respect to this election is that more people will recognize the importance it always had. The importance may even be recognized (but don’t count on it) by those who like to think there’s not a not a lick of difference between Clinton and any Republican, or who thought that there was no discernible difference between Gore and W.
3 Likes
Don’t political revolutions gradually build momentum like a wave? Because according to this huffpo aggregate Sanders support nationally stands at 39.1% where it was in the low teens when he started campaigning last summer. The upward trend is unmistakable. Meanwhile Clinton has been trending downward since late December.
Look, I don’t have any better idea than you do what the future holds. But I can tell you there is a very strong and formidable current of anti-establishment resentment brewing among the grass roots and rank and file democrats, independents, AND republicans. Especially among the youth, and if you look at every political revolution that’s ever happened, it’s always the young activists at the grassroots that act as the catalysts. It’s why Sanders message has been resonating and his support continues to grow as he gets more exposure.
Like I said, I have no idea whether Sanders will effect a revolution this cycle or whether an establishment candidate like Hillary or one of the right wing loons will become president. But I can tell you that the resentment I’m talking about is VERY real, and if it doesn’t happen this time around, it absolutely WILL happen next time around when 4 more years goes by and nothing changes or gets worse.
1 Like
Correctamundo! The Supreme Court has always been the overriding issue in this election. Hopefully a prolonged obstructionist battle resulting in a long-term vacancy on the court, and the subsequent political hay made out of it, will be enough to get through the skulls of current Sanders supporters that voting for a Democrat in November is absolutely critical, even if it’s fucking Jim Webb.
4 Likes
I would think Roberts can put a stop to any partisan gamesmanship just by stating what he thinks is best.
I see your point, nominating a liberal would inflame the situation. But Obama only needs to nominate a moderate who’s well known and respected by both Democrats and Republicans. If Republicans refuse to accept the nomination, then the Republicans, as right wing as they are these days, have simply given themselves away as putting partisanship ahead of the nation. They can’t help themselves at this point in our history and it will be a major political issue.
1 Like
Sean Hannity is a nothing. Intellectually and Morally. He is just a vain man, exposing himself for money.
4 Likes
One thing for sure, the SC won’t be turning this election into a selection. Hallelujah!.
1 Like
It’ll be Srinivasan. That won’t “swing the court left”, but it will give us a slightly-left-of-center Kennedy, as opposed to the slightly-right-of-center Kennedy we currently have.
After all, we’ve got Middle-Man doing the nominating:
http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/TMW2010-12-08colorlowres.jpg
1 Like
Some of us think Hillary has the lesser chance of getting elected in the general, btw
Amazingly shortsighted. Elections are won by independents. Dems will turn out regardless considering what’s at stake. The Independents stay home for Hillary, come out for Sanders.
Sure, we’re dumber. But we’re not supporting a woman with horrific approval ratings in the swing states, which is apparently very intelligent.
I agree Jimtoday. However, what a sudden (and extremely consequential) vacancy like this DOES do is to ensure that those that are highly active right now during the primaries stay focused during the general election. In other words, if you’re a staunch Hillary or Sanders supporter, or if as a Republican you’re thinking about staying home if a Trump or Bush 2.0 becomes the nominee, this issue now clarifies EXACTLY what is at steak for this election. Both immediately, and for the next generation or so of Civil Rights, climate change, First Amendment rights, Second Amendment rights, health care, voting rights, Labor and worker rights, immigration…just name an issue that has become a flash point over the last half century, and suddenly this election becomes the fulcrum point. The activists on both sides will turn out regardless of the nominee, because suddenly this election really matters.
2 Likes
Believe what you like, but your opinion is non-fact-based. Check their head-to-heads against Trump, the most likely Republican nominee. Clinton has a significantly greater chance of beating Trump than Sanders due to larger median gap and smaller dispersion. From my own first-hand observation, because Sanders and Trump both appeal to the same pool of voters.
A few thoughts here: (1) Obama will only nominate a person who favors Roe v Wade, and opposes Citizens United; (2) the Republican Senate will never confirm an Obama candidate who favors Roe v Wade, and opposes Citizens United; ((3) Since these facts represent the hard rock political truth, Obama should nominate a fifty-something distinguished Hispanic lawyer or legal academic (Perhaps Northwestern Law dean, Dan Rodriguez) and let the Rs marinate in their obstruction up through the election; (4) As we will go into the election with the Supreme Court as a huge issue, the most likely beneficiary will be D candidates, because even the most furious R voters always vote and can only vote once each, while D voters only come out to vote if they are in the mood-- this should get them in the mood.
4 Likes
Dont think so. He doesn’t bring anything politically useful to the debate, but still can’t get confirmed if the Rs suspect he favors Roe v Wade, and opposes Citizens United. And although Obama’s political strategy often escapes me, I cant believe he would ever nominate anyone who doesn’t hold those views.
1 Like
Why would you ever do this??? You want to nominate someone who is young and is likely to be on the bench for decades. You would never make a nomination of an old person, thus giving your early successors an opportunity to overturn your views. Yikes.
5 Likes