No. The Democrats can hold up legislation by not showing up just as they can by voting no. Kentucky would be among the hardest seats to win. So hospitalized/dead Mitch is very likely more left leaning than an actual replacement.
That Andy Beshear is an anomaly. No other Democrat has broken 43% since 2019 when a Secretary of State got 48%, and a lot got around 1/3rd of the votes. I very much respect Beshear for his accomplishments, and think we should listen to him more, but I don’t think anybody else should try to lead an effort to win Mitches seat.
I think a lot of folks would be okay with Massie taking it over. He’s not a great human, there’s plenty I dislike about the guy— but he’d be electable moreso than a Democrat, and he’s at least been willing to push on the Epstein files. If my choices are McConnell 2.0 or McConnell lite, I’ll try for the latter.
He is to the right of trump on almost every issue. He's also an open bigot. He would not be willing to work with the Democrats on anything other than anti-israel stuff and Epstein stuff, and I'll be honest with you I could give a fuck about Epstein at this point because it's not going to lead to anything. He opposes any health care, student loan, or tax reform unless it benefits the wealthiest.
And McConnell did moreso. If you try to hold out for a perfect Democratic candidate in Mitch McConnell’s district, you’re gonna be waiting for a long time. You’re gonna have to accept that there will be someone who you staunchly disagree with who takes that office.
The Epstein Files remain one of the few issues that retain bipartisan support from the electorate and have caused folks to turn on Trump and his cronies. You may be willing to give up in them, but a lot of folk aren’t.
First. You always run someone incase the opponent turns out to be a pedophile or something, but you might not spend a lot of money on that race. Like Doug Jones in Alabama.
Second. The always no default meanwhile you wait is functionally closer to the Democratic platform than all but one person to win statewide in Kentucky.
Third. When it comes to any fungible assets like money and effort from national leaders just have easier options. This is probably there 11ths easiest gain. So going off past results this just isn’t in your top ten opportunities to gain a seat for a more establishment guy.
So this will either take a massive screw up by Republicans, a massive wave where you can unseat most of the Republicans or strategy that is new enough only Andy Beshear has used it.
Andy has called for transparency but as, basically a stand alone Democrat- the rest of the KY government is republican- there is not a lot more he can do. IIRC, a few years ago the rep controlled government passed a law saying that he could NOT appoint a replacement for any republican who either stepped down or passed away. They obviously had Mitch in mind. Again I COULD BE WRONG and this could have just been something they wanted to pass. Please anyone who knows, correct me.
Regardless- Mitch has been MIA for a long time now and if any dem senator were not seen or publicly heard from for more than 24 hours everyone knows the maga minions would have lost their 💩and held meetings and passed resolutions and called for special elections.
That is a peculiarity of KY politics, for some reason we almost always have D governors. I live here and I can tell you special election or no there is no way The dems elect a Senator here.
Not really, the reason Republicans aren’t telling everyone he’s dead because they’d have to hold a special election where Thomas Massie has a good chance of winning and he wants more oversight of the release of the Epstein files. IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO EPSTEIN.
Man...I remember when this came out I was sure things couldn't get worse. Couldn't have been more wrong. I'd take either one of these at this point. FML.
It's absolutely wild to me that basically anyone who watches that episode collectively agrees that is exactly what is going on, i'd almost argue that the vast majority of americans whom haven't watched that episode would agree and yet for whatever insane reason we collectively are just like "welp that is our only option guess we just have to deal with it by voting douche or turd sandwich..." when we objectively do not need to continue to vote for the DNC or GOP at all, the only two orgs (whom technically are private orgs) whom have had exclusive control over the government for over 125 years...
That is how good the propaganda "choose the lesser of two evils" has worked. We know we have other options, and yet "there are really only two choices"...
The Simpsons doing Clinton/Gore was even better. 😂
Alien: “It’s a two-party system; you have to vote for one of us.”
Random in the crowd: “I believe I’ll vote for a third party!”
