2026 Mid-Term Elections

[ZiprHead]

Judge blocks Trump's mail rule. Details to come.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

An attack on Democrat running for Governor in Ohio (Amy Action) left some injured, though Amy Acton was left unharmed. Subsequent reporting indicates the man had two guns and a taser on him. Injuries were just due to mostly elderly people being shoved down as he tried to make his way to Acton.

Amy Acton was involved with the Pandemic response in the Dewine (R) administration. Republican Mike Dewine was one of the few GOP governors to take a global medical emergency like it was a global medical emergency. Friction still developed between Acton and Dewine.

Her actions regarding the pandemic are being used in negative attack ads against her. She apparently was solely responsible for job losses due to the closures during a global pandemic that killed over a million Americans.

 

[Shadowy Man]

She apparently was solely responsible for job losses due to the closures during a global pandemic that killed over a million Americans.

I thought Fauci was solely responsible for that and basically everything else in the pandemic.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Man, the GOP is going full blown trans on their ad against Sherrod Brown. They have absolutely nothing to sell Husted on, so now they are juxtapositioning Brown with cross dressers in the ad. The GOP is desperate! Amazing how much traction the GOP get out of transgenders. Granted, they did very well with gay bigotry too!

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Actually in reading the NY Times article, this is complicated! The primaries have already occurred. The GOP Is Missouri attempted to force their maps by rejecting the Referendum vote within the last hour possible. The paperwork for it was filed 12/9/25 and rejected 8/7/26 (1 hour before the legislated deadline). The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the map is invalid, the mid-term must be via the existing maps, and the referendum must be on the ballot.

SCOTUS typically stays out of it with state elections, but this one is quite bad. Granted, all the more reason to stay out of it, unless they want to suggest voting isn't a right anymore. Resolution of this is almost impossible, other than somehow they hold primaries in November and General elections in December, if that is even legal. The GOP has really stepped in it this time, but they are trying to seize control of our nation's government, so this might be a benefit rather than a cost.

This might be one of the most contested state elections since Kentucky in 1900.

And Kavanaugh follows my suggestion.. I mean... Kavanaugh does as expected and tells Missouri AG to pound sand and rejects the case. No word on why, but as I noted, SCOTUS has generally not intervened in state matters for voting in the last several years. Yes, they diluted the Voting Rights Act and normalized disenfranchising voters, but when it comes intervening in State Supreme Court decisions, they've generally left it alone, and continue to do so here.

But this is where things get weird. The election is right around the corner, the primaries have already occurred... therefore, a Federal Judge has reinstated the dead re-gerrymandered map.

But shortly after, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary restraining order in a separate challenge to Missouri's Supreme Court decision, writing that the plaintiffs faced "irreparable harm" otherwise because "many Missouri voters would have to cast their general-election votes for candidates whom they had no role in nominating."

In general, this isn't exactly crazy, but it is a manipulated outcome, as the AG waited to the last second (and 8 months) to illegally reject a referendum on the re-gerrymandered map. IE, the GOP is fucking with this election. There is no legal resolution that really works in this time frame. I'm reminded of 2000 where W et al kept delaying recounts with court orders, astro-turf protests, and legal cases. The clock finally ran out... err... kind of.

I would note that primaries aren't in the Constitution. So the Federal issue for the necessity to vote in primaries very likely doesn't exist. But that would likely require an open field for the General Election and the State Constitution or State Law might not allow that. People need to meet deadlines for elections. All of this is in the past by this point.

Missouri are headed towards a fake election. People will go to the polls to vote for representatives of districts that legally don't exist according to the Missouri Supreme Court. This is the sort of thing the GOP probably want (and others abroad want badly). The GOP has manipulated things so badly, it will be near impossible to seat any Missouri Representatives in 2027.

 

[Elixir]

The GOP has manipulated things so badly, it will be near impossible to seat any Missouri Representatives in 2027.

I don’t see how that is a likely outcome.
Can you ‘splain what the further result would be? Seems like MO tends ruby red, so who is served by their projected inability to seat electees?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The GOP has manipulated things so badly, it will be near impossible to seat any Missouri Representatives in 2027.

I don’t see how that is a likely outcome.
Can you ‘splain what the further result would be? Seems like MO tends ruby red, so who is served by their projected inability to seat electees?

MO Supreme Court ruled districts are from last election.
Can't hold primaries for those districts, who runs in the General Election? Deadlines have passed to file for running.

US Federal District Judge ruled recent re-gerrymandered map is the legal map.
Primaries were held for these districts, so have candidates, but is the map legal. SCOTUS will need to rule again, now that the Feds stepped back in it.

There are two separates cases, which have incompatible rulings. One is local, one is Federal. SCOTUS already rubber stamped the local ruling which says use the old map. To be consistent they would need to write-off the other one. Is there time to do so? Can they shadow docket this away? If they do, then there is the issue of how to manage an election with "old" districts and no candidates. The easiest way would be to let the GOP get away with their despotic BS and just use the new map because we are out of time, harkening the 2000 Election.

Mail-in ballots have to be going out at some point. The clock is ticking, it is very late!

Post election, it took over 6 months to get Al Franken elected in Minnesota as the GOP delayed as much as they could to keep the Democrats from a Super-Majority in the Senate. Missouri may not be resolvable. How can someone represent a district that doesn't exist? SCOTUS fucked up (or maybe this was always the goal).

If Missouri can't be seated, GOP loses a +4 advantage when they tried to make it +6. A House Majority is a majority of those present.

