The Brits know how to do an election night.
We can't do it the same way, because we have a zillion different federal, state, & local offices up for grabs on the same day, plus ballot initiatives & referenda.
But one night with elections to a single legislative house is so pure, it's fun.
UK politics can be grim, but election night there with constituencies being largely ungerrymandered, losers standing next to winners of podiums, and the "election season is 6 weeks, not 2 years" default is incredibly wholesome
also "if/when you lose, there's no lame duck season, the next guy arrives tomorrow at 10am" is a big UK W vs the US system, we should totes get rid of that
Tbf we also have our "ask electors to pick" and "ask congress to count" cosplay, which tbqh we should really move past, because while it's all fun and games as weird cosplay, we've found out to our detriment what happens when folks refuse to dress up and act it out
tomorrow we get my favorite constitutional oddity which is that there's a ~ 1 hour period in which all UK executive authority formally vests in the King
I'm still bullish on the US vs the UK long term, but as an aside, I'll gladly take "we pretend to give this guy total authority but if he tries to use it we'll chop HM Royal Head off again" over "the president is immune from all the crimes, as long as he's abusing his official power during them."
I'm incredibly bullish on America's future. I get it's a bit hard to see these days--the death throes of unpopular authoritarianism is pretty scary and there are real problems in the immediate term--but I definitely think America's best days are still very much ahead.
Today (or even better, yesterday) a good day to remember what a bunch of normie bros and led by one eccentric liberal arts professor can do to a legion of reactionary nutjobs.
As I said earlier, we have to put in the hard work and perseverance to get through this election to keep Trump out of the White House. The long term trends are very positive and there’s not much left of the true GOP. Once MAGA is defeated, that’s a totally splintered party.
I will vote 🔵 no matter who. However, #Biden has little to no upside unless he uses his new #officialact powers - 😳😤which he clearly states he won't. Yes, change at this late date is risky, but so is "staying the course", 1 term loser GHW Bush's bland, ineffective strategy.
I am too but I look at it practically: does my worry improve the situation? No. But my determination not to hand over my country to fascists empowers me.
I think (hope) people have caught on to SCOTUS getting over their skis with obviously incorrect and wildly unpopular rulings, and they will demand action. And unlike in years past, the Democratic leadership have finally seen what's been going on and will actually listen and do something about it.
We either row together or abandon ship and drown together. Every pull of the oar is for someone who will suffer more than you will under Donald 2.0. The LGTBQ community (especially trans folks). The black and brown folks. Immigrants. Kids. Muslims. Jews. Non-Christians. Elderly and disabled.
Because a lot of the problems we are facing is /because/ this is authoritarianism's last chance. They wouldn't need to rig the vote if what they offered was popular
Authoritarianism has to end at some point. Trump is 78. We would eventually find our way out but I’m just unsure how long that will take, and how many people are harmed in the process.
Plus, the Republican Party has such deeply unpopular policies that they couldn’t enact in normal order that could easily turn into poison pills. Also, they are reckless enough to deregulate the banks and cause a financial meltdown that makes them sit down for another 50 years. They’ll fuck it up.
Adamantly agree! We can not allow the treasure, so many have died for to be stolen by truly evil despicable traitors!
We see you; 34-felon, McCarthy, Heritage Society, McConnell, Thomas, Alito, Roberts, Jordan, MTG, Elon, etc.
👀
@pwnallthethings.bsky.social honestly optimism in America (or humanity) at this point sounds like Flat Earth nuttery to me. I feel like you are willfully ignoring reality to suit your own narrative.
I love this thought but have to wonder if and how it survives Trump winning again. I am holding onto the idea that the MAGA chuds have lost every major election in the last 4 years but if the NYT succeeds in handing this one to Trump I honestly don't know where we go from there.
No. But I sometimes use it as one of my "pwnallthethings conlaw nightmare examples", specifically: "what if the King accepts Sunak's resignation and then just doesn't invite Starmer to form a government"
It's wonderfully perverse, because it happens in the context where there's plainly a duly elected PM, but the incoming PM has no authority to act, and Parliament is not yet assembled, so there's (technically) no power center to correct it
The understood bargain here is that the King does what he's supposed to and in return the people of the UK very graciously do not cut off his head, yeah?
