1932 General Election

[DemocratSinceBirth]

FDR won 472 Electoral College Votes and the Dems picked up 93 House seats and 12 Senate Seats.

[Demsrule86]

1. It could happen...Trump and his GOP buddies have really screwed up.

[wryter2000]

2. No Fox News then

But your point is well made. Our current state of affairs is going to hurt Republicans.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Rachel Bitecofer who I respect says because of negative partisanship

Rachel Bitecofer who I respect says because of negative partisanship there are limits to either party's gains or losses. Maybe so but this election is going to be a referendum on Trump's handling of COVID-19 and I don't expect the non-FOX crowd to think he handled it well.

[NewJeffCT]

27. The Republicans picked up a net 9 senate seats in 2014

and many of those Republican senators - Joni Ernst, David Perdue, etc - are up for re-election this time around.

[Mr.Bill]

14. The other side of the coin

is there was no MSNBC either.

[NewJeffCT]

28. While MSNBC's hosts are almost all smarter

than their fox counterparts, Fox has a huge audience and often drives the news cycle because of the massive echo chamber beyond Fox.

[Generic Brad]

30. But there was Father Coughlin

He spit out right wing venom weekly to 30 million listeners. I have heard clips of him. I swear that Rush Limbaugh studied him and modeled his schtick after Father Coughlin.

[GeoWilliam750]

44. And still 39.7% of votes went to Herbert Hoover

Whose predecessors had caused this mess, and who presided over the worst economic collapse in US history.

And that was with the Old Solid South.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_United_States_presidential_election

[edhopper]

4. The Blue Dog racist Southern Dems helped

Democrats will not be that strong in the South for a long time.
And gerrymandering limits the House pick up.

[progressoid]

22. +1

[roamer65]

5. I think we will get close to 2/3 in the House.

Probably not quite but close.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. If we get a Senate majority

If we get a Senate majority and the Supreme Court keeps going in a reactionary direction Biden should threaten to expand the Supreme Court to fifteen. That's what FDR did. That's where the adage " a switch in time saves nine" comes from.

[Blue_true]

8. Expand it to 15, replace the two oldest liberal Justices also. Eight really young solid

progressives going onto the Court for lifetime seats. If we hold the White House and the Senate long enough, we can replace Thomas and Alito with very young progressive Justices also. Biden can also ask Roberts to step down from Chief Justice and replace him with Kagan or Sottomayor. Republicans didn't hesitate to pack the Courts with unqualified Judges, our President and Senate should be as ruthless in getting rid of incompetent Judges and seating competent ones. No more deals like the Federal Judge in South Dakota saying racist shit about President Obama and being allowed to hold his seat until he chose to retire, that happens this time around, our President should force him or her to resign and not let up until that happens.

[onenote]

11. Why would Roberts step down as CJ?

I can't think of a single time in US history where a CJ has stepped down from that position based on the results of a presidential election. And how does a president force a federal court judge who has a lifetime appointment to resign?

[Blue_true]

13. Like republicans when they see an opening, we should not be adverse to a first.

Biden can quote mind boggling rulings and say publicly that he has no confidence in Roberts as CJ. Be very public and force Roberts to decide whether he wants to hold on and take a bashing, or step down. Republicans don't hesitate about hectoring progressive Judges out of office, why should our leaders always turn the other cheek when our leaders have power?

[Polybius]

17. That would make me stay on longer

If I was Chief Justice and a President asked me to step down I'd laugh in his face. It's the greatest dream job in the world, even better than President. Any President who said that to a CJ would see his approval ratings drop to 30%. Also, when has a Republican ever gotten a Justice to resign?

But this is fantasy anyway. Joe Biden is a great person and a very level-headed guy, and is not extreme by any means. Not only would he never say that, but he also opposes expanding the Supreme Court.

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/biden-i-would-not-get-court-packing

[Blue_true]

20. Well, sometimes mental masturbation is fun, it doesn't have to happen, but one

can dream it so.

[LiberalFighter]

23. I would pass legislation reducing their pension.

Unlike Congress and the President, federal judges receive for their pension the salary received when retiring.

[onenote]

35. There currently are 403 sitting federal judges appointed by Democrats

There are 385 appointed by Republicans (193 appointed by Trump)

So your proposal is to punish the 403 judges appointed by Democratic presidents, almost all of whom will reach retirement age before any of the 193 appointed by Trump).

[LiberalFighter]

40. There is no reason to provide them a pension at 100% of salary.

[Polybius]

41. That could backfire

Then the conservative judges might just stay on until they die rather than retire.

