President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet and Staff Nominees

[TV and credit cards]

President Elect Joe Biden(d) puts former top Golden Slacks executive in charge transition for financial regulation.
Oh these moderates. I knew it. I just knew it. All Biden needed was the list from Burn It Down Bernie on how to straighten out Wall St. But no. Once again these dyed-in-the-wool politicians turn to people within the industry to regulate the industry. WTF is wrong with them? What they really need, what this country really needs is an outsider. Someone with seething hatred, who knows nothing of what they're talking about to...
Wait.
Where am I going with this?

Nah. That's the Trump way to do things! Biden is a uniter. He wants people to unite and come together and tackle problems collectively. Putting Sanders (and Warren) into leadership/regulation positions over industries that they hate would just create another war. Plus they have important positions in the senate. Janet Yellen will do a great job!

I wonder...
If Sleepy Joe can move the Party even further to the right, might we see a new Progressive Party emerge on the left?
And moving forward, if Biden succeeds well enough, might the GOP fade into obscurity while the "two party system" becomes Democrats vs. Progressives?

Perhaps one day those from the center right and those from the center left will band together to form the Pragmatic Party. And good sense will reign supreme.

 

[Harry Bosch]

President Elect Joe Biden(d) puts former top Golden Slacks executive in charge transition for financial regulation.
Oh these moderates. I knew it. I just knew it. All Biden needed was the list from Burn It Down Bernie on how to straighten out Wall St. But no. Once again these dyed-in-the-wool politicians turn to people within the industry to regulate the industry. WTF is wrong with them? What they really need, what this country really needs is an outsider. Someone with seething hatred, who knows nothing of what they're talking about to...
Wait.
Where am I going with this?

Nah. That's the Trump way to do things! Biden is a uniter. He wants people to unite and come together and tackle problems collectively. Putting Sanders (and Warren) into leadership/regulation positions over industries that they hate would just create another war. Plus they have important positions in the senate. Janet Yellen will do a great job!

I wonder...
If Sleepy Joe can move the Party even further to the right, might we see a new Progressive Party emerge on the left?
And moving forward, if Biden succeeds well enough, might the GOP fade into obscurity while the "two party system" becomes Democrats vs. Progressives?

I don't disagree. Actually, I think that the dems have moved left. The dems want to increase access to health care, decrease barriers in business, increase access to college, marriage equality, racial justice, renewable energy and etc. The big thing to me is that we need to unite a little. We've never been so united. In WW2, the US united and made incredible sacrifices to win the war. We need to do the same to win the war on COVID, or COVID will completely wreck our economy.

 

[Elixir]

I wonder...
If Sleepy Joe can move the Party even further to the right, might we see a new Progressive Party emerge on the left?
And moving forward, if Biden succeeds well enough, might the GOP fade into obscurity while the "two party system" becomes Democrats vs. Progressives?

I don't disagree. Actually, I think that the dems have moved left. The dems want to increase access to health care, decrease barriers in business, increase access to college, marriage equality, racial justice, renewable energy and etc. The big thing to me is that we need to unite a little. We've never been so united. In WW2, the US united and made incredible sacrifices to win the war.

Consolidating that unity is exactly why I foresee the Dem Party moving to the right over the next 2 - and if successful, 4 years. If that happens, especially if there is a unified government (an oxymoron IMHO) people will become wary, and a leftist counter-movement could become viable...

We need to do the same to win the war on COVID, or COVID will completely wreck our economy.

I think COVID has already done that. By next summer we will be (rightfully) worrying about the NEXT pandemic. Starting to feel bullish about the '21-'22 markets.
(I have been disastrously wrong about these things, and only remain solvent because I have also been very luckily right on some occasions).

 

[southernhybrid]

Biden can't put Sanders of Warren in his cabinet because the Republicans in the Senate have already said that they won't vote in support of such nominees. I'm sick and tired of all the infighting in the Democratic Party. Those with the more progressive views are in the minority and they need to start acting like adults and come to terms with the fact that in order to make any progress, they will need to compromise. And, since it's likely that the Republicans will be controlling the Senate, or at best, having a Senate that is split 50/50, how do those who are further to the left expect anything to get done since the Republican are already making it known that they plan on playing the obstructionist game again? IF AOC and her gang insist on having their way, they will end up hurting themselves and Biden.

