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Forum nameGeneral Discussion
Topic subjectthe newest press stunt is kinda dumb.
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=13305036&mesg_id=13308069
13308069, the newest press stunt is kinda dumb.
Posted by Reeq, Sat Jan-19-19 08:22 PM
he unilaterally 'negotiated' with republicans for the wall in exchange for extending temporary protections that he took away and just put back on the table lol. which is whatever. im sure some people will fall for it and i already see the press trending back to 'both sides' even more and saying dems need to compromise/negotiate.

but the point of the prez going to the american public is usually to harness popular consensus to move a reluctant (side of) congress into action.

not only will this not move public opinion much but you just handed over an entire negotiating tool too.

mcconnell basically said he was sitting out negotiations and would only bring a bill to a vote that the prez and pelosi/schumer agreed on. but now he said he would bring this repub-only bill to a vote. so this bill will get shot down in the senate and humiliate the prez...vulnerable repubs have to take a tough vote that could either piss off moderate voters or their hardcore anti-immigrant base...and mcconnell can no longer credibly use that same trump/pelosi/schumer agreement excuse in the future (not that blatant hypocrisy ever stopped him before).

and it says a lot that trump is now even willing to offer *any* concessions because he realizes just holding federal workers hostage isnt enough. daca/tps werent even anything that dems were really asking for this go round (courts have pretty much relieved any urgency there). but now trump has put them on the table. so we know he has a price.

this is following him completely backing down on the national emergency declaration.

at 1st i thought we would end up at some compromise with dems having to give up some lowered amount of 'wall' money just to open the government. and trump finding some way to spin it as a win.

now i think either dems gain a lot of concessions just for *any* border security funding or the government gets opened with no actual real immigration deal (just previous funding levels). trump is obviously tucking his tail either way. no win whatsoever. just a bunch of wasted time, spent political capital, and even less approval/popularity.