50 seats (and the VP) is 1 million times better than 49...it's like not even the same sport anymore
So while Coal Country Joe doesn't knell in fealty, does hurt the brand and make it difficult to get things done...of course, it does, but so much better than Hershel and I can't remember the stockbroker lady's name.
We'd probably have impeachment hearings and a senate that was willing to convict (likely over nothing too)
But things clearly got done with a Senate majority in the past few years. You can paint it however horrifically as you like, but for most of my lifetime the Senate is where bills go to die a unheralded death
seems like a low bar, yeah... but that's where we are
Here's the difference, IMO: Ever "never Trump" republican that libs get a hard-on about voted with Trump 98% of the time. However they do it, Republicans stick to the script in a way Dems can't seem to do.
Honestly THANK FUCKING GOD...I think it shows they can be a democrat and think independently.
It works well for getting agenda/laws passed, but personally, I would never sell my soul to a party where everyone falls in line, no matter how absolutely bat-shit crazy it is, 99.9 of the times (.01% is they actually cast a mis-vote, but since they won overwhelmingly they didn't recast)
the problem with the dems is, if they are lucky they get an 80% real consensus across the party so they have to shoot really middle of the road as to not piss off big coalitions of voters
In the GOP, they actually can't piss off their base. it's amazing
Even though the whole platform is radically changing over the last 40 years...they still all fall in line
The only caveat I will say to all that is...today's GOP is today's GOP only because of MAGA. In all my years, I never saw poor people fly flags and put up lawn signs for any president. These people were almost off the map as a voting population, now they are a block (in a lot of key states) that is ALL IN for Trump.
But who is going to be able to fill Trumps shoes when he is dead (hopefully we don't have to wait 20 more years for that)
I don't think anyone can get those poor western PA (MI, FL and other places) folks with their trailer bedazzled with trump paraphernalia.
Those people will never vote for anyone in the GOP or any of his kids (although they will be generational shit-stirrers for sure)
So the moment when Trump is not in power or a kingmaker...I don't know if the GOP collation can stay together, because they will lose 10 million key voters.
least on a presidential level and that impacts down ballot quite a bit