Congressional and Gubernatorial Races That Affect Our Future

While the press was moaning about Virginia:

• Georgia flipped 41 seats to blue in nearly two dozen counties all across the state in municipal elections.

Thank you, @Herukane for noticing Biden's gains. I hope you stick around here, and keep posting please?  

• Part one of the BBB is now law.
• Part two moved to the next step on its path in both chambers.
• The Voting Rights Act has moved through a filibuster hurdle with Sen.Murkowsi (R.Alaska)'s support.
• Biden's vaccine successes have been huge. (Yes I know about the latest block from a Trump-appointed judge). But remember that Biden has appointed more judges in his first term than T did.)
• U.S. finally ended its Afghanistan military involvement.
• Biden has confirmed more federal judges than Trump did in a similar period. This isn't being mentioned but it will transform the judiciary"  All this from Herukane's post.

More gains last Tuesday (already listed but some of you seemed to have missed it):

• In Boston they elected our first Asian (and a woman) Mayor.  Boston has been a racist city. I know, I grew up here. This is a huge change.
• New York City elected its first black Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg. This is huge
• New York City elected another black mayor.

Hi Everyone! I haven’t reported in a while. I read all your predictions. I think you have an amazing thing going. Keep up the good work. I will tell you the political mood in NJ as that’s where I live, work, and vote. I’m also a poll worker in a VERY RED COUNTY in NJ. We did something for the first time this year. We had 10 days of early voting because of the high volume of voting in the 2020 election. We also introduced the Dominion Voting system, because Homeland Security said it was a very sound voting system with a paper trail. We’ve always had an electronic voting system with a trail of sorts, but no paper ballots. The 10 early days of voting provided that paper trail, but on Election Day voting the people signed in on the Dominion Voting System, but we didn’t have enough money for all precincts to have printers and scanners. So we used the old system for that. We will eventually have enough printers and scanners. Everyone who voted using the new system was very pleased with it. It really is kinda fun to vote on it. The political mood on the other hand was not so nice. The Trumpers WERE PISSED OFF and came out in droves. The police were present immediately if anything occurred! I felt very safe being there to help out. I did not feel safe during the primary voting. They came into the polls with their Trump clothing in full force. We had to nicely ask them to take the red hats off, go into the restroom to turn their shirts inside out, etc. I can only say, I hope this fever breaks before 2022. I personally feel Merrick Garland is in a SWAMP! It’s the only explanation to the ice age slowness to the Trump investigations. Biden said he feels the AMERICAN people want ACTION. I think that’s true for Justice as well. It’s been over 15 days since Bannon ignored his subpoena??? Maybe Garland has a good reason for letting him slide. Hopefully we will find out. If this poison is not let out?? I’m not seeking revenge only Justice for the American people and the Constitution.

Just want to add that when all is said and done, Phil Murphy's win might be as high as 3-4%, which is impressive considering he's the first dem since 1977 to win re-election. 

About Merrick Garland. He seems to be going at a glacial speed, but remember he was only confirmed in March, and his associate AG (who does a lot of the actual work) wasn't confirmed until April.  He's trying to rebuild a DOJ that was super politicized under TFG, but I do think he's getting stuff done.

I'm an immigration lawyer and I can tell you he's reversed some of the worst changes that the former AGs made, including reversing the elimination asylum eligibility for victims of domestic violence, victims of gang violence, and immigrants targeted because of family membership. He did most of this almost immediately. He's also made changes to the immigration courts in ways that are very positive. I've seen this with my own eyes, and I can only imagine he's doing the similar thing in other areas that we can't see. 

Investigations, indictments and prosecutions take time. Rushing them isn't the way the rule of law works (or should work). What benefit do we get from having a half-baked case prosecuted and it then falls apart? So, although to us it may seem like the criminals are getting away with everything, I think there's reason to be optimistic.

@lynnventura Thank you for this reminder too!  The thing I've been trying to remember here is that the DOJ gets one shot at convicting the big one - if there's any sort of technicality he's off and his base gets vindication.

So 10 months in the grand scheme of things isn't long.  I had just hoped we'd have more by now (though Georgia's apparently about ready to impanel a grand Jury)

@jeans3head, thank you for such a clear and heartening report on your polling experience and your own service in New Jersey.  Wonderful to read your observations. I want to send it to the New York Times, so they can write the stories we need to read. 

