# GOP still trending to win Senate **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 13, 2014, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426 "2014-08-13T10:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 49
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/961 "2014-10-25T00:17:27Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It is vital that Kentuckians re-elect Mitch McConnell, in order to restore the dignity of the Senate. > > [I’m not making this up](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-restoration-of-senates-dignity-rides-on-mitch-mcconnell/2014/10/22/43a1d722-5950-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html). > > The second best part of Will’s column is where he talks about the “negligible economic importance” of raising the minimum wage. Which I suppose is true, unless you’re making the minimum wage. And on Fox News Sunday, George Will scaremongered on ebola, trampling the science in the process. Nice. [George Will Unskews Science On Whether Ebola Is Airborne (VIDEO) - TPM – Talking Points Memo](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/george-will-ebola-airborne) [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/22/george-will-fox-news-and-the-beginning-of-an-ebola-conspiracy.html](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/22/george-will-fox-news-and-the-beginning-of-an-ebola-conspiracy.html) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/962 "2014-10-25T00:18:31Z")
Oh no, increasing the supply of unskilled labor doesn’t reduce wages at all! You fail economics 101. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/963 "2014-10-25T00:22:24Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > And on Fox News Sunday, George Will scaremongered on ebola, trampling the science in the process. Nice. > [George Will Unskews Science On Whether Ebola Is Airborne (VIDEO) - TPM – Talking Points Memo](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/george-will-ebola-airborne) > [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/22/george-will-fox-news-and-the-beginning-of-an-ebola-conspiracy.html](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/22/george-will-fox-news-and-the-beginning-of-an-ebola-conspiracy.html) I just don’t understand why liberals have such a vested interest in saying this stuff. Not to single you out, you’re a great poster, but Will is owed an apology: > [@](#): > > Can Ebola spread by coughing? By sneezing? > > Unlike respiratory illnesses like measles or chickenpox, which can be transmitted by virus particles that remain suspended in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes, Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with body fluids of a person who has symptoms of Ebola disease. Although coughing and sneezing are not common symptoms of Ebola, if a symptomatic patient with Ebola coughs or sneezes on someone, and saliva or mucus come into contact with that person’s eyes, nose or mouth, these fluids may transmit the disease. [http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas.html](http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas.html) Now his use of the word “airborne” is unfortunate, because you can’t just get ebola by someone sharing the same air as you. But spit and snot are “bodily fluids” which you can come into “direct contact” with, and that’s what Will was referring to. So while we’re busy observing that most commentators on ebola are not doctors,we might want to cut them some slack on their terminology when they are essentially correct. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/964 "2014-10-25T00:29:13Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Oh no, increasing the supply of unskilled labor doesn’t reduce wages at all! You fail economics 101. Need I mention that you vote for the group that thinks cutting taxes raises revenue in all cases. Also, immigration reform isn’t necessarily about increasing the numbers of immigrants. It is about normalizing the ones that are here. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/965 "2014-10-25T00:31:37Z")
We saw that even the possibility of legalizing immigrants caused a flood. you don’t think the actuality will as well? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/966 "2014-10-25T00:40:26Z")
Back to ebola, speaking of trampling on the science, how about that chart that showed ebola as less contagious than HIV? > **[No, Seriously, How Contagious Is Ebola?](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/10/02/352983774/no-seriously-how-contagious-is-ebola/)** > > A man with Ebola spent four days out in the Dallas community, possibly infecting others. So why are health officials so sure they can stop Ebola from spreading? If bodily fluids can transmit ebola through direct contact, that means you can get ebola just by kissing or sharing a straw. It’s not measles or flu, but it’s certainly easier to transmit than HIV. Now the chart is technically correct, but takes advantage of public ignorance to falsely reassure us. The only reason ebola spreads to fewer people per infected than HIV is because you only have a short time to spread it, from the time you turn symptomatic until the time you are isolated or die,whereas with HIV you can spread it for a decade or more. But officials need to quit the bullshit and tell us, “Yes, if you’re using mass transit with someone who is symptomatic, you sure as hell can get infected.” ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/967 "2014-10-25T00:47:57Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Now his use of the word “airborne” is unfortunate, because you can’t just get ebola by someone sharing the same air as you. But spit and snot are “bodily fluids” which you can come into “direct contact” with, and that’s what Will was referring to. The hell? This is what he said: [INDENT]“There are doctors who are saying that in a sneeze or some cough, some of the airborne particles can be infectious,” Will said. [/INDENT] Now it’s true that there are fears that ebola will mutate into something else, though the odds in this context are thought to be fairly low. And if you are in the same room as an ebola patient near death, they can projectile vomit, and there’s a possibility that some of that can become airborne. But Will’s presentation was a scaremongering distortion of the science. He should be ashamed. But he’s a crackpot, so he won’t be. The science: [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/us/fallacies-are-spreading-as-readily-as-the-virus-has.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/us/fallacies-are-spreading-as-readily-as-the-virus-has.html) ---
**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:** [October 25, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/968 "2014-10-25T00:53:21Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Oh, look! You found one! If you can manage to find another couple of thousand you might have a statistically significant problem. And she’s STILL outnumbered by Republican shills committing voter fraud to prove that voter fraud exists in any significant numbers. Actually, it was nineteen counts of voter fraud, not just one. And she’s a state rep, who really should know better. Her mother was implicated as well. She happens to be the Democratic registrar of voters in Bridgeport. Nice. You don’t think that the registrar of voters should know and _follow_ the law? Finally, do you have a cite that “Republican shills [are] committing voter fraud to prove that voter fraud exists in any significant numbers”? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/969 "2014-10-25T01:15:19Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Actually, it was nineteen counts of voter fraud, not just one. None of which would be prevented by voter ID laws. She got caught; the system worked. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/970 "2014-10-25T02:17:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > We saw that even the possibility of legalizing immigrants caused a flood. you don’t think the actuality will as well? Except there [actually was not a flood but rather a 64% drop in immigration over 2004 levels.](http://www.psmag.com/navigation/politics-and-law/surge-illegal-immigration-93040/) Please try to strike a distinction between the phrases “we saw” and “I swallowed the fabrication.” ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/971 "2014-10-25T03:05:22Z")
Then how come we needed to open up new facilities to house them? Is the Obama adminsitration overwhelmed by lower immigration rates compared to the more competent BUsh administration? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/972 "2014-10-25T03:19:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Then how come we needed to open up new facilities to house them? Is the Obama adminsitration overwhelmed by lower immigration rates compared to the more competent BUsh administration? :rolleyes: As the experts interviewed in the Dianne Rehm show told us, the recent crisis was a humanitarian one and most are being deported anyhow thanks to the Republicans not funding this properly, the Republicans only demonstrated once again how inhuman they are to most Hispanics and other immigrants. > **[New Efforts To Address The Child Migrant Crisis](https://dianerehm.org/shows/2014-07-28/new-efforts-address-child-migrant-crisis/transcript)** > > An update on efforts to address the child migrant crisis, from competing plans from the Senate Democrats and House Republicans to the latest proposals from the White House. > [@](#): > > PAGE > 10:35:39 > You know, of course, for the midterm elections you’re concerned about local and state elections, not a national election. And if you look at the places where the key Senate races are, the very competitive Senate races will determine which party controls the Senate after the November elections. They tend to be in red states that are Republican. And we know that these are places where it’s not a welcome sign out for these kids. There’s a desire for the government to take a harder approach to them, Marc Rosenblum. > > ROSENBLUM > 10:36:08 > Yeah, I think that’s right. I mean, the electoral map that we’re concerned about for the midterm race is very different then the 2016 national race. So the importance of Latinos as sort of swing voters is going to play out very differently and going to be much more important in 2016. But the other thing that I think reinforces the point you just made is how much this crisis is viewed as sort of a border security, illegal immigration problem rather than a humanitarian crisis, you know, involving children. > > ROSENBLUM > 10:36:38 > And, I mean, over and over again we hear about this as a border crisis but there’s actually not really a border crisis. There’s no – we’re not seeing kids crossing the border and evading apprehension. What we’re seeing is that there’s a bit of a crisis in our immigration court system for processing and for, you know, making these humanitarian determinations. That backlog is a real problem but there’s no border crisis. