Now, you're going to wonder about that titled for a few minutes while I say the following: Obama's done just fine negotiating here, I think. He's forced the Republicans to say no over and over again to their own budget priorities, simply by sticking in elements the Republicans don't like. But even great negotiating skills cannot help you much with assholes who, until circumstances force them otherwise, only know how to say "No."
That's the thing with Republicans nowadays. They're not driving hard bargains, they're doing the insanely stupid thing of trying to take bargaining out of the picture altogether. They're trying to force their policies on everybody else, run roughshod over our interests. They might succeed in doing that, but my God, if you look at the chaos in the Republican caucus and among their supporters, it is a super bloody fucking mess.
So, Republicans aren't negotiating, and that's a problem for them. So, what does my title mean? Well, to put it plainly, these are not the Republicans to negotiate with. Their only goal isn't to bargain with you, but to stomp you flat. These are the Republicans we have to utterly thrash in the next election and remove from any and all positions of majority power.
Folks said, if only Obama were tougher with them, didn't give in on any demands, etc. But if you look at the way they've played these negotiations, they've been recklessly indifferent to their own self-interests, passing up many chances not only to shape policy by adulterating it with their own provisions, but to infuriate people like us by having our President sign such things into law. In a way, this was a blessing, but only as long as we wrote the laws.
But now Republicans have one chamber of Congress, it's become a dangerous game of political chicken. Smart negotiators wouldn't do this
But, like I've said, the Republicans aren't smart negotiators. They're heavy-handed blunderers, and that's part of why they've gotten so few bills passed.
My theory on this is that 2006 and 2008 got Republicans into a panic. Faced with becoming a minority party for the indefinite future, faced with an immensely popular President with not to be underestimated skills in charming people and convincing people into supporting his policies, They decided that the only way to save their Party's political fortunes for the future would be an all-out, total political war. Governing, or passing favorable legislation came second.
The last thing they're going to do, when the pressure isn't on, is capitulate to us. There is no reasoning with these people or talking them down under ordinary circumstances. It takes political slaps to the face to get these people to register just how out their their position is, if it registers at all.
I can only hope that we get a debt ceiling increase before August 2nd, but after that, we may be in for even more bullshit on their account, and all this is going to repeat ad nauseum as long as these people have power.
So, rather than knock Obama for being the only adult in the room, let's instead ensure that Obama is surround by nothing BUT adults in the room, when it comes time to talk to Congress. Let's make it to where Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the House again, not John Boehner. Let's keep the Senate in Democratic hands.
Let's refuse the Republicans all the opportunities to fuck with our future that we can. Let's break them down once and for all, and keep doing that for as many elections as we can to make that point, and consolidate Democratic Party holds on the major houses.
Let's put an end to this farce we call Republican Congressional leadership.