As much as I love getting lectured by people in my replies that ACTUALLY the Republicans weren't able to score any points at all against Obama when they were in the minority, I did write a book that covered a lot of this.
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
Man gonna go spend some money I don't have to get this book because I get stuck in conversations with my South African colleague whose entire media diet for the past decade has apparently been exclusively Twitter (and largely Musk) 🙏
The essentially neutered Obama's presidency, and come 2016, voters who hadn't been paying attention concluded that he got nothing done. My head was exploding.
That's part of the McConnell legacy.
For some reason, the MSM decided, with no credible reason based on party ID statistics, to elevate the so-called "Tea Party" as if it were a serious political party, up to and even giving them their own reply time to the SOTU.
All of these parliamentary and process tools still exist today - why do you think they aren't being used? Incompetence? Fear? Lack of will? Is it because the Dems don't have their own "McConnel"?
Trump has moved forward with executive orders and has not waited for his Cabinet to be sworn in to take agency action- in other words, the unitary executive on steroids- tell me how anything McCornell applies to 2025- 2009 tactics won’t work
The problem is receiving publicity- look at the protests today, but it takes time- we are four weeks in , and other than nominees that only be delayed, there is simply not enough happening in Congress for Dems to meaningfully act yet- we have to be realistic
It was the Senate Democratic leadership who made the ACA fight so difficult. They had the votes and insisted on trying to make it bipartisan. Stupid, cowardly and venal men.
The GOP was able, simply by telling the most absurd and hyperbolic lies to the press and at rallies around the country (remember Sarah Palin and the death panels?), caused such a ruckus that I'm honestly shocked people have forgotten about. That shit was wild!
Not only did it cause huge headaches for Dems at town halls, it caused some Dems to vote against it. Rahm Emmanuel (Obama's CoS) strongly urged Obama to cave. And many Dems who voted for it LOST THEIR SEATS! Don't tell me the GOP didn't do anything. We saw it happen.
Perhaps my memory fails, but I seem to recall that Obama did very little after passage to sell its strength, letting the GOP dominate the media with its nonsense.
Probably because Kevin is being a little disingenuous. The filibuster for cabinet nominees was removed in 2013. And there isn’t any legislation being advanced at the moment that could be blocked. So Kevin is comparing apples to oranges.
People have either very short or very selective memories regarding the GOP minorities in 111th Congress. I remember Obama having to fight tooth and nail for every victory.
Obama was trying to build something (health care) Trump is trying to destroy the federal workforce- easier to destroy than build- not to mention the big difference in the economy in 2009 versus 2025 and a first term versus a second term
Democrats need to take effective action when we can- not temporary stunts that will only make use look weak when they don’t actually stop anything- Dems did take action to delay some nominees- they still were voted in and people still claim they did “nothing”
Voters chose last November to empower Trump and give him a GOP rubber stamp in Congress- that’s reality. Dems need to focus on giving voters a positive reason to vote for them in 26 and 28 and not on stunts that only delay and frustrate those who want a quick fix
and Oh Celebrated Author, what happened after 2010 ? BARRRIICKK OBama made a contribution to Health Care slightly inferior to that proposed by DICK NIXON IN 1973. he spent the mass of his political capital there -- an arch conservative told my girlfriend this and she a HUGE FAN was silent
Comments
I will take 1k yrs of HS students asking, “But, how do you know?”
Gleefully, I go down the rabbit hole with them to connect as many dots as possible.
This is not teaching, or learning, it’s stubborn myopic hubris.
Bless you
That's part of the McConnell legacy.
Mitch McConnell
Not at all sure Dems (with exceptions but not you, Chuck) want to stop the corporate takeover and rich people tax cuts.
Procedural delays to buy time and publicize the problem. Coordination with allied media to promote public opposition.
I was very disappointed to learn that Rahm Emanuel joined CNN staff. 😒
I doubt a whole book is going to happen for them
are you actively trying to break my eyes?
I mean, technically they don't actually Focus together at the same time, so nature got to them 1st - but still!