# Georgia senate runoff elections. Let’s debate and make predictions **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 7, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015 "2020-11-07T23:16:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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 21, 2020, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/41 "2020-11-21T04:12:27Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think the Democrats did about as well as they possible could, taking everything into consideration. No disrespect, but…is that how low the expectations/requirements are these days? After the astounding incompetence, ignorance, narcissism, disaster, scandals and chaos of the Trump presidency - in other words, _ **the most defeatable incumbent the U.S. has seen in a century** _ - for the Democratic verdict to be a shrug, “well, this is the best we could have possibly done” - is severe underachievement. That sort of attitude ought to get a DNC chairman fired. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/42 "2020-11-21T04:37:33Z")
Ten million more Americans like, or even love, what Trump did for 4 years, than in 2016. This is America. 2020 isn’t that terribly different than 1920 or even 1820. Some Americans wanted to own slaves. Some Americans wanted to lynch black people. And now some Americans want to hurt migrant children and “own the libs”. There’s not much the Democrats can do about that except try and outvote them - which is what we did this time. We set records, even - the highest turnout in a hundred years. Maybe it’s a tough truth, but that’s the truth. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/43 "2020-11-21T04:38:59Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I’m not sure if you’re disagreeing with me, but it’s a fact that Democrats lost almost every competitive down ballot race. They’re likely to have lost about 10 seats in the House, So, there were 435 Seats in the House, of them the Dems lost 10 more than expected, but they won 222 at least (a few haven’t been counted) , the GOP won 205. So if the Dems lost every down ballot races, they would have lost 435 races, not 205. The math is there, the Dems did NOT lose _almost every competitive down ballot race_, they lost 205, 8-10 more than expected. They won at least 222. Math. The Dems picked up at least one seat in the senate, maybe 4. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/44 "2020-11-21T04:41:42Z")
Nonsense/ Trump was only the _ **most defeatable incumbent** _ is you dont like _incompetence, ignorance, narcissism, disaster, scandals and chaos_ which 70 Million Americans clearly prefer. Not to mention, the most coordinated voter suppression efforts since reconstruction. ---
**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 21, 2020, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/45 "2020-11-21T04:47:29Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Ten million more Americans like, or even love, what Trump did for 4 years, than in 2016. This is America. 2020 isn’t that terribly different than 1920 or even 1820. Some Americans wanted to own slaves. Some Americans wanted to lynch black people. And now some Americans want to hurt migrant children and “own the libs”. There’s not much the Democrats can do about that except try and outvote them - which is what we did this time. We set records, even - the highest turnout in a hundred years. Maybe it’s a tough truth, but that’s the truth. And yet, in this very same America, Obama easily defeated McCain, who was a far more intellectual, mature, and competent candidate than Trump - and beat McCain by a much larger margin than Biden is beating Trump. To say “Americans are bad and like bad things” doesn’t cut it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/46 "2020-11-21T04:52:10Z")
That really supports my argument - Trump got millions and millions more voters than McCain. That’s not the Democrats’ fault, and it’s really tiring to see them blamed for it again and again. That’s the fault of those voters. There’s not much that can be done about voters who want to hurt people. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/47 "2020-11-21T04:53:24Z")
All of the vote counts I have seen show Dems have picked up one Senate seat so far. Even if they get both GA seats (unlikely), that’s only three, not four. What did I miss? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/48 "2020-11-21T04:55:52Z")
The Democrats just blew turnout out of the water. Their turnout was pretty much beyond my wildest dreams. And yet some people can’t stop blaming them, and won’t give them credit for anything. It’s crazy. Sometimes the bad guys actually do well, because it turns out lots of voters like the bad guys. But the Democrats still won despite this. I’m relieved. As should all decent Americans feel. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/49 "2020-11-21T04:59:01Z")
Two in Ga are up in the air, which is what we are discussing. I though another couple still havent been called, maybe I am incorrect? (Seven in the house still have not been called) Still, the dems picked up at least one seat, and have a reasonable chance for the two in GA. Can we try to stick to GA senate instead of the usual circular liberal firing squad? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/50 "2020-11-21T05:02:18Z")
The Vice Presidency ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/51 "2020-11-21T05:10:11Z")
The Washington Post has the current count at 48-50, with ONE Democratic pickup. With only two seats left, the most they can get is 3 pickups. You said “Math. The Dems picked up at least one seat in the senate, maybe 4.” Trying to understand how you come up with four. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/52 "2020-11-21T05:10:51Z")
I am fucking tired of this idea that the Dems lost the election. We won the Big Prize, Numero Uno, and by a decent majority. We picked up 1-3 seats in the Senate. That’s great. ---
