The November elections are less than five months away, and the Republican / New Confederate / Stupid / Shooter's Party is more worried than ever that their untethered, unelectable Presidential candidate will bring about an historic defeat. Dems need only pick up four seats in the Senate (while holding their incumbents) to gain the majority, and the Dems look to be making real inroads in the Rethug-controlled House races, if Dem turnout is heavy.
Going back several elections, though, the Rethugs have recognized shifting demographics that don't bode well for them in the future: a younger, more progressive population, and greater numbers of Hispanic and Asian Americans that the Rethugs have managed to alienate with reactionary policies and bigoted statements. After the 2012 elections, they actually did a ridiculous post mortem on their Party's toxic positions, which went nowhere. Instead of presenting reasonable policies, the Rethugs have been busily changing voting laws to suppress voting among those unfavorable demographic groups, or using the state legislatures that they control to gerrymander House districts to their political advantage. The 5-hour long lines for voting in primary states controlled by Rethugs was an outcome of their mischief: historically, the fewer people voting, the better for Rethuglicans. Same with limiting voting hours or requiring state-issued IDs, which put low income people without drivers licenses at a disadvantage and which take time and money to obtain.
The games being played will delay the inevitable only so long. The tide has turned in favor of the Dems, surely not in every state, but in the majority of states that decide elections and sway the political culture.
(photo: Getty Images)
