Wow, 47 Senate seats for dems and 51 Senate seats for rep..on CNN now

[SummerSnow]

What if dems get more Senate seats? Trump will jump out his skin

[AlexSFCA]

1. dems may still get FL and MS runoff election

[dawg day]

2. One more (FL) would make me happy.... +

2 more governorships. It would be SO WONDERFUL to have black Americans be governors of two deep South states.

One thing we can count on with Gillum and Abrams is that they will 1) represent all citizens of their states, not just the ones who voted for them, and 2) bring these states into the 21st Century.

I grew up in the South, and something I realized since moving North is how the insistence on racism and segregation held the region back. That obsession with maintaining "white privilege" doomed the area into some 19th Century status, stuck in a time when people mattered less than land, and wealth triumphed over intelligence. The rest of the country moved on-- into unionism, stronger public education, freedom of speech. But the South for a century was stuck in a situation where they had to keep electing buffoonish racists, and supporting dying "industries" like tobacco, and forcing out the most creative people to Chicago and Detroit. No one with much of an independent spirit or mind wanted to be in the South.

Civil rights was the best thing to happen to the South, as it broke free of the segregated notion that you should be judged by your color.

Hate had its way for a long time there, and of course it corrupted everything, making this the most backward part of the country. Now though, two states with vibrant diverse urban areas, Atlanta and Miami most importantly, are pushing forward beyond that hate.

Abrams and Gillum aren't just amazing in themselves, or what they symbolize, but also what they bring their states towards-- the brink of modernity, which can only happen with equality.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Thanks for sharing your perspective - I'm hoping for the same result!

[malaise]

9. Great post

[Hortensis]

10. We live in Georgia these days, and I agree with all.

We've seen that determined white supremacy and resistance to change have a negative, self-reinforcing conservatizing effect on public policy across the board in most counties. It's reinforced all the worst aspects of conservatism and actually blocked the good, and thus is a blight on all aspects in most counties. Refusing to change has not stopped change, only resulted in refusal to direct it.

Besides this moment's blatantly ruthless attempts to protect white supremacy by stealing the elections, which is being observed by fascinated viewers around the planet, we see this most obviously every day in the development caused by great population growth.

Developing well after many other regions provided a magnificent opportunity to learn from decades of hugely ugly and dysfunctional mistakes elsewhere and to do great things with what was a very beautiful state. But protectionist attitudes have also reinforced natural insularity and closed-mindedness. So all the worst mistakes have been repeated in full measure in an avid anti-government refusal to consider laws directing development wisely. Even clear cutting building parcels is still normal in most counties, any token tree(s) left standing typically dying without their forest shelter.

This sounds harsh and is certainly one-sided. Many governments have been doing much better or are trying to do, most are a mix of old ways and trying promising new ones, and we know many people who are distressed at what's been happening but are helpless to stop the strangling effects of white supremacist protectionism.

[Legends303]

3. Highly unlikely we get both

but would be awesome if we did.

[moonscape]

4. Or either ... n/t

[John Fante]

5. Doesn't matter, a +2 is a pathetic showing for the Pukes given

how favorable the senate map was for them. Don't let them tell you different.

[stopbush]

7. Wasn't it 49-51 before the election?

Would be great if Rs gained no seats in the Senate. Would really slap down that “the election was a mixed message” crap the media was spinning most of last week.

[Cetacea]

8. Add two to the total

Sanders and Angus King are essentially democrats in practice.

[OliverQ]

11. 47 includes Angus and Bernie

[Cetacea]

14. Correct!

Sorry about that. I'm exhausted.

[DFW]

12. 47 is a worst case scenario at this point, but one we must be prepared to live with

At least for the next two years. It sucks for confirmations on which that the Senate can act alone, but if we have the House, the rubber stamp is gone.

Even if Nelson pulls a rabbit out his hat, Mississippi would be a miracle--and even if we get both, we are right back to where we were. Collins and Murkowski will still be able to do their tired routine: "Hey, I'm a moderate and I'm willing to listen to reason--just don't ever expect me to vote that way."

[Buckeyeblue]

13. Who are the vulnerable repugs in 2020?

Collins for sure. You have a couple that are worried about losing their seat and we may not see the solidarity that we are used to seeing.

[Celerity]

15. List of all seats up in 2020

Last edited Wed Nov 14, 2018, 10:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Vulnerable have *


Republicans

Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)

Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia)

Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana)

Susan Collins (R-Maine) *

John Cornyn (R-Texas) * (if Beto runs, but will be harder than Cruz)

Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas)

Steve Daines (R-Montana)

Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)

Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) *

Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) * Most likely to flip to us

Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)

Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) -- Hyde-Smith was appointed by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Thad Cochran who resigned due to health issues. She competed in the 2018 special election to fill the term. CNN projects the race will go to a runoff. Hyde-Smith will compete against Democratic challenger Mike Espy since no candidate received 50% of the vote total. The contest will take place on Tuesday, November 27. A full six-year term election will be held in 2020.

James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)

Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) -- It is expected that there will be an open special election in 2020 for the seat because Kyl has said he will not run in 2020. A full six-year term election will take place in 2022. *

Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)

David Perdue (R-GA) *

Jim Risch (R-Idaho)

Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)

Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota)

Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska)

Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) *

Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) *


Democrats


Cory Booker (D-New Jersey)

Chris Coons (D-Delaware)

Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)

Doug Jones (D-Alabama) * Most likely to flip back from us

Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts)

Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon)

Gary Peters (D-Michigan)

Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) * NH is always close and unpredictable

Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) -- Smith was appointed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton to fill the vacancy created after Sen. Al Franken decided to resign. She faced a special election in 2018 and CNN projected that Smith defeated her Republican challenger in that race. A full six-year term election will be held for the seat in 2020.

Tom Udall (D-New Mexico)

Mark Warner (D-Virginia)

If every single one flipped, (Repubs 8, Dems 2) we would have a net gain of plus 6, so a 53-47 majority. TX and GA are the hardest on the list IMHO. Depends on our candidates.

[Buckeyeblue]

16. I think the best chances are

Irnst
Collins
Gardener
McConnell-I just feel like he could be a good target to go after.

And we probably lose Jones.

If we stay at 47 we would have a 50-50 split, which means it could be a majority if we get the white house back.