How Will Biden Work With Republicans?

@oralloy,

when McCain did NOT back Trump to crater Obamacar, he was voicing his opinion on bhalf of his Arizona constituency, not the whims of a childish thinking president. He didnt really care for Obamacare as proposed but he disliked the GOP 's total lack of anything to replace it. Trump could have gained points from Vets in Az by not being such a whiney fool, and he also could have gotten McCain, if there were an alternative health care rather than just empty promises.

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@farmerman,

I disagree with your synopsis of McCain's motivations, and I am a big McCain fan.

I think that towards the end of his career and life, he became more concerned with his legacy than his constituents. I have no problem with his doing that, but I don't believe he had some altruistic motivations.

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@McGentrix,

He had stated that he was disillusioned with the lack of any kind of health program to replace AHC .

If thats legacy issue, so be it.

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I, for one, hope that Biden does try to talk to some Republicans. For one thing, he said he would and making good on his campaign promises is a positive. If he's seen to be making a good-faith attempt to engage with the opposition and is spurned, the public will view the Republicans as callous and unproductive ideologues. He might just be able to peel off a few responsible Republican lawmakers, and you have to start somewhere. I'm doubtful he'd have much success but I don't think he should be pilloried for making the attempt.

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@hightor,

Considering the Trump governments attitude and the republican agreement with that attitude what chance do you give Bidens chances of working with the Republicans unless he is willing to give them everything they want?

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@RABEL222,

He can't, and won't, give them everything they want. As Trump's influence wanes and if the people think Biden is acting in the best interests of the country, he may be able to achieve some minimal cooperation — he only needs a few of the Republicans to break ranks to get significant legislation enacted.

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@hightor,

hightor wrote:

I, for one, hope that Biden does try to talk to some Republicans. For one thing, he said he would and making good on his campaign promises is a positive. If he's seen to be making a good-faith attempt to engage with the opposition and is spurned, the public will view the Republicans as callous and unproductive ideologues. He might just be able to peel off a few responsible Republican lawmakers, and you have to start somewhere. I'm doubtful he'd have much success but I don't think he should be pilloried for making the attempt.

No, he certainly shouldn’t be pilloried for trying.
I’m doubtful as well, that he would have much success.
But the part of your post that I bolded I want to ask you...

Do you think Obama trying for eight years (well, 7. - In the last year he gave up and started writing a lot of Executive Orders) caused the public to view the republicans as callous and unproductive? Was Obama able to “peel off” any “responsible” republicans?

Or maybe you just don’t see as strong a correlation as I do. Because Obama’s experience very much informs my opinion of how Biden should try to govern.

Serious, unsnarky question - Did you learn anything from Obama’s efforts to “start somewhere” with the Republicans that touches at all on your opinion about the way Biden should approach the republicans?

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@oralloy,

Actually, I'm glad Collins did win. She may not always vote the way I would like, but I do feel she votes for what she thinks is best for the country.

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@snood,

Good post.

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@RABEL222,

Thanks.

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@oralloy,

Given the probable state of his arteries--all thart cholesterol--and the way he waddles instead of walking, what makes you think he'll last til 84. Plus he
s now damaged goods. Plus he's never won an election on his own.

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I voted a straight Democratic ticket.

To be honest, I suspect that divided government (D White House, R Senate) might be the best thing for the country right now.

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@maxdancona,

I agree on the divided government, but what if that means Mitch remains president pro tem of the Senate.o

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@roger,

I'd like to see the Senate in Democrat's hands just so we can dump McConnell. I don't think he is dedicated to compromise. After 2022, ok lets pick everyone we like, just not Mitch, assuming he's still alive.

We need to heal the divisions in this country, it's the only fair thing to do, so our children and grandchildren and great grand children can live freely as we did.

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@snood,

Quote:

Did you learn anything from Obama’s efforts to “start somewhere” with the Republicans that touches at all on your opinion about the way Biden should approach the republicans?

snood, I think the dynamic with Obama was different. The racial dynamic. The envy. The suspicion. The fear. Biden is well-known to a lot of these people and not being a strong, witty, intelligent black guy who won election in a runaway victory could work to Biden's advantage.

The other thing is that Biden is post-Trump; Obama was pre-Trump. I think that changes the calculus as well.

