We are all operating on the assumption that we will fix this problem with the mid-term elections.

[kentuck]

There is not much we can do until we can get Democratic control of the House.

But, that is over 16 months away. At the rate we are declining and losing our democracy, we must wonder if we will make it 16 months?

In my opinion, we have to fight this "war" from day to day.

The gerrymandering episode in Texas is a blight on our voting system. It will finish the creation of a system in every state where the Congress will pick their voters instead of their voters picking their Congress. It is doubtful that genie can be put back in the bottle.

However, in crisis, there is sometimes opportunity.

How could the Democrats use this gerrymandering effort to their advantage?

We could assume that none of the present Congressmen want to be gerrymandered out of their seats. Could the Democrats use that fact to vote MAGA Mike Johnson out of the Speakership? Could they make a deal with a couple of present Congressmen, maybe in California, to call for the removal of MAGA Mike from his position? For example, maybe promise that they will not gerrymander their seats in exchange for a vote against the Speaker?

Just thinking out loud. Would it be worth it to get rid of Johnson?

[rampartd]

1. do you really want speaker jordan?

or mace?

[kentuck]

2. I think it would throw the Republicans into disarray and confusion.

Part of the deal could be that they would not be gerrymandered if they did not vote for certain people, also.

I don't know that they could find anyone that they could vote for if Johnson was out?

[bucolic_frolic]

3. That's attacking the sardine can with a flat-top can opener

I agree it's all we've got at present, though, and i too consider it quite possible 2026 will simply evaporate. It could be 2038 before economic and living conditions collapse enough to oust these incompetents. Play the game doesn't mean you must play the long game. Go at it hard every day and every month and seek opportunity however you define it.

[kentuck]

5. But looking at it from a Republican perspective.

They have no scruples. They would be willing to make a deal if they could stay in power, in my opinion.

For example, Democrats could promise a couple of Republicans in California that they would not be gerrymandered if they would vote to dismiss MAGA Mike from the Speakership AND if they did not vote for a certain list of replacements, to stop the Republicans from having a majority when the votes were cast.

[Jersey Devil]

4. Doesn't matter if we win a majority in the House even if we also take the Senate (unlikely)

Trump will just declare a national emergency and do anything he wants by executive order and the Supreme Court will approve it. His backup also is that he controls the DC police now and has troops all over Washington, so how would we stop him?

[kentuck]

6. The budget.

No money. No bonuses. No ICE. No police. Defund it all.

[stopdiggin]

7. don't see a new speaker as particularly helpful

and have to think that any Repub that collaborated in such a scheme - would almost certainly be targeted to LOSE that coveted seat in the next available election?

[republianmushroom]

8. This problem will never be completely fix.

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. I am not "operating on the assumption that we will fix this problem with the mid-term elections"

Let’s say (for purposes of argument) that Democrats control both houses.
Will they impeach the majority of the Supreme Court?
Will they somehow remove most of the cabinet?
Will they successfully impeach (and convict) Donald Trump?
Will they throw all of the January 6th “Patriots” back into prison?
Will they somehow persuade MAGA that they were wrong?

Can they take any dramatic action which will not further divide the country?

[kentuck]

10. The House controls the budget...

...and that would be their strongest weapon, in my opinion.

All the other points are pretty negative and democratically fatalistic, but probably close to reality.

But we will take whatever "victories" we can get at this time.

Trump has consolidated power and control much quicker than many people thought.

If we can divide and create turmoil in this present Congress, and cause as much delay and obstruction as possible, it will get us closer to November 2026.

That's all I have.

[TnDem]

11. Get rid of Johnson, and you'll get worse

i guess it's hard for people to "math"...

Trump is 7 months into this..He has 41 months to go... Does anyone honestly believe that if Johnson were to be gerrymandered out, that we would end up with a better Speaker?

[kentuck]

12. He would not be "gerrymandered" out...

He would be voted out.

It only takes one vote to bring him up for continuing in his job and a simple majority to remove him, is my understanding.

Is it still the rule that one person can bring it to a vote?

Give a couple of Republican Congressmen an "offer they can't refuse" by promising them they will not be gerrymandered out of office.

It's hard to imagine anyone could be more subservient to Trump than MAGA Mike?.

[TnDem]

16. You underestimate the power of this machine

I can assure you that in this environment, it will not get better...The days of people like Paul Ryan being chosen by the GOP as Speaker are over and have been for seven months+

[kentuck]

17. If we can delay or obstruct in any way...

..it would be an improvement, in my opinion.

I do not expect any instant fixes.

[moniss]

31. They changed the one vote rule. nt

[Ilikepurple]

33. Getting a "better" speaker might not be what this tactic is about.

I’m not sure this tactic could get any republican to vote out Johnson, but I like the idea. The republicans haven’t looked great electing their last couple speakers. The sideshow antics might shine a bit of light on the clown car we’re riding in for some voters. Also, there is a chance a more unhinged speaker would be more distasteful to voters? Johnson comes off as relatively measure which may help disguise his extreme views, although he seems pretty darn creepy to me. I don’t know how a “worse” speaker could make things much worse without actually helping the Democratic Party in the midterms, but these are crazy times.

