one thing I’ve noticed about this generation of dems is a sort of “plan for the best, don’t even contemplate the worst” approach to political strategy. once you see it in one area, it’s hard not to see it in a lot of other ones too
examples include garland hoping a money trail from low level rioters would lead him right to trump, biden hoping he could calm reactionaries by avoiding cultural issues, dems in general hoping a conservative on scotus dies so they don’t have to actually legislate around the court,
I’d argue Biden’s original approach to Israel fits this framework too. Give them unfettered support and hope they’re on their best behavior and a ceasefire materializes
I would like everything to go swimmingly at all times too but, as a parent of small children, I am apparently more aware they will not than Dem leadership
I've seen this dynamic play out in low level campaigns as well: "we don't need to come up with substantive responses to these Republican attacks; voters will simply believe us when we say they're not true!"
Can you help me with this one? They went through with it in 2021, but got rope-a-doped by McConnell, who wouldn't supply the necessary votes to convict (and who also wishcasted that Trump would go away and refused to fall on his sword to get to 67 votes in favor).
sure; recall that they called no witnesses in the senate and essentially wanted to cut to the chase. my reading of that is simple, senate comity and desire to move on were prioritized over exacting a political price for those who would vote to acquit. as we saw with the j6 committee…
…a real, robust hearing could’ve been very politically powerful. they still might’ve not convicted but they could nonetheless have *hurt politically* individual republicans and the GOP generally in the process. instead they fast tracked it as a sort of sop to the base: see we tried, and…
They went into recess. They should have impeached him on the morning of January 7th and sent it to the Senate that day. Instead they begged Pence to do a 25th Amendment dance, and went on recess
OK. I guess the original comment invoked "real impeachment" (lengthy fact finding, full trial in Senate), but this strategy would have involved maximum speed + pressure on Rs to vote to convict. That makes sense to me, but I don't believe there would have been a 67th vote to convict.
Sorry, what would a “real” impeachment have looked like and in what universe would this have gotten 2/3 in the Senate for a conviction? This sounds like the same kind of magical thinking you are critiquing. I ask this genuinely, what am I missing?
No True Impeachment.
Should have done it faster!
No, wait, should have done it slower!
There were never 17 R votes to impeach, stop pretending that’s the fault of the Bad Dems who live in your attic.
Every time Garland gets mentioned, I return to my view of him after reading Bring the War Home, and think Garland was just a clear failing upward story. Convicting McVeigh alone was such a spectacular low-hanging fruit that cemented his career.
Plus there's a section re: sedition and DoJ leeriness.
I myself struggle with aversion to confrontation, so I certainly empathize with this mindset, but I also recognize that hoping problems solve themselves is a character trait that makes me ill-suited to be in government.
I think both you and the articles authors are making simplistic assumptions about how the justice system works. There’s plenty to criticize garland about (I have a lot personally) but in this case there’s a real possibility that the alternative to his methodical approach isn’t a quick conviction
But the complete collapse of the case. There were other things happening on the criminal front while they were pursuing the Jan 6 rioters, and I think the really instructive part is that none of them were able to get trump into court before this year.
It feels downstream of age. They're all old, old, old
Garland is 71, Schumer 73, Pelosi 84, Hoyer, 84, Clyburn 83, Biden 81
I don't get the same timidity from Hakeem, 53
Yes! It's crazy. I would honestly love for some consultant to write a tell all about this current crop of Dems and explain this shit. I know I'm too online, but it doesn't mean that sticking your head in the sand while Alito puts up an Insurrection Bat Signal is a good choice either.
The GOP is dragging every college admin they can infront of committee hearings to get brow beaten over every single cultural grievance the Right has, and yet the Dems didn't get that Pub Sub lady under oath to explain why she gave $500k to Roger Stone and Alex Jones for the J6 speech permits.
The current crop of dems is best understood via their Rosetta Stone, West Wing: own conservatives with logic about biblical inconsistencies while working with them on dismantling social security. Demand decorum and civility while committing crimes against humanity.
They internalized the whole "arc of history bends towards justice" thing without also realizing it only bends that way when you jump on it with all your might
It seems to hinge on the idea that if we can just get back to "norms" all will be well. Like they're working out the formula to revive bipartisanship, faith in institutions, Tip O'Neill style politicking, etc. Just unsettling denial that what the GOP has evolved into can't just be rolled back.
It's terrifying to me how much of Dem strategy has been to avoid conflict with the right. Surprise surprise, the Roll Over and Play Dead strategy has Biden's poll numbers in the gutter.
Excellent point! What this country should be doing right now is thinking about what will happen if Trump gets re-elected. Everyone in MAGA world is telling us exactly what is going g to happen and it is the end of America. I wish someone could explain to me why MAGA-GOP hates America. 🤔
I think generally, the approach is don't do anything to fight the right, if that doesn't work, make empty gestures.
Biden's democrats are ideologically unable to actively fight the right.
