In response to a disussion about the political realities of the stimulus bill -
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My liberal friends pay lip service to the fact that bills have to be negotiated through the political process. And they're certainly willing to trim their suggestions to things that are politically possible, rather than, say proposing that we ban the automobile. But this knowledge rarely penetrates as far as acknowledging that the political process sometimes means that we will get a bill that is worse than simply doing nothing, even if there is some theoretical bill out there in the ether that would be simply smokin'.
It reminds me of an apocraphyl story about an ad guy who meets a producer in a bar, and demands that said producer hire him as a writer, on the grounds that even he can write better than that drivel.
"Anyone can write better than that drivel," sighs the producer. "Can you write a script that's better than that drivel after everyone from the extras to the wife of the studio head have all put their two cents in?"
Rather than focusing on crafting policy prescriptions that will best survive the sausage grinder, Democrats and Republicans alike spend a lot of time fantasizing about what life would be like if the other party disagreed, or stopped being a different party. The problem is not that the bill can't win enough support--it's that intransigent [Democrats/Republicans] are refusing to rubberstamp the president's initiatives.
But if the Republican Party disappeared, the Democrats would be no closer to their goals, because the Republican Party represents real interests that would continue to exist, and would elect other people who would also oppose the bill. And at the point when you're fantasizing about the mass disappearance of a large number of voters, I'd suggest that your political philosophy needs a rethink. And if the stimulus package were really as 100% guaranteed to make America better off as its proponents claim, you can bet that sensible Republicans would be falling all over themselves to get on board.
meganmcardle.theatlantic.com |
