The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

 

[DRW50]

From Devere's book (mostly bringing this up because the dead-enders and Republicans are still trending the Reade lies):

 

 

[DRW50]

 

[amybrickwallace]

I really can't add to what everyone else has already said. I am beyond livid and incensed. @marcelineand I can take away the fact that one of the six R senators who voted in favor of the commission was Ohio's Rob Portman. He announced months ago that he will not run for reelection in 2022, much like Pat Toomey of PA. At least Portman actually showed up to vote yes, unlike Toomey.

 

All of the Republicans in both the Senate and the House who voted against this commission are nothing but feckless, sniveling, traitorous and hypocritical cowards. McConnell and McCarty are the worst. History will remember them, and not with kisses and flowers.

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[Vee]

 

[DRW50]

 

 

As Steven Breyer asks us to just talk it out with Republicans and Manchin cries blood tears over the beauty of bipartisanship, this is our reality, and is just the tip of the iceberg.

[marceline]

If we nuke the filibuster then the left needs to show up to any and all elections. Keeping Republicans out of power needs to be job #1 and I'm not confident that will happen.

 

I'm just going to be honest: I think that white progressives will hand the government back to Republicans. In 2010 they sat home and gave Republicans the House. In 2014 they gave the Republicans the Senate. And in 2016 they handed us over to the Nazis. They wanted us to lose 2020 and are already positioning themselves to sabotage '22 and '24.

[DRW50]

 

One of the problems is many are accustomed to believing nothing will ever change - not just the professional nihilists, but also many others who have been conditioned to believe Republicans won't do this or won't do that because they don't want to go too far. I think that was a factor in years like 2014. Another factor is that some of the voters who do want change voted for Trump because of his empty promises of changing the system - apparently that is why some Obama voters voted for him. That's also one of the reasons why the GOP and the media are working so hard to make sure nothing gets passed by Congress - inaction means many voters don't care. 

 

I feel like 2016 and 2020 both showed the limitations of how much power white progressives have, especially 2020. They do a lot to dampen spirits and can help lose close elections, but they reached their peak with the disastrous campaign they ran for Bernie in 2019 and early 2020. Some of the 2016 losses I can chalk up to them, due to Jill Stein, but many in 2020 are more down to Trump districts removing Democratic Congresspeople, or voter suppression, or Latino performance. 

I also feel like it's going to be a major miracle to keep Congress with or without ending the filibuster. So at this point it's either get something done and lose, or get nothing done and lose. 

 

I can't find the exact article, but apparently one Democratic Senate aide said 10 D senators don't like a lot of the bills which the filibuster is stopping, and are happy to let Manchin "take the arrows." 

 

If that is true, then I guess we are just staying where we are now - until January 2023, when it likely gets a whole lot worse.

Edited May 30, 2021 by DRW50

[Vee]

I personally feel we don't really have a choice at this point but to do some sort of filibuster reform if we want to get a lot done. S1 is not going to pass without nuking it (if it can pass) and at least some form reform is the only path to begin to safeguard elections. I don't think it's as apocalyptic a long game as some think atm - a lot of politics are cyclical - but I also don't think we can keep rolling over for the same old senatorial chestnuts and excuses shrugging shoulders saying 'what can ya do? Vote!' I vote every time. I engage in the off-season. But no amount of grassroots action is going to change McConnell's very old game or roll back voter suppression. And I don't believe there are ten Dem Senators who will stand in the way of filibuster reform. Plenty of people can talk a big game on background, especially via the lens of Politico which tries to launder opinion and push policy via a Republican-leaning POV. I don't for a second believe there are ten Dem Senators who will stand in the way of reform if Schumer and Pelosi get behind it, which I believe they will.

 

I also don't think it's lose-lose. I think that is the nihilist splinter of the progressive movement's favorite go-to - all Dems suck, Bernie would've won, all Dems are bad at messaging, you'll all lose anyway next time and in 5-10-20 years we will pick up the pieces. If you live in that sphere on Twitter that looks like reality, but it's not reality. Every time a Democrat wins these guys kick the can down the road - oh you won the primary but Biden won't win; oh, you won the general but you won't win the Senate. Oh, you won the Senate but there's still Manchin. It's moving the goalposts over and over. I can share common cause on certain things while disliking these people, but how many more absolute failure narratives do I have to tolerate that keep being deflated and proven wrong before someone else admits they were?

Edited May 30, 2021 by Vee

[DRW50]

Apparently the guy replacing Netanyahu is as bad or worse, but it's still a huge moment:

 

 

[JaneAusten]

The article I read the other day is that yes Bennett is as bad but the coalition has already agreed that they are going to focus on domestic improvements and he's PM for 2 years before the next PM steps in - the moderate.  Of course Bennett could be working on the assumption that he will be able to woo the Netanyahu supporters over that 2 year period who knows. Right now Netanyahu being gone and prosecuted is a dream I assumed was never going to happen so from that aspect I am thrilled.

[DRW50]

 

Very true. After the latest Gaza attacks I had wondered if he would get a boost, but he seems to have been so deeply unpleasant and arrogant that it wasn't enough.

[Vee]

 

[Wendy]

Finally, some Democrats with spines and balls/ovaries! Alas, this will just DELAY the bill, not stop it. But I do admire that these people actually DID SOMETHING. Charles Schumer and Nancy Pelosi should take notes.

[DramatistDreamer]

Boy, it seemed like I was posting articles about Bibi facing charges and being kicked out of office for years! So much so, that I got tired of the false alarms. The alternative in the government is not great but nonetheless at least they didn't fall for the usual scare tactics that Netanyahu uses to cling to power.

Speaking of Bibi, you know who else soon won't be able to use the shield of 'head of state' to shield himself from facing criminal and civil charges? Take a guess.

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