On the trail: the political losers of 2020

In an election in which more voters voted than ever in American history, almost everyone had reason to celebrate. Democrats won the White House. Republicans made surprising gains in the House and took seats in the Senate, even when they expected to lose.

But for every winner, there is at least one loser. Here are the most significant losers in this historic presidential year:

The Kraken

President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump calls for an end to “religious persecution worldwide” on the 850th anniversary of Thomas Becket’s death. The interview with Michael Cohen raises questions after he mentions friends from prison ‘Tony Meatballs and Big Minty’ Ocasio-Cortez against Democrats and Republicans who opposed $ 1,000 direct payments MOREThe allegations of electoral fraud started even before the votes were counted. They continued for a long time after the fairest and most well-held election in years, without a spark of evidence.

Trump’s supposedly excellent legal team – including a former prosecutor who hadn’t seen the inside of a courtroom for decades, a former prosecutor fired from his former job for performance reasons and a conspiratorial lawyer who was too much for even others two – spent the weeks after election day filing lawsuits that went nowhere.

The damage caused by Trump’s false claims will last long after he retires to his Florida property. Millions of Americans have had their faith in our electoral process undermined both by the candidate who lost a free and fair election and by the media that spread his lie for his own benefit.

Trump himself will end his political career having received more votes than any other Republican in American history. He won the presidency by breaking the political mold. The irony is that if he had followed a more traditional political manual, increasing his coalition and avoiding the unnecessary antagonism that defined his mandate, he could be making plans for his second term now.

New York

Among the winners of the 2020 elections were the dedicated civil servants who managed these elections in the midst of a global pandemic and all the challenges it brought.

The big and stark exception was in New York, where the absent ballots were rejected in large numbers, where the vote count dragged on and where the results were not known for weeks after the primary and general elections. State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D), who will lead electoral reform legislation in his state next year, told this reporter that he was embarrassed by the performance.

New York’s long legacy of poor election administration has its roots in the Dutch settlers who landed in New Amsterdam centuries ago – they made it difficult to vote because they didn’t want people to vote.

More recently, strong Democratic and Republican machines that ran different parts of the state maintained strict controls over who voted because it was in their interest to reduce competition and maintain power. Today, New York City’s Electoral Council is filled with nepotism and political appointees who are unable to do their job.

But in the 21st century, when several states conduct elections entirely by mail and others are experimenting with online voting, there is no excuse for being so far behind.

Split voters

When Bill ClintonThe legacy of William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton Trump: a lasting contempt for the truth? The agreement between NASA and Canada demonstrates how Artemis is an international Republican senator: Trump will be ‘remembered for chaos, misery and erratic behavior’ if he allows the relief of COVID-19 to expire MORE won the 1992 elections, the 32 states he exercised were represented by 44 Democrats and 20 Republicans in the Senate. When Joe BidenJoe BidenMichigan Mayor draws criticism with Facebook posts suggesting rebellion: Trump report names Roisman interim SEC president, Biden appointed to the Interior discusses environmental injustice with tribal leaders MORE won the White House in 2020, the 25 states he carried were represented by 48 Democrats and only three Republicans – Sens. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonSchumer will try to approve the K stimulus check project on Tuesday this week: Trump’s control over Hill’s allies faces test At COVID-19, foreign policy elites are as polarized as the public MORE (R-Wis.), Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyThe government used the Patriot Act to collect records of website visitors in 2019 The appeals court ruled that the mass collection of telephone data from the NSA is illegal. (R-Pa.) E Susan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins Southwest Airlines says it will not lay off workers after Trump signed the relief bill Bipartisan lawmakers urge Trump to sign or immediately veto the coronavirus relief bill The Republican Senator for Trump’s forgiveness: ‘That’s rotten to the core ‘ (R-Maine) – results pending in Georgia.

Collins is the only senator in the last two election cycles to own a state that the other party’s presidential candidate won in the previous election.

In the United States House, only seven Democrats and nine Republicans won districts that the other party’s presidential candidate won.

There was a time when a substantial proportion of voters were willing to consider dividing their passages between presidential candidates and less voted candidates. These voters are disappearing, as our policy begins to look more like a parliamentary system.

Incumbency

One consequence of this evolution towards a more parliamentary political system is the decline in the power of mandate. Long-divided voters were willing to reward the powerful who brought the bacon home.

