Quote:
Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder
You don't think Obama knows how to compromise? That's all he's been doing. Reaching across the aisle over and over again to try and build consensus and the Republicans returned the favor by never voting for one of his initiatives. Laws he watered down begging them to vote with him.
After the election two sentiments stand out:
Obama: Let's reach across the aisle and get things done.
Jay Boehner: There will be NO COMPROMISE.
Boehner's not bluffing either. There's no compromise left in the Republican Party.
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I'm not saying the Repulicans are innocent in everything that's happened and are part of the problem. I can't say Obama begged anyone but people in his own party to vote with him. The Democrats could barely pass what Obama wanted when they controlled the house and the Senate. If you can't get your own party on board with your agenda why are you worrying about the other side of the isle. Any of the big ideas that the Republicans offered in one particular bill the Democrats wanted nothing to do with (ie. selling insurance accross state lines or tort reform). So I don't know how much willingness there was to compromise before or how much compromise there will be now.
Leading up to the election Obama sure didn't sound like he wanted to compromise when he said some of the things he did.
“If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re going to punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us..." Link.
"we can't have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle class families up in front. We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back." Link
And before you mention that this is election talk I know that but still it seems like he's speaking out both sides of his mouth sometimes which is why I said this will be interesting to watch. This will be the responsibility of both parties to get something done, and I can't say I'm overly optomistic that anything will get done in the next two years.