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After yesterday's well-executed inauguration (under very tough circumstances), five gentle reminders to my political friends as we head into the much tougher governing stage.
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1. Boring is good. It's a sign of competence. Many have come to rely on doom-scrolling and constant news hounding, pretending it's to stay up to date. But it was mostly for entertainment. Governing, politics even, isn't meant to entertain you.
2. Don't chase hypocrisy. Now that the White House has flipped, many lawmakers you already disagree with are about to suddenly have the exact opposite stance on things. So will media outlets. Trying to pin them on it will be exhausting. Recognize incentives have shifted.
3. The talk of unity was necessary and good. It won't last. Dems. and GOPs have sincere policy differences. So do Dems and Dems and GOPs and GOPs. That's ok. Reconciling those differences is lawmaking, and a POTUS who leads (with respect) can really impact the tone and outcomes.
4. Taking votes is good. Party leaders *hate* to lose a vote on the floor. But, given inter and intra party differences, it would be helpful for leaders to put votes on the floor (and especially committee) even if they lose, and sometimes especially if they lose.
4.2. Votes show lawmakers where the caucus and chamber stand, and can serve to show that their best idea doesn't have much support. Leaders and members overrate how much the public care about a failed vote. Use king/queen of the hill amendment tools to give options.
5. 2022 and 2024 are already happening. Once we accept this reality, we can begin to understand the incentive and messaging positions of potential candidates and parties. It can be frustrating that most everything is about the next election, but a lot of times it simply is.
