Associated Press
By some measures, the 112th Congress isn't just awful; it's literally the worst in American history. The Republican-led House, in particular, has been a national disgrace -- it doesn't pass bills; it undermines the national economy; it fails to complete basic tasks; it ignores jobs and focuses on the culture war; etc.
Around the time this U.S. House voted to end Medicare altogether, polls showed Congress with the lowest approval rating since the dawn of modern polling. American voters in the 2010 midterms elected some of the most manifestly unqualified policymakers in a generation, and the result is a Congress that's hard to watch without covering your eyes.
Given all of this, one might think voters would deliver a massive rebuke in U.S. House races, throwing the unpopular bums out. And yet, very little seems to have changed -- Democrats needed a net gain of 25 seats to reclaim the majority, and they appear to have come about 22 seats short.
How is this possible given public revulsion towards Congress? Sahil Kapur explains:
Experts attribute the GOP's comfortable victory to the timing of the 2010 tea party wave, which gave Republicans huge redistricting advantages that let them alter the congressional map to their benefit.
"Much of this was pre-baked through the redistricting process," Larry Sabato, a leading election expert, told TPM. "The GOP won the House at just the right moment, in a wave election that gave them many governorships and state legislatures in a Census year. Bingo. Many weaker House members elected in 2010 who would have lost in their old districts in 2012 have been given better districts that will reelect them."
Consider Pennsylvania, for example. Seth Michaels noted that if you add up all of the votes Pennsylvanians cast in U.S. House races in 2012, you'll find a pretty even split, with Democrats enjoying a slight edge, 2.71 million to 2.64 million. Given that the state has 18 members in the House, you might think that would translate to 9 or 10 Democrats, right?
Wrong. State GOP lawmakers carefully drew the lines for partisan ends -- only five of the state's 18 members of Congress will be Democrats, even though a majority of Pennsylvania voters backed Democratic candidates.
The game, in other words, was pretty much rigged from the start.
Leave a Comment:
And people wonder why congress rates lower than a cockroach in terms of popularity.
Consider Tennessee Republican Scott DesJarlais who had the habit of pulling the trigger of an unloaded gun outside his first wife's bedroom door. This pro-life republican faced revelations that he had an affair with one of his patients and urged her to get an abortion when she became pregnant.
And despite the revelations and outside money from concerned dems like myself, this psycho won re-election.
Is psycho too harsh? Maybe that has to do with the revelation of court records stating he held a gun in his mouth for three hours to intimidate his wife. (source)
You know how DesJarlais won? He blanketed the airwaves with ads linking the challenger Stewart to Obama, who is vehemently hated in Tennessee. The tally was 57% to 43% with 3/4 of the vote counted. Not even close.
Such is the lurid demonstration of family values and judgement of voters concerned about the devolution of morals in US society.
They are truly a detriment to America and their recalcitrance, their extremist ideology, and their abysmal stupidity is dangerous for the country. One day after the election, they have pretty much said, "It'll be OUR way or the highway, Mr. Obama." Followed by two letters, the first being an F.
This could get worse than the last four years. If so, our economy will not continue to recover.
When I look at the GOP congress, I think of Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes: "It's a madhouse, a madhouse!"
JohnM: Don't tell me he STILL got re-elected! Unbelievable -- folks must forgive anti-abortion self-righteous types for those pesky indiscretions, even if the perpetrator pushes abortion. But I guess the guy always gets away w/ it because he's not the "sinner;" it's always the woman getting the abortion who should be demonized. Messed up "morals" and "ethics" (gee whiz -- and he's a doc!).
People can be silly on who they vote for. Heck, in Illinois, we have a representative who just disappeared about 6 months ago. No word from him or his office. Finally, word leaks out from the mayo clinic that they have him in the psych ward. Landslide for him. Another from Illinois, at the state level, was so bad (took a larger bribe than the democratic leadership did) that they tossed him out of the legislature during the election campaign. Not to worry. He was elected.
It ain't over 'til it's over.
Every public officeholder swears an oath of office. Ask yourself, 'What's the point of ANY additional pledge?' Follow the money.
Any officeholder who genuinely believes in representative government should have already publicly denounced the Teaparty/Taliban's efforts to disenfranchise Americans.
If you stood in line to vote, write your STATE legislators an invitation to the 21st century. Washington state voters had their ballots weeks before election day.
The Teaparty/Taliban are still afraid of women making decisions. (John 8:3-11)
Trickle down not only doesn't spur economic growth, it stifles it.
"Corporations are people" = "He with the most gold rules"
John 8:3-11 is about adultry and judgement- not aboout women making decisions. And I doubt the Taliban puts any stock in the New Testament.