But that stock’s power has diminished with the elimination of brands, and voters are now more willing to kick even members who have accumulated substantial political power – just look at the Rep. Collin PetersonCollin Clark PetersonOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump administrator to sell oil leases at Arctic wildlife refuge before Biden takes over | Trump administration approves controversial oil testing method in the Gulf of Mexico | Congressman Scott wins the hammer of the House Agriculture Committee Congressman David Scott wins the hammer of the House Agriculture Committee The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – Dem leaders support lower COVID-19 relief bill as pandemic increases (D-Minn.), Chairman of the Chamber’s Agriculture Committee, whose heavily agricultural district kicked him this year. Peterson lost to elected MP Michelle Fischbach (R) by a margin of 13 points.

Peterson joins a parade of former members who have lost their districts in recent cycles, including Reps. Dana RohrabacherDana Tyrone RohrabacherOn The Trail: California’s political losers in 2020 was a key factor in the Republican Party’s success in 2020 Republican Party Steel wins the race in the California House after Democrat Rouda concedes MORE (R-Calif.) E Pete SessionsPeter Anderson SessionsWhy Trump’s defeat is bittersweet for Texas Democrats Conclusion from Texas Democrat Colin Allred wins Republican Party challenger MORE (R-Texas) in 2018 (although Sessions won a return bid this year); John micaJohn Luigi MicaHillicon Valley – Presented by CTIA and America’s wireless industry – Lawmaker sees political revenge in the fight for ‘false’ measures | Tech giants to testify at hearing on ‘censorship’ accusations | Google pulls plug from AI Legislator council alleges political retribution in false ‘deepfakes’ measure. Republican Party President criticizes ‘unfortunate’ FEMA response in Louisiana MORE (R-Fla.) E Scott GarrettErnest (Scott) Scott GarrettOn The Trail: The political losers of 2020 Biz groups take a victory lap at Ex-Im Bank Export-Import Bank back in full force after Senate confirmations MORE (RN.J.) in 2016; and John BarrowJohn Jenkins BarrowOn The Trail: The Political Losers of 2020 The Republican wins the second round of Georgia’s Secretary of State to replace Kemp The second most important round is the one you probably never heard of MORE (D-Ga.), Tim BishopTimothy (Tim) Howard Bishop Demon Candidate ‘struck by parallels’ between the rise of Trump and the Hitler Demons separated by 29 votes in the New York House. Flint residents hire the first K Street company MORE (DN.Y.) and Nick RahallNick Joe RahallWe must not allow politics to prevent disaster relief Breaking the cycle of partisanship with child health programs Clinton ponders the role in 2018 semesters MORE (DW.Va.) in 2014.

It is rare now that an individual member of Congress can build a brand that transcends its party label. There are fewer and fewer Susan Collinses and Joe Manchins (DW.Va.), and there is no sign that their ranks will be replenished anytime soon.

Billionaires

It may be difficult to remember, but Michael BloombergMichael BloombergPoll considers Andrew Yang a favorite for New York mayor to announce comprehensive school integration measures: Andrew Yang report telling New York City leaders he plans to run for mayor: NYT MORE spent $ 1 billion over just a few months this year trying to win the Democratic presidential nomination. He obtained just under 2.5 million votes, or about 7% of the total votes cast.

Tom SteyerTom SteyerBiden The cabinet chooses to largely unify Democrats – so far, late donor outbreaks have elevated electoral spending projections to new heights New voters emerge in polls MORE he spent more than $ 340 million of his own money and gave up before Super Tuesday, without having won a single delegate.

The biggest donors to political causes this year were Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, the casino tycoons who injected $ 170 million into President Trump’s defeated campaign.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) spent more than $ 56 million on a vote to implement a failed graduate income tax. Perhaps the only billionaire who won anything this year was hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, who spent almost as much as Pritzker opposing the tax proposal.

It must be nice to have all that money to burn, but the billionaires who make politics didn’t do it very efficiently in 2020.

Charlotte and Milwaukee

Queen City and Cream City should host the ridiculously outdated but wonderfully fun political conventions that catch our attention for four days every four years. Then the coronavirus hit, and both events became digital wrappers of what past events had been.

In the process, Charlotte and Milwaukee lost, through no fault of their own, what could have been hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, and the present spotlight that comes with a four-day focus on the best that a city has to offer.

We will not know for another four years whether the traditional political convention will make a comeback, or whether digitally pre-packaged videos are the future. If the parties tried to make personal conventions again, it would be fair to give Charlotte and Milwaukee another chance.