Democrats Are Still Misreading Political Reality

The electorate never craved a transformative New Deal-style agenda.

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You know that old tale about the guy stranded on a rooftop during a flood who beseeches God to rescue him? A neighbor in a rowboat comes and offers to rescue him. “No, I’ve asked God to save me,” the man says. Then a police boat makes the same offer, and he gives the same reply. Finally, a helicopter arrives, same response.

The flood claims the man and, when he gets to heaven, he berates the Almighty: “I had faith in you, but you didn’t save me. You let me drown. Why?”

God says: “What are you talking about? I sent two boats and a helicopter for you. What more do you want?”

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia may not be on a rescue mission from God, but the Democrats would be wise to see him that way.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    I just want to know when I can vote for a politician who has a mandate to repeal the New Deal.

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    Bel Aves

    Clinton in 1994 and Obama in 2010? Bad analogies because though I think Clinton was a crass, immoralist, and Obama a narcissist, I cannot question they are intelligent and cunning. Biden never these things, in his prime. It will only get worse.

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  3. Boatbody

    You seem to like opinions rather than facts, Scarlette. Trump is an idiot but just because a lot of the country preferred him over Biden or in 2016 Ms. Clinton doesn't mean we're crazy. We are making choices between two bad choices.

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    1. Boatbody

      History will show you a lot of idiot American presidents. The Lincolns and the Trumans of the country are few and far between

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    GREG BROWN

    Biden has no conviction - he's another of the common (Politix vulgaris) politician - a sociopath who's next breath is taken to feed the dopamine rush a spectacular mediocrity derives from hoodwinking voters. To the average person such depravity is beyond reckoning

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    Phil H

    Well said, Jonah. Joe Biden, who was elected because he was "not Trump" fell (or was pushed) into the trap of thinking his narrow victory was a New Deal size mandate. That will lose Biden the House and (unless Trump interferes again) the Senate.

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    PGG645

    I recently heard that Manchin is 78. I’m surprised. He seems much younger than both Biden and Trump, and in much better shape too. If we have to have an old President, why can’t it be someone who doesn’t seem so old, like Biden, or mentally unstable, like Trump?

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    Johntadian

    The only threat to the" future of democracy” this monumental screw-up poses is the legislative and judicial shenanigans the democrats are likely to try foisting on the public,attempting to save face, in light of their horrible handling of this whole boondoggle. Here's hoping they call for an up-or-down vote on this monstrosity next year so Manchin won't have to continue to be the lone voice of sanity in that sad sack party.

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    Frank Lee

    "It’s funny, the same folks furious at Manchin keep saying that one senator from West Virginia shouldn’t have the power to block Biden’s transformative agenda also implicitly think that winning two Georgia seats validates that agenda."

    And consider that without a pandemic and mail in ballot shenanigans, Trump would still be POTUS, the Senate would be in GOP hands, and the House would have a smaller Dem majority.

    But they run as if they have a mandate. Or they run as if they know they can lock up the system if they can only pass enough radical legislation... and really do not care what the electorate want or don't want.

    It's not really funny at all. It is a clear sign that the old Democrat party has been hijacked by radicals and Biden is their dementia riddled puppet. TDS is no excuse for voting for someone this far gone.

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    1. David R

      The only reason Trump might well still be president without the pandemic is because it might very well have delayed the Democrats stampede to Biden long enough for Bernie to get nominated via pretty much the same path that got Trump nominated (as came very close to actually happening, because the presidential primary process is horrible and if good candidates come out of it it's either by luck or because they were an overwhelming favorite going in and didn't blow it), and Trump likely could really beat Bernie.

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  9. Jeffrey S. Goldberg

    Bring on the tsunami.

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  10. Mid R.

    It’s amazing to me that every time a party takes control of the mechanisms of government they overreach. And it’s usually with bigger majorities than the 2020 results.

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      Greenknight

      It's the objectives of the over-reach that's important...
      Ex- When the Dems over-reach they want to give people health care and enact programs that help people (pre-k, college, day care, etc).
      When Republicans over-reach they set up immigrant interment centers, restrict voting, and lock down women's uteruses.
      It's a stark difference.

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      1. Mid R.

        Well my point was the parties don’t achieve their objectives when they overreach by misreading the public’s desire for their policies like right now.

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