Glenn Greenwald looks at polls to shred apart the “Americans want bipartisanship” myth. In polls and in the voting booth, the only time Americans are expressing a desire for bipartisanship is when it is applied to Republicans.
Let me suggest that what Americans long for is not “bipartisanship,” but sanity. They’re tired of the clown show.
People allegedly want “bipartisanship.” The nation’s political and media powers translate that to mean people want both parties to have an equal say in government, and that policies should be crafted to the “center” of the current political spectrum in Washington.
But I do not think that’s what most people want at all. What most people want are politicians to stop squabbling like children and get serious about governing. They are tired of childish partisan games sucking all the energy out of government. They want real problems addressed in a real-world way. They don’t care which party is in power so long as that party is behaving like grownups.
The GOP continues to behave like 2-year-old stuck in the “no!” phase.
I think what people want from Washington isn’t “bipartisanship” as the villagers understand the word. What they want might more honestly be called “post-partisan” or “anti-partisan” or just plain “not-partisan.” They want the games to stop.
That doesn’t mean they expect Congress to be of one mind. However, they want opposition to the administration to come from somewhere else than Mars. They want opposition that comes from an honest desire to solve problems and make America better, not from whatever pathological character disorders propel right-wingers to grab power, by any means, that they clearly are not responsible to hold.
If you look at today’s headlines, you’d think President Obama is somehow failing the people on “bipartisanship.” For example, the Washington Post: “Obama Gets High Marks for 1st Month, But Survey Finds Sharp Erosion in Bipartisan Support”
Large majorities of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll support his $787 billion economic stimulus package and the recently unveiled $75 billion plan to stem mortgage foreclosures. Nearly seven in 10 poll respondents said Obama is delivering on his pledge to bring needed change to Washington, and about eight in 10 said he is meeting or exceeding their expectations. At the same time, however, the bipartisan support he enjoyed as he prepared to take office has eroded substantially amid stiff Republican opposition to his major economic initiatives.
In other words, everyone but bitter-ender Republicans approves of Obama. Then the pathological intransigence of the GOP is framed as Obama’s failure and not theirs.
For ABC News, Gary Langer reports — “A Strong Start for Obama – But Hardly a Bipartisan One.”
Barack Obama’s month-old presidency is off to a strong start, marked by the largest lead over the opposition party in trust to handle the economy for a president in polls dating back nearly 20 years. But the post-partisanship he’s championed looks as elusive as ever.
Again, when people express a desire for “post-partisan” government, this does not mean they want right-wing lunatics to have an equal say in government. They want the insanity to stop. Cenk Uygur explains:
As DougJ at Balloon Juice says, “villager” opinion and public opinion have rarely been so far apart.
Unless they take a good stiff dose of reality check, Republican’s will do nothing. Can do nothing. And can contribute nothing to the debate.
The only idea they’ve had for 40+ years is tax cuts. The only other off-shoot is denying entitlement programs, and when they pass in spite of them, cuts in those programs.
They think that the only road back to power for them is for everything to collapse and then blame the Democrat’s.
I, as almost anyone else, would be glad to listen to Republicans. But they’ve got to come to the table with something new. Especially now. We need new idea’s no matter where they come from.
They can’t bring ideas because the only ideas that are GOP approved are the very ideas that are collapsing the economy. Well, they do seem willing to reiterate those ideas ad nauseum, but no one else is buying it right now. They’ve moved themselves so far to the right while the the Democrats’ larger tent is occupying all the territory from slightly right of center to the pretty far left of it. The Republican party gave up all that ground for the sake of having a batshit crazy base that would follow them anywhere. What used to be normal Republicans like Charlie Crist now really do sound like Democrats when they talk about doing things that will benefit the people of their state.
John Lennon: “I’m sick and tired of hearing things from
Uptight short-sighted narrow-minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
I’ve had enough of reading things
By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
No short-haired yellow-bellied
Son of tricky Dick’s
Gonna mother hubbard soft-soap me
With just a pocket full of hope
It’s money for dope, money for rope”
It’s still all showbiz.
Seems to me that Obama is playing his cards very well. He is very publicly extending a hand to the Republicans, and they are very publicly trying to bite it off. And with every snap and snarl of “Tax cuts! Only tax cuts!”, and “Pork! Pork!”, we are reminded that these are the same people whose tax cuts and fiscal irresponsibility got us into this mess in the first place. Obama’s a smart man. I’m confident that he knows full well he’s backing the Republican party off a cliff.
An Irish wit held that God invented war so that Americans could learn geography.
God may have also invented depressions to teach Americans about economics.
God certainly invented Republicans to demonstrate American political insanity.
God invented Republican’s to show he had a sense of humor.
OK, God, The joke’s over. I said the joke’s over!
God?
My nerves are raw over years of Republican lies. I want to move out of this country because of them, and because of what they have done. It never ends. The phony “bipartisan” argument, the sheer chutzpah to assert that this is what Americans want – is well destroyed by Glenn’s article.
I’m past the point of wanting mere sanity, as you assert. You write:
What most people want are politicians to stop squabbling like children and get serious about governing. They are tired of childish partisan games sucking all the energy out of government. They want real problems addressed in a real-world way. They don’t care which party is in power so long as that party is behaving like grownups.
I do care what party is in power. I don’t trust the Republican party at all – even the moderates (wherever they have disappeared to). I have a strong hatred of anything associated with them. The Democrats are far from perfect, and many of them have been coopted by the same evil that animates the Republicans, but they’re the best we’ve got. So, I guess I’m very partisan, hyper-partisan if you will.