The electorate increasingly wants principled representation who will stick to their guns, yet those principled politicians - or zealots, as Erick often calls them - rarely get things done. They're mostly associated with blockading political progress and are portrayed as radicals for standing firm on their principles. Meanwhile, McConnell, Pelosi, and Schumer, while mostly reviled, get things done, albeit in a fashion we despise. The political process requires compromise, and therein lies the rub; most of us don't want to give in order to get. The Constitution took four months to hammer out and NOBODY got everything they wanted. But those that participated had a sincere interest in establishing a framework that served the greater good of this new country, and that's perhaps the single biggest missing link today. The greater good now falls a very distant second to personal enrichment and self-aggrandizement which, in turn, has redefined "compromise" as a dirty word.
Do you really think that Biden has any idea what is going on.? I'm just asking because I don't. What infuriates me is that the progressives will be immune to all to all of the policies that they are trying to implement. Just who do they think is going to pay for all of this? When I was a kid I had a Christmas list a mile long. What I got is what I needed and what my parents could afford. I could go on and on but I have to stop my head is about explode.
I think Biden is more together than we think and less together than they think. He certainly is aware of the political dynamics, but he is also very well within a staff driven bubble.
I disagree, especially when it comes to speeches or public engagements. His handlers only "LET" him speak at certain times and when he goes off the script we get stuff like, I've been told I can't take questions, salute the marine or you know the thing and the microphones get cut.
IMO, when he is allowed to speak he is well prepped and on a combination of stimulants and Exelon, Aricept or Razadyne and he's good for a few hours. After that, things get really sad and he's looking for his ice cream. If I'm wrong, he deserves an award for the best actor ever. Either way, we're screwed!
With a razor thin margin in the House - and a Kamala Harris tie-breaking margin in the Senate - The Squad has an outsized influence in relation to their actual numbers. If the House goes Republican, their influence will be greatly diminished. If the Repubs take the Senate, Bernie Sanders ceases to have any relevance and goes back to being the crazy uncle people avoid at family get-togethers.
Erick, I hope you're right. Since 2012, I haven't felt like anyone represented me or my people. Democrats are too radical, and right-wing Republicans are oblivious to the concerns of people of color. I'm sick of politicians playing political games. I wish there were a viable, more moderate, third party. Until one emerges, I will continue to vote for the lesser evil of candidates because none of them are truly worthy of my vote.
Eric, I think you're old enough to remember 2010. The Progressive leadership of the Democrat Party was already well in place and made the majority of moderate Democrats in Congress walk the plank to pass Obamacare. It resulted in one of the biggest Congressional wipe-outs of the post-WWII era, eclipsing even the 1974 post-Watergate Republican debacle and the 1994 'Hillarycare' Democrat purge. The Democrat party lost ground the rest of the decade across the country. Obama is one of the only Presidents to be re-elected with a smaller popular vote than his first election, a deficit of 3.5 million. Even Donald Trump was able to increase his popular vote total in 2020. The Republicans maintained and even increased their Congressional majorities until the GOP moderates that you keep championing abandoned the party in 2018. Even then, despite losing control of the House because of retirements, the GOP held the losses to no worse than the average for a first-term mid-term and actually picked up two Senate seats, despite Trump's narrow win in 2016. You correctly pointed out that despite the unprecedented levels of fraud in 2020, Biden actually had negative coat-tails in the House.
There is no moderate wing of the Democrat Party, just as there is no Tea Party any more. The realignment that started with the 'Regan Democrats' breaking ranks in the 1980s has been completed. The Republican Party going forward is going to be very similar to the British Tories post-Thatcher, a party of skilled tradesmen, small-to-medium sized businessmen, national in focus, and religious. This is drawing upwardly mobile immigrants and minorities to the party, not open borders and Democrat-lite social policies. The party of Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and John Kaisch is as dead as the Party of Dick Gephardt, Zell Miller, and Jim Webb.
"...moderate Democrats are not going to suddenly become Republicans."
Maybe not suddenly, but I don't think JFK could be a Democrat today.
I don't think we have two parties that seek the same goal via different avenues. Perhaps that view depends on weather I see the Progies or the moderates in the Democratic Party.
And "moderate" is relative. As you said, the Progies will swing even more left. The fact that these people can even get elected makes me wonder if we are not too far gone. And while I am dismayed, I don't want Trump either.
JFK would definitely not be a Democrat. I don't think most Dems are particularly concerned about what we can do for our country. But I really don't think he'd be a Republican either, certainly not a Trump supporter.
I am assuming by this that you meant that whoever is in control has made these decisions because I don't think anyone believes that Biden is mentally capable of doing so at this point in time.
Excellent analysis. As always.
