Biden knew what...

[Septua]

..what he was doing after all?

Good thing I'm not a politician...I've been questioning the strategy on getting the infrastructure bills passed. Biden being a hard ass on the $3.5T, Manchin being a hard ass on something less, Sinema just being an ass and the progressives playing hard ass on what they want...

The pundits have been criticizing the Dems as shooting themselves in the feet, possibly ending up with nothing if they couldn't agree on something...a 100% of some number is better than 0% of $3.5T. They all know getting the bills passed in some form, is crucial to the overall Dem agenda being successful...

So, Joe knew all along what would happen, knew he wouldn't get $3.5T, knew the progressives wouldn't get everything they want, knew Manchin would eventually agree to some number and figures Sinema will eventually agree on something?

[Wounded Bear]

1. There are advantages to having experienced politicians doing your politicking...

[PatSeg]

2. Yes, there is a whole lot of "Been there, done that" with Joe Biden

It definitely gives him an advantage over less experienced politicians.

Also he has dealt with more than his share of slings and arrows, so he can let a lot of the criticisms slide off.

[Irish_Dem]

4. Yes he certainly does not appear rattled by any of this.

"Been there, done that" is right on.

[PatSeg]

11. When he was younger,

he was much more reactive. Experience really does serve some people very well. I know it has for me.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Yes of course, maturity and experience go a long way.

I worked 40 years in one field. At the end of my career, nothing rattled me any more at all.
I had seen it all. As compared to my younger days, when I was not as experienced and confident.

[PatSeg]

13. Now I understand that look, that slight smile

that older people would sometimes give us when we overreacted to a person or situation. They'd already been down that road and they knew we'd probably have to learn the hard way.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Yep.

In the past, I supervised younger staff.

Sometimes they would get all agitated and upset over situations, and I would just say "stay calm, this is very fixable, let's talk about how to proceed."

Right, I am sure when I was young, older and wiser folks would just shake their heads.

What is the old saying, "you get smart by being stupid."

[PatSeg]

20. "You get smart by being stupid"

That's a keeper, though I'm sure I would have been totally outraged by it when I was very young.

Of course, there is the flip side, the many people who just get MORE stupid by being stupid and they end up supporting Donald Trump.

[Irish_Dem]

21. One of my big fantasies is to start my life over knowing what I know now.

Back in the day I was too stupid to know I was stupid.

Right, some people never grow and evolve.

[PatSeg]

22. One of the traits of being young

Of course, if we knew then, what we know now, we wouldn't have done a whole lot of things that make us who we are today. That is the appeal of being young, you still believe anything is possible and you are open to taking chances.

[Irish_Dem]

23. True. Just wish there was an easier way to get smart.

[PatSeg]

25. Oh yes, same here

It is exhausting just thinking about it. Maybe in my next life!

[Irish_Dem]

27. Right.

In our next lives, we will get our acts together as soon as we hit 18.

[PatSeg]

29. Ha, ha, ha!!!

[Irish_Dem]

31. I know, hilarious.

[Irish_Dem]

3. I have thought this all along. Biden set the price tag high, loaded up the bill, knowing he would

not get that package. Corporate Dems keep their donors happy with the subsequent cuts.
Progressives get to keep their pet projects.

It all works out.

[ms liberty]

9. This. n/t

[mcar]

16. "Corporate Dems?"

Who, pray tell, are they?

[Irish_Dem]

17. Others here are using the term for certain senators.

I think it sounds more polite and family friendly than the other words we could use.

Maybe I should say moderate Dem but that is not correct.

IDK what to call them.

[mcar]

18. How about Democrats?

I don't agree with them either, but it doesn't help to perpetuate the strategy, IMO.

BTW, I don't always agree with the so-called "progressive" Dems either.

I just don't agree with the demeaning name calling.

If we didn't have those Democrats, we'd have Majority Leader McConnell.

[Irish_Dem]

19. Good points, but I was trying to discuss strategy vis a vis various wings of the party.

As in Biden's multilayered approach to the internal party conflict.
And was trying to do so without derogatory name calling.

[GoCubsGo]

26. Yeah, it's kind of his M.O.

He did something similar with vaccination goals, which is why he beat his initial goals. Would've hit others had the GOP decided that it was better for them politically to convince the cult not to get vaccinated.

[Irish_Dem]

28. Even Joe probably didn't anticipate the GOP killing its own members just to spite him.

[VarryOn]

5. He needs to take this short break....

And barnstorm the country day and night and make the case for the bills and maybe put some pressure on some squeamish politicians. Have a list of 8 to 10 big things we'll get, and get folks off the price tag. And I'd throw in a prime time (real prime time after 8 pm) news conference. He can be very persuasive.

[Qutzupalotl]

6. He is planning to hit the road

to talk up the bills and explain what’s in them.

[VarryOn]

7. Good. I hadn't heard this. He also needs to end some of the Admin's best representatives/advocates..

Psaki, Klain, Buttigieg, Fudge, and Rice. Maybe a few folks from Congress. Flood the zone. Get them on friendly podcasts, prime time talk shows and the Sunday shows.

With Covid seeming to improve before cold weather hits, the resulting feel-good maybe good timing to get these bills rammed though.

[brush]

8. Great idea. I'd love to see that. It would boost the chances...

of getting a good number on the reconciliation bill, not to mention it would be a boost to his and Dem poll numbers as the president and party trying to deliver needed and long-delayed things to the nation.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Like Biden said, look at the specific programs, not the price tag.

[Septua]

15. Now, if they can...

..just get the voting rights bill passed before the minority becomes majority.

[peggysue2]

24. This is the how Joe Biden remains sanguine (at least in public)

He has seen this all before--the howling, the foot-stamping and ego-preening, the legendary sausage-making. Been there, done that. He's experienced the media headlines and pundits galore predicting gloom and doom.

But on the point of Build Back Better, he also recognizes the hunger of the American public for change, real change. The vast majority of Americans support the agenda, even a considerable number of Republicans because the GOP's failed philosophy of drowning the government in a bathtub has been a bitter disappointment. Disastrously so.

Joe Biden is betting on the country, on fellow American citizens. Our reps and senators are now back in their states and districts. Their constituents have an opportunity to give them an earful, as in:

Get the damn bills passed or look for another job!

We as individual citizens have a part to play in this, a way to cut through the endless noise. Write copious letters to the editors in your newspapers. Call your district offices until they're tired of hearing from you. Text them, email them until their cup runneth over. Attend local town meetings and make your voice heard. And for God's sake vote in your local elections come November.

This is the way we win--engage the chaos, push it back and Build Back Better.

[wiggs]

30. Maybe it's part of a dem strategy not to burn bridges but I don't really understand why

our elected dems don't punish elected gop more in the press about not ever governing just campaigning and lying, never passing legislation that helps the 99%, wanting to cut safety nets at every opportunity, going against super popular legislation, racking up debt when in the WH, letting the economy faceplant when in the WH and asking dems to clean it up, etc.. Let alone all the corruption under Trump.

There's an easy case to make and yet we ease off the gas every time. We don't need to convince the dem base, but there are still swing voters who don't pay attention unless hit over the head with messages.