ONE Time When Adding is Subtracting

GOP Additions Mean Subtraction for Collins and Murkowski, and that may be a Plus

Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski just got a little bit weaker.  When the Republican only had a 51 seat majority in the Senate, the women senators from Maine and Alaska held a lot of power and influence.  They knew their votes were crucial for some party line votes and that allowed them a lot of bargaining power with their GOP colleagues.

In the now finally ended mid-term elections, the GOP win in Mississippi gives the Republicans and 53 seat majority.  And now Collins and Murkowski will have to get used to less bargaining power.

That will help Donald Trump and the GOP when it comes to party line votes on bills and judicial appointments.  But don't cry for Collins or Murkowski just yet.  Collins upset a lot of people on the left and in the middle when she voted for (now Justice) Kavanaugh back in October.  She upset them enough they were starting to target he for defeat in her reelection bid two years from now. And Murkowski, who faces reelection in four years, didn't endear moderates or liberals to her with her vote to bring Kavanaugh's nomination to a vote or her present vote on the final question. 

But the wins for the GOP in Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Mississippi just might save Collins and Murkowski with moderate voters in their state.  Their loss of power could free them to vote with Democrats in a losing cause for two years.  The folks that were seething mad at them just might be placated by two years of Collins and Murkowski returning to the middle.  While the GOP needed their votes, they could only benefit by selling their support to conservatives. With that benefit gone, they can spend two years or four years of mending fences in states that aren't all that conservative. Liberals can have time to get over the heat of their anger and moderates can have time to forgive the senators' temporary insanity in not being moderate.

What do you think?  Will Collins and Murkowski be able to use the GOP's bigger margin to reclaim some middle ground and make voters in their states more likely to reelect them? Leave me a comment explaining why or why not.

ONE More Senator to Go

Tuesday is election day in Mississippi! The final senate seat to be decided is up for grabs in Mississippi's run-off election between Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy.  Neither candidate got over 50% in a tight 3 person race on national election day, so the final two are at it again today.

The two were neck and neck in the three person race, but polls show the Republican a few points ahead in the two candidate run-off. If she wins, Republicans will have a 53 seat majority in the 100 seat senate.  This could be very important if another Supreme Court seat opens up in the next two years.  Should Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who recently injured her ribs in a fall, choose to retire Trump could tip the majority of the Court further to the conservative side if he can find a good nominee and protect the nominee from the Democrats' wrecking crew.  Senators Diane Feinstein, Richard Blumenthal and Kamala Harris will undoubtedly be searching for scandals on any nominee even if they have to make them up.  So Trump and the Republicans will need a clear majority and the best nominee possible.

By sometime tonight we should know whether the GOP has that margin and whether Susan Collins loses some of her power to command kingmaker status on nominations.  When the GOP had a slim 51-49 majority, Collins from Maine held significant influence over presidential nominees who need a majority of the senate to confirm them. Collins could use her vote to bargain with. But there's a big difference between 51 and 53. And Mississippians can provide that difference today.

What do you think? Will the Republicans (GOP) get to 53? Will that affect what kind of nominee we get in the event of another SCOTUS retirement? Add your comments.

ONE Suburban Problem

GOP Struggles in Affluent Suburban Neighborhoods

The Republicans now have exactly two years to figure out hoe to cut down Democrat margins in suburban America. One lesson from last night's Democrat Blue Wavelet is that the GOP hasn't figured out that cities and suburbs are growing and winning elections won't get any easier if they continue to just ignore what makes college educated suburban women happy politically.  Three losses in Virginia, two in Florida, and most likely one in Texas could all be reversed if Republicans could just stop motivating these voters for Democrats.  And there's probably several more House districts that could have been salvaged if Republicans could just figure out how not to Get-Out-The-Dems- Votes.
How in the world did Donna Shalala, a white, Midwestern octogenarian defeat Maria Elvira Salazar by multiple percentage points?  She and her party knew what would fly and what wouldn't in the Miami area district.  And the Democrats were serious about winning there.

ONE More Crazy Democrat

Country Can't Handle Handler

Chelsea Handler has now posted a nude or topless video in order to encourage Democratic voters to vote.  Handler didn't explain how seeing her display her all her talents would actually encourage voting, but I've met Democrats, and she's probably right on target.

ONE More Blooming Democrat

Michael Bloomberg Season

Billionaire Spring is upon us.  Michael Bloomberg has has begun his cyclical testing of the presidential waters.  He's spending a bunch of money running an ad for Democrats that promotes them almost as it does himself.  Will he actually get in the race after 2-3 false start flags in the past? Who knows? But one thing's certain - if he runs it will be a fun race. He's so dynamic and unpredictable and wild and crazy .... Oh wait a minute, no he isn't.  That's Trump.  Well, he probably won't run anyway.  He's already talked himself out of it twice or more.  He loves to start the rumors he's running, but doesn't love the race.