How do you solve a problem like the filibuster?

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( October 1, 2020 Over at New York magazine, Gabriel Debenedetti has a [long article]( on what President Biden would do about the filibuster if Democrats take the Senate. One of the people Debenedetti spoke to is Sen. Chris Coons, who represents Delaware in a seat once held by Biden himself. He says this: "When we get to January 21, the day after the inauguration, there will be a simple choice Republicans and their leader will need to make. Will they be determined to keep Joe Biden from getting anything done? If that’s the case, we’ll need to make some very hard choices about how we’re going to get anything done." But, he added, "I doubt that’s going to happen." To which Jonathan Chait [responds](: "The actual chance that will happen is roughly in the neighborhood of 100 percent." If Biden wins and the Democrats take the Senate, the question of filibuster reform will take on new urgency. "Virtually everything Democrats have sworn to do," Ezra Klein writes, "honoring John Lewis’s legacy by strengthening the right to vote, preserving the climate for future generations by decarbonizing America, ensuring no gun is sold without a background check, raising the minimum wage, implementing universal pre-K, ending dark money in politics, guaranteeing paid family leave, offering statehood to Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, reinvigorating unions, passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — hinges on this question." Klein's article walks through the many arguments against abolishing the filibuster, and it's a thorough debunking you should read in its entirety. But I found this part particularly striking. When Senators discuss whether to abolish the filibuster, they tend to talk about it in terms of how it affects their individual power, and that of their caucus. But that isn't actually the right way to view it. Senators after all are merely an instrument of a representative democracy. We need to think about the filibuster in terms of the voters who elect them: "How, from a voter’s perspective, is American politics supposed to work? In theory, something like this: Parties propose agendas during elections. Voters choose the agenda — and thus the party — they like most. The newly elected party passes a substantial portion of their agenda into law. Voters judge the results and choose whether to return that party to power in the next election or give the opposition a turn at the wheel. This is, of course, not how American politics works. Even in the absence of the filibuster, the American political system is thick with veto points and clashing institutions. It is also deeply undemocratic, with Republicans currently holding the White House and Senate despite winning fewer votes in the relevant elections. And then, layered atop all that, is the filibuster, which imposes a 60-vote supermajority requirement." Read [the whole thing](. —Ben Dreyfuss [UC Press]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Donald Trump Can’t Denounce White Supremacists Because He Is One]( He showed us again last night. BY TIM MURPHY [Trending] [A real estate firm co-owned by Jared Kushner is looking to profit from the pandemic]( BY DAVID CORN [Want to see just how tiny Trump’s $750 tax payment really is? 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An alternative: The Jooniverse, comedian Joon Chung’s new site, which promises personalized answers to all of life’s mysteries and miseries. “Welcome to The Jooniverse. You’re all just living in it,” his welcome note [says](. “If asking the universe feels too scary, ask me and I’ll respond with some advice.” The Jooniverse’s backstory is [here](, and your questions go [here](. See what good news, expertly bad puns, and healing humor before Election Day he has in store. Chung was recently a [Sesame Street Writers’ Room]( fellow, and he’s developing a project with Sesame Workshop. He’s currently working on a preschool animated show. He was also named a [Young Staten Island Talent to Look For](, and he co-hosted the podcast Just the Gals. Previously he edited news and animated shorts for The Root, Jezebel, and other sites. “Asking the universe for anything is tough,” Chung says, “so ask me!” If you ask him and he delivers, share your results at recharge@motherjones.com and we’ll highlight a few. Let us know if you’d like your name included. A Recharge salute to Chung’s creative ventures. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755