Nearly a century ago when asked if he were a member of an organized political party, Will Rogers responded, no, he was a Democrat and what I’ve been seeing today on the Sunday “talking heads” programs completely supports that view. We’ve seen it before: surrogates fan out to answer the press’s questions about one thing or another and that’s happening today. What I’m seeing today just reminds me of Casey Stengel’s lament about the 1962 Mets: can’t anybody here play this game?
One after another they’ve acknowledged agreement with every single one of the Trump Administration’s talking points while continuing to blame everything on Trump. They should get their stories straight.
One of the points on which the most spectacularly wrong statements have been made is the necessity of the Trump Administration’s going through the Democrats’ House leadership. They absolutely do not have to do that. All they need to do is get 25 House Democrats to vote with them. Unless they are very careful the House Democratic leadership may sideline themselves.
Why should Democrats change their approach? All the things I see, hear, and read say Democrats are winning this fight.
I am not sure what is being won.
Yes, that is what all of the partisan Democratic sources are saying just as the partisan Republican sources are saying that Trump is winning. I think we’re all losing.
“They absolutely do not have to do that. All they need to do is get 25 House Democrats to vote with them.”
In theory, Obama could have done the same. Not very likely to happen as those who cross over risk a challenge in the primary.
Claims of winning, it seems to me, are based upon polls, or just opinion. Not sure those are so helpful here. It looks like we are seeing the same basic polls. Trump has solid support around 40% that goes up and down a bit. Solid unfavorables around 55%, that vary a bit. Those polls haven’t changed anyone’s behaviors. As far as opinions go, useless.
Steve
Exactly. And that’s what he should have done. His efforts in that direction were nominal if that. That is one of the things I meant when I’ve written that I don’t think Obama liked politics or that he wanted everybody to be reasonable and do things his way.
Looking at things that way, maybe we’re electing leaders better at showmanship than salesmanship.