I think that Biden's picks so far are intelligent and experienced. I value that far more than an individual's ideology. I'm not necessarily against much of anything that people like AOC want, I just have enough life experience to understand that my views are not necessarily mainstream. IF the more progressive members of Congress really want change, they need to convince enough people in the country that such changes will benefit everyone, and such changes are affordable. Screaming and tweeting that you disapprove of Biden's choices is childish and potentially destructive, imo. Discuss your objections with those who will be voting on these positions. Suggest some reasonable alternatives, etc.

Biden won the primaries and he went on to win the general. The most progressive members of Congress live in districts that don't reflect most of the country. Do these people not realize that? To me, is sure doesn't seem that way. I don't think any other Democrat could have beat Trump, especially when you consider that it took a fairly large number of Republicans to join with the Democrats to get rid of Trump. For example, it's been estimated that about 100,000 Republicans in Georgia voted for Biden. Without moderate Republicans, Trump would probably have won a second term. It took people from all backgrounds, and ideological viewpoints to expel the person who was most likely the worst president in the history of the US.

 

[lpetrich]

Biden's foreign policy team lays out a national security vision that differs sharply from Trump's

“Diplomacy is back,” and America will be “a country of welcome.”

...
Biden said his nominees will “restore America globally, its global leadership and its moral leadership, and will ensure that our service members, diplomats and intelligence professionals can do their jobs free of politics.”

What We’ve Learned About The Biden Administration From His Staffing Choices So Far | FiveThirtyEight

It’s back to normal — at least as far as Biden’s staffing is concerned

Biden is picking people who have done similar jobs in the past, people who often were in the Obama Admin, people whom Hillary Clinton might have picked. Trump is an exception, picking people without government experience or party connections. But George Bush II made picks much like what Biden's.

Biden is trying not to annoy his party’s left wing

Like picking Ron Klain and Janet Yellen.

Biden is also trying not to annoy Republicans too much

He'll need some Senate Republicans supporting his choices.

Overall, Biden is living up to his diversity commitments

Like lots of women.

That said, there’s less diversity among the positions with the most power and access to Biden

So where’s all this leave us?

Overall, Biden looks like he’s trying to fulfill his unstated-but-obvious goal of making the U.S. government boring again. And his picks so far are indeed boringly normal.

In terms of respecting democratic norms and values, that will likely be a very good thing. But the nature of the issues Biden will face as president might not allow him to have a boring presidency.

Biden is a centrist, establishment figure. He’s long been a presence in Washington. And he’s surrounding himself with similar people, many of whom have long histories with Biden himself. The advantage of such people is that they understand how the government works. The disadvantage is that Biden’s team may not be especially well-equipped to deal with new problems the nation faces, in particular the coronavirus outbreak, the increasingly anti-democratic tendencies of the Republican Party, a country growing more aware of its enduring racial divides and other issues that were not as pressing as in 2009 or 1993.

So Biden is creating a normal team — but the big question is whether normal will work in these very abnormal times.

 

[lpetrich]

Biden appears to pour cold water on Warren and Sanders joining Cabinet - CNNPolitics

Trump's outcasts in the civil and foreign service may get a second chance under Biden - CNNPolitics

It's been a hard four years for many career government servants. Their expertise was set aside for President Donald Trump's flashy political appointees, and their fellow professionals were marginalized, derided as "Deep State' interlopers and even fired.

But President-elect Joe Biden's early picks for top positions are giving hope to career professionals throughout government -- and maybe also to some who left in scorn.

...
Yet there's also a clear preference among Biden's advisers for career professionals either alienated or drummed out during the Trump administration. Some left or got the axe due to a lack of loyalty to Trump -- "patriots," one senior Biden adviser called them.

Shaping up to be a sort of Obama third term.

 

[ZiprHead]

Biden appears to pour cold water on Warren and Sanders joining Cabinet - CNNPolitics

Trump's outcasts in the civil and foreign service may get a second chance under Biden - CNNPolitics

It's been a hard four years for many career government servants. Their expertise was set aside for President Donald Trump's flashy political appointees, and their fellow professionals were marginalized, derided as "Deep State' interlopers and even fired.

But President-elect Joe Biden's early picks for top positions are giving hope to career professionals throughout government -- and maybe also to some who left in scorn.

...
Yet there's also a clear preference among Biden's advisers for career professionals either alienated or drummed out during the Trump administration. Some left or got the axe due to a lack of loyalty to Trump -- "patriots," one senior Biden adviser called them.

Shaping up to be a sort of Obama third term.

Personally, i think we're better off if they stay in the senate. McConnell wouldn't allow them a seat on the cabinet anyway.

