Democrats' risky new Trump strategy: Pry him away from his own party, and win back his voters

[DonViejo]

Congressional Democrats aim to force Trump into a choice: Republican policy, or the voters who elected him

MATTHEW SHEFFIELD

Aware of the fact that Donald Trump’s Electoral College victory was made possible by at least a modest number of Democratic-leaning voters crossing party lines, congressional Democrats appear to be pursuing an intriguing strategy: They’re trying to force the president to choose between the people who elected him and the political party he nominally leads.

Trump is the highest-ranking Republican in Washington. But the new president’s lack of interest in the details of policy-making mean that he’s outsourcing a lot of it to the congressional GOP. That’s dangerous for Trump’s public approval ratings, because conservative elites generally favor economic policies that are likely to be unpopular with the blue-collar workers who got him elected.

In his inaugural address, as in his speech at the Republican National Convention last summer, Trump put on a mantle of populism, claiming that “the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”

Throughout his campaign and during his transition period as president-elect, Trump also spoke of his desire to replace the Affordable Care Act with “something terrific” that would include “insurance for everybody.” In an interview with ABC News after he took office, Trump said that “millions of people will be happy” with his replacement for Obamacare.

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http://www.salon.com/2017/01/27/democrats-risky-new-trump-strategy-pry-him-away-from-his-own-party-and-win-back-his-voters/

[vi5]

1. Dumb

They do not want their fingerprints on anything this psychopath is going to do and they don't want to rely on any strategy that involves aligning themselves with Trump and counting on him keeping his word.

Hold his feet to the fire whenever he breaks a promise but they should definitely tread lightly with this strategy.

[Trekologer]

6. I think it is actually really smart

The voters that Trump was able to peel off of the Democratic coalition bought his promises to increase jobs, fix infrastructure, provide great health care, etc. The 2018 midterm comes first. So, the Democrats should come up with plans for just those things.

Jobs? Here are policy changes that will create new well paying jobs.

Improve infrastructure? Here's a plan that goes above and beyond and doesn't rely on selling it all off to private interests.

Healthcare? How about Medicare for all.

The key is to formulate plans that achieve Trump's promises but at the same time would never pass a Republican Congress. That's how to peel him away from his own party-- use his campaign promises as a wedge. Then, in 2018, run on the proposals that Ryan and McConnell wouldn't even bring to the floor.

[vi5]

7. All of this operates on too many assumptions...

1) That Trumps voters actually cared about jobs and not just his appeals to racism.
2) That Trump actually cares about any of the stuff (other than the racism) that he talked about on the campaign trail.
3) That people dumb enough to have voted for Trump will actually ever in a million years admit that it was all a ruse.
4) That the GOP and Trump won't find a way to spin everything and blame it all on the Democrats.
5) That the media won't help them and enable them every step of the way.
6) That Democrats are actually coordinated and savvy enough to pull off this type of move in the unified, organized way it would require.

Sorry that's way too many "ifs" for this to actually work.

[geek tragedy]

2. They can certainly highlight that his policies are the same as the Republican establishment

Trump's response will be to engage in more immigrant bashing, but we'll see how often he can go to that well

[Blue_Tires]

3. So the Democratic party is going to

forsake the base it already has to lure a base that wouldn't vote for them in significant numbers anyway??

Yeah sure, why not?

[SHRED]

4. Just look at his cabinet and SCOTUS choices

And tell us again his this is a good idea.

tRump has shown his true colors already.
When are the Democrats in Congress going to unify against him?

[DeminPennswoods]

5. IOW, Dems will tell the truth about Rs in Congress

It's an awful development for many, many Americans, but the GOP having control of the House, Senate and Presidency is tailor-made for Dems to start showcasing just what the GOP is all about.

They should propose bill after bill that actually tries to help working Americans and let Ryan, McConnell and company vote them down.

[world wide wally]

8. I still strongly believe that the only strategy we need is to say what we think.

Everyone likes that.
Of course, constantly putting them between a rock and a hard place is sound thinking as well, but that is what telling the truth access accomplishes anyway.

[MarvinGardens]

9. Scorched Earth seems better.

This is different than the scorched earth strategy that was being predicted in another thread. So for example scorched earth would strongly oppose the tariffs being proposed. The above strategy would instead possibly side with Trump against his own party. Make no mistake: We should oppose the tariffs. They will hurt the economy far more than they will help. Trump's ideas are mostly going to be harmful. +1 here for scorched earth, not cooperation.