Go ahead. Flame me . . . . .

[Stinky The Clown]

. . . . for being an overly hopeful optimist.

I think we will retake the House. The courts will help with their "ungerrymandering" map redraw orders. New York alone will return five seats to us. We will see Hakeem Jeffries installed as the nation's first Speaker of color.

Against all odds, i think we will hold the Senate. Testor and Brown will hold on in Montana and Ohio. We will pick up at least one seat out of either Texas or Florida (both influenced by abortion issues). We will hold Arizona, but maybe not with Sinema when The Defendant names Kari Lake as his running mate, taking our only real threat out of the race.

Biden will be reelected by a comfortable enough margin when the reality of the alternative becomes sufficiently clear to everyone.

Go ahead. Flame away!

[elleng]

1. Nope, won't flame you for being an optimist,

just

[hlthe2b]

2. I need to hear from some optimists, so no flaming here...

I won't diminish your positivity tonight with debate but will just enjoy it.

[bdamomma]

3. No flaming

you make me very hopeful, Stinky. Being hopeful is nice, better than being miserable like the cultists are.

No I'm not into revenge and retribution.

[MOMFUDSKI]

4. No flame from me.

I buy ALL of it!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Insurrection 2 will be far worse, though it will be in the streets rather than the Capitol

Democrats' chances depend on women, progressives, old people, and Republican defectors.

Oh and there is one intangible. Biden's campaign staff is one of the slickest ever and it serves one of the shrewdest most experienced men to ever occupy the Oval Office. He hasn't made any unforced errors. Israel, the border issues, and inflation are externally generated.

[babylonsister]

6. Here's hoping

you're right!

[WestMichRad]

7. Nope. I agree.

With TFG at the top of the GQP ticket, there are a lot of Repuke voters are gonna stay home. Note that he got 51% of the measly 14% of Repukes who showed up to participate in the Iowa caucuses. That’s only 7% of their voters. I know ya can’t read too much into the results of only one state, but I do expect to see their turnout in upcoming primaries to be miserably low. Many Repuke voters can’t stomach that arse.

Dems are gonna kick butt in November, across the board!

[marble falls]

8. Nope. You hit it on the nail head. Only missed the GOP ticket: Romney/Haley.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. As the old (modernized) saying goes...

From your fingertips to gods ears.


I'm inclined to agree. I think the polls vastly underestimate the potential participation of the younger (under 30) voter, who have frankly had enough of this bullshit. They'll hold their noses and vote for Biden and that vote will be more of a vote against Trumpy and the right wing more than anything.

The MAGATs just can not seem to grasp that he lost by 8 million votes. Well, people came out in droves to get rid of that asshole. Who actually thinks it won't happen again?

But one thing is for sure; Trumpy has found the perfect con and grift. Play the eternal victim, keep saying the things the put upon, middle American white people want to hear, keep telling them they need to be afraid and are on the losing side of everything (they aren't) and a steady stream of income is the result.

[WarGamer]

10. No flames for being hopeful... however unlikely.

At this moment I'd say the House is a 50/50 gambit...

And we should keep 1/2 of MT and OH Senate Races... OH is sooo damn red nowadays.

No way on TX and FL...

WV gone

[sop]

45. I also believe Texas, Florida and West Virginia are beyond hope.

Hope I'm wrong.

[Butterflylady]

49. If those states have no women in them

You're probably right. But since they do then you're wish to be wrong is valid.

[WarGamer]

67. Lots of women vote GOP but also vote NOT to restrict abortion.

Just look at the votes in Red States the last year.

[Joinfortmill]

11. I agree, Biden will win. On the rest, hopeful.

[MsLeopard]

12. No flames here

I think you’re right - unless there’s blatant voter suppression and vote manipulation by the Thugs, Dems should win it all. There’s so many Republican voters who don’t like *rump, and independents really don’t like him, there’s no path to victory without massive cheating, dirty tricks, whatever they can pull out of their shitbag of ideas to steal a seat. I just don’t see us losing a fair fight.

Then once we have it all, do away with the filibuster, eliminate the Electoral College, and expand the supreme court. A girl can dream…

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Worthy goals, all. In my PolyAnthony thinking, we can do it all.

A guy can dream, too!

[MsLeopard]

27. PolyAnthony!!

Thanks for the laugh!!

[Polybius]

14. Nothing about West Virginia's Senate race?

Or are we only talking positives today?

[Kingofalldems]

23. Picking up a seat and losing a seat means we hold.

So once again, nope.

