Just like he was never going to win the nomination and then never going to win the presidency. It's time to stop underestimating him.
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Senate Democrats surprising strategy: trying to align with Donald Trump
- Thread starter Good Job Bob
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Just like he was never going to win the nomination and then never going to win the presidency. It's time to stop underestimating him.
Killer Queen
Banned
yanipheonu
Member
... To be fair, leveraging the division within the Republican party that hasn't magically disappeared after Trump's election isn't the worst idea.
But yeah, they'd better have a hardline for some of the more troubling ideas the Trump administration has.
But yeah, they'd better have a hardline for some of the more troubling ideas the Trump administration has.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
He'll do whatever Vladmir asks him to in bed
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Republicans used to hate trade protectionism too.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
Get these people out of office.
They all fucking suck
They all fucking suck
whyamihere
Banned
Exactly. We're not renegotiating NAFTA!
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
A GOOD CAMPAIGN WOULD BE ABLE TO DO BOTH YOU FUCKING NUMBNUTS
These are issues you would support if you are a liberal
BronsonLee
Member
Daaaaaamn UTAH STRIKES AGAIN
Umm, in some ways. But they are very different groups with very different concerns.
Peter Ian Staker
Member
Trump is never running for president,
Trump is never going to win the primaries.
Trump is never going to win the election.
Stop it. If anyone says he trully knows what will happen next he is talking out of his ass.
Abinash117
Member
Read the article that is what they said they do. They aren't going to vote for a wall, tax cuts, repealing Obamacare, and approving a SC.
If anything this might piss of Trump with the Democrats.
whyamihere
Banned
Dana Houle kind of sums up why this also might be the "best" option.
For sure, just no way. He'd have to win a first term first, but we know there is no chance the American people will elect a pseudo-fascist with a complete lack of etiquette, let alone political experience.
LegendofJoe
Member
I've grown to respect Utah over the last several years.
Frozenprince
Banned
The issues right now aren't the point of it.
Trying to "align and work around" like they have been under Obama is exactly what landed us here in the first place.
Trump is a fucking fascist. I don't care if there is the opportunity to promote infighting in the GOP. I don't care if some of his ideas align more with liberal ideals than conservative ones. Trump is a cancer and we need to make a hard stance that we will not work with him at all.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
Democrats are fucked. Well, at least my taxes will be great!
CrispyBoar
Banned
He doesn't even want the job.
LegendofJoe
Member
He doesn't need the Democrats to work with him, we have no leverage. We don't have the power to obstruct him outside of the Senate filibuster. And if we overuse it the GOP could get the votes they need to get rid of it.
It's better to work with him on the parts of his legislative agenda that we agree with (i.e. infrastructure and maternity leave) that the wider GOP is split on. And then obstruct him on the things we don't agree with him on via the filibuster.
Pretty much. If the Dems can take the House in 2018 they'll be in a far better position to make him look bad, but until then they need to divide Trump and the larger GOP and look like they're trying to accomplish their own legislative goals. If they can make the story "Trump is fighting the GOP" the whole time it'll put them in a position to take credit for any half-way decent thing that gets done.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
We're simply lamenting the credulity of congressional Democrats.
They're still acting like this game is on the up and up which means they'll get fucked again and again until they learn that they should never trust Trump and congressional Republicans to be acting in good faith.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
They are dropping TPP though.
DICKS AHOY
Banned
Trump you have an enormous penis now please sign off this global warming bill
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
That's beside the point. Democrats have nothing to gain from obstruction, unlike Republicans who were able to sell the idea that "the government is broken" and that because they are supposedly for small government, blocking everything can be seen as a positive.
That doesn't work for the Dem base that doesn't believe the government is inherently bad. How are the Dems in congress supposed to answer when their constituents ask why they refused to support things they should have? That's a good way to lose even more seats.
Ideally, congressional dems come out looking good here which can help boost their chances in future races. Trump might come out looking decentish, but GOP in congress looks bad for standing against the Dems and their own president.
at the same time grassroot it up to get people to vote during the midterms, because man those midterms look grim for the dems.
I hope I'm wrong, but considering how many seats are up for grabs, gerrymandering, voter suppression, the current political mood. ..I suspect they'll lose seats.
What you're forgetting is Democrats need to make themselves popular too, and unfortunately I don't think being totally obstructionist would work with their constituency like it did for the GOP. Work where you can, obstruct the rest, don't hurt actual people just to stand in the way of the Republicans.
