2022 US midterms election watch party/thread

Page 32 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,543
4,223
136
LOL the GOP hasn't even secured its likely House majority yet, and the Freedumb Caucus is already making demands of Leader McCarthy. They're already telling big Mac that they want to impeach Joe Biden and some cabinet members. :tearsofjoy: If he was smarter, he wouldn't even want the top job.


Politico has an opinion piece that although Dems won this election, the work isn't over by any means:

Opinion | If You’re Breathing a Sigh of Relief About the Midterms, Just Wait
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captante

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,242
14,245
136
I remember in 2010 I "somewhat disapproved" of Obama and still voted D's. I was disappointed because I didn't think he had done enough. I have a feeling similar feelings are dogging Biden, people want more of his agenda not less.

Biden got COVID relief, infrastructure, and a clean energy bill through. And several smaller pieces of legislation. It's not like he could have gotten anything else done with a 50-50 Senate and two in his own party who are not reliable votes.

I agree that this is the reason - most of those voters are young, and young voters tend to be further left. It's still ridiculous. Every ideologue thinks a leader of their party is a king who can get anything done by...force of will.
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,543
4,223
136
Biden got COVID relief, infrastructure, and a clean energy bill through. And several smaller pieces of legislation. It's not like he could have gotten anything else done with a 50-50 Senate and two in his own party who are not reliable votes.

I agree that this is the reason - most of those voters are young, and young voters tend to be further left. It's still ridiculous. Every ideologue thinks a leader of their party is a king who can get anything done by...force of will.

Biden is the GOAT at passing substantive legislation with just 49 Senators + DINO Joe Manchin, and a thin House majority. I don't know if any other Presidents in modern history have pulled off this kind of miracle. He also got us the F out of AF, which didn't earn much credit because of the chaos in Kabul.

We should also understand that the bulk of America are somewhat moderate, and TBH they don't really want the totality of the "progressive" agenda. We all got what we could get, and unfortunately that ends when the new Congress is seated.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
15,613
11,256
136
Biden got COVID relief, infrastructure, and a clean energy bill through. And several smaller pieces of legislation. It's not like he could have gotten anything else done with a 50-50 Senate and two in his own party who are not reliable votes.

I agree that this is the reason - most of those voters are young, and young voters tend to be further left. It's still ridiculous. Every ideologue thinks a leader of their party is a king who can get anything done by...force of will.
I completely agree with you. What Biden has been able to accomplish is amazing given everything he is up against.But for some reason, that message just doesn't stick. Part of the problem is that things like infrastructure take a long time to actually happen, and people are stupid, so even if their commute is improved by 10 minutes a day they'll still say stuff like "Infrastructure bill? I still have a pothole in my neighborhood, it didn't do shit."

I am not sure how you get people to look past their nose and remember the past for longer than a few weeks.
 

Bitek

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
10,676
5,239
136

Biden is the GOAT at passing substantive legislation with just 49 Senators + DINO Joe Manchin, and a thin House majority. I don't know if any other Presidents in modern history have pulled off this kind of miracle. He also got us the F out of AF, which didn't earn much credit because of the chaos in Kabul.

We should also understand that the bulk of America are somewhat moderate, and TBH they don't really want the totality of the "progressive" agenda. We all got what we could get, and unfortunately that ends when the new Congress is seated.

He pulled it off, and had too imo. That was his rationale for POTUS, not bc he was young, hip or exciting.

He is a DC insider, master of the Senate and WH, someone with deep relationships and can get shit done.

Shit was indeed done.


Next up tho he needs to come up for a rationale for the second term. Just holding down the fort against R investigations and senility won't cut it.

Otherwise, be like P Manning and retire on a high note. Don't be Brady, hold on to long and loose your wife
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
39,823
33,444
136

Biden is the GOAT at passing substantive legislation with just 49 Senators + DINO Joe Manchin, and a thin House majority. I don't know if any other Presidents in modern history have pulled off this kind of miracle. He also got us the F out of AF, which didn't earn much credit because of the chaos in Kabul.

We should also understand that the bulk of America are somewhat moderate, and TBH they don't really want the totality of the "progressive" agenda. We all got what we could get, and unfortunately that ends when the new Congress is seated.
Just curious,

What part of the progressive" agenda to you think moderates object to?
 

eelw

Lifer
Dec 4, 1999
10,391
5,536
136
Hmm interesting. Colorado Secretary of State explaining why some mail in ballots are being held back and not being counted yet. They get added to the military ballots due Wednesday. This is to retain anonymity for those ballots
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,543
4,223
136
Just curious,

What part of the progressive" agenda to you think moderates object to?
That really depends on which moderates you talk to (not that I do much of it, but most people I know are not hyper partisan). Today there is quite a gulf between a moderate Repub and moderate Democrat whereas in a bygone era, they were closer in ideology. Some would argue outside of Joe Manchin and a few Senators, there are no moderate Republicans remaining in high office.