[Scrivener7]

13. There are plenty of things Democrats could be doing right now, and many of them

have been repeated here many times.

But usually the "Stop being a bad Democrat and saying there are things we can do!!1!" swarm of 6 or 7 posters shuts those conversations down.

[kentuck]

14. Give us that list again.

Some of us may have missed it?

[Scrivener7]

15. Nope. Sick of the personal insults from the swarm. Sick of beating my head against that brick wall of ridiculousness.

[TheRickles]

23. Don't take the insults personally. Some of us (kentuck, me, etc.) would benefit from seeing the list. Thanks.

[creeksneakers2]

25. What are these suggestions?

I shut object to people saying Democrats aren't trying because it isn't true and it hurts turnout and approval ratings. But I'd love to see valid suggestions. So far only vagueness and a few really bad ideas..

[Prairie Gates]

18. Speak for yourself...once a fascist dictatorship takes over, it takes decades to unwind

Decades. We're in this for decades.

[kentuck]

19. I heard a report that Orban is expected to lose his election.

He has not been in power that long and he is a strong autocrat, I have heard.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

20. We won't fix anything by winning the House in 2026.

We will, however, be in a good position to stop things from getting much worse.

We won't fix anything until we gain the House, the Senate, and the White House. Then we might accomplish something if the Extreme Court doesn't negate any fixes.

MAGA Mike is annoying, but we could remove him and get Speaker Jim Jordan, or Speaker Marjorie Taylor Greene. So, no, I wouldn't arrange Gerrymandering to save one or two Rethugs in CA.

[kentuck]

21. It would create turmoil and confusion in the Republican caucus.

Perhaps some delay and obstruction, but it's the only idea I have at this time.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

22. Delay and obstruction? Well, maybe Speaker Marjorie Taylor Greene is a solution! nt :)

[kentuck]

24. Boebert would never vote for MTG...

She has made a few enemies on her side.

[creeksneakers2]

26. If we retake Congress it will only move to the next level

Remember the Fascists have their Unitary Executive Theory where they believe they don't have to obey Congress or the courts. if they do that we'll take it to the next level.

[standingtall]

27. We can't trust no promise from any republican

Need something a lot more binding then that. The best thing to do is to do what California is doing. If Johnson is replaced it will be by someone just as bad.

[agingdem]

28. We are not operating on the assumption the mid-term election is the " big fix"...

the pseudo-sane Republicans in the House and Senate are operating on the assumption the mid-term election will fix what Trump and their bend-over compliance have broken...this is a decades long cycle...the Republicans shit the bed and the Democrats clean up the mess...

[WarGamer]

29. And even them... the House can't be anything more than a speedbump until 2029

7 months down... 41 left to go.

And let's hope for a vigorous primary campaign in 2028 and hope the nominee can be a contender nationwide to broad groups of people.

[moniss]

30. I believe that the mid-terms, if they take place,

will be an episode of massive voter repression on a scale we have never seen before. I believe the repression will not only be purging voter registrations but it will also include increased limits on early voting, closing massive numbers of polling locations, troops and police deployed at polling places in locations that target Democratic voters for intimidation etc. I also expect "preemptive arrests" of Democratic activists etc. across the country prior to or on Election Day. I believe those arrest will continue if we win.

I also believe that if we do, by some miracle, overcome this massive repression that Crumb The 1st and the fascists will start "declaring" phony claims about fraud etc. and perhaps use a combination of making phony legal claims and Executive Orders to forestall the opening of a new Congress. Yes eventually the SC might overturn any Executive Order but it has no enforcement mechanism as we all know.

I also believe that Crumb the 1st and the fascists are not above stationing troops on Capitol Hill to close off the building and issue threat of arrest for any newly elected members trying to enter or take part. I also believe that Crumb The 1st and the fascists are itching for troops/DOJ/FBI to arrest a big city mayor or Blue State governor on of course bogus claims.

I believe that if we somehow get past all of that then Crumb The 1st will be pushed by the likes of Nazi Miller, Nazi Noem, Nazi Bondi, Nazi Patel, Nazi Hegseth etc. to declare a national emergency/ martial law etc. While an attempt to unilaterally suspend the Constitution would be illegal by any normal understanding by all legal scholars it is only so if the SC ultimately were to uphold that it is illegal. Again they have no enforcement mechanism and so it would simply amount to the equivalent of a "finding" with no teeth. As always the question would be what would the military do? Given the purging of the leadership under these fascists it is by no means certain that they would back the Constitution with anything other than words.

[no_hypocrisy]

32. It would arrest the "Trump Agenda" for starters. It would stop the Trump judicial candidates

from getting passed. And Clarence and Sam would be rocking on their hands since they couldn't retire in peace.

If you're looking for change, we'd have to have the WH, a majority in the House, and a filibuster proof majority in the Senate after 2028.