Friday open thread: Ending the week on a high note

As I took a break yesterday from taking a break, this twitter thread came to my attention:

Now, many blue checks have been braying that election reform is dead and dusted, and that Democrats are to blame, and that a thousand-year Reich will be ushered in with the Trump family as perpetual, hereditary dictators. The future will be a boot on a human face, forever. 

Maybe not quite.

Look. We didn't elect Joe Biden to be a liberal Donald Trump, a liberal authoritarian. And you have to remember: Trump didn't actually accomplish much. The only major piece of legislation to pass during his four years of squatting was the tax cut bill. In his six months, Pres. Biden has undone much of Trump's damage, passed the largest stimulus bill ever, drastically cut the poverty rate, recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and had time to go and get ice cream. And he did this by negotiating. He did this by cajoling. He did this by treating the people he dealt with as human beings deserving of respect. And it seems as if he's about to do it again with voting rights.

Do I wish people came to the realization of the fierce urgency of now quicker? Of course. But in political terms, to have someone like Joe Manchin go from where he was just two months ago to where these tweets indicate he is now is nothing short of warp speed. And it wasn't done by browbeating him, or threatening him. It was done by the art of persuasion. That's what's called "democracy". 

People who've never gotten a damned thing done but are great on social media and television will still be unhappy when these bills are passed. "Compromise!" they'll yell. Well, yes. But this isn't even a matter of half a loaf being better than no loaf. This will be a case of a good solid multigrain wheat loaf not being as good as a flax seed loaf with 30% of your daily fiber intake. It gets ridiculous after a point. 

We elected all these people to do a job. They're doing that job. Let's give them the space to get the job done. 

And it's Friday. Think of something besides politics. Start that new book. Listen to a piece of music you've been meaning to get to. Take a long walk in the coolth of the evening. 

This is your open thread.