[lastlib]

26. tRump got Kennedy to retire......

...thus paving the way for Beer-Boy Kavanaughty.

[Polybius]

42. Allegedly, but he got Trump to replace him with his own choice

Roberts getting to choose kinda defeats the purpose.

[onenote]

19. Nonsense. Pure nonsense.

Being criticized is part of the job of being a SCOTUS Justice or federal judge. I can't imagine any circumstances in which a president could say anything that would cause Roberts or any other federal judge to resign and I doubt you can imagine any either.

As for Republicans "hectoring progressive Judges out of office," can you cite some examples? If that could be done, how is it that Ruth Ginsburg is still on the Court?

Reality sucks, but it is has one advantage over fantasy. It's real.

[Blue_true]

24. During the Clinton administration, the right prevented Judges from getting promotions by

attacking their character, some subsequently quit the bench, the one exception is Judge Kember Wood. The right attacking Judges influenced President Obama to recommend more moderate Judges than desired, only to have McConnell hold up their appointments, some of those Judges quit the Bench.

Simply put, republicans have regularly used the disqualification tactic, even when Judges have been very much well qualified and uncontroversial, democrats have used that only to prevent completely unqualified Judges from getting lifetime appointments.

I am perfectly ok with Roberts being a first CJ forced down, as long as he gets replaced by someone that will be fairer in rulings.

[onenote]

31. Clinton administration judicial appointments.

District Court: 305 confirmed judges.
Number that left active service while Clinton was still president: 7. Of those 1 died and 6 were confirmed to the Court of Appeals. Not one "quit the bench".
Number that left active service while Bush was president: 46. Of those around a half dozen died. Another 30 (approx) took senior status and remained on the bench. One was nominated by Bush to the Court of Appeals (and was confirmed). A handful resigned to take other positions. Two resigned after the Republicans had held up their nominations to the DC circuit at the end of Clinton's term, although like Kimba Woods, they could have stayed on the bench.

Court of appeals: 66 confirmed judges.
Number that left active service while Clinton was President: 2 (one died and one retired after his request to be transferred to senior status in California from his seat on the third circuit (New Jersey) was denied.
Number that left active service while Bush was President: 6 (four took senior status and are still on the bench; 1 died; and one retired at age 65 without electing to go on senior status).


So, no. Republicans did not "regularly" force Judges appointed by Clinton to quit.

[Blue_true]

32. Maybe "regularly" was an incorrect term.

There was more interference from republicans for Clinton and Obama nominees. On Bush's case, people either just quit, retired or died, there was no unjust, organized interference like republicans have come to practice.

[Lonestarblue]

29. Aside from getting a better balance on the Court, more justices are needed anyway.

We have 13 federal appellate courts for 12 regional districts plus the DC court. That means that some SC justices oversee more than one district/appellate court. A justice for each region would ensure speedier responses to stays and other court questions.

We should also look at expanding the appellate courts. The fact that Congress has had lawsuits relating to Trump administration testimony tied up in the courts for more than a year is ridiculous. No court should be allowed to drag proceedings into multiple years. We have a court system that might have been adequate fifty years ago, but it is not today.

Republicans have essentially prevented modernizing almost everything in the federal government, as we just learned with the total confusion over stimulus checks when the IRS was searching for COBOL programmers! COBOL! Even when Democrats do have control of government, there’s so much to fix and so little money to do it. This time will be even worse because Trump has just about decimated the federal government.

[paleotn]

33. I agree, but also think extensive digging is in order....

And not just on recent SCOTUS appointments. All federal judges appointed by this ass clown. Probably don't have to dig very deep with this collection of creeps. Like in the old days when Dems were feared, we know what these judges have been up to and they can either fall on their swords or get prosecuted and have their careers destroyed. No more "for the good of the country." Those days are long passed and Rethugs would do it in a heartbeat. I say burn them. Sitting judges. Former presidents. Donnie's spawn. Former cabinet officials. Former department appointees. Burn them all. I want them all in jail or at least " retired to spend more time with the family." I want them all gone.

[Polybius]

43. Biden opposes SC expansion

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/biden-i-would-not-get-court-packing

[DFW]

7. In 1932

There was no Fox "News" radio, no electronic voting machines, and Stalin couldn't give a rat's ass who won, and probably couldn't do much about it even if he did.

It's a whole new day........

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. I suspect Stalin wanted Hoover to win and continue maximizing the contradictions.

[DFW]

10. In 1932

Stalin was still busy consolidating his own hold over the Soviet Empire. As long as he perceived no threat or financial disadvantage, I doubt he cared who won the election. He was from Gruzin ("Georgia" ) and had other things on his mind. Don't forget, Hitler didn't become Reichskanzler until the next year.

