Blackcap Blog

Published at 14:02 on 16 December 2020

Of course, it matters because will give Democrats control over the Senate. Everybody knows that much. However, I don’t think everybody knows just how important that will be.

First, if we know anything about the Republicans, we know that they will be dead-set on obstruction to the max if they retain control of the Senate. Nobody aware of Mitch McConnell’s antics over the past five years can plausibly argue otherwise. If the Republicans control the Senate, Biden will probably not be able to appoint anyone other than actual, pro-Trump, pro-fascist Republicans to any Senate-confirmed position. He will not be able to pass any laws except the laws Trumpers want.

Government will lurch from crisis to crisis, and the Republicans will blame it all on the chief executive and his party. Because voters are by and large stupid, and because Democrats are by and large incompetent when it comes to messaging, voters will overall fall for the Republican lie hook, line, and sinker.

Because Biden’s cabinet nominations will be frustrated, he will resort to doing what Trump did and nominate acting secretaries. In fact, he will largely resort to doing what Trump did in other ways. Doubtless he will use executive power to direct spending without Congressional approval, much like Trump did with the border wall.

In doing so, Biden will cement, by bipartisan consensus, that Trump’s innovations in the way of greater executive power were legitimate and establish precedent for an increasingly imperial presidency. Sooner rather than later, a Trumpy fascist will win the White House again, and at that point it will be Game Over for democracy.

All of this is likely should Democrats not win the two runoffs in Georgia. This, not just some lack of breathing room when it comes to enacting policy, is the real stakes at play in the Georgia runoffs.

In fact, the breathing room afforded Biden on policy really won’t be that great. The Senate will be split 50–50; Democrats will prevail only because the Vice President gets to cast a tie-breaking vote. Anything that passes the Senate will therefore have to get ayes from the likes of Joseph Manchin III, Angus King Jr., Jon Tester, and Kyrsten Sinema. That is aside from the fact that Biden himself is no progressive.

But none of that matters so much. Putting a brake on the runaway train to fascism, not enacting any progressive wish list, is the real reason those two Georgia seats matter.