Joe Biden will never give up on the system

[DonViejo]

Because it never gave up on him.

By Ezra Klein @ezraklein Jun 26, 2019, 9:00am EDT

“Any day of the week you can read or hear about the lamentable state of our nation’s politics, about our bitter and partisan party divisions, about the regrettable coarseness of the discourse,” wrote Joe Biden in his 2007 memoir, Promises to Keep. “I don’t deny it, but from inside the arena none of it feels irreversible or fatal.”

From inside the arena. These four words are the key to understanding Joe Biden. There is no major figure in modern American politics who has been in the arena as long as Biden. He was elected to the Senate in 1972, at the age of 29. He remained in the Senate until 2009, when, at age 66, he left to serve as Barack Obama’s vice president. That, too, was an office thick with senatorial duties, deals, and relationships. It wasn’t until 2017, when Biden was in his 70s, that he was truly severed from the daily workings of the US Senate.

Long experience inside the political system leaves many embittered. But it has left Biden optimistic. His book, which accompanied his 2008 campaign for the presidency, is a love letter to his decades in the Senate, thick with kindnesses remembered and friendships memorialized. I have rarely read a workplace discussed so fondly. I have never seen a political institution sketched so kindly. It’s an affection that infuses his politics even today.

“The system’s worked pretty damn well,” Biden says. “It’s called the Constitution. It says you have to get a consensus to get anything done.” Biden knows something, or thinks he knows something, the cynics don’t. Consensus is possible. Compromise is admirable. The Senate is composed of 100 complex, decent individuals, most of whom are susceptible to his charms. And what’s true for the Senate is true across American politics. It’s only by seeing the humanity of our political opponents — be they Republicans or Dixiecrat segregationists — that we can bridge our political divides.

To understand Biden’s confidence in this, you need to understand the unique experience he’s had in the Senate. Biden’s career began in tragedy, and his colleagues have seen him through grief, humiliation, and convalescence. The names that pockmark landmark legislation and dot our history books were his friends, and in seeing his vulnerability, they revealed theirs. The Senate isn’t just an institution to Joe Biden. It’s a home.

more
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/26/18715650/joe-biden-2020-primary-democrat-senator-segregation

[BeckyDem]

1. 100 complex, decent individuals?

Complete nonsense.

[Celerity]

22. If Paedo Moore somehow slithers in, will Joe revise that to 99?

Also, I would NEVER apply decent to (I will only list the worst of the worst)


Mitch McConnell <<<<< after Rump the WORST Rethug
Tom Cotton
Rick Scott
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Marsha Blackburn
Chuck Grassley
Jodi Ernst
Pat Roberts
Lindsey Graham
Ron Johnson
Ted Cruz
Marco Rubio
Thom Tillis
Mike Rounds
John Boozman
Roy Blunt
John Cornyn
Pat Toomey
Jerry Moran
Jim Inhofe
Rand Paul
Josh Hawley
Todd Young
Johnny Isakson
Martha McSally
David Perdue

etc etc (sorry if I left out any who are worse than some above, but in reality most all Rethugs are some evil fuckers)

[BeckyDem]

23. Agreed. There is a percent of cons that will never vote for the people's interest.

Never.

[guillaumeb]

26. Well said.

To your list, I would add Susan Collins for her many lies about being concerned about one issue or another.

But her expressed concern never motivates her to take any decent actions.

[tblue37]

34. Mitch McConnell. nt

[BeyondGeography]

2. If you're going to sell nostalgia, it should at least be relevant to people's lives

MAGA was a scam, but it was politically effective.

Make Washington Great Again? Forget it.

[Ron Green]

3. Biden IS the System.

Consensus in D.C. has oppressed people all along.

[loyalsister]

19. Yep

Racial animus in Washington is not new. Policies and rhetoric that exploits it is not new. Voter suppression is not new. Hating LGBT people is not new. Limiting women's rights and demanding more from us is not new. The willingness to deny healthcare to poor, disabled, elderly and people with various barriers to health care die is not new. Calling for it to happen is also not new. Anti union sentiment and wage suppression in favor of wealthy interests is not new. Allowing climate change to sit on the back burner and pay lip service while catering to the energy industry has been the norm. People of color getting killed by police without provocation is not new.

It has been a part of politics for over 30 yrs. We finally violated the bargain to surrender to gentle, less obvious, oppression.
Trump represents a call for a brutal reclamation. I hope we don't respond with a cautious agreement to reinstate the oppressive arrangement that was revealed in our 2008 rejection.

[MineralMan]

4. That system will still be in place in 2021.

So, understanding it thoroughly is an important thing in a President.

Replace the system? How? The Constitution is still in force, even when it is somewhat ignored by those in power.