[Buckeyeblue]

12. Yes. It's a completely different world

But if Biden could flip Georgia or Texas it would be a big win. Trump will do anything to win, though. Anything!

I think Trump has already lost the country. We are collectively sick of him.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. Well said!!!!!!!!!

The RepubliCONS loved the gilded age of the 1920's and before.
They LOATHED everything FDR did to make sure it never happened again.

They have been fighting tooth and nail to make sure it never happens again at any cost.

In the history of this nation, there has NEVER been a Republican Party that was as un-scrupulous and corrupt as this entire, current "Republican Party" Their overwhelming amount of daily corruption is staggering, and un-fathomable.

They have reached a new epitome of low in politicizing and weaponizing the Pandemic. Directly and indirectly using it to eradicate any who criticize their CABAL, while at the same time scrambling to suck up all the money they can.

Their nefarious "profiteering" from a national disaster is like none ever seen in the history of the world......

[paleotn]

34. It's a new day in more ways than you think....

The pendulum is swinging to the left, as it always does, and started swinging with the 2018 election. AZ is purple and odds are will have 2 Dem senators next year. I didn't think I'd live to see that. NC is purple, as demographics shifts an court orders whip out the impacts of gerrymandering. In NC, Asheville, the Triangle and the Triad are growing. Bumfuck, NC isn't. GA damn near elected an African American woman as governor 2 years ago. That was as rare as snow in July in Miami 10 years ago. TX is on the cusp of going purple, with a sitting senator damn near taken out. And the demographic shifts that brought upon those damn nears 2 years ago have gone on unabated since.

So, unless Vlad can figure out how to do a Saddam Hussein election in the US, I doubt he and his internet boiler rooms will have nearly as much impact as 2016.

[tirebiter]

15. How different? Hoover was the Progessive

Figure that out.

[paleotn]

36. Austerity....the cure for a depression.

Hoover was also a fiscal conservative and completely unsuited for the situation he found himself in.

[Polybius]

16. I don't think we'll ever see anyone get over 400 EV again

We are much more divided these days. Even the best President of the Century (Obama) didn't get that many.

[qwlauren35]

18. I have no faith.

The election 7 months away. People will forget. There will be SOME recovery. Or they will believe that their governors were wrong to shut them down. And they will vote out their democratic governors.

And the elections will be tampered with.

[Initech]

21. As long as Fox News still exists we're fucked for the foreseeable future.

I'm hopeful the people will see past their lies and deceit, but then again with those morons in Huntington Beach and elsewhere yesterday, my hopes are dashed.

[paleotn]

38. Faux had a big influence on the 2018 elections....

and every special elections since.......Ooops. How's Mimi Waters and Putin's man in the House, Dana Rohrabacher, doing these days? They sure as shit ain't sitting in the House or Representatives.

[paleotn]

37. Then maybe we should all throw up our hands...

and move to Finland!!! Were you around in 2018 and virtually every special election since? Add to that a pandemic that's only begun to impact the US. Where it will lead is scary and not in Donnie's favor.

My evidence? Basic epidemiology. Ho hum...nothing going on....it's a hoax....not that big of a deal...active infections aren't increasing all THAT fast....lets open the beaches!...social distancing is for sissys!!.....the economy!...the economy! Exponential curves are funny things and don't correlate well with human thinking or emotions. Just when you are lulled into a sense of we've got this....BAM! Given what's going on or NOT going on in the south and midwest, along with basic Republican incompetence, it's a mathematical certainty at this point. What I fear most is a resurgence in places like the northeast and west coast due to the red states burning to the ground from CvD-19 and their own stupidity. When it's done, someone will take the blame and it sure as shit ain't the Democrats. In the gif below, we're at right about 140 minutes.

[qwlauren35]

39. I will not throw up my hands.

But 2016 hurt deep. Very deep.

If we start to recover in July or August, I think he could win.

You may be one of those positive people. I am one of those negative people. When everyone said Hillary would win, I didn't feel bad about not campaigning.

This time, I will not believe that we have won until every ballot is counted. And I will not stop pushing for Biden until Wednesday morning. I may not travel to PA and VA as I did 12 years ago, I may not run call centers as I did 8 years ago. But I will give.

I will support Biden, Amy McGrath, Jaime Harrison. Whoever is running against Susan Collins. I will give to EMILY'S List. I will send postcards. And I'll invite my friends to join me. May even throw house parties.

I would not fight so hard if I thought it was in the bag. I would relax.

Not this time.