Election 2018 Open Thread - Part 1

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Senator Sinema is probably one of my favorite victories in recent years. She's a great image for the party.

She really, really, really isn’t.  I mean winning the Senate seat is important, but there’s a legitimate argument to be made that the better woman lost.  Sinema said about a week after 9/11 that she has “no problem” with Americans joining the Taliban and fighting our country’s own soldiers in Afghanistan.  Sinema is also an exceptionally unprincipled politician who almost compulsively flip-flops, is currently calling Joe Manchin her role model, and said she was undecided on Kavanaugh (which McSally was terrible about too, don’t get me wrong).  That’s not what anyone should want as the future of the Democratic Party.

Link regarding that bit about her having no problem with Americans joining the Taliban?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nationalreview.com/news/kyrsten-sinema-senate-candidate-in-2003-i-dont-care-if-people-join-taliban/amp/

No one gives a ****.

McSally probably bought it up over a million times during the campaign and she still lost.

The idea that morality and its relevance should be dictated by who happens to have won the most recent political victory is a truly terrifying proposition.  I don’t even have to risk running afoul of Godwin’s law to show this; let’s just take a moment and apply your argument to some recent political fights.


“No one gives a **** about the Access Hollywood tape.  

Hillary probably brought it up over a million times during the campaign and she still lost.”


“No one gives a **** that DeSantis is a racist.  

Gillum probably brought it up a million times during the campaign and he still lost.”  

“No one gives a **** about whether Brett Kavanaugh is an attempted rapist.  

The Democrats probably brought it up a million times during the hearings and he was still confirmed.”

A reprehensible belief or action doesn’t automatically become good or even irrelevant just because the person who holds or committed it won an election.  

[MasterJedi]

https://twitter.com/thisdog/status/1062357051756765184

If they somehow get it overturned, retaliate and take the EV away from the hicks.

[Brittain33]

Even if McSally is only being nice because she wants to run again... we could do with more Republicans behaving responsibly toward Democracy even if it’s only out of self interest, because our system needs people to accept a loss gracefully because they are confident they will get their turn in the future.

[Torrain]

https://twitter.com/thisdog/status/1062357051756765184

If they somehow get it overturned, retaliate and take the EV away from the hicks.

Given that many voters were voting tactically, as the second round of ballots will, or would be entirely undemocratic to overturn RCV without immediately calling a special election under FPTP. Letting Poliquin just take the seat because he doesn’t like the voting rules would be some Florida-level banana republic stuff.

[Badger]

https://twitter.com/thisdog/status/1062357051756765184

If they somehow get it overturned, retaliate and take the EV away from the hicks.

A nice idea, but we both know the court that throws out RCV will never throw out the Electoral College.

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/AmyEGardner/status/1062372594886893568

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1062370498129092608

In the unlikely event Poliquin prevails, this would open the door to doing away with Georgia's runoff, at least for federal elections.

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1062370498129092608

In the unlikely event Poliquin prevails, this would open the door to doing away with Georgia's runoff, at least for federal elections.

He picked a stupid argument. Should have went with you can't do federal election law via referendum. Would have fallen into Roberts wheelhouse.

[JerryArkansas]

Senator Sinema is probably one of my favorite victories in recent years. She's a great image for the party.

She really, really, really isn’t.  I mean winning the Senate seat is important, but there’s a legitimate argument to be made that the better woman lost.  Sinema said about a week after 9/11 that she has “no problem” with Americans joining the Taliban and fighting our country’s own soldiers in Afghanistan.  Sinema is also an exceptionally unprincipled politician who almost compulsively flip-flops, is currently calling Joe Manchin her role model, and said she was undecided on Kavanaugh (which McSally was terrible about too, don’t get me wrong).  That’s not what anyone should want as the future of the Democratic Party.

Link regarding that bit about her having no problem with Americans joining the Taliban?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nationalreview.com/news/kyrsten-sinema-senate-candidate-in-2003-i-dont-care-if-people-join-taliban/amp/

You blowing this out of proportions to the point I think you want to find something to hate her over.

[Torrain]

No wonder Poliquin rushed out his inevitable lawsuit. The counting is nearly done.

https://twitter.com/MESecOfState/status/1062386555883585537?s=20

[fldemfunds]

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1062370498129092608

In the unlikely event Poliquin prevails, this would open the door to doing away with Georgia's runoff, at least for federal elections.

He picked a stupid argument. Should have went with you can't do federal election law via referendum. Would have fallen into Roberts wheelhouse.

This is probably one of the only arguments available that would not border on the attorney being sanctioned for bringing frivolous suits. It has been understood that states can administer their elections how they see fit so long as voters are not disenfranchised or discriminated against.

[Cashew]

Even if McSally is only being nice because she wants to run again... we could do with more Republicans behaving responsibly toward Democracy even if it’s only out of self interest, because our system needs people to accept a loss gracefully because they are confident they will get their turn in the future.

That's all well and good, but that runs the risk of the media labeling her a "moderate" because of what she does or doesn't say while glossing over her voting record.

[ag]

https://twitter.com/thisdog/status/1062357051756765184

If they somehow get it overturned, retaliate and take the EV away from the hicks.

