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| Source:Molly Jong-Fast talking to longtime Democratic political strategist James Carville. |
From Molly Jong-Fast
As James Carville said in February:
"Allow the Republicans to crumble beneath their own weight, and make the American people miss us. Only until the Trump administration has spiraled into the low 40s or high 30s in public approval polling percentages should we make like a pack of hyenas and go for the jugular. Until then, I’m calling for a strategic political retreat," he wrote.
"With no clear leader to voice our opposition and no control in any branch of government, it’s time for Democrats to embark on the most daring political maneuver in the history of our party: roll over and play dead," the strategist continued.
"Carville compared his suggestion to a "tactical pause," and argued the Democrats needed to stop regularly playing defense against the Trump administration's actions.
"It’s a vision move — get out of the hour-to-hour, day-to-day combat where one side (ours) is largely playing defense and struggling to defend politically charged positions (like explaining D.E.I. or persuading voters to care about foreign aid), and take time to regroup, look forward and make decisions about where we want to get to over the next two years," Carville said.
He said Americans were likely not waiting around for lawmakers and commentators to make the same old arguments to criticize the president.
"They’re tired of it, and our Democratic voters are tired of watching us moan and groan to cover up our impotency out of power. They want us to be smarter than that," he added."
And I said about that on the same post:
"See, whatever you think of what Leigh McGown is proposing here, it's the wrong approach, even if you like what she's proposing. At least the politics of it, even if you agree with her ideas. What she's talking about is proposing an alternative to what House Republicans are trying to jam through the House right now, but seem to be short on votes.
I'm with James Carville on this...
From The New Democrat
"When you see your arch-enemy is drowning in the ocean. don't throw them a lifeline. Let them drown.
When you see your arch enemy's house is on fire and no one is there to do anything about it, don't even offer to spit on the fire, let alone dump your own water on it, or call 911. Just let the house burn down.
Right now, Republicans control The White House and both chambers of Congress, not just the House and White House. They have everything, including the Senate and Supreme Court. They are in complete charge and completely responsible for the nation's welfare as far as what passes and what doesn't...
Look, what do left-wing Democrats expect Chuck Schumer and company to do:
filibuster every piece of legislation that Republicans try to bring to the floor, just to prevent Republicans from passing anything at all?
Perhaps threaten government shutdowns unless Trump and company gives the Left everything that they want on every issue on every piece of legislation that is brought up?
Silly question. Of course the left-wing of the Democratic Party expects the Democratic Leadership to do that.
Maybe they want Hakeem Jeffries to tell all of his 215 members in the House to walk out every time House Republicans bring a bill up to a floor for vote. No maybe there. That's what the Democrats version of the political escaped mental patients (a phrase that was coined by The New Democrat) expects the Democratic Leadership to do for them...
From The New Democrat
The New Democrat has been very clear about what it thinks of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's decision not to block the House government funding. But left-wing blogger/activist Bill Scher also backs up Leader Schumer as well:
Any shutdown must end eventually. But in the aftermath, Trump and his bureaucratic goon Elon Musk could tell vast numbers of employees that they needn’t return to work, accelerating their plans to hollow out the federal government and embed MAGA loyalists in what remains of the civil service. In fact, WIRED reports, based on anonymous Republican sources, “that Musk has wanted a government shutdown … in part because it would potentially make it easier to eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers, essentially achieving a permanent shutdown.” During shutdowns, employees deemed “nonessential” stay home. Musk, who has said anyone nonessential shouldn’t be in government, could use a shutdown to take advantage of any nonessential classifications.
The resist-everything-everywhere-all-at-once argument theoretically compels Democrats to filibuster so that their fingerprints aren’t on any legislation that abets the Trump-Musk plan. But a shutdown can abet it, too. Moreover, a shutdown would trigger a blame-game dynamic in which Republicans can shift blame from Musk’s rampage to Democrats for the increased dysfunction. No matter what Democrats do, they risk public ire...
From The New Democrat
To paraphrase independent political blogger Chris Cillizza: when you are both in the minority as well as in the opposition in the Federal Government... since your power is so limited and almost doesn't even exist at at a functional level when it comes to literally stopping legislation from passing... you have to pick your battles very wisely.
Yes, Republicans control both The White House and Congress right now. But for how long? They are very unpopular, at least Donald Trump and his policies. If you are left-wing Democrat right now, do you really want to remind American voters who didn't vote for the Democrats in 2024, why they don't like you? I would like to think that's a silly question and that the answer is of course in the negative. But with what the far-left political action group Change.Org is talking about:
"Mr. Schumer's stated approach of waiting for Trump to "screw up" and continue this inexplicable embrace of the slippery slope is wholly inadequate and an astonishing failure of leadership.
With his vote to approve Trump's federal budget continuing resolution, Mr. Schumer has decidedly abdicated his critical responsibilities to the American people in a moment of compounding crises for our nation and the world.
We, the undersigned, completely reject Mr. Schumer's approach of appeasement in response to the deeply irresponsible, dangerous, and cruel attacks by Trump and Elon Musk on the American people.
Until Senate Democrats force Mr. Schumer to step down as Minority Leader, we will not give a dime to any Senate Democrat, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic National Committee, or any other organization or committee that financially supports any Senate Democrat.
Enough is enough. We need new leadership to meet this grave moment, and we need it now."
From Change.Org
So according to Change.Org, the left-wing of the Democratic Party wants to remind American voters why they didn't vote for the Democrats in 2024.
To paraphrase James Carville: the only reason why political parties are in business at all, is to win elections. And that means getting more votes than the opposition. Partisan political action groups (Left & Right) don't have that mission. They're in the business to advance their own political movement and philosophy and basically see the largest political party that's closest to their philosophy and objectives, as as a tool to help them accomplish their political and ideological objectives.
If the goal here is to defeat Donald Trump and his political company (known as MAGA) in 2025-26, you don't do that by sabotaging the largest and really only political organization in the country (the Democratic Party) that can accomplish the goal of defeating Donald Trump and MAGA in 25-26. Which is exactly what Change.Org and their fundraisers and their far-left allies would be doing to the Senate Democrats, if they go through on their threat to with hold funds, if Chuck Schumer doesn't step aside as Senate Minority Leader.
I go back to what I said about this last month in response to James Carville's NTY essay:
"When you see your arch-enemy is drowning in the ocean. don't throw them a lifeline. Let them drown.
When you see your arch enemy's house is on fire and no one is there to do anything about it, don't even offer to spit on the fire, let alone dump your own water on it, or call 911. Just let the house burn down.
Let MAGA burn our national house down. Hopefully they don't destroy the country. But don't help them do that, or try to get in their way, outside of what's going on in the courts and at the state level. Show American voters this is exactly who you voted for and the consequences of that fateful decision. And tell them and show them there's a better way on the campaign trail and why you deserve to be in power again."
Along with all these organic and peaceful protests that are happening mostly outside of Washington and at the grassroots level, and the townhalls. That's how you defeat Donald Trump and MAGA, Instead of reminding voters why they don't like you either and voted against you in 2024, you just keep the focus on why they don't like Donald Trump and MAGA and make the case why they shouldn't be allowed to govern at all when their terms are up and speak out against them in unity.
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