# Anyone else fearing a red wave? (Or at most, a blue ripple?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 28, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633 "2018-10-28T14:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/241 "2018-10-31T21:17:44Z")
All’s fair when collecting revenue? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/242 "2018-10-31T21:18:49Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > _Brave Sir Democrat ran away. > Bravely ran away away. > When principle reared it’s ugly head, > He bravely turned his tail and fled. > Yes, brave Sir Democrat turned about > And gallantly he chickened out. > Swiftly taking to his feet, > He beat a very brave retreat. > Bravest of the brave, Sir Democrat!_ > > [Cite](http://www.montypython.net/scripts/bravesir.php). > > Regards, > Shodan Yeah, and how many Republicans took a stand either for or against taking kids from their parents and putting them in cages? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/243 "2018-10-31T21:34:51Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Doing so would have upset their supporters. They’re beholden to a rabid mob. Who sent out pipe bombs, blew up the Olympics, bombed a federal building in Oklahoma, drove a car into a crowd in Charlottesville and chant “lock her up?” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/244 "2018-11-01T02:23:57Z")
Every time I have seen a rabid mob in the last few years, I have seen Trump on a grandstand leading them on. Or were we talking about the “rioting mobs” that Trump falsely claimed were in California, recently, when even Fox News could not find one? Or maybe the torch-wielding, murderous Nazis in Charlottesville, last year? Or are we talking about the non-existent “cheering mob” that Trump claims to have seen on 09/11/2001? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/245 "2018-11-01T02:29:14Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > ICE is the only government agency that pulls rotten shit? Why are you asking me a ridiculous question like that? First, it’s not something I said. Second, while I’m perfectly willing to believe another government agency is doing something like illegally separating children from parents in order to terrify other parents into not bringing their kids to the US, I’m not aware of other agencies currently engaged in shit that rotten; which ones are you thinking about? > [@](#): > > WOuldn’t the answer be a reform bill, as the GOP did with the IRS in the 90s, restricting the rotten shit? If ICE were a century-old solution to immigration, maybe. If there were bipartisan support, maybe. But getting rid of an agency so thoroughly rotten and replacing it with an agency not so terrible strikes me as reasonable in theory, even if in practice I know that Republicans will lie their asses off about anyone who makes such a suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/246 "2018-11-01T02:35:46Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I have a bet with ThingFish on this topic. If the dems get 47M+, I lose, if they get \<46M, he does. Huh. In 2014 the total between the two parties was about 76M. Dems got about 36M and Republicans about 40M. Figuring on an 8 point D margin as an optimistic number ThingFish has to also depend on turnout increase for the two parties to over 85M. That’s a big lift. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/247 "2018-11-01T02:42:58Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > … That’s a big lift. That’s what I’m counting on. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/248 "2018-11-01T10:37:40Z")
[Dave Wasserman of Cook Political Report](https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/1057770793969553409): > [@](#): > > New: based on the past week’s evidence, we’re revising our House outlook to a Dem gain of 30-40 seats (was 25-35 last month) at @CookPolitical. This could change again before Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/249 "2018-11-01T10:49:19Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Every time I have seen a rabid mob in the last few years, I have seen Trump on a grandstand leading them on. > Or were we talking about the “rioting mobs” that Trump falsely claimed were in California, recently, when even Fox News could not find one? Or maybe the torch-wielding, murderous Nazis in Charlottesville, last year? Or are we talking about the non-existent “cheering mob” that Trump claims to have seen on 09/11/2001? Ever since the “Democrats Produce Mobs, Republicans Produce Jobs” thread was closed, this argument’s been spilling over into other threads, like this one. Got [a nice shiny Pit thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=864823) for the continuation of that argument, if anyone’s interested. ( **JC** closed the mobs/jobs thread because it was getting a bit too heated and personal for Elections.) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/250 "2018-11-01T11:22:17Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > If ICE were a century-old solution to immigration, maybe. If there were bipartisan support, maybe. But getting rid of an agency so thoroughly rotten and replacing it with an agency not so terrible strikes me as reasonable in theory, even if in practice I know that Republicans will lie their asses off about anyone who makes such a suggestion. That’s not what Democrats who support ICE abolition want to do though. They want less enforcement or no enforcement at all except for felons, but don’t want to take the heat that actually changing the law would generate. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/251 "2018-11-01T12:47:13Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’m worried that the Democrats will accept the results, even if they seem completely out of line with polling done in the days and weeks ahead of the election. > > If the results were tampered with and fraudulent, I have no confidence that the Democratic Party will stand up and demand an accounting. IMO they’d stare at blatant vote tampering and say “well, it’s not worth upsetting the whole apple cart” and they’ll just roll over _like they did in 2000_. > > And that’s the Democrats real problem: they are perceived as weak because of previous inaction. FIGHT, Democrats! Fight for what you think is right! I’m worried lunatics will assume any result that they didn’t want were fraudulent and attempt to circumvent Democracy. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/252 "2018-11-01T13:55:47Z")
That’s a definite risk, but hopefully they’ll be too busy waving signs, chanting “lock her up,” and trying to squeeze their hamhocks into their chili-stained overalls to notice. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/253 "2018-11-01T14:19:34Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’m worried that the Democrats will accept the results, even if they seem completely out of line with polling done in the days and weeks ahead of the election. “Out of line with polling” isn’t a reason to challenge an election - as with the Bradley Effect election in 1982 and “Dewey defeats Truman” and Trump’s upset win in 2016, it is entirely possible for an election to flout polling - which means it’s polling that went wrong, not the election itself. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/254 "2018-11-01T14:37:35Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > I’m worried lunatics will assume any result that they didn’t want were fraudulent and attempt to circumvent Democracy. Happen to have any specific “lunatics” in mind? ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/255 "2018-11-01T15:40:15Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > “Out of line with polling” isn’t a reason to challenge an election - as with the Bradley Effect election in 1982 and “Dewey defeats Truman” and Trump’s upset win in 2016, it is entirely possible for an election to flout polling - which means it’s polling that went wrong, not the election itself. The 2016 election didn’t flout polling. Clinton won the popular vote by an amount well within the margin of error of the polls. The 538 model gave Trump about a 1 in 3 probability of winning, based largely on polls, and he did, because the Electoral College is not the same as the popular vote. Pundits who ignored that tension may have misinterpreted the odds, but that’s not the fault of the polls. In the aggregate, polls are pretty good, even if individual ones end up being out of range of the actual election outcome. That’s statistics for you. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/256 "2018-11-01T16:16:19Z")
One thing I am seeing as a reason to be optimistic. I live in a very liberal area, and one thing I’m seeing now that I have never seen in any other election, including Presidential years, is that casual acquaintances and even total strangers chatting in the grocery checkout line or whatever, are dropping “Don’t forget to vote!” into the conversation. Anyone else noticing this? Anyone in conservative areas? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/257 "2018-11-01T16:43:55Z")
I predict that women will show up and vote blue, and make a historic difference. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/258 "2018-11-01T16:54:54Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Anyone else noticing this? Anyone in conservative areas? Nope, that would make for some awkward silence around here if someone said “don’t forget to vote!” to someone else in public. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/259 "2018-11-01T18:24:55Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > Nope, that would make for some awkward silence around here if someone said “don’t forget to vote!” to someone else in public. Wow, that’s weird. Is that how most of Alabama is, or is there something especially weird about your locality? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633/260 "2018-11-01T18:29:42Z")
They are probably afraid a minority will overhear them and then have the nerve to vote. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-fearing-a-red-wave-or-at-most-a-blue-ripple/823633.md?page=14)