Post Election Pre Holiday to Kick Off Holiday Season Thoughts

Hey!  As you know the midterm elections were held 16 days ago here in the U.S.  While I had some thoughts regarding what happened at the time I was busy with the paying job and trying to get some projects completed to respond quickly.  This, in retrospect, may have been a good thing.

With that in mind I'm going to offer up some very short quick takes on some of the issues that have popped up since the election.  I admit they might not be as in depth as I'd like but today's holiday and I have to go to the paying job tomorrow, which means I won't be able to burn the midnight oil on this. With that in mind it's time to skip the formalities and get to the basics.

Let's start with the election.  It turns out that not immediately reacting may have worked in my favor as some of the races on the West Coast were counted along with the recounts et al.  Yes, there have been some nauseating things such as the role voter suppression played in Florida and Georgia.  However, it looks like the U.S. House of Representatives may have actually achieved something similar to the blue wave predicted in the media with the Democrats winning 39 seats as of this typing, more than gathering a majority in that part of the legislative branch.  While the Repubs did pick up some seats it looks like they won't have near the super majority the GOP were hoping for didn't materialize.  Still, it will be an uphill struggle especially as meh Senators were replaced by zealots and the electoral vote winner will take this as a mandate.  However, it should put a big dent on some of his evil schemes - provided he doesn't try to go for creating a Constitutional crisis in the lame duck session next month (entirely possible given Donny) by either firing Mueller or with something else.

Then there's the whole troops at the border thing.  It was hard to say whether that was an election stunt or a power play intended to cause said crisis mentioned last paragraph by either violating rule sof engagement by ordering the military to shoot asylum seekers or using the troops to keep Americans from escaping if shit gets too bad.  The fact that the asylum migrants were heading towards Tijuana made the troops stationing suspicious, adding to it the complete lack of mentions by the right wing media once the midterms were over make it all the more clear that this was a stunt (one reportedly referred to by troops stationed there as "Operation BS").  Now things  could return to that state once the Mad Fuhrer of Mar-A-Lago things the heat is off but this time around we can see through it and be nauseated by it.

However, the most troubling news regarding those in power is the news revealed two days ago (November 20, 2018) that sometime this Spring electoral vote winner Donny actually asked the Justice Department to look into prosecuting his former election opponent (Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) and former FBI Director James Comey.  Put aside the irony of the Mad Fuhrer actually following through on one of his promises (notice he only does it with the most cruel and hateful ones)  this is obviously a dangerous hint of the authoritarianism that he really wants to do as well as taking obstruction of justice to a new and dangerous level.  While then White House counsel Don MaGahan managed to put the kabosh on this one by pointing out it could lead to impeachment I'll discuss in the print issue why this doesn't mean this is over - not by a long shot.

As for the firing of Jeffy Sessions as Attorney General and the installation of Jeffy's chief of staff Matt Whittaker (whom we'll refer to from now on as Matty Matt), the only real surprise to all this isn't that Donny shitcanned Jeffy but that it happened so damn soon after the election (roughly 24 hours).  Add to this Donny's press stunt setting up CNN's Jim Acosta and revoking his press credentials to the Whiote House until forced to reinstate it.  While this rightfully angered much of the nation, the fact that news trickled out from those amongst electoral vote winner Donny's minions were reportedly saying the press briefing would be fun and Donny appeared to give a signal for the intern to try and take the mic seems to show that this was a stunt to distract from the election result and Donny firing Jeffy. 

So what lies ahead?  Well the Mad Fuhrer of Mar-A-Lago is raging against judges for ruling against him and the Congressional lame duck session ahead could either be nothing or could have a lot of bullshit go down before the gridlock that will likely happen in the next session.  Time will tell as people get prepared for the holidays and wear down the final moments of 2018..