@lynnventura, thank you for an incredible post that helps us understand what is happening behind the DOJ scenes.  I think because Garland comes across as a measured man, not prone to bravado or headlines, people think he's not aggressive enough.  Your post helped us to understand. I want to send it also to The NY Times so they can write this stories we need to read. 

This site is not connected automatically to Twitter, FB, and the other usual social media.  But perhaps it should be. 

Firstly, thanks for the kind words and the shout out. I appreciate it! :)

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I too am in NJ and my experience voting was a nice one. I'm in a county that often goes Republican (more for economic reasons then social ones to be honest) and went Trump 2016, Biden 2020, but Ciattarelli by a very close margin in 2021. Voting this year was done at the local municipal center rather than at a local church like normal (location was fine, parking was not, but that is neither here nor there). 

The workers were totally pleasant. We even laughed together when I finished voting and one of the elderly women working there came up to give me the I vote sticker. I grinned, and they did too, and we laughed at how the little things. 

Nobody had a MAGA hat or shirt or anything like that on. Which I can't say surprises me as even during the height of the craze there weren't signs or elements on trucks or even people wearing hats - even though they voted for him - around where I live. 

There was one guy who got upset at how his signature didn't look like the one on the computer and so he was like "well anyone could say they are me" and the workers were like "yeah but if we thought that then we could ask for ID and also put the ballot on monitor but we don't so its fine". Something tells me he voted Republican. 

I have to say that there seems to be two types of Republicans, at least in my state. The first type are the social republicans, and they are the ones that wear the MAGA hats and cry racist and sexist and homophobic things. The second, and the more 'common' at least where I live - are the economic Republicans. They focus on the traditionally republican elements of free market and economic boons and stuff that in practice aren't actually truly Republican. These individuals do not wear the MAGA hats and they do not subscribe to the hate filled comments - they aren't sexist or racist or homophobic. They really aren't. 

The problem is that local, state, and national politics are in a divide. Local republicans, state republicans', and national republicans are at odds. They look around - at least in my area - and see the local republican elements and go "see it still exists" while ignoring what is going on a national level. 

On another level, and its hard to give the full numbers yet since local counting is still going on, but the Democrats have made lots and lots of gains this election. It might not look like it due to the media but as a major thing there were more victories then defeats. In NJ, for example, Democrats still control the two houses of the legsilutre and the Governorship - a major win. 

Oh, as an aside, the whole loss of the 'Democrat' Sweenly to the trunk driver is actually in a long term way a good thing. Yes the guy that won is racist and sexist and probably homophobic and a gun toting MAGA winnable but he is powerless, he is a first time representative in a body that is dominantly Democrat. He has no power. And chances are he is not going to be reelected. 

BUT he replaced a 'democrat in name only' who has been a thorn in progress for decades. Who is named as one of the most powerful state leaders. Who was in no way enlightened or progressive. His defeat is good. Who defeated him maybe not so much, but his defeat, good. Especially as it didn't remove the Democrats from power. 

Like I said when the dust settles and the counts are in this wasn't a bloodbath of an election like the media portrays it. Many many gains were made. 

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Oh, on the element of the Judicial Department I really really, REALLY, have to strongly urge everyone here not to be upset about the slowness. Justice is not always swift. Not when it wants to be an ironclad case. This was part of the problem of TFG - everything he did was for show and so most of it was thrown away by the courts etc. Biden's administration - including Justice - is not that way. They take their time. They dot the i's and cross the t's. They make sure paperwork is filed correctly and organized properly. They add citations. They make sure all ducks are in a row. EVERYTHING is done in a way that makes so that when the courts look at it they can't, due to the clear reading of the law, give anything but the proper answer - even if they wanted to. 

This is why the Biden administration has had victory after victory. 

When it goes towards the insurrection and such things they start at the bottom and work their way up. This way that the cases get built upon each other. 

Not to be that guy but when it comes to justice what is a year. There have been murder convictions for crimes committed decades before. A year is nothing. Let them do it right. 

