Its not the first time Biden has touted the return of bipartisanship in Congress, either. Last month, he said he anticipated an epiphany among many of my Republican friends in the future.

While its possible Biden was delivering a message targeted at independent voters, his theory about a sudden wellspring of bipartisanship evokes a nostalgic picture of a far less polarized Congress, one in which lawmakers refrained from partisan acrimony and worked with each other in search of agreement.

These days, however, major legislation often requires large congressional majorities as well as control of the White House. And it requires convincing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring Democratic legislation to the floor for consideration, something he has steadily refused to do.

They are a minority party, and theyre using every procedural trick they can like voter suppression to maintain as much power as they can, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said Tuesday. Theyre using it to play a minority hand to their strength. And I dont think theyre suddenly going to decide, OK, were a minority party now, were just going to be a loyal opposition.

Kaine, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee, said that what could spur the Republicans to reassess their strategy is a drubbing of historic proportions in elections up and down the ballot.

Then they may say weve got to look in the mirror, Kaine added.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), meanwhile, offered a more pithy response when asked if he believed Republicans would come to their senses after Trump leaves the White House.

A thousand flowers will bloom, children will smile and America will be happy again, Durbin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Even Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), another 2020 presidential contender who has made talk of bipartisanship and restoring civility a centerpiece of his campaign, has made the case that enacting big change in Washington will require Democrats to think beyond just the White House.

A lot of people want to say this election is just about getting rid of Donald Trump. Thats the floor, not the ceiling, Booker said last month.

But Sen. Bob Menendez, the senior Democrat from New Jersey, said Biden had a point when it came to Republicans being freed to cross party lines and work with Democrats without the threat of a primary challenge egged on by Trump and his allies.

I think there will be an opportunity to improve it, I dont think that singularly will be the difference, Menendez added.

Biden isnt the first Democrat to bet on a changed Republican Party, though. While campaigning for reelection in 2012, Obama predicted that if he won a second term, the Republican fever may break. He added: My hope, my expectation, is that after the election, now that it turns out that the goal of beating Obama doesnt make much sense because Im not running again, that we can start getting some cooperation again.

But the fever never did break after he won reelection. It only worsened, especially after Republicans won control of both houses of Congress in 2014. And theres little evidence to suggest that it will in the future.

The problem is the Democrats and their unwillingness to work together, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Tuesday when asked if Republicans would be more willing to work with a Biden administration.

Joes got a long way to go between now and then, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) added. Everybody likes Joe, but best I can tell, theyve been keeping him closeted because hes kind of a one-man gaffe machine.