2741

So, seriously, how do we not end up a dictatorship in the next 4 - 12 years?

2742

Get out now and start motivating people to vote.

But democrats don’t really care about down ballot stuff, so whatever.

2743

I think this is changing, mostly due to the suburban switch.

The folks the Dems picked up over the last four years tend to be the most reliable voters in non-presidential years, the Republicans picked up folks who are more likely just to vote in presidentials (though that might change also)

The downside is these same voters are probably not that hard to gerrymander, though said gerrymandering will likely cost the fash hard in statewide elections.

I honestly think Biden might be our last chance to avoid this.

2744

Sharpe mentioned returning pre-clearance to election law, and I think that’s the vector.

Under the old Voting Rights Act of 1965, jurisdictions that were thought to be leaning hard on Jim Crow-style voting restrictions (meaning: the deep south) had to “pre-clear” voting legislation and processes with the US attorney general’s office.

Legislation that restores pre-clearance on a national level is something 100% worth killing the filibuster for, maybe.

2745

One thing: pre-clearance, as proposed, would partially help with the after-the-fact vector Trigger is so worried about. It probably would not help with abuse of the discretionary power of existing offices like Secretary of State, but it probably WOULD help with state governments reaching out and interfering with / over-ruling and/or taking over local election officials. For example one of the most worrisome aspects of the Georgia law recently passed is that the Georgia state government could reach into local election jurisdictions and take them over. My understanding is, if we had a pre-clearance law, that kind of direct reach into a local jurisdiction would have to go through pre-clearance. Pre-clearance would NOT help us with the Secretary of State doing things the SoS clearly has power to do, and there is wiggle room on that, but basically of the varying option, pre-clearance is our best shot.

I also think it would be worth blowing up the filibuster to make the Supreme Court show its true colors on gerrymandering, even if we lose. Gerrymandering is complicated, sure, but in many states where the argument has been made forcefully, voters often get it. Making the GOP the party of politicians picking their voters while the Dems are the party of voters picking politicians is a worthwhile political frame to pursue. Plus, the horse could talk and the Supreme COULD grow a tiny bit of integrity (not likely but worth a shot.)

2746

This is a good point, they could be reliable voters.

But democrats, especially on the far left, need to understand that those suburban voters aren’t super far left progressives. They are folks who used to vote Republican, and got pushed away by Trump’s obscenity and the GOP embracing it.

2747

Over time, these suburban voters are going to move left. I think Biden has done a good job of this.

I believe we have to pitch our ideas to them, and stay in the mainstream media bubbles Let the Overton window move them. AOC is a great spokesperson for this, she gets it. The rest of the squad - not so much. (Pressley is decent at it, but gets a little too technical)

2748

Pull an FDR and tell the court approve the change, or i pack the court.

2749

What are the chances of getting pre clearance laws strengthened or enforced again?

I get the gerrymandering perspective but am more skeptical that performative politics works both ways. OTOH I agree that fear of losing the gerrymander both can’t hold you back and doesn’t actually work if you’re also afraid to use it when not in power.

2750

With the filibuster still in place? 0%.

2751

Even if it passed, given the specious “reasoning” and lack of stating which part of the Constitution was violated last time they voided preclearance, what are the odds* the Supreme Court as currently constituted would uphold it this time around?

(*zero, the odds are zero)

2752

Didn’t the majority opinion state that it was no longer needed? I think southern red states skewered that piece of wisdom quite thoroughly if I"m remembering correctly.

2753

Fairly strong stand by Manchin against the removed the filibuster for the Jan 6 commission.

2754

I don’t know why there was any hope of anything different. The fact that the GOP is going to fillubuster everything is built into Manchin’s stance. Just because people think he’s somehow surprised at their intransigence doesn’t make it true.

2755

If I were Manchin, what I would do is this…
You say you won’t support removing the filibuster for this, in order to goad the GOP into crossing this line and filibustering something which is obviously good likes the 1/6 commission.

And then you vote to change the filibuster, using the GOP’s obvious error as an excuse.

And then you have gotten rid of or changed the filibuster, while being able to explain your change of stance.

2756

I honestly wish I understood Manchin’s thought processes. Not just his goals, but also how he assesses what works towards those goals. His statements make no sense to me so figuring out how he thinks is basically Kremlinology.

2757

I havent read the above. But let me just say the obvious: God what a calming world we live it right now. The President is Presidential – the United States is behaving.

I had that man on twitch for 3 years – I think i lost a coronary until I deleted him.

Such a refreshing change.

2758

More important to make a deal with the GOP and gain beltway media approval than passing any.meaningful climate legislation. Quintessential Democrats.

Thread:

2759

Passing the rest of the infrastructure bill would be a huge win and likely lead to further electoral gains for democrats.

2760

At this point, the best thing to do for the environment is make sure Republicans lose, by any means necessary.

I’d be considering programs to take college educated workers out of red states, and stick them in swing states , where you do social work and economic development.

Like create a program for college students in say WV/AL, other states in “poverty”, and give them free tuition in exchange for moving to swing states and doing work there. Use this to flip North Carolina and Florida , and maintain the firewall in AZ/GA/MI/PA/WI.