US Politics ... explain please

[lenandsons]

OK so maybe I am missing something here, but it seems that the Republicans and Democrats would rather continue to disagree than pull together to turn it the US economy around! Look at the whole debt ceiling fiasco which impacted not just US but world wide stockmarkets and now Obama launches his jobs plan and before the ink is dry on the paper the Republicans already seem to be hinting at more grief to come. Are the differences between these two parties so significant that they cannot work together ??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14841746

[Rocksteadyeddie]

It's particularly partisan at the moment, but the two parties are just coming at this issue from diametrically opposed positions. The Democrats what a Keynesian (i.e. spending) solution, the Republicans want austerity. Tricky to reconcile the two.

[MadMullah]

its getting close to election time - its 18 months away and this is the knife that the repubs can see hitting the democrats the hardest.

course they wont mention that this was triggered under the bush regime and obama inherited it but its still on obama's watch.

with the republican party set to choose who will b standing against obama its time to ramp up the attacks to show their party how they're going to attack the presidents policies.

its going to be really close in 18 months. i doubt this job plan he's put out will do anything. alot of people are angry about the bank bailout which in thier eyes failed. obama was always going to be damned if he did and damned if he didnt.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

There's no way these latest job proposals (or anything else meaningful that Obama might propose) will get through congress. Both sides know this so it's just grandstanding really.

[MadMullah]

Exactly

then the democrats can turn around and say - look we tried to help the american public and the republicans like the budget blocked it and ruined somethign that was to help america

[Asterix]

Exactly - the Republicans are st scared that if the 450bn package works, which it might, then Barry is far more electable for a 2nd term.

Nose/Face Spite job going on. But, hey, it's only people's lives...

[anonymous-user]

In the past the, whilst there has been disagreement about policy, there has always been a willingness to work together for the greater good of the country. Unfortunately the Republican party lurched to the right after the last election defeat (rather as the Tory's did in '97) and any sense of co-operation went out of the window. Moderate Republicans are now hamstrung by the demands of the loonies on the right who have hijacked their party.

[MadMullah]

the tea party movement has been extremely detrimental to this

but rather than taking a step back and saying ok for the sake of recovery lets work together they've pushed further away and tried harder in the blame game

[Rocksteadyeddie]

MadMullah said:

the tea party movement has been extremely detrimental to this

but rather than taking a step back and saying ok for the sake of recovery lets work together they've pushed further away and tried harder in the blame game

Very true.

[Halb]

lenandsons said:

OK so maybe I am missing something here, but it seems that the Republicans and Democrats would rather continue to disagree than pull together to turn it the US economy around! Look at the whole debt ceiling fiasco which impacted not just US but world wide stockmarkets and now Obama launches his jobs plan and before the ink is dry on the paper the Republicans already seem to be hinting at more grief to come. Are the differences between these two parties so significant that they cannot work together ??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14841746

If you wish to see the two powers in USA work together, watch anytime a 3rd party/candidate makes any real traction. They are most eager to squash that st as quick as they can. They both know where their bread gets buttered thickest.