A very strange belief by many people in the world of dem-leaning politics is that there are pesky complicated issues which get in the way of us winning elections and if only you can take them off the table somehow then we can just stop fighting and enjoy ruling.
The obvious issue is abortion because it somehow involves "conscience" and "morality" unlike all those other issues. For years (some) Democrats tried to forge some Grand Compromise on the issue. Something like we'll just make it legal for 8 weeks and you guys stop talking about it, deal? That deal was never going to be made, but more importantly that deal can never be kept. There are not two static "sides" and the people who actually count, the voters, don't necessarily support your shitty deals. The Washington Post editorial board might, but who cares?
The other one was the Social Security Grand Bargain. Even when I was in grad school in the 90s, the "we must cut benefits before they cut benefits" mantra by supposedly left leaning people was out there. The idea being that - I think! I never quite understood - if we cut the benefits then they will no longer try to cut the benefits, because we will own "benefit cutting" and be national heroes.
Republicans are smarter about this stuff - con Democrats into doing their dirty work and then turn around the next day and start the battle again.
We'll know better next time.
