Official 2026 Midterm Election Thread (If Trump lets us have one! TIC!)

[YOhio]

This was a confusing thread to stumble into. Watermelons? Dogs?

Of course nobody voted for Trump because of anything Hunter Biden actually did. But the media coverup and gaslighting on the Hunter Biden laptop absolutely increased institutional distrust and alternative media sources, which had an impact on the 2022 and 2024 elections.

I'm totally a both-sides guy on this. A pox on both their power-hungry houses. Democrats are as bad as Republicans. CPAC takes money from Hungary. ActBlue takes foreign donations. Republicans deny the 2020 elections. Democrats install a presidential candidate without a primary. They both gerrymander. They both deny gerrymandering. They both use institutional power to go after political opponents. They're both so convinced of their own righteousness and their opponents' evil they can justify anything. This ballot language of the Virginia redistricting referendum is a great example. Does that look like it was written by someone who respects democracy?

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[Jeff Lebowski]

This was a confusing thread to stumble into. Watermelons? Dogs?

I was modeling what it is like when someone's response to your post has nothing to do with your actual point.

[frank ryan]

Hunter Biden was the "de facto Chief of Staff" in the last year or two of the Biden presidency and played a strong role (along with his dumb mother) in convincing Joe to run for re-election, leaving the party in a disastrous set of circumstances.

Also, I was saying that Hunter was such an awful person that engaging in whataboutism (like you are doing here by the way) every time his name comes up is annoying and pointless. Hunter deserves everything he got.

Oh, he was a disastrous influence. That wasn't how I read your post.

But I'm not sure I agree that his dick being waved around on the floor of congress was merited.

[Northwestcoug]

An "extraordinarily brilliant person" would have not thrown their support behind Texas gerrymandering before criticizing gerrymandering in a purple state. But as I am not extraordinarily brilliant maybe I'm wrong to point out the hypocrisy:

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[falafel]

An "extraordinarily brilliant person" would have not thrown their support behind Texas gerrymandering before criticizing gerrymandering in a purple state. But as I am not extraordinarily brilliant maybe I'm wrong to point out the hypocrisy:

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If Democrats are so skilled at rigging elections, why not just do it everywhere??

[Northwestcoug]

If Democrats are so skilled at rigging elections, why not just do it everywhere??

Well duh. In some places the GOP makes it too big to rig.

[falafel]

Well duh. In some places the GOP makes it too big to rig.

Ah, so its the republicans fault again - if you can't stop it, you can't complain buddy.

[dabrockster]

This was a confusing thread to stumble into. Watermelons? Dogs?

Of course nobody voted for Trump because of anything Hunter Biden actually did. But the media coverup and gaslighting on the Hunter Biden laptop absolutely increased institutional distrust and alternative media sources, which had an impact on the 2022 and 2024 elections.

I'm totally a both-sides guy on this. A pox on both their power-hungry houses. Democrats are as bad as Republicans. CPAC takes money from Hungary. ActBlue takes foreign donations. Republicans deny the 2020 elections. Democrats install a presidential candidate without a primary. They both gerrymander. They both deny gerrymandering. They both use institutional power to go after political opponents. They're both so convinced of their own righteousness and their opponents' evil they can justify anything. This ballot language of the Virginia redistricting referendum is a great example. Does that look like it was written by someone who respects democracy?

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[dabrockster]

An "extraordinarily brilliant person" would have not thrown their support behind Texas gerrymandering before criticizing gerrymandering in a purple state. But as I am not extraordinarily brilliant maybe I'm wrong to point out the hypocrisy:

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Is this an example of whataboutism I see people always complaining I do.. Asking for a friend..

[Donuthole]

Is this an example of whataboutism I see people always complaining I do.. Asking for a friend..

No, it’s not, as NW’s post is not an attempt justify the action by pointing out that the other side did something similar or worse. NW is merely pointing out that it was stupid and hypocritical of Trump to support gerrymandering in Texas (where it would benefit him) and condemn it in Virginia (where it works to his detriment).

So nice try, but tell your friend he still doesn’t get it.

[Northwestcoug]

Is this an example of whataboutism I see people always complaining I do.. Asking for a friend..

Dabrockster, if you were a better student of my posts you'd know my opinion that since Trump is so generationally immoral and unfit for any political office, I rarely see the need to counter yours or any else's comment about bad democrats with 'yeah but Trump...'.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Dabrockster, if you were a better student of my posts you'd know my opinion that since Trump is so generationally immoral and unfit for any political office, I rarely see the need to counter yours or any else's comment about bad democrats with 'yeah but Trump...'.

This is the way. Thank you.

[BlueK]

No, it’s not, as NW’s post is not an attempt justify the action by pointing out that the other side did something similar or worse. NW is merely pointing out that it was stupid and hypocritical of Trump to support gerrymandering in Texas (where it would benefit him) and condemn it in Virginia (where it works to his detriment).

So nice try, but tell your friend he still doesn’t get it.

There is growing polling evidence that the redistricting started by the Republicans under Trump's urging is going to turn into what political scientists call a "dummymander" which will make the election even worse for Republicans than it otherwise would have been. To make a district that leans toward the other party lean more towards your own, you have to pull some of what you think are your voters from another district. In a wave election that favors the other side you could have just turned what you thought was one of your safe districts into a competitive one. And the more aggressive the gerrymandering attempt is, the more it will likely backfire. Also, all of it is based on the last election, which saw Trump make significant gains among some who historically leaned blue, such as Hispanics and Black males. But recent polling shows that most of those from these demos who shifted toward him last time have shifted back away.

[USUC]

Trump has been extremely effective exacting revenge on those who he perceives as having stood in his waythis primary season. A report said his biggest sore spot is senators who have refused to nuke the filibuster. What's funny is now he has lost Cassidy and it looks like Cornyn. What incentive do they have to do it now. Trump is the worst political strategist ever to grace our country.

[Moliere]

Trump has been extremely effective exacting revenge on those who he perceives as having stood in his waythis primary season. A report said his biggest sore spot is senators who have refused to nuke the filibuster. What's funny is now he has lost Cassidy and it looks like Cornyn. What incentive do they have to do it now. Trump is the worst political strategist ever to grace our country.

Nuking Cornyn might come back to haunt Trump. Paxton is a very polarizing person in Texas and I know plenty of GOPers who don't want to vote for him. The Democrats might have played this one smartly by nominating Talarico, who tends to speak more moderately than most recent high profile Texas democrats. Talarico has his baggage but not a lot of it and I won't hesitate to vote for him over Paxton. I might actually put a Talarico yard sign in my yard...mostly because I hate Paxton. I'd likely have voted for Cornyn over Talarico but it's pretty clear Paxton will win the nomination, but if Texas is ever going to turn blue in the senate, this is probably the year it'll get the closest. The democrats never really have a chance to win in the senate here (even when going against Cruz) but this just might be the one shot they get and I hope they win it and that it flips the senate to the democrats.