Excellent (if depressing) as always. Why do you think the Democrats are being so absent? Holding their fire? Or leaderless and without a clue as to what to do? Weak though the states-wide forces of opposition may be - as you explain - they must have the best chance of mobilising a cross-country and coordinated resistance to what the Trump administration is doing. Yet, as you remarked in an earlier post, they seem largely conspicuous by their absence (one or two individuals apart).
Not obvious. They obviously have no capacity to pursue any strategy as a party. But they also have no positive proposals. They may be just waiting for negative economic consequences to materialize.
I think they are at a loss for what to do. Many in party leadership are forever committed to the moderate swing voter. When they've tried calling out Trump as an authoritarian, moderate swing voters shrugged. When they've gone after specific harms that Trump has caused, moderate swing voters shrugged. Being a voice for their progressive base and trying to amplify that voice and support it at the grassroots is anathema to their commitment to the moderate swing voter. So they wait for midterm elections because barely eeking out an electoral win is their only strategy, regardless of whether democratic decline has made that strategy obsolete.
Excellent (if depressing) as always. Why do you think the Democrats are being so absent? Holding their fire? Or leaderless and without a clue as to what to do? Weak though the states-wide forces of opposition may be - as you explain - they must have the best chance of mobilising a cross-country and coordinated resistance to what the Trump administration is doing. Yet, as you remarked in an earlier post, they seem largely conspicuous by their absence (one or two individuals apart).
Not obvious. They obviously have no capacity to pursue any strategy as a party. But they also have no positive proposals. They may be just waiting for negative economic consequences to materialize.
I think they are at a loss for what to do. Many in party leadership are forever committed to the moderate swing voter. When they've tried calling out Trump as an authoritarian, moderate swing voters shrugged. When they've gone after specific harms that Trump has caused, moderate swing voters shrugged. Being a voice for their progressive base and trying to amplify that voice and support it at the grassroots is anathema to their commitment to the moderate swing voter. So they wait for midterm elections because barely eeking out an electoral win is their only strategy, regardless of whether democratic decline has made that strategy obsolete.
It is endemic cowardice legitimated by Carville's possum strategy of having no offense and hoping the Republicans hang themselves.