Let’s return to the question I asked a few posts ago: given the weakness of progressive candidates, a Senate majority only by virtue a tie-breaking Vice President, and a very narrow House majority why has the Biden Administration lurched so much towards a progressive agenda? I think the answer is that they need the progressive wing of the Democratic Party if they’re to accomplish anything, they figure they can blame the Republicans for obstructionism, so they can escape blame for failure to get their agenda passed but not for being too timid. Time will tell if it’s a shrewd calculation.
I think they’re wrong about the sentiments of the American people and it’s a mistake. Blacks and Hispanics in particular are more focused on pocketbook issues and violence and crime in their neighborhoods than the ideological purity being demanded by a rather small percentage of the electorate.
Think there is also an attempt to keep the media in line, so they don’t ask embarrassing questions.
Misreading the people isn’t a problem because the people the D’s care about are generally in the upper 10 per cent while the rest are expected to fall in line once all efforts at voter suppression (or other thought substitute) ends. Pocketbook issues seem trivial when there’s buzzword buzzword, R racist, sexist, transphobic obstructionism, buzzword buzzword, cash for the upper 10% rolls in.
Political skills, while Schumer’s main talent is finding a stray camera, Pelosi’s skills seem intact for intra party matters, but by keeping her cards so close to here chest, I doubt she knows that they are anymore.