 

[lpetrich]

Biden appears to pour cold water on Warren and Sanders joining Cabinet - CNNPolitics

Personally, i think we're better off if they stay in the senate. McConnell wouldn't allow them a seat on the cabinet anyway.

There's also the problem that the governors of their home states are both Republicans. This means that the Democrats risk losing Senate seats if they join the Cabinet. MMC may be clever enough to recognize that, however.

 

[lpetrich]

Biden names Yellen, Tanden to economic team | TheHill

Biden said that he would nominate former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to serve as Treasury secretary and Neera Tanden, president of the liberal Center for American Progress think tank, as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Biden also announced that he would nominate Cecilia Rouse, dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, to chair the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), the president’s internal economic analysis team.

The president-elect will tap campaign adviser and former chief economist Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey, co-founder of the progressive Washington Center for Equitable Growth, as members of the CEA.

Rounding out the choices announced on Monday is Wally Adeyemo, whom Biden will nominate to serve as deputy Treasury secretary.

However,
Cornyn spokesperson: Neera Tanden has 'no chance' of being confirmed as Biden's OMB pick | TheHill

The Left doesn't like her either.

Politics updates: Neera Tanden, Biden's likely OMB pick, riles critics

Tanden's reported selection also sparked angry reactions from the left, such as Brianna Joy Gray, the former press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, who called Tanden "a woman who is openly disdainful of Bernie Sanders and his coalition, but who is friendly with extreme bigots online." Gray was particularly critical of Tanden's views on Social Security

"Everything toxic about the corporate Democratic Party is embodied in Neera Tanden," Gray tweeted.

Many of those opposed to Tanden's appointment, including Brandewie and Gray, cited past tweets from Tanden who has been a prolific presence on the social media platform, posting more than 87,000 tweets – including numerous caustic criticisms or replies to criticisms – since joining Twitter in March 2010. By comparison, President Donald Trump has posted nearly 59,000 tweets since joining Twitter a year before Tanden.

 

[lpetrich]

President-elect Biden's appointees for senior White House communications:

• Jen Psaki - press secretary
• Kate Bedingfield - White House communications director
• Symone Sanders - senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris
• Elizabeth Alexander - communications director for first lady Jill Biden
• Ashley Etienne - communications director for Harris
• Karine Jean-Pierre - principal deputy press secretary
• Pili Tobar - deputy White House communications director.

"I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women. These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better," Biden said in a statement.

 

[Worldtraveller]

Biden can't put Sanders of Warren in his cabinet because the Republicans in the Senate have already said that they won't vote in support of such nominees. I'm sick and tired of all the infighting in the Democratic Party. Those with the more progressive views are in the minority and they need to start acting like adults and come to terms with the fact that in order to make any progress, they will need to compromise. And, since it's likely that the Republicans will be controlling the Senate, or at best, having a Senate that is split 50/50, how do those who are further to the left expect anything to get done since the Republican are already making it known that they plan on playing the obstructionist game again? IF AOC and her gang insist on having their way, they will end up hurting themselves and Biden.

I think that Biden's picks so far are intelligent and experienced. I value that far more than an individual's ideology. I'm not necessarily against much of anything that people like AOC want, I just have enough life experience to understand that my views are not necessarily mainstream. IF the more progressive members of Congress really want change, they need to convince enough people in the country that such changes will benefit everyone, and such changes are affordable. Screaming and tweeting that you disapprove of Biden's choices is childish and potentially destructive, imo. Discuss your objections with those who will be voting on these positions. Suggest some reasonable alternatives, etc.

Biden won the primaries and he went on to win the general. The most progressive members of Congress live in districts that don't reflect most of the country. Do these people not realize that? To me, is sure doesn't seem that way. I don't think any other Democrat could have beat Trump, especially when you consider that it took a fairly large number of Republicans to join with the Democrats to get rid of Trump. For example, it's been estimated that about 100,000 Republicans in Georgia voted for Biden. Without moderate Republicans, Trump would probably have won a second term. It took people from all backgrounds, and ideological viewpoints to expel the person who was most likely the worst president in the history of the US.

Methinks you're pointing the gun in the wrong direction.

 

[lpetrich]

Rouse, Bernstein, Boushey Round Out Biden's Economic Team : Biden Transition Updates : NPR

He appointed Cecelia Rouse to head the Council of Economic Advisers.

Additionally, Biden named two members of the CEA to work under Rouse: Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey.