Look, if the Republicans don't want to play ball Biden can always try going around them but I think the problems of the country need to be addressed with legislation, not executive orders which can be undone by a succeeding president. However, if it comes down to executive orders or doing nothing, of course he should issue executive orders. The sooner the better.

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@hightor,

I recall, from day 1, those talk show hosts lik Beck and limbaugh were preaching how they were going to makw sure that Obama "failed".
That dint seem to work out too well.
Obama got us out of the economic mess of the Bush years and turned the economy to actually be in significant positive grounds by 2011 and breaking records by the time he left office. (A course that Trump had continued until the covid-19 crisis).
I recall I had an Obama year,2012, in which my index funds were returning ovr 20% and averggaed out +10% for last 5 years performance. (The first three yrs were , of course like - 11% and then +5% and then +6%)

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@hightor,

hightor wrote:

Quote:
Did you learn anything from Obama’s efforts to “start somewhere” with the Republicans that touches at all on your opinion about the way Biden should approach the republicans?

snood, I think the dynamic with Obama was different. The racial dynamic. The envy. The suspicion. The fear. Biden is well-known to a lot of these people and not being a strong, witty, intelligent black guy who won election in a runaway victory could work to Biden's advantage.

The other thing is that Biden is post-Trump; Obama was pre-Trump. I think that changes the calculus as well.

Look, if the Republicans don't want to play ball Biden can always try going around them but I think the problems of the country need to be addressed with legislation, not executive orders which can be undone by a succeeding president. However, if it comes down to executive orders or doing nothing, of course he should issue executive orders. The sooner the better.

Damn, man. Well, first of all, I want to say thank you for your thoughtful treatment of this.

You gave me some small reason to hope that Biden might indeed be effective where Obama could not. Also, it’s remarkable to me that you thought of some things that I didn’t – and I don’t mean because I think I’m smarter than you or anything like that – it’s because I am black.

I generally think of myself as hyper aware (out of necessity) of how race poisons society and perverts or prevents healthy, “normal” social interaction. It is certainly the case that Obama being a black man influenced how he was thought of and treated by some white lawmakers. I’m shaking my head as I write this, at the fact that I didn’t even think of that when I was writing about Obama’s effectiveness informing our opinions about Biden’s potential effectiveness. So strange – hey, maybe it means progress for me in some twisted way.

Furthermore, for a similar reason it’s remarkable to me that I didn’t consider how our lawmakers’ perceptions and reactions would be affected by whether it was pre-Trump or post-Trump. How could they not? As much as I hate Trump – as destructive as I have thought he was (phew, it’s a relief to say was and not is) to our country – you’d think that would cross my mind when I compared how a post-trump Legislature would act toward Biden compared to how a pre-Trump one reacted to Obama.

Oh well. Live and learn. On we go…

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@roger,

Collin provides a sense of practical conservatism (no hair on fire **** by these militarist types).

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@roger,

Quote:

She may not always vote the way I would like, but I do feel she votes for what she thinks is best for the country.

And that's what a lot of people in Maine think. And have thought for the past 24 years. While I f***ing can't stand her — because she's worked out this kabuki thing with the party leadership where she gets to break with the GOP when her vote won't change the result making her look more "independent" than she actually is — her continued victories aren't surprising. Her service to her constituents is admirable, especially for small businesses. And she literally can go to any town in the state and greet people by name, ask how their kid is doing in college, and probably give them a cute puppy to take home for their toddler. She's pretty damned good at it..

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Re-reading the exchange between me and Hightor, I just want to make sure I don’t leave the wrong impression.

He did give me good food for thought about why Biden might have a better chance than Obama of getting a little help from a few Republicans.

But I still believe that there is a hardcore element in the Republican Party that sees any cooperation or compromise with democrats as weakness, disloyalty - almost treason. Anybody remember Grover Norquist saying that Democrats are only acceptable in a minority status, or comparing democrats to farm animals that are only happy and sedate once they’re fixed? Some influential republicans still do business like that. I also remember older Newt Gingrich quotes and recent Mitch McConnell quotes that don’t make me all wide-eyed with optimism about the reception that Biden’s proposals will get.

Still, I suppose there’s nothing to lose by trying, and there’s always executive orders - even though they can’t do a fraction of what actual bipartisan legislation can. So we should try but definitely manage our expectations.

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How Will Biden Work With Republicans?

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