Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Politics In General Gerrymandering

Here's what I think about Ben Sasse - he's a conservative, no doubt, who nonetheless recognizes that there are other views out there. He's the kind of conservative I used to be, and the kind of liberal I am today. I could work with him. He should be Minority Leader, not McConnell.

I actually miss some of the old senate leaders of the past. Probably the last two good ones were Daschle and Lott. The last two before we entered today's modern political era of polarization, the great divide and the super, mega, ultra-high partisanship. Those two came up with a deal, a power sharing deal for a 50-50 senate tie back in 2000. Something impossible to do today or since our modern political era began.

https://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/stories/01/05/senate.powershare/index.html

Something akin to that should have taken place this year with another 50-50 tie.

But sadly, senate leaders of the past like Daschle/Lott, Dole/Mitchell, Baker/Byrd have been replaced by party firsters, McConnell, Reid and Schumer. Although I'd say the jury is still out on Schumer. If I had my way, I'd make Manchin and Romney the senate leaders. Then we'd have cooperation and compromise moving the country forward. No more Republicans automatically opposing anything and every thing Democrats propose and vice versa, Democrat automatically opposing anything Republican. This is a fairly old poll, but I think it still applies today.

Americans Favor Compromise to Get Things Done in Washington

https://news.gallup.com/poll/220265/americans-favor-compromise-things-done-washington.aspx

I think Schumer is not as much a party-first guy as circumstances indicate. He a compromiser. The problem has been his counterpart who is willing to burn down everything to get his way. McConnell is just wrong for the position. I'd take Romney or Sasse. Manchin is a strong no for me. He's too much a me-first, not a long view thinker.

If I had to like a Republican, I'd say Adam Kinzinger. He hella easy on the eyes.

No, they don't. Americans don't favor compromise in any way shape or form in anything they do.

They might say they do in the opinion polls but at the election polls, they vote against it every time.

Since this hyperpartisan thing is so new, the gerrymandering problem must be new too...right? Never woulda been any need for it before 1960. Because the parties always worked together to solve the problems of America before that.

In a way, you're probably right Greger. Republicans don't want to compromise with Democrats and Democrats don't want to compromise with Republicans. So if Gallup is to be believed, that's around 60% of the total electorate that don't favor compromise.

That leaves the unwashed middle, call them independents, perhaps moderates, certainly the non-affiliated. Those basically peeved at both parties and how both parties govern for only their base and not America as a whole.

Those who may believe in a middle way, a course in-between the hard core stances of either major party. I really haven't given this much thought. But if voting habits are to be taken into consideration, history shows those who identify with either major party will vote for their party's candidates 92% of the time regardless of who the candidates are.

The in-betweeners, the non-affiliate, perhaps those who favor compromise much more than the anti-compromise crowd of the party faithful, they decide elections.

In the recent wave elections, 1994 independents voted Republican 56-42, in 2006 57-39 for Democratic congressional candidates, in 2010 56-37 Republican, in 2018 54-42 Democratic. Perhaps comparing how independents voted 2 years earlier to these stats.

1992 independents voted 42-28 Clinton over Bush with Perot gaining 30%, 2 years later, 56-42 for Republican congressional candidates.
2004 Independents voted for Bush 49-48 over Kerry, but 2 years later, 2006 they voted 57-39 for Democratic congressional candidates.
2008 Independents voted 52-44 for Obama over McCain, in 2010 they voted 56-37 for Republican congressional candidates.
2016 Independents voted 46-42 for Trump over Hillary Clinton, 12% voting third party, in 2018 independents voted 54-42 for Democratic congressional candidates.

Another way to look at it, from a plus 14 Democratic 1992 to a minus 14 in 1994
From a plus 1 for Republicans in 2004 to a minus 18 in 2006
From a plus 8 Democratic in 2008 to a minus 19 in 2010
From a plus 4 Trump, Republicans to a minus 12 in 2018.

the finicky unwashed, who's loyalty isn't to party, but perhaps to America as a whole.

I think you are projecting your own studied independence on The Independents. I bet most of them have little awareness of politics, and just vote for celebrities or the snappiest dresser. Those who think a lot about political positions and lament partisanship are a very small minority. Lots more sports fans who would rather watch ESPN than PBS. They are easily manipulated by demagogues like Trump with "simple-but-wrong" catch-phrases. Trump had to practically destroy our democracy to lose their support. If he had been just a bit less blatant, he would have won in 2020.

Hey that's ME! Except that even I can see that Dems are actually trying to help Americans.

But they're going about it completely wrong and are doomed to fail.

What's going on across the aisle is pretty much sheer madness at this point. You're either a part of it or you aren't. What we've seen over the last five decades or so is that republicans have stopped governing. They are the anti-government party who wants an authoritarian strong man to lead them. I've totally washed my hands of all that nonsense.

The ummm...madness on the Dem side is to raise wages, make college affordable, provide healthcare where it's needed...that sort of thing. You know...actually taking care of Americans rather than the American corporate class.

The writing is on the wall for the GOP: Adapt or die

Larry Edler showed yesterday that far-right Trumpism is not a winning strategy.

Doesn't change the fact that at least a billion dollars has been donated to groups that will continue trying to
nullify every election from now till eternity.
Forty nine states left to go.