Which is why Democrats have to learn to vote in EVERY ELECTION, just like The Enemy does. The Republicans did not find magic new voters in 2010, they won because Democrats didn't show up.
Any Democrat who didn't vote in 2010 need look no further than the bathroom mirror in their search for why the asswipes are still in office this morning.
+1000
They're not the enemy. They're the opponent. When you think of them as the enemy, it clouds your judgement. That being said, I concur with the spirit of your post. We got stuck with Rick Scott because Dems got lazy in 2010 and didn't show up. They showed up this time.
And, if history is any guide, starting tomorrow, the left wing activists in the Democratic Party will initiate a relentless series of vitriolic attacks on its leaders (I'm surprised Elizabeth Warren hasn't been branded a sellout by now), the the party's center-left activists will start attacking the left wing, and everyone who's not an activist will dust off his or her hands, say "my work here is done," and take themselves a three year nap, snoozing right through the 2014 midterms.
I love Democrats, but lord sometimes you just want to line em all up and smack 'em.
People who would destroy my life for various totally unwarranted reasons are most definitely my enemies, and I will not hesitate to treat them as such if necessary, personal virtue be damned.
NO, they ARE the enemy, and should be treated as such. The neo-confederacy tried to rise, and we beat them down. Now, we go in for the kill and smash them, hopefully once and for all.
We could usher in decades of progressive policy that will finally catch up with the challenges of the 21st century.
Don't hold back now! Obama and the democratic senate, grab the bull by the horns and ride with it!
Luck and providence favor the daring!
I would agree with the admonition not to regard Republicans as the enemy, if not for the fact that they regard all others as their enemy. Since they regard us as such, and treat us as such, simple self-interest requires that we return the favor. Especially if you are a woman and/or a member of some minority (racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, whatever).
Good to see hate so alive and well in the Land of the Left.
Yeah, right, like the Czechs and Poles hated those poor Germans in 1939.
Thanks for reaching an entirely new level of goofiness.
Those on the right can't stand being called out for what they are.
Nah. I'm ok with someone demonstrating complete stupidity by immediately bringing out Hitler references. I find it a lack of intelligence when people do that. They don't have a frame of reference that would allow them to think beyond that level. So you call them like you see them, because you haven't had enough thought capacity to do else wise.
Yeah, I made a Hitler reference. It was totally justified. You can stick your nose in the air all you want, but you still are what you are, and what you are ain't pretty.
Still waiting for signs of intelligence. Just a small bit would make me feel a little better. But, unlikely. You did vote Obama, didn't you?...
Thank you for proving my point!
Well, I can't take all the credit. You've proven your silliness fairly well without my help at all.
The Grinch, Eeeek!
I really hope the national focus remains on the people who are really @!$%#ing up, namely the Republicans lunatics. I have hopes that their terrible behavior may someday be condemned by even the unhinged followers, until then there is lorazepam 1 mg.
God bless the Republican House. Gridlock is good.
Greedlock sucks, actually.
/sarc That would be why Congress is held in the "high" esteem that it is. /end sarc
Got Enraged and Engaged:
Mooched the Vote 2012!
;-)
The GOP as we know it is dead! They can change their message, they can put up candidates of color, it does not matter. Their actions over the last 50 years will speak louder than anything they try in the next four or the four after that. They say that an elephant never forgets, but in my experience African Americans, Latinos and Women never forget when they have been wronged or slighted.
In the book of Galations, chapter 6 verses 7 and 8, Paul explains the simple truth that you reap what you sew. Evidently this is true for political parties as well. Limiting early voting, attacking Govenor Christie for praising the President . . . I've seen enough . . . Rush Limbaugh and the Tea Party can have each other, I'm joining the Democrats and I invite all reasonable people especially Chris Christy and Colin Powell to join me.
I wish I were as confident as you, Trace. The Republicans are like zombies, they don't know they're dead, and they are very very hungry.
The machine behind that party is fueled by soulless money, a Sterling engine that has it's own well-entrenched momentum and routine now, the empty talking faces, the media, the greed pool, and talking, always talking. I don't think the Republicans even have the ability to stop their own momentum any more.
Excuses, finger-pointing, hating, blame is not at all conducive to introspection or maturing and already I have read the right consoling itself with not having violated their principles. Well, I agree. They've shown no principles in this election battle, therefore they've violated none.
We'll be in for the same exact thing in '14, '16, and so on unless we shut down the avenues of cheating. It isn't like we haven't been shown where the threats are, we just need to address them BEFORE the next election.
