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There's a widespread perception that the Democrats must kill the filibuster to pass things with 50/51 votes. That's false, unless a Republican actually filibusters it. The THREAT of killing the filibuster is just as effective as actually killing it.
Senate Republicans know that if they actually try a filibuster, the Democrats will likely kill the filibuster at that point. So they're unlikely to try it. Which means we get out way and pass our legislation without even having to fire a proverbial shot.
Numerous liberal pundits, including those who should know better, are falsely insisting that we must actually get rid of the filibuster in order to pass anything. But that's not how leverage works.
You'll see this for yourself when the Democrats end up passing everything they want to pass. At that point be sure to remember which pundits falsely insisted none of it would pass because of the filibuster. Those are the pundits you can stop listening to after that.
"But Manchin and Sinema said..." No. Stop gullibly taking every politician at their word. If the republicans try even one filibuster, Manchin and Sinema will announce that they've regrettably given no choice but to kill it.
So why did Manchin and Sinema say they're opposed to killing it? Because if they do kill it, they want the conservative voters in their state to believe that they only did it very regretfully, and not out of gleeful partisanship.
It's the same reason Pelosi spent every day of the first half of 2019 saying she didn't want to impeach Trump, before she finally did it. It was always going to happen at the right time. But she didn't want to be seen as cravenly excited to do it.
Politics is the art of posturing. Whatever you know you're going to end up doing, you try to frame it a certain way before you do it. All politicians, good and bad, do this. If you can't understand this, you shouldn't be a political activist, you're in the way of the process.
Ask yourself if Manchin and Sinema are willing to be seen as the reason Senate Democrats didn't pass anything. OF COURSE they're not. They're not morons. So if they end up having to kill the filibuster, they obviously will. This is the ultimate "duh" kind of stuff.
But they don't HAVE to kill the filibuster. They just have to subtly and privately remind senate republicans from time to time that if there ever is a filibuster, they just might have to change their mind and kill it. Then the republicans won't ever filibuster. Leverage 101.
You'll see. Even as many of you are yelling "Democrats aren't getting anything passed because they didn't have the balls to kill the filibuster," the Democrats will be busy getting everything passed without having to kill the filibuster. Because they're smarter than you are.
I'll never understand why liberal activists are willing to work so hard to get strong savvy Democrats elected, only to then immediately decide these same elected Democrats are spineless idiots. The media only feeds you these false narratives because you eagerly gobble them up.
Liberal activists spend 10% of their time smartly and strategically working with the Democrats to try to win battles.
Liberal activists spend 90% of their time stupidly sabotaging the Democrats' strategic efforts.
Imagine how much we could accomplish if those numbers flipped.
Liberal activists spend 90% of their time stupidly sabotaging the Democrats' strategic efforts.
Imagine how much we could accomplish if those numbers flipped.
