Beyond Labels

A 360° Discussion of Foreign, National and Local Policy Issues

Nov. 18: Election Debrief

As a reminder, the library is closed on November 11 (Veteran’s Day). On November 18, we’ll take up the topic as agreed last week…the day before the election: an election debrief.

At the time, we thought we’d be discussing a flurry of litigation over who had won a close race for president—I guess that won’t take too much time. Instead, we can discuss some (or all) of the following:

Democrats

  • Why did Kamala Harris lose/what would have had to happen for her to win?
  • Have Democrats stopped listening to working class Americans as David Brooks suggests?
  • What lesson will Democrats take from the election overall:
    • Move firmly toward the working class (go to center)?
    • Double-down on progressive initiatives (go to left)?
    • “Steady as she goes” (perhaps this election was an anomaly and the overall platform is solid)?
  • To what degree will they support Republican initiatives on key voter issues (such as immigration)?

Republicans

  • To what degree will Trump’s actions be more moderate than his rhetoric?
  • To what degree will congressional Republicans push back on the Administration’s most aggressive initiatives?
  • How will Republicans manage high public expectations in light of the likely “tri-fecta” (Presidency plus a majority of both houses of Congress)? [Maybe a “quad-fecta” with a conservative majority on the Supreme Court as well.]
    • Will the Senate filibuster fall (or be constrained to narrower voting subjects)?

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