Donald Trump couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome from the elections for the former legislative body known as the US Congress.
The Emasculated Congress
Almost no substantial legislation has passed in the US Congress, under the control by two parties, namely the Evil Party and the Stupid Party, since prior to 2010 when the monstrosity known as Obamacare was passed. This required an alignment of the planets where a single party held the house, had 60+ seats in the senate to defeat the Filibuster (requiring 60 votes rather than a simple majority), as well as holding the White House. This period lasted for just 2 years.
The responsibility for passing or repealing legislation now resides with a committee of unelected ivy league lawyers sitting in the Supreme Court. The most important role now of the US Congress, and in particular the Senate, is to appoint these lawyers to not only the Supreme Court but also the Federal Courts which are the feeder committees to the supreme committee.
Until recently the ability to appoint compliant lawyers to these committees was hamstrung by the Filibuster, even if the Senate majority party held the White House as well. Two developments made appointments easier. Firstly, under the previous administration, the Evil Party decided as a matter of convenience, to avoid getting bipartisan approval for their nominees to the Federal Courts, to do away with the Filibuster so it could stack those courts with lawyers that would reliably rule supporting Evil Party policies. Then in 2017, when the Stupid Party wanted to approve a Trump nominee for the Supreme Court, the Evil Party tried to Filibuster that appointment, even though it would be replacing one conservative lawyer with another. At which point the Stupid Party following the Evil Party’s precedent, did away with the Filibuster for the Supreme Court as well.
Then when another Trump nominee was sent for Senate confirmation, one that would upset the balance of the supreme committee, there was no Filibuster the Evil Party could rely on. Even the Evil Party can be stupid sometimes.
It surprised many that the Stupid Party held out against the Evil Party to confirm the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, because normally the Stupid Party folds when they have to support anything that the Evil Party opposes because they use guilt and smears to intimidate bedwetters in the Stupid Party to vote against Stupid Party nominees. This is usually a successful tactic, and doesn’t work in reverse when used by the Stupid Party against the Evil Party, because they don’t really care about such things. Unfortunately for the Evil Party, there were an insufficient number of Stupid Party bedwetters to stop the confirmation, due to the strong support of Trump for his nominee, who called out the Evil Party Tactics, not something that Stupid Party presidents normally do. Even some in the Stupid Party had sufficient spine, given the Presidents support, to do so as well.
So the Senate result with an increased majority, beyond the bedwetter margin would have been very pleasing to Trump. He will be able to get his nominees approved, even with the delays imposed by the Evil Party who insist on using the full allowance of 30 hours of debate for each of the 100’s of appointments in order to delay Trump’s agenda. The Stupid Party has yet to change this obstructionist rule.
But the Stupid Party lost the house.
When the Stupid Party held the house, they still couldn’t reach agreement on almost any legislation, which was blocked in any case by the Filibuster in the Senate. The house has now just become a chamber for committees by the party holding it, to investigate the other party. So now the Evil Party holds the house, there will be a multitude of investigations into Trump, but as before there will be no substantial legislation approved. However, there will be one difference. Trump will now be able to blame the Evil Party for legislative obstruction rather than his own Stupid Party.
While investigations by the Evil Party will be never ending, Trump will be able to follow the precedents of his predecessor who wrote the rule book on obstructionism using tactics supported at the time by the Evil Party.
In addition, the gains by the Evil Party are very modest compared with the first mid-terms for the opposition of other presidents, and while the Evil Party have fewer bedwetters than the Stupid Party (most Evil Party members have no conscience), they still do have some, particularly those who have just flipped a seat to the Evil Party, and who want to be in congress longer than 2 years. This will prevent the more hysterical agendas of the Evil Party being pursued.
Meanwhile, back at the Whitehouse
With all this gridlock, Trump will still be able to dump treaties he doesn’t like, repeal Obama regulations, continue to stack the courts with his nominees and put in place executive orders which are likely to be supported by a friendly supreme committee.
No wonder the Evil Party is mad.
You tell a good story, Greg. It will continue to be gripping viewing.
Don’t let M0nty read this, he’ll have conniptions.
UK Times has a sane take on Trump, for a change:
Remind me, in Oz, which is the Stupid party and which is the Evil one?
It’s off topic, but relevant, and it’s good.
JORDAN PETERSON SAYS GLOBAL WARMING HYPE IS ‘LOW-RESOLUTION THINKING’
Cambridge invited Peterson to give a talk on Nov. 2 where one audience member asked him if global warming could “unite us all on left and right” to take action.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/11/08/jordan-peterson-global-warming-hype/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=thedcenergy
I thought the respective two parties were evil-stupid and stupid-evil.
Love the beautifully nuanced distaste that is inserted through this article. It is unfortunately exactly the same here. Except that the evil party and the nasty evil party control the senate. And this wont change next election. The evil party here accept help from the nasty party but frown on the stupids accepting help from the deplorable party.
No Green Wave as well, a good sign!
Plus some Green Republican troublemakers lost out.
Great article.
Irregardless of results from previous 1st-off mid-term elections I don’t understand how this can be headlined as the “best possible outcome”.
The best possible outcome would to be in control of both houses.
This is somewhat short of that.
POTUS is now going to be harassed by the Dem controlled House for the next 2 years.
It can’t go anywhere due to his control of the Senate IMO still a less than ideal outcome.
It has been said that Trump’s longest-lasting legacy will be the appointment of judges. If so, there is something very wrong with the system. The judges have way too much power, and there is a desperate need for term limits (Congress too).
Very enjoyable article by the way.
The best possible outcome would to be in control of both houses.
This is somewhat short of that.
True, but Trump wouldn’t have been in control of the House even with a GOP majority, because the quislings and invertebrates would maintain their 20017/2018 form of consistently undermining him.
The calculation is that the Dems will beclown themselves more in majority than they could have in minority, and it’s easier for Trump to blame them for chaos than to blame his own (nominally) party.
Justice Ginsburg has been rushed to hospital after a fall in which 3 ribs were broken. She has other health problems. Looks like her time is nearly up. The left are apoplectic and some are offering spare ribs and other organ replacements.
Treaties can only be made or broken by Congress. Trump cannot ever dump any treaty, nor was he able to before, nor has he ever tried.
Exactly.
President Trump will replace her with someone no older than 25. That should see the Supreme Court in good hands for at least another half-century.
The Democrats are now talking like Civil War is necessary. As an example, look at how they react to the vandalism and threats made against Tucker Carlson.
https://imgur.com/gallery/4rdaS5U/comment/1523470159
Some quotes:
• Haven’t we learned from literally centuries of history that doing shit like this doesn’t help any cause?
Probably just more hollow talk … probably.
True, but Trump wouldn’t have been in control of the House even with a GOP majority, because the quislings and invertebrates would maintain their 20017/2018 form of consistently undermining him.
You do know the system like this for a reason?
Supreme committee LOL, maybe Trump should grow a bristly moustache to complete the picture. Comrade.
Great article!
The Evil Party and the Stupid Party: never again shall I think of them as anything else.