Write your representatives to legislate and Attorney Generals to investigate and the IRS to demonstrate justice...the right will keep cheating the system until the rest of us say ENOUGH!
Even Michael Steele said it . Putting Marco Rubio in front of the crowd and saying "We got one" ain't going to cut it.
Well, they lost their black guy in the Senate. Now what?
Oops. In the House. Now who will warn us about the 60-80 commies in the Democratic party?
Also, maybe they can re-brand themselves as the "National Disgrace Party"!
That's got a great ring to it Steve!
Yogi-Boner - What a Gomer !
The GOP as we know it is dead! They can change their message, they can put up candidates of color, it does not matter. Their actions over the last 50 years will speak louder than anything they try in the next four or the four after that. They say that an elephant never forgets, but in my experience African Americans, Latinos and Women never forget when they have been wronged or slighted.
In the book of Galations, chapter 6 verses 7 and 8, Paul explains the simple truth that you reap what you sow. Evidently this is true for political parties as well. Limiting early voting, attacking Govenor Christie for praising the President . . . I've seen enough . . . Rush Limbaugh and the Tea Party can have each other, I'm joining the Democrats and I invite all reasonable people especially Chris Christy and Colin Powell to join me.
These Gomers are Not Allowed to think or act on their own as individuals ~ Only their handlers { the extremely wealthy and corporate extemists } are the ones that are in total control of All of these little Robots of theirs and They had better Follow in-step with their Orders or they will be Ousted out of their gop/tp Party ! SAD , Very SAD !
Said it elsewhere, but again, it's probably going to be another eight years of trench warfare at least, if Dems are lucky and good. Why? Gerrymandering after the 2010 elections and the fact that the Dems don't have a national figure that can turn out minority voters like Obama has. Even if such a person emerged, at best Dems can only hold the line in the Senate and White House and win in enough states in 2020 where redistricting will allow the possibility of a Dem majority House.
At worst, Dems lose the Senate and White House (which would end the contention,
but not in a good way).
Karma is a bitch, especially on the "comes around" part.
And don't forget: revenge is a dish best served cold. And unlike President Obama, I mean that in the worst possible way.
Y'know, it's not mandatory that they re-elect Boehner as Speaker.
They could go for somebody else!
And while we're at it, hey Senate Republicans! I bet even you guys are tired of looking at Mitch McConnell's face. Vote him out as minority leader!
But there's that habit of picking weak-willed easily controlled leadership...which Boehner fits to a "T". If they put in a stronger leader, he might have "funny" ideas and force the party to...gulp...compromise.
Now is the time to roll up our collective sleeves and get busy! Pick an issue: redistricting, voting, war on women - just pick one and start working to force the GOP to change or be removed from office! They may start to figure it out!
I agree , but the gop/tp cannot/will-not open their eyes , their handlers will Not Allow them to do so ~ They are All on a Limited Leash ! They are Not allowed to have the Freedom to act on their own , Only when their handlers say Jump will they do so ! Robots~Gomers ! They All have the loyalty amongst themselves and Only amongst themselves !
I read in the Washington Post that Boehner has now said that he is open to increasing the government's revenues via closing tax loopholes, but not raising the top tax bracket like the Democrats want. If this is the case, then we will certainly go over the fiscal cliff, because I don't see Democrats caving so soon after winning so decisively. That would do a number on the economy and possibly bode poorly for Democrats come 2014 anyway. It will be interesting to see what kind of negotiations Obama can get from the House before the fiscal cliff is realized.
It's not enough, regardless of "Democrats caving". They could close every "loophole" in the IRS rules (which would not necessarily be a good thing for the economy, in and of itself) and it would still fail to increase revenue by anywhere near the amount needed to address the deficit/debt to the extent that these lying bastards falsely claim they want to.
What they want, as usual, is simply to obstruct a Democratic Administration's goals for using government to the benefit of the people - the "fiscal concerns" are just the rationalization and window dressing for the pursuit of their obstructionist agenda. If these Rape-Public-CONs had ever had the genuine concern for fiscal sanity that they claim, the debt would never have gotten as obscenely bloated as it is in the first place.
Got Enraged and Engaged:
Mooched the Vote 2012!
;-)
i am still amazed the race was so close....doesn't character matter any more???.....no tax returns....no plans.....changing positions on every issue....lieing about the auto industry, and lots of other things.....oh...I forgot.......Romny is WHITE............very sad...and this country is getting more diverse every day.....these old white guys are on the wrong side of history.....and they will be gone in a couple decades.....just thankful that lots of very brave and patriotic souls stood and stayed in line in many parts of the country and voted....we are a great country.......and now we can move forward.....
