By David Futrelle
We’re on the eve of what may be the most consequential midterm elections in American history — quite possibly our last chance to protect what remains of democracy in America from the preening autocrat in the White House and from a party that’s been conspiring against our democratic institutions actively for decades.
So here’s an open thread. Post your thoughts. Post useful information, Talk about your concerns, Talk about what you’re doing to help hold back the Republicans and rein Trump in — canvassing, phone or text banking, helping people get to the polls?
No trolls.
I’m a fan of the historian Kevin M. Kruse on twitter. If any lurkers are planning on not voting, I’d like to suggest that first you read this thread:
https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1059275330886742022
My thoughts and concerns: there’s not much reason for hope. Razor-thin margins always seem to tip toward Republicans, and the GOP has done a fine job in ensuring that voting is more difficult, that voters are no longer registered, et cetera.
I’m trying not to think about what the next few days will bring, but I keep failing. We’re looking at the continued Brazilification of America–a neologism that describes the loss of the middle class and the rise of extreme income stratification–regardless of what will happen, but a Republican victory will be another blow to us. If more states flip red, then those states could call for a constitutional convention (via Article V of the Constitution) that would set Republican dogma in stone and make it the law of the land for the rest of our days. The alt-right and the right-wing extremists will continue their rise, and people will die.
Cruelty is the new currency these days, a gloating sense of turnabout now that white Republican men hold the throne.
I’m voting. I’m encouraging other people to vote. I wish I were as talented as Randy Rainbow:
An important message from Coconut Rice Bear:
https://twitter.com/coconutricebear/status/1059505578731429888
@Moggie That’s the first time a tweet has made me angry for the right reason. As someone from the other side of the Pacific I urge all Americans to vote against this monster and the deplorables who helped him get there.
Not much I can do personally as a Canadian other then encouraging people to vote. So I’m mostly just going to be cheer-leading/ruminating with my american friends.
If anyone has trouble voting or knows someone who does, the ACLU hotline is 1-866-OUR-VOTE. Pass it along!
Also a reminder, there are 15 states that allow same day registration. CA, CO, CT, HI, ID, IL, IO, MD, ME, MN, MT, NC, NH, WI, and WY. As does the district of Columbia. If you live in one of these places make sure you tell that to anyone using not being registered as an excuse not to vote.
Voted by mail last week. Trying to figure out how to tamp down the urge to get stabbity.
@Moggie: that dog’s bark made my cat jump up, run around to the side of the computer, and stare at it warily until I muted the audio. 🙂
So what can we do about it? I’m not in the US though so I can’t really do anything. I am concerned though that either they’ll say “the liberals are the ones that are killing democracy”, or that they’ll say “we don’t need democracy” and want to take us back to the violent and disease-ridden Middle Ages, but with a less liveable world. Other countries worldwide have followed Trump’s footsteps, like Brazil, Italy and Russia. I have no hope for the future.
Either way, there’s gotta be a way to convince people somehow, that, for instance, the environment should come first before stopping the political correctness they fear. Even if they were right on the global warming thing, tell me what verse in the Bible permits them to run the Earth down for profit, if they claim capitalism is God’s will.
I have a bottle of wine waiting for me after I vote tomorrow. Whether it’ll actually count is another question entirely as I live in bloody Ohio…
@K.:
Fellow Buckeye here. There’s a possibility of pissing down rain tomorrow, and my poll is a longer walk from the bus stop than would suit my ravaged joints–but how does that qualify as suffering, or even inconvenience, compared to what the suffragettes and civil rights activists endured? I shall go, having waited to deliver my vote in person; what happens in swing states like bloody Ohio is particularly crucial (I live in a red district in a blue county in a purple state.)
(As a swing-state resident who has never declared a partisan affiliation, I’ve been courted like the electoral equivalent of Stacy–during 2000 and 2008 in particular, I’d come home to find my postal box (and, when I still had a landline, answering machine) full of political spam from all quarters. My all-time favorite was the request–in my absence, mind you–to take part in a live Town Hall teleconference; since I was unavailable to reply, the callers took silence as assent, and about fifteen minutes of the discussion proceeded to play out on my machine.)
So nervous, but allowing myself small bit of hope, at least when it comes to the House. And maybe some of the governors races.
I went to go vote early in California, and the line was out the door. Took me over an hour to get in and out.
I just hope they’ll be any democracy left in America once all this is over.
Of course I’ll vote, but I’m not feeling optimistic. The Republicans have been working for years and years, rigging things for their benefit.
I ‘m taking heart in knowing that a number of men at the Catholic church my husband belongs to, who voted for you-know-who, now acknowledge that they made a mistake. One of these guys said that he was ashamed of himself for voting for the Cheeto. I’m hoping there are others who feel the same way, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.
@ Biot (yet again!)
Not always. You’re ignoring years like 2006 and 2008, when virtually all the close elections went to the Dems.
2006 was the first year I really paid attention to politics. It kinda shapes my view of what is possible. Hopefully this year will be as good.
The big problem with narrow margins this time is that Trump might use them to challenge the results in districts where Democrats win. And there’s a lot more chance of some idiot doing violence.
I like most of what 538 is forecasting, and would be happy enough with most of it even if that means the Senate doesn’t flip. There are a couple races I’m really hoping turn out on the odds here in Kansas, as well as the governor’s race against the odds. For the record, the Republican candidate for Governor here is Kris Kobach, the one that ran the “illegal voters” witch-hunt and turned up nothing but his own utter contempt for the law in the process. The same man who actually argued the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896 Separate But Equal ruling that codified racial segregation in the United States) before the modern Supreme Court. 538.com has it at a dead heat (with Kobach having about a 4/7 probability of victory), and I’ve just got my fingers crossed that it goes the other way.
Will be working at a polling station tomorrow.
I already voted (hooray early voting!). So far voter turnout here is way up, but I also reminded my (university) students to vote at the end of class today. I have sparkling wine ready if things go well tomorrow and whiskey if they don’t.
Also, I just found out about Pizza to the Polls so I will be sending lunch to some patient voters tomorrow!
Currently trying to figure out what to do with myself, and dealing with cold #2. Fingers crossed that things turn out well, with as little shady shit as possible, tomorrow.
Hello. I think my big concern tonight is that the votes won’t actually be counted — that they will be falsified. I have a long history of catastrophic thinking, but when I consider what Timothy Snyder calls the rituals of democracy where they go through meaningless motions, I’m afraid this is how this election will turn out. I voted early, and I encourage everyone to vote, but I don’t have expectations for a favorable outcome.
I already voted, but I can’t shake the sinking feeling that, somehow, Republicans are going to actual GAIN seats as opposed to losing them.
It’s not healthy, but given how inept democrats are when it comes to politics, it may well be the case.
I’m not saying democrats are bad. I’m saying they’re terrible at politics. I agree with most of their positions, but they can’t campaign for squat.
Voted hours ago in Cali. Here’s to hoping that US democracy doesn’t die tomorrow. Well more than it already has.
Some small measure of hope, if anyone needs something to boost their cautious optimism a little:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/05/youth-vote-democrats-midterms-nextgen-tom-steyer-trump
Perhaps more interestingly,
So, unsurprisingly, there’s a gender gap. But the fact that the Dems beat 50% even among men, and even among the non-college-degreed, is at least a little heartening.
Someone pointed out the other day that the reason Brexiteers don’t want a second referendum is that since 2016, a lot of old people have died and a lot of young people have reached voting age. Something similar may be going on here. So long as they vote.