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Implications (and chances) of Democrats winning back the House

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  • J.K.Logic
    2016-10-31 01:19:11 PM
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    Been playing around with this 270towin site's interactive map, where it shows projections for all the House and Senate seats up for grabs for the election. Has me thinking about the possibility and implications IF the Democrats were able to clean sweep the big 3: Clinton wins, Democrats take back majority control in the House and the Senate.

    I am not FOR either party necessarily, I should say. Usually I consider myself something like an independent, though I don't like party labels, as even calling yourself an 'independent' lends people to think that you think this way or that on any given issue, when in reality, I like to make decisions based off of individual situations. Anyways...

    Even still, I am intrigued by a Democrat controlled government, at least for 2 years. And I dimly, but surely, see this as a possibility. I am under the belief that Clinton wins handily. And the Senate looks like a coin flip to me right now, at least for simple majority control. Looking like 11 seats that are truly 'up for grabs' could make or break that.

    But for the House race, Dems need help. And it doesn't look nearly as good for them. If I had to bet money, I think the Dems win the Senate, but continue to be the minority voice in the House. And of course have the POTUS.

    Anyone here see a viable path for the Democrat party winning the House majority? If so, must mean you are pretty plugged into politics.. I am curious.. what do you think would be the biggest pieces of legislation the Democrats could pass without a Republican majority in the House or Senate for 2 years?

    (I am intrigued by this because I think Republicans are hell bent on making sure the government accomplishes nothing at all. At least the Democrats are for change and 'progress', even if I don't always agree with their particular change all the time. )

    Raising the national minimum wage? Campaign finance reform? (not likely, right?) Revamped healthcare policies? Marijuana dropping down in schedule classing, being legal? etc, etc. Thoughts?

  • justin412
    2016-11-02 10:45:03 AM
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    J.K.Logic Wrote: Anyone here see a viable path for the Democrat party winning the House majority? If so, must mean you are pretty plugged into politics.. I am curious.. what do you think would be the biggest pieces of legislation the Democrats could pass without a Republican majority in the House or Senate for 2 years?

    In short - no, they have no viable path to retake the House.

    The 2010 redistricting process basically guaranteed a Republican majority in the House through 2020 and perhaps beyond. They gerrymandered districts in such a way that clustered densely populated areas together to dilute their power and gave rural and sparsely populated areas more say. And we all know that densely populated areas are far more likely to vote Democratic than rural areas.

    Take a look at 2012. Democratic candidates won 1.17 million more votes than Republican candidates did, but Republicans still won 54 Percent of Seats in the House of Representatives. The same thing can (and very may well) happen again this year.

    I honestly don't see the House going back to the Democrats for another six years at the earliest. The 2020 elections will determine who controls the next redistricting process and if they control a majority of state houses and governorship's then it may be until 2030 until we see a changing of the guard in the House.

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