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   Shoq 🌿 (shoq@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jun-2026 03:51:00 JST Shoq 🌿

   I (and many) would argue that it started six years earlier in 1994 when Newt Gingrich decided to blow up The Congress.

   Before 1994, Congress operated on a deeply ingrained culture of compromise and collegiality, but Newt Gingrich permanently altered that landscape with his “Contract with America.” He nationalized local House races into a unified referendum against Democrats and weaponized constant conflict, choosing total confrontation over traditional legislative negotiation.

   To cement this …

   • Steve's Place repeated this.
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     Shoq 🌿 (shoq@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 27-Jun-2026 03:51:00 JST Shoq 🌿

     in reply to

     shift, Gingrich bypassed senior committee chairs to centralize absolute power within the Speaker’s office and shortened the congressional work week to prevent lawmakers from building cross-party relationships in D.C.

     He also masterfully leveraged cable television, using empty late-night House floor sessions to beam fiery, partisan speeches directly to C-SPAN viewers.

     While this revolutionary strategy successfully ended 40 years of Democratic House control, it ultimately dismantled the old …