Earth Equity News

Let the Blue Dogs Go. Commentary by Ari Berman, NYTimes, 10/24/10. “In 2008, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seemed to rewrite all the rules in electoral politics and herald a new progressive era in America. Democrats assembled a huge Congressional majority and, in the euphoria that followed the historic election, were poised to enact sweeping change. However, despite some notable successes -- the stimulus package, health care reform, tighter rules for the financial industry -- things have not gone according to plan. Just two years later, Democrats face a bad economy, a skeptical public, a re-energized Republican Party and a coming avalanche of losses in the midterm elections… One important explanation is that divisions inside the Democratic coalition, which held together during the 2008 campaign, have come spilling out into the open. Conservative Democrats have opposed key elements of the president’s agenda…

“Democrats would be in better shape, and would accomplish more, with a smaller and more ideologically cohesive caucus… A smaller majority, minus the intraparty feuding… could enable them to devise cleaner pieces of legislation, without blatantly trading pork for votes as they did with the deals that helped sour the public on the health care bill… Polls show that, despite their best efforts to distance themselves from Speaker Pelosi and President Obama, a number of Blue Dog Democrats are likely to be defeated this November. Their conservative voting records have deflated Democratic activists but have done nothing to win Republican support. Far from hastening the dawn of a post-partisan utopia, President Obama’s election has led to near-absolute polarization. If Democrats alter their political strategy accordingly, they’ll be more united and more productive.” Editor’s Note: In our opinion, by ‘blatantly trading pork for votes’ with the Blue Dogs, the Democratic sponsors of climate legislation in both Houses greatly compromised those bills with little political gain. A more bipartisan approach, with a focus fee-and-dividend, rather than cap-and-trade might yield better results.