...
The incoming administration also tapped Wally Adeyemo as deputy treasury secretary. If confirmed, he would be the department's first Black deputy secretary.

"Public service is about offering hope through the dark times and making sure that our economy works not just for the wealthy, but for the hard-working people who make it run," Adeyemo said in a tweet Monday.

Many of Biden's appointees had served in various positions in the Obama Administration.

 

[lpetrich]

Neera Tanden Mean-Tweeted GOP Lawmakers—Until She Needed Their Votes

More than 1,000 tweets have disappeared from Biden OMB nominee Neera Tanden's Twitter feed in the last month - including many that were critical of Republican senators.

President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for budget chief does not pull punches online. So when some of her hits aimed at top players in Congress were removed from the Internet, it was clear something was up.

...
Tanden deleted some, but not all, tweets from her account lambasting prominent lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Susan Collins (R-ME), and praising their Democratic challengers. It’s unclear when exactly Tanden deleted them, but many of the tweets were available at least until the fall, according to the Internet Archive.

“Can people on here please focus their ire on McConnell and the GOP senators who are Up This Cycle who enable him: Cory Gardner, Collins, Ernst, Cornyn, Perdue, Tillis And many more,” Tanden wrote in a since-deleted tweet from June 2019 about the seven Republican senators.

When Collins’ re-election appeared troubled, Tanden vowed to treat her challenger, Sara Gideon, “like a long lost relative” and “work hard to help her beat Susan Collins.”

She deleted the tweet sometime after Nov. 5.

By Monday afternoon, two out of the group she targeted had commented. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told the congressional press pool that he believed “maybe” Tanden was Biden’s “worst nominee so far.”

“I think, in light of her combative and insulting comments about many members of the Senate, mainly on our side of the aisle, that it creates, certainly, a problematic path,” he said. Tanden was a vocal supporter of challenger MJ Hegar in her unsuccessful bid to unseat Cornyn, but has since deleted at least one tweet supportive of the Texas Democrat’s performance in an October debate.

Sen. Collins: “I do not know her, or much about her, but I do know she is a prolific user of Twitter.”

NT also attacked the Left a lot, like Bernie Sanders.

A review of third party archiving services like the Internet Archive and Archive.vn show Tanden’s account began on Nov. 1 with 88,639 tweets, but had 87,588 as of Monday evening.

The deleted tweets also included a barb aimed at McConnell and the Democratic epithet he reportedly resents. “Apparently a lot of people think #MoscowMitch is a threat. Hats off @JoeNBC,” Tanden wrote in a now-deleted post.

 

[lpetrich]

It's not just a tweet, it's also an e-mail.

Biden pick privately trashed him in 2015, said he would make Clinton look better by comparison | Fox News

Neera Tanden is President-elect Joe Biden's pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget, but a leaked email from 2015 indicates that Tanden may not have always believed Biden was the best Democratic presidential candidate for the job

Tanden is CEO of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress and the former policy director for Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign. In an email sent to John Podesta, former chief of staff for Bill Clinton, on Oct. 20, 2015, Tanden clearly stated that she had more confidence in Hillary Clinton than Biden.

“The good thing about a Biden run is that he would make Hillary look so much better,” Tanden said. “What a mess today. Thanks for today and last night.”

Tanden was likely referencing an event honoring former Vice President Walter Mondale in Washington, where Biden critiqued Clinton.

 

[Politesse]

Biden can't put Sanders of Warren in his cabinet because the Republicans in the Senate have already said that they won't vote in support of such nominees. I'm sick and tired of all the infighting in the Democratic Party. Those with the more progressive views are in the minority and they need to start acting like adults and come to terms with the fact that in order to make any progress, they will need to compromise. And, since it's likely that the Republicans will be controlling the Senate, or at best, having a Senate that is split 50/50, how do those who are further to the left expect anything to get done since the Republican are already making it known that they plan on playing the obstructionist game again? IF AOC and her gang insist on having their way, they will end up hurting themselves and Biden.

I think that Biden's picks so far are intelligent and experienced. I value that far more than an individual's ideology. I'm not necessarily against much of anything that people like AOC want, I just have enough life experience to understand that my views are not necessarily mainstream. IF the more progressive members of Congress really want change, they need to convince enough people in the country that such changes will benefit everyone, and such changes are affordable. Screaming and tweeting that you disapprove of Biden's choices is childish and potentially destructive, imo. Discuss your objections with those who will be voting on these positions. Suggest some reasonable alternatives, etc.

