December 23, 2016

"The Democratic Game Plan for Making Trump Miserable — and Regaining Power."

By Ed Kilgore in New York Magazine.

129 comments:

madAsHell said...

It's all going to be coordinated on a super secret email server.

gadfly said...

"Can 48 Democrats accomplish as much obstruction as 42 Republicans did in Obama’s first two years?"

Uh, somebody needs to remind me as to what obstructing the Republican Senators did in Obama's first two years. My memory said that Dingy Harry ran roughshod over the Republican members for eight years.

Anonymous said...

Ah, Democrats,

What honorable and likable folks.

tcrosse said...

If Madonna is involved, forget it.

Big Mike said...

There's an awful lot of wishful thinking in that alleged "plan." Not to mention a lot of ignoring why they lost last November 8th.

Fabi said...

Wishcasting. Maybe they've already forgotten that Trump expanded the map -- because their hopes of retaking the House in 2018 are lunacy.

SteveR said...

This could have been written in Dec 08 except it was a bad thing to oppose The Won! Obama's 8 years of giving Republicans the finger may be different than what we see from Trump but politics for losers is a tough pill to swallow for the upper crust.

tcrosse said...

The Plan:
1. Continue to do all the stuff that lost us Congress and the White House and most state houses.
2. ? ? ?
3. Power is ours !!

Unknown said...

Trump is going to be a tough one to deal with. The man is even sharpening his public relations skills. What a brilliant move of enjoying a round of golf with Tiger Woods today. Even more startling is the fact everything he does appears authentic.

Sprezzatura said...

"There's an awful lot of wishful thinking in that alleged "plan." Not to mention a lot of ignoring why they lost last November 8th."

Presumably, re HRC, this isn't meant to point to Comey, Russians, and the fact that the other guy got almost three million fewer votes.

Got it.

Wilbur said...

"politics for losers is a tough pill to swallow for the upper crust."

I heard a man once say the upper crust are the crumbs held together by their own dough.

Sprezzatura said...

Maybe, the it's the R's who shouldn't lose touch w/ the above three factors, while perceiving a "mandate."

Just sayin.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

So far it's spew spurious accusations, whine, and lie, lie, lie... Hmmm, in other words, same game plan as always.

rcocean said...

can the Democrats regain power? Well anything is possible. In 1928, everyone thought the Democrats were a permanent minority party, 4 years later they had crushing majorities in Congress and every state legislature.

However, in 2016 the Dems are up against math. Out of the 33 senators up for re-election in 2018, 24 are Democrats and most of the 9 Republican seats are "locks". And the House is pretty well Gerrymandered to produce a Republican majority.

Baring a recession or foreign policy disaster, the only thing that will hurt the Republicans will be Trump agreeing with clowns like Ryan/McConnell that we need to "reform" Social security and Medicare. Or a Trump betrayal on immigration and Amnesty.

tim in vermont said...

Still they refuse to understand what a poison pill Obamacare was for the Democrats.

Michael K said...

Mitch McConnell’s declaration of scorched-earth opposition to all Barack Obama’s policies and initiatives in early 2009. Partly it’s a matter of payback, but the more important motive is that it worked: Democrats lost their control over Congress at the very first opportunity, in the 2010 midterms; even before that, major elements of Obama’s agenda — including climate-change legislation — were derailed.

Are they really this dumb? McConnell was the reason they have lost every year since Obama was elected ? In every state but California?

Presumably, re HRC, this isn't meant to point to Comey, Russians, and the fact that the other guy got almost three million fewer votes.

I guess the delusions are not limited to New Yorker writers. Hillary got lots of votes in California but lost the popular vote in the rest of the country.

rcocean said...

Never underestimate the stupidity and corruption of assholes like Ryan or McConnell. Its like they sit up at night thinking "What can we do to piss off the most potential Republican voters and return the Democrats to Power?"

Of course, I'm being sarcastic. These people are bought and paid for by Rich donors. Hopefully, Trump can keep them from destroying his Presidency.

mccullough said...

I'm not seeing any policy proposals the Dems are supposed to run on in any local, state, or federal races in the next few years. Perhaps GOP and/or Trump overeach will provide the platform. Also, Dem voters have historically not turned out in non presidential elections. The Dem base isn't big enough to flip GOP seats and the Dem base is too far left. The Speaker is from Wisconsin and the Senate Majority leader is from Kentucky. The House minority leader is from SAN Francisco and the Senate Minority leader is from NYC.




Sprezzatura said...

"Baring a recession or foreign policy disaster, the only thing that will hurt the Republicans will be Trump agreeing with clowns like Ryan/McConnell that we need to "reform" Social security and Medicare."

I think that'd be ok, if Luntz can come up with the right words. How about "Liberty Freedom Real American Druthers!!!" instead of vouchers?

Anywho, subsidizing individuals to buy health insurance from private companies sounds grea....er....oops. As long as your voucher works across state lines and you can't sue for malpractice, it'll work.


