Now more than ever, bipartisanship is for suckers | Salon »
Posted By chuck-the-canuck 3 months, 4 weeks ago in Political OpinionFrom the earliest moments of Barack Obama's presidency, the most perplexing question was how he would fulfill his promise to change Washington's partisan standoff – and whether that promise was ever more than a rhetorical and political campaign gambit. More than once, observers have suggested that he always knew he couldn't rely on Republicans to act in good faith, to negotiate reasonable compromises, or even to speak honestly in debate. According to that theory, Obama's commitment to bipartisan solutions was and is theater aimed at persuading independent or centrist voters to trust him.
But if seeking consensus is still his strategy, as he and his advisors insist, it may be time for a rethink. All the months of bipartisanship in talk and tactics from the White House have neither brought congressional Republicans closer to supporting Obama's objectives nor preserved Obama's early support among moderate voters. What they have done is encourage the most outrageous conduct by his opponents – including those who themselves claim the bipartisan mantle – and make the president look weak.
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chuck-the-canuck
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Hunter S. Thompson
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chuck-the-canuck3 months, 4 weeks ago
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If the Democrats are really in control, why do they even care what the republicans think? Why look for support that will never be forthcoming?
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The republicans are completely familiar with the concept of exercising their power. Democrats need to grow a set, quit looking for bipartisan support and cram it down the republicans throats. If they choke on it, so much the better.
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