General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Here's Why Progressives Shouldn't Get Too Excited About Hillary Clinton's Nomination [View all]Beowulf
(761 posts)PBO took office with a mandate. He had won the election decisively. He had a large majority in the House and a filibuster-proof Senate. He didn't need Congress to prosecute the Banks. He didn't need Congress to put together an economic team comprised of the same folks who wrecked the economy. He's a terrific speaker, but he rarely used the bully pulpit. What did he have to show for his first two years? A mediocre and overly complicated ACA, a stimulus package rendered much less effective by including large tax cuts, banks getting bigger and no bankers in chains. As Thomas Frank notes, after you think it through we got in PBO's first two years exactly what PBO wanted. If that's all he could manage with Democrats controlling Congress, why would electing more Democrats make a difference? No one went out on the campaign trail in 2010 stating we need more Democrats so we can do X, Y, and Z. Instead we got the all too familiar, we need more Democrats to keep the Republicans from doing terrible things.
People will come out to vote when there are good reasons to vote, when there are expected benefits to come if they vote.