Biden's problem is, he's too bipartisan

[pecksniff]

It's a problem going back decades, in his case.

Of the many themes that thread their way through Biden’s history, two stick out. One is the vocal hostility to (nonmilitary) deficit spending and obsession with government debt that he was known for during his long career in the Senate. The other is his almost total inability to stand up to the Right, usually by being steamrolled by Republican negotiators (a failure he’s then tended to cast as the noble art of compromise), or in the form of a hokey belief in bipartisanship for its own sake.

It’s that second one that led Biden to chide people for blaming Watergate on the Republican Party, to facilitate the right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court, and to serve as Mitch McConnell’s go-to doormat whenever the Senate Republican needed to extract concessions from the Obama administration. And it’s what led to this failure now, which could well prove the undoing of his entire presidency.

BBB’s failure can be directly traced to Biden’s decision in April to drop everything and try to get Republican sign-on for something — anything — following the successful March party line vote that passed the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. At the time, Biden was riding high: the pandemic was trending down, the economy was rebounding as vaccines were rolled out, Biden had just signed a major and popular piece of legislation within less than two months, and the subdued, normal nature of his White House was a welcome respite from the wall-to-wall craziness of four years of Trump. All of it, as well as a full-on love affair with the political press, combined with the customary new-president polling bump to give Biden an approval rating of 54 percent by the end of March.

It’s the kind of position most presidents nowadays can only dream of being in, and the leading lights of Biden’s party signaled that they’d learned from their mistakes under Obama, whose fruitless, months-long quest for bipartisan buy-in on his major policy items had nearly derailed his presidency. The merits of this outlook were made very real when Democrats simply cast aside unanimous GOP opposition to their pandemic relief bill, writing it with no Republican input and passing it with only Democrat votes — and proceeded to be rewarded for it in polling. No wonder: after the dysfunction of the Trump years and an even longer period of gridlock-driven government failure, Biden had proven the US system of government could still work, and in the middle a world-historical crisis no less.

And that’s why everything that followed was so inexplicable. Rather than tackle the next, most pivotal part of his agenda with this approach — an approach that had proved both practically and politically advantageous — Biden decided he would do the exact thing that had nearly sunk the administration he’d last served in and try to pass something with Republican votes.

 

[LittleDixie]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FxPQNQyIrqDX0c%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1

 

[BluesDriver66]

The system is rigged. It has been for years. So sick of these pundits feigning surprise at failures of the Democratic party. It's not a bug. It's a feature.

https://i.imgflip.com/3poj3g.gif

 

[Bud_Spencer]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FxPQNQyIrqDX0c%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1

Forget it, he's on a roll.

 

[YDB95]

He really should have learned from Obama's efforts to achieve bipartisan consensus, which came to absolutely nothing no matter how hard he tried. We have only become even more polarized since then. With his tiny majorities in both houses of Congress and with the historical trends toward the president's party almost always losing seats in the midterms, he should have taken full advantage of the leverage while he had it rather than pandering to people who would never give an inch. Yes, Sinema and Manchin complicated things, but that's no excuse for a strategy he should have known would be utterly futile.

 

[Dribble]

Attempting the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Bipartisanship is dead. Both sides must be willing to compromise. Neither is. So Government is broken....and the longer people continue to keep their heads up their asses only perpetuates the problem.

 

[YDB95]

Both sides must be willing to compromise.

Yeah, no. When voters give one party the White House and both houses of Congress, as they did in 2020, that party does not need to pander to the other party. Especially not when said party has been overrun by extremists whose entire philosophy boils down to "anyone to our left hates America, and we don't want government to work right because we hate it".

 

[Cubantripod]

All you need to know.
https://jacobinmag.com/about
Jacobin is a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture. The print magazine is released quarterly and reaches 75,000 subscribers, in addition to a web audience of over 3,000,000 a month.

 

[pecksniff]

Attempting the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Bipartisanship is dead. Both sides must be willing to compromise. Neither is.

No, it's all the fault of one side, the Republicans. Ever since Obama took office, they have been determined to obstruct all Dem proposals including those which originated with Republicans. As one Pub Congresscritter explained to a Dem who tried to reach across the aisle, "You don't understand. We can't afford to let you succeed."

