Re: POTUS 45:55: Wow, @CNN RATINGS HAVE CRASHED. LOST ALL CREDIBILITY!
And then pushed toward the center on every issue, lost a ton of ground but still won a second term, and then lost even more ground in terms of popularity and then Trump won (yes it was Hillary but he didn’t put her in the most enviable position either).
There’s literally zero evidence that bold agendas are less likely to pass than means tested third way stuff.
Sure, but you can start bold, and then settle somewhere in te middle. Rube's 50 cents. The problem is, Obama started in the middle on everything, and then worked ever back further to the right to get everybody on board, just as Rube wants. Take ACA. A Heritage Foundation plan that Romney pushed in Mass. 50 cents. Obama drops the public option, now we're down to 35 cents. Keeps whittling away, adding things that Republicans want, especially Olympia Snowe, dropping the more radical parts of the plan, so he can say he passed a bipartisan plan with Republicans on board. Now we're down to 20 cents, 15. Olympia says she'll vote for it if only Obama includes this. 10 cents. Bill goes to Congress. No Republican votes for it. You got your 10 cent Democrat/90 cent Republican bill passed. And they still used it to pummel your azz in the next election. Still are.
If they're gonna use a piece of legislation to attack you in an election, then let it at least be a piece of legislation that is simple, works well, is economical, and helps people. Not some cobbled together Rube Goldberg contraption to try to achieve bipartisan support. And if it doesn't pass? Then use the benefits that plan would have brought to millions of people to pummel their Republican azzes in the next election.
Christ, that's what the Republicans do, every frickin' time. And Democrats sit around moaning, oh, we don't want to upset anyone, they won't like us. Do something for people. Help them. Let them know it's you that did that for them. They'll like you just fine. Might even vote for you because of it.