Given that many voters were voting tactically, as the second round of ballots will, or would be entirely undemocratic to overturn RCV without immediately calling a special election under FPTP. Letting Poliquin just take the seat because he doesn’t like the voting rules would be some Florida-level banana republic stuff.

Exactly. There was no FPTP election run in Maine, period. Giving the seat to Poliquin would be appointing him without an election.

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/thisdog/status/1062357051756765184

If they somehow get it overturned, retaliate and take the EV away from the hicks.

Given that many voters were voting tactically, as the second round of ballots will, or would be entirely undemocratic to overturn RCV without immediately calling a special election under FPTP. Letting Poliquin just take the seat because he doesn’t like the voting rules would be some Florida-level banana republic stuff.

Exactly. There was no FPTP election run in Maine, period. Giving the seat to Poliquin would be appointing him without an election.

Agreed, if they are so against RCV, the only other alternative would be to call a new election.

[ag]

https://twitter.com/thisdog/status/1062357051756765184

If they somehow get it overturned, retaliate and take the EV away from the hicks.

Given that many voters were voting tactically, as the second round of ballots will, or would be entirely undemocratic to overturn RCV without immediately calling a special election under FPTP. Letting Poliquin just take the seat because he doesn’t like the voting rules would be some Florida-level banana republic stuff.

Exactly. There was no FPTP election run in Maine, period. Giving the seat to Poliquin would be appointing him without an election.

Agreed, if they are so against RCV, the only other alternative would be to call a new election.

I mean, they would have hard time getting a decent political scientist to testify otherwise. This is not a partisan issue in any sense: this is basic intellectual consistency. Strictly speaking, there should be some sort of a rule that suits like this should be filed before the election: or, at least, some sort of a claim should be made beforehand. The guy agreed to participate in an election conducted by these rules: this should close the book on this.

[gf20202]

Senator Sinema is probably one of my favorite victories in recent years. She's a great image for the party.

She really, really, really isn’t.  I mean winning the Senate seat is important, but there’s a legitimate argument to be made that the better woman lost.  Sinema said about a week after 9/11 that she has “no problem” with Americans joining the Taliban and fighting our country’s own soldiers in Afghanistan.  Sinema is also an exceptionally unprincipled politician who almost compulsively flip-flops, is currently calling Joe Manchin her role model, and said she was undecided on Kavanaugh (which McSally was terrible about too, don’t get me wrong).  That’s not what anyone should want as the future of the Democratic Party.

I love how you put "no problem" in quotes when she never said that exact phrase, which is exactly the talking point that both McSally and Trump put out there. Thank you for caring so much about people being unprincipled though.

It's better for the future of the Democratic party for someone who said "Let's ****ing do this" when talking about stripping protections for pre-existing conditions from people's health care to be elected? Then McSally has basically lied about that vote and quote for the past year. It's Sinema who is unprincipled?

Judging Sinema off a dismissive comment from 15 years ago (Sinema: "Fine. I don’t care if you want to do that, go ahead." OMG...SHE LOVES THE TALIBAN SO MUCH) and calling McSally a better woman while ignoring her unprincipled flip flops is rich.

Sinema isn't perfect. I hope she pulls a Gillibrand. But what a weird thing to harp on,especially while inventing a quote while acting as the morality police for the Democratic party.

[Tender Branson]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

[Brittain33]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

What's significant about her being black? It would be weird if she were green-skinned, but the odds are very high she'd have been white if she weren't African-American, and what's interesting about that? Lots of Americans have last names which are colors: Green(e), Brown, Black, and White are common.

[Alabama_Indy10]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

Did you expect her to be green?

[libertpaulian]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

What's significant about her being black? It would be weird if she were green-skinned, but the odds are very high she'd have been white if she weren't African-American, and what's interesting about that? Lots of Americans have last names which are colors: Green(e), Brown, Black, and White are common.

I think he means that it's that it's very uncommon to see non-whites in far-left movements like the Greens.

[pppolitics]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

Did you expect her to be green?

I thought she came from Mars.

[Brittain33]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

What's significant about her being black? It would be weird if she were green-skinned, but the odds are very high she'd have been white if she weren't African-American, and what's interesting about that? Lots of Americans have last names which are colors: Green(e), Brown, Black, and White are common.

I think he means that it's that it's very uncommon to see non-whites in far-left movements like the Greens.

The thing is, that may be a stereotype, but it's not true.

I mean, also, Jill Stein isn't full of beer, but that's not that interesting.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Pretty funny that in AZ, the Green Party candidate is named Angela Green ... and she‘s black.

What's significant about her being black? It would be weird if she were green-skinned, but the odds are very high she'd have been white if she weren't African-American, and what's interesting about that? Lots of Americans have last names which are colors: Green(e), Brown, Black, and White are common.

I think he means that it's that it's very uncommon to see non-whites in far-left movements like the Greens.

The thing is, that may be a stereotype, but it's not true.

I mean, also, Jill Stein isn't full of beer, but that's not that interesting.

And neither is Idaho's governor an otter.  We won't even discuss their senior Senator...

[Antonio the Sixth]

So when are we going to get the ME-2 redistribution?

[MAINEiac4434]

https://twitter.com/jamiejmckown/status/1062413100245225472?s=21

Poliquin knows he’s doomed