See It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism, by Mann and Ornstein.

 

[YDB95]

All you need to know.
https://jacobinmag.com/about
Jacobin is a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture. The print magazine is released quarterly and reaches 75,000 subscribers, in addition to a web audience of over 3,000,000 a month.

Quibble all you want with their perspective, but did you spot anything factually incorrect?

 

[pecksniff]

All you need to know.
https://jacobinmag.com/about
Jacobin is a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture. The print magazine is released quarterly and reaches 75,000 subscribers, in addition to a web audience of over 3,000,000 a month.

Yes, all you need to know is probably to be found somewhere in Jacobin's back issues.

 

[Rightguide]

This is Pecksniff crying for attention with an offering of another absurd logical fallacy.

 

[Rightguide]

He really should have learned from Obama's efforts to achieve bipartisan consensus, which came to absolutely nothing no matter how hard he tried. We have only become even more polarized since then. With his tiny majorities in both houses of Congress and with the historical trends toward the president's party almost always losing seats in the midterms, he should have taken full advantage of the leverage while he had it rather than pandering to people who would never give an inch. Yes, Sinema and Manchin complicated things, but that's no excuse for a strategy he should have known would be utterly futile.

Bipartisanship to a Democrat is when Republicans surrender their beliefs and adopt the Democrat's point of view.

 

[Cubantripod]

Quibble all you want with their perspective, but did you spot anything factually incorrect?

Yes, they conveniently forget Obamacare and push forward with an agenda that will only cause more division. Obama was a Washington newbie when he came in. He had a supermajority and told Republicans get onboard or get out of the way. Dems. pushed the ACA on their own and Republicans then made sure to remind Obama for the next 6 years.

 

[YDB95]

Obama was a Washington newbie when he came in. He had a supermajority and told Republicans get onboard or get out of the way. Dems. pushed the ACA on their own and Republicans then made sure to remind Obama for the next 6 years.

Baloney. Obama bent over backwards until you'd think his spine would snap to achieve bipartisan consensus, and the Republicans wouldn't give one inch because they did not want any health care reform whatsoever. By now I'm sure you're familiar with the exchange he had with Sen. Grassley bringing those five bargaining points to the table; Obama asked him point blank, if we give you all five, then will you support the bill? Grassley was honest for once in his life and said no. What is the point of negotiating with someone like that?

Bipartisanship to a Democrat is when Republicans surrender their beliefs and adopt the Democrat's point of view.

Since the Republicans' beliefs seem to be "anyone who disagrees with me hates America," I fail to see what's wrong with your claim.

 

[pecksniff]

Bipartisanship to a Democrat is when Republicans surrender their beliefs and adopt the Democrat's point of view.

That is only true if you transpose "Democrat" and "Republican" in that sentence.

 

[pecksniff]

Yes, they conveniently forget Obamacare and push forward with an agenda that will only cause more division. Obama was a Washington newbie when he came in. He had a supermajority and told Republicans get onboard or get out of the way. Dems. pushed the ACA on their own and Republicans then made sure to remind Obama for the next 6 years.

Obama dropped the "public option" before the debate had even started.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Bi-partisan... you mean within his own party, right? It seems like he's spending a lot of political capital trying to keep the party from splitting down the middle.

 

[GothTalk]

Attempting the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Bipartisanship is dead. Both sides must be willing to compromise. Neither is. So Government is broken....and the longer people continue to keep their heads up their asses only perpetuates the problem.

Yup... the two sides are so opposite each other there can't really be compromise even if the people were willing to work with others in general.

Thus we should send all these hot button issues back to the states.... or there's going to be a fight.

No, it's all the fault of one side, the Republicans. Ever since Obama took office, they have been determined to obstruct all Dem proposals including those which originated with Republicans. As one Pub Congresscritter explained to a Dem who tried to reach across the aisle, "You don't understand. We can't afford to let you succeed."

That's right, if we do the USA as it has been understood for 245 years is totally gone.

Bipartisanship to a Democrat is when Republicans surrender their beliefs and adopt the Democrat's point of view.

That's become a 2 way street though. Naturally occurring result of our near total polarization. Not a lot of middle ground on a lot of these issues.

