US Politics: holding our breath waiting to see what happens next

[Centrist Simon Steele]

9 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-announces-a-revised-naturalization-civics-test

USCIS has announced a revised civics test for citizenship, asking 20 questions now, with the passing grade still being 60%. And the number of questions to study went up to 128 from 100. In a Miami Herald article I've read it was also mentioned that all 20 questions will be asked during the test, regardless of how well the person does. Before it was that the officer stopped when the person got 6 correct answers out of 10. Exception to the rule is 65 or older people who've been permanent residents for at least 20 years.

Full disclosure, for those not aware - I am immigrant in the US. I've been a permanent resident since 2017, so should be eligible for citizenship application in 2022, but the pandemic + the current administration have significantly slowed down USCIS. I can tell you that I've been extremely relieved on the election results, because who knows what executive orders Miller and the other cronies could have conjured up in a second term.

The above changes don't bother me, because nerd that I am, I will try to keep any smugness out of my voice when I get 20/20 on the test.  But I empathize with those who will struggle. This is one more meanness from this administration.

I mean if people like you don't know U.S. history, no one will anymore. Agreed though, this is BS.

[Argonath Diver]

39 minutes ago, Martell Spy said:

Oh no. Biden is considering Angus King for an Intelligence post.

I can't take him seriously. I heard his name and just start thinking of some incredible but affordable local steakhouse and burger joint.

[Fez]

16 minutes ago, The Anti-Targ said:

Of the states Biden flipped only MI seems to be fairly safely back in Democrat hands. GA and AZ can easily flip back for no reason at all except the Republican candidate presents as energetic but fairly close to normal. Unless Biden delivers something to the working stiffs in PA and WI one or both can easily go back to flirting with the Republican candidate. So there is a very simple path to victory for the next Republican. Indeed it seems about the only red state from this election they might need to spend money in is NC since TX and OH weren't close at all in the end.

4 years can be a lifetime in politics. Also, there's no telling if a more normal Republican could inspire the same turnout that Trump got. In raw votes, Biden 2020 beat Trump 2016 in an awful lot of states. Of course, maybe Democrats don't get the same turnout against a more normal Republican either. But if we just ended up back at the Obama 2012 map, I think most Democrats would be happy enough.

Beyond that, the way Atlanta keeps growing, I could see GA becoming the next CO/VA pretty quickly; which would seriously complicate Republicans' electoral math even if WI/PA remain coinflips.

There's also the question of how apportionment changes things. Most of the midwestern states are going to be a lit less valuable electorally next election; while AZ and NC are going to be more valuable. It's just a shame that Texas looks like the biggest winner out of it. The last projection I saw, under this map, Biden would go from 306 electoral votes to 302 electoral votes. 

13 minutes ago, DMC said:

Dem gov, no special election, not the end of the world.

If there has to be a Democratic senator going to the cabinet, Angus King is probably one of the best choices. For the reasons you say. And also because I think Democrats can do better than him in Maine at this point. I think Collins is an anomaly and that Democrats can pretty confidently win statewide right now.

[DMC]

1 minute ago, Fez said:

And also because I think Democrats can do better than him in Maine at this point.

Yeah, especially considering his age, I already kinda hope he won't run again anyway.  But he's been good on the Intelligence Committee, I'd say more outspoken than Warner, so if this if for reals I'm fine with it.

[Soylent Brown]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

Did you forget about his huge, bigly button?

I've seen Toad called a lot of things over the years, but never that!

[Mindwalker]

Btw., I wish Star Trek had sued for using the term "warp speed".

PS: Kellyanne Conway tweet, 2016: "306. Landslide. Blowout. Histoic."

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

6 minutes ago, Mindwalker said:

Btw., I wish Star Trek had sued for using the term "warp speed".

PS: Kellyanne Conway tweet, 2016: "306. Landslide. Blowout. Histoic."

Keep your alternative facts to yourself. 

[DanteGabriel]

1 hour ago, Corvinus85 said:

https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-announces-a-revised-naturalization-civics-test

USCIS has announced a revised civics test for citizenship, asking 20 questions now, with the passing grade still being 60%. And the number of questions to study went up to 128 from 100. In a Miami Herald article I've read it was also mentioned that all 20 questions will be asked during the test, regardless of how well the person does. Before it was that the officer stopped when the person got 6 correct answers out of 10. Exception to the rule is 65 or older people who've been permanent residents for at least 20 years.

Full disclosure, for those not aware - I am immigrant in the US. I've been a permanent resident since 2017, so should be eligible for citizenship application in 2022, but the pandemic + the current administration have significantly slowed down USCIS. I can tell you that I've been extremely relieved on the election results, because who knows what executive orders Miller and the other cronies could have conjured up in a second term.

The above changes don't bother me, because nerd that I am, I will try to keep any smugness out of my voice when I get 20/20 on the test.  But I empathize with those who will struggle. This is one more meanness from this administration.

