Governing from the Center? Dangers of One-Party Rule?

[Sparkly]

Now that it's looking like Democrats might take back a super-majority in Congress as well as the White House, the punditry is making noises about how Obama has to govern "from the center," and how dangerous it is when one party controls both houses and the presidency.

So where were they in 2000, 2002, and 2004? The majority didn't even WANT the Chimp in office, yet he went straight to the far far far right, hell with the rest of us. Mandate my ass.

What we're seeing NOW looks like a mandate. And while I know Obama is a uniter, I hope the Democrats shut the Republicans out until all their legislative crap is cleaned up, reversed, restored... This is a balance we need to right the wrongs they've done over years of shutting Democrats out.

A few symbolic appointments or coalitions for political purposes? Fine. Beyond that, put the Republicans in a room with jigsaw puzzles and undo all the crap they've done.

[Cresent City Kid]

1. Good point, no one cared about one party rule for 6 years

All this talk of a liberal landslide is misleading. Democratic politicians at the national level have been steadily moving to the center since Bill Clinton's success. The low approval of congress, in my opinion, comes from both directions. Republicans think they're too liberal, Democrats think they're not liberal enough.

Splitting the difference between Republicans and Democrats does not bring us to the center. Democrats are already there and Republicans and their base are far to the right.

[Larkspur]

2. Congress's low approval from Democrats is because our Dem leaders won't

stand up to Bush. They consistantly cave-into Bush. That's not governing from the center. That's abdicating their authority to a lame-duck dictator.

[Sparkly]

4. It's probably low approval from both sides.

But from this side, I agree.

[LWolf]

3. Obama is firmly in the center,

and I figure it will be our job, those of us who aren't centrists, anyway, to shake things up and try to get things moving our way.

We've had 8 years of 1 party rule, since democrats didn't deign to rock the boat with their '06 majority.

Frankly, centrism IS one party rule, as far as I'm concerned. Centrists might as well have their own party, since they have more in common with each other than with the rest of their respective parties.

I've waited for 2 years to see democrats begin shutting republicans down. It didn't happen. I'm not holding my breath for 2009, but it would certainly be nice.

It would be appropriate to lock out the party of fascism, corporatism, and theocracy, imo. Unless, of course, the "centrist" democrats have something to gain by continuing the rise of fascism, corporatism, and theocracy.

[Sparkly]

5. Yup. Supermajority in Congress + Presidency = No More Excuses!! nt