Things are not optimistic about RFK & others getting confirmed, here’s why. https://x.com/RoleighMartin/status/1878818484303417711…
Three GOP Senators are not going to go for another term after they finish their current term, even if that term is 6 years long. So, the threat of “we’ll primary you” has no weight against these 3 Senators. There are literally billions of dollars at stake here to see that RFK, Jay Bhattacharya (NIH Director) and Marty Makary (FDA Director) do not get confirmed. · Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)- His term ends in 2027. · Mike Braun (R-Ind.)- His term ends in 2025, but he’s running for governor in 2024. · Mitt Romney (R-Utah)- His term ends in 2025. Add to the above list Senator Murkowski and Senator Collins who already voted against Hegseth — they care little if Trump gets all of his nominees confirmed.
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board’s main opinion page on January 26 was “Why RFK Jr. Is Dangerous to Public Health”. All bats are out to make sure a select number of Trump nominees DO NOT get confirmed. If you are a Senator and some of these coercive powers have blackmail information on you, it’s much more conceivable they will bear the wrath of angry voters than let that blackmail information go public. If you are any of the 3 Senators whose 6-year term now is their last one and some of these coercive powers have blackmail information on you, it’s much more conceivable they will bear the wrath of angry neighbors than let that blackmail information go public. These 3 senators do not need to worry about voters anymore. I give the odds that ALL of these at-risk nominees (the 3 named above plus Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard) get confirmed at less than 33%. However, imagine the Trump camp or the Trump/RFK voters overwhelmingly demand the GOP Senators assert that they will use Hybrid Voting as a fallback nominee confirmation voting method if the first vote fails and if Trump resubmits the nominee’s name for a second vote since the vote on that measure does not (by itself) involve any nominee’s name (yet), then the vote for that measure is much more likely to succeed.
So, the most defensive, supportive strategy should be to first get the Senate on board with Hybrid Voting as a fallback nominee confirmation voting method (after all, the Senate used it periodically before 1929, so it’s nothing new on the books), it makes it easier (and expected!) that they will use that backup voting measure if any of the nominees fail on the first vote. I give the odds that all of the named at-risk nominees will get confirmed under the protection of the Hybrid Voting fallback method at over 90%. There are likely three hidden levels of support for these at-risk nominees: (a) Democrat Senators who want a healthier America or a safer America but don’t want to risk their political career whether they’re highly dependent on money coming in from Big Medicine, whether they’re being blackmailed, or whether they fear the Democrat Party leaders but otherwise if they’re able to vote secretly without detection, want them confirmed. (b) Republican Senators who want a healthier America or a safer America but don’t want to risk their political careers whether they’re highly dependent on money coming in from Big Medicine or whether they’re being blackmailed but otherwise if they’re able to vote secretly without detection, want them confirmed. (c) Republican Senators among the 3 Senators in their last 6-year term as a Senator who want a healthier America or a safer America but don’t want to risk promised retirement careers or payoffs coming in later from Big Medicine or whether they’re being blackmailed but otherwise if they’re able to vote secretly without detection, want them confirmed.
You see nearly all of the Senators have offspring that they love. Per Grok, the total economic cost of COVID-19 to the United States was estimated at around $14 trillion to $16 trillion, encompassing both direct economic losses and the monetized impact on health and life. In terms of human life, over 1 million Americans died due to COVID-19 by May 2022, leading to an economic welfare loss of about $3.57 trillion. Most of the Senators privately have suspicions that funding for Gain of Function Research stemming from the US under Fauci and Collins’ signatures is responsible for Covid. Many of the Senators privately have suspicions that the increase in excess mortality, excess Cardiac, Cancer, and Neurological claims that spiked most prevalently after 2021, not 2020 are concerned that maybe, just maybe, these COVID-19 vaccines might be weakening human immune systems. With 90% assessed odds that Hybrid Voting will get all of these nominees confirmed (for the reasons listed above), we are (collectively, the MAGA/MAHA crowd) either historically ignorant, afraid of standing out (by advocating an ancient Senate voting protocol), naively optimistic, or just plain stupid if we don’t advocate Hybrid Voting (at least for nominee confirmations).
Think of the advantages of spreading the word about Hybrid Voting for nominees if their first vote fails. The same voting protocol could work in both chambers for ordinary bill floor votes! Think of all the bills we’ve wanted to pass in the past but didn’t. We might have, with the use of Hybrid Voting, have been able to defeat Obamacare under Trump’s first term. It failed by one vote, remember! Obamacare is responsible for why healthcare insurance has become so expensive. In ending, think like Robert Malone and others who saw the utility of advocating a pre-1929 Senate Nomination Confirmation backup voting strategy to give these 3 men a second chance if the first vote fails. At that point what is there to lose?
I sense many RFK supporters are afraid to stand out and advocate this, they’re not as brave as Dr. Malone. Where would RFK be if he was afraid to stand out? Be as brave as RFK, ok? Let’s make sure we don’t deprive RFK and the other at-risk nominees of any support weapons. However, in order to communicate with Senators in as expeditious a manner as possible, two other methods exist: (a) phone calls. In the comment thread, I provide the phone numbers for all the Senators. and (b) web-based contact messages (but some Senators state that their response to them can take up to weeks – In the comment thread, I show how to communicate such by a web, all-text, message. Postscript. The accompanying X Article on Hybrid Voting goes far more into depth about its history and utility (not only for getting nominees confirmed on a second vote but also floor votes on bills). It does link to the earlier article I wrote, “A KISS Fallback Strategy for a President to get his nominees confirmed by the Senate” near the bottom of the article. You’ll find the section, “Use Aristotle’s secret ballot machine for legislators for fallback legislative secret voting” fascinating. The Senate can choose many ways to do legislative secret voting but this method (documented by a great political scientist) is the best.
Thank you: Roleigh Martin