The system is what the system is. Joe Biden knows the system and how to use it.

[marylandblue]

15. The Constitution will still be in place, but the old norms of civility are shredded beyond repair.

Biden would attempt to restore the norms as he knew them. I think he will not succeed. I'd rather have someone try to create new norms. I think that has a higher chance of success than going back to an outdated way of doing business.

[MineralMan]

16. What new norms do you suggest that would be superior

to civility and collegiality? I can't think of any that could be applied.

[bluewater]

24. Honesty and Forthrightness would be better

Last edited Wed Jun 26, 2019, 08:03 PM - Edit history (2)

Than being civil to racists.

Civility is one thing (which I do disagree with), but no one should be collegial to racists, and there is a whole slew of racists in the Senate and Congress and one in the White House right now.

I could post that picture of the dead father and his little daughter who died at the border, but that would be sensationalistic, just keep that in mind though please. They died because of the current racists in office.

[marylandblue]

29. As the Vox article suggested, civility is an outcome of other factors.

In particular, there were incentives to cooperate that no longer exist. Cooperation comes from a shared set of interests and values. I think the next President needs to create those values and enforce them as well. Having a positive set of proposals to create an electoral mandate helps with that. The Democratic nominee should not just assume a Democratic Congress, he or she should actively help create one by campaigning against vulnerable Republican Senators. If that falls, they should use dirty tricks to split the Republican caucus.

Whatever happens, our future will not be like our past, so we can't just assume we can magically bring back civility and moderation simply by wishing it so. 2020 will be a turning point, we will go either right or left, but there is no middle ground anymore.

Biden represents something that no longer exist and isn't coming back. Might as well hope for the horse and buggy to return.

[pangaia]

28. If the constitution is being ignored it surely is no longer in force.

[MineralMan]

30. Differences in leadership change things.

[pangaia]

31. Yes, of course that is true.

But the damage that is done between now and when/if sanity returns may be either irreparable or a LONG long time in coming..

And the sanity may not return until something... more horrific than than expect...

[Honeycombe8]

5. So he thinks that children dying in cages and not being given showers or toothbrushes....

is something being done by "decent individuals" who care about the Constitution? The ones who think that taking money and election help from Russia in return for lessening sanctions is a-ok? He thinks that things are politics as usual?

Hmmmm.

[LanternWaste]

13. That is the only conclusion you inferred?

Hmmmmm.... indeed.

[delisen]

6. The system works for Biden. I don't think he comprehends how much it has not been working

for so many of us.

[Amimnoch]

8. Conversely, I think many don't realize how well it HAS worked for us.

Sometimes it is hard to see the whole picture when you're up very close to it. Sure, there is a LOT of room for improvement's in our system. It is atrocious that a country with this level of wealth has as much moderate poverty as we do, and such an almost predatory for-profit healthcare system that it will turn ones stomach. We have endemic and systemic racism, and a raising level of xenophobia that is extremely concerning.

That said, when you pull back and look at the full picture, there is a LOT to tout and praise on our system as well:
In just the last 150 years, we have made HUUUUUUUUGE advancements in women's rights, minority rights, and gay rights. When you really sit back and think of what the average daily life was for these groups, and what our rights were like just 150 years ago, even with the journey ahead, we've made HUUUUGE progress.

The average lifespan and expectancy to health in general has improved so much over the last 150 years. When a baby is born today there is an inherent expectancy and belief that the child will live to be an adult an a long, overall healthy lifespan. This was not the case 150 years ago.

Through the highway system, and air traffic system the ability to mobilize and see the world was the thing of fantasy and legend 150 years ago.

The global markets.. hell, just the ability to get out of your home, hop in a car, and go to a supermarket.. and the VAST majority of things you can get there at any time was something even kings/queens/emperors/empresses of past could have only dreamed of.. You can be in New York and buy Blackberries from Columbia in the middle of winter! You can be in Seattle, and grab a banana from Honduras. Really, the mind reels at the marvel of it all when you think about it.

Internet.. cellphones.. androids.. ipads.. WOW.

And for government.. hell just the miracle of this board, and our ability to gather here.. from all over the place, and discuss our political views, what a thing that our founders could have only dreamed about.

We have changing paradigms coming. Our government and society is going to have to come to a reckoning sooner or later. The old paradigm of the industrial revolution that EVERY person must work, and work hard, and long needs to come to an end. In place, right now, we have one of the best government systems ever in place to make it happen.. we just need a population that will wake up to this realization and push that government to make it happen.

It is absolutely important that we never let our guard down, that we keep on pushing for progress, and that we strive to put in a government that represents we the people. We do also need to remember though, that there's a lot of great things that have come out of this system as well.. things that we can be proud of. Acknowledge the good, recognize and strive to improve the bad.

