Should Democrats be happy abour Cantor's loss?

[Ogre Mage]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

[Badger]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

...or the next Congress. Or the next. Or even the one after that. Cantor's loss will seriously discourage bipartisan discussion on the issue and could derail such reform. For the rest of the decade.

[7,052,770]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

...or the next Congress. Or the next. Or even the one after that. Cantor's loss will seriously discourage bipartisan discussion on the issue and could derail such reform. For the rest of the decade.

That's fine. The only way anything ever gets done is when there is a Democratic House, Democratic President, and 60 Democratic Senators. Cantor's absence or presence isn't going to change that, but another Tea Party loon in Congress makes the march to supermajority easier.

[IceSpear]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

...or the next Congress. Or the next. Or even the one after that. Cantor's loss will seriously discourage bipartisan discussion on the issue and could derail such reform. For the rest of the decade.

That's fine. The only way anything ever gets done is when there is a Democratic House, Democratic President, and 60 Democratic Senators. Cantor's absence or presence isn't going to change that, but another Tea Party loon in Congress makes the march to supermajority easier.

Well hopefully the filibuster is abolished, because it's looking unlikely there will be 60+ Democratic senators again any time soon.

[Badger]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

...or the next Congress. Or the next. Or even the one after that. Cantor's loss will seriously discourage bipartisan discussion on the issue and could derail such reform. For the rest of the decade.

That's fine. The only way anything ever gets done is when there is a Democratic House, Democratic President, and 60 Democratic Senators. Cantor's absence or presence isn't going to change that, but another Tea Party loon in Congress makes the march to supermajority easier.

If Eric Cantor was making serious noises about immigration reform--and he was--there was at least a decent chance of passing a compromise version of the Dream Act in the next congress. Any Republican with an ounce of pragmatism--includingg even the arch-conservative Cantor--realizes that it's necessary to recoup the mamoth losses among Hispanic and Asian voters since 2004, but isn't likely to undermine base turnout against Hillary substantially.

If you so fully believe sacrificing meaningful immigration reform is a worthwhile sacrifice so Democrats can continue dominating among Hispanic and Asian voters, then I'm happy for you.

[DINGO Joe]

Cantor was so unlikeable on every level, he won't be missed.  Brat will be some backbench ivory tower goofball. 

[angus]

Cantor was a waffling real estate developer with a silly progressive for a wife. Brat is a cultural economist.

Both parties come out ahead in this exchange, even if Brat appears to be a bit of a deficit hawk.

I think Brat will be a better congressman than Cantor.

He will likely be more responsive to his constituents.  I don't know whether that makes him a better congress member.  

I am glad to see that democracy has won out.  Some will bitch that only a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of the VAP voted for Brat, so it's not "real democracy" but those who chose to vote, voted.  More importantly, they showed that the office isn't necessarily for sale to the highest bidder.  Really, this is a reason for Democrats, Republicans, the unaffiliated, and in fact all Americans to be glad.

I do like the name Cantor better than I like the name Brat, but I guess you can't have everything.

[Ogre Mage]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

...or the next Congress. Or the next. Or even the one after that. Cantor's loss will seriously discourage bipartisan discussion on the issue and could derail such reform. For the rest of the decade.

That's fine. The only way anything ever gets done is when there is a Democratic House, Democratic President, and 60 Democratic Senators. Cantor's absence or presence isn't going to change that, but another Tea Party loon in Congress makes the march to supermajority easier.

If Eric Cantor was making serious noises about immigration reform--and he was--there was at least a decent chance of passing a compromise version of the Dream Act in the next congress. Any Republican with an ounce of pragmatism--includingg even the arch-conservative Cantor--realizes that it's necessary to recoup the mamoth losses among Hispanic and Asian voters since 2004, but isn't likely to undermine base turnout against Hillary substantially.

If you so fully believe sacrificing meaningful immigration reform is a worthwhile sacrifice so Democrats can continue dominating among Hispanic and Asian voters, then I'm happy for you.

To say that there was a "decent chance" of the Dream Act passing had Cantor been reelected is stretching it.  I would call it more of a "very low" chance given the nonstop excuses, foot-dragging and backpedaling we have seen from the the GOP House Leadership over the past 18 months on this issue.  And they were going to pass it in the next Congress under the pressure of the presidential cycle and their wingnut base?  Possible but I find it most unlikely.  Too many House Republicans have no motivation to pass immigration reform.  In their custom drawn conservative cocoon districts with a mostly white electorate their only worry is a Tea Party challenge.  

At any rate, Cantor lost, so the chances are now zero.  Which is too bad, but from a political standpoint Democrats are fine playing the hand we've been dealt by the GOP.

[Badger]

Democrats interested in the Presidential race should be happy.  Winning Latino and Asian voters just got easier.  For Democrats who were praying for the miracle that immigration reform would somehow pass the House during this Congress, their hopes have been dashed.

...or the next Congress. Or the next. Or even the one after that. Cantor's loss will seriously discourage bipartisan discussion on the issue and could derail such reform. For the rest of the decade.

That's fine. The only way anything ever gets done is when there is a Democratic House, Democratic President, and 60 Democratic Senators. Cantor's absence or presence isn't going to change that, but another Tea Party loon in Congress makes the march to supermajority easier.

If Eric Cantor was making serious noises about immigration reform--and he was--there was at least a decent chance of passing a compromise version of the Dream Act in the next congress. Any Republican with an ounce of pragmatism--includingg even the arch-conservative Cantor--realizes that it's necessary to recoup the mamoth losses among Hispanic and Asian voters since 2004, but isn't likely to undermine base turnout against Hillary substantially.

If you so fully believe sacrificing meaningful immigration reform is a worthwhile sacrifice so Democrats can continue dominating among Hispanic and Asian voters, then I'm happy for you.

To say that there was a "decent chance" of the Dream Act passing had Cantor been reelected is stretching it.  I would call it more of a "very low" chance given the nonstop excuses, foot-dragging and backpedaling we have seen from the the GOP House Leadership over the past 18 months on this issue.  And they were going to pass it in the next Congress under the pressure of the presidential cycle and their wingnut base?  Possible but I find it most unlikely.  Too many House Republicans have no motivation to pass immigration reform.  In their custom drawn conservative cocoon districts with a mostly white electorate their only worry is a Tea Party challenge.  

At any rate, Cantor lost, so the chances are now zero.  Which is too bad, but from a political standpoint Democrats are fine playing the hand we've been dealt by the GOP.

I basically agree with your points here. The GOP were scared enough by the prospect of being locked out of the White House for decades that there was a real chance of a majority of the caucus seeeing that as a greater threat than the internal threat of primary challenges. Cantor was Exhibit A for this line of thinking, and I agree his defeat has killed it for the forseeable future.