"Democrats furious that their politicians aren't "fighting" hard enough remind me of Republicans ca. 2013 who thought it would be great idea to shut down the government to force Pres. Obama to end Obamacare," tweets Brit Hume. "The public hated the shutdown, GOP approval plummeted and the government reopened with Obamacare very much intact."
Democrats furious that their politicians aren't "fighting" hard enough remind me of Republicans ca. 2013 who thought it would be great idea to shut down the government to force Pres. Obama to end Obamacare. The public hated the shutdown, GOP approval plummeted and the government…
— Brit Hume (@brithume) March 23, 2025
There are times when pressuring politicians produces results, and there are times when such pressure does nothing but grind political gears. Democrats hold majorities in neither house of Congress, and a Democrat does not occupy the White House. There are some options of opposition available to a legislative minority. But by and large, parties in the minority cannot do very much in the way of governing power. Being that the case, it can be problematic when pressure comes from the base demanding action. The politicians may want to do something to satisfy the demand, but there is little practically that can be done. It requires diligence and patience on the part of those who are elected and affiliated with a political party in the minority. After all, they do not want to lose funding, and they do not want to lose elections.
Weathering a storm of blowback over an issue, such as a vote about funding the government, is likely to be a trying experience for those who hold elected offices but are powerless to move and shake, to get legislation passed. The telephones might ring off the hook and Twitter feeds might be consumed with angry constituents complaining about why so-and-so did not do more to prevent "x" from happening or being passed. Not a whole lot more can be done, though, by those in office than just patiently listening to it. And perhaps that is one of the beneficial underpinnings of our system of government. Listening to the outcries of the masses on certain issues when not in power could reinforce resolve for action in a more precise and determined manner when in power. Perhaps a time of powerless listening has aided Republicans in times gone by. There is a difference, though, between the expression of concerns by consitutents and repeated badgering to get things done when not much can be done. Attempting to drive politicians to act when they have little power to do so can result in even less power and even less favorable political positioning.
To be clear, this applies mostly to legislative and government funding debates. Certain other issues that may arise in the way of basic morality, fundamental constitutionality, or immediate national security danger should not be subject to debate and should not break among party lines.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member