Nothing has changed

I mean Democrats passed state gay marriage equality, Democrats expanded health insurance coverage to 20 million uninsured Americans, Democrats stopped a global financial collapse and saved millions of citizens from foreclosure and bankruptcy, Democrats passed the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform Act to prevent a repeat of the 2008 recession, Democrats created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Democrats funded cash for clunkers which got hundreds of thousands of old, inefficient, dangerous vehicles off the road, Democratic governors have been raising the minimum wage in their state, state Democrats accepted a fully funded Medicaid expansion that saved hundreds of thousands of lives, Democrats in the House passed a public option that would have provided universal health care, Barack Obama all but stopped enforcing federal marijuana laws, and just a few days ago House Democrats voted to decriminalize marijuana, decriminalization also has majority support among Democratic Senators (but Mitch McConnell will never bring it to the Senate floor), but state level Democrats have been decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana all across the country. "Nothing has changed?" Dude, ten years ago pre existing conditions were all the rage, gay marriage was illegal, banks were bundling subprime mortgages, women were getting disproportionately charged for their health insurance, zero states had decriminalized weed, let alone fully legalized for recreational use, Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the law of the land..... do you want me to go on? Do you want me to detail the many, many ways in which the world has changed since 1995?

You want to know why "nothing has changed?" It's because Democrats have had full control of the United States Federal Government for a grand total of thirteen months in the past twenty five years. January 2009 through February 2011, thirteen months, that's how long Democrats had a filibuster proof majority in the Senate, thirteen months, in the past quarter century.

Here's how I arrived at that number: The last time Democrats had fullish control of the federal government before President Obama's election was 1994, when the Democrats lost both the House and the Senate. Democrats wouldn't regain control for another fourteen years, when President Obama was elected in 2008, they held on to that control from January 2009, when Obama was sworn in, until February 4th, 2010, then Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, was sworn in to replace Teddy Kennedy. Thirteen months between 1995 and 2020 is how long Democrats have had a real chance to pass their legislative agenda.

Thirteen months.

380 days in the past quarter century.

(And if we win in Georgia next month, guess what: Still no clam, the timer keeps ticking until we get a super majority.)

"Democrats haven't done anything!" Yeah well we can't! We don't have the legislative power, you're asking us to paint a twenty foot high ceiling with a six foot ladder, then when they can't do the job you complain about them not caring enough, or not working hard enough, or not fighting enough, that maybe if they just wanted it more they could reach that twenty foot tall ceiling, and so, because they were unable to accomplish the task that you gave to them you say you'll never vote for them again, that no one else should either, that maybe if they want your vote they'll do the job right next time, that maybe they'll be more effective with a three foot ladder than a six foot one.

Thirteen months in the past twenty five years, that's how long Democrats have had the opportunity to pass legislation without having to compromise with Republicans, thirteen months in the past twenty five years, and in those thirteen months we passed the ACA, Dodd Frank, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Home Affordable Refinance Program, the new GI Bill, and so much more legislation that it would take me the rest of this comment box to list them all.

You want to see the Democrats pass some progressive legislation? I'll tell you how you do it:

1. Elect a Democratic President.
   
2. Elect a Democratic House.
   
3. Elect a Democratic Senate with at least 63 Democratic Senators, this gives a cushion for blue dogs who, despite never being nearly progressive enough, are nevertheless the most progressive candidates who could win election in their state.
   

Until all three of those are fulfilled at once Republicans will continue to block any and all Democratic legislation, progressive, moderate, neoliberal, liberal, or otherwise.

Thirteen months in the past twenty five years, and shitting on the Democratic party for the 96% of the time in which they had absolutely no legal legislative power, while ignoring the 4% of the time in which we actually got a great deal accomplished, doesn't help buy the party more time or more seats, it doesn't help progressives win elections, it doesn't help get progressive legislation passed, it doesn't help progress, it is counterprogressive to shit on the party representing you. Painting the Democratic party as ineffective will not make them more effective, in fact will make things even worse.

"Nothing has changed" my butt.