Wow, huge difference here today compared to 8 years ago...

[Perd Hapley]

Funny, isn't it.

Back in the run up to 2008 we were assured that hundreds of thousands of racist white rednecks would be lining up to take shots at Obama, and it would be a miracle if he made it through his inauguration, let alone a full term.

How many assassination attempts were there against him over 8 years?

Zero.

I have also pondered this many times.

[Hawkmoon]

Last time, I think Trump was surprised to win and hadn't done much advanced planning re: personnel.  Out of necessity, he chose people who knew their way around Washington but privately worked against him.  I don't think he will make that mistake again.  In addition, I would be surprised if he doesn't already have a list of people he wants to appoint, another list of those he wants to fire, and a third list of those he wants to fire and then investigate and prosecute if warranted.

I wonder who he'll appoint as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

I think General Milley has made himself pretty much personna non grata.

[HankB]

I wonder who he'll appoint as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

I think General Milley has made himself pretty much personna non grata.

I'm willing to bet it WON'T be Admiral Rachel Levine.

[K Frame]

I'm willing to bet it WON'T be Admiral Rachel Levine.

Of course not! Trump is going to genocide all of the transgenders! HE'S GOING TO PERSONALLY KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!!!

[Lennyjoe]

While the Trump/Vance victory was exciting, control of both House and Senate is the bigger victory.

[zahc]

There's a lot of optimism and wishful thinking in this thread. Personally I'm expecting the same mixed bag, bull-in-china-shop, stopped-clock fumbling that characterized his first term.

What is the optimists take on previously favored personnel like milley and barr who were either fired by trump or left trump?

[230RN]

Last time, I think Trump was surprised to win and hadn't done much advanced planning re: personnel.  Out of necessity, he chose people who knew their way around Washington but privately worked against him.  I don't think he will make that mistake again.  In addition, I would be surprised if he doesn't already have a list of people he wants to appoint, another list of those he wants to fire, and a third list of those he wants to fire and then  investigate and prosecute if warranted.

Some deep housecleaning is definitely in order. 

Naturally, that opens the possibly of accusations of "weaponizing" the investigating agencies.  Gee, no *expletive deleted*it, Lefty.  Whatever gave you that idea?



                   

[K Frame]

There's a lot of optimism and wishful thinking in this thread. Personally I'm expecting the same mixed bag, bull-in-china-shop, stopped-clock fumbling that characterized his first term.

What is the optimists take on previously favored personnel like milley and barr who were either fired by trump or left trump?

Gotta say... I'm expecting much the same thing.

[JN01]

There's a lot of optimism and wishful thinking in this thread. Personally I'm expecting the same mixed bag, bull-in-china-shop, stopped-clock fumbling that characterized his first term.

What is the optimists take on previously favored personnel like milley and barr who were either fired by trump or left trump?

Maybe.  I think he probably learned something from his first go-around and lost his political naivety.  The people of Argentina probably thought things would never change, but look what Milei did in short order.

[zahc]

Trump accomplished what he's undeniably good at doing...getting elected. Changing gears to governing...honestly the best case is if he did what he should have done the first term. Go golfing, stay the f off Twitter, hire a speechwriter who keeps it simple, and let the right people run things. But that's not Trump so I don't see that happening.

[JTHunter]

I really like Thomas, but my hope is (if majorities come through) that he retires in no more than a year. I don't care about the outcry on the left. I want to see a 40 year old "Thomas" in before the majorities flip again. I don't expect any of the left leaning judges to retire, but we can at least solidify the justices that will follow the constitution.

And therein lies the problem.  If - repeat IF - the Republicans DO get majority in the House, they will have at most the first 2 years to act.  By the midterms (2026), I expect them to have turned the people back into the "cannon fodder" then have been before. 

[Northwoods]

And therein lies the problem.  If - repeat IF - the Republicans DO get majority in the House, they will have at most the first 2 years to act.  By the midterms (2026), I expect them to have turned the people back into the "cannon fodder" then have been before. 

Only the senate is involved in scotus nominations.  53 Rs at least will be in the senate.

Keeping impeachment from derailing everything is why we need the HoR.

[K Frame]

"If - repeat IF - the Republicans DO get majority in the House, they will have at most the first 2 years to act. "

And, if history is any indicator since 1988, when the Republicans DO have control all three parts of the government triangle, they will totally and completely *expletive deleted*ck it up.

[HankB]

"If - repeat IF - the Republicans DO get majority in the House, they will have at most the first 2 years to act. "

And, if history is any indicator since 1988, when the Republicans DO have control all three parts of the government triangle, they will totally and completely *expletive deleted*ck it up.