The electorate increasingly wants principled representation who will stick to their guns, yet those principled politicians - or zealots, as Erick often calls them - rarely get things done. They're mostly associated with blockading political progress and are portrayed as radicals for standing firm on their principles. Meanwhile, McConnell, Pelosi, and Schumer, while mostly reviled, get things done, albeit in a fashion we despise. The political process requires compromise, and therein lies the rub; most of us don't want to give in order to get. The Constitution took four months to hammer out and NOBODY got everything they wanted. But those that participated had a sincere interest in establishing a framework that served the greater good of this new country, and that's perhaps the single biggest missing link today. The greater good now falls a very distant second to personal enrichment and self-aggrandizement which, in turn, has redefined "compromise" as a dirty word.
Do you really think that Biden has any idea what is going on.? I'm just asking because I don't. What infuriates me is that the progressives will be immune to all to all of the policies that they are trying to implement. Just who do they think is going to pay for all of this? When I was a kid I had a Christmas list a mile long. What I got is what I needed and what my parents could afford. I could go on and on but I have to stop my head is about explode.
I think Biden is more together than we think and less together than they think. He certainly is aware of the political dynamics, but he is also very well within a staff driven bubble.
I disagree, especially when it comes to speeches or public engagements. His handlers only "LET" him speak at certain times and when he goes off the script we get stuff like, I've been told I can't take questions, salute the marine or you know the thing and the microphones get cut.
IMO, when he is allowed to speak he is well prepped and on a combination of stimulants and Exelon, Aricept or Razadyne and he's good for a few hours. After that, things get really sad and he's looking for his ice cream. If I'm wrong, he deserves an award for the best actor ever. Either way, we're screwed!
With a razor thin margin in the House - and a Kamala Harris tie-breaking margin in the Senate - The Squad has an outsized influence in relation to their actual numbers. If the House goes Republican, their influence will be greatly diminished. If the Repubs take the Senate, Bernie Sanders ceases to have any relevance and goes back to being the crazy uncle people avoid at family get-togethers.
Erick, isn't this equivalent to observing that the far left holds Biden hostage?
Yes
Erick, I hope you're right. Since 2012, I haven't felt like anyone represented me or my people. Democrats are too radical, and right-wing Republicans are oblivious to the concerns of people of color. I'm sick of politicians playing political games. I wish there were a viable, more moderate, third party. Until one emerges, I will continue to vote for the lesser evil of candidates because none of them are truly worthy of my vote.
Eric, I think you're old enough to remember 2010. The Progressive leadership of the Democrat Party was already well in place and made the majority of moderate Democrats in Congress walk the plank to pass Obamacare. It resulted in one of the biggest Congressional wipe-outs of the post-WWII era, eclipsing even the 1974 post-Watergate Republican debacle and the 1994 'Hillarycare' Democrat purge. The Democrat party lost ground the rest of the decade across the country. Obama is one of the only Presidents to be re-elected with a smaller popular vote than his first election, a deficit of 3.5 million. Even Donald Trump was able to increase his popular vote total in 2020. The Republicans maintained and even increased their Congressional majorities until the GOP moderates that you keep championing abandoned the party in 2018. Even then, despite losing control of the House because of retirements, the GOP held the losses to no worse than the average for a first-term mid-term and actually picked up two Senate seats, despite Trump's narrow win in 2016. You correctly pointed out that despite the unprecedented levels of fraud in 2020, Biden actually had negative coat-tails in the House.
There is no moderate wing of the Democrat Party, just as there is no Tea Party any more. The realignment that started with the 'Regan Democrats' breaking ranks in the 1980s has been completed. The Republican Party going forward is going to be very similar to the British Tories post-Thatcher, a party of skilled tradesmen, small-to-medium sized businessmen, national in focus, and religious. This is drawing upwardly mobile immigrants and minorities to the party, not open borders and Democrat-lite social policies. The party of Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and John Kaisch is as dead as the Party of Dick Gephardt, Zell Miller, and Jim Webb.
"...moderate Democrats are not going to suddenly become Republicans."
Maybe not suddenly, but I don't think JFK could be a Democrat today.
I don't think we have two parties that seek the same goal via different avenues. Perhaps that view depends on weather I see the Progies or the moderates in the Democratic Party.
And "moderate" is relative. As you said, the Progies will swing even more left. The fact that these people can even get elected makes me wonder if we are not too far gone. And while I am dismayed, I don't want Trump either.
JFK would definitely not be a Democrat. I don't think most Dems are particularly concerned about what we can do for our country. But I really don't think he'd be a Republican either, certainly not a Trump supporter.
I am assuming by this that you meant that whoever is in control has made these decisions because I don't think anyone believes that Biden is mentally capable of doing so at this point in time.
He's far more capable than our side likes to think, but he is far less capable than their side would have us believe.