What to do in California Senate race?

[Fanatical Meat]

That might be true but that's literally the same argument Republicans made in 2006, that Pelosi would fire up their base. It didn't happen. Remember how Kavanaugh was supposed to fire up the Republican base? Maybe not so much.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/10/poll-kavanaugh-midterms-885940

Regardless, I feel like this is a constant theme in media everywhere, regardless of what events occur. Everything supposedly fires up the Republican base despite there not being much evidence that's the case. Voter enthusiasm is primarily driven by being out of power and seeing the other party do things you don't like. Sure, it's not the whole thing by any means but that's the primary thing. I would be wary of clickbaity stories about how things excite the Republican base until we see some pretty robust evidence of it.

I’ll accept that, I still think Pelosi doesn’t add any value and it’s definitely the time for change & incumbents

 

[fskimospy]

I’ll accept that, I still think Pelosi doesn’t add any value and it’s definitely the time for change & incumbents

I agree there, I don't see any particular reason why Pelosi should be back in charge as she had her time. Let's get some new blood in there.

 

[hal2kilo]

I agree there, I don't see any particular reason why Pelosi should be back in charge as she had her time. Let's get some new blood in there.

Seriously, she has been a particularly effective legislator, which is why the cons and Reps hate her so much, but nobody is irreplaceable and it's time for some new blood.

 

[Muse]

Just vote for Feinstein. McConnell has completely abdicated his roll as a check on other branches of government, so he needs to be gone. Even Feinstein is light years better.

And if Republicans retain control the ACA will definitely be gone in the next 2 years, and twenty million people will lose coverage and everyone will lose protections for pre-existing conditions. Not to mention they'll pack the courts with even more Federalist Society pod people.

If I had reason to believe in Deleon I'd vote for him. I witnessed Feinstein at the first rally I've gone to in decades, IIRC, anti-gun rally around maybe 8 months ago. She was coherent, sounded very human and intelligent and she was speaking on microphone extemporaneously, wasn't looking down on a piece of paper, and to a large crowd and she was impressive. I thought, vote for her.

Yes, I agree that Feinstein handled the Ford letter appropriately and that her opponent made a politically motivated statement attacking her. So, I remain unimpressed with him.

Yeah, at 85 she's "old." But I won't automatically be thinking that the Senate is fucked up if she's leading it in the event that the Dems have a majority after the November election. Now, McConnell just bugs the shit out of me, can't stand the motherfucker.

 

[Muse]

I also wrote Feinstein to speak out for impeachment of Trump but she’s too politically calculating for that.

Impeaching Trump is just another shit storm that will distract everybody from the real issues... well, it can be seen as that. The big thing is, don't let him have a 2nd term. If he's successfully impeached before the next POTUS election who will be president? AFAIK, it's the veep, and he's a slimey turd near as I can make out. Talk about a milk toast conservative, he's right in the mold. You know nothing about what he feels about anything, that Pence guy. I've never detected a single emotion out of him. I find that plenty scary, I don't want him as president.

 

[fskimospy]

Impeaching Trump is just another shit storm that will distract everybody from the real issues... well, it can be seen as that. The big thing is, don't let him have a 2nd term. If he's successfully impeached before the next POTUS election who will be president? AFAIK, it's the veep, and he's a slimey turd near as I can make out. Talk about a milk toast conservative, he's right in the mold. You know nothing about what he feels about anything, that Pence guy. I've never detected a single emotion out of him. I find that plenty scary, I don't want him as president.

It seems like impeaching him or sending him/significant numbers of his family members to jail is a pretty important objective for the health of the country.

If you can be as corrupt as he is and the only penalty you face is not getting a second term then what incentive is there for the next president to not go hog wild with corruption?

