This will be the main post to discuss Santos and his removal from Congress. Please make sure to always check the front page and sort by new/hot before posting if you think the topic might already be shared. thank you.
as a reminder, as always, please be civil. Politics can be a heated topic, but no need to sink low regardless of stance. all are welcome here if they follow the rules.
Thank you.
For those of you saying Hochul needs to select someone, it's not true...she has to call a special election within 10 days. Dems better choose their candidate wisely because I could totally see the GOP retaining this seat if they choose a sane candidate.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-george-santos-gets-expelled-congress-replacement-elected/story?id=105246712
I sure hope not. Suozzi choosing ambition over the sane choice of retaining his seat when he knew it was likely to cede to Republican control is what helped get us here. Add to that the off the wall comments he made over the course of his Gubernatorial campaign, and I truly hope his career in politics is over.
Santos was GOP and he was a shitty candidate even before all this shit came out and he still be Zimmerman. If GOP can select someone mildly saner, which honestly isn’t hard, they have a fair shot, especially if the Dems choose a progressive.
No chance the Dems pick a progressive. They’ll definitely nominate a moderate. This district is purple, so both sides are going to try to “out moderate” the other assuming the GOP doesn’t find another Santos.
I honestly wouldn't put it past them. Considering the infighting between progressives and the moderates and the incompetent leadership in the NY Dem party, they're equally likely to shoot themselves in the foot.
Zimmerman was nowhere to be found during the campaign, and that was the biggest reason for his loss. The biggest issues for NY3 residents during that election were crime and inflation. Zimmerman didn't address them much at all. If I recall, he supported the bail reform measures, which is a pretty progressive stance on crime and not popular at all among NY3 residents.
Regardless, I'm reading now that national Dems and some state party officials (Jay Jacobs) are pushing for Suozzi, so it might be moot. Hochul doesn't like him, though, and she has the final say.
Zimmerman was a lousy candidate for sure. Anyone who really wanted the job would have uncovered the Santos resume issues in oppo research and had it plastered all over their ads immediately. But he was a lifetime party hack who was probably running just because no one else was going for it. It was a bit of a lark after a long career doing back-of-the-house political work. That's why I picked on the "progressive" label. He's been part of the machine since the 70s. When I think progressive I think of someone who is going to try to shake things up, or at least post a few well-composed tweets suggesting that they will.
There was pretty big competition for the Dem nod - five or so candidates, if I recall. Dems viewed it as an automatic win.
I view "progressive" in terms of the political issues lens, and by that token, he fit the bill. He wasn't a raging lefty like Melanie D'Arigo, but still too left-wing for the district, which is increasingly going GOP now.
Hey may have come across as too left for the district, but if he'd run a remotely competent campaign in the general, or if a single paper had done its job, he'd be a congressman now. We'd all have forgotten the name George Santos.
Zimmerman didn’t become the democratic candidate until August 24. The election was November 8. So the campaign was essentially 2 months long. Not a long time to do a whole lot of digging and we don’t know how much money they had to spend on oppo. Suozzi spent $0 in the previous election because pre election polls done by the campaign for months showed Suozzi winning by double digits.
Did the fact $0 were spent in 2020 affect how much was allocated for oppo for district 3 in 2022?
Anytime I saw this race mentioned in media all they said was “Two openly gay candidates! The first election for Congress where openly gay candidates from each party are the opponents.” As if it was a freak show.
The guy running the North Shore Leader, Grant Lally, was a Republican who ran for the District 3 congressional office three times. He knows his way around the district; he is a veteran political campaigner; he is familiar with campaign finances. He had attended various GOP events where Santos appeared. Old money knows money. He immediately knew Santos didn’t attend Horace Mann or own North Shore properties he claimed to hold. Look at the way Santos dresses. Old money knows a phony. Lally said Santos was a boaster and someone who made fun of others in the party organization, which was a red flag.
Zimmerman had been so busy trying to win the nomination against a squadron of candidates that he didn’t get down to brass tacks until too late.
Yeah, bad decisions were made. What’s amazing is how a bakers dozen candidates are chasing their tails until the end of August with the election only 2 months away. Primaries should be held earlier. There are a jillion things wrong with our electoral system and this is only one thing, but I think it’s pretty important for parties to put a stop to clown car primaries and move primary to June.
Politicians don’t want to apply the brakes because that might stop them from running/winning. We have to be the ones to demand change. We need to pay attention to who’s running in our district instead of just checking R or D. Voters were asleep at the wheel because a popular local politician with name recognition ran and won that seat 3 times. They just expected he’d do it again. A change of plan turned out to be disastrous.
But we can’t forget ….. Republicans knew. Grant Lally told them.
All that had to happen was one campaign staff member or one reporter needed to call Goldman HR and ask them to confirm his employment. It would have taken 5 minutes, tops. No one did that. Suozzi's campaign staff could have easily done it and placed a humiliating ad in 2020, but he knew he was going to win at a walk so he saved his money and effort for his silly run at the Governor's office. On some level I blame Suozzi for going easy. That 2020 run koshered Santos in the eyes of a lot of voters when he ran again in 2022.
You're right that everyone in this system, journalists, and politicians from both parties have completely lost the thread.
But does she have final say on the Democratic nominee though? Wouldn't that be more likely to fall more on Jay Jacobs (and party officials) or maybe there will be a Democratic primary before an election? Not sure of how that works.
Meanwhile, my feeling is, if they want to *win*, they better get behind Suozzi.