[delisen]

10. My comment is directed at the Senate and Congress that Biden's

book is referenced as being a "a love letter to" and his seeming nostalgia for a Senate that did not work well for women, and, others for whom there were barriers to entry. It also did not work well for children.

the Senate has not yet been able to adequately represent the need of our population because its makeup through out Biden's career and especially in the period for which he expresses nostalgia has been a relatively homogeneous body. It is much easier to reach a consensus and act collegially when the decision-making body is not reflective of our population and operates as a "club" as it did in the 1970s when it was overwhelmingly comprised of men, and specifically white men.

They were able to reach consensus and work together on many things-simply by not being representative of the population and dismissing or downplaying or, even being hostile to the wants and needs of the majority of the population which did not have a seat at the senate exclusive or non-inclusive table.

In terms of women e had to fight our way to that table and until we reach parity we must still fight for basic rights. At present women are about 1/4 of membership in both the senate and the house. The executive branch is even worse-we have never had with a female president or vp. Actually I think we may have to become a significant majority in the halls of power before we are able to achieve equal rights in society.

Many countries today do a much better job of utilizing the powers of their government to meet the needs of their population.

[loyalsister]

20. + 1000

We stepped out of line. We stepped out of line. More women in congress than ever, LGBT people are being recognized as mainstream families, and a Black man was elected president.
It's an affront to the tradition which explicitly designated white male superiority and was observed into this millennium.

[quickesst]

7. Biden "critics" replying to the OP

Trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip by creating one more thing no one will be talking about in a couple of days if not sooner.

[Honeycombe8]

32. To the contrary, this is a continuing problem with Biden: his wanting to "work with" Trump loyalists

and not recognizing how the Republican Party has changed. His comments that the Republicans "know not what they do" and will wake up and become normal, once Biden is in office.

Biden supporters are coming to his defense, as I would, if I were a stalwart supporter of a candidate. But the fantasy in his statements and beliefs is mind boggling in view of the historical things that the Republicans have done in the last few years, and how far over the line they've gone.

This is not a one-off thing where a few people are mentioning this for the first time. This is a continuing criticism, trying to get the supporters to see the huge elephant in the room.

[quickesst]

35. I understand...

.... that this is a problem for some people, just as every other accusation has been a problem for some people also. I will let the debates tonight and the ensuing polls determine whether this is a problem for a lot of people, or as I said before, some people. I clearly stated in my last post that this is going to be one more thing that no one is going to be talking about in a few days. That's all I said, and I'm sticking with it. Whether I'm right or wrong will be determined in that same time period. Unfortunately, the Republicans in the senate and congress are not going to magically disappear with the election of a democratic president. Some measure of cooperation will have to be sought. I am confident that if republicans will not work with Joe Biden, it is almost certain to be something that he has taken into account and will be prepared for.

[Gothmog]

9. Joe Biden is the most electable candidate that the Democratic Party has available

[mtnsnake]

11. Biden is one of the least electable candidates we have

and that will soon become apparent once the debates begin and once the media starts giving more coverage to all the other candidates, many of whom will prove to be much stronger campaigners than Biden.

[LanternWaste]

14. And another allegation lacking any evidence to support it.

Prophecies and reading chicken entrails are cool I guess... but shouldn't we leave those forms of analysis in church?

[Gothmog]

21. Then why is trump so afraid of Biden?

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[mtnsnake]

25. Trump will go after whoever the front runner is. For the time being, that happens to be Biden

If and when another Democrat takes over the lead or even approaches the front runner's lead, Trump will go after that person just as hard.

[Honeycombe8]

33. I'm afraid so.

And that's not a good thing.

I'm a regular Democrat, right smack in the middle of the liberal spectrum. I think if Biden is the most electable, that is a sad statement on the choices. I don't see anyone that generates enthusiasm for the mass of American voters. Maybe that will change. Debate #1 just fortified that, though. Debate #2 is tonight, so let's see if someone has charisma and is a Pied Piper that makes the mass of Americans want to run to the polls and vote for him/her right away.

[LongtimeAZDem]

17. Neither will I

[Skya Rhen]

18. Joe is obviously doing something right - leading in poll, after poll, after poll, after poll...

Keep it going Joe!!!

[Honeycombe8]

36. So when he's not...

you're going to sound your horn for whoever is leading at the time....in poll after poll after poll? I suspect it's not the polls that make Biden supporters his supporters. They just know him & like him.

[guillaumeb]

27. Consensus is possible, as is a multi-Party system,

but only when all Parties believe in a multi-Party system, and believe in sharing power.