Biden won the primaries and he went on to win the general. The most progressive members of Congress live in districts that don't reflect most of the country. Do these people not realize that? To me, is sure doesn't seem that way. I don't think any other Democrat could have beat Trump, especially when you consider that it took a fairly large number of Republicans to join with the Democrats to get rid of Trump. For example, it's been estimated that about 100,000 Republicans in Georgia voted for Biden. Without moderate Republicans, Trump would probably have won a second term. It took people from all backgrounds, and ideological viewpoints to expel the person who was most likely the worst president in the history of the US.

Who's unwilling to compromise? We voted for this guy, didn't we? In overwhelming numbers? We knew what we were buying; a wishy-washy shill who was going to promise us the moon and give us Republican Lite. But you have no right to tell already disenfranchised people to stop advocating for their rights in the name of unity. Unity that is based on silencing is a false unity. You seem to be complaining that people are doing... exactly what you say they should be doing, in fact. No one is screaming. We are pushing. We know and expect that we won't get everything we ask for, but asking for nothing at all guarantees that we will get nothing. Biden will not voluntarily help poor Americans if no one is pressuring him to do so. The fact that you see any kind of criticism of the president as "screaming" even when voiced as calm, clear critique, indicates something very disturbing about how you feel governmental power hould be wielded over others. It's offensive.

If you truly believe that Progressive ideas are wrong, convince people that they are wrong by criticizing those ideas (not the people who hold them). If you believe that they are not in fact wrong, then telling people to shut up and just accept effective Republican rule is morally bankrupt.

 

[blastula]

Tanden is not a good pick, way too much political bad judgment.

 

[southernhybrid]

Biden can't put Sanders of Warren in his cabinet because the Republicans in the Senate have already said that they won't vote in support of such nominees. I'm sick and tired of all the infighting in the Democratic Party. Those with the more progressive views are in the minority and they need to start acting like adults and come to terms with the fact that in order to make any progress, they will need to compromise. And, since it's likely that the Republicans will be controlling the Senate, or at best, having a Senate that is split 50/50, how do those who are further to the left expect anything to get done since the Republican are already making it known that they plan on playing the obstructionist game again? IF AOC and her gang insist on having their way, they will end up hurting themselves and Biden.

I think that Biden's picks so far are intelligent and experienced. I value that far more than an individual's ideology. I'm not necessarily against much of anything that people like AOC want, I just have enough life experience to understand that my views are not necessarily mainstream. IF the more progressive members of Congress really want change, they need to convince enough people in the country that such changes will benefit everyone, and such changes are affordable. Screaming and tweeting that you disapprove of Biden's choices is childish and potentially destructive, imo. Discuss your objections with those who will be voting on these positions. Suggest some reasonable alternatives, etc.

Biden won the primaries and he went on to win the general. The most progressive members of Congress live in districts that don't reflect most of the country. Do these people not realize that? To me, is sure doesn't seem that way. I don't think any other Democrat could have beat Trump, especially when you consider that it took a fairly large number of Republicans to join with the Democrats to get rid of Trump. For example, it's been estimated that about 100,000 Republicans in Georgia voted for Biden. Without moderate Republicans, Trump would probably have won a second term. It took people from all backgrounds, and ideological viewpoints to expel the person who was most likely the worst president in the history of the US.

Who's unwilling to compromise? We voted for this guy, didn't we? In overwhelming numbers? We knew what we were buying; a wishy-washy shill who was going to promise us the moon and give us Republican Lite. But you have no right to tell already disenfranchised people to stop advocating for their rights in the name of unity. Unity that is based on silencing is a false unity. You seem to be complaining that people are doing... exactly what you say they should be doing, in fact. No one is screaming. We are pushing. We know and expect that we won't get everything we ask for, but asking for nothing at all guarantees that we will get nothing. Biden will not voluntarily help poor Americans if no one is pressuring him to do so. The fact that you see any kind of criticism of the president as "screaming" even when voiced as calm, clear critique, indicates something very disturbing about how you feel governmental power hould be wielded over others. It's offensive.

If you truly believe that Progressive ideas are wrong, convince people that they are wrong by criticizing those ideas (not the people who hold them). If you believe that they are not in fact wrong, then telling people to shut up and just accept effective Republican rule is morally bankrupt.

