This happens in every election. Some media outlets call some races early, and in the aftermath they are blamed by the losers for influencing the outcome. It's possible (though unlikely) that such premature announcements really have made the difference in some cases, but it's not provable. It would also be hard to prove that it was a deliberate effort unless you catch someone stupid enough to be recorded saying "Let's call the race for the Democrats so all the Republican voters will stay home."
Well the Repubs do watch Fox. honestly it’s so blue here that it does seem futile to vote GOP a lot of the time. I can see an early call like that being the straw that breaks the last bit of will to make it to the polling place
The whole "they called it too early" works both ways. If it can cause people on one side to not go to the polls, it can do the same to people on the other side. And honestly, I don't think this has much of an effect on individual state-level races. Where it can impact things is at the national level, when--as in the past--bunches of States were being called as early as possible, so as to be first.
Post by nighttimer on Nov 26, 2018 20:41:29 GMT -5
Standing on the verge of Confederate sympathizer and public lynching freak Cindy Hyde-Smith's likely win in Mississippi over Mike Espy tomorrow, I just wanted to say appeals to racism still work in 2018. That's why Trump is on the stump in two campaign stops in Mississippi. Even against a lackluster opponent like Espy, Hyde-Smith is such a fuck-up, Trump has to drag his ass around a flyover state to prevent another Roy Moore style debacle.
Racism and Republicans go together like milk and cookies. White milk, not chocolate. Never chocolate.
Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me. Audre Lorde
Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence. Angela Davis
I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do. James A. Baldwin
On recounts: I think there is a real possibility that Florida might flip with both the Senate and Governor races. And Arizona could obviously go either way. 51 makes it a whole different ballgame and gives those two Senators I mentioned earlier a lot more power, as the deciding votes.
I'd obviously love to see that. Having the margin be that close at least means that the GOP must have the more moderate members of its caucus on board to do anything. It's slightly less of a rubber stamp for Trump (though not much of one, given what we've seen the last couple of years).
Murkowski has shown herself willing to balk Trump's bidding now and again. Collins, less so, but then, she's now pretty isolated up there as a Republican in Maine. That might influence her to do it more often, and perhaps on some issues I care about, since she purports to care about them as well. (Yes, Prozyan and nighttimer, I can see you shaking your heads. It's not that I think it's likely Collins will turn all maverick, but it's the only shard I can cling to in the Senate until 2020. At least I gave up on Flake.
Thomas Farr, a former lawyer for the repugnant segregationist North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms, is up for lifetime appointment as a federal judge. Naturally, he has the full support of Sen. Susan Collins.
Less than two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed for cloture on a pair of judicial nominations, including Farr’s nomination to become a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina. According to NBC’s Frank Thorp, Collins—one of the most partisan members of the Senate—will provide McConnell with her vote on Farr’s confirmation, bringing the total to 50-50, with all 49 Democrats opposed and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake remaining a “No” vote thanks to his half-hearted stance on the Mueller investigation before he leaves office next month.
Should the vote totals hold for the official tally, it seems likely that Vice President Mike Pence will step in for what would be the 10th time and break the tie.
This is the fourth time Farr has made his way through the nomination process, the earliest coming back in 2006 under George W. Bush. Farr rose through the uber-conservative ranks as a campaign lawyer for Helms, and has since used his time and power to lobby for every racist voter suppression tactic the North Carolina GOP could cook up, including a set of redistricting maps that a judge found “targeted African Americans with almost surgical precision.”
He is Bad, to say the least, and the absolute last person that should sit on a court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a district in which African-Americans make up 30 percent of the population. “His nomination is a travesty,” the NAACP said in a statement earlier this month. “His confirmation would be heresy.”
Collins will vote for a man with this record because she lives to hew to the party line. This is not new, surprising, or shocking. It’s just a confirmation that you’d need to suspend disbelief in order to think she’d ever act any other way.
