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By recognizing that electoral success doesn't actually translate into direct implementation of the voters' preferred agenda, as both the Trump and Obama adminis

By recognizing that electoral success doesn't actually translate into direct implementation of the voters' preferred agenda, as both the Trump and Obama administrations starkly demonstrate.

shadowgovt 6y ago
Ah, okay. And thank God it doesn't, as both the Trump and Obama administrations starkly demonstrate.
- AndrewBissell 6y ago
  Yeah god forbid we get something like accountability for the financial sector after 2008, an actual end to our ruinous wars in the Middle East, any sort of investment in real infrastructure or re-industrialization in the U.S., or an actual draining of the swamp of corruption in DC. Thank heavens the power elite knows what's best for the voters better than they do.
  - shadowgovt 6y ago
    And by the same coin, thank God we didn't get a giant wall along the border, didn't kick out people from the United States who have lived here their entire rememberable lives, and didn't abolish social security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The problem with expecting representative government to do "What the people want" is the people want a lot of things. Many of them incompatible. Some of them terrible ideas.
    - AndrewBissell 6y ago
      Are you seriously under the impression that the impetus to cut entitlements is coming from the broad base of voters and not the ruling class? Trump campaigned on not cutting Social Security and Medicare.
      - shadowgovt 6y ago
        And then he tried, and the only thing that stopped him was Congress. I do not know what to make of that, other than to suggest the "elite vs commoner" division may not be politically clear.
        krapp 6y ago
        >I do not know what to make of that, other than to suggest the "elite vs commoner" division may not be politically clear. The mistake is believing "elites" comprise an organized group with a single motivating purpose and unified agenda exercising arbitrary power over the facade of government. The problem with using terms like "elites" and "ruling class" when referring to American politics is that while they're a great basis for conspiracy theories and class warfare, the simple dimensionality of "left vs. right, elite vs. commoner" don't describe the actual complex dynamics of political reality, or the fact that checks and balances do sometimes work.

By recognizing that electoral success doesn't actually translate into direct implementation of the voters' preferred agenda, as both the Trump and Obama administrations starkly demonstrate.

shadowgovt 6y ago

Ah, okay. And thank God it doesn't, as both the Trump and Obama administrations starkly demonstrate.

AndrewBissell 6y ago
Yeah god forbid we get something like accountability for the financial sector after 2008, an actual end to our ruinous wars in the Middle East, any sort of investment in real infrastructure or re-industrialization in the U.S., or an actual draining of the swamp of corruption in DC. Thank heavens the power elite knows what's best for the voters better than they do.
- shadowgovt 6y ago
  And by the same coin, thank God we didn't get a giant wall along the border, didn't kick out people from the United States who have lived here their entire rememberable lives, and didn't abolish social security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The problem with expecting representative government to do "What the people want" is the people want a lot of things. Many of them incompatible. Some of them terrible ideas.
  - AndrewBissell 6y ago
    Are you seriously under the impression that the impetus to cut entitlements is coming from the broad base of voters and not the ruling class? Trump campaigned on not cutting Social Security and Medicare.
    - shadowgovt 6y ago
      And then he tried, and the only thing that stopped him was Congress. I do not know what to make of that, other than to suggest the "elite vs commoner" division may not be politically clear.
      - krapp 6y ago
        >I do not know what to make of that, other than to suggest the "elite vs commoner" division may not be politically clear. The mistake is believing "elites" comprise an organized group with a single motivating purpose and unified agenda exercising arbitrary power over the facade of government. The problem with using terms like "elites" and "ruling class" when referring to American politics is that while they're a great basis for conspiracy theories and class warfare, the simple dimensionality of "left vs. right, elite vs. commoner" don't describe the actual complex dynamics of political reality, or the fact that checks and balances do sometimes work.