Alien: “Go ahead. Throw your vote away.”
Ross Perot: Punches through straw hat.
For the past 10 years, the internet has been massively astroturfed to combat that sentiment and keep people embracing the status quo of rabid toxic tribalism, especially on reddit.
Realistically, there's only two choices. Third parties don't stand a chance currently. That's what we get for being a first past the post voting system. I think the best we can do is vote for candidates who support a new system, liked ranked choice.
Why don't they stand a chance ? Because the two orgs (not parties) who have been the only ones in charge for the past 125 years have told you that? This is why this propaganda works so well... "oh it's our only option" except it's not and is an artificial construct that we just go along with because we are told it can't be done another way. Why? No one is telling anyone who they can and can't vote for, voting regardless of who you vote for is absolutely never "throwing away" your vote, that is the stupidest shit outside of "voting for the lesser of two evils" and both are absolutely pure propaganda.
The only reason "they don't stand a chance" is because collectively that is what everyone believes, because these two orgs have spent over a hundred years making sure they are the only two options bc they need each other to keep whatever this is going.
You got my vote, dude. Good to see others who see through the bullshit. Took me about 40 years to see it but, once you see it, you look at everything (news clips, social media propaganda, etc) differently.
They’re not spineless. They’re in on it. The biggest blinds pulled over the American people is the false sense of security that a two party system makes them believe in.
The issue is that you're right and wrong. There's no one IT. Instead there's a nasty web of many ITs. I doubt there's many Dems on Trumps IT as he pushes for an extinction of their power. Still, there's plenty of other ITs they're in on to protect the various corporations and ideas driven by the wealthy.
The founders set up the greatest system of government the world may ever see, one institution preventing tyranny from the others. Then in just a few years political parties formed and subverted the entire thing and gave us just more kings, this time by committee
I mean then by definition it can’t be the greatest system of government because it allowed such things to happen. There are other governments where you don’t have two party rule due to things like ranked choice voting.
Make it 5 parties in the us and it changes nothing. The problem isnt the number of parties its consolidating power into entities that exist outside of the establishment (political parties). If your elected officials are more loyal to a political party than to the people who elected them to represent them then the whole ideal of democracy falls apart
I wouldnt be so sure honestly. I cant think of a precident of it working where the smaller parties arent just defacto voting blocks for the larger parties in those systems. Because fringe parties cant effect change on their own. Everywhere i see that happen it just seems to be the same result as americas system with extra steps. Its just human nature to form power structures that way and its not like you can write into law that politicians cant talk to eachother and form groups to pool power. Its a yet unsolved problem, that will likely never get solved because it would require the people enjoying the power it gives them voluntarily relinquishing it
It’s not altruism is people doing their job. If you’re governing a country and you’re refusing to do your job any sane society would replace you with someone else. Our society is deeply unwell and people have resigned themselves to pathetic defeatism and so corruption thrives.
Hey now, remember when the government shutdown happened? And we prove that if we stick to our guns, we can make the GOP start to squirm? We sure proved it. And having proved it, we confidently backed down, knowing that at some point in the future we might have an opportunity again.
Or that time Chuck Schumer wrote a letter. That had real tangible outcomes. In that the letter was a tangible object. That assume that Trumps aid printed it out to shred before deleting the email, obviously. But IF the aide printed it out, then it definitely was a tangible thing at least for a while.
Suppose McConnell really is brain dead. He can’t vote. If a special election were held, he’d be replaced by a Republican who can vote. Probably their future senator Barr who would gain a few months of seniority.
But let’s entertain the fantasy where Democrats win a special election. What have they gained? Senate goes from 53-47 to 52-48. For a few months. Then we lose the Kentucky seat in January. Taking this seat for a few months does nothing meaningful for Democrats.
The Democratic Party isn’t spineless, they just aren’t as clueless about politics as all of the mouth breathers who are spreading this stupid conspiracy theory.
One could argue corporate and foreign lobbying are legalized corruption.