I do not believe in fairies or in Post-Racial America or unicorns who fart rainbows and shit gumdrops. I do not believe in the fantastical and the fictional and the imaginary and therefore I do not believe in the Myth of the Moderate Republican. If they exist, they are few in number and even fewer in possession of a fully functional brain stem. Little Suzie Collins is not a secret member of The Resistance. Little Suzie Collins is a con woman and a fake and a fraud and a phony.
Little Suzie is not here to be your Santa Claus, your Joan of Arc, Your Hanoi Jane or your Profile In Courage. She's sure as shit not here to be anyone's down low Emma Goldman.
Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me. Audre Lorde
Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence. Angela Davis
I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do. James A. Baldwin
Broward Supervisor of Elections Dr. Brenda Snipes announced Saturday she will fight her suspension by the governor, and rescinded her letter of resignation that preceded it.
Gov. Rick Scott suspended Snipes late Friday afternoon, citing “widespread issues with voting” in Broward County.
Broward elections office attorney Burnadette Norris Weeks said the governor is holding Snipes to a different standard than other elections supervisors in Florida, “as if there can never be a mistake made.” She alleged the suspension was mean-spirited, an attempt to take Snipes’ pension, and based on false or unfair allegations. She also suggested the Republican governor was motivated by politics, removing the Democratic supervisor in a heavily Democratic county.
I think Norris may have a point on the pension issue, but then I also think Snipes has failed so miserably that she's earned such a result.
As to the politics of it all, it's still an elected office, so Scott's appointment will have to stand for election in the next cycle, just as Snipes did when Bush appointed her to replace Oliphant.
As to it being based on "false or unfair allegations," that's laughable, since Snipes' failures are a matter of record in multiple elections and--in this one--it's unquestionably true that her office violated Florida election law.
Brenda Snipes got a raw deal when former Gov. Rick Scott suspended her as Broward County’s supervisor of elections, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Scott vilified Snipes, trampled her due-process rights and used vague and meaningless catch-all terms to do so, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in a 15-page ruling.
[snip]
“Rather than accept the resignation quietly and avoid trampling on Snipes’ due process rights, Scott suspended Snipes and vilified her without giving her a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” Walker wrote.
“Flagrantly disregarding Plaintiff’s constitutional rights fits into an unfortunate rhythm for Scott,” he also wrote.
No justice in Broward, eh? And Florida can continue to be a laughing-stock during election time.
Brenda Snipes got a raw deal when former Gov. Rick Scott suspended her as Broward County’s supervisor of elections, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Scott vilified Snipes, trampled her due-process rights and used vague and meaningless catch-all terms to do so, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in a 15-page ruling.
[snip]
“Rather than accept the resignation quietly and avoid trampling on Snipes’ due process rights, Scott suspended Snipes and vilified her without giving her a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” Walker wrote.
“Flagrantly disregarding Plaintiff’s constitutional rights fits into an unfortunate rhythm for Scott,” he also wrote.
No justice in Broward, eh? And Florida can continue to be a laughing-stock during election time.
Quite a bit IF you actually read Judge Walker's ruling. Plenty of answers for ya there. Despite Brenda Snipes' "extended and documented history of screwing up," she still deserves due process and Rick Scott didn't give her any. Which is why Walker dropped the 500-lb shithammer on Scott's bald little head.
The issue here is whether Scott could suspend and publicly vilify a constitutional officer without a meaningful opportunity for her to be heard. The answer is no.
On November 18, 2018, Snipes submitted a letter of resignation to Scott. In it, she identified January 4, 2019 as the effective date of her resignation. On November 30, 2018, Scott, without warning, issued an executive order suspending Snipes as Supervisor of Elections effective immediately. Scott’s order stated that “due to her demonstrated misfeasance, incompetence, and neglect of duty, Supervisor Snipes can no longer demonstrate the qualifications necessary to meet her duties in office” and that she has “repeatedly failed” in her position.
Scott listed several past episodes to support his suspension. He appointed Peter Antonacci as Supervisor of Elections, at 5, who was then sworn in on December 3, 2018. (Remember the name of Ex-Governator Scott's appointee. It'll mean more later.)
Scott’s suspension of Snipes was an effective termination. Snipes identified January 4, 2019 as her last day as Supervisor. Scott suspended her on November 30 and appointed a successor effective immediately.
