A quick note on Ted Cruz, Nancy Pelosi and Congressional 'suicide missions'

[DireStrike]

8. Wish I was as optimistic as you

We could have 100 senate seats and not accomplish anything without the house. In order to get progressive legislation we apparently need:

-The presidency
-At least 60 seats in the senate and probably more due to blue dogs
-At least 261 seats in the house and probably more due to blue dogs

And the president will probably have to be quite moderate and conciliatory to win, so he will likely compromise with the GOP (which will still by lying 24/7 and will still exist in large numbers) in exchange for zero votes, like Obama did with the ACA. Because we are nice and respectful and don't overreach.

So maybe in 2020 we will have another chance, if we play nice. Until then the GOP will continue to rack up legislative wins through concessions.

I guess threatening to destroy the country does hurt the Republicans in one way: it gives me exactly one single reason to support Democrats.

"One thing I feel pretty sure of - we're not going to see a Republican president again for 20 or 30 years - maybe not ever, with the way the GOP seems determined NOT to learn."

You forget that the American public is yet more determined not to learn anything, ever.