I suggest that if the house repubs start to obstruct, we buy ads in their districts to inform their consitutents of their actions....need a lot of sunshine on these guys....not sure that will have any effect....worth a try....
Obama lid like a mofo and still got re-elected. No, character doesn't mean @!$%#, it's all about what the Prez can take from somebody else and give to me.
Now who do we mock, the purchasers of democracy or the sellers of democracy? The price of purchase was so cheap, the benefit to the seller is the absence of a soul.
The Six Billion Dollar campaign that failed to include the dysfunctional House of Representatives? This is huge amount of distraction even it was necessary to assure and to keep the public from knowing what Congress has been doing for the past four years.
The only thing less likely to foretell good things, emphasis on 'less likely', is a Concession Speech by Donald Trump, congratulating Obama and conceding defeat.
The voting public failed to show its displeasure with the current Congress, by ousting them wholesale, it is a stretch but it is just possible that the voting public has just condemned the whole of Congress by making the present Congress enslaved to their financial masters. Term limits extended beyond the grave of good government?
Even before Election Day, the Republicans promised to take the country over the man-made cliff, either as last gasp of the current House session, of for the rich promise of continuing obstruction for the next House session. This solution given the Republicans what they want; first to drive off the cliff; then to witness the President taking charge; and finally to pass resolution of impeachment. The lame duck impeachment will vanish in the next House session, while the country dwells for two more years, at the bottom of the cliff giving obstruction new meanings.
Americans voting for their Representative could mean that the 7% approval rating for Congress is too high.
Allowing Americans to vote seems more and more like giving up the practice of having running children carry open scissors, but instead have them play a new game of wrist slashing with straight razors.
This should reduce the Congress's approval even further but maybe the 7% approval rating for Congress was really wasn't meant to describe Congress at all. It is possible that the 7% rating was for American Voter themselves a clear sign of a low status condition. This makes more sense than expecting Congress to actually be the best and brightest choice to represent all the Voters. The voter is in effect disapproving of their self and is just so honest about their shortcomings that they are willing to vote for the first class loser that most closely represents their self. This explains the lack of any constructive being done in Congress because the fearful voter would not want the responsibility to actually do anything either. (Do nothing Congress genuinely represent the Do Nothing Voter.)
Since the voters have so little respect for themselves we cannot expect them to make straight forward rational choice at the poll, but is playing different game entirely.
This is just 'fear of responsibility' by the voter, who in fearing a responsibility that could cause the voter harm if he actually made an informed choice, to throw the 7% Congress out; fearing that additional decisions might be need to guide a new congress person being one result. (Don't blame me Blame the other guy, combined with don't ask me either.)
The Voter in this election is probably selecting the worst possible candidate, knowing full well that the Voter will need someone else to blame when things don't work out. Americans indeed make a life out of avoiding responsibility.
This is a self-condemning exercise, if the voter from a district were forced into a line for say the executioner, then their choice to be at the head of the line would be their chosen representative. The voter would want to move back further back in the line, to avoid blame.
Now that we have been told this we can and will vote for the least qualified candidate in the least qualified party.
NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS WE CAN AND WILL VOTE FOR THE LEAST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE IN THE LEAST QUALIFIED PARTY.
Americans are just not very good a facing problem down before it occurs, always preferring to wait until they really get clobbered. The fear strategy used to retain power in Congress always works; fear is one item that preserves the status quo.
Returning this Congress to Again to power will be living proof that Americans just don't know what they are doing.
yeah... but the good part is that Walsh and West apparently missed out on the redistricting party...
Dems should be challenging all the gerrymandering in federal court. Pennsylvania appears to be an egregious violation of the redistricting process. If Dems don't challenge the redistricting, then they are partly at fault. The downside for Dems is that a federal court says no to them. But they have not lost anything. Second, Dems need to organize to retake legislatures. That will take one or two state election cycles by which time it will be 2020 when the next redistricting occurs. Third, Dems need to move on the congressional districts that are not absolutely safe for Republicans. It will require recruiting the best candidates for state and federal office and presenting a unified front. Dems need to challenge every Republican in the country and make them spend money defending seats. If Obama can win or get close with good ground crews in some swing states, then the Dems can adapt to the new political realities of Citizens United. Finally, Dems need to unite on the issue of election reform with overturning the decision and concrete proposals for the election system that voters can easily support. That should be the main campaign issue in the states and federal levels with all Dems. One big message (with some ambiguous proposals) that is repeated many times over in many places just like the term"job creators" should be the overriding theme going into the next elections. It is a message that all Dems, regardless of viewpoint, can get behind. Eventually, the voters will catch up with the message.
