Sen. Olympia Snowe ends run for re-election

[quakerboy]

65. Disagree

The Filibuster is genuinely anti-democratic. It should not be, purely on principle

But even if that were not so, it did not protect us from anything. The republicans made it perfectly clear that if they didn't get what they wanted, they would nuke it anyway. When the republicans next gain power, assuming there are no fundamental shifts in the national body politic between now and then, they will end or invalidate the filibuster the moment it becomes inconvenient.

The only thing we get by keeping the filibuster is a false sense of security while the country goes to shit and people lose everything.

And our chances of holding all the dem seats are about nil. We are going to have to fight to keep 50 Dems and an independent, much less increasing our numbers. Best case I can see, we lose Nebraska and NDakota, pick up Maine and Mass. We might end up with 52(+1). If we get really lucky and Dems run great campaigns and the 2008 style presidential coattails kick in again.

On edit: 2014 doesn't look any better. Barring a political miracle, there is no chance of a super majority then either. More Dems up than reps, again. If we can hold the line in 2012 and 2014, only in 2016 does a super majority become a realistic potential. Too late to do Obama any good. Too late to do a lot of us any good.