There is no primary and my understanding is that Hochul will have the final say. I'm sure she'll consult with many NYS Dem officials, including Jay Jacobs, but the final choice is hers.
I agree with you on Suozzi. District is changing and he's the only potential Dem candidate that really understands it. Hochul and Suozzi can't stand each other, though, so that might affect her decision.
Santos was actually a pretty moderate GOP candidate on paper. He was the first openly LGBT member elected to Congress as a non-incumbent Republican. What's crazy is that this was his second time running, which means both Republican and Democrat opposition research missed his BS the first time around.
There is a second special election in another area to replace someone who resigned. The rumor that I heard is that Hochul wants them both on the same day to cut down on costs, which makes sense.
I live close, but not in that area he represented. I think honestly, it's just how people vote today. they most likely didnt even know the guy. but that can be true for democrat reps and their base. a lot vote down party lines. which is why I think even those who "Voted" for him had no problem removing him once the dirty laundry was aired out. even if it means losing a seat, Santos is the first republican I've seen in a long time who didnt have anyone trying to protect him. thats only a good thing. Voting is... well it's not required to be done smartly, they don't test you on your knowledge of the candidates...so things like this can happen. I try my best to look up who im voting for, party or not, if they're shady I won't vote for them. I think this has shown many people to double check who they mark on the ballots they vote on.
I live in the district (the Queens portion, which is pretty similar politically to the neighboring LI neighborhoods). I don't think people voted him in because they liked him - he was a pretty shitty candidate before all these revelations came out. It's just that the Dem candidate did a really bad campaigning job and, quite frankly, was a lousy candidate himself. Santos claiming to be Jewish definitely allayed a lot of Northshore Jewish voters who otherwise wouldn't have voted for him. I'm sure that lie was strategic on Santos' part. I think him lying about that was most unforgivable to the large contingent of Jewish voters in NY3 and they had no issue dropping support.
I’ll add: Fuck Newsday for putting candidate information behind a paywall. The reality is that the burden is too high for a lot of people to make the investment of time and resources to actually get a good feel for candidates that aren’t particularly well known.
Try copying and pasting the article’s URL on .archive.is, archive.today, or archive.ph
to get around paywalls. They work most of the time Sometimes, the archive websites are down but they eventually come back up. 😃
I don’t think many of the voters knew anything other than what was crafted for him as a candidate. The GOP did a good job of creating a candidate that could win in his district, problem is they completely neglected to vet this guy thoroughly. I mean, how could they not even know he was lying about being Jewish? The list goes on and on. It’s embarrassing.
By the time they decided to actually take a look at who this person was, it was way way too late.
I found out in SC, they have to pay for a lot of services we get with our taxes. most try to save and drive their garbage to a dump lol. I mean, ok, maybe they spend a lot less, but im not putting stinky bags in my backseats and going to the dump every week. Long Island is expensive but ive lived in Los Angeles for work and still travel there a lot for work. if I had to pick an expensive place to live its Long Island every time. the food, the sunsets, yeah im crazy I actually enjoy the cold as well as summer. its wild its crazy but the roads are way better here ( im telling you the 101 in LA can suck it hard lol ) and the people are for the most part great. even if you find them to be politically insane, majority will still help a stranger in need. but thats just my experience. now I just gotta figure out how to afford these taxes lol
>one that collects a cushy police pension and the other that's healthy but collects disability anyway
I can imagine the awkwardness if you ever point this out to them lol, oh man the drama.
The seat will be filled within a few months. If you want to change the laws so that people don't have to pay taxes when their House seat is vacant feel free to make that case, but I don't think you'll get much support.
I try my best to encourage my peers, young adults and adults, to vote when they can. But as an overworked wage slave, I understand not having the spoons to do anything out of the mandatory grind.
Boomers and seniors have too much free time, while we often don't have enough to exercise our basic rights.
Legally required vs creating possible friction that may risk your livelihood also needs to be considered. Just because they have to, doesn't mean they will or even change schedules to be more accommodating.
Most people won't ruffle the feathers. Election Day needs to be a real observed holiday.
Now he’s off to Nothingville. His 15 minutes of fame officially over. No one will want him. He was yet another embarrassment to republicans and they will forget him (and they already have). He’ll die in obscurity.
Grant Lally, who was the first person to publish suspicions about Santos, said that Santos claiming he’s Jewish and claiming he went to Horace Mann, etc, is not going to get Santos is jail. But the fraud will send him to jail. Each election felony a person is convicted of is 5 years in federal prison. George’s worlds will collide. George is going to prison.
The responsibility for the election of Santos is 100% on Newsday, News12, the NYTimes, NYPost, and Daily News. The guy ran for election twice and not one of these news organizations made the slightest effort to check any of his career claims. It would have taken 5 minutes for an intern to call Goldman to confirm his past employment. They didn't do it. They just repeated his nonsense like it was truth.
I don’t vote GOP. That party obviously has some issues to sort out. But it’s the job of the press to research candidates and tell the voters. They didn’t do their job.
But I think it’s pathetic that the Dems sleepwalked through 2 elections and let this guy win a seat.
FINALLY. Now we can move on and elect someone who isn’t a lying scumbag and he can prepare to go to prison for all the federal crimes he may have committed.
There will be a special election some time in February or March.
Kathy Hochul will have 10 days to call the election (although there may be some wiggle room on that based upon when she is officially notified by the clerk) and then that election will be 70-80 days after it is called.
Couldn't have happened to a more petulant, self-absorbed, deserving little turd-stain. And that's me holding back.
