The reason it was important for Biden and the Democrats to push through legislation in their first year, is that they won't have the opportunity if the GOP wins majorities in the House and Senate in mid-terms, which has me worried we will lose the House and Senate. If some think Manchin and Sinema were obstructionist to the Dem agenda, wait till the GOP is in control. Biden will be a lame duck president and accomplish less which will reflect poorly on the Dems come 2024. Everyone who is awake knows this, as mainstream news outlets and pundits have been reporting on it for months. I still think Biden could be much more pushy on issues and bills since he does have all three branches right now, he comes across as a lame duck, even though he isn't, which is why some of these Dems need to be replaced... but I digress. The screen shot above is an expert from a recent NYT article called Can Democrats Dodge Doomsday. Because the NYT has a corporate mindset, it interviewed Democratic strategists for this piece who correctly identified that the party is in deep trouble ahead of 2022 mid terms. But their answer to it is not for Dems to use their majorities in Congress to enact popular legislation championed by progressives...like a $15 minimum wage, canceling student debt, gun control, and much more affordable healthcare. These strategists simply think change in messaging is all that's needed--while bashing progressives and their popular policies as "divisive." One analyst quoted in the article claims that Biden simply needs to reclaim his tone of blue collar: "Scranton Joe" instead of the loftier Mr. President. But to me, no matter the tagline, all I see is another political party that still is not delivering on important everyday issues like better minimum wage, and affordable healthcare. I still have hope that maybe, possibly if Dems can hold all three branches they will be the administration to deliver on these issues, since any of the last three didn't. I know many, beyond frustrated Dems right now, who are ready to fling their arms up and not vote...but even though I'm 60/40 pleased with Biden and his administration, it's some voters turning their backs on failed Democrats who won't vote... and is what will reelect the likes of Trump, Taylor Green, DeSantis and that ilk. Even if I don't agree with all the party is doing right now, they have done a lot for one year, I still wish they would do more on the issues I listed, but we must still vote for the Blue Wave to continue, and hope we have better less corporate politicians on the horizon. The end of that first paragraph is what Dems need to do and take into consideration. Or we will find ourselves living in 1950's Soviet Union with the likes of a Putin.
And fellow blogger Sicko Ricko posted today a brilliant letter one of his readers sent to him and it sums it all up perfectly. I couldn't agree more. Thanks to Ricko for sharing this with us and his reader Milleson for his thoughts and views.
I'm worried about our current situation. The Republican in my area, Idaho seem to be stuck on on socialism, which they accuse each other of. Than the other five issue is taxes, choice (Anti Abortion) guns, God, and LGBTQ.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
I, too, am feeling less confident, though I try to remember what we did in 2020, and if we can keep doing that, and keep standing up against the GOP, we might have a chance.
ReplyDeleteSomeone call the aliens and beam them all up I say.
ReplyDeleteNow that I support!
DeleteThe problem is that some of us have tried for decades to vote to get a third party(libertarians) to even be allowed to engage in the debate process. The 2 parties will never let that happen, not in my life. It's either Republician or Democrat and that is it.
ReplyDeleteEither party won't let Greens in either, in fact I saw where Dems voting rights legislation made it harder for Green Party candidates to qualify for funding.
DeleteI used to Vote for Candidates who were not of either Major Party, but it was like wasting my Vote to make a Statement nobody bothered Hearing. I'm a Moderate Independent, but with only two choices and one of them being Anti-Democracy, the Democratic Candidate is our only Hope to keep things relatively Sane... after that last Administration, I realized how quickly American could become undone and unhinged in one Term and with one Autocratic leaning Lunatic at the helm that the rest of his 'alleged' Party cowtowed to and feared.
DeleteIt really is a shame we can't get a third party off the ground in a bigger way and see how it would affect things. But your right. What chance do they have? If you do use your freedom to vote third party, all it does is washes away a vote. The two main parties just crush any other third party.
DeleteAnd I still can't believe and to this day what transpired in the US in just four years. And it is getting worse.
Your so right again and pinpointed my feeling. While the Dems did do thing I liked, why is it either party can get everyday quality of life better? Things do look dire right now. I make good money and have never struggle harder than the last two years. The politicians are playing games with people's lives. But the Republicans can fuck off even further.
ReplyDeleteIm a lifelong Dem...and Democrats need to focus on these popular measures you mention, they know they can get through, and would do so much more and for those really hurting.... instead of such polarizing and sweeping overhauls such as Medicare for all, student loan forgiveness and the green new deal. Yes, I understand that these things are badly needed, but the democratic infighting makes it look like they're incapable of governing. This will result in big losses in November and a potentially years long delay before we're ever given an opportunity to attempt to pass sweeping legislation again. And besides, all each administration seems to do is just undo everything that the previous administration just did. Which is why Biden and the dems need to keep all three branches. If he doesn't everything he did will just be undone by the GOP.
ReplyDeleteAnd all the more reason to vote.
DeleteSO TRUE! And please believe, the rest of the world is also terrified as to what's to come.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what's going to wake up either party. I know it's very sad when someone making $21 an hour can't live in a big city because the rents are so outrageous. And when the minimum wage ever does go up...mark my words everything will go up again with it. We will never win.
ReplyDeleteLike many I think Biden has done the best he could especially on the COVID front, even though it took well over a year to send out better masks and free home testing. I agree we need the basics pushed through first. But we must pull blue, and just hope they will come through and get some of these basic improvements through. If Republicans win everything is off the table.