Sprezzatura said...

Also, no paying for birth control and such.

tim in vermont said...

So how many millions did Trump take from Putin cronies, PB&J? Oh wait, that was Hillary. Give it up, you are embarrassing yourself.

Wilbur said...

I thought it was a very reasonably-written article. How very rare; no name calling, bluster or accusations of racism. Just a lot of political analysis, realizing they have a difficult row to hoe in many ways.

And with the MSM in their pocket, they still have a huge asset. Fun times will ensue.

Gospace said...

Democrats controlled 60 Senate seats as the Obama era began; today’s Republicans only control 52.

Doesn't even pretend that Bernie was/is an independent. So Democrats went from 60 seats to 48, Republicans from 40 to 52. Why is that? Because Obama's policies were so popular that Republicans were elected to continue them? And with a Republican presidential candidate, supposedly the worst candidate ever, the Democrats hoped to once again rule the senate. And the two Republican senators who lost their reelections bids were senators who refused to endorse Trump. What does that say? I'll answer that one- if the choice is between a Democrat and a Democrat-lite, Democrats vote Democrat, and conservatives don't bother voting.

January-March 2017 people should tread carefully around Washington DC and be on the lookout for exploding heads of liberals as Trump begins his presidency and doesn't pay any attention to their dire warnings of apocalypse to occur.

Sprezzatura said...

"I guess the delusions are not limited to New Yorker writers. Hillary got lots of votes in California but lost the popular vote in the rest of the country."

So I write truth, and then you come up w/ an imaginary US, but who's delusional?

Carry on.

Lewis Wetzel said...

PB&J wrote:
"So I write truth, and then you come up w/ an imaginary US, but who's delusional?"

Delusional is believing that the President is only legitimate if he or she is elected by the popular vote.
Let me check the constitution again: nope, not in there. Maybe it is in the imaginary constitution? The one with no first and second amendments?

Sprezzatura said...

BTW, it's cool to see the anti-Reagan's-state stuff. That's the playbook that worked so well for Cruz re DJT. Really, the US should be more Mississippi instead of CA, that makes sense = nope.

Anywho, who knows where we'll be in four years maybe Newsom has a POTUS shot. At one point he picked a sassy (in a good way) wife, otoh that only mitigates so much.

Sprezzatura said...

LW,

I didn't question legitimacy. Check yourself before you wreck yourself, bro.

Sprezzatura said...

Mandate is not the same as legitimacy.

Lewis Wetzel said...

"Blogger Wilbur said...
I thought it was a very reasonably-written article. How very rare; no name calling, bluster or accusations of racism. Just a lot of political analysis, realizing they have a difficult row to hoe in many ways."

The idea that Mitch McConnell carried out a scorched earth policy and opposed every single Obama policy is absurd. Kilgore doesn't even believe it; the Thinkprogress opinion piece he uses to support his argument doesn't say anything about McConnell adopting a scorched earth strategy and opposing every Obama policy.

Quaestor said...

The Date: 12 April 1912
The Scene: The North Atlantic

First Officer William M. Murdoch: Captain we've struck an iceberg and we're taking on water!

Captain Edward J. Smith: Full speed ahead, Mr. Murdoch. Titanic is unsinkable.

rehajm said...

at the very least, it forces Republicans to squeeze as much of their agenda as possible into budget-reconciliation legislation that cannot be filibustered.

Lefties should not find comfort in this. Nearly all of the agenda Trump and Congress have planned out for two years can be accomplished using reconciliation and Obama's phone. Trump has his own pen...

Fabi said...

Mandate? House majority, Senate majority, White House with a 30-state victory, soon the majority of the Supreme Court, majority of the state legislatures, and majority of the governorships. Keep selling the "lack of mandate" story, Jelly -- it must provide you a lot of comfort!

Michael K said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael K said...

Anywho, who knows where we'll be in four years maybe Newsom has a POTUS shot.

Pretty funny. California will implode from public employee pensions which built the Democrat majority.

Look at vote totals. Hillary won CA by 4.8 million but her national total was less by 2 million.

Even Snopes admits it.

In any case, it is true that the margin of votes by which Hillary Clinton won the state of California was significantly greater than the margin by which she won the national popular vote. But even if Clinton's 4.3 million vote victory over Trump in California provided her overall winning edge, it wouldn't be an issue if she hadn't also amassed enough votes all the other states to make that outcome possible.

But you keep the faith kid, because the Democrats badly need more useful idiots.

mccullough said...

Mississippi is 38% black. People who criticize Mississippi are racist.

traditionalguy said...

The Dems are already smelling blood in the water over Trump being blamed for Obama's long planned Iranian War of Extermination of Isreal. Trump's courage will be sorely tested on this flash point before he can resurrect America's Manufacturing Economy and Military forces.

Sprezzatura said...

