General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCan we take consolation if we lose the Senate but win key governorships?
In the past few years all of our progressive gains from marriage equity to higher minimum wages have come from the states. If things hold up, we stand poised to take seat in Maine, Pennsylvania, Florida, Kansas and things are tight in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. If we can take them as well some state legislative chambers, we might yet be able to advance our agenda on the state levels, even if we lose the Senate.
HeiressofBickworth
(2,682 posts)I think that more pressing is keeping the Senate out of the hands of the Republicans. If they control both the House and the Senate, I believe we would see more and more effort by Repubs to cancel/repeal/re-write any national gains that have been made since Obama took office. It will be a two-year battle between the President's veto and a Senate over-ride of the veto. For example, Ted Kruz has said a priority would be to repeal every word of Obamacare. Impeachment is a foregone conclusion if they have both houses, regardless of the fact that there are no impeachable charges, just their general wish to change the outcome of the last two elections.
So, no, there is no consolation in winning governorships.
jaysunb
(11,856 posts)the echo chamber tries to convince us otherwise. And yes, we will make significant gains at the State level. Bookmark it.
rock
(13,218 posts)We'll soon see.
longship
(40,416 posts)But you are right about the state legislatures. Here in MI we are so screwed because of Snyder and the loonies in Lansing who pretend to be lawmakers. The minority is the Democratic Party. They fight hard but the religious right and the DeVoss family (AmWay pyramid fraud and Blackwater) are very strong here. It's hard to separate DeVoss from the religious right. Calvanism is strong in Grand Rapids and west Michigan (where I live).
If we cannot turn this state around we may be screwed.
And Snyder is a fucking jerk.
cascadiance
(19,537 posts)Which is where the right wing hacks like Blackwater's Erik Prince, Amway's Steve Van Andel, Club for Growth's Chris Chocola (who I knew personally in high school), and congressman Phil Crane attended.
Should have used this scandal to do it!
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/15/us/scandal-rocks-a-conservative-campus.html?pagewanted=all
or more recently its president's racist remarks...
http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/5869/dawsey_hillsdale_s_sorry_apology_is_worse_than_president_s_racist_remark#.VDFPw-CUnyc
vlyons
(10,252 posts)If the GOP gets the senate, it will only be by 1 or 2 chairs, and it still takes 60 votes to get anything done, and even more chairs to override a veto. Just cross your fingers that Ruth Bader Ginsberg's health stays well, because no way will a GOP senate confirm even a halfway decent Obama court nominee. Taking some govs would be sweet, because we could roll back some voter suppression.
CincyDem
(6,251 posts)You can bet, however, that Rethugs will have no issues instituting the nuclear option for all issues. With a GOP house and senate, this administration will lose virtually every step forward they've created in a daily series of 51-49 votes.
Freddie
(9,225 posts)I can see a wave election in favor of the Dems on a statewide level at least here in PA where Corbett is utterly loathed. And if we can get a Dem majority in the state legislature we can reverse much of the ridiculous gerrymandering come the 2020 census.
Since Washington is gridlocked and nothing can get done, it's here in the states that people feel the real-world consequences of conservative politics. And they're finding out fast that these consequences suck for the average family! Unfortunately our Tea Party Senator Pat Toomey is not up for election this year or he'd be out on his ear too.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)I mean, what else do people need to get them to go to the polls and vote??
The status quo of gridlock in Washington has to come to an end in January!!
How can anyone vote for the status quo of gridlock??!!!!??
Grrrrriddlock!!!
<--- Look how clenched my teeth are when I say the word gridlock that way!!
mmonk
(52,589 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)We may end up with 51 or 52 seats.
cascadiance
(19,537 posts)And if Merkley is reelected now, which I think he will against that pretty weak Monica Wehby here, perhaps he can lead the fight again, as he won't face reelection for another 6 years then.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)I think it maybe wishful thinking though.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)nt
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)The federal budget would be a disaster. How about no Section 8 housing -- not just no increase, but zeroed out? Yesterday's Hoovervilles will become tomorrow's Bonervilles.
MineralMan
(146,116 posts)there isn't any way to make it up with a few governorships. We need to hold or grow our Senate majority or we're going to have many setbacks in the next two years.
GOTV 2014 and Beyond!
Donald Ian Rankin
(13,598 posts)Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)Anything else?