Erwin Hargrove Quotes
One cannot enforce major reforms with slim majorities.
This has been the conventional wisdom in American politics. However, George W. Bush not only had a small majority in Congress but he had garnered fewer popular votes than his opponents, but won with the electoral college. None the less, he massively cut taxes, mostly for the rich, and changed from the balanced budget to huge deficit spending. He pushed a major drug insurance program through and even tried to privatize Social Security. Obama, the next president had a substantial majority for his party and had a broad mandate, but in his reform issues he had very slim majorities. He went ahead anyway and in his first term he passed stunning and substantial reforms including Health Care Reform and Financial Regulation Reform. These reforms may or may not be able to be enforced in the future. See {625493} for a similar view.
Erwin Hargrove, Political Scientist, Speech, Nashville, February 25, 2008
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
See {619801} for a similar view.
The Liberals had not won enough seats to form a majority government, and in the Parliamentary system, they had to form an alliance with a smaller party and govern with a minority.
Things were difficult then, but no where near as bad as in 2008-2012 period where the minority Republicans had more filibusters than all other Senates since the nation began, and their stated purpose was to be sure that no legislation could pass for which President Barack Obama might get credit.
Referring to President Bush's winning a roll-call vote in the House on lowering the capital gains tax:
