To sin by silence when they should protest, makes cowards of human beings. | |
— Abraham Lincoln | |
[It is vitally important to continue resisting the programs of President Trump and the Republican Senate. It is equally important to support the Democratic control of the House of Representatives. Remember, if there is no clear election in the Electoral College in 2020, the decision of who will be the next President will fall to the House of Representatives. I believe this is what the Republicans were actually hoping for when the “Anyone but Trump” Republican movement went silent. They didn’t have to get Trump elected President in the popular vote. The Republicans only had to tie up the Electoral College. In which case, Paul Ryan most probably would have been “elected” President. One: he was the Republican VP nominee in the prior election (2012). Normally, when the ticket fails, the VP choice is the next one in line to be put forward. And, two: Ryan was the Speaker of the House, which means he was already the “prime” person to be elevated from the House to the Oval Office. When (in 2016) Florida went to the Republicans and the House was retained by the Republicans, they only needed one of the Rust Belt states and South Carolina to stop Clinton, irrespective of her national popular vote count. The same conditions will be true in 2020, if the Republicans can somehow flip the House back to their control. | |
Added to that (final control of the Presidential election), the House also has primary responsibility for seat reapportionment after the 2020 census. If Republicans flip control back (to themselves) they will use even more gerrymandering to reduce the value of the popular vote. (Of course, this presumes the Republicans retain control of the majority of the State Houses, too. Since they control 32 States to the Dems 14, it seems likely they will.) Don’t misinterpret me. The Democratic Party will also gerrymander, but they “generally” do so to increase the value of the popular vote. They (the Democrats) “only” do this because the demographics of the future favor the the Democratic Party. Basically, older (mostly white male) voters are dying and the younger voters (across all genders, ethnic breakdown, income and education levels) replacing them on the voting roles are trending to the Democratic Party. And without newer ideas, the Conservative / Republican Party will continue to wither away. IMHO: It is only “Dark Money” and the Citizens United decision which have propped the Republican Party up this far. | |
A word to the wise should suffice… Stay engaged locally. #Resist — kmab] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | End The Filibuster |
2021 | Be Creative, Question Assumptions |
By No Means | |
2020 | I’ll Eat To That (Gemütlichkeit) |
To The Front | |
2019 | #ContinueToResist |
Except Willful Ignorance And Prideful Stupidity | |
2018 | More Executive Time For #DumbDonald |
2017 | Watched The Inauguration |
Two Geniuses | |
2016 | Come Dance And Laugh With Me |
2015 | Looks Good To Me |
2014 | Desire For The Sea |
2013 | The Fierce Urgency Of NOW |
Happy Inauguration Day! | |
2012 | One Path |
Sorrow And Joy | |
The Seven Year View | |
2011 | Emergent Practicality |
#ContinueToResist
January 21, 2019 by kmabarrett
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