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If Only Obama's Performance Mattered More
Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP Photo
The last year has taught a hard lesson about the power of a determined minority to keep the majority in check. Forty senators representing about 9 percent of Americans can filibuster Obama’s initiatives—and the media declares him a failure.
As each month goes by since the Obama victory, I become more and more impressed at the structural impediments in the way of achieving the kind of progressive agenda it would take to right our ship of state. The Constitution, and the exceptionally perverse rules of the Senate, empower a small but determined right-wing minority to exercise veto power over the plain will of the majority. I recently saw data demonstrating that in both Mississippi and Alabama, less than 10 percent of white men voted for Obama. That’s a “small but determined right-wing minority.” And it haunts my dreams. And, sometimes, it simply keeps me awake at night.
With too few exceptions, Obama very much not among them, the Democrats have shown neither the willingness nor the ability to foment populist politics from the left.
Things are dire economically in this country. It’s very hard to imagine anything over the horizon—like the tech boom that built our economic growth in the 1990s—that can keep things from getting worse. Obama’s job is to try to stimulate consumption by increasing spending; that’s simply how the laws of economic gravity work. But the Republicans—and, as we’ve seen in the congressional race in New York’s 23rd District, the forces to the right of the Republican Party who threaten to effectively replace it—will try to make that impossible. The determined minority may succeed. They have a vested interest in doing so—in seeing him fail. That sets in motion a vicious cycle. The taxpayer giveaway to ruinously unethical banking interests, whose behavior only gets worse as they learn their irresponsibility will be rewarded, will fuel more populist rage.
• More Daily Beast contributors on Obama’s election anniversaryWith too few exceptions, Obama very much not among them, the Democrats have shown neither the willingness nor the ability to foment populist politics from the left. The right comes to own a monopoly on an emotion in ever more plentiful supply: anger. They have, of course, no solutions. But when it only takes 40 senators to filibuster—and “filibuster” means merely signing a petition—legislators representing only the 20 least populated states in the union, and about 9 percent of American citizens, can at the very least stop Obama from claiming credit for solutions. And then the mainstream media—tada!—reports that Obama’s a failure. How’s his performance been? I just wish that question mattered more. On the big questions, it’s almost moot. Though fortunately the government has been and will be far, far better administered in the meantime.
Rick Perlstein is the author, most recently, of Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of American.
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John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
The convoluted rules in the Senate must be changed. Why must a bill need 60 votes to pass, for instance? Why isn't a simple majority enough? Why should 41 senators be able to block passage of a bill? We the people will have to pay more attention to this way of doing business. That is why it takes so long to pass legislation.
what an ignoramous
Sure those 40 senators can filibuster, but the other 60 can stop it. And a determined minority can be easily defeated by a determined majority. While you're up at night, you might consider that the real problem could be that Obama and the majority aren't determined enough.
40 senators representing 9% of the people? Try studying your history, Perlstein. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Compromise
"Structural impediments in the way of achieving the kind of progressive agenda it would take to right our ship of state" are fancy words, but read between the lines. What it really means is that liberals want to ignore the constitution and force their agenda upon America without the debate or protections provided by the Connecticut Compromise. A multitude of smaller states could be drowned out by a single California, New York, Texas or Illinois. There is no equity for them based solely on population.
Today's politicians are lazy and polarized. Too few want to work hard to find middle ground. You blame anger on the right, but it's the unwillingness of Pelosi and Reid's majority to legislate. All they want to do is dictate.
Rick, youre so sadly wrong on so many points. First of all, you incorrectly assume that everyone who voted Democrat in last years elections voted for the uber-liberal agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, which in fact they did not. Some 40 Democrats of the house were elected likely due to ignorant party-line voting that benefitted Democrats riding on Obama's coattails and his promise of bipartisanship. THAT'S what they voted for. Not universal health care. Not massive taxes. Not a spineless foreign policy. Bipartisanship. That combined with an unbearably weak Republican candidate and a swooning media lead dozens upon dozens of Democrats to be elected by luck. So you're majority is not a true majority--its simply a blip in the radar--one that was caused by a national election of a unique candidate who caused a lot of excitement and ignorant votes. After the midterm elections in 2010, ask yourself--"Did we really have a majority, or was it more the result of a substantial number of new and uninformed voters getting caught up in "Obamania", however ridiculous that sounds to the educated voter?
I, too, wonder why the ruling party is afraid of a filibuster. Or what about 'reconcilitation? Why are the Dems afraid to try these methods? Maybe that is the only way we'll get healthcare reform. And reconcilitation would minimize the power of the blue dog democrats.
Could be that some of the dems are bought out by corps too. Money talks and corruption still exist.
Broken Campaign promises: end don't ask don't tell, close Gitmo, win the "necessary" war in Afghanistan, bi-partisan heathcare reform, more transparency in government, Change we can believe in, no laws passed without "transparency" or passed in the "dead of the night." No smoke filled rooms and back room deals. Make the card check law (some particularly stupid people actually call it the employee free choice act) his highest priority. No new taxes for middle class.
Kept Campaign Promises: Timetable for troop withdraw from Iraq (after Bush effectively won the war), Redistribution of weath (cash for clunkers), Put an extreme left wing female latina in the Supreme Court. Only hire extreme left wing radicals with history of tax evasion in cabinet level and staff positions. Personally attack a media outlet that disagrees with you.
What has he done? Spent $1.4 Trillion (SO FAR) in first year, AND spend all his time trying to sneak a in a law that promises another 2 Trillion a year in spending wihout anybody being allowed to read it. Opened his mouth on a cop-vs-racist college professor case and then had a beer summit for the press. Ignore the advise and troop requirements of the on-the-ground commander YOU appointed to win the "neccessary" war. And keep saying over and over "the situation left to us by the previous administration." Oh, and don't forget to accuse anyone who disagrees with you as being a racist warmongering right-winger who clings to God and their guns because they cannot compete in the global economy.
This is the audacity of hope?
How can you call us a "determined minority" when 70% of americans identify themselves as conservative?The truth is the American people didn't sign up for Pres. Obama's socialist takeover,they were hoodwinked into thinking he would deliver constructive "change" for the country.But instead he has continued and accelerated all that is wrong with our country.
America will move to the right,it's inevitable.There is a rising tide of rebellion against the irresponsible spending of Obama/Bush.The tea-parties and the elections back east show the desire by large groups of americans to return to a fiscally sane and reasonable government.The whining and namecalling by this author shows just how worried the dems. are about the coming true conservative revolution.
Thank you.
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