Edit: Apparently his parting words were "to hell with this place." Wow. He's as mature as Cartman when he cries "screw you guys, I'm going home." Same energy.
When asked for his reaction following the result, Santos said, “It’s over. What reaction?” Asked if he would use his privileges as a former congressman to visit the House floor in the future, he replied, “To hell with this place.”
Can't make this shit up
George is getting upset. George’s worlds are colliding. Independent George is being killed. A George divided against himself cannot stand. It’s back to Vandelay Industries for George.
100% not the answer. In fact that attitude in the opposite direction is what got us here with this fuckface. People need to stop treating elections like popularity contests and actually think about the issues.
Maybe, but every single LI Republican supported Santos, and the party probably knew he was full of shit before the election. He ran before so they had research on him, and there were news stories out before the election on his crookedness which everyone ignored. Shows a complete lack of judgment.
But the issues are important. Issues like housing affordability and expanding mass transit. A Republican tax bill took away my SALT deduction and effectively raised my taxes. I'll never vote for another LI Republican.
All accurate & valid points. The swing from my 2016 taxes to 2017 was astonishing and they are most certainly to blame but at the same time it’s been a few years now and I haven’t seen any efforts by the dems to modify the tax code to get things back where they were. Truth is they all suck
Never said there wasn’t. But if we’re so focused on the American people why aren’t we looking to undo the things that shithead did to fuck them over? Frankly the only ones I heard talking about reversing the SALT stuff were local republican politicians, almost certainly to make it look like they actually care about their constituents but still where was the outrage from the other side of the aisle as the middle class once again gets raked over the coals?
Reversing SALT was a campaign point for every LI congressional candidate. I give no credit to the LI Republicans who voted to repeal it in the first place. Manchin and other red state dems did not support the reversal of SALT, as it's viewed as a reward for coastal elites. So it was lower down on the priority list because it had a low chance of passing to begin with. Not that that's an excuse, but it's the reason why.
We are thinking about the issues, that’s why we vote democrat. You do realize over 100 house republicans voted to keep that assclown Santos in congress, right? That right there, is the issue with this situation.
In no way do I intend to defend them. My point is that blanket statements about only voting one way simply because of the team they’re on are what get us to this place. There are republicans with viewpoints on certain issues that many dems agree with and vice versa. Voting along party lines isn’t good for anyone just my .02
I totally agree that “voting along party lines isn’t good for anyone”, voting for candidates you’re unfamiliar with is never a good idea. Even so, I’m not going to vote republican: I’d rather just not vote. Yes, some republicans support my stance on specific issues, but overall, I feel as though they are not looking out for my best interest. My vote will never be decided by a single issue that they happen agree with me on, when the vast majority of their stance is opposite mine.
There is a possible silver lining to this whole George Santos situation though, and that is the hope that voters will better educate themselves in upcoming elections.
(Edit: I’m not suggesting you told me to vote republican, just wanted to better explain what I meant in my previous reply)
I totally get where you're coming from, but even as someone who routinely criticizes Dems and the left under what circumstances could I possibly feel comfortable supporting a party that a) continues to prop up a lowlife like Trump, b) supported efforts to overturn the last election, c) is becoming more radicalized by the day, and d) doesn't have any legitimate policy positions beyond being anti-Dem and lowering taxes for the rich (no, immigration doesn't count because the reality is both parties couldn't care less about the issue).
Yes, I understand local issues are important and not every Republican is a MAGA blowhard but, ultimately, when push comes to shove everyone in the party is forced to toe the company line lest they risked being run out of town. If by some miracle a principled Republican makes it into Congress, it's only a matter of time before they'd be forced to abandon those principles. How could I feel confident voting for someone today who may look and act quite differently as my representative?
The day Republicans cut their crap out and go back to putting forth more sensible candidates I'll be more than happy to reconsider my position. Because for as many faults as the Dems may have, it feels like Republican voters continue to underestimate the threat of backing a wannabe dictator and election denier, as if our institutions are unbreakable. You can't both-sides or whatabout your way around that fact unless, of course, you'd be dumb enough to actually believe the election was stolen.
With all of that said, if the Dems ever ran a candidate as bad as Santos I'd consider abstaining from voting because at some point you *do* need to draw a red line, lest you convey to the party that they can run the worst possible candidates and still get your vote. So, at some level I do agree with you, as the reality of our current two-party system is such that we're damned if we do, damned if we won't
I don't believe there's a special election. The governor will appoint someone to serve in his place until the regular election.
I assume she'll select souzzi or maybe one of the other recent losers ( Kaiman, Curran, Kaplan, lafazan) the area to inspire confidence for the general.
If the governor doesn't appoint a republican then the appointee is immediately a lame duck. Both the NRCC and DCCC know this and have allocated resources accordingly
She has no obligation to appoint a Republican. She's appointed bipartisan judges. Must likely it'll just be someone who doesn't run in the general. Souzzi is pretty center.
The WFP or Conservative Party should run their own candidate and say “hey, tired of the two party system that brought you George Santos? Vote for somebody independent for a fucking change”
Seriously! I would absolutely vote for WFP if they ran their own candidates. The only thing the stupid Democrats have going for them is not being the stupid Republicans, but there's just no other options in local races :(
Adios, can't wait for the criminal trial. Popcorn engaged.
They don't waste time...
WATCH: Locks changed on expelled Rep. George Santos' office after House vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJqm_ZT3OCE
So I'm glad he got the boot, he was a crook, didn't deserve the office, and wasn't doing anything for his constituents. But, this won't be popular but I kinda feel bad for him too. The humiliation he must be dealing with, It was a fast fall.