I don't think you read my post carefully. Voting for someone you're not crazy about isn't compromise in my book. It's voting for the better alternative or if you're a negative person, it's voting for the lesser evil. When I say compromise, I'm talking about getting bills passed into law. I didn't say I was against progressive ideas, I said they didn't reflect what most of the people in the country want, or think they want. And, it wasn't only progressives who voted for Biden. Moderates, Republicans who have some sense of decency, left of center, far left of center etc. We all did it together because we realized that Trump was destroying what's left of our fragile democracy. Like it or not, Biden was the only candidate who had a good chance of beating Trump. He has the experience and contacts needed to make some progress.

And, I totally disagree with your description of Biden. The man has made mistakes and he has regrets. He has moved on and will do the best he can to improve things. Unlike Trump, he will listen to others and try to please the majority, not just his base. He does want to help poor people. I have no idea why anyone thinks differently What is needed is a plan to show exactly how changes can be made. But, it's very hard to improve things when you have crazies on the far Right obstructing you and immature people on the far left tweeting that you aren't progressive enough. That isn't how you get things done.

I'm being a bit redundant but I'll say it again. Compromise is the only way that any progress is ever made. Right now, not that much of the country is very progressive, so we need to start from here. If those in power want more progressive policies, then they need to convince others why it's so important. They need to lay out detailed plans. Tweeting and making hyperbolic remarks doesn't accomplish anything, other than making one feel good.

Right now, Biden has one of the biggest challenges that any president has ever had. I've never seen such obstructionism coming from the right. They are already criticizing some of his potential cabinet appointees as being too far left, even when they aren't. How the hell is he supposed to accomplish what people like AOC want, when he is up against the extremists on the right? Seriously! Tell me exactly how. I'm open minded.

 

[Elixir]

Biden can't put Sanders of Warren in his cabinet because the Republicans in the Senate have already said that they won't vote in support of such nominees. I'm sick and tired of all the infighting in the Democratic Party. Those with the more progressive views are in the minority and they need to start acting like adults and come to terms with the fact that in order to make any progress, they will need to compromise. And, since it's likely that the Republicans will be controlling the Senate, or at best, having a Senate that is split 50/50, how do those who are further to the left expect anything to get done since the Republican are already making it known that they plan on playing the obstructionist game again? IF AOC and her gang insist on having their way, they will end up hurting themselves and Biden.

I think that Biden's picks so far are intelligent and experienced. I value that far more than an individual's ideology. I'm not necessarily against much of anything that people like AOC want, I just have enough life experience to understand that my views are not necessarily mainstream. IF the more progressive members of Congress really want change, they need to convince enough people in the country that such changes will benefit everyone, and such changes are affordable. Screaming and tweeting that you disapprove of Biden's choices is childish and potentially destructive, imo. Discuss your objections with those who will be voting on these positions. Suggest some reasonable alternatives, etc.

Biden won the primaries and he went on to win the general. The most progressive members of Congress live in districts that don't reflect most of the country. Do these people not realize that? To me, is sure doesn't seem that way. I don't think any other Democrat could have beat Trump, especially when you consider that it took a fairly large number of Republicans to join with the Democrats to get rid of Trump. For example, it's been estimated that about 100,000 Republicans in Georgia voted for Biden. Without moderate Republicans, Trump would probably have won a second term. It took people from all backgrounds, and ideological viewpoints to expel the person who was most likely the worst president in the history of the US.

Who's unwilling to compromise? We voted for this guy, didn't we? In overwhelming numbers? We knew what we were buying; a wishy-washy shill who was going to promise us the moon and give us Republican Lite. But you have no right to tell already disenfranchised people to stop advocating for their rights in the name of unity. Unity that is based on silencing is a false unity. You seem to be complaining that people are doing... exactly what you say they should be doing, in fact. No one is screaming. We are pushing. We know and expect that we won't get everything we ask for, but asking for nothing at all guarantees that we will get nothing. Biden will not voluntarily help poor Americans if no one is pressuring him to do so. The fact that you see any kind of criticism of the president as "screaming" even when voiced as calm, clear critique, indicates something very disturbing about how you feel governmental power hould be wielded over others. It's offensive.

If you truly believe that Progressive ideas are wrong, convince people that they are wrong by criticizing those ideas (not the people who hold them). If you believe that they are not in fact wrong, then telling people to shut up and just accept effective Republican rule is morally bankrupt.