Scott labels the 36-day-long difference as a suspension but, because the Senate could not reasonably act to remove or reinstate Snipes during that time, it was an effective termination. Scott argues the suspension was not a final action because the Senate needed to act; the Senate, meanwhile, argues it could not reasonably act during this period. This dizzying Ouroboros-like argument can be rectified by relying on common sense—Snipes’ suspension without any recourse was an effective termination.
The Due Process Clause does not prohibit a state from depriving a person of liberty. But there must be some process—notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
…Snipes is likely to prevail on the merits because she was denied due process entirely. She had neither an opportunity for a pre-deprivation hearing, nor has she been afforded a post-deprivation hearing. In fact, the Senate foreclosed a full post-suspension hearing as state law outlines because of the contours of the legislative calendar. Therefore, Snipes has had and will have zero opportunity to tell her side of the story in any official forum. At the preliminary injunction hearing, Scott’s counsel suggested Snipes could write letters or air her grievances in the news media.
This is not a meaningful opportunity to be heard.On the contrary, the excessive airing of grievances—whether real or imagined—across news outlets and social media has led in recent years
to the degradation of public discourse.
The law can be unclear at times. Statutes can be ambiguous; case law can meander, diverge, or swerve from common sense. Judges face murky legal issues every day. Today is not one of those days. Procedural due process is not ambiguous. Flagrantly disregarding Plaintiff’s constitutional rights fits into an unfortunate rhythm for Scott. But the ease and comfort Scott has in overlooking Plaintiff’s due process rights does make it legally permissible.
I'd have to defer to Cassandra or Mark's vastly superior legal credentials, but from this layman's POV, Judge Walker's ruling looks suspiciously like a bitch slap.
Oh, and here's a fun fact about Scott's handpicked successor to Ms. Snipes. He comes to the job with NO experience.
Antonacci has no election office experience but has been a political insider, particularly close to Scott, for years. Antonacci is the only Republican official in an elected county position. He is not expected to run for the post in 2020.
Apparently, Rick Scott's idea on how to improve the Broward County election office is to take some unqualified party hack and slide his ass into Snipes' chair hoping that maybe he'll get lucky and do a better job than she did. And Florida can continue to be a laughing-stock during election time.
Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me. Audre Lorde
Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence. Angela Davis
I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do. James A. Baldwin
I agree, I think Walker's ruling does look like a "bitch slap." But that doesn't make it right or sensible. He actually asserts that the suspension damaged Snipes' reputation. It is to laugh.
Snipes has been a royal fuck up for years. But the wise people of Broward County kept electing her, despite her screw-ups. This year, yet another series of idiotic moves by Snipes turned into national news. And lawsuits led to a judge actually finding that Snipes had broken election law and violated the State constitution. I notice that Walker doesn't address that ruling at all. And Walker criticizes Scott for not accepting "the resignation quietly." Why should he? Why not allow that she should just quietly accept her near-total failure in the office she held?
As to Florida continuing to be a laughing stock, if you want to blame someone, blame the Democrats in power in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Those are the places where the fuck-ups have happened. The rest of the State doesn't seem to be any worse than any other State.
As to Pete Antonacci...maybe he'll suck. But the bar is so low right now that it's unlikely he'll be any worse than Snipes, imo. And if he does suck, the Broward County voters will be able to oust him in 2020. Hell, even if he does a good job, he'll still probably get ousted in 2020, because the Broward Dem Party will sure as hell run someone against him, just to get control of the office. Because that's what really matters...
I agree, I think Walker's ruling does look like a "bitch slap." But that doesn't make it right or sensible. He actually asserts that the suspension damaged Snipes' reputation. It is to laugh.
Laugh until your sides split, but since Walker is a judge, and you're just some guy who disagrees with his ruling, it does make it "right and sensible." He asserted the suspension/firing of Snipes damaged her rep and made a far more credible case for her than you have against her. It's obvious you can't stand Brenda Snipes. It's equally obvious she's more pleased by the judge siding with her than she is displeased that you side with Slick Rick Scott.