Voting is so important but sadly I feel like (in my age group at least), most people I know don’t make it out to vote . I always do, no matter what!!!and I try to encourage others. Because when you don’t or you don’t pay attention and vote for shit, you get shit. This was embarrassingly avoidable . Hope LIers show up in future elections.
...And that was the only folly the people of Nassau ever embarked upon... except the popsicle-stick skyscraper... and the 50 foot magnifying glass.. and that escalator to nowhere.
It's astounding how desperate the Republicans are to get someone, anyone, elected, and keep them there. No matter how ridiculous, corrupt, or untested they might be. It should make all of us very sad this person was even on the ballot.
I can only hope that Republicans in nassau and elsewhere in the US learned their lesson. But sadly I think this is likely just the tip.
unless suozzi runs in the special election that seat is going back to the republicans, and unless it's one who's frothing at the mouth like Santos, they'll also beat has-been Suozzi in the 2024 general election.
i like Jon Kaiman and Anna Kaplan but they gotta see the writing on the wall for their political careers if they haven't already
I’ll sort of miss the guy. I mean, he was a fraud of epic proportions and deserved to be expelled before he was even sworn in, but man his stories were wildly entertaining.
Starting the clock on almost a million people with no representation in congress. I didn't see a resolution to halt all legislative activity pending special election results.
Let's rewrite the "George Porgie" nursery rhyme!
Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry,
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.
Democrats have to get their shit together and take advantage of this opportunity. If a Republican wins this seat now, it’s a sign of a very bleak future for the Democratic Party on Long Island.
Woo Hoo - let the endless stream of political commercials start once the candidates are picked. I can't wait. With basically 90 days, how long do you think it will take before the they are announced? I would guess within a few weeks.
There is already a Wikipedia page for it.
I think the deciding factor will be how many people actually take the time to vote on a non election day. Since older voters, with the time to go and vote, are more likely to vote R, While the whole taking the time to vote is a constant issue, I think it's amplified for this.
Even with all the publicity, I don't think you're going to see a large turnout. Wonder how this is going to work with polling places unless it's done over the winter break.
This will be the main post to discuss Santos and his removal from Congress. Please make sure to always check the front page and sort by new/hot before posting if you think the topic might already be shared. thank you. as a reminder, as always, please be civil. Politics can be a heated topic, but no need to sink low regardless of stance. all are welcome here if they follow the rules. Thank you.
Can somebody tell me when it’s safe to wear half-zips again?
Next Manning Cast is this coming Monday, so really just leave them in the dresser this weekend and then you're good.
I play golf so I’m fucked. I have like 12 of those
It’s probably safe if you’re older/grandpa looking.
Combo with Crocs and you'll be good.
For those of you saying Hochul needs to select someone, it's not true...she has to call a special election within 10 days. Dems better choose their candidate wisely because I could totally see the GOP retaining this seat if they choose a sane candidate. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-george-santos-gets-expelled-congress-replacement-elected/story?id=105246712
I think it's Suozzi's seat for the asking. Moderate Democrat. Our best hope for working across aisle.
Yeah. He would be a good choice and I’d vote for him again.
I used to be in that district. Suozzi was a good Congressmen. Wish I could vote for him again.
I sure hope not. Suozzi choosing ambition over the sane choice of retaining his seat when he knew it was likely to cede to Republican control is what helped get us here. Add to that the off the wall comments he made over the course of his Gubernatorial campaign, and I truly hope his career in politics is over.
The GOP + A sane candidate, LMFAO
Santos was GOP and he was a shitty candidate even before all this shit came out and he still be Zimmerman. If GOP can select someone mildly saner, which honestly isn’t hard, they have a fair shot, especially if the Dems choose a progressive.
No chance the Dems pick a progressive. They’ll definitely nominate a moderate. This district is purple, so both sides are going to try to “out moderate” the other assuming the GOP doesn’t find another Santos.
I honestly wouldn't put it past them. Considering the infighting between progressives and the moderates and the incompetent leadership in the NY Dem party, they're equally likely to shoot themselves in the foot.
I agree with your assessment that the GOP can win this seat again with almost any candiate. But what specifically made Zimmerman "a progressive"?
Zimmerman was nowhere to be found during the campaign, and that was the biggest reason for his loss. The biggest issues for NY3 residents during that election were crime and inflation. Zimmerman didn't address them much at all. If I recall, he supported the bail reform measures, which is a pretty progressive stance on crime and not popular at all among NY3 residents. Regardless, I'm reading now that national Dems and some state party officials (Jay Jacobs) are pushing for Suozzi, so it might be moot. Hochul doesn't like him, though, and she has the final say.
Zimmerman was a lousy candidate for sure. Anyone who really wanted the job would have uncovered the Santos resume issues in oppo research and had it plastered all over their ads immediately. But he was a lifetime party hack who was probably running just because no one else was going for it. It was a bit of a lark after a long career doing back-of-the-house political work. That's why I picked on the "progressive" label. He's been part of the machine since the 70s. When I think progressive I think of someone who is going to try to shake things up, or at least post a few well-composed tweets suggesting that they will.
There was pretty big competition for the Dem nod - five or so candidates, if I recall. Dems viewed it as an automatic win. I view "progressive" in terms of the political issues lens, and by that token, he fit the bill. He wasn't a raging lefty like Melanie D'Arigo, but still too left-wing for the district, which is increasingly going GOP now.
