The media is alive again, if only for a brief period. The Georgia runoff took place, and Send Chamliss (R) reclaimed his post in the Senate, breaking any chance of the Democrats achieving the 60 seat supermajority that would enable them to block filibusters, and generally swoop in and save the world from republican disaster.
That’s what was said … but, just a little while ago the SAME media was also saying that if Senator Chambliss LOST, and if Minnesota went Democrat, there STILL wasn’t REALLY a supermajority! Why? Well, because there’s always cross-over voters. You’d really need closer to 65 of a party majority to be filibuster proof. Anything less and you are in the shades of gray area, which is where we are now. What that means is that sometimes the Senate WILL be filibuster proof because some centrist-leaning Republicans will vote with the Democrats, and sometimes it won’t because some centrist-leaning Democrats will vote with the Republicans.
So try NOT to let the media tell you how to vote. Please do NOT vote for a candiate JUST to change the voting dynamics of the government. Put GOOD people in the government and trust them to do the right thing. If you put good people there, the trust is possible.
That’s my thought on the subject.
For examples of how a supermajority is still possible, please refer to: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/12/who-are-swing-senators.html
Also, I realize that they’re discussing congressional procedures here rather than reality, but wouldn’t a supermajority technically be 67 senators (majority outnumbering minority 2 to 1)?
By: Paul on December 5, 2008
at 11:30 am