House Democrats' strategy was nothing short of genius - Opinion

[applegrove]

House Democrats' strategy was nothing short of genius

Opinion by Elliot Williams

Updated 0831 GMT (1631 HKT) November 22, 2019

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/21/opinions/house-democrats-winning-strategy-williams/index.html

"SNIP.....

Perhaps the most consequential decision made on the hearing format was to start each day's proceedings off with up to 45 minutes per side of questioning by congressional staff -- as opposed to alternating 5-minute rounds between Democratic and Republican questioners.

......

Most importantly, after opening statements, 45-minute rounds, and the usual congressional bickering, it was not until some three and a half hours into the hearing that the Republicans' top (or at least most combative) questioner, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, got to ask his first question. Many of the day's news articles had already been written by that point.

A deliberately-ordered parade of witnesses carefully set the narrative. For instance, it was a clever move to not call ousted Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch first, despite the fact that her May 2019 termination was, chronologically, the first key event in the narrative. Likewise, the decision not to call US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland first was savvy; while he provided the most explosive testimony of the proceedings in which he named the names Rudy Giuliani, Mike Pompeo, Mick Mulvaney, and Mike Pence, it would have fallen flat without days of prior testimony that teased its central point: that senior administration officials were well aware of the scheme.

Instead, the far less exciting acting US Ambassador William Taylor, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent testified first, establishing the skeleton of a narrative behind the central allegation (President Donald Trump conditioned foreign aid on the commencement of investigations into a political rival). Every other witness thereafter corroborated the facts as presented.

.....SNIP"

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Armchair quarterbacks can chillax

The pros have got this.

[Maraya1969]

2. Remember Gym Jordan trying to say that the Dems "Best witness" was their "First witness?"

I remember thinking that was a bullshit statement at the time. Turns it really was.

[Cha]

3. It's awesome to see the Dems getting

recognition for their brilliance!

Mahalo, apple!

[applegrove]

5. De rien Cha!

[tavernier]

4. Far less exciting Ambassador Taylor?

I thought he was riveting, and his little bombshell was pretty exciting!

[applegrove]

6. I thought he was a good start. Very straight. The kind of person who would

make a fine president if he was political which he is not.

[rockfordfile]

7. I agree

[czarjak]

8. Shifty? Indeed.

[George II]

9. Thanks! Back a couple of months ago when Pelosi was being bashed for "doing nothing"...

....and "waiting too long", I insisted that she was a lot more politically savvy than her critics and she knew what she was doing.

That now appears to be bearing fruit, let's hope it ripens by early next year.

[Ligyron]

10. Great job so far, no doubt about that.

I just hope they'd tack more articles on things like violation of the emoluments clause and obstruction at a minimum because I fear the GOP'ers will somehow convince many Americans that why, that's no big deal asking foreign entities for help against the other parties in our elective process, smart folks like ya'll know it's the way politics is done, blah, blah. Then they'll pull out that tape of President Obama explaining to Putin how he can be more flexible after the election and convince them it's the exact same thing.