**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 21, 2020, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/53 "2020-11-21T06:23:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I am fucking tired of this idea that the Dems lost the election. We won the Big Prize, Numero Uno, and by a decent majority. We picked up 1-3 seats in the Senate. That’s great. But it _ **was** _ bad for the Democrats, relative to what they needed or expected. This was a redistricting election, since this is a Census year. Republicans turned in a much stronger performance than expected in the House and state legislatures. The gerrymandering consequences of this election will last for a decade to come, just like how 2010 affected an entire decade. To get anything remotely ambitious done in the Senate, Democrats needed to not only capture a Senate majority, but by enough margin that red-state Democrats like Joe Manchin’s no vote wouldn’t affect an outcome. The results of this election pretty much mean a death knell for any Democratic hopes of expanding the Supreme Court or getting true, un-watered-down progressive legislation through. And in 2022, midterm elections tend to go against the party that holds the presidency. If Democrats wanted to get stuff done they needed a much bigger win than what they got this November. [https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/2020-house-races-majority/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/2020-house-races-majority/index.html) > **[Republicans Won Almost Every Election Where Redistricting Was At Stake](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-won-almost-every-election-where-redistricting-was-at-stake/)** > > Joe Biden may have won the White House, but down-ballot races were much better for Republicans. In fact, the GOP’s victories in state-level elections could pay … ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/54 "2020-11-21T13:43:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, there were 435 Seats in the House, of them the Dems lost 10 more than expected, but they won 222 at least (a few haven’t been counted) , the GOP won 205. So if the Dems lost every down ballot races, they would have lost 435 races, not 205. The math is there, the Dems did NOT lose _almost every competitive down ballot race_ , they lost 205, 8-10 more than expected. They won at least 222. > > Math. Come on. Are you trying to say that all 435 seats in the House were “competitive?” Nobody, on either side of the political divide, believes that. The vast majority are basically uncontested in the general election. The Cook Political Report listed 27 House seats as “toss ups”, and these broke overwhelmingly Republican. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/55 "2020-11-21T13:53:07Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > And yet, in this very same America, Obama easily defeated McCain, who was a far more intellectual, mature, and competent candidate than Trump - and beat McCain by a much larger margin than Biden is beating Trump. To say “Americans are bad and like bad things” doesn’t cut it. McCain, in his way, basically told the deplorables he did not want their vote. They stayed home as requested. Romney said it a little different than McCain did, but he got the same message across. That’s why Obama was able to win twice. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/56 "2020-11-21T13:56:04Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > All of the vote counts I have seen show Dems have picked up one Senate seat so far. Even if they get both GA seats (unlikely), that’s only three, not four. What did I miss? They needed to win four, but net only three. They won Colorado and Arizona but lost Alabama. My guess is you probably missed the unstated assumption that Doug Jones had no chance in Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/57 "2020-11-23T15:29:44Z")
Just donated to Fair Fight Action, Stacey Abrams’s group. It’ll be split halfway between the two Dems running for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. ~~removed link~~ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/58 "2020-11-23T19:12:21Z")
> **[Biz Leaders Tell GOP: Get Trump Out or No Georgia Donations](https://www.thedailybeast.com/business-leaders-tell-gop-to-start-biden-transition-or-no-money-for-georgia-senate-run-offs)** > > 100 GOP national-security chiefs say time to go, as execs threaten to cut off funds to Senate runoff campaigns if Trump administration doesn’t begin transition to Biden team ASAP. _Also on Monday, more than 100 top business leaders are issuing a letter demanding the same from the Trump administration. [According to TheNew York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/us/trump-economy-ny.html), if a concession from Trump doesn’t happen, the executives may threaten to withhold campaign donations from the two Republican candidates in Georgia whose runoffs will determine the Senate’s balance of power. In the letter, the business leaders will demand that Emily Murphy, head of the General Services Administration, issues a letter to confirm that Biden has won and that the transition can begin._ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/59 "2020-11-23T20:05:59Z")
**Modhat** : Please no links to fundraising sites or Calls to action sites without prior approval from the mods. This is just a guidance, not a warning. Nothing on your permanent record. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015/60 "2020-11-23T20:11:38Z")
This isn’t going to work. Trump doesn’t give a flying fuck what happens to the GOP majority in the senate. If anything, given the new shoot-yourselves-in-the foot-by-writing-in-Trump-for -senate strategy he is actually probably rooting against them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-let-s-debate-and-make-predictions/925015.md?page=4)