- cross-posted to:
- politics@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- politics@beehaw.org
Republicans routed as Democrats gain powerful new leverage over Trump for remainder of his presidency
Democrats have regained control of the US Senate, routing Republicans nationwide with historic victories that will give them powerful new leverage over Donald Trump for the remainder of his presidency.
Democrats will soon have the ability to hold up not just Trump’s legislative agenda, but also any appointments he makes to his cabinet or the federal judiciary – including the supreme court, where conservatives have a 6-3 majority.
It isn’t complete. They don’t have a super majority in the senate, so any impeachments just won’t get carried out. It’s also unclear how with all major federal agencies compromised by cronies it would be carried out.
It’s good news because it shows how incompetent Trump is at securing his own authoritarian bid, but it is not a victory for democrats. Supreme Court is still stuffed, and worse, all federal agencies have been compromised. I doubt it will simply be a lame duck presidency if federal agencies continue to follow presidential decrees while ignoring congress unless the Supreme Court tells them to. Impeachments can’t go through, Trump can still create exceptions from having to follow the law with “pre-emptive pardons”, he can still prolong signing bills until he eventually vetoes them, and any investigations preceding impeachments are going to be heavily MAGA partisan by the federal agencies in charge.
The more people hear of “Democrats winning”, the more MAGA will spin bad things as “it’s their fault, things are now much worse after they won, you can thank us because it’s not even worse”. That won’t matter right now, but in several years, people have shit memories. Democrats haven’t won yet, they’ve just made it harder for Trump after and if they get sworn in next year.
Today we will be happy!
Later, yes, that’s how media will spin it and the foolish fall for it unfortunately. I couldn’t believe how many comments seemed to imply they thought the rapist was up for election this time. Too many don’t understand how it works, Dems can’t do whatever they want with a simple majority and no president. Hopefully enough understand to not blame them in two years, and they are able to do some good where they can. Also recognize it takes longer to build things than to destroy them. People need to plan long-term too, not expect immediate gratification in all areas of life, since that’s not realistic, responsible or mature. When they feel the artificial scarcity increase again, forced by companies that choose higher prices, lower wages and to lay-off people, they get afraid and swing the other way, for the “strong leader” who blames minorities for social problems, but hopefully not again. Today we will be happy though!
They don’t have a super majority, so everything they do will be vetoed. So why not get rid of filibuster now? It seems the perfect time.
They’d need to find 12 republican senators who are unhappy with what that lame duck president did to their majority.
That’s… actually not as impossible as I thought. Especially since many of them will want to try to push the couch fucker to replace him.