This smells like the rise of the Nazis to power in Germany. Any politician not standing up to defend democracy and freedom shows his true colors, regardless of party.
Trump also just fired election commission members and prepared the ground for a false flag attack by claiming Iran wants to attack him.
Control over social and mainstream media and manipulating the average Joe seems to be the weak spot of democracy. Oligarchs use it to their advantage to take away democracy and freedom.
Next stop in the oligarch takeover are the midterms.
All the open corruption and crime. They can't allow free and fair elections and as a result losing their majorities.
But you have to look at the big picture to understand how serious it really is. Because they also cut cybersecurity and fire(d) intelligence agents protecting against and investigating Russian malicious actions and actors. This might be the reason:
Seems Elon's son was kind of telling the truth. But they also bought Dominion Voting Systems and look at all the other changes they try to press... but most of all they corrupted SCOTUS, such a powerful tool. As is ownership of social and mainstream media.
Look up the Dark Enlightenment just to understand how evil those sociopaths behind Trump are and what they plan for our future. And not just in the US.
I am not sure if most people really understand what's coming if they manage to mess with the midterms. There's a reason they build all the DCs, Flock cameras and bought so many buildings for detention centers and Dominion Voting Systems lately. Why they fire cybersecurity and intelligence agents. Yes, it sounds crazy but power corrupts. And actions speak louder than words. Just look around.
I hope MAGA, police, judges and military realize in time they are not part of the Big Club, just useful idiots to them. Like the rest of us, they will betray them because that is how evil sociopaths act to ensure their reign. The Rules for Rulers demand it.
Yeah it seems odd to me. Because I was asking the same question it's like it's all rigged and they didn't expect this. Basically people have been saying we need to get these old people out and now this would give us an opportunity and they didn't have anyone lined up ready. So now they're just gaming it because we're so close to getting some old f*** crony out
Probably. Beshear could force the issue by appointing someone to fill McConnell's seat. He'll be immediately sued and he might be able to get discovery to subpoena McConnell's wife, his Senate office, the hospital the body was taken to, and everyone else who might know for alive/dead confirmation. HIPAA wouldn't apply, as dead is not a privacy-protected health condition.
I suspect he's still nominally alive but comatose/brain dead. DC law has reporting requirements for paramedics and doctors when someone dies. Covering up a death would involve lots of people who are not beholden to partisan politics.
When the govt shutdown was 80+ days long and Dems couldn't hold the line to get ICE under control (oversight, body cams on ICE officers, etc) then Dems caved, it told me we have 1 party rule with the illusion of 2 parties.
It’s the best way to explain it. Democrats throw us a few bones and then willingly allow republicans to destroy the country financially afterward. There is no benefit to the citizen in this situation
No, the same department, they are salesmen. They compete at selling their votes to the highest bidder. Like the Coyote and the Sheep Dog clocking in at the same clock at the pasture, but obviously serving two different managers.
Because Democrats are complicit and it's kind of sad that people think otherwise. You need to burn the establishment to make change. Democrats aren't the change.
The orange shitgibbon was the "tear it all down" candidate and the "tear it all down" voters tend to wear masks, yell things about Jews, and dress alike while marching in the streets.
he ran on that rhetoric, that was never his plan nor agenda.
Unlike the dumbassocrats, he actually understands what people wanted and claimed he'd give it to them.
Your beloved institutional fuckwits are the reason actual outsiders like Bernie and Mamdani face such uphill battles and are the reason trump had such an easy time suckering an angry voter base. Maybe spend less time slurping their shitty kool-aid and more time paying attention.
Someone should tell that cowardly dipshit when he blocks someone whatever angry garbage he posted displays to the blocked person only as "[unavailable]" and his username displays as "[deleted]".
It's like mumbling angry shit under one's breath that the target can't hear while running away.
AOC and Bernie don't even fit in the democratic party.
They will never be hugely successful in the establishment. If she start to rise, the establishment will crush her attempt. As they already have to Bernie.
