Former Obama adviser David Axelrod does not think so. He asks us to remember the Affordable Care Act.
Here is a taste of his New York Times op-ed:
No historical parallel is perfect, but the near-death and revival of the A.C.A. is a parable that does offer a path forward for this president and his administration.
In early 2010, as Washington was hanging crepe on the White House, Mr. Obama was inside, regrouping. Two months later, the bill passed and became law, thanks to intense behind-the-scenes wrangling and a complex series of legislative maneuvers led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Yes, at the time Democrats enjoyed comparatively comfortable majorities in both chambers of Congress. But the strategy and tactics we used to resuscitate the A.C.A. still offer clues that may help revive not only the Build Back Better Act, but the president’s precarious standing.
Axelrod offers several lessons from the passing of the Affordable Care Act that might help the Biden administration get the Build Back Better Act through the Senate:
- “Talk less about the Build Back Better Act and more about Covid and inflation.”
- “You can’t always get what you want, so get what you can.”
- “Focus on the parts, not the sum”
- “Don’t win a victory and declare defeat”
Read the entire piece here.