Joe Biden's "Big Tent" Theory

 

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Apparently nothing is getting done in Congress because Democrats pitch a bigger tent than Republicans.

“The good news about a big tent is a lot of people can get under it,” explains Vice President Joe Biden. ”The bad news is, the bigger the family, the harder [it is] to get agreement.”

That was  the Veep’s excuse for the lack of progress in the Democratic-controlled House and Senate when he appeared Monday on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

“The Republican Party has nothing but hard-core conservatives,” he declared. “There’s no moderates left.”

This was particularly shocking to me, as I had long thought (until my Biden education) that I was a moderate Republican. Maybe he was just referring to members of Congress, in which case his sweeping generalization still lacks sincerity – and validity.

He went on to lay out for viewers the diverse make-up of the Democratic Party. “The Democratic Party has moderates, liberals and conservative Democrats.”

 “And communists,” Stewart chimed in.

A refreshing moment of straight talk came into their discussion when Stewart asked why it has been so difficult for the Democrats, who have a majority in the House and Senate, to pass legislation, sharing this observation with the Vice President –

“It always strikes me that when Republicans are in the majority, it’s ‘Let’s have a straight up-and-down vote,’ and they get it done,” Stewart said. “And then when the Democrats are the majority, they’re like ‘I’m drowning!’”

To which Biden responded, “That’s a good question.”

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