[Polybius]

41. But why not mention it?

Talking about all positives makes the post less than believable. I just felt that by mentioning the loss in WV it makes the post more realistic, but whatever.

[Stinky The Clown]

24. I think that race is already run, and Jim Justice is in the winner's circle

[TSExile]

15. I think women are a given.

After overturning Roe and the behavior of that rapist monster...need I say more?

[airplaneman]

16. I think you are correct Stinky The Clown.

Either we are going to wake up and smell the coffee or we are going to burry our heads in the sand so deep we will never again see the light of day. Ultimately I thing we will prevail.
-Airplane

[BOSSHOG]

17. Spot on Stinky

The folks who don’t scream and shout and shit on the Capitol floor, go to work every day, pay their bills, stay up on stuff, know stuff, love their country, understand the importance of democracy, observe the opposition and see it for what it is. And they vote.

Trumps base is as shallow and meaningless as tshirts of flyover country blacking out all the counties which voted for trump in 2016.

Yo Stinky, you stinkin up the place real good.

[vercetti2021]

18. I won't flame at all

I don't think Texas will, but Nikki has done a lot of good as the Democratic head in Florida. I think she is turning it around. Texas on the other hand...it needs better guidance.

[summer_in_TX]

53. Texas is hampered by its fragmented media. Conservative media at that.

RW talk radio is the only radio many small towns in Texas get. Fox is big. Sinclair Broadcasting owns a lot of TV stations, as does Nexstar Media Group, home of NewsNation.

Plus we don't have the ability to get abortion on the ballot, only the Legislature can put items on the ballot.

However, if folks wake up to the fascist movement taking over Texas, (banning abortions, books, treatment of immigrants (barbed wire, failure to render aid and preventing feds from rendering aid to drowning immigrants, stated willingness to shoot border crossers, etcetera), efforts to purge professors if not ideologically conservative), there's a chance.

[usonian]

19. WE CAN AND WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Go to democrats.org TODAY and help.

https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18562349

Ask people, especially young people what kind of future they want. The choice is simple.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18584492

Copying it:

NOT THIS ONE!


• Government dictates what you read, your religion and your private life. Period trackers mandatory, and report to the government. I call it "tubal litigation"

• More welfare for the rich.

• Americans pitted against each other along lines of race, color, religion, gender and income. Vilification of blacks, Jews, Muslims, homeless, and women of strength, with increasing violence, even murder against them.

• Private health care companies deny needed treatments to save money. (Death panels are here!)

• The wealthy pay even less in taxes.

• Every civil right is eroded by clown judges living in the 18th century rewriting the constitution.

• Worker's rights and benefits reduced in order to create greater profits for businesses.

• Safety nets removed, so that homeless, and jobless people are left to die on the streets.

• More, more, more of culture war.

• GUNS, everywhere, with no limitations or requirements. Kids get them freely.

• Minorities and women blamed for every imaginable blip.

• Support of authoritarian regimes across the globe, who eagerly imprison, "re-educate", murder and commit atrocities on others.

• Lies, hate speech and threats are welcomed on "social media" and given support by government officials.

• Medical care and prescription drug costs skyrocket.

[Mr.Bill]

20. I'm as optimistic as you are, Stinky.

I can think of a lot of things that can happen in our favor in the next ten months. I can't say the same for them.

[SCantiGOP]

21. Agree with you on 2 out of 3

But I think the best Senate result possible would be even.

And I won’t flame you; I save that for the sites where MAGA are present.

[NJCher]

22. what I see from NY/NJ

New York alone will return five seats to us. We will see Hakeem Jeffries installed as the nation's first Speaker of color.

You should see the ads that are on NY media re Mazi Pilip, the Nassau County representative the GOP wants to put in Santos's seat. There are a lot of ads! They are serious about getting that seat back.

Pilip, however, beat out a 4-term Dem incumbent by 7 points when she won that seat. She is trying to represent herself as a more moderate republican, but I think the anger that's there over Santos is going to make it a moot effort.

Now as far as Hakeem is concerned, he presents such a business-like, straight forward, get things done image that I think Americans will view this change with great relief.

[flashman13]

25. Lets broil together. I think there will be significant pick up in the House.

I think not only will we hold the Senate (Tester has got this), but we will pick up a couple of seats. Why you ask? Because, if you look at the map, every Republican that is running is from a state with draconian anti abortion laws. That makes every one of them vulnerable. In every state where an abortion issue is on the ballot, choice will be the winner. The same goes for red representatives. That is especially true anywhere there is a choice ballot initiative to be decided.

