BackpackCatMay 16, 2024

Why Didn't Democrats Do More When They Controlled Both Houses of Legislature, The White House, and The Supreme Court During Obama's First Term?

https://lemmy.world/post/15471468

Why Didn't Democrats Do More When They Controlled Both Houses of Legislature, The White House, and The Supreme Court During Obama's First Term? - Lemmy.World

I’ve been wondering for a bit why during the time the Democrats controlled the legislature, executive, and judicial branches during Obama’s first term in 2008 more wasn’t accomplished. Shouldn’t that have been the opportunity to make Row V Way law and fix the electoral college? I understand the recession was going on but outside of Obamacare getting passed which didnt go far enough it seems like they didn’t really do much with all that power. Are there other important accomplishments from this time that didn’t get the news they deserved? It seems like the voters have done their job in the past to elect people to fix things and yet we are still here begging people to vote to fix issues like abortion rights.

Show threadBoozillaMay 16, 2024

Routine abuse of the filibuster rules by Republicans was a big part of it. Not the only reason, but a fairly major one as I recall.

And while I am a Democrat and I vote that way, I very readily admit the Democrats often bring a book to a gun fight when it comes to politics. They have good intentions but then they get steamrollered on things like SCOTUS appointments…

Show threadxmunkMay 16, 2024

Democrats had the ability to change procedural rules and prevent filibustering - they chose not to.

Unfortunately, the lack of progress when Dems controlled all three branches is because conservative democrats didn’t want that progress. While Democrats controlled all three branches liberals did not.

Show threadDagwood222

One of things that annoys me most is people on the Left who act like the overwhelming majority of people in the country agree with them.

According to the best estimate I’ve seen, 44% of the people “somewhat agree” with Socialism, and about 6% are “strongly” in favor of Socialism.

May 16, 2024 at 9:08pmWeb
Show threadxmunkMay 16, 2024
I’m not certain what your point is - we’re not talking about socialism here and that word is a misunderstood flashpoint to Americans. If you ask Americans if they want to live in a socialist country I wouldn’t be surprised if only 6% said yes - but when you describe Scandinavian democratic socialism purely by stating policy stances it tends to be pretty popular.
Show threadDagwood222May 17, 2024

And yet, Obamacare barely passed and Trump managed to pass a huge tax cut for the rich.

Look how many people were outraged when AOC wore a dress that said ‘Tax The Rich.’

I wish I was in the majority, but I know I’m not.