Friday, June 24, 2011
This Is Negotiating?
I think SteveM at Balloon Juice is spot on.
Voters, especially swing voters, regularly tell pollsters they want the parties to compromise and negotiate like grown-ups, not act like stubborn children.
The problem is, those same voters also think that if Democrats can’t somehow persuade Republicans to negotiate like grown-ups, then they’re equally at fault. So it’s a wash. And Republicans know it’s a wash. So there’s no downside for them in acting like stubborn children.
I've typed for years that its pointless to negotiate with Republicans, because Republicans simply aren't interested in negotiation and compromise. Its their way or the highway, while Democrats continue to act as if the idea of the Political Grand Bargain still exists.
Voters, especially swing voters, regularly tell pollsters they want the parties to compromise and negotiate like grown-ups, not act like stubborn children.
The problem is, those same voters also think that if Democrats can’t somehow persuade Republicans to negotiate like grown-ups, then they’re equally at fault. So it’s a wash. And Republicans know it’s a wash. So there’s no downside for them in acting like stubborn children.
I've typed for years that its pointless to negotiate with Republicans, because Republicans simply aren't interested in negotiation and compromise. Its their way or the highway, while Democrats continue to act as if the idea of the Political Grand Bargain still exists.
