Bipartisanship was never on the table, and Obama DID try (too hard).
Joel Send a noteboard - 08/11/2010 09:30:15 PM
With the Democratic majority in the previous (outgoing) composition of the House, it was pretty much possible for the Democrats to ram anything and everything through if they wanted to, regardless of who their leader was.
Pelosi's adoption of that strategy may have led to tactical victories (she can brag that she got all Obama's priority bills through the House) but helped lay the foundation for the dramatic and overwhelming strategic defeat that Democrats suffered at the polls a few days ago.
In that sense, Pelosi accomplished very little. If she had been more bipartisan and conciliatory, it's possible that a lot of her bills would have passed the Senate and become law, which is the ONLY real measure of achievement.
Pelosi's adoption of that strategy may have led to tactical victories (she can brag that she got all Obama's priority bills through the House) but helped lay the foundation for the dramatic and overwhelming strategic defeat that Democrats suffered at the polls a few days ago.
In that sense, Pelosi accomplished very little. If she had been more bipartisan and conciliatory, it's possible that a lot of her bills would have passed the Senate and become law, which is the ONLY real measure of achievement.
It was embarrassing to watch the Senate Majority Leader and POTUS kiss ONE MANS ass to pass legislation despite huge majorities (and despite said POTUS having convinced said Majority Leader not to boot said one man into the political wilderness before any of that ever happened). How conciliatory should Pelosi have been whenaccused of supporting death panels or making it a federal crime to be uninsured? It takes two to do the bipartisanship tango, y'know, and, no, I'm sorry, Obama hasn't accomplished any more than Pelosi did. She did her job and he dropped the ball trying to please the people who accused him of being ineligible for office and a terrorist. It's a two party system and all the opposition has to do is ensure the ruling partys failure, then wait. Pelosi and the Republicans understand that well; you expecting a lot of conciliatorty bipartisanship out of the next Congress? And when the next Republican delegation takes office with the publicly stated goal of destroying Barack Obama, will all the partisanship still be the fault of the man who keeps reaching out to them?
No. The fatal flaw in your argument is that it's OBAMAS argument, one that has been weighed and found wanting. HTF is it the House Speakers fault that the Senate can't pass a bill? More to the point, her strong arm tactics overcame House REPUBLICANS strong arm tactics; it was the spinelessness of Reid and Obama that allowed that bill to be castrated in reconciliation. The Tea Party can pat itself on the back for last Tuesday, but anyone who's paid any attention knows that the single significant advantage Republicans had wasn't in general electorate support, but willingness to express it. More succintly: The Tea Party won because Dems stayed home, and that's Obamas fault, not Pelosis. He can tell people this is no time to sit things out, but if he can do it during the healthcare debate it should be legitimate for anyone. I like the way you and the Tea Party are thinking though; if they're foolish enough to take this as a mandate they'll be lucky to do as well in 2012 as Dems did in 2010. As many people say they want a more robust healthcare bill as say they want a weaker one, and very few say they want no reform at all, so how large a majority do you think "repeal Obamacare and just do tort reform" is going to get? You'll have to convince a looooot of people 1-2=0 to sell THAT along with the tax and deficit cuts.
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
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Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Why do conservatives hate Nancy Pelosi?
07/11/2010 09:26:53 PM
- 1273 Views
possibly because she is too good at her job
07/11/2010 10:10:28 PM
- 899 Views
I suspect that's much of it, though she does lend herself to caricature.
08/11/2010 02:46:54 AM
- 688 Views
Misogyny is a big part, Tom Daschle and Harry Reid was never hated as much as her
08/11/2010 05:01:08 AM
- 686 Views
I'm not sure that's enough; Pelosi's far more liberal than either of them.
08/11/2010 09:51:33 PM
- 692 Views
Well, not to point out the obvious, but she was Speaker of the House
07/11/2010 10:18:33 PM
- 744 Views
Re: Well, not to point out the obvious, but she was Speaker of the House
08/11/2010 12:14:42 AM
- 638 Views
One of those charges is valid though, sadly.
08/11/2010 03:02:35 AM
- 687 Views
The ketchup controversy, seriously?
08/11/2010 06:00:58 AM
- 945 Views
Which neither you nor Cecil Adams have disproven here, so, youbetcha.
