# Will Trump have 60 votes in the 2018 Senate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 20, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832 "2017-09-20T20:26:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/81 "2017-10-13T15:35:00Z")
Compared to Trump and his cronies, Collins is a Democrat. She might vote with the Republicans on any sane conservative legislation they put forward, and I’d rather not see that happen, but there’s little enough sane conservative legislation being proposed that that’s not an issue. But she’ll still vote against the insane stuff, and that’s what really matters. Plus, we’re going to need to rebuild a sane conservative party eventually, and she’s one of the nuclei to build it around. I agree that it’s better for her to stay on than to take a coin-flip on her replacement. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/82 "2017-10-13T19:37:29Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Interesting twist today. Susan Collins apparently won’t leave the Senate to run for governor. Although it might be seen as problematic for Democrats’ Senate hopes, I’m not that disappointed. I’m too lazy to look it up right now, but I’ve heard several times that if a Senate seat from Maine is vacated, the governor gets to choose the replacement, who would finish the vacating Senator’s term. So if Collins had quit the Senate now, Gov. LePage would have appointed the new Senator, who would be pretty far right, and would have served through January 2021. The Dems dodged a bullet when Collins decided to stay put. ---
**Author:** ![Pinmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@Pinmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pinmin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/83 "2017-10-19T02:48:56Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > How many people in America didn’t have health insurance before Obamacare? How many of those will celebrate a return to their previous status? They used to worry about their future, then they didn’t worry so much. Now, they may not have one to worry about! Thanks, President Trump! > > The Republicans have loaded up a belt-fed, full-auto shotgun. Are they aiming for their toes or for their instep? How many people have healthcare get much more expensive with much worse coverage since the ACA was passed? There’s a growing middle class disgruntlement with health insurance that, rightly or wrongly, is blamed on “Obamacare.” Now which group generally votes in higher percentages? My wager is the people I described are much more likely to show up at the ballot box than those who didn’t have insurance before ACA. Regardless of the reason, they may be a more reliable voting bloc. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/84 "2017-10-19T14:10:19Z")
> [@Pinmin](#): > > How many people have healthcare get much more expensive with much worse coverage since the ACA was passed? There’s a growing middle class disgruntlement with health insurance that, rightly or wrongly, is blamed on “Obamacare.” Now which group generally votes in higher percentages? My wager is the people I described are much more likely to show up at the ballot box than those who didn’t have insurance before ACA. Regardless of the reason, they may be a more reliable voting bloc. This perception of “growing middle class disgruntlement” is because the disgruntled have been told by their right-wing bubble that they _should_ be disgruntled. But when the rock covering the latest iteration of a Republican ACA repeal plan is turned over, suddenly these “disgruntled” realize that _their_ rates are going up, or _their_ kids are going to lose coverage, and suddenly _they_ start calling their Senators and Reps, or turn out at “keep your government hands off my Medicare” rallies. They may be a reliable voting bloc, but I wouldn’t bank on which way the votes will fall. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/85 "2017-10-20T09:01:37Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Flake is a maybe, and I wouldn’t expect any other Dem pickups. Flake does seem to be facing [a number of primary challengers](https://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2017/10/perils-conscience), largely for having the temerity to challenge the Chump-in-Chief. He (or the person beating him in the primary) also has a strong centrist Democrat with moneyraising experience to face in the general; if the primaries get brutal it will only increase the probability of a Dem pickup in Arizona. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/87 "2018-04-05T17:55:47Z")
[Democrat Phil Bredesen holds double-digit lead over Marsha Blackburn in US Senate race](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/05/tennessee-us-senate-2018-poll-phil-bredesen-marsha-blackburn/485649002/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/88 "2018-04-05T18:05:05Z")
Am I the only one who thinks that article should have somewhere mentioned Corker’s party? I was pretty sure he was a Republican, and a quick Google confirmed it, but it seems like pretty basic information to include in an article like that. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/89 "2018-04-05T18:18:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [Democrat Phil Bredesen holds double-digit lead over Marsha Blackburn in US Senate race](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/05/tennessee-us-senate-2018-poll-phil-bredesen-marsha-blackburn/485649002/) And [the only polls so far](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Tennessee,_2018#Polling_2) that give Blackburn the advantage are from blatantly wingnut outfits. Wikipedia shows eight polls of the expected Bredesen-Blackburn race (primaries aren’t until August), and five of them (including the one **Fear Itself** links to) show Bredesen ahead. Of the other three, two are sponsored by an organization calling itself “Committee to Defend the President,” and the third by the [Tennessee Star](http://tennesseestar.com/), which is full of articles with titles like “Trump Backs Regulation-Slashing Scott Pruitt at EPA as Angry Liberals Circle.” Draw your own conclusions. ETA: Short version - yeah, this one really could flip. Who’d’a thunk? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/90 "2018-04-05T18:18:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks that article should have somewhere mentioned Corker’s party? I was pretty sure he was a Republican, and a quick Google confirmed it, but it seems like pretty basic information to include in an article like that. It’s sloppy – and with the current state of the “Republican” brand it could also be considered (pro-Corker) bias. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/91 "2018-04-05T19:04:20Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > There’s a PredictIt market for this. > > [How many Senate seats will the GOP hold after 2018 midterms?](https://www.predictit.org/Market/2891/How-many-Senate-seats-will-the-GOP-hold-after-2018-midterms) > > Current prices… > > 60+ $0.09 > 59 $0.06 > 58 $0.06 > 57 $0.05 > 56 $0.05 > 55 $0.08 > 54 $0.09 > 53 $0.11 > 52 $0.13 > 51 $0.12 > 50 $0.14 > 49- $0.19 Thought I’d see how those numbers were doing now: Current prices… 60+ $0.04 59 $0.02 58 $0.02 57 $0.03 56 $0.04 55 $0.07 54 $0.07 53 $0.08 52 $0.10 51 $0.12 50 $0.15 49- $0.36 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/92 "2018-04-08T13:26:16Z")
