Obama did it (kind of); he moved the party line to be policy oriented instead of stunts and cutthroat politics.
At the same time, he never gained a sufficient majority to enact his platform (in truth we’re lucky we got the affordable care act). Biden ran into similar issues with what was technically a majority but that had weak votes (e.g. Manchin).
Honestly the problem is the Senate; Democrats just can’t get past the threshold that would let them actually govern. So we get Democratic presidents that appear ineffective … when really we just have a Senate that’s broadly ineffective at doing anything that isn’t center right.
A Promised Land by Obama is an extremely good book if you want to understand the modern democratic party. Obama did a lot to get the spark back but also was in a very difficult position.
What Obama did should be judged by what he really did, not promised, not described, not was close to do.
You can say whatever you want if it depends on majority which won’t ever support you, and then claim that was your real intention.
This is simpler than average intrigue between friends or at workplace, or even of deciding whose turn it is to go for groceries, and politics are not simpler.
Are you trying to pass an amendment? They actually had a supermajority for 72 days. Not that they didn’t get anything done, mind you, but the point stands.
The filibuster is a thing and that regularly prevents anything from getting done without 60 votes.
Obama in his book (A Promised Land) talks about this and how his biggest regret is not ending the filibuster as his first action because it proceeded to cripple his entire administration and agenda for the majority of his presidency.
Obama did it (kind of); he moved the party line to be policy oriented instead of stunts and cutthroat politics.
At the same time, he never gained a sufficient majority to enact his platform (in truth we’re lucky we got the affordable care act). Biden ran into similar issues with what was technically a majority but that had weak votes (e.g. Manchin).
Honestly the problem is the Senate; Democrats just can’t get past the threshold that would let them actually govern. So we get Democratic presidents that appear ineffective … when really we just have a Senate that’s broadly ineffective at doing anything that isn’t center right.
A Promised Land by Obama is an extremely good book if you want to understand the modern democratic party. Obama did a lot to get the spark back but also was in a very difficult position.
What Obama did should be judged by what he really did, not promised, not described, not was close to do.
You can say whatever you want if it depends on majority which won’t ever support you, and then claim that was your real intention.
This is simpler than average intrigue between friends or at workplace, or even of deciding whose turn it is to go for groceries, and politics are not simpler.
Obama had a majority too. The problem is too many members rowing in different directions within the party.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/111th_United_States_Congress
Are you trying to pass an amendment? They actually had a supermajority for 72 days. Not that they didn’t get anything done, mind you, but the point stands.
The filibuster is a thing and that regularly prevents anything from getting done without 60 votes.
Obama in his book (A Promised Land) talks about this and how his biggest regret is not ending the filibuster as his first action because it proceeded to cripple his entire administration and agenda for the majority of his presidency.