Yesterday, America witnessed a little event known as the midterm elections. Y’know … no big deal, just an election to determine the future of LGBTQ rights and human existence across America and the entire world.
It actually turned out to be a decent night! Democrats won back the House by a decent margin, a lot of LGBTQ and female candidates won, a few bad Republicans got the boot (some didn’t), and several states passed progressive ballot measures.
We were watching social media all night for breaking news and found a handful of tweets that conveyed some celebratory moments and thoughts moving forward.
WANT TO SAY HOW PROUD I AM OF ALL THOSE WHO VOTED????????????
ps LADIES…PUT ON YOUR ??ITS TIME TO KICK?A LITTLE ASS?
WE’RE IN IT TO WIN IT?No Matter What Happens This Yr
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
??????— Cher (@cher) November 6, 2018
Over 100 women have been elected to the House for the first time ever. It’s about time.
— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) November 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/ProfessorCrunk/status/1060168166859591680
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
To all the Democrats just elected to the House,
Congratulations! Great job!
Now use that power. Don't play nice. Don't "extend a hand across the aisle." Don't compromise your principles.
Expose these fuckers and protect democracy.
Sincerely,
The people who put you there
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) November 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/mat_johnson/status/1060044120528310272
did it drop another house on your sister? https://t.co/p2MZY8TpTI
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) November 7, 2018
First openly gay man to be elected Governor of a US State! ????#ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/s3vxkUiIF2
— Mike Gerald Gibbs???? ??(He/Him) (@Mikeggibbs) November 7, 2018
Me entering the living room to tell my roommates Kris Kobach lost. pic.twitter.com/13HFNe2J56
— Gabe González (@gaybonez) November 7, 2018
The Colorado cake baker who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple now has a gay governor.
— Reverend Jes Kast (@RevJesKast) November 7, 2018
Trump’s worst nightmare Maxine Waters is now the chairwoman of the house financial services committee pic.twitter.com/e9yJ79Q7m1
— I’m awesome (@AewsomeguyI) November 7, 2018
Sweet! —> The founder of ‘Gays for Trump’ got trounced in his North Carolina election https://t.co/GT3cwOtCdm
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) November 7, 2018
27 NRA backed candidates lost tonight! The most ever.
Thank you @AMarch4OurLives!
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) November 7, 2018
I want this picture printed on all money. pic.twitter.com/U7QNADCWQR
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) November 7, 2018
Idaho, Utah, & Nebraska all expanded Medicaid tonight.
300,000 people gain access to health care.
— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) November 7, 2018
You deserve all the credit for this -you have made the Democratic Party Great Again!! You helped Dems win the House which they couldn't do for 8 years on own and Dems flipped at least 7 governor's races last night! #MDGA https://t.co/8FiCZokky9
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) November 7, 2018
Four years ago, the House Budget Chairman was Paul Ryan.
Next year it will be a former alt weekly owner from Louisville who wants to hold hearings on Medicare for All. https://t.co/HrQPgp0Tq1
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) November 7, 2018
Stacey Abrams is not conceding. She’s within 3 points of winning, despite every possible trick Kemp could try to deny people the right to vote and steal the election. She has every right to demand an investigation into the results. She has every reason to doubt these numbers.
— Steven Beschloss (@StevenBeschloss) November 7, 2018
Tonight Nancy Pelosi said that congressional Democrats will work with the GOP to find bipartisan solutions. Bipartisan??!? Does she think Republicans are suddenly part of the Get Along Gang? Screw that. We need another speaker, STAT. #ElectionNight #ElectionDay #Election2018 pic.twitter.com/bnohULB0Wr
— LGBTQ Nation (@lgbtqnation) November 7, 2018
Take heart:
America might still be electing stunningly unapologetic racists and misogynists and homo/transphobes but this country is becoming more feminist and queerer and filled with more people of color every year and there’s nothing our enemies can do about it except die off
— Noah Michelson (@noahmichelson) November 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/evaholland/status/1059993045280612352
https://twitter.com/prisonculture/status/1060011202531745794
No way to put lipstick on this pig. Feckless Republicans squandered a once in a generation opportunity build a wall and reduce the Democrat Party to rubble.The only way forward now for Trump: judges, judges, judges, veto, veto, veto.
— Rev. Bryan Fischer – Host, Bryan Fischer Podcast (@BryanJFischer) November 7, 2018
Trump has endorsed 11 Republicans running for Governor, 31 House candidates and 13 Senate candidates and I've screenshot every one of them and will let him know every one that loses.
— ally (@missmayn) November 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/spectrumfox/status/1059980669537837060
jakejacob
Trump won bigly and he knows it.
By taking over control of the House of Representatives, Democrats may be able to block President Trump from passing any major legislation for the next few years. But by maintaining control of the Senate, Republicans can ensure that Trump will get to name a flood of judges to fill vacancies on the federal judiciary.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already touts the remaking of the federal judiciary under Trump as one of the greatest accomplishments of the GOP-controlled Senate. Since Trump took office, the Senate has confirmed 84 judges. That includes 29 appellate court judges, as well as Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Republicans have greatly benefited from the decision by Democrat Harry Reid, the former majority leader, to trigger the nuclear option in 2013, thus allowing federal judges to be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
Given that Trump’s hands will be tied legislatively, one of the ways in which he’ll be able to appeal to the Republican base ahead of the 2020 election will be to appoint more conservative judges.
Currently, there are 111 vacancies in U.S. District Courts and 11 vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals. As of now, Trump has nominations pending on 48 of those district court spots and three of the appellate slots.
Look for Trump to aggressively fill those remaining slots and for McConnell to work swiftly to confirm them. Without control of the House, the Senate won’t have the chance to enact much legislation, so McConnell can focus primarily on getting judges across the finish line. There are currently 865 judgeships at the district, appellate, and Supreme Court level. Were Trump to fill all the current vacancies on top of those he has already confirmed, nearly one out of four judges on the judiciary will have been appointed by Trump.
This, of course, does not account for the possibility of another Supreme Court vacancy opening up.
No matter what happens in 2020, the reshaping of the judiciary could end up being the most enduring part of Trump’s legacy.
JessPH
Why did you include the tweet of notorious homophobe Bryan Fischer? What part of his whining tweet “reflects our anger and optimism for the future”?!