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A Real Deal
We’ve come to think of compromise as splitting the baby. Comprehensive immigration reform, for example, is a particularly good example of this sort of bad compromise: Republicans agree to an amnesty now, Democrats pretend they’ll do a better job of enforcing immigration laws in the future, and we pretend to believe them. I agree that’s awful, and we can’t do that sort of thing anymore.
What I propose is more like a trade: we get something we want, they get something they want, both at the same time.
For example:
The repeal and replacement of Obamacare with one of the several free market/no mandate proposals that, nevertheless, ensures that many more people will be insured than were pre-Obamacare.
In exchange for:
A $15 minimum wage — with some exceptions, e.g., people under 23, full-time students, maybe first job at any age, etc. — and/or re-authorization of the Export-Import Bank.
Yes, I hate both the minimum wage and the Ex-Im Bank, but I think they’re less awful (even combined) than Obamacare. That’s the point of compromise. And if we propose things like this instead of just voting over and over to repeal Obamacare with no hope that it will actually happen, it becomes much easier to show that Obama and the Democrats in Congress are the ones keeping us from “getting things done.”
That’s just one example, though. The point is to put the other side on the defensive by proposing trades where both sides get something that’s popular (like repealing Obamacare and raising the minimum wage). That makes it tough for them to say no.
What compromises/trades would you take?
Published in Domestic Policy, Politics
Trade Away List: National Holidays, National Monuments, Minimum Wage, Ex-IM Bank. Symbolic Pronouncements.
Trade For List: Defense Funding, Planned Parenthood defunding, Obamacare elimination. Strong Voter ID requirements. Illegal Immigrants becoming legal Emigrants.
Free Good Will Gifts to the Opposition: Free Assisted Suicide for Elected Officials and their Staffs.
Hey, compromise is a step up from surrender.
Wait until after the election, because then there’s a chance you’ll only have to compromise with a Democrat or two. Or maybe even with squishy Republicans. I’d rather President Rubio (even Bush!) compromising to get John McCain’s vote than compromising to get Obama’s signature.
And you won’t get Obamacare repeal past this president for anything whatsoever anyway, I fear. Not even the moon on a silver platter.
Here’s one, though, where Republicans right now can and should compromise, strategically: ESEA reauthorization. Which is to say: repeal of the worst parts of NCLB and putting an end to federal involvement in Common Core.
I like the idea in theory, but here is how it gets implemented in a republican Congress reality:
New Speaker/McConnell: Mr. President in the spirit of bipartisanship during your closing months in office we are here to propose a compromise.
POTUS: That is refreshing, what do you have in mind.
NS/McConnell: We are offering a clean up/down vote on increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 and re-autorize Ex-Im bank to assist with the TPP you’ve recently negotiated.
POTUS: Outstanding, what is the compromise.
NS/McConnell: Repeal the ACA.
POTUS: What is your timeline.
NS/McConnell: Well we think we can do all of this immediately or at most before you retire.
POTUS: Tell you what I will do. We will raise the minimum wage and get Ex-Im bank up and running ASAP and then we will reduce the ACA Investment Income Tax from 3.8% to 3.5% beginning in 2050.
NS/McConnell: Done!
POTUS Press Conference: Republicans want throw your mama off a cliff to cut taxes for the rich.
NS/McConnell: We had to raise the the minimum wage and re-authorize Ex-Im or the gov’t would shut down and of course we defer to the President on the ACA. We can’t reduce the Investment Income Tax until we have 292 seats in the House, 67 Senators, the White House, 9 republican nominated justices on the supreme court.
Oh, man. You nailed it.
Are you sure? I’d be happy to moon Obama.
Absolutely not on #2. It’s a state issue if EVER there was one.
On #3, maybe.
I will donate the Silver Platter.
Yes, that’s brilliant.
I think I agree (i.e., the chances are very low), but the advantage here is that you put them on the defensive. The proposal is not a straight repeal but a replacement with something that accomplishes many of the same goals, and we’ve offered them something in return “in the spirit of bipartisanship.” That’s harder to spin than “50 attempts to repeal Obamacare.”
As BrentB67 notes, though, expecting effective execution of the plan by the current crowd is . . . uh . . . optimistic.
You forgot 40/50 governorships in the states
Maybe… the disadvantage is that then, if we sweep it all (granted that’s a big “if”) it will be presumed that the proposed compromise should be the starting point. If you once acknowledge that it would be OK to give something up to repeal Obamacare, it will be a little harder to make the case politically, that actually you have the moral and constitutional authority to do away with Obamacare with no compromise whatsoever.
I’m willing to compromise (to an extent, strategically and intelligently) on education, and tax reform (if the Dems were interested), and other things here and there. And once we have a president, I’m willing to take whatever compromise necessary to get the best deal possible. Not sure offering trades on Obamacare at this present moment would get us anywhere politically or practically, though.
The only way compromise is ultimately going to work is when the negotiating parties are equally entrenched. That isn’t the case at opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
That is so good I think I hate you. :)
How about we just crush them, prosecute law breakers in the IRS, fire everyone hired in justice by Obama, call back every general who quit in disgust and have them clean out Obama promotions. Take all the money from the Department of Education and put it all toward fixing immigration. Then as we approach the mid terms find something they really want at the state level.
I wouldn’t take that particular deal now on the grounds that we may be in a much stronger position in the near future. However, I think the basic principle is a good one: successful political change is based on selecting two — maybe three — core desires or principles and being willing to sell-out on other things to get them.
All politicians sell out; that’s their job. The trick is selecting the ones who will sell-out the less-important things in favor of the more-important ones.
In any brokered compromise, the unreasonable party always wins. Which is why we always lose.
Yes sir.
The trading idea has occurred to me, too. A big benefit is everyone would knows who’s responsible for the successes versus the trainwrecks. The bad news is the Democrats would have an even freer hand to addict large constituencies to their trainwrecks.
The beauty of your trade is that we gain something significant and give up literally nothing. A minimum wage, which is completely meaningless in the long term and a re-up of the status quo.
Anyone see the flaw in the part about the Supreme Court?
I forgot “not named Roberts”.
I suggest the leaders in the Republican party read Brent’s comment. This is how a large fraction of the Republican voter base feels about their leadership in Congress.
I’ve long suspected that the Washington Republicans and their staffs have never even heard of Ricochet, American Thinker, Powerlineblog and the rest. If it’s not in the Wash Post or NY Times , it didn’t happen.
Could it also be stated as the Democrats have core principles and the Republican establishment has an occasional principle which they can go either way with.
Why should the other side compromise at all? The immigration policies of both parties will make the Republican Party as relevant as they are in California.
What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, to hear the lamentations of their women.
And a fully-operational Maginot line in France.
40 billion in road money for repeal of davis-bacon.
The Dems haven’t compromised in years, because they know they don’t have to: they know that Obamacare isn’t going anywhere, that increased minimum wage is on the horizon, and they’ll eventually get everything they want.
They have for decades, and have given up less and less each time.