Friday, October 29, 2010

Enthusiasm Gap Explained

Democrats haven't read a history book recently or perhaps "Yes We Can" wasn't sold as "We Will Do What We Can to Pass a Bill?"

Greg Sargent:

In the last year, Dems passed health care reform after a half-century of false starts, and passed the most sweeping overhaul of Wall Street regulations since the Depression. Sure, you can debate endlessly whether either of these initiatives was as comprehensive as they might have been. But even if you think they weren't, these achievements undeniably dwarf those of recent years in terms of sheer scope and ambition.

Yet the number of Democrats who either think this Congress accomplished less or the same as in recent years totals 57 percent.

It's hard to know why this is. Perhaps the Dems' legislative accomplishments were destined to appear less consequential in light of Obama's history-making 2008 victory, and the inflated expectations it produced among Dems. Maybe the failure of the recovery has soured folks so badly that they aren't in the mood to think any nice thoughts about what Dems did accomplish. Or perhaps Dems feel on some gut level that the current Dem leadership has failed to rise to the transformational potential of the moment.

Whichever it is, the Dem lack of awareness of the historic nature of this Congress' accomplishments seems like it might help explain the "enthusiasm gap" as well as anything else we've heard.


Regardless it will be disastrous if people hug their hippie couches in apathy. And no that is not hyperbole, GOP control is set to be a wrecking ball to what minimal recovery we've had. It's the only way they know how to govern.

I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It looks to me like a lot of the democrats wanted a pony and didn't get one. So like a spoiled child they will now bang their heads on the floor until, well until the republicans take control and bang all our heads on the floor. Keep it up Frank. Mike R