I'm going to set aside my concern that its passage has just ceded any leverage progressive Dems had to pass any version of BBB and say the infrastructure bill, she is good.
And Biden better start spiking the football in all 50 states for the rest of this year and all of 2022.
Biden should address the nation every night about how the infrastructure bill is progressing and the good it is doing.
A new story every night at the exact time that preempts Tucker Carlson.
Why not? But instead of doing the phone book, a single explainer—well-written, well produced, introduced by Biden—of one aspect of the bill, or one story of success.
Make it funny. Let John Oliver narrate.
Make it inspirational. Let Tom Hanks narrate.
What if there aren’t two sides, but many?—all working in a spirit of I Might Be Wrong and I’m Sorry About That and I’ll Do Better Next Time?
What if, as a result of all this, we aren’t just suddenly more sensitive as a society, but much more aware?
What if there are tens of millions of us, acting in a spirit of growth and improvement, a shared understanding that all human beings are intrinsically valuable in and of themselves, considering a truly extraordinary array of lived experiences?
To define in 3 rules what I mean when I say "license":
1. An idea has “license” if it is so commonly accepted that expressing it, or any other ideas or activities premised in it, carries no expectation of reputational damage or social penalty—consequences we could call reproach.
So, here’s a rather important question: who bestows license?
Here’s a rather important answer: The people who hold some measure of control over another person’s reputations, relationships, and careers.
The number of people who think that The Singular Genius Of Elon Musk™️ means humanity is ready to make Mars habitable when we can't even agree to the much MUCH cheaper and easier task of keeping our habitable planet habitable is ... not encouraging.
"Billionaires will terraform Mars for us using technology they will invent with their billionaire brains."
"Let's avoid climate catastrophe instead."
"Fine to say that but how to PAY?"
"By taxing billionaires."
"Oh that's unrealistic."
Biden's pitch to America was that Republicans would come around and stop being an existential threat to democracy and world peace when Trump was gone.
They didn't.
He must come up with a new plan for dealing with the existential threat that Republicans represent and enact it.
1) Yes, vote. Of course vote.
2) But this is a nonsense answer. We did vote. This is the time between. We get to expect things now. And it must be now b/c ...
3) A key component of the existential threat is the fact that the Republicans are PLANNING TO IGNORE ELECTION RESULTS.
People out there who seem to believe that "realism" equates to unquestioning satisfaction with any Democratic action exhibit an almost religious belief that everything they do is a part of a perfect strategy that always returns the best possible result.
Billboards. Road signs. Bumper stickers. The sides of barns. Hire skywriters and publish the things that are going up for a vote every day, and the people who are preventing it from happening.
These Are The Senators Who Refuse To Do Their Jobs
Frame it as what it is, which is refusing to work. Refusing to find solutions to problems. Existing only to prolong suffering. Stealing paychecks and taking bribes.