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/973 "2014-10-25T03:31:38Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > None of which would be prevented by voter ID laws. How so? If her voter ID showed an address in Brooklyn, for example, she shouldn’t have been able to vote in the Bronx. That’s part of what she was charged with doing, voting in multiple jurisdictions. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/974 "2014-10-25T04:17:58Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > How so? If her voter ID showed an address in Brooklyn, for example, she shouldn’t have been able to vote in the Bronx. That’s part of what she was charged with doing, voting in multiple jurisdictions. No, according to the article: [QUOTE=The article] The arrest warrant affidavit also alleges Ayala provided fabricated evidence to state Election Enforcement Commission investigators that showed she lived at an address in a district where she voted while actually living outside the district, according to the release. [/QUOTE] [http://www.nhregister.com/government-and-politics/20140926/bridgeport-state-rep-christina-ayala-arrested-on-19-voting-fraud-charges](http://www.nhregister.com/government-and-politics/20140926/bridgeport-state-rep-christina-ayala-arrested-on-19-voting-fraud-charges) Not multiple jurisdictions. Just the wrong jurisdiction in Connecticut. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/975 "2014-10-25T04:55:13Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > No, according to the article: [http://www.nhregister.com/government-and-politics/20140926/bridgeport-state-rep-christina-ayala-arrested-on-19-voting-fraud-charges](http://www.nhregister.com/government-and-politics/20140926/bridgeport-state-rep-christina-ayala-arrested-on-19-voting-fraud-charges) > > Not multiple jurisdictions. Just the wrong jurisdiction in Connecticut. Ok, still. If she showed an ID that placed her in one jurisdiction, she wouldn’t have been allowed to vote in a different jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/976 "2014-10-25T12:28:02Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Then how come we needed to open up new facilities to house them? Is the Obama adminsitration overwhelmed by lower immigration rates compared to the more competent BUsh administration? 2 things happened. The Bush administration sprouted a significantly greater administrative burden in handling child immigrants requiring them to be held and processed longer. Even as overall immigration rates were flat, the proportion of unaccompanied minors surged recently due to escalating violence in central america. But due to the typical Bush pattern of not funding its decisions, the support system wasn’t there to absorb the relatively small surge. [Cite](http://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5813406/explain-child-migrant-crisis-central-america-unaccompanied-children-immigrants-daca) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/977 "2014-10-25T13:24:24Z")
[A preview of election day?](http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025712977) We’ve seen the first three panels, hopefully the last can still be avoided. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/978 "2014-10-25T23:52:09Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Oh, look! You found one! If you can manage to find another couple of thousand you might have a statistically significant problem. And she’s STILL outnumbered by Republican shills committing voter fraud to prove that voter fraud exists in any significant numbers. Oh, look! Here’s another one. 6.4% of NON-Citizens voted in 2008. The vast majority voted for Obama. That’s statistically significant. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/10/24/could-non-citizens-decide-the-november-election/](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/10/24/could-non-citizens-decide-the-november-election/) Where is your cite about “Republican shills committing voter fraud to prove that voter fraud exists in any significant numbers.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/979 "2014-10-26T00:07:29Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Where is your cite about “Republican shills committing voter fraud to prove that voter fraud exists in any significant numbers.” I’m sure he was talking about [James O’Keefe, lame conservative trickster](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/james-okeefe-voter-fraud-video_n_1524146.html) who is just sure there’s fraud going on, and he would find it, if he could just stop stepping on his dick. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426/980 "2014-10-26T01:53:49Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’m sure he was talking about [James O’Keefe, lame conservative trickster](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/james-okeefe-voter-fraud-video_n_1524146.html) who is just sure there’s fraud going on, and he would find it, if he could just stop stepping on his dick. Sigh. 1. Since jayjay made the original claim, I’ll let him back it up, if he can. 2. Nothing in your link backs up the story that the Republicans are committing voter fraud. 3. You’re not at all bothered by 6.4% of non-citizens voting? As an American citizen, may I vote in Mexico, India, or China? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-still-trending-to-win-senate/695426.md?page=50)