Hey may have come across as too left for the district, but if he'd run a remotely competent campaign in the general, or if a single paper had done its job, he'd be a congressman now. We'd all have forgotten the name George Santos.
Zimmerman didn’t become the democratic candidate until August 24. The election was November 8. So the campaign was essentially 2 months long. Not a long time to do a whole lot of digging and we don’t know how much money they had to spend on oppo. Suozzi spent $0 in the previous election because pre election polls done by the campaign for months showed Suozzi winning by double digits. Did the fact $0 were spent in 2020 affect how much was allocated for oppo for district 3 in 2022? Anytime I saw this race mentioned in media all they said was “Two openly gay candidates! The first election for Congress where openly gay candidates from each party are the opponents.” As if it was a freak show. The guy running the North Shore Leader, Grant Lally, was a Republican who ran for the District 3 congressional office three times. He knows his way around the district; he is a veteran political campaigner; he is familiar with campaign finances. He had attended various GOP events where Santos appeared. Old money knows money. He immediately knew Santos didn’t attend Horace Mann or own North Shore properties he claimed to hold. Look at the way Santos dresses. Old money knows a phony. Lally said Santos was a boaster and someone who made fun of others in the party organization, which was a red flag. Zimmerman had been so busy trying to win the nomination against a squadron of candidates that he didn’t get down to brass tacks until too late. Yeah, bad decisions were made. What’s amazing is how a bakers dozen candidates are chasing their tails until the end of August with the election only 2 months away. Primaries should be held earlier. There are a jillion things wrong with our electoral system and this is only one thing, but I think it’s pretty important for parties to put a stop to clown car primaries and move primary to June. Politicians don’t want to apply the brakes because that might stop them from running/winning. We have to be the ones to demand change. We need to pay attention to who’s running in our district instead of just checking R or D. Voters were asleep at the wheel because a popular local politician with name recognition ran and won that seat 3 times. They just expected he’d do it again. A change of plan turned out to be disastrous. But we can’t forget ….. Republicans knew. Grant Lally told them.
All that had to happen was one campaign staff member or one reporter needed to call Goldman HR and ask them to confirm his employment. It would have taken 5 minutes, tops. No one did that. Suozzi's campaign staff could have easily done it and placed a humiliating ad in 2020, but he knew he was going to win at a walk so he saved his money and effort for his silly run at the Governor's office. On some level I blame Suozzi for going easy. That 2020 run koshered Santos in the eyes of a lot of voters when he ran again in 2022. You're right that everyone in this system, journalists, and politicians from both parties have completely lost the thread.
But does she have final say on the Democratic nominee though? Wouldn't that be more likely to fall more on Jay Jacobs (and party officials) or maybe there will be a Democratic primary before an election? Not sure of how that works. Meanwhile, my feeling is, if they want to *win*, they better get behind Suozzi.
There is no primary and my understanding is that Hochul will have the final say. I'm sure she'll consult with many NYS Dem officials, including Jay Jacobs, but the final choice is hers. I agree with you on Suozzi. District is changing and he's the only potential Dem candidate that really understands it. Hochul and Suozzi can't stand each other, though, so that might affect her decision.
Hochul is a weak governor. I know she has a personal animosity against Suozzi ... but she may have to look past that. It's going to be interesting.
Santos was actually a pretty moderate GOP candidate on paper. He was the first openly LGBT member elected to Congress as a non-incumbent Republican. What's crazy is that this was his second time running, which means both Republican and Democrat opposition research missed his BS the first time around.
Stop playing party politics
There’s this guy Anthony Devolder who might be a good choice for the seat. Heard he just started running his campaign. Looks a lot like Santos though…
When is the election likely to occur
Probably in February.
There is a second special election in another area to replace someone who resigned. The rumor that I heard is that Hochul wants them both on the same day to cut down on costs, which makes sense.
Fuck him, a stain in the history of NY, as if we need anymore stains
Do we still get taxed when we have no representation?
Well lot of people wanted that clown in office. Let's see what happens now 🍿
I live close, but not in that area he represented. I think honestly, it's just how people vote today. they most likely didnt even know the guy. but that can be true for democrat reps and their base. a lot vote down party lines. which is why I think even those who "Voted" for him had no problem removing him once the dirty laundry was aired out. even if it means losing a seat, Santos is the first republican I've seen in a long time who didnt have anyone trying to protect him. thats only a good thing. Voting is... well it's not required to be done smartly, they don't test you on your knowledge of the candidates...so things like this can happen. I try my best to look up who im voting for, party or not, if they're shady I won't vote for them. I think this has shown many people to double check who they mark on the ballots they vote on.
I live in the district (the Queens portion, which is pretty similar politically to the neighboring LI neighborhoods). I don't think people voted him in because they liked him - he was a pretty shitty candidate before all these revelations came out. It's just that the Dem candidate did a really bad campaigning job and, quite frankly, was a lousy candidate himself. Santos claiming to be Jewish definitely allayed a lot of Northshore Jewish voters who otherwise wouldn't have voted for him. I'm sure that lie was strategic on Santos' part. I think him lying about that was most unforgivable to the large contingent of Jewish voters in NY3 and they had no issue dropping support.
I’ll add: Fuck Newsday for putting candidate information behind a paywall. The reality is that the burden is too high for a lot of people to make the investment of time and resources to actually get a good feel for candidates that aren’t particularly well known.
