We have on numerous occasions visited the topic of DC gridlock. Because DC gridlock hasn’t gone anywhere – and isn’t going anywhere.
The reasons for said gridlock – haven’t changed.
The root of all this evil – is gerrymandering:
“(T)o divide or arrange (a territorial unit) into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage.”
DC has been hyper-gerrymandering – for quite a while:
“We have…spent the last five-plus decades – gerrymandering the daylight out of Congressional districts. To the point where maybe 50 of the 435 – are at all competitive in general elections.
“The vast majority of races that now actually matter – are the inter-Party primaries. Where every candidate tries to out-ideologically-pure their inter-Party opponents.
“And after the primary winners skate to easy general election victories, they must retain said purity while in office – else they’ll be dumped in the next primary.
“Lather, rinse repeat for half a century – and you end up with a hyper-partisan House of Representatives.”
It’s those roughly fifty contested seats – that swing back and forth between the Parties like saloon doors. It is those seats – that determine which Party holds the House majority.
And the poor souls elected there – perpetually twist in the political wind.
Those fifty officials – must at least appear to be moderate. Bizarrely, after winning a hotly contested, ideologically-charged primary race.
If any one of them appears to their constituents to be too partisan – the political winds shift, and their saloon doors swing the other way. If too many appear too partisan – they hand the House majority back to the other Party.
But the Parties’ respective Bases – are ever vigilant. And if any Representative deviates even slightly from total partisanship – their Base attacks.
I don’t feel sorry for too many people in DC – but O Brother, these Congressmen are in a tight spot.
Of course, this ideological tilting at windmills makes…you know, governing – nigh impossible.
And no one is more opposed to governing – than the Left. Democrats beware.
I know the Left doesn’t very much like Reality – but here’s a little anyway:
As I type, the United States House of Representatives – is controlled by Democrats. The United States Senate and the White House – are controlled by Republicans.
Now is not the time for ideological puritanism. If we want to…you know, actually govern.
And we have yet again been reminded – the Left is steadfastly opposed to governing.
Behold: The ongoing, rolling nightmare mess that is trying to solve Network Neutrality.
Net Neutrality is rather stupid, totally unnecessary government imposition on the Internet.
But the Left rigidly insists we slam the Internet not only with Net Neutrality – but a huge additional power grab under 1934 landline telephone law known as Title II.
The Left wants both. The Right wants neither. DC is divided – so a solution would be as well.
The obvious compromise to the average human – not afflicted with DC-ism – is Net Neutrality…hold the Title II.
Guess who is trying to compromise – and who isn’t?
Republicans are actually trying to actually solve this decade-plus-and-counting problem – once and for all.
“GOP House Members Offer Trio of Net Neutrality Bills:
“‘Republicans…are offering up at least three versions of legislation that would reimpose network neutrality rules, but without doing so under Title II common carrier regs they argue are a relic of the monopoly (dial-less, black) phone based Title II common carrier rules.’
“The bills would impose the Net Neutrality principles – to which both Republicans and Democrats fairly recently agreed.
“That is, before the Democrats’ Socialist base – demanded the Title II government takeover of all things Internet.”
And to their credit, 47 House Democrats are actually behaving like adults – and like people who can actually count votes.
House Democrats Seek Bipartisan Working Group on Net Neutrality:
“More than 40 House Democrats are seeking to establish a bipartisan working group to address net neutrality, saying the effort to reinstate the Obama-era rules is dead on arrival in the Senate.
“The 47 Democrats backing the effort voted for the Save the Internet Act, which passed the House by a 232-190 vote mostly along party lines last month. But now they’re looking to sit down with Republicans in order to work up ‘bipartisan, bicameral legislation that can be signed into law.’
“‘We recognize that this legislation is unlikely to become law, or pass through the Senate, in its current form,’ they wrote in a letter to top Democrats.”
The Left – and their Media Mates – constantly cajole Republicans to cave in the name of fake bipartisanship.
Confronted with some Democrats looking to engage in some real bipartisanship – the Left and their Media Mates…have lost their collective, tiny, hive mind.
Net Neutrality Advocates Slam ‘Extremely Troubling’ Letter Circulating among Some House Dems
47 House Democrats Sign Criticized Net Neutrality Working Group Letter
47 Democrats Cave on Net Neutrality
Public Interest Coalition Opposes So-Called Net Neutrality ‘Working Group’
The Left and their Media Mates – apparently think gridlock is in the “public interest.”
House Democrats Should Reject Disingenuous Bid to Undermine the Save the Internet Act
“‘This is an extremely misguided effort from these Democrats….’”
Net Neutrality: Activists Slam Tom O’Halleran over Bipartisan Approach
Telecom-Friendly House Democrats Are Pushing a Letter to Undermine Net Neutrality
Zero mention of the fact that being pro-Net Neutrality – means being very friendly with the very many much-huger-than-Telecom Big Tech companies. Massive monsters like Microsoft (Market Cap: $941 billion) and Amazon (Market Cap: $848 billion), Apple (Market Cap: $815 billion) and Google (Market Cap: $722 billion).
Are state-wide Senators safe from the Left’s totalitarianism? Heavens no.
Not exactly an amenable bunch, the Left.
The Left remains determined to stamp out anything anywhere that falls short of total hyper-partisanship.
Until the Left controls everything – they won’t allow any governing at all to occur.
And then it won’t be “governing” – so much as lording over and dominating.
This first appeared in Red State.