A thread on why I remain hopeful about the filibuster:

Although there are fewer Democrats in the Senate today than when Obama entered office, the Dems in the Senate are more ideologically aligned, and support for removing the filibuster is at an all-time high. This matters.

Although the filibuster as a singular issue is divisive, if the Senate finds they can not pass universally popular things ($2000 stimulus checks) removing the filibuster will become more popular and more probable.

In the years of the Tea Party to many Democrats, it seemed like a flash in the pan, but with the years that have followed Democrats are more aware that this hyper-right-divisive wing of the Republican party is not going anywhere, anytime soon.

The attitude from centrists of ‘I don't want to do this, but it's contingent on Republican behavior’ is REAL and we saw shifts showcasing that mentality as recently as last summer.

Trying to pass POPULAR, NECESSARY legislation is going to force the filibuster question to a head.

If the conversation stops being about the singular issue of the filibuster and instead starts being “We need to pass basic legislation for the survival of the people in our country” that whip list diminishes from a dozen to three to four senators. That’s achievable.

If we’ve learned anything in the past few years is that the conversation needs to be about results, not about wonky procedural rules that most of the country does not (and frankly, should not have to) understand.

Y'all can wax poetic all you want about the filibuster being a relic of the Jim Crow era, and the founders, and how modern the filibuster is - and I hear you and agree, but since when has any of that ever changed the narrative of an issue?

The story needs to be simple:

Americans need to survive the pandemic, as long as Republicans continue threatening to stop legislation that helps that, filibuster reform is on the table. It takes a majority vote to reform and allow the Senate majority to do their jobs.

I don't think this will happen right away, but eventually, the Senate will have to either reform the filibuster rules or give up on the Biden Administration's agenda.

It's not about the filibuster, it's always about being able to pass legislation that helps Americans.