Democrats hit a dead end
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Is this the end of Democratic governance? The debate over voting rights is over for now, infrastructure talks are still dragging on, and the filibuster isn't going anywhere. Democrats seem lost about what to do next, except tear their hair out and point fingers at each other. The party's control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives is just a few months old, and it feels like the fun part might already be over.
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It's also difficult to see when the good times might return.
Democrats hold a thin margin in both legislative branches, and the party that controls the White House usually suffers congressional losses during the midterm elections. It's not inevitable that history will repeat itself, but the party's strategies have hinged on getting the big parts of President Biden's agenda passed before the 2022 election season, after which it might be too late. Publicly, at least, there doesn't seem to be much of a Plan B.
Plan A — passing dramatic legislation to address climate change and strengthen the social safety net — always depended on eliminating, or at least weakening, the filibuster. Just to repeat the obvious: Democrats have just 50 votes and Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaker vote in the 100-member Senate; it takes 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. As long as Republican obstruction is a given and aided by the rules, Democrats can't honestly promise a bold or innovative governing agenda. The best they can offer voters is relative competence in day-to-day governing, and maybe the occasional goodie in a reconciliation bill. Competence is important, as we saw during Donald Trump's mishandling of the COVID-19 emergency. But it's not terribly compelling — not to voters, and certainly not to the activists who provide the party with foot soldiers and energy at election time.
There's a danger when commenting on politics to believe that the way things are now is the way they will always be. But it's also the case that the Democrats are stymied by gridlock and — through gerrymandering, vote restrictions, and demographics — face a future with an ever-narrower path to power. It will take something dramatic to change that equation. Otherwise, you have to wonder if the end is near.
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OMG. An admission I thought we would never see.
And a few years from now, the following will be true:
Competence is important, as we saw during Biden's mishandling of the crisis at the border.
Shouldn't that be "NONhandling of the crisis at the border"?
No, the Democrats invited the illegals here during their primaries. Every last one of their actions since has been a dinner bell for illegals to come to the US. Biden has done nothing to stem the flow outside of a few platitudes about not coming; while further weakening border security and making crossing easier than ever. BP now is nothing more than baby sitters for those illegal children that are told to run into their clutches while the adults cross elsewhere.
One could only wish he and Democrats had ignored the border and immigration from the start; we might not be in as dire straits as we are now.
No, mishandling because idiotically he put Harris "in charge".
What a freaking joke
'Competence is important, as we saw during...'
Good point! ' Biden's mishandling of the crisis at the border .'
What puzzles me is reading news about how so many business owners are crying about not being able to staff their businesses with lesser-skilled workers, while there are so many immigrants held up who would kill to get those jobs.
Gotta keep those American owned factories a stones-throw from the Mexican border running. Better to pay them $5. a day in Mexico than let them earn US wages...
That is because the idiotic Democrats are making it more profitable to be unemployed than to go back to work. When the free ride stops those jobs will fill.
Also, with the amount of illegals that are flooding into our country those jobs should be getting filled. Really strange that they are not. After all, every last one of these illegals is simply "looking for a job and a better way of life" according to the left.
President Biden is doing just fine.
How come it's only a crisis at the border when a Democrat is President?
Did I say he wasn't? I had lots to say about separating the kids from their parents before Biden was POTUS.
Well, nothing much was happening, and I disagreed with Texan who said MIShandling.
Fair enough. It's easy to misconstrue. Peace.
Clinton made all sorts of decent deals after the start of 1995 and I think Biden will as well in Jan. Of 2023.
The racing donkey pulling Democrat's surrey stopped too fast. Now Democrats can't figure out why they're in the dark.
'Heads up' can be a warning and an explanation.