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2016 Postmortem

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kentuck

(112,989 posts)
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 09:48 AM Dec 2016

It is delusional to think Republican electors will vote against Trump. [View all]

Last edited Fri Dec 16, 2016, 06:28 PM - Edit history (1)

The Electoral College is going to confirm Donald Trump as the next President. We should be prepared for that eventuality. There is simply too much partisanship within our country for them to do otherwise.

Where does that leave us?

It leaves us with a huge deficit in the very conservative House of Representatives. No doubt, they will try to ram everything they have ever dreamed about thru their partisan caucus. There is not much to say for the Democrats in the "people's House". They have very little power.

The only hope seems to be the US Senate. Donald Trump was successful in pissing off several US Senators during his run through the primaries. Senators are not prone to forget slights by other politicians. They may not show their disgust on the outside but they carry it with them.

For example, we know that John McCain has carried his grudge against Obama around for the last eight years. He does not forgive easily. When Trump ridiculed his capture during the Vietnam War, that cut him very deeply. He will look for opportunities to stick it to Donald every chance he gets.

Lindsey Graham is another Senator that was mocked and ridiculed by Donald Trump. He is also a friend of John McCain. They will usually vote in tandem on controversial issues. He is another possible vote against Donald Trump.

Marco Rubio, "Little Marco", is also not a sure bet to follow the agenda of Donald Trump. However, he will vote most of the time with his eye on the election of 2020. But, he will not vote unanimously with the Donald.

Other rational Republicans, such as Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, are potential allies of the Democrats on many issues. They are not locks to vote with Donald Trump. And there could be a few others that might desert the program over the next couple of years?

So, taking stock, the US Senate is the one place where Democrats can stand their ground and have a chance at succeeding. At the present time, the Republicans have a 52-48 majority. That means that if Democrats stick together, they would only need 3 Republicans to agree with them on any debated issue and they would be the majority.

It is not impossible for the Democrats to oppose the Trump agenda. They will need a little help. But, the indecent vulgarian has destroyed his relationships with enough Republican Senators to make the US Senate the battleground for the next couple of years. Some will be looking to get even with the new President.

Do not give up, even if the Electoral College votes as we think they will. There is still hope with the US Senate. Democrats should cultivate these common bonds.

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