Anyway, I can think of two examples that the majority of voting Americans would currently reject outright:

1. Single payer health care
2. $50k student loan forgiveness

Regarding health care, it's unfortunate that the GOP has poisoned the waters so much and convinced Americans that their employer insurance plans are better than single payer. In an ideal environment, our taxes (mainly corp. and top 1%) would be somewhat higher to finance a universal single payer Medicare. But I know that is not happening in our lifetime. Obamacare compromised on this policy decision to gain passage, and I can't complain about that.

I won't say a lot about student loan forgiveness, but I am generally a fiscal conservative (this does not mean I think federal govt resembles personal finance in any way). But waiving $50k in loans per eligible borrower is a non-starter for most voters. It certainly helps out a particular cohort of 30-somethings, but it doesn't solve the real problem of expensive college prices. We need to fix the problem rather than treat patients who need to go to the ER. I don't love it, but I'm personally okay w/ the Biden admin. waiving $10k in student loans with an income eligibility cap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zorba

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
26,471
12,601
136
But they are given the opportunity to cure their ballot. While tedious their process, no one will have a case for voter fraud with how their count is happening. So the orange monkey in a skirt will have no case to dispute her loss.
Lake will dispute it if she does not win.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pohemi

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
53,678
48,275
136
1. Single payer health care

Regarding health care, it's unfortunate that the GOP has poisoned the waters so much and convinced Americans that their employer insurance plans are better than single payer. In an ideal environment, our taxes (mainly corp. and top 1%) would be somewhat higher to finance a universal single payer Medicare. But I know that is not happening in our lifetime. Obamacare compromised on this policy decision to gain passage, and I can't complain about that.

This is almost entirely in how you sell it because a lot of voters are dumb. They don't like the feels of "government healthcare" but definitely would approve of a public option in large numbers.

Or put more simply:

70f3qo.jpg
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,543
4,223
136
I completely agree with you. What Biden has been able to accomplish is amazing given everything he is up against.But for some reason, that message just doesn't stick. Part of the problem is that things like infrastructure take a long time to actually happen, and people are stupid, so even if their commute is improved by 10 minutes a day they'll still say stuff like "Infrastructure bill? I still have a pothole in my neighborhood, it didn't do shit."

I am not sure how you get people to look past their nose and remember the past for longer than a few weeks.
Nah, there are just too many low information voters out there. It's not about the wheels of federal govt turning slowly. As one example, look at the 2021 American Rescue Plan. Some of us recall it was DJT who initially floated the idea of $2k direct stimulus to try and buy the 2020 Presidential election. When the GOP said we'll do only $600, the remaining $1400 became the job of the new admin to pass. Americans LOVE direct stimulus and if you include the CTC, poverty was temporarily reduced and nobody complained in 2021. Fast forward a year and everyone blames Joe Biden (and implicitly the $1400 "stimmies") for rampant inflation. But if you offered people direct stimulus and/or the CTC right now, they'd chomp at the bit to snatch it.

I'm not saying the $1400 didn't play a role, but there are some handful of meaningful contributors to inflation today. But a lot of people, including my best friend, downplay huge factors such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or supply chain disruptions.

Lake will dispute it if she does not win.
She will go full Trump and dispute even if she wins by 1%, "this election was a landslide, if not for fraud!"
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
Point is that although you hear plenty of strident voices calling for "police reform" those same voices usually have no realistic ideas to actually IMPROVE anything. (just like the far-right with inflation)

Take away the police in YOUR city if you really want too and let me know how that works out for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thump553

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,543
4,223
136
Point is that although you hear plenty of strident voices calling for "police reform" those same voices usually have no realistic ideas to actually IMPROVE anything. (just like the far-right with inflation)

Take away the police in YOUR city if you really want too and let me know how that works out for you.
Although I mostly agree with you, there are cases where major reform is warranted and successful:

 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
Biden being the head of the Democratic Party has NEVER advocated for "defund the police"

Agreed .... except that wasn't the question. ;)

(unless Biden is somehow "progressive" now?)


Again THIS was your question:

"What part of the progressive agenda to you think moderates object to?"
 
Last edited: