2020 Presidential Election

[Kätzchen]

I read, somewhere today, that former President Bush reached out to Joe Biden and congratulated him on the historic win. I thought that was so nice of him and as a former Republican president, it made me see his statemanship in a different, positive light. I think it speaks well of former President Bush.

I also noticed that Georgia flipped a House seat, so that is wonderful. Last count I saw for the House stands at 222. So the Democrats definitely have majority control of the House.

I sure do hope that Georgia wins the two seats in the Senate. So very close, the Senate race.

[Gemme]

[BullDog]

According to NBC exit polls:

White voters: 41% Biden, 58% Trump (67% of elecorate)
Black voters: 87% Biden, 12% Trump (13% of electorate)
Hispanic/Latino Voters: 65% Biden, 32% Trump (13% of electorate)
Asian voters: 61% Biden, 34% Trump (4% of elecorate)
Other voters: 55% Biden, 41% Trump (4% of electorate)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...ons/exit-polls

[Martina]

11.08.2020

Before the Dust Has Settled, Corporate Democrats Are Already Attacking AOC and the Left by David Sirota


We’re all exhausted, and understandably so. It’s been an unspeakably horrific year. The election psychologically drained everyone, and we all just want a break. But here’s the thing: money never sleeps, and money is already hard at work trying to make sure nothing fundamentally changes in politics — and if nothing fundamentally changes in Washington, then everything is going to change for the worse in the real world.

Since the election was called for Joe Biden, there has been a multitiered effort to blame disappointing election results on progressives, even as exit polls and voting results show that progressive organizing rescued Democrats from the jaws of a presidential defeat. While the country was celebrating the defeat of Trump, here’s what the voices of Big Money have been doing since the election:

Democratic leaders are insisting that the party must abandon modestly progressive health care positions in order to boost the party’s chances in Georgia, even though polling says exactly the opposite.

Republican John Kasich — who was given a DNC speaking slot by Team Biden and who nonetheless failed to help Democrats win his home state of Ohio — went on CNN to bash progressives, insisting that Biden’s top priority should be appeasing Trump voters.

Ian Bremmer — a Morning Joe character who is a reliable barometer of elite thought — echoed Kasich, suggesting that the first thing Democrats should do is reach out and appease Trump supporters.

Joe Scarborough himself asserted that the election proves Democrats must run away from the left, even though their entire strategy was running away from the left, and that strategy resulted in disappointing down-ballot losses.

Politico published a list of alleged front-runners for Biden cabinet slots, filled mostly with corporate-friendly Democrats and Republicans.
The American Petroleum Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce are publicly offering to work with the Biden administration, pledging a desire to “support bipartisan policies” and “break through the gridlock.”

As GOP operatives at the Lincoln Project explore turning their operation into a media empire, they are turning their attacks on US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the party’s few stars with a large national following.

Democratic leaders and the House Blue Dog Coalition — the corporate wing of the party — have spent the week attacking progressives, blaming them for a handful of moderate freshman lawmakers’ losses — even as data show that Democrats in swing districts lost vote share as they moved further and further to the right.

Before the election, I told you that no matter the election outcome, the Left would be blamed or shamed. That doesn’t make me Nostradamus — it was an obvious truth, even if it was taboo to dare speak.

Just as Republicans always spin every economic policy as a reason to cut rich people’s taxes, corporate Democrats and their allies have a left-bashing propaganda machine powered by a finely tuned algorithm designed to silence progressive leaders — whether it’s AOC, Bernie Sanders, or anyone else — and to turn every election result into a rationale to protect billionaires, corporate power, and the status quo.

The election, though, was the opposite of a demand for stasis — indeed, Democrats almost lost because they once again let Trump portray himself as the candidate of economic change, and they only got away with that because COVID-19 and organizing defeated Trump’s reelection bid. If they run back the same campaign in a COVID-19–free environment, there’s a good chance they would lose in a landslide. Here’s what I told NPR’s All Things Considered yesterday:

The focus on trying to moderate a message in order to attract so-called Biden Republicans. That was a failure. The data shows that the better strategy is to try to pull out your own voters and voters who haven’t been voting. And I do think the Democrats did a decent job of that. But the amount of money — and we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars that went into focusing on trying to appeal to a mythical Republican swing voter — the data shows that that was not a good strategy . . .

An inanimate object should have been able to win a landslide against Donald Trump in the middle of a pandemic and economic crisis . . . The other thing that comes out in the polling data is that the Democrats paid a price for not having a very strong economic message. I mean, I do think the Biden campaign was shrewd in some of what it did, focusing on the pandemic and the like. But without having a strong economic message repeated over and over and over again, you saw an exit poll that showed Donald Trump won 82 percent of voters who said that the economy was their top issue.

That is a huge problem. It was a huge problem in the election. I’m certainly glad that Joe Biden won. But moving forward, if the Democrats do not have a strong populist, progressive economic message heading into 2022 and 2024, we could get something worse than Donald Trump.

