QOTD: "Simply Elect More Democrats"

 

Paul Waldman writes in the Washington Post about Dems' tendency to form circular firing squads in the face of setbacks:

"What happens when legislation fails? Your supporters grow disenchanted and demoralized, just as Democratic voters are becoming now. They feel unmotivated to organize and turn out to vote. And it doesn’t help when all they see from their own representatives are complaints about what a bunch of failures Democrats are.

President Biden hasn’t been much help, either. His first impulse is to reach out to the other side, but even when he doesn’t — as with the aggressive speech he gave on voting rights in Atlanta — it can come at a moment when defeat is already upon him.

And here’s a truth Democrats have trouble articulating, especially when they’re so worried that the odor of futility might be hanging on them: The boring, uninspiring answer to all these problems is to simply elect more Democrats.

If Democrats had an extra couple of senators (along with keeping the House), Manchin and Sinema would no longer hold the balance of power; the party could reform the filibuster, pass voting rights legislation, pass the BBB bill and do a bunch more besides. It’s as simple as that." (our emphasis)

To the last point above, we're looking at open Senate seats vacated by retiring Republicans in Pennsylvania (doable), Ohio (a stretch), and North Carolina (also a stretch), and the contest in Wisconsin, with the lunatic conspiracist Sen. Ron Johnson looking very vulnerable. The odds depend on Dems running solid, appealing candidates, who can go on the offensive articulating how Republican obstruction is hurting their constituents.

It doesn't help that the Beltway media has been pounding the "Dems in disarray" meme for months, while being silent about 50 Republican Senators, not one -- NOT ONE -- of whom is supporting the voting rights bills or the Build Back Better legislation. Perhaps after today's votes on the voting rights bills where every Senator has to put his/her vote on the record,  the media coverage might briefly mention Republicans voted en masse against them, but don't hold your breath.