Abortion, school curriculum, core values, civil rights etc. are all pretty black and white with little room for compromise over so many issues.

That is only true if you transpose "Democrat" and "Republican" in that sentence.

No, it's only true if you include them both.

Obama dropped the "public option" before the debate had even started.

If he hadn't the (R)'s would have gladly let blue states have their no ID needed free HC systems..... paid for by the blue states of course.

 

[Dribble]

Yeah, no. When voters give one party the White House and both houses of Congress, as they did in 2020, that party does not need to pander to the other party. Especially not when said party has been overrun by extremists whose entire philosophy boils down to "anyone to our left hates America, and we don't want government to work right because we hate it".

Don't bitch when you lose all 3 in the next 3 years...and scotus goes even further into Fascist territory.

Our Government was built on bipartisan legislation. Name one piece of legislation that has survived that wasn't supported by both sides. Even Obama care is bipartisan because the Republicans didn't even attempt to remove it when they had the chance.

 

[Dribble]

No, it's all the fault of one side, the Republicans. Ever since Obama took office, they have been determined to obstruct all Dem proposals including those which originated with Republicans. As one Pub Congresscritter explained to a Dem who tried to reach across the aisle, "You don't understand. We can't afford to let you succeed."

See It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism, by Mann and Ornstein.

No. It is the fault of all Americans. This country is finished. In the next 50 years it will become either a Fascist state or nothing. It will never recover because of the view you demonstrated. Always blaming the other side

 

[Cubantripod]

Baloney. Obama bent over backwards until you'd think his spine would snap to achieve bipartisan consensus, and the Republicans wouldn't give one inch because they did not want any health care reform whatsoever. By now I'm sure you're familiar with the exchange he had with Sen. Grassley bringing those five bargaining points to the table; Obama asked him point blank, if we give you all five, then will you support the bill? Grassley was honest for once in his life and said no. What is the point of negotiating with someone like that?

Let's not also forget the same approach with the stimulus when he came into office.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...obama_didnt_follow_his_own_advice_123650.html

 

[Dribble]

Let's not also forget the same approach with the stimulus when he came into office.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...obama_didnt_follow_his_own_advice_123650.html

Again...fully supported by all Americans. Show me one that didn't cash a check. Show me one Republican that didn't accept money. If you were against it based on principle...why would you accept it? No backbone? No morals? No strength in your convictions?

 

[GothTalk]

No. It is the fault of all Americans. This country is finished. In the next 50 years it will become either a Fascist state or nothing. It will never recover because of the view you demonstrated. Always blaming the other side

Only if the all or nothing control freaks are allowed to force 1 size fits all rule from Washington DC.

If saner folks with cooler heads, ESPECIALLY governors, prevail?? States will do their own things with the hot button issues and everyone gets their way, we can still share F-22's and highway driving laws, those aren't very controversial.

It's already happening naturally, that's why we've started seeing some partisan stronghold states on both sides getting even MORE partisan.

(D)'eez are leaving red states for solid blue ones, nearly all of the people leaving red states for coastal blue strongholds are Democrats. Conservatives are simply NOT flocking to progressive states, no shit.

The inverses also seems to be true, turns out all those people leaving those (D) utopias like California for places like Texas, Florida, Montana, Idaho..... didn't turn the red states purple, all indicators are they got and are getting MORE red. The people leaving blue strongholds are largely not Democrats.

I don't think that is a bad thing, everyone needs a place to live. And having states for different people is a good thing that I think in the end will allow the Union to carry on, we'll live and let live. I don't think more than a microscopic minority WANT to live that 3rd world war torn shithole lifestyle over 1st world problems. Especially those of us who've actually been about that life before. In the end I think the 99% will decide "You do you in your state, we'll do us in ours and we can all drive on the same side of the road!" is simply a wiser option for everyone involved than total destruction and scorched earth warfare. We all like our 1st world life too much.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Every year we're told how many people are leaving CA most of whom should have left long ago if the reasons given are their motivations for leaving. It never amounts to much. The reality is America will be here for at least a century baring something truly unpredictable happening. But us "control freaks" have let the inmates run the asylum for far too long and we are seeing all the predicable outcomes.