ReplyDeleteBut both parties should be ashamed of the minimum wage, healthcare and cheaper drugs not to mention better gun control backgrounds and laws. SHAME!!! They run on these issues but then never come through.
I find when it comes to campaign promises, neither party ever delivers the goods on the most basic of fronts. Those topics seem like common sense to me. I could do a whole post of just that.
DeleteI find it interesting tho' Mads, that so many Independent and Democratic Voters can give up so easily on this Administration, after Witnessing the absolute Failure and Horrors of the last one and allow that totally dysfunctional Party to gain any ground again and finish destroying a Nation! The fact the last Administration was given a 'Pass' on so much just boggled my Mind, whereas when Joe and Co. try to do the Right thing and make some Positive progress, we, as a Nation, become all of a sudden so fucking critical. He's accomplished an awful lot in a mere Year and yet too many focus on anything that didn't get done, in spite of knowing the opposing Party ran obstruction all the way and has not wanted to do anything productive to put Nation First, for fear it will just make Democrats look Good. Just WTF... this is why I HATE Partisan Politics, it's just become such Tribalism to an extreme that is a detriment to a Healthy Democracy functioning as it should... with Health of a Nation first and the Welfare of it's People a priority despite whoever is Leading and Won an Election. Of coarse over promising and under delivering has been problematic with this Administration along with the Dems being so divisive within their own Ranks, it's like herding Cats to get them all on the same Page... whereas as Radicalized as the ReTrumplican Party has become and destroyed a once ligit Conservative viewpoint, they tend to have Unity of Purpose, even if that Purpose is all fucked up right now.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I have always found that both those you mention will give in easily. And that the point. Where to start with why we should vote blue??? It's a long list.
DeleteEveryone should vote....every election. Otherwise you are dishonouring those who died to get you the vote and those who died never having had the vote.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm not completely happy with Biden, I'll admit, it could be far worst, much worse, if the pendulum swings the other way. He has done some good things. What's the point with freedoms and voting if you're not going to cast a vote? Which is why it is beyond upsetting the voting rights are getting torn to shreds. I never thought I'd see the types of things going on right now to voting. All the more reason I tell me dem friends to VOTE.
DeleteThe problem with the mid-terms is that traditionally the 'other party' wins a majority of seats. However, this is not a traditional year. This year tradition will take a seat at the back of the bus. The war in the Ukraine, among other things, has upended everything. Trump wants his party to kiss the ass of Putin, and that's not going over well at all in the heartland. Those voters, albeit grudgingly, admire Biden for telling Putin to fuck off.
ReplyDeleteThat could be the saving grace for Biden your right. It scares me because if seem like very slowly more GOP are slowly favoring Biden, only a few had the stupidity to say out loud they support Putin. But like you said how many voters will side with that????? I mean , it's Russia?!?
DeleteHow many Repugs in Congress voted ***against*** aid for Ukraine? They lost that vote - but the true colors shone bright. I hope the voters in those states and districts remember that.
DeleteI agree Pat. How any voter can stand by and not vote against those politicians is shocking. If they like Russia and Putin so much...then go live in Russia.
DeleteUnfortunately the sticking point is the 50/50 (48/52?) Senate. Any movement on progressive issues like minimum wage and healthcare run into a brick wall. And with the likes of Manchin and Sinema, we’re in deep shit. If by some miracle we improve on the senate and hold/improve in the house, then I believe we will see some strides made. Oh, and kill the filibuster.
ReplyDeleteYes to the damn filibuster. I just worry were soon to be a very poor country...or very wealthy. There will be on in between. It puzzles me why you'd want a country of unhappy, depressed anxious and unhealthy citizens ?
DeleteThere's no tradition and there's no precedent to take into account after Cheetolini. He disrupted the Repugs and now they're the MAGAts. It's going to be really difficult to overcome the corruption, gerrymandering and voter suppression the Repugs are implementing everywhere. Vote Blue, all the way down that ballot. It's the only way.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
It's going to be a very tough, long haul. We not only have Manchin and Sinema to thank but the Jayapals and AOCs in the Progressive Caucus for things not getting accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI really fear the Dem voters will stay home, or perhaps cast votes for Independent candidates - either of which will lead to a true "shelacking" (as Obama put it in 2010). Then the country will rapidly slide into autocracy, Trump (or worse - someone more intelligent and devious) will win in 24, and the country will never recover the backslide into a new Dark Ages.
Hillary was right when she said, "It's the economy, stupid." The California Dems are no better at this on a state level. They killed the state DST elimination bill last year, and they wouldn't give any support to the Republican bill that would have paused about 50 cents per gallon in gas taxes for the next six months until things return to normal.
ReplyDeletePeople that are hurting financially will remember the latter in November. I guarantee it.
Linda...your last sentence has it all.
ReplyDeleteAs a Canadian, President Biden and his administration have been a breath of fresh air compared to the orange ass-monkey and his GOP minions! I just hope American voters can muster the energy and resolve to keep the GOP out of power long enough to regroup with younger, energetic leaders who are secure enough in their own abilities to implement the advice of experts. The U.S. has major structural problems that are not going to be simple to solve and/or fix. It's past time for the GOP to be dumped onto the trash pile of American history.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is a mess and scary. I sure hope the dems can pull it out.
Delete