How powerful will the Democratic party really be come January?
The Senate now has 54 Democrats and 2 Independents who caucus with them (source)
The House is 254/173 in favor of the Democrats (+18). (source)
The President elect is a Democrat.
How much power will that party now hold? How quickly can bills be passed? What kind of bills will pass that may not have in the past?
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10 Answers
too powerful. Regardless of which party you support, checks/balances are a good thing.
Hopefully very powerful. I think the US has sent a very strong message. Maybe it’s time to find out what a party majority can actually accomplish, without all the politiking. (I’m not sure that’s a word.)
I can’t wait to find out!
What I may never understand is why, even when it was perfectly obvious that Republicans were running this country into the ground, people still voted for them.
Well, the ground got run into, and the pendulum swings the other way. Probably too far. But a lot of work is needed, and there’s no more time for wrangling and negotiating. We need action, and we need it now. Perhaps the electorate realized this, and realized the only way to get quick movement was to make Democrats the majority in both houses of the legislature as well as in the executive branch.
@jholler: that’s what the judicial branch is for! i’ll bet that we won’t hear cries of “activist judges!!!!!!” now that the democrats are the ones under scrutiny.
I think this is great. A hostile legislature or hostile president does nothing but prevent important legislation from being passed. George Bush has attempted to veto 16 legislative attempts, which have put us way behind in stem cell research and in funding insurance for children.
Having a president and legislature that fundamentally disagree can really accomplish very little, except for inciting lots of resentment from both sides.
A priceless mandate! :D
8 years o’ hell…we deserve some swing to the far left with a Prez that’s fair minded at the helm!
I would like to see a functional cooperative government that solves these problems for everyone.
I am so sick of the politics as usual B.S.
Get in there. cooperate and show the world how great a country we can be.
I believe Carter and Clinton both had majority in both the House and Senate for at least 2 years and little got accomplished due to factions infighting within the Demo party.
@ Kelly – it looks like there may be a new rise of younger Republicans who want to work on a “yes to some and no to others” idea vs. a “no because your not McCain” plan that some have adapted . what is your opinion of that?
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