The New Deal and The Great Society

[BayCityProgressive]

So in the past when we had Democratic majorities we were able to create great progressive platforms and enact them with legislation. The New Deal and The Great Society come to mind. we got civil rights, social security, medicaid, medicare, voting rights act, ect ect ect...with how polarized the country seems to be now..do you think there is any chance of a Democratic majority enacting more strong legislation like this in the near future such as universal healthcare, gay rights, equal pay initiative, card check union laws ect ect? Clinton was president for 8 years but he was forced into a more center-right movement because of the mood of the country. He got the Family Medical Leave Act, Americorps, and his center-left tax policy through...but he also was forced into NAFTA, privatization, and welfare reform.

[JohnnyFianna1]

1. Actually, those laws didn't pass, because of democratic majorities

They passed because of the two reasons any real right/left shift occurs, National Crisis (even if they're self manufactured, like Reagun's recession) , and Overwhelming Mandate, without any of those Presidents can't shift far to the right or left without compromise.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. The New Deal was the only true liberal slate ever enacted.

Nothing before or since has even approached it. It's ironic how it happened. A rich candidate, running as a centrist, on a pro-business platform, once elected, steals the Socialist Party platform and enacts it into law. So powerful that it's taken 60+ years for it to be eroded to it's foundations.

Oh, and it took the backdrop of a Depression in order for it to happen. That's what it'll take for it to happen again. The moneyed interests that run this country have to be in a position of weaknesss for power to be wrested from their control.

Have a nice day! :)