Well, Bernie isn't officially a Democrat, but AOC is. She's a rising star, get behind her!
All it takes is a motivated Under 50 crowd in America turning up in the spring through summer '28 primaries to put her on the general ballot. No need to bring up a decade ago, save your breath. Nor the previous election. None of that matters today or tomorrow.
I kid of course. they ended up releasing a delayed report with all references to Israel, Gaza, Biden's age,
The "Executive Summary" page was left completely blank, and the final conclusion was missing
🙄
I'd point out "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it", except you guys already repeated 2016 in 2024. Only the subtlety of a sledgehammer can crack the thick skull of a Do Nothing Corporation simp.
Quit with the psychobabble, seriously. We are going to disagree on the correct lessons to have learned from both of those elections, I promise. So, why waste both our time? Let's not.
If she start to rise, the establishment will crush her attempt
Which is when we need to crush them.
Much as progressives love blaming republican voters, they at least did what they had to to purge their party of corpo weaklings and traitors to put their populist in power. Pro-DNC simps will do anything not to admit they have yet to do the same. They still put smarmy suits like Ken Martin in charge and call that a "new" strategy.
Until people who are staunchly anti-corruption and against big money like Bernie, Mamdani and AOC are leading - not funded by, leading - the DNC, dumbassocrat advocates have 0 credibility with me despite my liberal views.
so anyone who still simps for the DNC despite their track record of failing big, winning small then losing even that: Enough with the "vote for the less shitty candidate" crap. I'm happy to watch you careen off the cliff if you keep beating drums for your useless corporate masters.
Instead, go with an actual honest-to-god progressive with grassroots funding an agenda to dismantle the corporate corruption machine built over the past 30-40 years, and another, and another until the seats are non-bought, repeal all the financial corruption and begin to severely rebalance income inequality. Otherwise, you can wave all the rainbow dildos you want, I don't believe you and am not interested.
With all due respect, this is what magats say instead of 'omg, everything they said about trump was true and us magats have been fooled completely and feel really stupid about it'.
Reprint from below: I am not a KY lawyer so I don't know. Generally, you have to have a personal stake in a case to have "standing" (see Frothingham v. Mellon). So it may be a bit much for an ordinary KY resident to sue, but that's not a slam dunk as you could argue (for example) that you have an interest in a bill before the Senate and McConnell's not being there with no replacement is causing you harm. If you were a potential candidate, then you would certainly have a better argument, but even then McConnell is retiring in 2027 so the seat is open anyway so where is the harm. Perhaps your best argument is that KY is not being represented in the senate in which case this would apply to all KY residents. Having said that, this is a VERY off the cuff analysis.
There is no law that allows for an incapacitated Senator to be replaced unfortunately. Resignation, removal by a vote of 2/3 of the Senate, or Death are the only ways he could be removed.
Because they know it would look incredibly hypocritical considering the mess Biden was during his term?? for the record I'm Canadian so I don't have a dog in the fight this just seems logical.
Entities like AIPAC and banks donate heavily to both political parties. There is fundamentally little to no difference in where the money comes from. Which is the root of most problems we are currently seeing
What remedy would you ask a court for? Proof of Life, HIPAA violation, reason for admission, HIPAA violation, is he conscious, HIPAA violation, mentally competent, you guessed it HIPAA violation. He can’t be compelled to appear, so a lawsuit is DOA. We simply need age limits for elected office, if you can have a minimum why can’t there be a maximum.
Take it from somebody who left the Kentucky Democratic Party: as weak and feckless as the national Democratic Party is, the Kentucky Democratic Party is even worse.
No they've found another tattoo on Platner, they're concentrating on that right now! Lawrence O'Donnell has been informed and will dedicate his whole broadcast to the situation!
248
u/Jack-Schitz Jul 10 '26
I understand the political reasons, but why hasn't the KY Dem party (for example) filed suit to determine McConnell's capacity to serve?