Listen, I get it. Bipartisanship sounds so nice – like a warm hug between red and blue. Politicians love to toss the word around. Makes them seem mature and reasonable. But here’s the truth: the obsession with bipartisanship is a trap.
It’s a shiny distraction – a way to water down anything bold until it’s just a puddle of nothing. The status quo sits pretty while we all clap for “compromise.” History backs this up, and it’s time we stop buying the hype.
Let’s rewind to the 19th century. Take the Compromise of 1850. Sounds noble, right? A big bipartisan handshake to “solve” slavery tensions. Spoiler: it didn’t. Senators like Henry Clay stitched together a deal that gave both sides a little something: California as a free state, a tougher Fugitive Slave Act for the South, and a “let’s kick the can down the road” vibe on new territories. What happened? The South got bolder, the North got madder, and by 1861, we were at war. Bipartisanship didn’t save us – it just delayed the inevitable while pretending everything was fine.
Fast forward to the 20th century, and the pattern holds. The New Deal? FDR didn’t get that done by holding hands with Republicans. Sure, some bipartisan crumbs got tossed in – like the 1935 Social Security Act passing with decent GOP support – but the meat of it? That was Democrats steamrolling with a supermajority, not compromising until it was mush. When he did play nice? Things stalled. Look at the 1937 court-packing fight. FDR tried to compromise with moderates, and the whole plan fizzled. Status quo: 1, Progress: 0.
Now, let’s talk modern day. Obamacare’s a screaming example. The Affordable Care Act started as a bold-ish idea – universal healthcare vibes, public option on the table. But oh no, we needed bipartisanship. Obama spent months courting Republicans like Olympia Snowe, diluting the bill until the public option was a ghost and the mandates were a mess. What’d we get? Zero GOP votes anyway, and a law that’s been limping along ever since. Regular people got screwed.
And don’t even get me started on climate. The 2009 cap-and-trade bill – Waxman-Markey – tried so hard to be bipartisan it ended up a Frankenstein of concessions. Coal states got handouts, emissions targets got softer, and still, it died in the Senate. Meanwhile, carbon keeps choking the planet, and politicians pat themselves on the back for “trying.”
Here’s the truth: bipartisanship’s usually just a polite way to say “let’s do nothing and call it unity.” History shows it – when the stakes are high, compromise often means kicking the can, not solving the damn problem. The Civil War didn’t end with a group hug. Civil rights didn’t pass because segregationists got half their way. Real change comes when someone picks a lane and fights for it, not when they’re obsessed with making everyone happy.
So next time you hear a politician wax poetic about “reaching across the aisle,” grab your skepticism. They’re probably just stalling, diluting, or dodging. The status quo loves a good bipartisan photo op – it’s the perfect camouflage. Let’s stop falling for it.
Sources:
- Potter, David M. The Impending Crisis: America Before the Civil War, 1848-1861. Harper & Row, 1976.
- Rauchway, Eric. The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2008.
- Hacker, Jacob S. The Road to Nowhere: The Genesis of President Obama’s Health Care Reform. Princeton University Press, 2010.