I don't think you read my post carefully. Voting for someone you're not crazy about isn't compromise in my book. It's voting for the better alternative or if you're a negative person, it's voting for the lesser evil. When I say compromise, I'm talking about getting bills passed into law. I didn't say I was against progressive ideas, I said they didn't reflect what most of the people in the country want, or think they want. And, it wasn't only progressives who voted for Biden. Moderates, Republicans who have some sense of decency, left of center, far left of center etc. We all did it together because we realized that Trump was destroying what's left of our fragile democracy. Like it or not, Biden was the only candidate who had a good chance of beating Trump. He has the experience and contacts needed to make some progress.

And, I totally disagree with your description of Biden. The man has made mistakes and he has regrets. He has moved on and will do the best he can to improve things. Unlike Trump, he will listen to others and try to please the majority, not just his base. He does want to help poor people. I have no idea why anyone thinks differently What is needed is a plan to show exactly how changes can be made. But, it's very hard to improve things when you have crazies on the far Right obstructing you and immature people on the far left tweeting that you aren't progressive enough. That isn't how you get things done.

I'm being a bit redundant but I'll say it again. Compromise is the only way that any progress is ever made. Right now, not that much of the country is very progressive, so we need to start from here. If those in power want more progressive policies, then they need to convince others why it's so important. They need to lay out detailed plans. Tweeting and making hyperbolic remarks doesn't accomplish anything, other than making one feel good.

Right now, Biden has one of the biggest challenges that any president has ever had. I've never seen such obstructionism coming from the right. They are already criticizing some of his potential cabinet appointees as being too far left, even when they aren't. How the hell is he supposed to accomplish what people like AOC want, when he is up against the extremists on the right? Seriously! Tell me exactly how. I'm open minded.

I agree with SH here, but have to admit that I would not always have done so. Most of my life I have seen voting for Democrats as a regrettable way to partially thwart the evil that Republicanism embodies. Now I look at it as the only way to advance a progressive agenda, even though I will likely not live long enough to see it to anything like full fruition. Great change in the political landscape is either effected by increments, or by violence. And when violence is the means, things tend not to end well.

 

[Politesse]

I don't think you read my post carefully. Voting for someone you're not crazy about isn't compromise in my book. It's voting for the better alternative or if you're a negative person, it's voting for the lesser evil. When I say compromise, I'm talking about getting bills passed into law. I didn't say I was against progressive ideas, I said they didn't reflect what most of the people in the country want, or think they want. And, it wasn't only progressives who voted for Biden. Moderates, Republicans who have some sense of decency, left of center, far left of center etc. We all did it together because we realized that Trump was destroying what's left of our fragile democracy. Like it or not, Biden was the only candidate who had a good chance of beating Trump. He has the experience and contacts needed to make some progress.

And, I totally disagree with your description of Biden. The man has made mistakes and he has regrets. He has moved on and will do the best he can to improve things. Unlike Trump, he will listen to others and try to please the majority, not just his base. He does want to help poor people. I have no idea why anyone thinks differently What is needed is a plan to show exactly how changes can be made. But, it's very hard to improve things when you have crazies on the far Right obstructing you and immature people on the far left tweeting that you aren't progressive enough. That isn't how you get things done.

I'm being a bit redundant but I'll say it again. Compromise is the only way that any progress is ever made. Right now, not that much of the country is very progressive, so we need to start from here. If those in power want more progressive policies, then they need to convince others why it's so important. They need to lay out detailed plans. Tweeting and making hyperbolic remarks doesn't accomplish anything, other than making one feel good.

Right now, Biden has one of the biggest challenges that any president has ever had. I've never seen such obstructionism coming from the right. They are already criticizing some of his potential cabinet appointees as being too far left, even when they aren't. How the hell is he supposed to accomplish what people like AOC want, when he is up against the extremists on the right? Seriously! Tell me exactly how. I'm open minded.

I agree with SH here, but have to admit that I would not always have done so. Most of my life I have seen voting for Democrats as a regrettable way to partially thwart the evil that Republicanism embodies. Now I look at it as the only way to advance a progressive agenda, even though I will likely not live long enough to see it to anything like full fruition. Great change in the political landscape is either effected by increments, or by violence. And when violence is the means, things tend not to end well.

I don't think you understand how incremental change happens. It doesn't just occur; the political field must have active, meaningful voices pulling it away from the status quo at all times for incremental changes to accumulate at all.

