Two Years of Obstruction

Aleksandr Barsukov

But in times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe. 
- King T’Challa, Black Panther (2018)

Obstructionists Control Congress

There's a real possibility of obstructionist behavior from Republicans. We went through eight years of this during the Obama administration. With Republicans now in control of congress, we face two more years of political posturing.

Obstructionism is the practice of deliberately delaying or preventing a process or change, especially in politics.

German Lopez wrote in the New York Times this morning:

Republicans are positioned to trot out an old strategy: When a Democrat has been in the White House over the past few decades, congressional Republicans have embraced calls for reducing government spending, arguing that the debt and deficits were out of control. In the 2010s, Republicans used these threats to block spending bills and make it harder for Barack Obama to carry out his presidential agenda — at times risking government shutdowns and economic calamity.

It is a political play. When Donald Trump was in the White House, Republican lawmakers approved budgets and tax measures that raised the debt and deficits to new highs.

But the approach is nonetheless poised for a comeback once House Republicans can use the threat of shutdowns and economic consequences to restrain President Biden. Trump, who announced his run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination last night, has pushed the party’s lawmakers to use these tactics to get concessions from Democrats.

Obstructionists Are Passive Aggressive

 Passive-aggressive people act passive but express aggression covertly. They're basically obstructionists who try to block whatever it is you want. 

There are strategies for dealing with passive aggressive people. Mindtools.com came up with eight strategies: 

1. Identify the Behavior.
2. Create a Safe Environment.
3. Use Language Carefully.
4. Stay Calm.
5. Identify the Cause.
6. Provide Training.
7. Set Clear Standards and Consequences.
8. Open up Channels of Communication.

Will any of these work on Republicans. Not without leverage. That leverage comes in two forms, accountability and the vote. Accountability is part of what public radio and public media listeners expect from us. The next two years represent an opportunity for us to meet the expectations of our listeners.