18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SPECIAL ELECTION

[Bigun]

I haven't heard of any pushback from the GOP in PA over the court's usurping the power to draw the district lines, so it will probably be a Dem favored seat.

They are pushing back HARD against court-drawn maps and damned well should be!

[Cyber Liberty]

They are pushing back HARD against court-drawn maps and damned well should be!

Good to hear!  You watch this stuff better than I, even outside of TX.  What are they doing to rectify this?  I haven't seen much in the way of news....

[Bigun]

Good to hear!  You watch this stuff better than I, even outside of TX.  What are they doing to rectify this?  I haven't seen much in the way of news....

There was a thread here announcing the filing of a lawsuit.  I'll find it and link you to it.

[Applewood]

I didn’t follow this campaign so maybe he was a crap candidate and maybe he wasn’t. But this was Trump country and the republican voters knew the significance of holding this seat but too many stayed home or even a crap candidate would have won. This one is on the voters

I don't live in this district, but honestly, if I did, I probably would have sit this election out.  I know the supposed significance of this election, but I made my mind up some years ago that I would not vote for someone because he had an R after his name, or, more recently, to "save us" from the Democrats.  I believe that people are not happy with the choices they are being given by either party, so they will either stay home or choose a third party candidate, or write in a name. 

Both of these candidates are establishment.  They are both liberals.  My guess is that both of them will do whatever their liberal leaders tell them to do.  So for many voters, what difference does it make which candidate wins?

[jmyrlefuller]

There was a thread here announcing the filing of a lawsuit.  I'll find it and link you to it.

or, you know, they could just disregard the ruling and proceed as if it never happened. The courts don't have the authority to draw legislative district lines or enforce their usage. What is the court going to do? Hold an entire duly elected legislature in contempt?

[Bigun]

or, you know, they could just disregard the ruling and proceed as if it never happened. The courts don't have the authority to draw legislative district lines or enforce their usage. What is the court going to do? Hold an entire duly elected legislature in contempt?

Yep!

It's abundantly clear that drawing election maps is beyond the purview of ANY court!

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I don't know that Saccone was such a bad candidate. The anti-gun, pro-abortion, anti-Israel Lamb pretended he was just the opposite of what he truly is. In other words, Lamb ran as a moderate, even though his views are solidly leftist. I guess people in PA were too lazy to find out the truth about him.

Thought provoking post as usual @mountaineer .   I don't understand it.  Other than the fact Saccone was supported by Trump I think he makes a respectable candidate, and I agree the rat candidate is lying.  It makes no sense to me, but it did make me think about another recent race.

Trump ran as a conservative, even though his views are solidly moderate/populist.  I don't think people were too lazy to find out the truth about him, the facts were self evident to anyone who watched Trump and heard him.  I think they actively discounted all the warnings and focused on what they wanted to believe was the truth.

@Hoodat surmised down thread "the Party didn't care.  Bottom line - the Democrats wanted this win more than the GOP, and they worked harder to win it."  I agree.  This election had bragging rights and little else to offer.  By winning the democrats are sure to get a boost in fundraising.  An issue that plagued the democrats last year.  One of the big stories of 2017 was the democrats lack luster fundraising.  Today things look different.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/10/democrats-senate-fundraising-2018-402087
Democrats dominating Senate fundraising battle
Nine of the 10 Democrats up for reelection in Trump states raised $1 million. None of their GOP opponents hit that mark.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/05/2018-fundraising-democrats-republicans-389868
Panic time: Democratic cash swamps House Republicans
The latest fundraising figures have been released, and the results are grim for Republicans.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/dccc-online-fundraising-50-million/index.html
DCCC tops $50 million in online fundraising for 2018 midterms

Why did the GOP not care about this race?  Perhaps they have plenty of money, and want to be the underdogs and win a squeeker?  I don't know, just some thoughts rolling through my mind

[Cyber Liberty]

@Once-Ler I think the candidate himself didn't much want it.  No "fire in the belly."  I'm surprised the Dem didn't just wipe him out.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

@Once-Ler I think the candidate himself didn't much want it.  No "fire in the belly." 

@Cyber Liberty I completely sympathize if that is true.  I wouldn't want to be representing the GOP today, but then why did he run?  There were other GOP primary candidates.  Was it great rewards for little effort?

[mystery-ak]

http://triblive.com/local/regional/13419483-74/washington-countys-unofficial-absentee-ballot-count-widens-lambs-lead
Lamb widens lead with absentee ballots from Washington, Greene counties

[Victoria33]

According to that article, Lamb is ahead 627 votes.  Also says it will be days before count is certified.

[Suppressed]

@Hoodat surmised down thread "the Party didn't care.  Bottom line - the Democrats wanted this win more than the GOP, and they worked harder to win it."  I agree.  This election had bragging rights and little else to offer.  By winning the democrats are sure to get a boost in fundraising.  An issue that plagued the democrats last year.  One of the big stories of 2017 was the democrats lack luster fundraising.  Today things look different.

There was a lot more money dumped in for Saccone than for Lamb, but not by the campaign.  It was mostly outside parties.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

There was a lot more money dumped in for Saccone than for Lamb, but not by the campaign.  It was mostly outside parties.

I read that also.