 

[southernhybrid]

I don't think you read my post carefully. Voting for someone you're not crazy about isn't compromise in my book. It's voting for the better alternative or if you're a negative person, it's voting for the lesser evil. When I say compromise, I'm talking about getting bills passed into law. I didn't say I was against progressive ideas, I said they didn't reflect what most of the people in the country want, or think they want. And, it wasn't only progressives who voted for Biden. Moderates, Republicans who have some sense of decency, left of center, far left of center etc. We all did it together because we realized that Trump was destroying what's left of our fragile democracy. Like it or not, Biden was the only candidate who had a good chance of beating Trump. He has the experience and contacts needed to make some progress.

And, I totally disagree with your description of Biden. The man has made mistakes and he has regrets. He has moved on and will do the best he can to improve things. Unlike Trump, he will listen to others and try to please the majority, not just his base. He does want to help poor people. I have no idea why anyone thinks differently What is needed is a plan to show exactly how changes can be made. But, it's very hard to improve things when you have crazies on the far Right obstructing you and immature people on the far left tweeting that you aren't progressive enough. That isn't how you get things done.

I'm being a bit redundant but I'll say it again. Compromise is the only way that any progress is ever made. Right now, not that much of the country is very progressive, so we need to start from here. If those in power want more progressive policies, then they need to convince others why it's so important. They need to lay out detailed plans. Tweeting and making hyperbolic remarks doesn't accomplish anything, other than making one feel good.

Right now, Biden has one of the biggest challenges that any president has ever had. I've never seen such obstructionism coming from the right. They are already criticizing some of his potential cabinet appointees as being too far left, even when they aren't. How the hell is he supposed to accomplish what people like AOC want, when he is up against the extremists on the right? Seriously! Tell me exactly how. I'm open minded.

I agree with SH here, but have to admit that I would not always have done so. Most of my life I have seen voting for Democrats as a regrettable way to partially thwart the evil that Republicanism embodies. Now I look at it as the only way to advance a progressive agenda, even though I will likely not live long enough to see it to anything like full fruition. Great change in the political landscape is either effected by increments, or by violence. And when violence is the means, things tend not to end well.

I don't think you understand how incremental change happens. It doesn't just occur; the political field must have active, meaningful voices pulling it away from the status quo at all times for incremental changes to accumulate at all.

Yeah. Sure. That worked so well for us who were activist in the 60s and 70s. About the only thing we accomplished was getting the voting age reduced to 18 and ending the draft. In retrospect, I'm not sure either of those things were as positive as we thought. Now that we know that the human brain isn't fully developed until around age 25, is it really a good idea to let 18 year olds vote? I'm not so sure anymore. Ending the draft may not have been such a great idea. When we had the draft, everyone was involved when the country entered a war. This helped shorten wars. When the draft ended, we started having what seems like endless wars. I'm not suggesting we resume the draft, as I've been antiwar my entire life and having my ex drafted when we had a two week old baby was horrific. We have had so many unnecessary wars, especially since we've had an all volunteer army. Humans are prone to war, just like some of our closet ape relatives. So, did our loud voices and activism get us anywhere? I'm not so sure anymore. We are in a much worse position now than we were when I was part of a young, idealistic movement that thought we could change the world. What I learned is that you can't change human nature. At best you can serve the powerless as an individual, and sometimes you can be a positive influence on others through your own actions. But even that can lead to frustration and burnout.

People do need to get more involved in politics, especially on the local level. People should vote, but almost half of the adults in the country don't even bother to do that. I'm very supportive of organizations like the one that Stacey Abrams started. I've given her some small donations because I think everyone should exercise their right to vote. But, I would love it if we didn't have so much disinformation influencing people in very negative ways. We don't need a lot of protests, although I certainly do support that type of activism. We need people to engage in politics, vote and express what they want. Without that, we won't get far. But, how do we get rid of all the misinformation that constantly circulates these days?

Perhaps our viewpoints aren't as different as you might think. Go and read some of Biden's somewhat idealistic plans. They are more progressive than what I've seen from any president in recent history. Now, he and the Democrats must try and convince others that is the direction where we need to head. They must convince those with more conservative views, those who are apathetic or too busy to get involved, etc. But then, with every step forward, there are often two steps backwards. Just take a look at the right wing movements that are developing in many European countries! Why is that? There is no perfect society. There are no easy answers as how to make things better.

I would love for you or anyone here to explain exactly how we are going to change things and head in a different direction. I would love for any progressive in Congress to explain exactly how to accomplish anything. Tweeting and criticizing isn't going to change a thing. I've not seen anything that sounds realistic from those who consider themselves the most progressive.