Yes, the GOP was obnoxiously obstructionist while Obama was in power. No, we shouldn't be diametrically opposed to everything they have their fingers in just so you can say you stood in their way. This isn't a football team we're rooting for.
LBJ was NOT a bad president. He just had bad foreign policy.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Schumer's from NYC. He knows the citizens in his town. He also knows this:
https://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/...=&employ=&cand=Charles+Schumer+&submit=Submit
Yea, I left that bit out for a reason. Here's hoping they get their shit together.
That's the Senate you're thinking of when you say what's up for grabs. The full House is up for reelection every two years, that's why midterms are so important. I do suspect the political mood will change in a year or two of buffoonery. You're absolutely right about the gerrymandering and voter supression though. Not that I expect it to go all that well.
So Trump literally hasn't given to Schumer since he became a Republican (and barely gave anything even then), also I hate how people act like politicians are so easily bought when we have proof of the opposite. It's more that everyone in this town knows how easily played Trump is. Dangle the respect of the wealthy Manhattanites in front of him and he'll do whatever. It's literally all he's ever wanted in life and is what drives his every move.
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
So in essence first post couldn't even bother reading the OP?
Should be interesting but if it's things like maternity leave and such, I can't imagine Trump pushing hard for these reforms...
Yep, that $10,000 over ten years (ending six years ago) really effected his decision here.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I feel the same. A stooge with no experience in Washington as the head of state has all sorts of potential to be taken advantage of and played like a fiddle. Hopefully they just don't think they're more clever than they are. Which being members of Congress, eventually they will, and will get played themselves.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Er, that's not actually the point I was trying to convey. Schumer and Trump go way back, so Schumer knows Trump pretty well (maybe just well enough), and probably knows stuff about Trump that we don't, which is the direct answer to what the question was.
Ah. You didn't convey that great
And yes they do go way back, I'm sure Schumer thinks that will count for something.
It very well could.
This is what I was thinking. This also gives Republicans the chance to kill positive bills (pronably on grounds of "too much spending") and replace with their own shittier ones that will be ineffective.
AstroNut325
Member
I'm in favor of this, but I fear it will make Trump look good rather than the congressional democrats that actually pushed for advancements.
Ok, sorry. I've just seen so many people misuse that website in the past two years that just seeing an opensecrets like makes me inexplicably angry. So long as the Dems can keep Schumer out of a deli when planning this stuff they should do ok.
I will note it's not only Schumer who is licking his chops here, Governor Cuomo (who put out a really nice statement about how NY will be a safe haven for anyone Trump tries to persecute while in office) is reportedly trying to do the exact same thing the Congressional Dems are. Everyone and their grandmother is going to be trying to con money out of Trump in the next few years, I wouldn't be surprised if a little cottage industry pops up to help with it.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Ah. You didn't convey that great
And yes they do go way back, I'm sure Schumer thinks that will count for something.
It very well could.
More generally speaking, this goes to the point where, ironically enough, due to their shared upbringing and history, Trump might be the most qualified person among the entire mess of Republican candidates who actually might have a shot at working well with Chuck Schumer. Or I could be completely wrong about that. We'll see.
excelsiorlef
Member
Isn't this basically almost exactly what people were praising Sanders for saying almost the day after the election?
It's interesting to see how different things get looked at when he's not the one saying it.
It's interesting to see how different things get looked at when he's not the one saying it.
Don't pay your taxes this year. Put up or shut up.
Kite
Member
Did you even read the article before spazzing out? Infrastructure spending, child tax credits, paid maternity leave and dismantling trade agreements, this is shit Democrats want.
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
On one hand, I think the country is going to be fucked enough without deliberately sabotaging every beneficial policy for the next four years.
On the other hand, this seems like a pretty transparent gambit. Won't the GOP be able to come up with a way to turn it back on the dems?
On the other hand, this seems like a pretty transparent gambit. Won't the GOP be able to come up with a way to turn it back on the dems?
Abinash117
Member
Very little of which will pass anyway. But they may already know that.
There's nothing Democrats love more than working across the aisle. Eight years of Republican obstructionism and it's the first thing they want to do. I'll say this: this won't drive a wedge between Trump and the GOP. All this will do is validate and normalize him. And seeing that their leaders are working with him will only further help deflate turnout in 2018.
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