Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Coakley: The Aftermath

The bottom line for now is that we get the chance to see Democrats fail miserably with 59 seats, instead of seeing them failing miserably with 60 like they've been doing for the last few months. The only difference we'll see here may be from some changes in individual failure strategies, interesting permutations of the failure equations which have governed their rule in Washington since they ousted the Republicans way back when. I'm excited to hear if the Democratic leadership is going to revert back to blaming legislative defeats on being one seat short again- "Oh, if we just had 60, then we'd be able to do at least one or two of the things we promised! Damn that 41st vote!"

Obama is already talking about making more compromises, which is great because if he makes one or two more he gets to officially change the letter next to his name from a D to an R. Presumably the White House and Senate leadership are already scrambling to find more ways to compromise the health-care reform bill, like instituting annual ceremonies in which human sacrifices are pushed into a live volcano to sate the hunger of the mighty Insurance Executive Gods, or making it legal to shoot people with preexisting conditions out of a cannon for the purposes of entertainment. Luckily the chances of us escaping with worthwhile reform were already approaching zero even before Brown won, so we don't have to get too hung up on that.

Extremely shallow Dem turnout was a key factor in Brown's victory, which seems to have validated the Obama Plan of shitting on his base every time the chance is offered. Apparently you have to throw your supporters a bone or two every now and then if you want them to vote for you again?! We'll see if the leadership realizes that their attempt to solely please Republicans is pleasing exactly no one, or if they take this as a sign that they should tack to the right, hard. Anyone want to wager on which one seems more likely?

2 comments:

  1. Well said.

    As much as this destroys almost all other areas where the Democrats wanted to push legislation, it seems like this gives us the chance of a better health care bill. Obama's idiocy about wanting Snowe aside, this whole having the senate pass some good changes through reconciliation might end up improving the bill far more than anything else.

    I'm sure the senate leadership will find a way to screw that up too, but as far as health care goes I feel like the chances of a positive outcome (a better bill or no bill at all) are higher now than they were before.

    It doesn't make it better that EFCA, climate change, financial reform and immigration are probably fucked... but maybe the prospect passing none of their agenda will make them reconsider their new rule that 60 yes votes is needed to pass any and all legislation.

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  2. Well, we can only hope that he won't be as conservative as the rest of 'em on at least some of those issues. Though I guess that's kind of a hope of the past nowadays, with their 40/41-vote block on EVERY ISSUE.

    Also, wow... "burn a theme"? I wish that was a phrase.

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