"Keep selling the "lack of mandate" story, Jelly -- it must provide you a lot of comfort!"

I'll grasp at any straws that indicate that the 21st century success states (w/ the majority of POTUS voters) can hold back the Mississippi-cation of the US.

But, if that doesn't work out, if the Mississippi-cation con dreams come true, I'll be fine (technically, I'll be better off the more the gov supply sides.)

Anywho, do what y'all want. Get all Mississippi-mandate-y Go w/ your euphemistic voucher things, go w/ trickle down, make sure gals don't murder their kids and homos don't get cakes for weddings.

Carry on.

Sprezzatura said...

MAGA

Fabi said...

You must really love California's quarter-of-a-trillion-dollars in unfounded pension liabilities, Jelly! Nothing says success like insolvency.

I've been to Mississippi a few times -- it's nice. Sorry, but not surprised, that your regional bigotry is so severe.

Joe said...

Seems like "magic happens" is their core plan.

(Coincidentally I've been reading a lot of American history the past few years. I'm now just finishing The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. What's remarkable about the latter is the Democratic party he describes hasn't really changed--it was then and continues to be a party of elitist, racist, power obsessed pricks. The New York Times hasn't changed either.)

Fabi said...

**unfunded**

PB said...

They must like losing.

Sprezzatura said...

The New York Times hasn't changed either.

Fortunately, now we have real news like Drudge, professional cons on radio, Fox and Breitbart. And, Gab.

Now, for the first time ever, that the Mississippi POV is ubiquitous, the US can finally pull itself out of it's lameness to achieve Mississippi-ness. Make America Mississippi Again.

MAMA

HT said...

Thank God for Mississippi!

khesanh0802 said...

The key to legislative success in the Senate is going to be the fear of those D Senators who represent states that went heavily for Trump. If they don't go along on a regular basis you can bet that Trump will be out there in two years to switch those seats. If I were Joe Manchin I would tell Schumer to take a hike and switch parties on Jan 21.

Lewis Wetzel said...

"I'll grasp at any straws that indicate that the 21st century success states (w/ the majority of POTUS voters) can hold back the Mississippi-cation of the US."
Too many Black people in Mississippi to suit you, PB&J?.
Your grab at federalism is touching, but probably too late. A pen and a phone is all it takes for Trump to ram his agenda down the throats of the people who live in the blue counties these days.

chuck said...

"Drown me! Roast me! Hang me! Do whatever you please," said Brer Rabbit. "Only please, Brer Fox, please don't throw me into the briar patch."

"The briar patch, eh?" said Brer Fox. "What a wonderful idea! You'll be torn into little pieces!"

Grabbing up the tar-covered rabbit, Brer Fox swung him around and around and then flung him head over heels into the briar patch. Brer Rabbit let out such a scream as he fell that all of Brer Fox's fur stood straight up. Brer Rabbit fell into the briar bushes with a crash and a mighty thump. Then there was silence.

Brer Fox cocked one ear toward the briar patch, listening for whimpers of pain. But he heard nothing. Brer Fox cocked the other ear toward the briar patch, listening for Brer Rabbit's death rattle. He heard nothing.

Then Brer Fox heard someone calling his name. He turned around and looked up the hill. Brer Rabbit was sitting on a log combing the tar out of his fur with a wood chip and looking smug.

"I was bred and born in the briar patch, Brer Fox," he called. "Born and bred in the briar patch."

And Brer Rabbit skipped away as merry as a cricket while Brer Fox ground his teeth in rage and went home.

khesanh0802 said...

It's people with the attitude of Lyin'PB ... that got Trump elected. Let him blather on and the Senate will be ours in two years.

robother said...

Perhaps Obama can run for Congress on a platform that he will serve as the Speaker of the House if Democrats get a majority in the House? About as plausible as all of the "ifs" in this piece.

Sprezzatura said...

"A pen and a phone is all it takes for Trump to ram his agenda down the throats of the people who live in the blue counties these days."

Right, screw the future orientated parts of the country. Now DJT will bring back manufacturing jobs because of his suggested 10% tariff.

You cons sure is smart.

Fabi said...

We'll have 60 Senate seats in 2018 as regular Americans continue to see the ugly bigotry displayed by Jelly, HT, and their fellow lefties.

Carry on!

Michael McNeil said...

The Date: 12 April 1912
The Scene: The North Atlantic
First Officer William M. Murdoch: Captain we've struck an iceberg and we're taking on water!
Captain Edward J. Smith: Full speed ahead, Mr. Murdoch. Titanic is unsinkable.


These kind of empty-headed analogies don't really have much to imply in terms of public policy, but please note that the foregoing does not describe what actually happened in the case of the Titanic. The (officers of the) ship did try to stop (they reversed the engines), and they did try to avoid the iceberg by turning the ship as quickly as it could. Unfortunately, it takes a while for a titanic ship like the Titanic to stop, and quite a distance for it to turn in, and the officers' actions merely ensured that when the Titanic did encounter the iceberg, the 'berg scraped along the side of the ship, opening up “water-tight” compartment after compartment, until in the end too many were flooded for the ship to survive. If the Titanic contrariwise had blithely continued on its way and thereupon run at full speed head-on into the iceberg, it probably wouldn't have sunk!

