Too early to think about 2022?

[Holman]

Sometimes politics is predictable, and sometimes it surprises you.

[Dramatist]

There were also twice as many votes for the R primary compared to the D. That isn't promising, though Beto was practically unopposed.

I voted in the Republican primary but I won’t vote for a single Republican in the regular election. I wanted to vote against Abbott, Paxton and Patrick twice.


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[hepcat]

Wow, I had just read an article on her life a few months ago. She’s been the focus of numerous news articles because of her life as a jihadist’s wife, and her subsequent renunciation of ISIS. How he thought that would remain quiet is beyond me.

[Carpet_pissr]

There were also twice as many votes for the R primary compared to the D. That isn't promising, though Beto was practically unopposed.

I wanted to vote against Abbott, Paxton and Patrick twice.

Oh God, please don’t even write that thought out. There are probably ravenous voter fraud douchebags combing the internets for such a phrase.

[LordMortis]

There were also twice as many votes for the R primary compared to the D. That isn't promising, though Beto was practically unopposed.

I wanted to vote against Abbott, Paxton and Patrick twice.

Oh God, please don’t even write that thought out. There are probably ravenous voter fraud douchebags combing the internets for such a phrase.

It's perfectly legal in Michigan and people have doing it for decades. Good or bad they do.

[coopasonic]

Yeah, Texas doesn't have official party registration so you are more or less free to pick your primary. I heard the state was looking at addressing that in some way but wasn't motivated to find the details.

[Carpet_pissr]

There were also twice as many votes for the R primary compared to the D. That isn't promising, though Beto was practically unopposed.

I wanted to vote against Abbott, Paxton and Patrick twice.

Oh God, please don’t even write that thought out. There are probably ravenous voter fraud douchebags combing the internets for such a phrase.

It's perfectly legal in Michigan and people have doing it for decades. Good or bad they do.

I assumed it was more tongue in cheek like "Vote early, and vote often!

[Defiant]

Probably not enough to avoid the House switching control in what is very likely going to be a Republican wave, though.

[Defiant]

[malchior]

This isn't that big a surprise. Locally speaking the CW was this wasn't going to hold up since the legislature went right around the Independent process that was recently set up. In context, this was a bit of a hail Mary attempting to gerrymander back and make the House maybe a little competitive. Even then the Democrats were likely to be smashed to bits considering how deeply unpopular Biden is. Now it probably isn't a competitive contest at all.

[Kurth]

"Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it."

[Octavious]

GDP shrunk in the 1st quarter. Might as well get the gold curtains ready at the WH.

[hepcat]

GDP shrunk in the 1st quarter. Might as well get the gold curtains ready at the WH.

The golden toilet is still there though, right?

[malchior]

GDP shrank in real terms which is sorta tetchy since inflation reads are fairly variable and often adjusted. And GDP reads are fairly variable and often adjusted. We'll see what holds up in the coming months. In any case, 'headline' GDP grew still so at least mainstream papers screaming about an actual recession are potentially off the table for the mid-terms. They'll have to settle for Deutsche Bank's constantly dire predictions for now.

That said, we might see someone make 'technical recession' arguments after Q2 if the same thing holds but it'll be muddy at best.

[Octavious]

Well considering how they spin stuff that doesn't even exist this is easy peasy.

[malchior]

Yeah it isn't like Americans are well-versed in technical macroeconomics. I'll predict it'll adjust to near even when it all shakes out which still isn't great. It makes sense with all the headwinds we're seeing though and it'll be a lot of fodder for the right-wing to be sure.

As an aside, we heard murmurs that Manchin wants to push a bill patterned after the remnants of BBB to raise Corporate taxes to combat inflation. This didn't actually make a whole lot of sense. Like most of his economics ideas they are ... not based on any known mainstream theories of economics. I think this might have been interesting to watch in the abstract but is probably DOA now.

[em2nought]

There were also twice as many votes for the R primary compared to the D. That isn't promising, though Beto was practically unopposed.

I wanted to vote against Abbott, Paxton and Patrick twice.

Oh God, please don’t even write that thought out. There are probably ravenous voter fraud douchebags combing the internets for such a phrase.

Too late!

[hepcat]

Just like your heroes, you got no proof, junior.

[em2nought]

Just like your heroes, you got no proof, junior.

Stop hitting on me.

[hepcat]

Well, at least you know you can’t argue against what I wrote.

[Holman]

Pennsylvania update:

In the PA Governor's race (with the primary on Tuesday), Trump has just endorsed Doug Mastriano, a lunatic right-winger who not only endorsed the Big Lie but was at the Capitol riot on January 6. He's everything you can imagine in a Trumpist Authoritarian. He has already declared that he will contest 2024 presidential electors if necessary.

The certain Dem nominee is current AG Josh Shapiro, who has put out ads suggesting that Mastriano should be the GOP nominee because he represents everything wrong with the GOP.

--

Meanwhile, the Dem senate primary is dominated by John Fetterman, who is the current Lt Governor and whose persona can be best described as "Working-Class Intellectual Tattooed Badass."

