The only real hope I see is taking back the Senate in 2018.

[MoonRiver]

If Schumer sets the agenda, he can block all of orange's SC picks indefinitely, no matter who of the current SC justices dies or retires. There is no constitutional requirement, that I know of, to have a certain number of judges on the court.

[Girard442]

1. Why wait until 2018?

It's a long shot, but people should get serious about getting some R senators to flip. Even if it was just one, it would seriously rattle Trump, and if one could do it...

[MoonRiver]

2. That would be sweet!

Who do you think might be open to switching?

[karynnj]

35. The more moderate Republicans flipped in the last decade, left to avoid a primary or were

primaried out. There are not many likely candidates among the remaining Republicans. Susan Collins is often mentioned, but there have been few courageous votes -- just words of misgiving, followed by a Republican vote. The others mentioned - McCain, Graham, and Flake are not very promising. McCain, though always very popular with the media, is a very conservative Republican. Graham is approachable for Democrats, but he really is a Republican, who likely agrees more than disagrees.

I think we may eventually get the 3 votes on issues needed when the threshold is 50 votes -- but they may be different Senators in each case. Not to mention, it won't happen until and unless Trump becomes even more unpopular and they break ranks.

[treestar]

3. We should act more like the Tea Party

And set out to do it, no matter how unlikely it seems. Haven't we learned yet?

[Blue_true]

16. Democrats should use holds to freeze

Gorsuch. Force McConnell to use the nuclear option, republicans will regret doing so.

[treestar]

17. If they did away with the filibuster it could be a good

thing in the long run. If not for the filibuster, we'd have gotten a public option in the ACA. The filibuster is undemocratic. However, I am not sure the Rs don't appreciate it enough not to use the nuclear option.

[MichMary]

28. Wrong about the ACA

The R's weren't going to vote for the ACA no matter what.

It was the conservative Democrats prevented a public option from happening. If they would have all supported everything that President Obama wanted we would have single payer. Many of them had to be bribed to get anywhere with the ACA.

[treestar]

37. Still wasn't it via filibuster?

Lieberman prevented us from having 60.

[MichMary]

38. Nope.

I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but as I remember it, After Senator Franken was sworn in we had 60 Ds in the Senate. After Senator Kennedy died, he was replaced by Scott Brown (R) who campaigned on being the 41st vote, the vote that would "kill the bill."

The ACA was passed through reconciliation, which meant that it couldn't be filibustered.

[Abouttime]

4. We will win both the Senate and House in 2018

Speaker Pelosi
tRump impeached
Pence impeached
President Pelosi

[MoonRiver]

5. I love your attitude!

[Blue_true]

18. Where will we get the three Senate seats?

I see possibilities in Alaska, Colorado, but no were else, plus, we have a LOT of Senate seats up in 2018 and right now, we are poorly organized.

[cos dem]

27. Gardner's not up in CO until 2020

[Vinca]

6. If nothing else comes from his horror show, I think it has made the point that you have to vote.

Sometimes your favorite candidate isn't on the ballot, but then you MUST pick what you may consider the best of the worst. Imagine how my blood pressure might be back to normal levels if Hillary was POTUS.

[bdamomma]

14. well I hope all this crap

that POS is shoveling affects his health too, because he looks like crap. He is mentally ill too, why aren't they talking about that?

[Blue_true]

21. Will anything awaken the "no difference" idiots?

When we work hard to get things running right again and headed in the right direction, they throw bombs and blow it up. There is nothing good about Gorsuch being in a position to be on the Court fir 40 years and two of the Court liberals and the swing vote being very old Justices that could leave within the next four years - this is the type of stuff that true progressives think about when they go to vote, so what is Hillary was somewhat of a hawk, we could pressure her to do what WE want, not so with Trump.

[leftynyc]

7. I can only hope and pray

that our side will surprise me and does not sit on their asses during these midterms like they've done repeatedly in the recent past. Sorry, but I wont be getting my hopes up.

[MoonRiver]

8. Depends on how angry Cheeto makes people.

And after 2 weeks of one outrage after another, my guess is pretty damn hopping mad.