Qwinn said...

"But even if Clinton's 4.3 million vote victory over Trump in California provided her overall winning edge, it wouldn't be an issue if she hadn't also amassed enough votes all the other states to make that outcome possible."

Holy crap, is that some nauseating spin. "Hillary ONLY lost 49 states by 2 million votes, thus making it possible for California to put her over the top!"

I can think of a half a dozen ways to reframe the exact same point so it favors Trump, and more plausibly.

And of course, Snopes makes no mention of the fact that there was no Republican other than Trump on the CA ballot, thus making Republicans going to the polls a complete waste of time. Was that true anywhere else other than CA? I doubt it.

HT said...

How'm I a bigot?

Sprezzatura said...

Anywho, the truth is that a lot of these loser area DJT voters don't really believe that they're going to do better w/ DJT.

At least subconsciously, they know they're lost causes. It's the misery loving company thing that really motivates them. They hope they can bring down the high flying non-con parts of the country, down to the Mississippi level.

Anywho, tearing down is easier than building up, so I wouldn't bet against them.

Sprezzatura said...

Of course, they do mooch off of us not-poor-con states.

So, at some point they may notice this.

Fabi said...

Thank G*d for Mississippi was a compliment HT? Okie doke!

As much as I'd love to keep enjoying the unabashed bigotry from the left, I have another party to attend. I can't help it that I'm so damned popular!

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"Presumably, re HRC, this isn't meant to point to Comey, Russians, and the fact that the other guy got almost three million fewer votes."

If the Dem candidate in 2020 wins by 4 million votes but Trump carries the same states he won in 2016, he'll still be reelected. Just as it doesn't matter which baseball team gets the most hits in a game; it's the number of runs that count.

This has been explained to liberals many, many times since Nov. 9. Your refusal to comprehend or accept it makes me think you are a rather slow learner.

Lewis Wetzel said...

PB&J -- yet another lib who believed the Hillary landslide nonsense, and now reveals his thoughts on the future of Trump's America! And the intimate thoughts of Trump voters!
Go for it, PB&J. Sell short, based on your certitude that the DJIA be at 12k next Christmas. You'll make a mint.

mccullough said...

New England is the whitest part of the US. They hate black people.

Sprezzatura said...

"This has been explained to liberals many, many times since Nov. 9. Your refusal to comprehend or accept it makes me think you are a rather slow learner."

Oh dear, you think that you read that I wrote HRC won.

And, you brought up "slow learner."

Yikes!

mccullough said...

The South has the highest percentage of people who join the military. New England has the lowest. New England mooches off the South.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Kilgore's plan: Democrat ideas have rejected at the state, local, and federal level for the last four elections. We need to double down!
This was the funniest thing I've read since I ran across a Salon piece that said the trick was to make a Dem version of the Tea Party (apparently that's never been tried before). Also, unlike the conservative Tea Party, the Dem party shouldn't be rude. So, leave the assless chaps at home, gay activists! No dildo earrings, feminists! And no shooting cops, #BLM folks!

Drago said...

There is only 1 play in the lefty playbook and they have been using it since 1917.

As evidenced by PB, there will always be but 1 play in the playbook.

It's quite heartening actually.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Lyin'PB_Ombudsman said...

Let's see how Illinois and California and NY react if Trump cuts off federal funding to sanctuary cities. They are much richer than Mississippi, so they won't care at all, correct?

Sprezzatura said...

LW,

I didn't vote for HRC, or DJT.

And, are we now supposed to focus on the DJIA when evaluating the state of the US economy, we haven't heard much about that since it was below 8000 in Jan 09?

Got it.

Drago said...

Lewis Wetzel: "This was the funniest thing I've read since I ran across a Salon piece that said the trick was to make a Dem version of the Tea Party (apparently that's never been tried before)"

Actually, those "innovative" lefties did try their own version (copycat, of course) of the Tea Party.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_Party_USA

As you can guess, as with all "movements" on the left, it was a top-down, astro-turfed centrally controlled exercise in futility.

It appears that having an army of followers and voice-actuated automatons (like PB&J) doesn't necessarily lend itself to truly innovative movements.

See Venezuela for the lefts latest fantastic "success" story (I'm assuming you are already fully familiar with Greece).

Michael said...

That's not a plan. That's barely even a hope.

Sprezzatura said...

"Let's see how Illinois and California and NY react if Trump cuts off federal funding to sanctuary cities. They are much richer than Mississippi, so they won't care at all, correct?"

And, let them keep their fed dough, too.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

I pray that the Dems double and triple down on their arrogance and condescension. It's worked so well for them thus far.