In Ohio, we had issue 2 which tried to establish a non-partisan board to draw congressional districts. It was defeated partly because the Secretary of State Jon Husted had the whole thing printed out in legalese on the ballot, and people just gave up reading and voted no. Now John Boehner's seat is safer than safe and tax cheats like Jim Renacci are able to take a seat away from an honest representative like Betty Sutton.
But that just means the same coalition of Dems need to work to change the state government. If Dems can defeat these state officials, it will send a big message to the Republicans, locally and nationally. The same needs to happen in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. The object is to control the state legislature by 2020 for the redistricting process. It may take a couple cycles to dislodge some of the entrenched Republicans, but it can be done if Dems mobilize. That will beat money every time.
states should not have any partisan power to redistrict themselves, it's a constitutional amendment long overdue
How does a nation make redistricting obsolete altogether?
I would agree, although a Constitutional amendment may be extremely difficult. Something has to be done to stop gerrymandering, and bring the House back under the restraint of the popular vote, as the Senate is.
GMTA - I just got done saying much the same at another site. The truth is, for all our giddiness, the Pubs haven't lost as big as you think they have.
Case in point - my state of Michigan. The Pubs went all out to capture the state House & Senate as well as the governorship in 2010, just as they did in 2000. After two redistricting cycles with the Pubs in charge, their federal and state candidates' districts are so safe that it would take the equivalent of a nuclear bomb to dislodge them. In my district, a nutcase raindeer herder handily won against a serious, well-respected doctor and local Councilman. Granted, he was of Indian descent and a Muslim. But still. I'm going to be "represented" (haha) in the House by a conspiracy-nut-raindeer herder!! Ugh. If Dems couldn't beat him, that seat is NEVER going to flip. And, of course, I'm "represented" in the state legislature by Pubs in equally safe districts. It will be a long, long time (if ever) before I will truly have my views represented in our state leg, because the safety they've built into the districts more than likely means that they'll be in charge for the next redistricting, too.
Federally, I would note that even though Michigan has two Democratic Senators, and went for the Democratic Presidential candidate in the last several elections, Repubs still have an outsized majority in our U.S. House delegation. It's not right, it's not fair, and it's not an accident. And I see no way to change that, either, given the advantages they've built into the design of the electoral districts.
So, yes, I'm happy over Obama's win and the pick-ups in the Senate (where gerrymandering doesn't matter). And yes, I breathed a sigh of relief that we dodged the bullet of a Romney Presidency and that we have reason to hope that we'll have a Democratic Senate in charge of confirmation hearings for the next Supreme Court nominee. That's great. But to me, it's not cause for wild elation and celebratory high-fiving. More like a pause to smile and catch my breath. Then, it's back to work, trying to find a way to build the political equivalent of a nuclear bomb.
I don't know that things are all roses for the Republicans. Here are some thoughts.
Obama has hopefully learned where trying to negotiate with the Republicans will get him.
Harry Reid has hopefully learned that any promises by the Republicans to not abuse the filibuster are worthless.
About 1/3rd of the tea party folks have lost their seats.
I think the first indication of the lay of the land will be when the Republicans vote on the Speaker of the House. You have to know that this is what Cantor has been working toward for the last two years. If Cantor loses, I think there will be some positive changes.
When I lived in NC, the Dems expected to hold the legislature and redistrict to their advantage. In 2010, the GOP won the legislature via piles of dough being pumped in in an off-year election. This kludged districts pretty badly for the Dems (for example, they took a little Democratic puffball on a stick, Asheville, and added it to a solidly Repulican congressional district. That's why I supported a non-partisan commission for redistricting in CA this year. If the Democrats hadn't been so greedy in the past, there would probably be more Democratic-leaning districts in NC today.
Boehner looks as if he's auditioning for Howdy Doody. Man, I just insulted Howdy Doody.
I thought the title of the post would be referring to the fact that the House would likely be just as useless in its next term as in the last (we lost because we weren't conservative enough!). You mentioned in an earlier post the possibility of filibuster reform in the Senate, but I wonder how much good it will do if the House will still be a roadblock on everything.
The percentage of people who did not vote is probably near 40%. Those people need to be sought out by the DNC for the down ballot elections in 2014. That could be enough to win back some of these gerrymandered districts.
Matthews just ran a clip of Limbaugh saying "What do we have to do to win women? Embrace choice? Hand out birth control pills?"
That would be a start. . .
No, they have to keep doing the exact same thing that they've been doing. Then everybody else will change.