Because the dscc is run by morons that's why! They should spend a cent on IA and go all in on GA, GA-S and TX. What, do they want to have a useless 51-52 seat majority that cant pass any legislation?
To be fair, we would need more like 61 - 63 to pass anything major. First the filibuster-proof majority, and then up to a extra votes to deal with R-state Democrats who are afraid of voting on anything major.
But it's all moot anyway. Biden is an institutionalist and so he's not going to support Senate Democrats changing the filibuster rules. I'd be very surprised if he did push for that, because let's be honest, this is a guy who is still talking about somehow cutting deals with Mitch McConnell and about how he'll consider everyone for his cabinet, including Republicans.
Until the party moves on from people like that, nothing major is going to change. After all, Biden said it himself.
Indeed. We are not in an era where major change is going to be effected by legislation, at least by one Party. The ACA was a fluke. In the future, partisan policy change will happen via executive action that is ratified by friendly courts. Congress increasingly becomes irrelevant. The point of getting 51 seats in the Senate is so you can push through (or block) court nominations. Ditching the filibuster might make things a bit easier, but not much. One party would still need to control the federal trifecta and herd its Senators.
Now, this is a bad development. The centralization of policymaking in the executive pushes the U.S. closer to the dictatorial model of government, Article 48 Weimar style. But it is inevitable, as the only alternative is policy paralysis and the latter is not going to hold.
Damn the founders for being so conservative. The only other alternative is bipartisanship.
The amount of pessimism on the Democratic side is insane. Have you people never heard of reconciliation? The GOP just passed a major tax law with a 52-seat majority.
Medicare For All might be a pipe dream, but Democrats will be well positioned to pass a couple major laws with reconciliation, especially if they can get a 51st seat and not have to rely on Manchin.
