When the Republicans have narrow majorities in Congress, they can get major radical legislation through.
When the Democrats have big majorities, they struggle to get watered down legislation passed.
I am not convinced that filibuster reform will change anything.
For example, the House passed the Bush tax cuts in March 2001, with 10 Democrats joining 220 Republicans voting for it, against 198 Democrats voting against it. Then 12 Democratic Senators joined 46 Republicans (every Republican Senator except McCain (this was before his latest incarnation as a hard line rightwinger, which is more natural territory for him, I think)) -- and the bill was passed using reconciliation.
Then, look at the extension of the Bush tax cuts. The Dems had big majorities, and would not/could not stop what they said they did not want. All through the health care debate, Team Obama's approach to the people who supported the approach he campaigned on was, shut up.
I just don't believe filibuster reform is anything more than a distraction from the fact that neither party is really working for the people. The way I see it, the Republicans are 100% owned by the big corporations, and the Democrats are somewhere between 30 and 70 percent owned by a heavily overlapping, but slightly different set of corporations.
I am a Democrat. I have to be, because this is a two party system; because the Democrats at least PRETEND to be for the things I am for; and because marginal differences can make a big difference in people's lives. I think of a cousin of my mother's who liked Rommel, because Rommel ran the prison camps for our side's solders in a more humane way than the nazi death camps were run. I can see how he would like Rommel; he was one of the prisoners, and the better treatment probably helped him survive. I am sorry if this seems not in tune with how we are supposed to turn down rhetoric a notch, but if you listen to what I am saying, I am just trying to give an example from my family's experience that portrays the situation like it is. I don' t want anybody to shoot anybody, and although when i was a child and teenager I used to shoot tin cans with a .22 , I came to realize I really dislike guns a lot. I wish peace and health to everybody, even the worst people, because then they would not do so much harm.
I think that, given a Democratic President,big majorities in a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House, and no filibuster at all, the Democrats would still find a way to avoid making fundamental change. Note that the Democrats don't even make the Republicans filibuster, the threat of the filibuster is enough. I also think that, given divided houses and a Republican President, most sorts of pro-corporate legislation are bound to get through.
The problem is our dear Democratic Party, of which President Obama is such a representative standard bearer. Until such time as the party actually stands for more than it does now, and that is mostly defining the left edge of acceptable thought and policy and helping to advertise anything left of that as kooky, filibuster reform ain' t gonna change much.
Please prove me wrong.