Polls show the public wants to see legislators compromise; the Sanity rally affirms it

[bigtree]

It makes perfect sense for every Democrat to challenge republicans to live up to the voters' expectations at every step - no matter how many times they say they won't budge. It makes the republicans appear irresponsible, more than it paints Democrats as naive. I mean, it's not as if anyone in Washington who's been dealing with the present bunch of republicans actually believes they're going to give up anything significant. You certainly don't counter their declaration with a resounding 'me either!' as some have argued.

I'll bet the republicans can be pressured into caving by highlighting their obstruction and promoting our willingness to move forward. At any rate, we'll never know unless we first challenge them - as our President and our Democratic leaders have done following the republicans' open declarations of their intention to obstruct. It's good politics to declare our intention to 'work with' republicans and it's good, responsible practice to stand ready to carry out the promises they made to those who elected them.

[BootinUp]

1. Rec'd

[aquart]

2. Cooperation is not Republican policy.

They have the right to change their leadership. They ain't doing it.

[neverforget]

3. They want compromise but they're voting for the people that won't

compromise: the Republicans. :crazy: The very people who've been obstructing everything for the past 2 years are going to be voted back into power in the House: the Republicans. :crazy: The very people who got us into this mess in the first place are going to be voted into power again: the Republicans. :crazy:

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH AMERICA?

:banghead: :hurts: :argh: :wtf:

[onethatcares]

4. in my thoughts

I've often thought the American people want a government that actually discusses things important to those that elect the representatives. Things like, What are our kids going to do after they graduate high school, Why are our jobs going overseas, Where are we going to get the money needed to send our brightest kid to college, What is going to happen to my family if I get ill or have a bad accident.

Not things like, Which country should we invade next under false premise?, How can we was a corporations hands of befouling our enviroment, Where is my next million dollar pac money coming from.

Sadly our representatives, aside from a few, care more about themselves and enriching their families than they do about average me and you.

[TheKentuckian]

5. What you have is an ideological article of faith not a theory

We've been compromising and rolling over for decades with little accountability from the electorate for Republican dogmatic intransigence and only a persistent move to the extreme and ever less willingness to cooperate from the Republicans.

You believe things that not only conflict with many years of reality but things that appear to grow less likely rather than more so with your exact prescription even taken to a long term extreme which has done great harm to our people, our systems, and our ideals.

High minded fail is still fail.

[bigtree]

7. politics is inherently compromising

Our legislators come to the political arena with very disparate and diverse concerns from the voters who reside in the regions which sent them to Washington. I can understand the myopia of folks who expect them to singlehandedly plug in their pet concern and light up their tree. The reality is that each and every bill is a collaborative effort which requires negotiation and concession. How can it be anything else, given the nature of the political enterprise?

It's easy to hold a position outside of the legislature, but once tasked with actually enacting those interests it becomes clear to these legislators that they don't have the power to advance their interests and concerns by themselves. Isn't it plainly evident that it takes negotiation and cooperation (the political balance of power makes it imperative to negotiate with the republican opposition) to move any legislation past their talking points into action or law?

I would argue that your own perspective ignores the myriads of instances where the members of the republican party have found it in their political interest to join with our Democrats on legislation; especially when we have control of the agenda and aren't playing the political games that are typical of the republican party when they were in the majority. It's a curious argument to cite history and ignore the numerous instances where we engineered republican defections to advance Democratic legislation. That's not theory; it's evidence.

[TheKentuckian]

9. Functioning politics inherently includes compromise and you refuse to accept the system

is broken and that for over a generation Republicans have become more strident and have paid little for their lack of cooperation and when they do it is short lived to the point of them being expected a pass even on full blown criminality.

Your history is just that, history. History far from living and in effect today.

[bigtree]

10. not everything they do is a capitulation

I'm worn out citing examples like the Small Business bill (signed into law last month) and the China bill passed in the House with republican votes after years of stonewalling. The standard response is to point to something or other that's decidedly more important. Heck, there is plenty yet to be agreed on and advanced to the President's desk. That's more a result of the balance of power than any capitulation by the WH or Democrats. Yet, there has been some progress on Democratic initiatives, often with republicans making up the votes to obtain cloture.

You seem to think that I expect something radically productive from republicans. That's not what the President and Democrats are talking about when they posture as if they're ready to cooperate. They mean to attract (peel off) vulnerable and willing republicans who will lend their votes to break their party's filibuster on Democratic initiatives. It's been done in the last session and it's not so unheard of as to discount it as a possibility.

But, I'll say this. Until you manage to organize a progressive majority, not just a majority, and elect them into power, you'll only have voters to blame for the makeup of our legislature. Let me know when this perfect government materializes. I've always understood that we work with the legislature we're able to elect, not having any guarantee or effective control over the consequences of the next election cycle. Emulating the republicans' epic pout as if it were a virtue isn't a strategy which has any history of producing anything but an epic argument. Voters have never responded well to bickering politicians.

[leftstreet]

6. Campaigning politicians slinging mud on tv. Let's do a poll about compromise!

:eyes:

[bigtree]

8. it's not a new finding just in time for this election

It's always been that way.