Why is 2 worth more than 50?

 By Best in Moderation


For the last few months, we've heard a lot about the failure of the Democrats to secure enough votes for an infrastructure bill, a voting rights bill, a jobs bill and a social securities bill. All talk is centered around two Democrats, namely Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin. The latter is a conservative Democrat from a deeply red state. The former's political stances are erratic and she hails from an increasingly liberal state. Much has been made over their possible motivations, what they need to be moved, and how to get them to support elements such as child healthcare, childcare credits, easier access to college education, voting assurances, general infrastructure spending and climate change prevention.

And yet in all that time, I am missing one very important element to the debate. Well, 50 elements, really. That is, the 50 Republican senators who despite opposing everything that has been presented have not been asked why they do so, what it would take to support it, what ideas they have, etc. Mostly they have been ignored, either cast as brave defenders against a radical agenda or as obstructive cult members who refuse to do their jobs. Nowhere do I see analysis of their stances, their reasonings, their justifications on any of the topics.

I think this is where we are going wrong. Expecting all 50 Democrats to agree with one another despite different backgrounds, contexts and personal beliefs is strange enough, but expecting that all 50 Republicans will oppose and not simply asking them each why is where we are losing the message war. Every one of them should be examined just as Manchin and Sinema are about why they oppose paid parental leave, why they oppose paying for our schools and bridges and roads and power grid and renewable tech and disaster relief and all the things that we have a government for. 

19 out of 50 Republicans voted for the Infrastructure bill. That's 31 people who need to tell me why they refuse to use the money they took from me in taxes to keep this country running. 

13 out of 213 Republicans in the House just voted for the Infrastructure bill. That's 200 people who need to tell me why they supported an identical bill a year ago, but oppose it now under President Biden. 

I'm sick of hearing from 2 Democrats. I want to hear from 231 Republicans. Tell me why you oppose it, what you have planned instead, and why I should keep paying your salary to do nothing. At least Manchin and Sinema are negotiating. Leave them be for a bit and ask why we suddenly care more about 2 than 50, or 2 than 231. 

Let's make 50 worth more than 2 again. 

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