Just Ignore 'Em: A Democratic Strategy for the Post-Bush Era

Republicans are never going to allow genuine bipartisanship to happen during an Obama presidency.

They've portrayed Barack Obama as a radical, a socialist who pals around with terrorists. They've called him anti-American and elitist. They've intimated that he's a dark-skinned foreigner, some sort of dangerous Other who threatens our way of life.

Bipartisanship is not an option for them come January 20.

That may come as a disappointment to the American public, which longs for an end to the partisan bickering in Washington. But it doesn't have to.

There's a third option, one that not only satisfies the need to end the constant back-and-forth and gridlock, but also guarantees Barack Obama's reelection in 2012 and Democratic majorities for years to come.

Democrats should just ignore them.

Ingore Republicans in Congress. Ignore their silly amendments, ignore their calls for hearings, ignore the speeches they give, and ignore them when they complain about being ignored.

Ignore their right-wing echo chamber. Ignore Rush Limbaugh and Matt Drudge and Fox News and their newspapers and blogs. Ignore it when the mainstream media amplifies them.

Ignore the daily talking points and the noise. Ignore the inevitable anti-Obama conspiracy theories. Ignore the horse race as their contenders jockey for position in 2012.

Ignore them all and just... govern.

If things go well on Tuesday, we'll have a Democrat in the White House and big Democratic majorities in both Houses of Congress. Even if we don't reach the magic number in the Senate, we can probably get 60 votes on major issues when we need them.

That means President Obama can set a bold, progressive agenda and Congress can pass it with little or no fuss.

Republicans can complain all they want. They can yell about raising taxes when we cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans. They can cry "socialism" as we guarantee every man, woman, and child in America health care coverage. They can warn that we're wrecking the economy as we build a new green economy with millions of new jobs, energy independence, and an end to global warming. They can try to rouse fears of a more dangerous world as we finally take our security seriously and rebuild America's reputation.

Let them complain. We'll just govern, and govern well. And come election time -- in 2010, 2012, and beyond -- we'll be rewarded at the ballot box. You really think Americans are going to vote against the president and the Congress who finally gave them health care? You think if we fix our economy and create jobs that a few silly slogans from the far right will matter?

Republicans will be left with nothing but the culture wars of the last century, trying to win on abortion and gay marriage when the rest of us have moved on. They'll be pushed further toward the role of a fringe, regional party, with their candidates vulnerable to third-party spoilers like libertarians and theocrats.

Leave the partisan bickering to them. We may not usher in a new era of bipartisanship, but we can give Americans all they've ever really wanted: a government that stands up for them.

Comments

[NotAllHere]

"Even if we don't reach the magic number in the Senate, we can probably get 60 votes on major issues when we need them." Well isn't that bi-partisanship? How do you expect to ignore all Republicans and then still get a couple of them to help you out when you need 60 votes? And isn't very divisive to ignore half the country? Isn't that a lot of democrats' problem with Bush is that he ignored the other side too much? Barack Obama promises to bring people together but he can't do that by ignoring Republicans. This election is more a referendum on Bush than a dramatic shift to left-wing politics, democrats should realize that if they want to stay in power.

[quadgemini]

Except that is ISN'T "half the country"..­..it's only barely a QUARTER of the country, on a good day, with a tailwind. GOP: Gone Outside Permanently.

[rmichael777]

I'm inclined to agree. The one thing that most republicans I know seem to forget is the fact that the further they push their party to the extreme right the more marginalized and ineffective they become. This will be especially true if they are foolish enough to allow someone like Sarah Palin to become the defacto post election 'pin-up girl' / 'face' of the party. Her extreme views and beliefs (and those within the party who have worked to define the republican base/target demographic) are so far out of sync with mainstream America that it's almost impossible to take them seriously.

The problem is that what they lack in substance they try to make up for in volume.

[Indubio]

Anyone following the GOP for the past quarter century understands that they don't compromise; they win and then argue victory was really bipartisan. Part of the problem is that Republicans don't care about good governance. John Dean said it best in his book "Conservatives without Compassion": Most (not all) Republicans view government as a stepping stone to high paying gigs in the private sector and many of those that remain in government view their positions as cash cows to be used for self aggrandizement and improving one's net worth. Is this declaration overly harsh? i merely repeat statements made by a former Republican insider.

Democrats have problems but for the most part they honestly seem to care about good governance, which is why I support them. Bipartisanship? Except in time of dire crisis, or when the public absolutely demanded it, when has the modern GOP compromised? Gingrich and DeLay laid the groundwork with their scorch the Earth politics. These leaders didn't want to just win they sought to destroy the opposition (vestiges of this sad politics is visible in the McCain campaign) and until they were disgraced, they had full support of the party. Does Obama or Democratic Party leadership think the rank and file liberals have forgotten this? We haven't. Pelosi wants to return civil debate to the House and that's a wonderful thought but may I suggest that Democrats do it over political dead Republicans: For now (at least) to Hell with bipartisanship.

[devans00]

My favorite part:

Ignore them [Republicans] all and just... govern.

[lost sheep]

My favorite part of this post: "Ignore FOX"! Yes, why don't all intelligent thinking Democrats stop appearing on FOX (FIXED NEWS) and make that network irrelevant? Oh that would be so sweet. They would disappear into the dustpin of history so quickly, the roadrunner would be envious!

[BillZBubb]

Yours is exactly the correct prescription for success. If the Democrats REALLY believe they know how to govern effectively and successfully, they need to just do it. The Republicans can join in or get out of the way.

That said, the Democrats do need to make sure the public knows up front that success will not come quickly. Eight years of Republican failed ideology has put us in a deep hole. Working our way out will take time and won't be easy.

[tiger313]

My sentiments exactly. I can't wait to start ignoring every republican, as a matter of fact, I've started early, I'm not waiting for the election.

[Rosanneofpgh]

The Amish call that particular treatment shunning. It seems to work for them; maybe it will work in congress. Im sure the rethugs would be furious to be ignored and marginalized to which I say, if you dish it out, you have to take it. Schadenfreude is a wonderful thing.

[jeanrenoir]

Just so long as unilateral Democratic rule DOES give the public plenty of prosperity, and peace ASAP, this plan will work well. But if Obama and the Democrats fail to actually deliver, the Republicans will roar back in 2010, as they did in their landslide humiliation of Clinton in '94. Democrats must NOT overreach. Obama needs to resist the extremists among the "progressives," who will pull him into a political ditch. The public remains very, very moderate. Any politicians who go to extremes will lose.

[quadgemini]

Well, in that case we will have deserved it. How about we not start positing failure just when we have SUCCESS within our grasp.