I never thought much of Tucker Carlson before, but I have to say I'm enjoying watching him skin and filet leftist morons nightly. It's a wonder to me that they agree to be on his show at all, but I'm sure they tell themselves afterward that they DESTROYED Carlson, when the truth is they have completely beclowned themselves.

Lewis Wetzel said...

"And, let them keep their fed dough, too."
Sorry, unconstitutional, PB&J. Thanks to Wilson and FDR's supreme court, the power of the congress to tax individuals is nearly unlimited.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

The Coffee Party was hilarious. I saw several pics of the Coffee Party in action in places like Austin. There were, like, 5 dudes with gray ponytails sitting at a table.

The only movement they were connected with was the one they were hoping to induce by downing bran muffins with their lattes.

HT said...

In bama we would occasionally say it in a joking kinda way. Relax and have fun at your party!

Sprezzatura said...

"The only movement they were connected with was the one they were hoping to induce by downing bran muffins with their lattes."

Presumably this isn't the only prostate stimulation they're familiar w/.

Just sayin'

Lewis Wetzel said...

"Blogger exiledonmainstreet said...

I never thought much of Tucker Carlson before, but I have to say I'm enjoying watching him skin and filet leftist morons nightly. It's a wonder to me that they agree to be on his show at all, but I'm sure they tell themselves afterward that they DESTROYED Carlson, when the truth is they have completely beclowned themselves."

I liked the one where Newsweek writer (and Pulitzer Prize finalist) Kurt Eichenwald claims that he seemed confused and incoherent during his Tucker interview because he was using it to send coded messages to an "intelligence community source." And then he went home and some evil person sent him flashing gifs to give him a seizure.
I bet it was Putin that did that. Personally. Putin weaponized the humble gif to take down Eichenwald. Act of war, if you ask me.

Lewis Wetzel said...

"Presumably this isn't the only prostate stimulation they're familiar w/."
**sigh** First it's hatred of Black people, and now its homophobia. Are you bribing the Sandman with fentanyl again, PB&J?

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Why look at how swimmingly things are going in deep blue Illinois:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-illinois-population-decline-met-20161220-story.html?

I happen to know some wealthy liberals who live in Lincoln Park. The view looks just fine when they're looking north from their condo window. It's a pretty view.

They don't look south - to the Southside or downstate Illinois - very often.

Sprezzatura said...

LW,

Your raaaaaaacist and homophobe accusations are a impressive, you'll fit at the coffee party. Just make sure you bring butter. You're obviously not pitching.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

When Comey gave Hillary a pass for her security lapses he did so figuring she was going to win. Now that she didn't all of that immunity if you will is inherited by Trump. Not to mention the power of the notorious Obama pen and phone.

I look forward to seeing the shoe in the other foot finally and at long last. Trump is not the Bushes.

David said...

The writer evidences no awareness that Obama created the monolithic Republican opposition in Congress by the way that he crammed health care reform down everyone's throat. You can also argue that this had a lot to do with the rapid disappearance of the Democratic majority in Congress.

Michael K said...

"screw the future orientated parts of the country."

So the "future" is going to be H1B visas slaving away for peanuts to make Disney rich ?

Got it.

The Blue states are bleeding middle class. Guadalajara is another city I visited a few years ago with the same dynamics. Tlaquepaque is a suburb with lots of nice shops. They are all inside two story high walls with broken bottles on top. There are big doors that are open during business hors and closed when he shops are closed. Inside are nice residential apartments.

That is the future of California that I see. As the left gets more power, there will be more pressure on existing suburbs to consolidate and go from single family homes to apartments. There will be fewer and fewer people to do the middle class jobs.

Good luck with that future.

Unknown said...

Why I started Coffee Party USA
By Annabel Park, Special to CNN

“When I began the Facebook fan page "Join the Coffee Party Movement," I had no idea what would transpire. It was about 1:30 a.m. January 26, and I was very frustrated with the endless news coverage about the Tea Party and the growing narrative that it represented America.

“I was driven by a question, a curiosity: If I build it, will they come? Would anyone respond to my call for civility in our political discourse and cooperation in government?”


coffeepartyusa.com

I get the impression they are not doing so good.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

How is this for civility in politics. Politics have always been brutal.

The most famous duel in American history is unquestionably that which occurred between Vice President Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, who greatly influenced the founding of America’s economy and was possibly on track to become President himself....

The two men met on the field of honor in Weehawken, New Jersey on the morning of July 11, 1804. Interestingly enough, Hamilton’s son had fallen to a mortal blow in a duel at the very same place just two years before. The same guns used in his duel were also used in his father’s.

The accounts of precisely what happened are conflicting, but it is generally thought that Hamilton fired first, aiming high and missing Burr completely. Burr then aimed squarely at Hamilton’s torso and returned fire. Hamilton fell, the bullet lodged in his spine, and he died the following morning.
Quoted from http://www.artofmanliness.com/

320Busdriver said...