In my opinion, abortion is not even the top motivator that is going to turnout Democratic voters, both women and men. It is the fact that the Dobbs decision renders every woman, not just those of child bearing age, a second class citizen. Men are superior. That is the intended brazen reason behind these laws. It is the last gasp of the patriarchy in its effort to retain superiority over women. It's about power, not babies.

[TSExile]

36. AMEN!!!

It's always been about controlling women, not about babies. They hate women.

[niyad]

26. May it be so!!!

[AllaN01Bear]

28. nope . no joy here .

[Silent Type]

29. Looking for a "I told you so" DU post in November.

[keithbvadu2]

30. Some encouragement... for your prediction.

[calguy]

31. I can't flame you when I agree with you 100%

[jcgoldie]

32. I think Biden wins and we retake the House

Senate looks like an uphill slog hope I am wrong.

[Martin68]

33. Why would I flame you for providing good news? I like the way you think.

[pandr32]

34. No flames from me!

[Arthur_Frain]

35. honestly

I just want to see us prevail. By even the tiniest of margins.

I want another four years where the first thing I think isn’t “I wonder what shithead is up to”

[Initech]

37. Hey we've got to do whatever it takes to get the MAGA fucks out of Congress!

They are an inherent danger to this country. If we can flip that one seat in Florida there's hope yet!

[Bayard]

38. I'm with you, Stinky

[BaronChocula]

39. I'll play along

as if I was one of the Debbie and Danny Downers: "Where's you data???"

[FHRRK]

40. No flaming, I agree, we're just smarter than many here

That will get some flame throwers fired up!

Many here went with the Red Wave narrative, ignoring people pissed at SC.

The Senate, Repukes blow two or three seats every election cycle due to some batshit crazy Repuke winning the primary. Is that going to hold this cycle? FUCK NO! They will fuck up more due to reproductive rights!

Are you good looking too? Tall? Rich?
I will be offline for a bit, off to buff my six pac abs with my belt sander. See you at the Clooney party next week, hope Julia R. doesn’t embarrass herself again throwing herself at us.

[Butterflylady]

50. No words.........just

[barbtries]

42. as long as everyone votes,

we win, the country wins, democracy persists. i do feel good about it as long as people VOTE

[redqueen]

43. Why would anyone flame you?

I just hope you're right.

[et tu]

44. gotv nt

[SpankMe]

46. While we're being optimistic

Statistics support the likelihood that Clarence Thomas will suffer a debilitating stroke by Q2 '24 and Joe will get to replace a SCOTUS justice with an actual human.

[Wounded Bear]

47. I suspect what you are saying is pretty close to what will actually happen...

[NNadir]

48. I'm a fan of optimism, albeit cautious optimism.

Any other outcome other than that which you describe would be national suicide at this point.

I believe the country will pull itself back from the ledge.

[OAITW r.2.0]

51. I have a garden hose ready to put out any flames.

[solara]

52. No flaming here

I agree with you. Some of my friends are clearly tiring of my own optimism, they point to my insistence w-a--a-y back in 2016 that trump could never ever win the presidency without russia's help and I still believe I was correct about that. My friends have a right to their fear (I guess) not that it will do any good. I see fear as fascist-lube.

Martin Luther King, Jr once said " "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." "Strength to Love, 1963" "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality."

Me too.

Things are clearly not the same as they were in 2016. People are waking up (sure wish the MSM would too) Being "woke" is not a bad thing just because trump's nazis say it is. Trump's nazi party also keeps trying to convince us all that the loser ex-president is 'god's gift to the world' as in the 'second coming'.

Who could've imagined the anti-christ would arrive as a stinky, indicted lack-wit toddler, prone to pissy-tantrums and wearing diapers?

[Warpy]

54. Only people who are so blinded by crackpot Christianity think that can't possibly happen

I agree that it can. Women on both sides of the abortion debate are discovering that no, they don't want politicians telling them what they can and can't do with their own bodies. Even some antiabortion men (a tiny minority, but they're out there) are discovering that strict bans are probably not a good idea, medicine has progressed a bit since the Bronze Age and the Bronze Age wisely didn't have bans on abortion.

The far right has grossly underestimated the effect of the crown jewel of its dubious achievement list. The outrage is there. The slow burn will continue.

[SouthernDem4ever]

55. Let me know when the flames come out

so I can roast a few marshmallows.

[wryter2000]

56. I agree

Not so sure about gaining a Senate seat, although Colin Allred is really good.

[Talitha]

57. And Joe will FINALLY get the public celebration that Covid prevented last time.

A sea of humanity - smiling, hugging, crying for joy.