[leftynyc]

9. I would hope so

but some of these same people were insistent there was no difference between the two parties/candidates. FAR too many sat on their asses and allowed the degenerate to slither into the oval office and I'm not pinning my hopes on such people.

[MoonRiver]

10. Pain is a great incentive. Just saying.

[Blue_true]

23. That is pretty much where I am. If those people

Didn't learn from 8 years of Bush and republicans constantly obstructing Obama, why should any sane person expect them to see the light now?

[MoonRiver]

24. Because they had 8 years of Obama, and forgot.

Americans have very short attention spans.

[bdamomma]

13. we got to keep on them

call them everyday, your 2 senators and representative.

[leftynyc]

15. My senators and rep are

all great (Schumer, Gillibrand, Lowey). NONE of this matters if people don't vote. NONE.

[Calista241]

11. I appreciate you optimism, but the map is against us.

And the measages were talking about now has nothing to do with jobs, trade or any of the major hot button issues voters in those heavily Repub states care about.

So yes, our base is fired up. But our base does not live, by and large, in those states. And our base are not the voters we need to convince to show up to the polls.

[MoonRiver]

12. You may be correct, but I do know that pain hurts.

[treestar]

19. The EC map was against Orange Hitler

Right wingers never let a map get them down. Why can't we stop the negativity and go for it?

[MoonRiver]

20. Good question!

I say we go for it!

[Calista241]

32. The EC map was against Drumpf. But again, he talked

Incessantly about jobs, trade, and issues those voters in those states cared about during the election.

But like Bill Clinton said "It's the economy stupid!"

And we're going to the mat on refugee immigration.

I'm not saying refugee immigration, LGBT Rights, cabinet nominations and other stuff arent worthy causes, but I promise these are side issues for him.

trade, jobs and such will be back front and center for him in less than a week. And the President has a bully pulpit, and for the next two years, all we're going to hear about is the renegotiating of NAFTA, companies bringing jobs here, and businesses signing the praises of lower business taxes.

[libtodeath]

22. Not one judicial nominee should be confirmed.

[MoonRiver]

25. That's my feeling too.

[vlyons]

26. Don't forget your state legislature

That's where the gerrymandering and voter suppression occurs

[MoonRiver]

29. My state legislature is 100% Repuke controlled. I'm in Kansas, nuff said.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. Nope, you're right... cept the Rethugs could use the nuclear option as an end around... or am I wrong about that? (hope so)

[MoonRiver]

31. If they lose control of the Senate, they have only the filibuster, which they are about to nix, lol.

[BSdetect]

33. We will be up against more fake news and attacks on any Dem candidates.

twitler will stop at nothing to implant lies into every tweet and speech.

He will have a huge army of paid shit spreaders like CONway in constant crap mode.


The msm will comply as always.

I want to drop Comcast /msnbc completely but cannot find an alternative for now.

[MoonRiver]

34. So, we then fight back. And stop watching Comcast/msnbc or any bogus alternative. K?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. Slim but possible chance of picking an anti-trump replacement for Sessions

If Sessions heads to the Trump administration, he would leave behind a coveted seat in the United States Senate. Governor Bentley would appoint Sessions's replacement in the short-term and set a date for a statewide election to fill the seat.

Given the importance of the seat, we certainly shouldn't rush this. Bentley ought to appoint someone with an eye toward an election being held during the 2018 midterms. Special elections are expensive and often feature low turnout. With most of us experiencing campaign exhaustion, it's prudent to set the election during a normal cycle.

So whom might Bentley appoint if Sessions departs? Several sources I've spoken with suggest a few names on an emerging short list: Representative Martha Roby, Attorney General Luther Strange, state senator Trip Pittman, and state senator Cam Ward.

Like Bentley, Martha Roby didn't back Donald Trump. She took a bold stand on Trump after his sexual remarks came to light even when she knew it wouldn't play well in her district. She had a difficult election night, but she held her seat. She has political courage in spades and is focused on defense issues that critically benefit Alabama. She's also a talented woman who would make a welcome addition to a Senate Republican Caucus short on female membership. In addition, Roby could be a legacy pick for Bentley as only the third female senator in Alabama's history. The prior two were both appointments who served less than six months each.
http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/11/if_jeff_sessions_leaves_the_se.html