Yup. I find myself nodding a lot when reading Krugman. He has nailed it. As much as I may criticize Democratic leadership at times for things, they appear to have gotten a few more things right this time around. Sadly, the former Republican party is now a fascist cutout of what it used to be, morally and intellectually bankrupt, and rotten to the core. Democrats can prove to voters that they can solve problems, and should, despite the venal attempts by that fascist party to stop them. I think the normal mid-term shift in congressional seats will be avoided, once that happens.
cautiously hopeful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A dozen years ago, just before Barack Obama was sworn in as president amid the Great Recession, I wrote a disconsolate column led “The Obama Gap.” At a time when many viewed the president-elect as a transformational figure, I lamented the caution of his economic policy. His proposed stimulus, I argued, would fall well short of what was needed.
Sadly, I was right. And as I also warned at the time, Obama didn’t get a second chance; the perceived failure of his economic policy, which mitigated the slump but didn’t decisively end it, closed off the possibility of further major action.
The good news — and it’s really, really good news — is that Democrats seem to have learned their lesson. Joe Biden may not look like the second coming of F.D.R.; Chuck Schumer, presiding over a razor-thin majority in the Senate, looks even less like a transformational figure; yet all indications are that together they’re about to push through an economic rescue plan that, unlike the Obama stimulus, truly rises to the occasion.
In fact, the plan is aggressive enough that some Democratic-leaning economists worry that it will be too big, risking inflation. However, I’ve argued at length that they’re wrong — or, more precisely, that, as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says, the risks of doing too little outweigh any risk of overheating the economy. In fact, a plan that wasn’t big enough to raise some concerns about overheating would have been too small.
On the economic side, Democrats have finally stopped believing in the debt boogeyman and the confidence fairy, who will make everything better if you slash spending.
There was a time when many Democrats — including President Obama — accepted the proposition that public debt was a huge problem. They even took seriously warnings from people like Representative Paul Ryan that debt was an “existential threat.” But predictions of an imminent fiscal catastrophe kept being proved wrong, and at this point mainstream economists have become much more relaxed about debt than they were in the past.
Some Democrats also used to worry that big spending programs would hurt the economy by undermining business and investor confidence, and conversely that caution would be rewarded with higher private investment. But this doctrine has also been belied by experience; austerity doesn’t instill confidence, it just imposes pain.
But if Democrats have learned a lot about economic reality since 2009, they’ve learned more about political reality.
Obama came into office sincerely believing that he could reach across the aisle, that Republicans would help him deal with the economic crisis. Despite the reality of scorched-earth opposition, he continued to seek a “grand bargain” on debt. He regarded the rise of the Tea Party as a “fever” that would break in his second term. He was, in short, deeply naïve.
Many progressives worried that President Biden, who had served in the Senate in a less polarized era, who talks a lot about unity, would repeat Obama’s mistakes. But so far he and his congressional allies seem ready to go big, even if that means doing without Republican votes.
One thing that may be encouraging Democrats, by the way, is the fact that Biden’s policies actually are unifying, if you look at public opinion rather than the actions of politicians. Biden’s Covid-19 relief plan commands overwhelming public approval — far higher than approval for Obama’s 2009 stimulus. If, as seems likely, not a single Republican in Congress votes for the plan, that’s evidence of G.O.P. extremism, not failure on Biden’s part to reach out.
Beyond that, Biden and company appear to have learned that caution coming out of the gate doesn’t store up political capital to do more things later. Instead, an administration that fails to deliver tangible benefits to voters in its first few months has squandered its advantage and won’t get a do-over. Going big on Covid relief now offers the best hope of taking on infrastructure, climate change and more later.
Oh, and Democrats finally seem to have learned that voters aren’t interested in process. Very few Americans know that the Trump tax cut was rammed through on a party-line vote using reconciliation, the same maneuver Democrats are now pursuing, and almost nobody cares.
Finally, I suspect that Democrats realize that getting policy right is even more important in 2021 than it was in 2009 — and not just because of the economics. When much of the opposition party won’t acknowledge election results, condones insurrection and welcomes conspiracy theorists into its ranks, you really don’t want to pursue policies that might fall short and thereby empower that party in the years ahead.
Put it this way: Debt isn’t and never was an existential threat to our nation’s future. The real existential threat is an illiberal G.O.P. that looks more like Europe’s far-right extremists than a normal political party. Weakening policy in ways that might help that party’s prospects is a terrible idea — and I think Democrats realize that.
So this time Democrats are ready to seize the day. Let’s hope it will be enough.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/o...-stimulus.html
Sounds good
We'll see if ALL, at least enough, Dems have the urgency to keep the Repugs out of power.
2022 election will be soon enough. Biden had no coattails. Will the Dems lose both chambers, making Biden a 2-year President?
If 83 yo Breyer leaves SCOTUS, a Repug Senate will not let Biden appoint a replacement.
I am cautiously optimistic.
You should also check out John Fetterman.
Dude has some solid potential to solidly replace a retiring Republican senator. +1/-1
https://www.wonkette.com/badass-john...-you-like-that
simple majority of both chambers grants statehood to PR and DC
I doubt think the Dems have the balls to go so bold, not nearly as big balls as McConnell had to kill Obama's SCOTUS pick
I doubt eg Manchin and Sinema and probably other Dems, both chambers, would vote for.
Repugs would scream bloody , but as Repugs say, "elections have consequences"
Dems should seriously consider it. Not a big of a priority as COVID relief, but it would serve the small state jackasses right.
, throw in guam too.
pro-weed, pro-codifying Roe v Wade, pro-fracking, pro-"making in the USA", pro- $15/hrs min wage, pro-voting rights, pro-universal gun registration.I am cautiously optimistic.
You should also check out John Fetterman.
Dude has some solid potential to solidly replace a retiring Republican senator. +1/-1
https://www.wonkette.com/badass-john...-you-like-that
just crushed the DNC-anointed centrist by 25 points.
Muscular New Deal stuff. Screw the median voter, do concrete to help people.
and Texas gets Beto.
it's a pity we don't have better
He's racist
when did you start caring about that?
It's just a statement of factwhen did you start caring about that?
ok, but that wasn't the question
Pro inflation, pro covid deaths reaching a million+, pro open borders, pro lack of baby formula, pro baby killing in the womb, pro high gas prices, pro sending tax payer money to other countries, pro corruption, pro a sinking stock market,,,,,the democrat party today,,,,
Small price to pay to kick the big loser out of the White House
I like your way of thinking now, nono,,, em all,,,who cares who suffers,,,,,Small price to pay to kick the big loser out of the White House
Nah, it's just Trump s like you that will never get over it...
Your win is killing people,,,congrats,,,
So you’re voting for him?
The basis of modern conservatism is dishonesty, violence, and greed.
Why should I believe you? Link?
Or is this just another white milllenial leaving the Democratic party thing?
NM.
Found it.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fetterman+jogger+incident
You beat me to it.
Well, we will get to see how that plays in the general. If he wins, and wins big...
It’s killing Trump s like you inside, that’s a plus
Fetterman's as Pennsylvania as it gets, he got the most votes in every county on his side. Summing up his policy positions and trying to turn that into a formula probably wouldn't work. Outreach counts, so does name recognition and being willing to throw a few sharp elbows for people care about, even at party insiders and so-called.centrists
Last edited by Winehole23; 05-22-2022 at 02:01 AM.
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