24 replies to this topic

[SteveT]

U.S. LAers, do it!

[Green Goblin]

I did the early voting thing, but yeah.  Get out and vote!!!!

[Twinrova]

I was somehow too lazy to request an absentee ballot, but was not too lazy to actually leave my house and go somewhere to vote. I cannot explain my motivations. o__o

I was considering being too lazy to vote at all but then I remembered if it weren't for the Women's Suffrage movement I wouldn't even be able to, and I've been feeling super GIRL POWERy lately, so yeah. That's enough to make me get off my butt.

[Selena]

 

 

You go, Rova.

[SteveT]

Votes for women!

 

[Egann]

Ahh, I've been looking forward to today for some time. Or more precisely TOMORROW, the day when I will have another brief respite from political ads.

[Twinrova]

I should also note that another motivating factor for me was having the opportunity to vote for MOAR GIRLS

 

 

I tried to get Ben to come with me today but y'know, he's been sick the past few days and very tired, plus he doesn't have the same motivations as I do, so my attempts were fruitless. :C

[SnowsilverKat]

Done!  Met both candidates for my district's House seats simultaneously on the way to the poll.  It was way too early in the morning for me to politics and I was all like 'duhh I is voter.'  But I voted and got my sticker so I'm happy.

[SteveT]

Well, it looks inevitable that Republicans will take the Senate.  The only question remaining is how many times Obama will have to veto bills to repeal Obamacare.  

[Twinrova]

Booooo.


Edit: :C Wendy Davis didn't win, either. Blargh.

Edited by Twinrova, 04 November 2014 - 11:07 PM.

[DarkJuno]

I know I usually keep have head out of here, but what did they say about our Governor's race elsewhere? I know that a few places here made it seem like it'd be close and tough but, erm, it wasn't, like everyone else predicted.

[Green Goblin]

Maryland now has a Republican Governor.  And a lot of people are upset.  Myself included. 

Well, looks like it's gonna be 2 years of jack shit happening. Again.

[JRPomazon]

Massachusetts is still a Blue State apparently, not that I ever doubt it would change. Was hoping for an independent governor this time around after the disaster that was Deval Patrick. I was more concerned about the ballot questions this time around anyway.

 

And as for the senate, I'm not surprised the Republicans have taken the majority. The likes of Harry Reid have needed to lose their jobs for a long time now, so at least there is a sunny side to the situation.

[TheAvengerLever]

I didn't vote. Sorry.

[Selena]

 

 

 

It went kind of how I expected it to go, though.

 

That said, I somewhat expect the conservatives to implode on themselves -- the division between the Tea Party people and traditional GOP is going to be more prominent than ever now that they're all "in charge." When they were both in the minority, they had a common cause in defeating Democrats. Now they have to contend with each other, and their policies often clash.

 

 

State initiatives were what I focused on, however, and those results were interesting. Especially the minimum wage increases, which passed even in conservative states. My state passed an initiative for increased background checks for gun sales. Marijuana in DC and Oregon. 

 

 

No marijuana in Florida, though.

 

Everyone knows Florida Man prefers crystal meth and bath salts.

[Oberon Storm]

I hope Democrats took notes on how to abuse the filibuster.

[Green Goblin]

Well, at least people around me can get high to dull their pain, I guess.  I mean, moreso than usual.

[JRPomazon]

I hope Democrats took notes on how to abuse the filibuster.

I thought they would have an idea, seeing as they decided to change the rules behind filibusters a year ago.

[Egann]

 

I hope Democrats took notes on how to abuse the filibuster.

I thought they would have an idea, seeing as they decided to change the rules behind filibusters a year ago.

 

 

Those rules expire in January. Besides, why would they filibuster when they can veto? Filibustering risks standing politicians looking impotent, while the president cannot be reelected. If he vetoes a bill you can blame him personally and therefore the DNC wouldn't take much heat in 2016 for anything he does.

 

The national elections played out basically like I thought they would. Republican voters tend to be a bit more consistent about off-year elections than democrats, and in a bad economy politicians are more likely to be ousted. The real question is how this will elect 2016, because it could really go either way. It's likely the Keystone XL pipeline will get some work. Considering gas prices are starting to drop everywhere, republicans look to gain some post hoc windfall on the economy picking up...even though I doubt their policies will actually have had anything to do with it.

[Jasi]

The national elections played out basically like I thought they would. Republican voters tend to be a bit more consistent about off-year elections than democrats, and in a bad economy politicians are more likely to be ousted.

 

How much did this happen? I was shocked to see governors with only 33% approval ratings being re-elected (see Florida's Rick Scott or Michigan's Rick Snyder). 

[Egann]

 

The national elections played out basically like I thought they would. Republican voters tend to be a bit more consistent about off-year elections than democrats, and in a bad economy politicians are more likely to be ousted.

 

How much did this happen? I was shocked to see governors with only 33% approval ratings being re-elected (see Florida's Rick Scott or Michigan's Rick Snyder). 

 

 

It didn't make an active vote against so much as depress turnout. These days most voters follow party lines pretty tightly in the general elections and often in the primaries, too. "The other guy is worse" pushes a lot of people to support a candidate they don't like.

[Selena]

Yeah, that's precisely what happens. Our Democrat congressman is bought off by lobbyists and many are at least somewhat unhappy with him, but not voting for him means voting for a... *shiver* Republican. Most won't bring themselves to cross party lines. That's how crooked incumbents hold their seats for so long -- because there are no sensible term limits for most of these guys, and the parties never nominate anyone else when they're confident they'll win by default.

 

Hopefully we'll put term limits on congressman someday. That's where most of our corruption problem lies, especially when you throw in lobbying.

 

 

 

 

I think we're going to see a lot of reshuffling on both sides of the aisle. A lot of Democrats are trying to distance themselves from Obama. The party's done with him. Now they're all looking ahead to the next presidential election and their next nominee. Which will involve a lot of power realignment as we head into presidential primaries.

 

The Republicans, of course, are going to have even more problems -- their philosophical divisions are more prominent. In addition to the above problem, they will also likely have a tough time getting the Tea Party representatives to stay in line during votes.

[Oberon Storm]

 

I hope Democrats took notes on how to abuse the filibuster.

I thought they would have an idea, seeing as they decided to change the rules behind filibusters a year ago.

 

 

That was only for nominations and appointments.

 

 

 

I hope Democrats took notes on how to abuse the filibuster.

I thought they would have an idea, seeing as they decided to change the rules behind filibusters a year ago.

 

 

Those rules expire in January. Besides, why would they filibuster when they can veto? Filibustering risks standing politicians looking impotent, while the president cannot be reelected. If he vetoes a bill you can blame him personally and therefore the DNC wouldn't take much heat in 2016 for anything he does.

 

My comment is mostly out of spite. Not to be taken too seriously.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Just saw this video...



So out of interest... did any of the people listed at the end of the video actually win?

[JRPomazon]

So out of interest... did any of the people listed at the end of the video actually win?

 

Couldn't tell you since I didn't see any MA candidates in the final minute bit but from what I saw from the ballot I filled out the other day I want to say yes.