Try copying and pasting the article’s URL on .archive.is, archive.today, or archive.ph to get around paywalls. They work most of the time Sometimes, the archive websites are down but they eventually come back up. 😃
I don’t think many of the voters knew anything other than what was crafted for him as a candidate. The GOP did a good job of creating a candidate that could win in his district, problem is they completely neglected to vet this guy thoroughly. I mean, how could they not even know he was lying about being Jewish? The list goes on and on. It’s embarrassing. By the time they decided to actually take a look at who this person was, it was way way too late.
> Do we still get taxed when we have no representation? Former Long Islander/current DC resident here. Yes, you do.
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I found out in SC, they have to pay for a lot of services we get with our taxes. most try to save and drive their garbage to a dump lol. I mean, ok, maybe they spend a lot less, but im not putting stinky bags in my backseats and going to the dump every week. Long Island is expensive but ive lived in Los Angeles for work and still travel there a lot for work. if I had to pick an expensive place to live its Long Island every time. the food, the sunsets, yeah im crazy I actually enjoy the cold as well as summer. its wild its crazy but the roads are way better here ( im telling you the 101 in LA can suck it hard lol ) and the people are for the most part great. even if you find them to be politically insane, majority will still help a stranger in need. but thats just my experience. now I just gotta figure out how to afford these taxes lol
Ain’t they got pickup trucks?
>one that collects a cushy police pension and the other that's healthy but collects disability anyway I can imagine the awkwardness if you ever point this out to them lol, oh man the drama.
Sounds like your in-laws made the smart decision in choosing public sector unionized jobs that compensate them fairly
“ the other that's healthy but collects disability anyway.” That’s called fraud. Kind of like what Samtos did. They could go to prison for that.
Im just going to throw my tea into cold spring harbor until we get a new rep.
People from Washington DC say yes
This is what I want to know
The seat will be filled within a few months. If you want to change the laws so that people don't have to pay taxes when their House seat is vacant feel free to make that case, but I don't think you'll get much support.
It seems like it is impossible for high office NYers to finish their final term without ending it in a corruption scandal.
Get people out to vote. Too many people are either apathetic or don’t know an election is happening when it’s not a presidential election.
Truth
I try my best to encourage my peers, young adults and adults, to vote when they can. But as an overworked wage slave, I understand not having the spoons to do anything out of the mandatory grind. Boomers and seniors have too much free time, while we often don't have enough to exercise our basic rights.
If you’re scheduled to work on an Election Day, your boss is legally required to give you a couple of hours that day to go and vote if you ask for it.
Legally required vs creating possible friction that may risk your livelihood also needs to be considered. Just because they have to, doesn't mean they will or even change schedules to be more accommodating. Most people won't ruffle the feathers. Election Day needs to be a real observed holiday.
Agreed that it needs to be an observed holiday. The fact that it’s not is so messed up.
That’s why we need more unions. Lots of legal requirements ruffle feathers.
This will get you fired. Not immediately, but they will find another reason to fire you.
Bosses that fire employees over this should be fired.
Only if you work prior to the polls opening or after the polls close
Remember that New York now has early voting, starting ten days before Election Day, with weekend and evening hours available.
It would have been nice if we hadn’t voted down allowing absentee voting a few years ago. That would have eased the burden of voting for many people.
I really wish I still lived in that district.
Now he’s off to Nothingville. His 15 minutes of fame officially over. No one will want him. He was yet another embarrassment to republicans and they will forget him (and they already have). He’ll die in obscurity.
Hopefully he is off to prison.
And a stint on Dancing with Stars, or The Masked Singer. Guaranteed.
Trying….mightily…..not…..to……make…..inappropriate….comment…..on…..Santos….in….prison…..
Grant Lally, who was the first person to publish suspicions about Santos, said that Santos claiming he’s Jewish and claiming he went to Horace Mann, etc, is not going to get Santos is jail. But the fraud will send him to jail. Each election felony a person is convicted of is 5 years in federal prison. George’s worlds will collide. George is going to prison.
Absolutely. He is facing 20 years on the May set and 32 years on the charges from October. It’s just a matter of how long.
The investigation uncovered financial fraud. From how flagrantly he violated the law, I'm guessing he has an indictment in his near future.
The responsibility for the election of Santos is 100% on Newsday, News12, the NYTimes, NYPost, and Daily News. The guy ran for election twice and not one of these news organizations made the slightest effort to check any of his career claims. It would have taken 5 minutes for an intern to call Goldman to confirm his past employment. They didn't do it. They just repeated his nonsense like it was truth.
And how much responsibility does the GOP have here? Wasn't he the candidate that they presented for election?
I don’t vote GOP. That party obviously has some issues to sort out. But it’s the job of the press to research candidates and tell the voters. They didn’t do their job. But I think it’s pathetic that the Dems sleepwalked through 2 elections and let this guy win a seat.
FINALLY. Now we can move on and elect someone who isn’t a lying scumbag and he can prepare to go to prison for all the federal crimes he may have committed.
Electing someone that isn't a lying scumbag is a pretty tall order
Yeah. What are the options for truthful scumbags and kind spirited liars?
we vote. NY turnout has been dropping for years get off reddit and get to the polls
Fuck this guy; fuck him.
i guess we will see him again on Dancing With The Stars.
He was already Season 16 champion, why go back?
See ya, asshole. Glad you are not my rep any more.
There will be a special election some time in February or March. Kathy Hochul will have 10 days to call the election (although there may be some wiggle room on that based upon when she is officially notified by the clerk) and then that election will be 70-80 days after it is called.
What a lovely Friday!
Hurray!
