FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver kicked things off with some observations about GOP campaigning strategy:
Lotta talk today about how the GOP can expect to win a majority of the Senate, House and Electoral College with a minority of the vote. I think people overlook how transient those advantages can be (the Electoal College helped Obama in 12/16) but leaving that aside for a moment…
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 8, 2018
…it's striking the degree to which the GOP governs as though it's only interested in 47% of the country… instead of shooting for 51%, in which case these structural advantages could allow it to have supermajorities in Congress.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 8, 2018
An example? The Republican reaction after the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh:
The football-spiking after Kavanaugh was confirmed this weekend was one such example. There's always *some* of that after a big policy/electoral win, but there's also usually a fair amount of magnanimity and reaching out to the losing side. Not so this time.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 8, 2018
It depends on what your definition of “reaching out” is, as many noted:
“I won” – Barack H. Obama https://t.co/DmWwUax9vB
— Neil Stevens (@presjpolk) October 8, 2018
I very closely tracked the Iran deal fight and the fight, during the presidential transition, over Team Obama knifing Israel at the UN. I do not remember a fair amount of magnanimity. I remember tweets and press briefings from the Obama bros gleefully boasting they won. https://t.co/gK3ST34T2j
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) October 8, 2018
“I won.”
— Will Collier (@willcollier) October 8, 2018
"Elections have consequences." Can't remember who said that and whe…Oh. https://t.co/pLt4czbbVL
— Mr Maitra (@MrMaitra) October 8, 2018
Like Obama signed a reconciliation-passed insurance bill that would kick millions off their health plans the Dems threw a giant party, cursed into a hot mic and Obama mocked opponents, suggesting everything was fine because the sun came up. #magnanimous https://t.co/X6Q99RCB75
— Joseph Ashby (@JosephAshbyShow) October 8, 2018
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Obama had the White House lit up like a rainbow within hours after the Obergefell decision.
This is quite disingenuous to pretend the previous administration was always trying to cross the aisle. Borders on revisionist history, in fact. https://t.co/UITWj5gzaX
— Daniel Balcombe (@DanielBalcombe) October 8, 2018
It’s almost like you’re just playing for one side, Nate. pic.twitter.com/XThTLEISvG
— Jennifer Bossypants ? Stand Tall ? Stay Sweet (@ajenable) October 8, 2018
— Jennifer Bossypants ? Stand Tall ? Stay Sweet (@ajenable) October 8, 2018
Besides, after how the Dems reacted to the Kavanaugh nomination, what kind of “reaching out” would help calm them down?
"For several weeks, we accused Brett Kavanaugh of being a drunken rapist and a perjurer. Why are you guys not offering us hugs?" https://t.co/yGQiAC52M4
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) October 8, 2018
Geez, I wonder why? https://t.co/RyIPzFgPXs
— Treasurer of the “Keg City Club” (@c13489) October 8, 2018
After all that you expected magnanimity? Wow. https://t.co/FCSJIZrasF
— Skeletaster ??? (@neontaster) October 8, 2018
"I can't understand why they're not being civil after we spent weeks accusing him of being an alcoholic serial gang rapist pedophile with zero proof while using the media to lie for us"
Yeah, I wonder? https://t.co/qeDDE6SQtJ
— chewy106 (@chewy106) October 8, 2018
It's weird how they don't want to mend fences with the people screaming "RAPIST!!!" in their faces. https://t.co/Kk1qhNeEB6
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) October 8, 2018
"Just because we openly tried to destroy a man's life doesn't mean you should celebrate it when we failed" -Not really his quote but basically the jist https://t.co/CcV8MhoA5s
— Pat ???????? (@nikeman310) October 8, 2018
Could be fair. Reminds me that Obama rarely reached out to Rs. after Obamacare passed he said: "Elections have consequences. Obamacare was unpopular for 4+ years. Killed the democrats for a couple of elections. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
— David Anderson (@xwingdma) October 8, 2018
It's like 2009-2011 never happened. https://t.co/U16qinfeAL
— Beorn (@Beorn2000) October 8, 2018
The number of those with highly selective memories these days is at a record high.
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