The Biden approach to governing so far, such as nominating relative unknown, yet highly experienced, Antony Blinken rather than former National Security Advisor and controversial candidate, at least among conservatives, Susan Rice for Secretary Of State, which disconcerted progressives:
“I’ve known him a long time, and I don’t think guns blazing is ever going to be his style,” said Biden friend and donor John Morgan. “He is an institutionalist. He’s friendly with both sides. And I think the reason he was chosen to be vice president was because of his relationships.”
As he has awaited formal recognition of his victory by the electoral college next month, Biden has showcased bipartisan meetings. Speaking to a group that included Republican governors, he vowed to marshal a bipartisan assault on the coronavirus. During a meeting with mayors, he declared that there are not “blue cities” or “red cities.” A panel of medical experts he named to advise him on the pandemic includes two former Trump administration officials.
Biden’s attempts at unity offer a direct contrast to the way in which Trump whooshed into the presidency four years ago, condemning the Washington establishment, making early Cabinet decisions that were highly controversial and working frenetically to undo the actions of his Democratic predecessor. [WaPo]
The first two paragraphs, above, actually play against the third. Keep in mind that, for many conservatives, and as Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) noted back in the 1960s, compromise is considered a dirty word:
Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.
Biden is offering supremely qualified candidates who lack objectionable characteristics. Is it compromise? Not precisely – but Biden is placing Republican Senators who are up for reelection in 2022, and even 2024, in a bind. Do they vote to confirm, possibly enraging the arrogant portion of the Republican base who are convinced that any Democrat is evil? Or do they vote against qualified candidates for no good reason, risking alienation of independent voters who, in most cases, are the pivot point on which their reelection chances rest?
Recall that Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) has been “Dr. No” for many years, thus setting the tone for the current crop of Republican Senators. Those who break the mold will have to be careful communicating to constituents, and that could result in a message that begins disrupting the Republican Party nation-wide.
It might even drive out the conservative clerics who have howled against Biden as if he were a hell-hound, and not a centrist who has called for unity and not divergence. These clerics benefit from the latter, not the former, regardless of whether they are Protestant or Catholic.
This is all very subtle, of course, employing mere shadows of carrot and stick. It’ll be interesting to see how such loud mouthed dead-enders as Cotton, Cruz, and Rubio respond, as well as the back-benchers such as Risch, Kennedy, and quite a number of others.