Considering the voters here elected that guy I have no faith we won’t get another mutant
If people keep blindly voting based on the color of their tie then any scumbag will get into office.
Start with removing party lines from ballots. If you don't know who someone is, you shouldn't be voting them into office.
This right here.
Very upsetting to watch PRESIDENT SANTOS be treated so unfairly. WITCH HUNT.
Couldn't have happened to a more petulant, self-absorbed, deserving little turd-stain. And that's me holding back. Edit: Apparently his parting words were "to hell with this place." Wow. He's as mature as Cartman when he cries "screw you guys, I'm going home." Same energy.
When asked for his reaction following the result, Santos said, “It’s over. What reaction?” Asked if he would use his privileges as a former congressman to visit the House floor in the future, he replied, “To hell with this place.” Can't make this shit up
George is getting upset. George’s worlds are colliding. Independent George is being killed. A George divided against himself cannot stand. It’s back to Vandelay Industries for George.
Don't vote Republican
Ah yes, people will listen to your reddit comment to decide their vote choice
Wouldn't that be nice
I will actually
You were going to vote that way anyway. There is no chance that someone making such a simple comment would change your voting opinion
People come here to have their preconceptions validated.
100% not the answer. In fact that attitude in the opposite direction is what got us here with this fuckface. People need to stop treating elections like popularity contests and actually think about the issues.
Maybe, but every single LI Republican supported Santos, and the party probably knew he was full of shit before the election. He ran before so they had research on him, and there were news stories out before the election on his crookedness which everyone ignored. Shows a complete lack of judgment. But the issues are important. Issues like housing affordability and expanding mass transit. A Republican tax bill took away my SALT deduction and effectively raised my taxes. I'll never vote for another LI Republican.
All accurate & valid points. The swing from my 2016 taxes to 2017 was astonishing and they are most certainly to blame but at the same time it’s been a few years now and I haven’t seen any efforts by the dems to modify the tax code to get things back where they were. Truth is they all suck
You do realize the dems don't control the house, right?
They didn’t for the first 2 years of this administration. The orange dickhead got his scam through in under a year.
I mean there's only so much that could be accomplished. Let's not act like no significant legislation was passed in that time.
Hard to pass anything when the only other party is 100% opposed.
Never said there wasn’t. But if we’re so focused on the American people why aren’t we looking to undo the things that shithead did to fuck them over? Frankly the only ones I heard talking about reversing the SALT stuff were local republican politicians, almost certainly to make it look like they actually care about their constituents but still where was the outrage from the other side of the aisle as the middle class once again gets raked over the coals?
Reversing SALT was a campaign point for every LI congressional candidate. I give no credit to the LI Republicans who voted to repeal it in the first place. Manchin and other red state dems did not support the reversal of SALT, as it's viewed as a reward for coastal elites. So it was lower down on the priority list because it had a low chance of passing to begin with. Not that that's an excuse, but it's the reason why.
We are thinking about the issues, that’s why we vote democrat. You do realize over 100 house republicans voted to keep that assclown Santos in congress, right? That right there, is the issue with this situation.
In no way do I intend to defend them. My point is that blanket statements about only voting one way simply because of the team they’re on are what get us to this place. There are republicans with viewpoints on certain issues that many dems agree with and vice versa. Voting along party lines isn’t good for anyone just my .02
I totally agree that “voting along party lines isn’t good for anyone”, voting for candidates you’re unfamiliar with is never a good idea. Even so, I’m not going to vote republican: I’d rather just not vote. Yes, some republicans support my stance on specific issues, but overall, I feel as though they are not looking out for my best interest. My vote will never be decided by a single issue that they happen agree with me on, when the vast majority of their stance is opposite mine. There is a possible silver lining to this whole George Santos situation though, and that is the hope that voters will better educate themselves in upcoming elections. (Edit: I’m not suggesting you told me to vote republican, just wanted to better explain what I meant in my previous reply)
All fair points particularly when most times it comes down to the lesser of two evils. Hopefully we steer clear of schmucks like this in the future
I totally get where you're coming from, but even as someone who routinely criticizes Dems and the left under what circumstances could I possibly feel comfortable supporting a party that a) continues to prop up a lowlife like Trump, b) supported efforts to overturn the last election, c) is becoming more radicalized by the day, and d) doesn't have any legitimate policy positions beyond being anti-Dem and lowering taxes for the rich (no, immigration doesn't count because the reality is both parties couldn't care less about the issue). Yes, I understand local issues are important and not every Republican is a MAGA blowhard but, ultimately, when push comes to shove everyone in the party is forced to toe the company line lest they risked being run out of town. If by some miracle a principled Republican makes it into Congress, it's only a matter of time before they'd be forced to abandon those principles. How could I feel confident voting for someone today who may look and act quite differently as my representative? The day Republicans cut their crap out and go back to putting forth more sensible candidates I'll be more than happy to reconsider my position. Because for as many faults as the Dems may have, it feels like Republican voters continue to underestimate the threat of backing a wannabe dictator and election denier, as if our institutions are unbreakable. You can't both-sides or whatabout your way around that fact unless, of course, you'd be dumb enough to actually believe the election was stolen. With all of that said, if the Dems ever ran a candidate as bad as Santos I'd consider abstaining from voting because at some point you *do* need to draw a red line, lest you convey to the party that they can run the worst possible candidates and still get your vote. So, at some level I do agree with you, as the reality of our current two-party system is such that we're damned if we do, damned if we won't
Definitely voting republican
If you voted for him initially you shouldn’t be able to vote ever again.