[LiberalLovinLug]

58. There is so much time left. So much can happen.

Biden has been doing awesome with the economy, and all kinds of other things. student loans, diabetic insulin prices ....

But the MSM thinks that kind of positive news, isn't news. Not ad revenue news. But all it would take is one bad gaff by Joe, or one "scandal" dug up from his past, even if its made up, as long as its believable enough for scandal starved R voters to believe in, a month before the election, to shave off enough votes to hoist Trump onto the country for another four years (at least).

The other factor is the GOP's dirty tactics will step up this year. Not just troll farms with Musk giving them a promoted large stage to spew their lies. I can see brown shirts intimidating voters. Maybe they'll even be bomb threats to shut down polling stations, or even armed theft of ballot boxes. While GOP State legislatures ban mail voting. The goal will be to cancel voting results across the country in key areas where Biden was barely in the lead in the polls.

But I do agree, that all things being equal...well as equal as it gets....I can see a change taking place with soft Trump voters if and when Trump actually gets sentenced. There has to be enough R voters that have at least that much sense once the see more and more of Trump in court being prosecuted. But I also don't think it will be that easy to counter the Fox News etc. push to victimize Trump as being only politically prosecuted and he will get a lot of sympathy votes.

[dwayneb]

59. It's fine to be an optimist, but

Never forget that Trump and his MAGA cult worshippers are our sworn enemies. He and they will do everything in their power to destroy our democracy. They have worked toward this for 50+ years.

We better have a backup plan in case we don't win this battle. We are at war.

[Bettie]

60. Optimism is welcome in these days of

"Well, the polls say it's already over..."

Thanks for this. I think so too.

[YoshidaYui]

61. Not going to flame you but this Election scares me

Trump could win and we would all be in deep shit!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

62. Dont think you get flamed by a Hallelujah chorus :)

[Escurumbele]

63. Add me to your list of optimists because I feel exactly the same. I know there are a lot of stupid people out there

but they are not the majority, and one thing I have learned is that good people are quiet, most of the time, so they are going to come in hordes to vote for Democrats and Biden.

[FSogol]

64. Make it so, DU. GOTV. n/t

[NewLarry]

65. If what you mean by "flame"

is to hold the candle high and stop cursing the darkness, then I'm all in!!!

[Saoirse9]

66. I like the way you think n/t

[iemanja]

68. Sigh

People post insanely popular ideas pretending they will be unpopular and knowing full well that they will be. Why? You can post the same thing without the pretense.

Really, the fault is mine for falling for the clickbait.

[OverBurn]

69. I hope you are 100% correct. I'm always a bit pessimistic.

[LiberalFighter]

70. You are being very reasonable.

[PCIntern]

71. I agree

I’ve been saying this for some time

[oldsoftie]

72. This race is won in GA, PA, WI, AZ, Mi & NV. Its gonna be tight.

But a ton of people just dont pay attention till around October.
We'll see how things look in 10 months.

[ShazzieB]

73. No flames here!

I'm a big fan of optimism. Negativity is a mortal enemy, and we should fight to stay out of its clutches, imo.

I agree with most of the post, except I'm not sure about TFG picking Kari for his running mate. She's too much of a loose cannon; I think he'll want someone who's easier to control.

[soldierant]

74. From your keyboard

(or whatever you are using) to God's monitor (or whatever she is using)

[electric_blue68]

75. No flaming here. At times I have a serious "we're doomed" crevice. They don't last....

Usually I have oscillations between deep concerns w a few tears at worse, and fairly optimistic at best, I think. My scales still tend to tip towards the more optimistic side.
.
How does that happen for me?
Well, St Yogi Berra's mantra; "It ain't over, till it's over.", for a start.
Plus a Historian's (Jane K Goodman?) comment - things go along, and along until they change.

So we won't see the unexpected change which could be a good one from left field!

But I really like, and satisfied to bask in the full sunshine of your bright optimism. 👍

[IbogaProject]

76. The GOP pull dirty tricks and worse

They pull dirty tricks and worse. Reagan-Bush cut a deal with Iranian terrorists to hold US Government Embassy Personnel hostages until their Inauguration day. Bush played the Willie Horton ad. W and the Florida GOP cheated. W swift-boated Kerry, a decorated veteran vs his lack of service and the GOP pulled some shady stuff with the 2004 vote count. 08 & 12 were closer than they needed to be and we only had both chamber majority 09-10. Then in 2016 Russian and oil funded media trolls and a corrupt media. We have to get out the vote and we have to get our social media game going. We have to peel a few million fools back from voting for fascism.