Trollheart

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Lisnaholic

Their hands are tied because American voters nationwide have not given them enough of a mandate. With Manchin's intransigence about the filibuster rule, a 50/50 senate is only nominally a Dem majority. Enough for them to be blamed for everything, not enough for them to do anything.

They have plenty of motives for solving problems:-

i) they understand the causes of the upcoming environmental catastrophe
ii) they have made public commitments to tackle the pandemic and other social probs
iii) if they don't defend the democratic process they will never be in power again.

Some of their approaches are cosmetic rather than structural - superficial adjustments rather than radical change, but that's because of the comment I made to jwb: insufficient mandate from the American voter. It's like some Americans are clamouring for the Dems to put out a fire, but have only given them one bucket of water to do it with.

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

The Batlord

I'm dubious they even want a 60 seat super majority in the Senate as then they'd have no excuse for not doing something about economic inequality and climate change besides their donors' self interest, which would be a hell of a thing to sell to the people. You said yourself they just want to maintain the status quo.

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jwb

If only people voted the way i wanted democracy would be safe ...

Lisnaholic

HaHa! Good one. Ever regretted posting something?

Actually, are the Dems as useless as people are depicting them to be? Not according to a guy writing in The Atlantic today:-

In 11 months Biden has done more with 50 senators than Obama with 57:-
Bills signed: $1.9 trillion covid relief + $1 trillion infrastructure
Executive orders: 75, "many of them advancing liberal immigration goals"
Judges confirmed: 40, more than anyone in their first year since Reagan.

The verdict of the Atlantic writer, "Biden's winning big with a bad hand".
One problem in political terms is that Biden isn't a braggart, holding press conferences packed with lies about what a stable genius he is. It would help if there were a Dem mouthpiece to do that for him, but let's not be won over by Trump's bluster and undervalue Biden's quiet, solid achievements just because that's what the headline-hungry media do.

(Trump's bluster, as well as being his natural style, was useful for hiding his great failures: no repeal, no replace, no infrastructure.)

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

Lisnaholic

If only people voted for parties that respect the democratic process, democracy would be safe.

Plenty of countries have kept democracy alive and well despite political swings from left to right and back again. Sadly, the US is at risk the way, most recently, turkey was: voting in someone who doesn't respect the democratic process.

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

jadis

Really didn't need to look up who this nameless "Atlantic writer" is, it was painfully obvious. The George W Bush speechwriter responsible for the rhetorical construct used to sell the Iraq war to the American public, definitely a guy who's above selling packs of lies to simpletons.

No matter what caliber of war criminal you are, all you had to do is say "Donald Trump, you are a dangerous scoundrel and your hands are small!" in 2016 to be guaranteed rapt and uncritical attention from people who live in the eternal present of whatever the news cycle happens to be.

rubber soul

Yes, like Obama had and Biden would be the first one to sing his praises. Maybe if Kamala did the same thing for Biden...

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Lisnaholic

^ Yes, she doesn't seem to be doing the cheerleader's job at all; disappointing, given that she was such a promising force when she was grilling democracy-busting bad boys like Bill Barr. Remember when she had to help the guy because he was struggling to understand what "suggest" meant? lol

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

jwb

We have two parties and according to you one of them is the savior of democracy and the other is a threat to democracy. That's not a real choice. That's the freedom to keep voting party line no matter what, keeping the same group perpetually in office, and when things don't work out just blame the common mouth breathers for not falling in line.