Nate Cohn

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@GallagherCMU @jbouie @hill_charlotte that the filibuster, in current form, leads to worse governance and doesn't fulfill its stated objectives (force compromise, moderation, protect the minority) — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jbouie @hill_charlotte or put differently, it is not at all obvious to me whether the advent of a 'protofascist' gop makes the case for eliminating the filibuster better — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jbouie @hill_charlotte the case for eliminating the filibuster that i've seen over the last month--that it's part of a response to a gop threat to democracy--is a worse and more complicated case for eliminating the filibuster than the typical case of recent years — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jbouie @hill_charlotte i think that the framing of the case for eliminating filibuster that i've seen over the last month--that it's part of a response to a threat to democracy posed by the gop--is a more complicated and worse case than the typical case for the filibuster that i've seen over the years — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jonathanchait @OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte it certainly doesn't seem to be helping good government, but i'm not sure whether it's useless against authoritarianism. i don't think we know what a competent protofascist government might want to do — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jonathanchait @OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte (minority here defined in terms of the population, not the composition of the chamber) — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jonathanchait @OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte yeah, but the complicating thing about filibuster reform, though, is that it does increase the power of minority support, given the structural bias about the senate — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jonathanchait @OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte and even if you weren't totally sure aboutthe House, given uncertain effect of redistricting, i'd sure think you'd agree that both chambers would remain *highly* competitive, even with that law and the GOP in its current form — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jonathanchait @OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte surely you'd still bet on the gop taking the house/senate by the end of the decade if that law was passed and even if the GOP didn't moderate, right? — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jonathanchait @OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte why are they forced back to the middle? four senate seats? — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte yeah, definitely--if your version of the gop gets sufficiently determined and extreme, making filibuster repeal in pursuit of illiberal measures likely or inevitable, then the filibuster is no longer a meaningful bulwark against minority rule — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @natecharlow @hill_charlotte yeah, definitely--if your version of the gop gets sufficiently determined and extreme, making filibuster repeal in pursuit of illiberal measures is likely or inevitable, then the filibuster is no longer a meaningful bulwark against minority rule — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@jbouie @hill_charlotte i don't think it's straightforward to argue that energetic liberal government marginalizes populist conservatism. it's very defensible, but the case the other way is perfectly sound--whether based on thermostatic public opinion theory, recent history, or a 'root cause' type take — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte @OsitaNwanevu yes that's a fine argument for ending the filibuster, imo. but that's not the 'threat to democracy' in question, unless you were convinced that pro-democratic forces would swamp the protofascists with 'funactioning' governance (i can imagine it working either way) — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte @OsitaNwanevu yes that's a fine argument for ending the filibuster, imo. but that's not the 'threat to democracy' in question, unless you were convinced that pro-democratic forces would swamp the protofascists with 'functioning' governance (a 50/50 propoostion) — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@natecharlow @OsitaNwanevu @hill_charlotte yes, if you were convinced that HR1/PR/DC meant the GOP couldn't win full control of government by 2024, then you'd have a fine case. i just don't think that's credible, so you have to grapple with what they would do in power as well — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @hill_charlotte so to me, it comes down to whether you assume the threat to democracy is minority rule (through some combination of restrictive voting laws and structural bias), or the way a protofascist government would use power once they inevitability won it — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @hill_charlotte none of these reforms make conservative areas more competitive; they reduce the risk of minority rule (either due to restrictive voting laws or structural bias) — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @hill_charlotte so to circle back to the beginning: there's a straightforard case for eliminating the filibuster; there's not a straightforward case that it saves democracy, if you actually think the GOP is a serious threat to the continuity of democratic governance — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @hill_charlotte so to circle back to the beginning: there's a straightforard case for eliminating the filibuster; there's not a straightforward case if you think the GOP is a serious threat to the continuity of democratic governance — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@OsitaNwanevu @hill_charlotte it's absolutely true that eliminating the filibuster is to the advantage of democrats if you restrict the range of D/R policy proposals to those suggested to this point. but that's not an assumption you can make going forward if you think the GOP is a becoming a protofacist party — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte *if* you believe the gop is a protofascist party, then i'd posit it's the latter and i don't think there's a credible case that any proposed reform (HR1, PR/DC, etc.) would meaningfully reduce the risk of that possibility — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte well it depends on what you think the ultimate threat to democracy is, i suppose. is it restricting voting access to the slight edge of the GOP? or is it a protofascist party in full control of government? — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte or, alternately, you're assuming you can do more to protect democracy (HR1) than they can do to undermine it--which seems entirely under-explored and worth consideration — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte anyway as i said, i think there is a very straightforward case for eliminating the filibuster! but if you believe the GOP is a protofascist threat to democracy + GOP holds Senate edge, then you're assuming the threat to democracy doesn't involve passing laws through the Senate — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

@hill_charlotte for one, you can also pass anti-democracy laws with a senate majority — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

There's a straightforward case for eliminating the filibuster, but this (which seems all over lefty twitter this month) isn't really one of them?: --GOP threatens democracy --GOP has a structural edge in the Senate --Save democracy by making it easier to pass laws in the Senate — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

RT @farnazfassihi: Rouhani says it will be quid pro quo with Biden: If US signs, so will Iran. If US issues order, so will Iran. If US retu… — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

RT @yopotnawhiz: LL Cool J - Bill Clinton 1993 Inauguration. https://t.co/Cm5KWiHAvE — PolitiTweet.org

Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn

RT @KevinQ: Today we finished a project that started almost exactly five years ago. A complete account of every person, place or thing Pres… — PolitiTweet.org