Tucker is doing a bang up job. Must see tv.

Probably doesn't tarnish Trump, but whats up with HHS pick T Price and his ubiquitous trading of medical stocks whilst sponsoring legislation affecting such companies?

As far as I'm concerned that is a fatal flaw and when the levee breaks, he should be the first to go down the drain. The left is already salivating at this, and frankly, it's troublesome.

BJM said...

_And, let them keep their fed dough, too.

Um...how do CA sanctuary cities fund Medi-Cal (aka Medicaid) without Fed waivers & funding? SanFran would take it in the shorts twice as the city & county boundaries are one in the same.

Run your eyeballs over this report and you'll see that the CalPers shortfall is just the tip of California's debt iceberg.

http://www.lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3350

wildswan said...

mccullough said...
"I'm not seeing any policy proposals the Dems are supposed to run on in any local, state, or federal races in the next few years."

I noticed that, too. One reason the Dems lost the election is they had no proposals; it was just anti-Trump. How did that work out? The idea seems to be that if the Tea Party was popular then a party against Trump would be even more popular. But the Tea Party had specific proposals; the anti-Trump party has none. And all along the Republicans were submitting bills which Harry Reid would not advance. So all along the Republicans have had an agenda.Now they have repurposed "party of business" into "party of jobs". Anti-Trump won't be enough. The Dems need a way to become the party of the worker again or they will implode. That means cities becoming business-friendly or there will be no jobs for the workers. But business-friendly means co-operate with Repubs. But the strategy is oppose every Republican move. So back to the drawing board, Dems.

Or not.

Double down by all means, Desperate Dems. Take to the streets. Tweet your little hearts out. Insult. Mock. It'll play in California and Manhattan. Is there more?

boycat said...

They obviously still don't know what hit them, let understand it. Trump is going to have a lot of fun doing whatever he wants, and we are all going to reap the benefits.

BJM said...

Would anyone respond to my call for civility in our political discourse and cooperation in government?”

Civility. They keep using that word. I do not think it means what they think it means.

M Jordan said...

James Carville famously boasted after the 2008 election, "We Deocrats are going to be in charge the 40 years." They promptly lost the House in two years and the Senate four years later.

With that in mind I am going to resist the same boast ... but it sure seems it could happen. If Trump's economy takes off like I think it will -- 5% growth or more -- the Dems will lose even more seats in the Hoise and Senate, and everywhere else. Republicans will be so locked into place, 2020 will be a cakewalk. Even a weak second term will make Trump's follower a favorite in 2024. Think HW Bush in '88. In the meantime the same demographic advantages Dems thought/think they have will slip away as middle class Hispanics will become Republicans en masse. Expect African-Americans to begin to slip away from the Dem plantation, too.

So ...

Republicans will own the next forty years. It must be said.

Amadeus 48 said...

I haven't read this article, but I am sure it is brilliant and a sure-fire winner, because the American people just want the Dems to do more of what Obama has been doing ---and harder!

As a GOPer, I can only encourage the Dems to embrace these ideas...they have worked out great for the GOP up and down the line.

A more healthy approach might be to ask how the GOP won all those state legislatures, governorships, and congressional seats. But that would spoil the fun, wouldn't it?

chickelit said...

Let's see how Illinois and California and NY react if Trump cuts off federal funding to sanctuary cities.

That isn't an easy question. The Liberal thinking is this will cause even more anti-Trump resentment in those states which will translated to D votes in 2018. I think it's more likely to trigger anger at those cities within each of those states, leading to further alienation of those cities.

YoungHegelian said...

In other, but related news, you know the Oregon Secretary of labor who fined that Christian bakery $135,000 for not baking a cake for a gay wedding. His name is Brad Avakian, and he just ran for Secretary of State, a position often seen in Oregon as the stepping stone to the governorship.

Well, he lost to his Republican opponent. In Oregon! To a Republican!

Looks like going after mom & pop bakeries who don't toe the Party Line just isn't very popular with the electorate anywhere except in the Castro.

Michael K said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Drago said...

M Jordan: "With that in mind I am going to resist the same boast ... but it sure seems it could happen. If Trump's economy takes off like I think it will -- 5% growth or more -- the Dems will lose even more seats in the Hoise and Senate, and everywhere else. Republicans will be so locked into place, 2020 will be a cakewalk."

Don't be so sure.

With the Fed suddenly deciding (after lo these many years) that NOW is the time for increasing interest rates, even though energy production has helped keep inflation somewhat at bay, we might find ourselves in a Volcker Redux scenario.

Having said that, unleashing the economy should do what it did in 83/84 and lead to impressive enough performance that the sane people say: let's keep that going.

Reagan won 49 states (we will never forgive Ed Rollins for losing Mondales Minnesota!) with that strategy, not that it's possible after adding another 10 million dem voters (legal and illegal)).