08/11/2010 09:50:07 PM
- 1034 Views
This probably one of those rare ones where will have to agree to disagree
09/11/2010 01:08:54 AM
- 766 Views
Perhaps, since we seem to disagree on the facts as well as how they were spun.
10/11/2010 01:10:21 PM
- 706 Views
Joel has a few pet "facts" that he bases his world view around
10/11/2010 02:08:20 PM
- 670 Views
Hey, I didn't bring up the GOP starving kids to enrich millionaires.
10/11/2010 05:53:07 PM
- 726 Views
really one interview with one guy who has been out of power for decades
10/11/2010 06:57:16 PM
- 601 Views
The interview was quite relevant when given.
10/11/2010 09:32:27 PM
- 649 Views
but you know all about the inner workings because of an entire party?
10/11/2010 11:29:35 PM
- 639 Views
No, Pelosi did, that's the point
10/11/2010 09:41:39 PM
- 761 Views
I understand, but what's really sad is it's hard to be sure WHICH GOP policy she meant.
10/11/2010 10:03:22 PM
- 940 Views
Because Nancy Pelosi is rather...liberal in her Political Positions.
08/11/2010 02:20:56 AM
- 715 Views
I wouldn't call myself conservative but I don't like her because...
08/11/2010 02:40:19 AM
- 685 Views
Yet she accomplished a lot more than Obama and Reids bipartisanship.
08/11/2010 03:13:33 AM
- 645 Views
No, she didn't.
08/11/2010 03:42:45 AM
- 681 Views
Bipartisanship was never on the table, and Obama DID try (too hard).
08/11/2010 09:30:15 PM
- 629 Views
he had a luncheon and everything
10/11/2010 04:16:01 PM
- 599 Views
Trying to work with people dedicated to his demise was a SYMPTOM of his leadership failings.
10/11/2010 05:44:29 PM
- 733 Views
Trying to pick off a few republicans is not the same thing as working with them
10/11/2010 06:56:04 PM
- 646 Views
After that link...
10/11/2010 09:44:32 PM
- 614 Views
yes but when the middle hate you then you are in real trouble
10/11/2010 11:34:28 PM
- 709 Views
I don't think the middle hates him, they're just disgusted with him.
11/11/2010 01:44:54 PM
- 1518 Views
Re: Trying to work with people dedicated to his demise was a SYMPTOM of his leadership failings.
10/11/2010 07:04:57 PM
- 641 Views
Sounds like the bill they SHOULD'VE passed.
10/11/2010 09:23:53 PM
- 684 Views
That bill is part of why Bob Bennett lost his senate seat.
10/11/2010 09:32:36 PM
- 541 Views
I suspected that might be the case when I was reading about it at the link.
10/11/2010 09:39:53 PM
- 779 Views
I'm just gonna put this idea out there...
08/11/2010 07:17:36 PM
- 800 Views
I can see Russia from my house? *NM*
09/11/2010 12:15:40 AM
- 309 Views
Yeah, I thought he explained it rather well, until...
09/11/2010 08:26:13 AM
- 625 Views
Did she actually say that?
09/11/2010 03:31:50 PM
- 662 Views
She did say that, I'm not sure if it's EXACTLY what she said...
09/11/2010 04:04:02 PM
- 627 Views
it doesn't matter what she says people need to believe she is stupid so they find proof even
09/11/2010 04:36:28 PM
- 814 Views
well if it makes you feel better, I don't think she's particularly unintelligent
09/11/2010 05:03:03 PM
- 665 Views
Believe she actually said something about having Russia for a neighbor gave her foreign policy cred.
10/11/2010 06:04:15 PM
- 806 Views
She merely said one could see Russia from somewhere in Alaska, which I believe is correct.
09/11/2010 04:15:05 PM
- 935 Views
it does seem to be a pretty silly thing to say without more to directly accompany it.
09/11/2010 04:32:02 PM
- 725 Views
Only you would jump to physical appearance as the first and only reason you can think of *NM*
09/11/2010 11:24:36 PM
- 296 Views
I don't hate her. I just have a great dislike for her political views.
10/11/2010 09:38:38 PM
- 651 Views
She's too conservative for you? Really? *NM*
11/11/2010 05:22:59 PM
- 387 Views
Yes. I come from a country where she would be seen as quite right-wing politician.
13/11/2010 12:29:26 AM
- 616 Views
Wow, what qualifies as far to the left in Sweden?
13/11/2010 01:52:40 AM
- 592 Views