 

[Elixir]

How can someone represent a district that doesn't exist? SCOTUS fucked up (or maybe this was always the goal).

I am still confused. How does making a chocolate mess out of a ruby red state’s election, serve the ends of the fascist party? Why would that be SCROTUS’ goal?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

How can someone represent a district that doesn't exist? SCOTUS fucked up (or maybe this was always the goal).

I am still confused. How does making a chocolate mess out of a ruby red state’s election, serve the ends of the fascist party? Why would that be SCROTUS’ goal?

Two things:
1) They delayed things to force the courts to go along with it as there are no real legal alternatives.
2) The GOP don't want democracy. They don't want actual elections. Trump tried to use Georgia as the catalyst to negate results in the other Battleground states. This will be used against our Democracy.

 

[Elixir]

This will be used against our Democracy.

Oh, those sneaky little rats!
I bet they’re going to slit their wrists too, so they can blame the libtards for the bloody mess!
Sadly, it just might work.

 

[TV and credit cards]

DALLAS, Sept 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump capped the first day of his Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention by proposing to pay every U.S. adult a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if his party wins November's congressional elections.

Some Republicans are calling this mid-term convention "Trumpapalooza".

 

[ZiprHead]

DALLAS, Sept 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump capped the first day of his Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention by proposing to pay every U.S. adult a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if his party wins November's congressional elections.

Some Republicans are calling this mid-term convention "Trumpapalooza".

Buying votes now? This must put derec in a tizzy considering his Biden payments to taxpayers causing inflation.

 

[TV and credit cards]

DALLAS, Sept 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump capped the first day of his Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention by proposing to pay every U.S. adult a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if his party wins November's congressional elections.

Some Republicans are calling this mid-term convention "Trumpapalooza".

Buying votes now? This must put derec in a tizzy considering his Biden payments to taxpayers causing inflation.

If everyone gets it, legally it's a campaign promise.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

DALLAS, Sept 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump capped the first day of his Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention by proposing to pay every U.S. adult a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if his party wins November's congressional elections.

Some Republicans are calling this mid-term convention "Trumpapalooza".

$500 to $750 billion? However, as bad as that is, I think it is even worse that he says the economy that is averaging about 75k jobs created a month this year (entire second term?) is doing so well. The economy is worse than it was under Biden.

Notes the Iran War will be over after Mid-terms, indicating gas prices will be elevated into the election.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It also appears Fetterman may change caucuses and the Democrats need 52 now this November.

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

The $5,000 to every voter IF the GOP is returned in both houses is an outright bribe. He already promised the people money before and didn't deliver - DOGE $5,000 in February 2025, and tariff rebates on two occasions, each of $2,000.
His promises are worthless.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

In polls, we are kind of doing the same thing we've been doing in each of the last number of elections. A bunch of close elections. Nothing lately for North Carolina and Georgia, which seemed to indicate about as certain a win can be in a Battleground election. Ohio even less data.

Emerson polled out a 5 pt lead for the GOP in Iowa. This is in line with Suffolk and another Emerson poll. To me, this implies Iowa is out. A 5 pt lead is a dubious one. It can imply a close election, it can also result in a relative blowout. Iowa makes me feel uneasy about the Midwest. The state has been red for a bit and Ohio has been trending in Iowa's direction. The negative ads are getting absurd. They aren't saying Brown is a socialist, they are saying he is too weak to stand up to the socialists. Yes... because Bernie Sanders has any semblance of power in the US Senate. Without Ohio, getting the US Senate seems unlikely.

Jackson is polling above Collins in Maine, but not at 50+%. Collins keeps coming back. I want 50+% in polls before considering Maine safe. How in the fuck is North Carolina safe but Maine isn't?!

Talarico keeps being on top in the Texas race, with one 50-50 tie. This race comes down to nothing but minority turnout and how they vote. Hispanics go out in large numbers and vote 80 - 20 Democrat, Talarico wins. If not, Paxton wins. They can poll until the cows come home, we won't know until we know.

Michigan will be like 2024, the ads will be relentless. The one thing going against the GOP, however, is they can't skew the Arab vote this time. But they will certain be trying to skew the much larger white moderate vote. Before the election, some in Michigan will be certain the CIA investigated El Sayed's involvement in the 9/11 attack.

The biggest race at the moment is in PA. Fetterman appears to be switching parties, particularly if the Democrats finish with 51 seats.

Currently my map has it Dems 46 to GOP 48, and all six undecideds have to go to the Democrats to win the senate back. Really, the idea of the Dems taking the Senate was an absurdity. The GOP had too easy a map to defend. Trump has sucked so badly that it is making the GOP worry. Generally midterms are bad for the incumbency and Trump has had a couple bad years. But we get back to the, the world doesn't function with Trump as it does every other US politician.

So I'm feeling pessimistic about the odds with the Senate. It really should have always been that way. But even with the economy being slow, gas prices up, the US voter appears to still think that the GOP is the party to trust with the economy, even while the GOP stands silently against the idiot working against it. Granted, if gasoline hits $5 in the US midwest or there is some other intangible, this could be a repeat of 2006 (anyone remember Mark Foley?).

The $5,000 to every voter IF the GOP is returned in both houses is an outright bribe. He already promised the people money before and didn't deliver - DOGE $5,000 in February 2025, and tariff rebates on two occasions, each of $2,000.
His promises are worthless.

I double checked the math. I was going with households, not adults. His "promise" would cost around $1.3 trillion. He certainly lacks constitutional authority to do this. Probably put together a $100 billion fund and then whisp money to people he likes.