2014 Election Megathread

[Admiral Yi]

He mostly means Republicans don't have an electoral mandate.

[Eddie Teach]

People are unhappy, but that doesn't mean they want to just adopt the GOP agenda wholesale.

[Jacob]

He mostly means Republicans don't have an electoral mandate.

Which should suit them fine, since apparently they need to avoid falling into the "governing trap".

[Admiral Yi]

Which should suit them fine, since apparently they need to avoid falling into the "governing trap".

Boehner made it clear in his press conference yesterday he thinks he has a mandate on Obamacare.

[alfred russel]

Which should suit them fine, since apparently they need to avoid falling into the "governing trap".

Boehner made it clear in his press conference yesterday he thinks he has a mandate on Obamacare.

The House and Senate should schedule quick symbolic votes on Obamacare repeal, and if it gets rejected let the issue drop, and if it gets approved, then Obama will just veto it, and then let the issue drop. That should satisfy the base. They don't have the votes to override a veto, so wasting time on it is stupid.

[derspiess]

So what message do you guys think the voters sent?

[Admiral Yi]

Dorsey: That's what Gloria Borger (CNN talking head) predicted.

[alfred russel]

Dorsey: That's what Gloria Borger (CNN talking head) predicted.

There is the possibility that they could seriously try to sabotage the legislation by doing something like overturning the individual mandate. They might even have the votes to override a veto on that (though I really doubt it). They could at least embarrass the president.

The problem that they will have is that they will look like assholes if they don't succeed, by highlighting the issue they will force it back to the forefront of the news debate shows and many people will see that initiatives that seem bad at first glance (like the individual mandate) are actually thought out policies that make sense, and if they do succeed they will take blame for whatever failure follows (plus give an excuse to Obama).

[Admiral Yi]

If they want to sabotage it, they do what they did last year: not approve the funding.

I was thinking about this earlier, and had the question why they didn't pass it as an entitlement--i.e. no need for annual appropriations.  Anyone know the answer to this?

[The Brain]

Because of the metric system?

[Razgovory]

Fuck the social contract, I didn't sign on to having millions of worthless pieces of shit demanding handouts while contributing no effort themselves.  Why should those who work hard, save money for the future, and take responsibility for themselves be required to bail out all the worthless layabouts who blow all their money and then some ob big-screen TVs and XBOX 360's and then want a handout because working would distract from their play time.

Fuck em all.  There is nothing more antisocial than the "social contract", which rewards bad behavior and punishes responsibility.  This is why the poor shouldn't be allowed to vote: they end up voting to rob the public until eventually society collapses under their irresponsibility.

I wonder if this is the kind of attitude we can expect from the new Congress.

[derspiess]

The House and Senate should schedule quick symbolic votes on Obamacare repeal, and if it gets rejected let the issue drop, and if it gets approved, then Obama will just veto it, and then let the issue drop. That should satisfy the base. They don't have the votes to override a veto, so wasting time on it is stupid.

That's pretty much what Cruz said he wanted to do.

[Jacob]

Boehner made it clear in his press conference yesterday he thinks he has a mandate on Obamacare.

Yeah, it's my impression that the incoming GOP majorities feel they have a mandate on repealing Obamacare and possible on not approving any kind of administration nominees. They also, as I understand it, believe they have a mandate on not providing any action on immigration issues.

I'm unaware of any pro-active mandate having been expressed, but perhaps time will show.

[derspiess]

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/06/white_women_didnt_just_fail_wendy_davis_they_failed_the_rest_of_texas_too/

[alfred russel]

Yeah, it's my impression that the incoming GOP majorities feel they have a mandate on repealing Obamacare and possible on not approving any kind of administration nominees. They also, as I understand it, believe they have a mandate on not providing any action on immigration issues.

I'm unaware of any pro-active mandate having been expressed, but perhaps time will show.

At least here, they didn't really run on any agenda other than blocking Obama.

The ads republican ads featured the same things over and over:

-A soundbite of the Democratic candidate saying "I'll defer to the president" (said in a democratic debate when asked what she would do on some topic)
-A soundbite of Obama endorsing the Democratic candidate saying she will help him do his work (sometimes played at the beginning and ending of the ads)
-The Republican candidate saying he will stop the Obama agenda and Obamacare.

It was the first election I can remember that was won by a party with no positive agenda.