Energized Trump Sees Bipartisan Path, at Least for Now

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/politics/trump-pelosi-daca.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0





What a difference some time makes. Four months ago "Crying Chuck" was a "Clown". Now he is The Honorable Senator Schumer. Wow. 

Trump cuts a debt ceiling deal with Pelosi & Schumer. Republicans freak out.

You know, I don't blame Trump. I don't blame him at all. After the election there was some hope that Trump would be a pragmatic businessman rather than an ideologue. Those hopes faded fast as Trump made every hard right turn he was presented with, and made it clear that he was only going to serve his base.

After all, why bother dealing with the defeated? Mitch and Paul assured Trump that they could accomplish all sorts of great things without a single democrat vote. Well, that didn't work out so well. MCConnell and Ryan delivered failure after failure. Democrats stood in unified opposition. Emboldened super cons - who are supposed to be on his team - threatened to blow up any deal unless they got 100% of what they wanted, 100% of the time.  The Congress failed, and failed. So, after nine months of failure a frustrated President said,  "Maybe Paul and Mitch are the clowns. Hey, I might as well talk to those guys over there".
Good for him.

So, what's next? The President is reportedly thrilled with his "Win", and reveling in the positive press coverage.
With the taste of success in his mouth does he continue reaching out to Democrats? It's hard to say. Long term planning for this Presidency seems to be what to have for lunch.
But, Trump really could have some success here. There are democratic senators from states that Trump won by double digits (Think WV). He has leverage on those people, if he would just reach out and use it.

I think that the odds are that this friendship will be short lived. We are a divided nation. And politicians - including this President - have made their bones by playing up those divisions. Trump has worked very hard to appeal to a rabid base, and this has made him toxic to democrats. There is only so far that Schumer could go before his base will revolt. And there is only so far that Trump could go before his base would freak out. After all, the word "Pelosi" is a fund raising tool for the alt-white..

And then there are the touchstone issues. Trump cannot walk a safe path on immigration, healthcare, environment, etc that has any hope of appeasing both sides. Trump has to keep that 36% happy. He owes his survival to them.

I think that the most that happens here is that Trump has a club to use against Republicans on the Hill. Get it done or I will talk to those guys.
First smart move I've seen him make.


Thoughts?

Last edited by Goose (9/08/2017 6:21 am)