That said I get politics. I get that for that world a year is a looooooooooooooooong time. Its why the sausage making of law annoys so many people, for all that I found the process fascinating. (Too bad I am not in government, honestly, its too bad that I have no clue what to do and with myself and as I get older that feeling hasn't gone away, but I digress.) Everything is done slow and steady, is done with procedural expertise, and is done at the proper time an in the proper place. 

Its what TFG never understood but which Biden, a man whose career is government, knows full, full well. 

Its why Biden got the Recovery Act passed, got shots into arms, got more judges in first year then others, got the BBB part one passed, is doing well on part two, and is getting the votes for the Voting Rights act. All of it in his FIRST YEAR!!!! While reducing unemployment, increasing the economy, and getting America back with the nations of the world. 

Trump was so full of nonsense that we sort of tuned it out and Biden is so full of the good that we forget his many victories. AND THIS IS HIS FIRST YEAR! 

Honestly, if he doesn't seek reelection and only does one term, probably for health reasons, his term will make jokes about "one term presidents" ridiculous. If things are developing as they are and continue to do so his four years will be revolutionary, in a good way. 

Happy 1 year anniversary of Four Seasons Landscaping everyone!  I believe the traditional 1 year anniversary gift is paper, so I'll have to figure out what to send you all to mark this momentous day.

@polarberry did you read @lynn's post on Garland? Also the dems are not like the Rethugs, and I wouldn't want them to be.

"About Merrick Garland. He seems to be going at a glacial speed, but remember he was only confirmed in March, and his associate AG (who does a lot of the actual work) wasn't confirmed until April.  He's trying to rebuild a DOJ that was super politicized under TFG, but I do think he's getting stuff done.

I'm an immigration lawyer and I can tell you he's reversed some of the worst changes that the former AGs made, including reversing the elimination asylum eligibility for victims of domestic violence, victims of gang violence, and immigrants targeted because of family membership. He did most of this almost immediately. He's also made changes to the immigration courts in ways that are very positive. I've seen this with my own eyes, and I can only imagine he's doing the similar thing in other areas that we can't see. 

Investigations, indictments and prosecutions take time. Rushing them isn't the way the rule of law works (or should work). What benefit do we get from having a half-baked case prosecuted and it then falls apart? So, although to us it may seem like the criminals are getting away with everything, I think there's reason to be optimistic." -- @lynnventura

I plan on listening to Michael Cohen's podcast from Oct. 24th titled, Say It Ain't So:Why AG Garland won't prosecute Twitler + A Conversation with Miles Taylor.

Should be interesting.

I want to give Garland the benefit of the doubt, believe me, and I hope behind the scenes things are happening to bring traitors to justice, but the hard truth is, we don't have infinite time. We just don't.

I don't want Dems to be like rethugs either, but I do feel like there are situations where you have to take pages from your enemy's playbook, and in the current situation, it would be for good.

No doubt Twitler and Barr packed the DOJ, and that alone is a huge problem to be dealt with.

Edited to add that the changes lynn wrote about, that Garland has made are fantastic, and much to his credit, but the prosecution of those involved in the coup must be priority. If not, they will try again.

@polarberry I’m reading lots of negative comments about Garland on Twitter, I confess to doom scrolling really. My intuition tells me to wait and see.  I know there’s a lot of anger and frustration out there and I’m not immune to that.  I get it.  Then there’s my intuition that is not negative at all.  I know what intuition about fearful outcomes feels like, it’s heavy, dark, oppressive.  That kind of intuition makes me afraid.  I’ve started thinking about what my intuition is telling me when that kind of fear is absent.  It’ makes me protect myself and not buy into all the negative fear mongering.  I wish I knew the answer to this dilemma, but I’m inclined to follow Lynn’s observations.  It takes time to build cases; Garland has been in the job for 7+ months.  I’m willing to watch and wait.  

Polarberry, that said, I don’t know why Bannon hasn’t been charged.  Seriously,  f—- that guy.

Watching and waiting is all we can do. 

That's the hardest part for me. I tend to be very Veruca Salt-ish about these types of things. ? 

"Off with their heads....!!"

Queen of Hearts reference, Veruca was I want it now!

@dannyboy 

Oh thank you for that anniversary post!!

That brought a big smile to my face.

@jeanne-mayell …..of course you have my permission.