So what are the actual consequences of this election?

[DanTex]

Any thoughts or links to intelligent articles about this question?


My thoughts are, at a national level, not really that much. Judges won't get confirmed, that is one real consequence. And if a Supreme decides to retire, that will be a big consequence.

On policy, still probably gridlock. Unless Obama decides that the voters "sent a message" and starts going along with the GOP agenda. That's a risk. But if he stands firm and uses his veto, or if the Dem minority in the Senate use the filibuster, then I don't think losing the Senate has a huge impact.

The loss of several governor's races is more troubling. Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, seriously? For one, this means that the medicare expansion in Obamacare isn't going to keep getting blocked in some states.

What do people think? At a national level, unless the Presidency turns Red in 2016, I don't think this is really such a disaster. Not good, of course, but probably more of same nothing happening.

[unblock]

1. i hope the senate confirms many, many appointments before they adjourn in december.

as for the next congress, the veto is a powerful, but crude and often problematic weapon. legislation and rhetoric can be crafted to make it very difficult to just plain veto, tying abhorrent republican crap to "must-pass" bills.

if republicans are too greedy, the veto becomes easy, but they can still get themselves plenty and if obama threatens veto, they can say he's vetoing food for starving orphans or something like that, that's only 0.01% of the bill but 99.9% of the rhetoric.

mostly i do expect gridlock and a whole lot of symbolic bills passed and vetoed to set the parties and candidates up for 2016, but i do expect a few laws passed, e.g., for military in the middle east, and chained cpi to screw anyone who doesn't have be decency to die before collecting social security.

[wandy]

3. You are more or less seeing how it will work...............

First the bills will have minor concessions too trivial to veto.
Then the demands will become more imposing.
Teapublican insanity will be tied routine requirements.
Corporate objectives will be tied to necessitates.
The Veto pin will be well used.
We will be exposed by a willing corporate media as the party of NO.

The bully has been given free rule of the school yard and will want all the the lunch money.
Teapublicans corrupt with little power. Given increased power they will corrupt more.

[tridim]

2. IMO it is the official start of the GOP civil war that has been brewing since 2010.

These idiot Republicans aren't going to suddenly know how to govern. It's the same group of obstructionist chuckleheads with the addition of more crazy, and more power plays from nut-jobs like Cruz and Paul. It's going to be a disaster for the GOP.

The Koch-owned states will be completely broke and decimated by 2016. We'll see how that plays out with the voters in those states, I'm already seeing some buyer's remorse in Kansas.

[unblock]

4. govern? they have no interest in that, not without the white house.

for the next 2 years, they are mostly interested in putting up symbolic bills knowing and expecting a veto, but setting themselves up for 2016.

they're really not interested in governing unless they can get everything they want. even then, i use the term "governing" loosely, as they're mostly interested at that point in payoffs for donors and power entrenchment for themselves.