 

[ivwshane]

Impeaching Trump is just another shit storm that will distract everybody from the real issues... well, it can be seen as that. The big thing is, don't let him have a 2nd term. If he's successfully impeached before the next POTUS election who will be president? AFAIK, it's the veep, and he's a slimey turd near as I can make out. Talk about a milk toast conservative, he's right in the mold. You know nothing about what he feels about anything, that Pence guy. I've never detected a single emotion out of him. I find that plenty scary, I don't want him as president.

Have you ever seen pence get a crowd wipped up? Do you think pence could shoot someone and the base of the Republican party wouldn't care? Have you ever seen pence gas light anyone?

The reason you get rid of trump is because of his ability to keep his base in check and willing and able to do whatever it is that he asks.

Cutting off the head of the beast doesn't magically make the tail more powerful or worse.

 

[Muse]

Have you ever seen pence get a crowd wipped up? Do you think pence could shoot someone and the base of the Republican party wouldn't care? Have you ever seen pence gas light anyone?

The reason you get rid of trump is because of his ability to keep his base in check and willing and able to do whatever it is that he asks.

Cutting off the head of the beast doesn't magically make the tail more powerful or worse.

OK, you'd happily take Pence over Trump is how I read this. I won't argue the point, maybe you are 100% right. Still, if Pence becomes POTUS isn't it possible that the GOP will have the White House with him as POTUS after the next two presidential elections? That would be 3 in a row. How much more damage might result? How many more SCOTUS conservatives on the bench?

 

[fskimospy]

Have you ever seen pence get a crowd wipped up? Do you think pence could shoot someone and the base of the Republican party wouldn't care? Have you ever seen pence gas light anyone?

The reason you get rid of trump is because of his ability to keep his base in check and willing and able to do whatever it is that he asks.

Cutting off the head of the beast doesn't magically make the tail more powerful or worse.

I think Pence would quickly be deified by conservatives the same way Bush was. Remember how many books and think pieces there were about how Bush was secretly a genius and sore loser liberals just couldn’t accept how great he was? Same thing with Trump. I imagine same thing with Pence.

That doesn’t change the fact that Pence is simply a retrograde idiot while Trump is an impulsive, wildly corrupt, mentally ill idiot. Pence is better.

 

[Moonbeam]

Impeaching Trump is just another shit storm that will distract everybody from the real issues... well, it can be seen as that. The big thing is, don't let him have a 2nd term. If he's successfully impeached before the next POTUS election who will be president? AFAIK, it's the veep, and he's a slimey turd near as I can make out. Talk about a milk toast conservative, he's right in the mold. You know nothing about what he feels about anything, that Pence guy. I've never detected a single emotion out of him. I find that plenty scary, I don't want him as president.

I agree with ivwshane and fskimo on this although my opinion of pence is much worse than yours.

 

[ivwshane]

OK, you'd happily take Pence over Trump is how I read this. I won't argue the point, maybe you are 100% right. Still, if Pence becomes POTUS isn't it possible that the GOP will have the White House with him as POTUS after the next two presidential elections? That would be 3 in a row. How much more damage might result? How many more SCOTUS conservatives on the bench?

I think anyone is measurably better than trump. I think you underestimate the danger of a cult leader having a national international platform like the presidency.

Pence isn't a cult leader he doesn't nor will he ever get the loyalty that trump gets and that makes him magnitudes weaker than trump in terms of pushing through an agenda.

I'll take bad policy over blind nationalism everytime.

 

[Muse]

I think anyone is measurably better than trump. I think you underestimate the danger of a cult leader having a national international platform like the presidency.

Pence isn't a cult leader he doesn't nor will he ever get the loyalty that trump gets and that makes him magnitudes weaker than trump in terms of pushing through an agenda.

I'll take bad policy over blind nationalism everytime.

OK, I'm with you. Trump drives me to distraction, I have to avoid him like, well, like anything I find distasteful, and he really qualifies. I doubt I would have as much antipathy to Pence, or whoever.

 

[evident]

I think you know what to do in this election. Hold your nose and vote. Those who didn't do it in 2016 got this asshole elected.

We don't have real choices in this country. it's binary, even if you sit out