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In 2001 a Republican Senator flipped to become a Democrat and give them the majority. I'm not ruling out that possibility now. Especially when the stakes are e
by MilnerRoute 6y ago
In 2001 a Republican Senator flipped to become a Democrat and give them the majority.
I'm not ruling out that possibility now. Especially when the stakes are even higher.
- jimbob45 6y agoAnd in 2010, Joe Lieberman (D) blocked Obamacare from getting a public option. It’s not that a party has a 51-man majority, although that helps for simple legislation. It’s that a party has a majority that can withstand defectors. And one further, defectors aren’t always defecting out of malice. Susan Collins (R) resides in a remarkably purple region such that she needed to oppose Trump on some of his policies to ensure she could get re-elected this year (and she did).
- MilnerRoute 6y agoOn the other hand, Obamacare passed. I don't think we can say in advance what will and won't be blocked. But on the news today they pointed out that Biden has literally spent decades working in the Senate. So if anyone has across-the-aisle relationships, it would be him. Anyways, again: we cannot say in advance what's going to happen next.
- jimbob45 6y agoIt passed in a totally gutted manner because it makes far less sense without a public option to balance the mandate. My point isn’t oBAmaCaRE bAd. It’s that every single senatorial race counts, even after 51/60.
- d0100 6y agoThat is legal? Wow, very sleazy. In Brazil you lose your office if you switch after elected. You can still go against your party when voting, but changing parties after election has got to burn you forever...
- detaro 6y agoIt's legal in many places where you explicitly vote for individual candidates, not parties (and even in some where party lists are voted)