Friday, November 4, 2016

The Last Speculatron for 2016: Saturday Political Soap Box 145

This is the last speculatron for the 2016 election.  Maybe for all time, if the Trump Apocalypse occurs.  You think I'm kidding?  You fancy that I'm exaggerating? Then you haven't been paying attention to his opinions on freedom of expression and the First Amendment.  Seriously.  No kidding. People like me could be in big trouble.  And I've been published in newspapers.  I have no place to run, no place to hide.  Fortunately, I do have a passport.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't WANT to leave the country.  I may be FORCED to.

Admittedly, this more of a prayer than a real speculatron.  I am on a mini-vacation while writing this, and I have deliberately removed myself from the polls, which have been all over the map.

Hillary Clinton needs to snuff out the life of the alt-right movement and Trump, and this can only be done by a landslide.  Thanks to the heavy hand of an interfering FBI, and the backsliding of some Republicans who should know better, this probably won't happen.  I believe it is more likely that she will have an Obama size win, with roughly 330 to 350 electoral votes.  Trump should get the same as Romney, maybe a little less, with a different configuration of states.  I would love for Utah to go to Evan McMullen, but they may not happen.

If Hillary wins by a closer margin, the alt-right will be energized and the false accusations of election rigging will energize the alt-right movement and fuel Trump for the job he really wants - head of his own media empire.  And the haters will have a platform to damage our politics for the next twenty years or so.

I believe the Senate will go very narrowly to the Democrats, by 50 to 52 Senators.  This will help nominations come to the floor, but as long as there are 40 or more far right Republicans, they will be able to block anything substantial coming to the floor.

I believe the Republicans will retain control of the House, but by a smaller margin, with the Democrats closing to within 15 to 20 seats.  They will block everything of substance, and continue to uselessly try to repeal Obamacare.  They will try to impeach Hillary from Day One.

Divided government does not have to be a bad thing.  It should engender compromise, with input from all political sides.  But the Republicans will continue their war against the governance of this country, with the attitude that if we can't have it all - nobody get's anything.

Locally, Barksdale will lose to Isakson, the current Georgia U.S. Senator.  All the unopposed Republicans running for offices on my ballot - SURPRISE!  They all win!

I believe Georgia Amendment One, which encourages the privatization of schools, starting with majority African-American school systems, will go down to defeat.  There's a lot of big money being spent on the Yes side, but a lot of teachers and every day people on the other side, and I think most locals are smart enough to see through the shenanigans.

Sigh.  If only most voting Georgians were smart enough to see through the vile shenanigans of Trump.

We can only pray.

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