They'll take to squabbling among themselves, try to curry positive press from the legacy media (who will NEVER provide it) by doing bad things, and generally work hard to keep their "The Stupid Party" label. (Weren't we assured of getting the Hearing Protection Act removing suppressors from the NFA last time around?)

Best we can reasonably expect is that if Trump gets to appoint another SCOTUS justice or two they're likely to be better than anything Kamala would have given us.

[Bogie]

Trump accomplished what he's undeniably good at doing...getting elected. Changing gears to governing...honestly the best case is if he did what he should have done the first term. Go golfing, stay the f off Twitter, hire a speechwriter who keeps it simple, and let the right people run things. But that's not Trump so I don't see that happening.

Thing is, I think he realizes that we do not want to be "governed."
 
Try "represented."
 
And I think he groks that.

[zahc]

Thing is, I think he realizes that we do not want to be "governed."
 
Try "represented."
 
And I think he groks that.

Again, wishful thinking. If Trump were content to be a figurehead of the Republican party, that would be great. But that's not what we saw and not what we should expect. We should expect him to override and piss off his staff, threaten the fed to continue bad monetary policy for political reasons, pass tariffs that kill domestic industry and play into China's hands, micromanage federal budgets along political lines, and if we are lucky, randomly accomplish a few good things by accident.

[230RN]

They'll take to squabbling among themselves, try to curry positive press from the legacy media (who will NEVER provide it) by doing bad things, and generally work hard to keep their "The Stupid Party" label. (Weren't we assured of getting the Hearing Protection Act removing suppressors from the NFA last time around?)

Best we can reasonably expect is that if Trump gets to appoint another SCOTUS justice or two they're likely to be better than anything Kamala would have given us.

 That's my fear and my hope, respectively.

But I think K Frame nailed it:

"And, if history is any indicator since 1988, when the Republicans DO have control [of] all three parts of the government triangle, they will totally and completely *expletive deleted*ck it up. "

They are too damned good at laurel-resting and get too easily suckered in by the terms "compromise" and "bipartisan."

D:  Let's ban AB guns!

SP: No, we won't go along with that.

D:  OK, then just B guns.

SP:  We can accept that compromise in a spirit of bipartisanship. (Turns to another Stupid Party member and says, "Won that one, didn't we?" and they pat each other on the back.  "Let's give ourselves a raise, we deserve it.")

Do the words "contract with America" mean anything?

Terry, 230RN

[Bogie]

The bureaucracy is run by the swamp creatures.
 
What do they care about?
 
Fundraising...
 
A Dem beats a Republican in something, generally due to severe stupidity in both candidate selection and promotion, and what do we hear from them?
 
"We're going to have a fundraising opportunity, so we can take them on next time."
 
And both sides do that.
 
IMHO, what needs to happen is a serious scattergun approach. Throw EVERYTHING - ALL THE THINGS - at the walls of Congress, and see what sticks. And bury term limits in something...

[JTHunter]

"If - repeat IF - the Republicans DO get majority in the House, they will have at most the first 2 years to act. "

And, if history is any indicator since 1988, when the Republicans DO have control all three parts of the government triangle, they will totally and completely *expletive deleted*ck it up.

That is my concern too.  They will be so "giddy" for having all 3 that they will fail to take advantage of the situation.
On the news this Sunday morning, there was a report that Trump took all 5 "swing states" and, while the House hasn't been settled yet, there were 20 seats up for grabs.  Only 5 more are needed for Republican control. 

[Northwoods]

That is my concern too.  They will be so "giddy" for having all 3 that they will fail to take advantage of the situation.
On the news this Sunday morning, there was a report that Trump took all 5 "swing states" and, while the House hasn't been settled yet, there were 20 seats up for grabs.  Only 5 more are needed for Republican control. 

If all still non-called seats to the current leader, based on AP calls, they'll have 222 seats in HoR.

[Pb]

I'm just glad my preditions of Trump losing were horribly off-base.   

[K Frame]

This is the first balanced assessment I've seen of how and why Trump and the Republicans absolutely crushed Harris and the Dems.

And this is a very, very dangerous one, because it is balanced and analytical and introspective. If the Democrats listen to Cuomo, it's going to be tough going forward.

He does get in a few digs about the "fairness" of the election, only from the Democratic perspective. Now who's election denying?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yggI7kZ4FM

[JTHunter]

If all still non-called seats to the current leader, based on AP calls, they'll have 222 seats in HoR.

Unfortunately,  Trump is choosing some of those Republican reps from the House for "administrative positions". 

[Northwoods]

Unfortunately,  Trump is choosing some of those Republican reps from the House for "administrative positions". 

I'm not too worried about that.  Most folks I've heard about him wanting are from pretty safe R districts/states

[JTHunter]

I'm not too worried about that.  Most folks I've heard about him wanting are from pretty safe R districts/states.

But it reduces the "majority" in the House.