Donald I, emperor of the world.

[briantrumpet]

Looks like Missssissssippppi is edging towards a Dem Senate win, as does Alaska, though still 25% left to tally there.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-elections/mississippi-senate-results

 

[briantrumpet]

Quite an interesting chart of popular vote margins over the years.

 

[First Aspect]

I hope you're right, but I will point you to what happened to Starmer here.

Exactly. A long time is probably about 18 months at most, by which point the next GOP candidate offers everyone tax cuts and borrows more, and accuses the Dems of wasteful spending on things like health care and education, those communists*.

*Russians are fine though.

 

[briantrumpet]

Exactly. A long time is probably about 18 months at most, by which point the next GOP candidate offers everyone tax cuts and borrows more, and accuses the Dems of wasteful spending on things like health care and education, those communists*.

*Russians are fine though.

"Communists"? Please, get your terminology for Democrats right. Ted Cruz does.

 

[Beebo]

Quite an interesting chart of popular vote margins over the years.

View attachment 18115

The Reagan era is interesting.
Big Dem gains with a popular Republican president in the White House.

 

[First Aspect]

Yes, sure they need to make things materially better for the people who voted them in, but they also need to reassert the rule of law in governance.

They do, but going on a revenge mission is not going to get the Whote House. The smart move, as criminal and incompetent a lot of the MAGA republicans have been, is to just shuffle them out of the way with minimum consequence for their behaviour.

If there are to be consequences for individuals, which on the whole I doubt, it can only be when enough time has passed that the US electorate doesn't really care. It is all about political cost.

 

[briantrumpet]

They do, but going on a revenge mission is not going to get the Whote House. The smart move, as criminal and incompetent a lot of the MAGA republicans have been, is to just shuffle them out of the way with minimum consequence for their behaviour.

If there are to be consequences for individuals, which on the whole I doubt, it can only be when enough time has passed that the US electorate doesn't really care. It is all about political cost.

Guess we'll just have to disagree on this. I'd argue that Trump 2 Unleashed was a consequence of letting Trump off his crimes in Trump 1.

 

[Psamathe]

They do, but going on a revenge mission is not going to get the Whote House.

Maybe it depends on the nature of the "revenge".
I could see proposals, maybe constitution changes (which can be done), eg to restrict the pardoning powers of the President (ie constrain corruption), maybe steps to stop government departments becoming the personal agents of the President (eg DoJ) again to address corruption, etc.

Polls I saw indicated that corruption was high on the list of electorate's concerns so(starting) to put in place changes to reduce corruption whilst going after a few prominent offenders ("they were raking it in whilst you struggled") and if Trümp pardons them that just helps with the limiting Presidential Pardoning powers.

 

[First Aspect]

Maybe it depends on the nature of the "revenge".
I could see proposals, maybe constitution changes (which can be done), eg to restrict the pardoning powers of the President (ie constrain corruption), maybe steps to stop government departments becoming the personal agents of the President (eg DoJ) again to address corruption, etc.

Polls I saw indicated that corruption was high on the list of electorate's concerns so(starting) to put in place changes to reduce corruption whilst going after a few prominent offenders ("they were raking it in whilst you struggled") and if Trümp pardons them that just helps with the limiting Presidential Pardoning powers.

By revenge I mean legal action, basically.

 

[briantrumpet]

This is maybe why Ted Cruz is upset, poor lamb.

 

[C R]

They do, but going on a revenge mission is not going to get the Whote House.

Enforcing the law is not revenge.

 

[First Aspect]

Enforcing the law is not revenge.

That's not the point.

To retain amy of the support from yesterday's protest voting they need to be achieving something. Stopping Mad King George paint Washinton DC gold, or renaming South America "Further South Than America", or putting tarrifs on anything starting with the letter C because of Mark Carney and Canada, that sort of thing will be fine. Stopping tax breaks for anyone called Trump and Kushner, also fine.

But prolonged investigations about "bad things" from 2024-2026 by special counsel this and federal prosecutor that will not win votes in 2028.

 

[briantrumpet]

Enforcing the law is not revenge.

Quite so. What Trump did with the DoJ was revenge against anyone who Trump thought had criticised him. It's going to be harder for the Democrats to hold the worst miscreants who clearly have broken the law to account (as Trump still has a poodle as AG), but they must make it clear that acting illegally has consequences.

That said, if impeachment is the only option, they will have to weigh up the very high possibility that the Senate won't find them guilty, as that needs a 60% vote, and Republicans are still likely to protect 'their own'.

tl;dr - options are limited when the US AG is under the thumb of Trump.

 

[briantrumpet]

That's not the point.

To retain amy of the support from yesterday's protest voting they need to be achieving something. Stopping Mad King George paint Washinton DC gold, or renaming South America "Further South Than America", or putting tarrifs on anything starting with the letter C because of Mark Carney and Canada, that sort of thing will be fine. Stopping tax breaks for anyone called Trump and Kushner, also fine.

But prolonged investigations about "bad things" from 2024-2026 by special counsel this and federal prosecutor that will not win votes in 2028.

I think that's where you are wrong. I suspect a lot of voters will have 'voted Blue' in the hope of some sort of accountability. It's not either/or: as Raphael Warnock said "We can walk and chew gum". No-one's saying they should forget trying to improve the life of ordinary Americans as the most important task ahead. But as it stands, Trump appointees will be doing their level best to prevent that happening.

 

[First Aspect]

I think that's where you are wrong. I suspect a lot of voters will have 'voted Blue' in the hope of some sort of accountability. It's not either/or: as Raphael Warnock said "We can walk and chew gum". No-one's saying they should forget trying to improve the life of ordinary Americans as the most important task ahead. But as it stands, Trump appointees will be doing their level best to prevent that happening.

$3 a gallon, that's what it is about, for most USAnians.

Yes, a lot of moderates would like some accountability, but they already predominantly vote democrat.