So here's what's going to happen

[Jester Messiah]

The Republicans are going to get a bare majority in the Senate, and retain their majority in the gerrymandered House. They will not be able to muster 60 votes in the Senate. If they nuke the filibuster, Obama's veto pen will be waiting for them. They will not be able to accomplish anything of substance. What we'll see will be two years of grandstanding, sound and fury signifying nothing.

When the electorate wakes up for the 2016 contest, the Repubs will get smacked back into the minority, because when Americans can actually be bothered to vote they tend to vote for the less heinous of two options.

So just dig in your spurs for two years. We can hold the line for that long. It'll suck, but we can handle it. We survived eight years of Dubya, we can take two years of a Repub senate. I mean, come on, their best guy is a dude who couldn't figure out the moral behind Green Eggs & Ham.

[mattclearing]

1. You've neglected to mention appointment confirmations.

One area in which a Republican majority is a disaster, especially for non-Supreme judicial appointments.

[Jester Messiah]

3. Yeah, expect a busy lame-duck period between now and January

But yeah, that does suck. The good news is that 2016 is going to be a good year for us. Setting aside who the Dem nominee is likely to be, look who the repubs have on deck. (Hint: they're seriously considering running the Mittbot again.) We're gonna be all right.

[hobbit709]

2. And meanwhile the country suffers.

The dear peepul have spoken and once again proved they don't have the brains god gave a box of rocks.

[Jester Messiah]

7. They haven't spoken; they slept through their chance to speak.

Midterm turnout is always abysmal; anyone claiming a mandate off of midterm turnout is smoking crack.

[JaneyVee]

4. I SURVIVED THE BUSH REGIME!

[BKH70041]

5. If that happens, he may not use his veto pen that much.

Maybe there's other things that will happen.

But the election is not over yet. Discussion on these matters come later.

[morningfog]

6. Other things like what?

[Jester Messiah]

9. I doubt Obama will just capitulate

Though he may try to find "common ground", since he apparently is not great at learning from the past. The Republican Goal-Post Moving Squad will be standing by to torpedo any such effort, though.

[bowens43]

15. Really? That's all he has done since he was elected. The Great Capitulater.

[sendero]

11. Well..

... they will try to gut the ACA and I'll bet good money to all takers that Obama will VETO THEIR ASSES when they do.

[kelly1mm]

8. The Senate will probably return to D control and a D prez in 2016. The House will however

very likely stay in R control till the 2022 election (right after house seats are reapportioned).

[Brigid]

10. What bugs me is . . .

These damn fool Repugs will likely waste the next two years trying to impeach Obama.One thing we can be sure of: It will be two lost years in which nothing gets done.

[sendero]

12. Well we've had..

... 6 years of almost nothing getting done so what is two more years. The ACA is about all.

[onecaliberal]

13. You can bet your life on it.

Ted Cruz has already said as much. Honestly as much as I hate to see POTUS put through that, it might be the thing to get the democratic voters off their ass and decent candidates who actually represent us.

[Jester Messiah]

14. I'm resigned to that

But honestly, not much is getting done anyway. If the Repubs want to busy themselves with what amounts to legislative masturbation for two years, then fine. We're used to it. The harm to the country will be curtailed, at the cost of nothing good getting done either. Obama will have to compensate with executive actions, a path with which he is already well familiar.

[Joe Turner]

16. With a republican congress expect Obama

to sign the TPP trade agreement, sign the Alaskan pipeline bill, side with the republicans on cutting Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, other critical social programs and continue to blow trillions on overseas wars. For those who have been disappointed and occasionally shocked at Obama's many wanderings into the RW arena...you ain't seen nothing yet. That's my take on the next 2 years. Hope I am wrong.

[socialist_n_TN]

17. Yep, that's my take too. You've got to look at what.......

Obama and the Republicans agree on and figure that will happen. Those things you mentioned will definitely be on the agenda and probably the Keystone Pipeline too.

I don't expect Obama to veto a whole lot. The ACA will stand because it benefits Big Insurance, but a lot of the rest of the neo-liberal agenda will get through.

[Jester Messiah]

18. Won't argue that that isn't a possibility

Still, the man's got a veto pen and no more elections to contest or support. 2016 is going to be all about the Dem nominee for president. Obama has got carte blanche for the next two years to do as he pleases.

Though, if I'm being completely honest, the President of the United States of America generally has a lot of power to get what he wants done, if he's got the gonads to make it happen. If he hasn't found them at this stage, it isn't likely that he's going to all of a sudden start working miracles.

[Doctor_J]

21. ding

We have a winner

[SoCalDem]

19. Nope...HERE's what will happen

Dems will "work with" the new republicans, and all will bask in the glow of bipartisanship

and in 2016 we will start over..

[Doctor_J]

20. only the dems need 60 senators to get their way. 51 is plenty for the republicans

And the president doesn't even know where his veto pen is kept

[kath]

22. Egg-zackly. Nailed it in 3 sentences.

veto pen? What veto pen???