@MJosephSheppard → Right And Left See GOP Doomed In 2016 Presidential Race – But, So What If True?
On the same day both rightist Allahpundit Hot Air (“Depressing reminder: The 2016 election will be decided by seven states — and Florida is an absolute must-win”) and more than somewhat leftist Dylan Beyers at Politico (“Hillary Clinton’s Election To Lose”) come to the (somewhat) same conclusion. This is, basically, that the GOP has a very difficult chance, if indeed it has any chance at all, of winning the 2016 presidential campaign.
Voters have also given those governors Republican legislatures to enact their agendas. When Obama first took office, Republicans held just 3,220 state legislative seats. After Tuesday’s vote, the number stands at 4,111 — a net gain of nearly 900 seats on Obama’s watch. Thanks to the 291 state legislative seats Republicans added in 61 chambers across the country last week, there are now more Republican state legislators than at any time since 1920.
Put another way: In 2008, the GOP controlled just 36 state legislative chambers. It soon will control 69 — and voters have given the GOP total control of state government in nearly half the country. In 2008, Republicans held both the legislature and governors’ mansion in just eight states. Today, the number is 24. By contrast, Democrats now control both the legislature and governor’s office in just seven states, down from 15 before the 2014 election. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, that is the lowest number of states Democrats have controlled since 1860.
“the Obama administration began with 257 House Democrats and now is down to 188, the smallest Democratic contingent in the House since 1949. In 11 states, the Democrats have no members at all.And from a high of 59 senators the Democrats now have 46.”
This effectively means the next Democratic president will be a symbolic figurehead from day one, as is President Obama since the mid-terms in 2014. Attempted rule by executive fiat will only add to the GOP’s ire and ensure more senators and congressmen, and increasingly conservative ones at that, each mid-term. Apart from foreign affairs, to a degree, and in appointing the Supreme Court judges as vacancies arise, is there a significant advantage to the Dem’s in winning the presidency.
As far as the Supreme Court goes, even that advantage can be overcome if enough state legislatures are captured by the Republicans so they can call a Constitutional Convention and take matters, economic and social, out of the hands of the Court. This is near to being effected now, and should a further swing to the conservatives in more states eventuate it would be a certainty and leave the presidency as a shining bauble.
Mr. Sheppard is the proprietor of the blogs Point Of View and Palin4President 2016. He also writes occasionally for American Thinker and is a man of refined taste. Follow him on Twitter: @MJosephSheppard.
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