Thanks for trying to disenfranchise me as a citizen.
You’re welcome.
We’re going to be asked to select a new rep soon. We can’t afford to just take what we’re fed. We tried that with the last guy!
I don't believe there's a special election. The governor will appoint someone to serve in his place until the regular election. I assume she'll select souzzi or maybe one of the other recent losers ( Kaiman, Curran, Kaplan, lafazan) the area to inspire confidence for the general.
The governor can only name a replacement for a Senate vacancy. House vacancies are filled via special election.
Well then district 3 is fucked and some other nassau Republican bozo will replace him.
You cannot make an appointment to the house, there will be a special election in 70-100 days, each party boss gets to pick their candidate, no primary
If the governor doesn't appoint a republican then the appointee is immediately a lame duck. Both the NRCC and DCCC know this and have allocated resources accordingly
She has no obligation to appoint a Republican. She's appointed bipartisan judges. Must likely it'll just be someone who doesn't run in the general. Souzzi is pretty center.
She does not. But if the person does not run in the general, then they are immediately a lame duck as well.
The WFP or Conservative Party should run their own candidate and say “hey, tired of the two party system that brought you George Santos? Vote for somebody independent for a fucking change”
Seriously! I would absolutely vote for WFP if they ran their own candidates. The only thing the stupid Democrats have going for them is not being the stupid Republicans, but there's just no other options in local races :(
LMAO
I believed him. He was a true hero for our district. /s
Adios, can't wait for the criminal trial. Popcorn engaged. They don't waste time... WATCH: Locks changed on expelled Rep. George Santos' office after House vote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJqm_ZT3OCE
I'm amazed he lasted this long. The man is a human anal polyp.
So I'm glad he got the boot, he was a crook, didn't deserve the office, and wasn't doing anything for his constituents. But, this won't be popular but I kinda feel bad for him too. The humiliation he must be dealing with, It was a fast fall.
he makes for good content hasan from TYT is getting an entire stream off this and its keeping me entertained
Voting is so important but sadly I feel like (in my age group at least), most people I know don’t make it out to vote . I always do, no matter what!!!and I try to encourage others. Because when you don’t or you don’t pay attention and vote for shit, you get shit. This was embarrassingly avoidable . Hope LIers show up in future elections.
...And that was the only folly the people of Nassau ever embarked upon... except the popsicle-stick skyscraper... and the 50 foot magnifying glass.. and that escalator to nowhere. It's astounding how desperate the Republicans are to get someone, anyone, elected, and keep them there. No matter how ridiculous, corrupt, or untested they might be. It should make all of us very sad this person was even on the ballot. I can only hope that Republicans in nassau and elsewhere in the US learned their lesson. But sadly I think this is likely just the tip.
I respect my fellow voting folks that vote Republican, but holy shit. They screwed the pooch on this guy...
 Santos simps triggered and downvoting
I'm a LI Reb, I'm not simping at all. If he committed a crime, GOOD. get him out.
Hopefully you didn’t vote for him
a sad day. finally some LGBT ethnic representation specific to long island and the old white heads in DC chase him out…
GTFO
unless suozzi runs in the special election that seat is going back to the republicans, and unless it's one who's frothing at the mouth like Santos, they'll also beat has-been Suozzi in the 2024 general election. i like Jon Kaiman and Anna Kaplan but they gotta see the writing on the wall for their political careers if they haven't already
I’ll sort of miss the guy. I mean, he was a fraud of epic proportions and deserved to be expelled before he was even sworn in, but man his stories were wildly entertaining.
Starting the clock on almost a million people with no representation in congress. I didn't see a resolution to halt all legislative activity pending special election results.
How do you downvote that?
By pressing a button.
we actually need *more* messy queens in Congress, not fewer
Character assassination
False. There was no character to assassinate.
Actually there were too many characters. Santos, Devolder, Ravache, etc. Guy tried to live out every character that inspired him.
What's the protocol on any special elections?
The state parties pick the nominees for the special election. I really hope the Democrats don't nominate Josh Lafanzan
Lafazan just lost his own seat in last month’s election. No way is he the nominee. Suozzi is probably the most likely.
I doubt it will be him. But I really hope they don't give Zimmerman another shot.
It’s going to be Suozzi.
Lafazan is just a less flashy Santos
Let's rewrite the "George Porgie" nursery rhyme! Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie, Kissed the girls and made them cry, When the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgie ran away.
Best news I’ve read all day.
Santos is out. Plain and simple he should be in prison.
It's time to produce another Teddy Roosevelt Long Island GOP!
Democrats have to get their shit together and take advantage of this opportunity. If a Republican wins this seat now, it’s a sign of a very bleak future for the Democratic Party on Long Island.
Woo Hoo - let the endless stream of political commercials start once the candidates are picked. I can't wait. With basically 90 days, how long do you think it will take before the they are announced? I would guess within a few weeks. There is already a Wikipedia page for it. I think the deciding factor will be how many people actually take the time to vote on a non election day. Since older voters, with the time to go and vote, are more likely to vote R, While the whole taking the time to vote is a constant issue, I think it's amplified for this. Even with all the publicity, I don't think you're going to see a large turnout. Wonder how this is going to work with polling places unless it's done over the winter break.
I'm curious what he will be doing now for work now that he's no longer in Congress.
I got a robocall from him the other week asking to join in a town hall. I wish I wasn't at work so I could have recorded the entire train wreck
We do better by not blindly voting Republican because it’s anti Biden - and before anyone asks, I voted Trump both times.
diva down!!!!!!