What Comes Next?
I’m sorry to be the one to deliver the news, but here’s the truth: as exhausted as you feel, as tired of this shit as we all are, there’s just no rest for the weary. Assuming you don’t want nothing to fundamentally change, then we’re going to have to fight — and the first way to fight is to know some basic truths.

Disengaging and going back to brunch is a formula for a repeat of 2010 and 2016 — commit yourself to being involved in causes and groups that will demand local, state, and federal lawmakers to enact policies that materially improve people’s lives.
Participate in demonstrations and protests in your own community focused on concrete policy outcomes.

Sending money to sham groups like the Lincoln Project for them to light it on fire or use it to set up a conservative media outlet is destructive — if you want to pitch in resources, give it to a news organization doing journalism that holds politicians accountable.

Run for an office in the 2022 election — and don’t be afraid to run in a primary against a Democrat who is part of the problem.

These are not perfect solutions, and everyone is going to have to try to decide which specific organizations, causes, and campaigns they are going to participate in. But the point is, that the next few weeks and months are going to determine the next four years.

If you hear people tell you to just shut up and celebrate and take some time off, they are ignoring the insomnia of money. Corporate interests don’t rest — they are like a T-1000 Terminator interminably pursuing their prime directives, which is to continue enriching the billionaire class.

The election has not deterred them, which means we sleep at our own peril.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/11/a...oc-biden-trump

[BullDog]

I'm blaming the 58% of white voters who voted for Donald Trump. Just because a few people are popping off doesn't mean they represent all of us. In-fighting between Democrats just plays into the right's hands. The Repugs will be thrilled.

[Kätzchen]

CNN article talking about how big the win is for Biden-Harris. And it is big. By the time all the counting is done, Biden & Harris will have over 80 Million votes.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/polit...win/index.html

•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•

To all the voters who ignored TP and the right-wing lies?
I ♡ you.

To all the Republicans who grew a conscience and stepped up to congratulate Joe Biden & Kamala Harris?
I ♡ you.

To those of you who support coming together under new leadership of Biden & Harris?
I ♡ you.

We must move forward for the sake of our country. For our own safety and security.

Many blessings of peace and encouragement to all.

XO

[nhplowboi]

Hey Donald.....maybe there wasn't a "blue wave" but there was a "landslide"!

[dark_crystal]

Originally Posted by BullDog

I'm blaming the 58% of white voters who voted for Donald Trump. Just because a few people are popping off doesn't mean they represent all of us. In-fighting between Democrats just plays into the right's hands. The Repugs will be thrilled.

Re: the Repugs will be thrilled

Rank and file Republicans like my family have no idea we fight about anything. My parents were SHOCKED in 2016 when i mentioned how many voters would be holding their noses while voting for Clinton.

My relatives have spent the entire time since Biden was projected posting ominous "get ready for socialism" rants on facebook.

I have broken my 5-year anti-commenting rule to inform them that there ARE a bunch of ACTUAL socialists that will be happy to explain that NOT being Socialist was ultimately how Biden got nominated (ultimately, not exclusively-- just during those few weeks when it came down to him and Bernie)

Once again, their minds are blown. Like they literally had no idea our entire party does not march in lockstep on our mission to murder the unborn.

Their media bubble portrays us as much more unified (and badass) than we actually are

[Kätzchen]

My mom has been so upset with the carnage of the political party she was once a life time member of....that she wrote to the RNC last week and delivered a scathing rebuke and rebuttal of the toxic GOP politics which has turned rogue with TP supporters.

She got her point across rather quickly and will never cast a vote for the GOP, ever again.

She is now on the right side of democracy, as a full fledged Democrat.

She told me this over the phone, the other day. I love my mother for seeing critical flaws in the GOP thinkers of America.

Never again will my mom cast a vote for any GOP official.

In fact, she is now a grass roots supporter for Democrats in Idaho. Her Blue Wig Marge Simpson hairdo is now her wig for the Democrat Party.

[BullDog]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

Re: the Repugs will be thrilled

Rank and file Republicans like my family have no idea we fight about anything. My parents were SHOCKED in 2016 when i mentioned how many voters would be holding their noses while voting for Clinton.

My relatives have spent the entire time since Biden was projected posting ominous "get ready for socialism" rants on facebook.

I have broken my 5-year anti-commenting rule to inform them that there ARE a bunch of ACTUAL socialists that will be happy to explain that NOT being Socialist was ultimately how Biden got nominated (ultimately, not exclusively-- just during those few weeks when it came down to him and Bernie)

Once again, their minds are blown. Like they literally had no idea our entire party does not march in lockstep on our mission to murder the unborn.

Their media bubble portrays us as much more unified (and badass) than we actually are

When I said the Repugs would be thrilled about the in-fighting I was actually thinking of elected ones like McConnell and them finding ways to exploit it. However, I did not specify that in my post.

Yes, I agree it's common for the rank and file to think of us as all socialists - which is exactly what the moderates in Congress are objecting to - although I think they are blaming the wrong side. I think the bickering is very counterproductive and they should work on actual issues and not worry about whether some policy is moderate, progressive, etc.