Snipes has been a royal fuck up for years. But the wise people of Broward County kept electing her, despite her screw-ups. This year, yet another series of idiotic moves by Snipes turned into national news. And lawsuits led to a judge actually finding that Snipes had broken election law and violated the State constitution. I notice that Walker doesn't address that ruling at all. And Walker criticizes Scott for not accepting "the resignation quietly." Why should he? Why not allow that she should just quietly accept her near-total failure in the office she held?
Why should she? Why does she have to validate your contempt for her? Why do you have such a raging hard-on about Snipes when she had already submitted her resignation and not at Slick Rick for circumventing state law with his petty "You can't quit. I fired you!" bullshit? Why should she allow Voldemort Scott to punk her like that?
If Snipes was such a royal fuck-up for years, why did Slick Rick wait until he had one foot out the door to fire her? Why would Judge Walker reference the ruling made by another judge if it wasn't germane to the facts of this case? Scott tried to get with some douchebaggery and Judge Walker kicked that weak shit to the curb.
It was petty and it was vindictive and it was against the Fourteenth Amendment and Scott ended up being the one who got punked. Deal with it.
As to Florida continuing to be a laughing stock, if you want to blame someone, blame the Democrats in power in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Those are the places where the fuck-ups have happened. The rest of the State doesn't seem to be any worse than any other State.
Ex-squeeze me? WTF were you in 2000? In a coma? If you wanna snark at somebody, go snark at Republican Jeb Bush who appointed Democrat Brenda Snipes. Why didn't you move to Broward, pull an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and beat the stupid out of the four-time reelected incumbent? If Snipes is the fuck-up you say she is it should have been easy to dust her off. If the Dems of Broward County are so large and in charge, why did they suck so hard last November and kill their dreams?
Democratic efforts fall short (again) in Broward Broward is Florida’s Democratic stronghold, providing huge margins for Democratic candidates in statewide races.
Election after election, Democrats put enormous efforts into Broward, hoping to get even higher turnout. In the 2014 gubernatorial campaign, Democratic nominee Charlie Crist rented a condo on Fort Lauderdale beach because he was spending so much time in Broward.
In the last full week of the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton had events in Broward on four of the seven days.
This year, Gillum made multiple trips to the county, going to great lengths to court members of key Democratic voting blocs: African-American, Caribbean-American and Jewish voters, and unionized teachers.
As usual, Broward disappoints the Democratic Party.
Vote totals as of Wednesday afternoon show Broward turnout was 57.4 percent, compared with 62.1 percent statewide and 63.4 percent in Palm Beach County. (The state’s 2018 turnout was far, far better than the 44.5 percent turnout in the 2014 midterm.)
Broward’s turnout for this year’s midterms was among the lowest of the state’s 10 most populous counties, along with Miami-Dade County at 56.9 percent.
If Broward and Miami-Dade counties and turnout at the same level as the rest of the state, it’s possible results might have been different in the races for governor, U.S. Senate and state agriculture commissioner.
Seems to me the Dems kick all kinds of ass in Broward County during state elections---sometimes---and come up real small when it comes to races with a national impact. Appreciate the exaggeration though.
As to Pete Antonacci...maybe he'll suck. But the bar is so low right now that it's unlikely he'll be any worse than Snipes, imo. And if he does suck, the Broward County voters will be able to oust him in 2020. Hell, even if he does a good job, he'll still probably get ousted in 2020, because the Broward Dem Party will sure as hell run someone against him, just to get control of the office. Because that's what really matters...
If your take is a totally unqualified hack like Antonacci can't be worse than Snipes, it's a weak one.
Oh hey, don't look now, but your "I'm impartial and I condemn both sides equally" mask is slipping and your conservative Republican bias is showing. Must be from having an openly bigoted dickhead like Governator Ronny DeSantis saying and doing openly the foul shit Slick Rick at least tried to keep on the down low.
Meet the new racist. Same as the old racist.
Last Edit: Jan 10, 2019 18:36:07 GMT -5 by nighttimer
Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me. Audre Lorde
Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence. Angela Davis
I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do. James A. Baldwin