I was naturalized as a teenager in the early 90s, and I don't think I had to take the test. My mother told me that it was because I had been educated in the US. I wonder if that's still true.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

2 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

I was naturalized as a teenager in the early 90s, and I don't think I had to take the test. My mother told me that it was because I had been educated in the US. I wonder if that's still true.

Being educated elsewhere may be an advantage on the test these days....

[Altherion]

2 hours ago, Zorral said:

The stock market definitely did not fall when it was called the Biden win.

Why would the stock market fall? The scenario where Biden wins, but the Republicans keep the Senate is Wall Street's favorite by far. On the one hand, Biden is somewhat more trusted to deal with the pandemic quicker, but on the other, the Senate will block him from raising taxes and the various radical proposals of the left-wing Democrats are off the table. Furthermore, the Treasury Department under Biden is not likely to differ radically from the one under Obama and Wall Street did very well with the latter.

[Sci-2]

5 minutes ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

Actually, the preferred scenario on the Street by far was a Dem Senate, as well, because stimulus money.

Wall Street desperately want consumers to get more stimulus money and such and spend it. Think of the record earnings.

There is still a chance - GA runoffs on January 5 plus Kamala Harris as the President of the Senate as a tiebreaker - stimulus could still happen.

I see the sense in what you're saying but then who are the GOP's masters in interim?

Just a separate group of wealthy fat cats who benefit from no lock down, no stimulus? That's the only thing I can think of, unless the GOP are just directly in thrall to Trump b/c the base is now his cult?.

[Fragile Bird]

So....the US sweet talked Israel into assassinating the number 2 guy in Al Qaeda in Tehran a while ago but everyone kept it secret.

The NYT is breaking the story right now.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

22 minutes ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

Actually, the preferred scenario on the Street by far was a Dem Senate, as well, because stimulus money.

Wall Street desperately want consumers to get more stimulus money and such and spend it. Think of the record earnings.

Doesn't sound like that stimulus money will be coming if Republicans hold the Senate.

[DMC]

34 minutes ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

There is still a chance - GA runoffs on January 5 plus Kamala Harris as the President of the Senate as a tiebreaker - stimulus could still happen.

Stimulus will happen regardless of what happens in Georgia.  It's just it's not gonna be nearly as good with a GOP Senate, or more "stimulus" than stimulus.  Anyway, on what Wall Street "anticipates," they are the highest level of stupid when it comes to trying to gauge what's going on inside the beltway, so I don't really think it matters.

@Maithanet, to follow up on the GOP "refreshing" their gerrymander advantage during the redistricting process we were talking about the other day, I just saw this state-by-state rundown from Sean Trende at RCP.  Part 1 is here.  Now he may be a fratboy douchebro, but even he's got the GOP netting only 6 seats.  I strongly disagree on at least a couple - Michigan and Oregon - and more moderately disagree on a few others (CO, PA, WI).  That being said, his guesstimates are pretty fair.  I'd say more plus 2-4 than plus six, but either way, that's pretty marginal "refreshing" overall.  Most importantly, his first glance echoes the fact it's really hard for the GOP to press their advantage any further than it already has in most if not all of the GOP trifectas.  Thing is, same goes for the Dems.

[All Cats Are Bad]

Part of me wants to find it funny that Elizabeth Warren was locked out of Biden's cabinet, given how hard she worked to basically shaft Bernie during the primary, but I'm mostly just exhausted with the disappointment in the Democratic establishment at this point.

[Gaston de Foix]

1 minute ago, SaltyGnosis said:

Part of me wants to find it funny that Elizabeth Warren was locked out of Biden's cabinet, given how hard she worked to basically shaft Bernie during the primary, but I'm mostly just exhausted with the disappointment in the Democratic establishment at this point.

l think the original rule proposed of no senators in the cabinet was a good rule.  To break that rule for Angus King? It makes little to no sense. 

[HoodedCrow]

The civics questions were not hard. We decided that our default answers were: James Madison, Freedom of religion, and 1787. I had to know the current President and Vice President. Also, Elephant, Camel, Man, Woman, Television...oops wrong test:)

The test was online and anyone could look. We enjoyed it. 

They claimed the US won the war of 1812, when we know that’s not so;)

My written test was spelling “ There are many people in California.”

The new test could be about the Northern War of Aggression, who knows? I could have taken American history, but chose to take World Politics instead. I had had such bad memories of trying to study the American Civil War. My memory for battles only goes so far:(

Lawyers are refusing to do the litigation defying the election, and that is encouraging on many levels. I never thought there would be protests with lawyers on the front lines. They even had a color in Portland!

Okay, I will have to get a burner phone as part of my civic duty:)!

 

 

 

 

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, Gaston de Foix said:

l think the original rule proposed of no senators in the cabinet was a good rule.

Rules are made to be broken.

[Gaston de Foix]

5 minutes ago, DMC said:

Rules are made to be broken.

Yeah, whatever, but to what purpose? 

[Guy Kilmore]

1 minute ago, Gaston de Foix said:

Yeah, whatever, but to what purpose? 

Maybe to give someone in the state a chance to build on a Senate run through the seat....?