Trump, at the budget negotiations:
It’s impossible to lead when you don’t understand the issues at play and make no effort to get up to speed. Instead, you get led around by the nose by the likes of Kelly, Cotton, and Miller. People who have no interest in getting to yes on an immigration deal.
And yet Trump had no problem leading Democratic “Leadership” to vote to hand the criminal Trump “Administration” enhanced powers to spy on American citizens…
There’s an intense struggle going on to frame the narrative of the shutdown. I’m following it on Twitter. Ds are not clearly winning it, and senators in red country like Doug Jones are being left exposed. Messaging is all over the place, Pelosi in particular (tweeting about Davos, responding to R attacks with lists of things Ds have done/stand for). Just off the top of my head, alternatives could be fine:
- There ought to be ads being run now running that clip where Trump says “we need a good government shutdown.”
- The master narrative should be that where the government is controlled by one party, it’s not a government shut down. It’s a government implosion.
- Why is it imploding? Republicans want to force the deportation of 800,000 Dreamers and scrap #CHIP.
Don’t get into the weeds on these points. Push them all day long. Stick to the fucking message.
Update: For example, here’s Pelosi’s latest. Not awful, but just not adding any PR value, which is what tweets are for. And minority leaders:
Pelosi said that Trump is “failing to lead.”
So, how’s that whole Art-of-the-Deal thingy going for you, Donald?
Coincidentally, I understand this matches Stormy Daniels’ account of him, too.
Trump does not lead,he chases.
Ask Stormy.
It takes most couples a few years to get to the “Ugh, here we go” stage of a sexual relationship. Stormy got there in 10 minutes.
The GOP owns the government right now. Executive and legislative branches (and arguably the judicial).
Of COURSE the shutdown would be their fault.
Why should he lead if there is no juice box in it for him?
One more day, and one could argue Trump has “failed to lead” for a full, frickin’ year. Loser!
Pelosi: Trump “failing to lead”. I like that.
I’d argue he’s leading by example, bad example that is. And he’s surrounded by a sea of white, mostly guys.
The biggest and best failing you’ve even seen!
This one is looking more and more like The Art of No Deal.
He doesn’t know how to “lead” just to issue angry tweets and try to order people around. News flash, Donnie: You’re not CEO of the country, you don’t run things on your own any more. Don’t like it? Please quit and let someone competent take over the job.
I understand there are actually Republicans plotting a change in leadership as we type. Here’s a leaked video of an interview with one of them:
Oh he’s leading us, Nancy. Right off a cliff.
Try blasting the odorous, onerous Pedophile (Hastert) Rule. Which by another name is “our way or the highway”. That is a democracy? No wonder the Senate turns down bills requiring 60 votes. They come from the House where a minority of the majority holds the House hostage. It is the tail wagging the dog. Idealogs Meadows, Jordan, Renaci and their extremism tell the House Leader how to tie his shoes. No potential House bill reaches the floor unless it can pass with a Republican majority without any input from the Democrats. If the CR from the House had the pieces reached in a bipartisan negotiation between Graham and Durbin and others the President agreed to, this would never have happened.They are omnipotent and have ALL the answers. Actually they are more full of s#!t than a Christmas goose.