Lewis Wetzel said...

"Blogger M Jordan said...
James Carville famously boasted after the 2008 election, "We Deocrats are going to be in charge the 40 years." They promptly lost the House in two years and the Senate four years later."

At least the GOP base is smart enough to notice when its party leaders are f*cking wrong again and again.

Michael K said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael K said...

If Trump's economy takes off like I think it will -- 5% growth or more -- the Dems will lose even more seats in the Hoise and Senate,

We were shopping this afternoon in the local market. It was very busy and the manager told my wife it was the busiest day he had every seen here. He said it started at 9 AM and this was 4 PM and it was still going strong. He said he expect the peak was yet to come.

I have watched a bit the last month and I think the Trump boom is already here. I sold most of my gold as I think it could go down like it did at the end of the 1990s.

I have watched a bit the last month and I think the Trump boom is already here. I sold most of my gold as I think it could go down like it did at the end of the 1990s. Of course, it went back up when Clinton won in 1992 and again when Obama won the election in 2008.

Michael K said...

Sorry, I kept trying to post charts but they would not show.

Quaestor said...

Dear Mr. McNeil,

Your observations about the Titanic are correct...
and superfluous.

ELC said...

"The Democratic Game Plan for Making Trump Miserable — and Regaining Power."

I'm thinking those goals are mutually exclusive.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Interesting that the article said nothing about immigration. That was the one big promise Trump made and the mostly likely area of conflict where the Uniparty will challenge Trump.

The Dems know that playbook by heart. Call everyone racists and heartless and the moderate Repubs will wring their hands and wet their pants. They'll join the Dems in killing immigration reform and all will big checks from the big donors. Win/win.

Then what does Trump do? He has a phone and pen. Does he go after them and try to build the Republican party into a populist party? That could be interesting.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Adam Smith and Bastiat determined a long time ago that high economic growth leads to increased worker wages (ceteris paribus). The mechanism is understood and is even intuitive: the demand for labor increases faster than the supply of labor when you have high economic growth.
You want to work in an economy where the bosses are trying to buy a larger share of future, higher revenue. You do not want to work in an economy where the bosses are triaging wages and benefits in expectation of low growth or, God help us all, negative growth.

Sam L. said...

As I see it, Trump seems to be a) three steps ahead of the Dems; b) thinking five steps ahead; and c) waaaaay faster getting his story out his way to confound the Dems and knock them off-balance (assuming they have any balance, which they seem not to).

Gojuplye said...

Arthur James; The Hamilton/Burr pistols were cheaters. Partially rifles and light trigger. Hamilton may have fired by accident due to unfamiliarity with the trigger. There have been other incidents of "civility" between members of Congress. One Senator beat another senseless with a cane, and a Rep shot another Rep with a Derringer. The latter Rep survived because the bullet deflected off the Bowie knife he was carrying under his jacket. Ah, good time.....no?

The fatal flaw in the Dem plan seems to be the assumption that Trump gives a rat's ass what Dem's believe. More and more people seem to be coming to the same conclusion.

Earnest Prole said...

The Democratic Game Plan for Making Trump Miserable — and Regaining Power.

After their previous best-laid plans produced the very opposite of the intended effect, how do they expect us to read those words with a straight face?

Unknown said...

For Christmas you all get a gift, a poem, one for Althouse, for I can be always remembering, sending a Christmas gift, a poem with an introduction.

The introduction is the acknowledgement, the appropriation, whatever, the shining of a little light onto Nick Cave. The release and show of the 3-D venture into the death of his son, one of two, twins, his son fell over a cliff, tripping on acid. Grace amidst death. This is the poem.

I never said what I wanted to say: Nick Cave's 3D movie was an event this year.

Wait, my poem, I could not find what I was looking for. I found this one, realizing it was important.


Unquiet Vigil

Stale prayer from
unreal depths–
depths I assume are mine–

are relieved by
real sleep,
that awakens me to my

real shallows where
prayer amounts to
almost nothing
or less.

Such an infinity where
almost nothing
dividing endlessly
never reaches
nothing

wherein are
real depths
not mine…

Be kind,
Myself, to myself, be kind.

Unknown said...

Wait that is a fuck up. That is not one of my poems. I made a mistake. That was not one of my poems, very close to plagiarism.

Unknown said...

Here is one of mine.

