How does this work?

[learn to fly]

From Johnathon V. Last https://thetriad.thebulwark.com/p/democ ... r-what?s=r
From where I sit, the two parties have spent the last 15 months doing the following:

Republicans:

Purging members who say that Biden is the legitimately elected POTUS.

Protecting members who rub elbows with white nationalists.

Re-litigating the 2020 election at all levels of government.

Making culture war issues out of a series of topics progressing from Dr. Seuss, to CRT, to a trans college swimmer, to grooming/pedophilia.

Am I missing something? Do you recall any big Republican initiatives that aren’t on this list? Aside from being, variously, anti-Ukraine, anti-NATO, and anti-anti-Putin? Meanwhile . . .

Democrats:

Passing the American Rescue Plan.

Fixing the vaccine rollout.

Passing a bi-partisan infrastructure bill.

Pulling out of Afghanistan.

Nominating an overwhelmingly popular and historically important judge to the SCOTUS.

Managing the most successful American response to a foreign policy crisis in (at least) two generations.

Is there negative stuff that happened for Democrats during the last 15 months? Sure. The idea of pulling out of Afghanistan was very popular. The reality of it was deeply unpopular.¹ They have made policy mistakes. The Democrats also spent a great deal of time negotiating an unpopular Build Back Better bill. But—and this point seems important—that unpopular bill did not pass.

You tell me: On balance, which of the two parties has been trying to make inroads with the political center and which has been all about that base for the last 15 months?

[craig11152]

I could cherry pick some "facts" too but I won't bother.

[Matt]

Passing the ARP after Cares Act And CRRSAA were passed under the Trump administration.

Fixing the vaccine rollout and returning to the Trump plan of private pharmacy distribution after the Biden plan of mass distribution at stadiums failed.

Majorly fucked up Afghanistan pullout.

Blamed Russia for inflation in general and higher gas prices overall.

Canceled the Keystone XL pipeline on day 1 for no legitimate reason and now begging Canada to up exports to our country.

See, I can do that too...

[TC Talks]

Care to acknowledge your parties mental deficit over the fair 2020 election?

Let's compare that to George W and Al Gore... You had a County clerk all but say she was going to change the numbers so that George Bush won.

[Bryce]

That article reads like an unsolicited tryout for new Press Secretary.

[MWmetalhead]

On policy, I will agree the GOP platform is weak right now. That's why I believe they will only make minor gains in the midterms.

[Matt]

On policy, I will agree the GOP platform is weak right now. That's why I believe they will only make minor gains in the midterms.

Depends on how you define minor gains...

I think the Republicans will become the majority in both houses, and they should be successful in Michigan if the right candidates are nominated. Gretchen Whitmer campaigned last time on "fixing the damn roads" (which she didn't do - her brilliant idea was raising the gas tax 45 cents), and this time she's hoping like hell that Roe v. Wade is overturned. Her slogan this time may as well be "kill the damn babies."

[MWmetalhead]

I agree they will gain enough seats to hold majorities in both Congressional chambers.

Whitmer will be reelected unless the Republican nominee (whomever that is) gets his or her shit together by summer.

[Matt]

I agree they will gain enough seats to hold majorities in both Congressional chambers.

Whitmer will be reelected unless the Republican nominee (whomever that is) gets his or her shit together by summer.

The nominee won't even be decided until August. That worked out fine in 2010. When we had a candidate way ahead of time in the 2006 election, that didn't work out so well. At best, the race is 50-50 right now. We really need to have Tom Leonard as the Republican nominee to beat Nessel.

[MWmetalhead]

100 percent agreed regarding Tom Leonard. DePerno is slimy.

[FakeAndyStuart]

There is one important element in the 2022 general election (ignoring the primary for now) - voter engagement and voter turnout.

Don't underestimate the power of the Democrats to fail to engage their faithful - but also don't underestimate the power of the faithful to get involved for concerns over health care/abortion/voting rights.

Don't underestimate the Republicans ability to screw up their primaries and candidates to disengage much of the far right. If enough "RINOs" get nominated, how long will it take the America First Party to start trying to get on the general election ballot.

I predict a record mid term turnout. And a five - seven day vote counting. And an actual mess of an election.