[mountaineer]

Manu Raju
‏Verified account @mkraju
5h5 hours ago

In wake of PA-18, Paul Ryan expected to warn House GOP this AM about Dem enthusiasm heading into midterms and say last night was a wake-up call. He is expected to say members should be prepared to run aggressive campaigns. Expected also to tout tax reform as major pitch to voters

[Sighlass]

Roy Moore is the one who got ripped.  And deservedly so.  He was a bad candidate who didn't think he needed to campaign to win.  Just like this guy.

What? I posted pictures of a town meeting we attended a few days before the election. The town meeting after ours the national talk show folks started sending jerks down to interrupt Roy's meetings. Thus they were giving more fodder to national comedians (bad press) than it was worth. Jimmy Kimmel and The View were already full tilt spinning every inch they could against him. Then of course the liberal Bham news {Al(dot)com} started giving more attention to the stunts than Moore's message. But Roy kept doing interviews and even one of the biggest ones (Alabama Pollitical Reporter) days before the election it was Jones that didn't show up, not Moore.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHV8i8ILgeg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqjc8lataww

https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/jake_byrd_heckles_roy_moore_ji.html

Basically it was the press and liberal Hollywood that made it impossible for Moore to do much of anything before the election positive.

Roy publicly campaigned until a few days before election until it was no longer to his advantage to do so. When you have jerk reporters out in the parking lots trying to get sound bits to make Moore look bad instead of reporting on the actually things Moore said, what would you do? It got so bad there at the end that Roy was having to sneak out the back doors after a meeting because the press was hounding him with gotcha questions that were WP approved.

@Hoodat

At least the head line here is correct... "How they ruined Moore's rally(s).

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/television/how-jimmy-kimmels-operative-ruined-roy-moores-rally-20171201.html

[Cyber Liberty]

What? I posted pictures of a town meeting we attended a few days before the election. The town meeting after ours the national talk show folks started sending jerks down to interrupt Roy's meetings. Thus they were giving more fodder to national comedians (bad press) than it was worth. Jimmy Kimmel and The View were already full tilt spinning every inch they could against him. Then of course the liberal Bham news {Al(dot)com} started giving more attention to the stunts than Moore's message. But Roy kept doing interviews and even one of the biggest ones (Alabama Pollitical Reporter) days before the election it was Jones that didn't show up, not Moore.

Eventually people were making fun of the way Moore rode his horse.   

[Emjay]

Good to hear!  You watch this stuff better than I, even outside of TX.  What are they doing to rectify this?  I haven't seen much in the way of news....

I always voted at the polls on election day.  It's just what my husband and I did.  And so many people voted early, we never had big lines to worry about.

What I'm concerned about now is absentee voting.  Apparently, they don't even count the absentee ballots unless the election is close.  That is just wrong.

[Emjay]

What? I posted pictures of a town meeting we attended a few days before the election. The town meeting after ours the national talk show folks started sending jerks down to interrupt Roy's meetings. Thus they were giving more fodder to national comedians (bad press) than it was worth. Jimmy Kimmel and The View were already full tilt spinning every inch they could against him. Then of course the liberal Bham news {Al(dot)com} started giving more attention to the stunts than Moore's message. But Roy kept doing interviews and even one of the biggest ones (Alabama Pollitical Reporter) days before the election it was Jones that didn't show up, not Moore.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHV8i8ILgeg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqjc8lataww

https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/jake_byrd_heckles_roy_moore_ji.html

Basically it was the press and liberal Hollywood that made it impossible for Moore to do much of anything before the election positive.

Roy publicly campaigned until a few days before election until it was no longer to his advantage to do so. When you have jerk reporters out in the parking lots trying to get sound bits to make Moore look bad instead of reporting on the actually things Moore said, what would you do? It got so bad there at the end that Roy was having to sneak out the back doors after a meeting because the press was hounding him with gotcha questions that were WP approved.

@Hoodat

At least the head line here is correct... "How they ruined Moore's rally(s).

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/television/how-jimmy-kimmels-operative-ruined-roy-moores-rally-20171201.html

Yep!!  And TBR people did not help.  It was like the only thing in their lives for weeks.  At least the main leader of the anti-Moore crowd decided to take a leave of absence.

[Sighlass]

Yep!!  And TBR people did not help.  It was like the only thing in their lives for weeks.  At least the main leader of the anti-Moore crowd decided to take a leave of absence.

I noticed that also. Just expectorating on Alabama values was almost gratifying to them. Sad thing was it was spitting in the forrad wind.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Yep!!  And TBR people did not help.  It was like the only thing in their lives for weeks.  At least the main leader of the anti-Moore crowd decided to take a leave of absence.

How would we help one way or the other? You overestimate the ability of this place to change things. We're only a handful of posters.

[mountaineer]

There are reports that voting machines cast votes for Lamb even when Saccone was selected. It's almost like history repeating itself - just another election day in the Pittsburgh area!

[Sanguine]

There are reports that voting machines cast votes for Lamb even when Saccone was selected. It's almost like history repeating itself - just another election day in the Pittsburgh area!

Sort of preordained?

[catfish1957]

Sort of preordained?

Drats Batman.....   Frankened again!!!!!!!!!