The GOP primary is currently a three-way tie between hedge-fund executive David McCormick, TV grifter Mehmet "Dr Oz" Oz, and black conservative commentator Kathy Barnette. The later has risen sharply in the polls recently, and she has allied herself with Mastriano in a dual campaign effort. Both are allied with QAnon theories and other absurdities.

[Kraken]

It's tempting to view trump's influence as helping Democrats by advancing these flawed candidates, and that is going to be true in some purple state races. But those MAGAts who do knock out less radical candidates and make it into office pose an outsized threat to the republic.

[LordMortis]

It's tempting to view trump's influence as helping Democrats by advancing these flawed candidates, and that is going to be true in some purple state races. But those MAGAts who do knock out less radical candidates and make it into office pose an outsized threat to the republic.

This. The minority of the minority increasing exhibiting control of the country, and quite possibly a majority of the country not seeing the problem with that. And sadly, it's not nearly as small of a minority as I had believed even in 2014.

[YellowKing]

You can ignore a hell of a lot of flaws in your own candidates when your only alternative is to vote for The Enemy.

[Kurth]

Pennsylvania US Senate candidate Fetterman suffers stroke but says he's 'well on my way to a full recovery'

That's not good. Not good at all.

[Holman]

Pennsylvania US Senate candidate Fetterman suffers stroke but says he's 'well on my way to a full recovery'

That's not good. Not good at all.

Definitely bad news.

He appears to be talking and mobile and fully recovering, and the clot was removed without incident, but it's a shock.

[Kurth]

Pennsylvania US Senate candidate Fetterman suffers stroke but says he's 'well on my way to a full recovery'

That's not good. Not good at all.

Definitely bad news.

He appears to be talking and mobile and fully recovering, and the clot was removed without incident, but it's a shock.

I think for a guy like that who's fiery personality is one of his selling points, it's particularly problematic.

[malchior]

He will get himself on TV ASAP. He needs to put fears to rest.

[Kurth]

Maybe he should consult Dr. Oz? I'm sure he has some novel, out-of-the-box treatments that could help Fetterman's recovery.

[Daveman]

I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a primary day finally arrive. Living in NJ, but watching PA television stations has been a nightmare for months with all of the ads the candidates have been running. It's been a fierce primary for those wanting to become the new PA Senator and possibly take over the Governorship.

I'm not Republican or conservative so I know I'm not the intended audience, but all of the Republican ads come across to me as if they're running for Worst Person of the Year, not public office.

Now I'll just have to put up with ads between whoever wins and the Democratic nominee.

[LordMortis]

I'm not Republican or conservative so I know I'm not the intended audience, but all of the Republican ads come across to me as if they're running for Worst Person of the Year, not public office.

Locally, they all sound like a satirically bad villain thinly disguising their master plan... and it seems to work all too often.

[Holman]

PA primary is indeed today. I spent three hours at the polls handing out fliers. (*Very* local politics: there are a couple of open spots on the local Democratic Committee with no one on the ballot, so we're running a write-in campaign for some good people.)

Foot traffic was very light, but then I was there in the mid-afternoon lull. Apparently mail-in numbers have been very high, so total voting might exceed 2018.

[Holman]

So obviously I voted in the PA Dem primary today.

My choices were made on the basis of statements, news, and my opinion of which incumbents deserve to continue in office. Considering all that, I voted against my current Congressional representative and in favor of challenger Alexandra Hunt.

I only recently read that she had spent some time as a stripper while working her way through college. If she wins in November, she'll presumably be the first former sex worker in Congress. That's pretty cool.

[Isgrimnur]

[Defiant]

If she wins in November, she'll presumably be the first former sex worker in Congress. That's pretty cool.

As opposed to Republicans, who are trying to screw the country while in office, so they're current sex workers.

[Holman]

Pennsylvania here.

The Dem US Senate primary has been called for John Fetterman.

The GOP PA Governor's race has been called for Trump-endorsed Doug Mastriano (who will face Dem Josh Shapiro, the current AG).

The GOP US Senate primary is where the drama is happening:

Businessman (and MAGA-come-lately) candidate Doug McCormick started with an early lead, but it has been eroding all night.
Trump-endorsed celebrity grifter Mehmet "Dr. Oz" Oz is coming up in sharp 2nd place and closing by the hour.
Late-surging right-wing pundit/grifter Kathy Barnette surged in recent polling but doesn't seem to be pacing out of a close 3rd place.

[Holman]

Per 538, idiot asshole Madison Cawthorn has conceded his primary in North Carolina.

This couldn't happen to a bigger douchebag (who should absolutely spill everything he knows about his GOP soon-to-be-former colleagues in a petty and immediately profitable final play for attention and media access before disappearing into the obscurity of footnote shame).

[YellowKing]

In other NC news, I was glad to see Pat McCrory get annihilated. F that guy, he's been a disaster in every position he's ever held.

[malchior]

In other NC news, I was glad to see Pat McCrory get annihilated. F that guy, he's been a disaster in every position he's ever held.

Downside is he lost to a guy backed by Trump and the reactionary arm of American oligarchy.

[LordMortis]