Trump’s approval numbers have been coming up in the past couple weeks, apparently among men who wish they could have screwed Stormy. It is looking increasingly unlikely that Mueller is going to release any bombshells. At this point I think he should shit or get off the pot. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/93 "2018-04-08T13:32:39Z")
I’m not convinced that people are voting entirely against Trump. Going back to the whole women’s march thing in January of last year, it seems more like progressives just woke up and realize they need a local ground game and that they can’t just assume that a bloviating windbag turd of a candidate is going to lose an election just for being a bloviating windbag turd. Left wing anger has been bubbling up since long before 2016, just as right wing anger has. All of that being said, Politico writes that the signs are pointing to a Rick Scott candidacy for the Senate, which would be a potential problem for the Democrats. On the flip side, it’ll be interesting to see if Scott catches on flak for bucking the NRA on signing the recent gun bill. He really had no choice if he wanted to have a political future in Florida, but will Wayne LaPierre see it that way, and we he run into a stiff primary challenge as a result? Scott actually does, from time to time, come across as having a touch of humanity, unlike that shitbag Scott Walker in Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/94 "2018-04-08T15:03:56Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Trump’s approval numbers have been coming up in the past couple weeks, apparently among men who wish they could have screwed Stormy. > > It is looking increasingly unlikely that Mueller is going to release any bombshells. At this point I think he should shit or get off the pot. I’m not sure why you believe either of these things. [One of them](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/) is demonstrably false. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/95 "2018-04-08T15:46:04Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Trump’s approval numbers have been coming up in the past couple weeks, apparently among men who wish they could have screwed Stormy. > > It is looking increasingly unlikely that Mueller is going to release any bombshells. At this point I think he should shit or get off the pot. Mueller’s investigation could take years. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/96 "2018-04-08T17:20:41Z")
I’d like Mueller to finish his investigation quickly. But I’d rather he get it all right. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/97 "2018-04-08T17:44:18Z")
As I’ve seen pointed out many placed, it really makes sense for Mueller to try and wait for at least a Democratic House if he wants to say anything about Trump. Or at least until the elections are near–though that makes it easier to dismiss as political advertising for the Dems if the Pubs keep the House. ---
**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:** [April 8, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/98 "2018-04-08T19:15:40Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Trump’s approval numbers have been coming up in the past couple weeks, apparently among men who wish they could have screwed Stormy. > > It is looking increasingly unlikely that Mueller is going to release any bombshells. At this point I think he should shit or get off the pot. The paragraphs (even if accurate) should not and I believe do not have anything to do with each other. Mueller’s investigation should complete when it is complete. The timing of its completion should be with absolute no regard to elections or polls or findings of whatever sort but based on his professional assessment that they have finished the task. Now I can have partisan expectations regarding what the findings will be and hoes for how the timing will work out, but I expect Mueller to be as concerned with that as the clouds are with whether or not I want a sunny day. ---
**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:** [April 8, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/99 "2018-04-08T19:24:31Z")
As for Collins - does anyone think there is any chance that if the Senate was 50/50 Collins would consider flipping to D, giving D control of leadership? It is not unprecedented. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/100 "2018-04-09T19:31:27Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Trump’s approval numbers have been coming up in the past couple weeks, apparently among men who wish they could have screwed Stormy. > > It is looking increasingly unlikely that Mueller is going to release any bombshells. At this point I think he should shit or get off the pot. Its not like he’s actually moving [particularly slowly](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/mueller-is-moving-quickly-compared-to-past-special-counsel-investigations/)relative to other investigations of this sort. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2018, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832/101 "2018-04-09T19:52:34Z")
Governor Skeletor has announce his plan to run against Bill Nelson for Florida senate. The news sites are treating this like a big deal and declaring this race is now a toss up. However, everyone pretty much knew this was going to happen so nothing really has changed. The [PredictIt market](https://www.predictit.org/Contract/5564/Will-Bill-Nelson-be-re-elected-to-the-US-Senate-in-Florida-in-2018#data) moved, but not much, in response. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-have-60-votes-in-the-2018-senate/796832.md?page=6)