Bottom 50% of Senate represents 16.35% of the population of the states.
This means that, in theory, about 17% of the country can block 83% of the country even if the Senate were a majority-rules body. Of course, with the evil filibuster, the numbers can be even more anti-democratic. The number of people who fail to grasp this point, including almost every headline writer in the media, is astonishing.
What should be this:
"Obama's Jobs Bill
Blocked by GOP in
Procedural Move"
Becomes this:
Damn librulmedia!
This is something to keep in mind when considering discussions of our "democracy," of "what the people want," or of which party is to blame for the gridlock in Washington. The GOP will, as a matter of course, use their minority position to block everything the Dems want to do, and then blame the Dems for the failure to get things done. When the GOP takes the Senate back, they will wail and moan if the Dems even suggest they will use the very same tactics. And because "theliberalmeida" won't tell you about it, and your schools didn't teach you about it, you'll be none the wiser. And, of course, the inept Dems won't call a spade a spade and rail against the GOP obstructionism in clear, forceful terms. Because that would be, oh, effective. And being largely ineffectual is a friggin' prerequisite for being a Dem.
[Source]
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