The problem with these myriad arguments that it's all about Joe Manchin is that:.@JohnKasich, @Sen_JoeManchin is no Bonhoeffer, he's no MLK and he's no Sharansky. He's the exemplar of America's broken political system.
— Reed Galen (@reedgalen) June 8, 2021
Your perspective is disappointing but not surprising. https://t.co/9ytLjmCx4u
a) it makes Joe Manchin happy; and
b) it's not just Joe Manchin. He's what former Sen. Claire McCaskill calls the "heat shield" for at least 10 other Democratic senators who don't disagree with Manchin, but don't want to be on TeeVee agreeing with Manchin.
Yes, we probably should get rid of the filibuster. But no, the reason we can't is not Joe Manchin. It's because of the Senate. And really, denouncing Joe Manchin just makes him happy that you mention his name. I mean, he's the Senator from West Virginia: when else are you going to pay attention to him?
Watch the video at that link above. Sad but true. If you convince Manchin to vote against the rule, there are a number of Democrats who won't vote against it. Besides, the next time the Democrats are in the minority, it may be the filibuster that "saves democracy."
The problem, as ever, has less to do with the institutions, than with the people who send the Senators and Representatives up there. (I do love the cri de couer that "Then we're not a democracy!" in that clip. No, we aren't. Not a direct democracy, not a British parliament style democracy. I thought everybody knew that from high school civics.) As ever, we have met the enemy, and he is us.
Had to drop listening to so much MSNBC and various lefty Youtube channels because the never-ending hair tearing and hand wringing is leaving me exhausted.
ReplyDeleteSame. Everything is a sign of the End Times and the Death of Democracy and the End Of Life As We Know It.
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