The depravity of being shortsighted leaves no impression upon the Immaculata,
Unconditional, she lifts one from the lowest and worst of positions,
Up from the gutters, out from the alleys, lifted from addictions, pulled from perversions, relieved from misguided miseries,
Original sin autopilots prone to bombastic demands upon individuality, naïvely pursuing only that which pampers,
Unhindered, unlocking, she unfolds through absolute struggle, submission and pain, undoing, unraveling, psychological renovation,
Overflowing with grace, judgment displaced, loving supreme, interceding obedient,
A model for all women, conventional, a feminist beyond imperfection, accepting dimensions, obeying the smallest of commandments,
Wisdom and knowledge counseling along, harmonizing fruits filling with splendor,
Heart pierced, abiding compassionately tender, emphatically warm, nurturing through resolute all giving,
Vulnerable, acceptingly willing to be broken hearted, sorrowfully smiling upon the pain of despair and disillusion,
Imprint divine, the humble carrying of a child, her Son a servant sublime, a handmaid through conviction and illusion,
Never presupposing, never inflicting, never perpetrating conclusions, never complaining,
Never questioning neither mortal nor the Immortal, always imploring, pleading permission, seeking solutions,
In life a simple mother and wife, inconsequential, the Queen of Heaven redeemed within selfless stealth servitude,
Open your Immaculate Heart, shower down grace, guide to the Sacred Heart, throw your mantle about, embolden and enfold,
We await, beseeching with need we cry at your feet, we entreat, we present ourselves and those we love, help us prepare a feast for your Son, a bountiful delight for the King within Three Kings.

Unknown said...

Finally, a Nick Cave video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si0m1H2Hmqk

Achilles said...

We are going to have a massive correction in the next few years. It is baked in. we have printed/borrowed over 15 Trillion dollars these past 8 years and GDP growth is not even close to that. Truck Driver is by number the most common job in 37 states. Within 10 years there will be 0 truck drivers.

This will all be blamed on Trump and budget cuts and deregulation which is of course a lie. But I see a lot of wishful thinking on this board.

Unknown said...

Be careful foolish one. Achilles is a great name not needing despoiled.

Unknown said...

Another video in the rambling, Nick doing Paul MacCartney. 'Let it Be' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjEJxr538ZA

Merry Christmas, idle hours are good.

Unknown said...

This is even more and back to Birthday Party days. Watch this, be patient and avoid the abrasiveness, listen and find the quiet message, it is there, at least from her to eternity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjEJxr538ZA

Unknown said...

This is Nick singing more, images, Wim Wenders, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fg0nKuXGUY

Anonymous said...

There’s a Tsunami approaching most are missing. Both I (Putin) and Mr. T. want to end their defense industrial complex. A large part of which is convincing our people there can, will be no large wars of land invasion. Everyone already has nukes (NK, give me a break) what they don’t have and can’t have is Missile defense. Let’s star wars that between you and me. Which will totally defang what Eisenhower said was a snake that eats its own tail, hyping threats, making their contractor base ever larger while moving all those funds from the blue collar that actually can fight to the white collar in Northern Virginia. What folks are missing is that my country has been running its nuclear bomb factories in a loop, melting down the old, manufacturing from the scrap, which given we never had your technology would work if we used tire lug nuts to fasten these d@mn things together, you on the other hand need the precision of silicon manufacturing, and you couldn't build one today if you had five years. Good news is that what you have in the museum is still pretty frightening, but who knows if it works. You won't test and we don't have to because our drunken sergeants can maintain, secure and launch the simple rockets we use. Now you have sold these missile defense thingy’s, we need to make sure our delivery systems and warheads can survive the interference so they can still deter. contued next

Anonymous said...

continued 4:35- Then again, if we're such great hackers, maybe we're spending money on the wrong thing anyway since we and a few others know how to turn the d@mn things off remotely anyway, Even better since neither one of our militaries want to spend money on something they know they'll never use, except the contractors who use it to scare their population into paying anything. But we also need to prove to the world that any tiny country can have these weapons so land invasions can never happen again, which makes all of our lives so much simpler.Non-proliferation, what's that? A poem? Or lifetime employment for a bunch of elites who like to make work, especially expensive make work. So if NK can do it anyone can, and already has built one. Curious that NK is able to extort so much money and groveling from the U.S. and S.K just to let the west pretend to their people that no one has these, so land invasion is possible so military budgets need to be 10-100x what's needed, the defense contractors love it, and keep feeding the snake that's eating is own tail. Mr. T. and Mr. P. will end it I think, brining and end to Eisenhower’s Defense Military Complex whose end can't come to soon. Both of you desperately want to stop spending half of your GDP on defense, mostly borrowed money, though you could argue that the people doing that work don't know how to do anything else, and you closed the coal mines and steel mills where you don't need a college education. That F35 sure is pretty, almost a work of art. Make you a deal, give me an artist’s rendition and spend the rest on real art, even teaching art and history, or better yet capitalism 101. Which what will happen when we both break what Eisenhower’s deadly incentives, expensive contractors donor money in your case, corruption, in mine, no real value. At least in the energy sector, we can keep people warm with those rich companies income, in ours all that investment never kept one maybe warm. Especially now that with a wave of his twitter, Mr. T. can declare my nation (Russia) and China non-enemies. The horror the horror. What was the Carrier thing about? Not air-conditioners but talking to your 10th largest defense contractor how to soften the blow across all the contractors as they reduce income to 10% of today’s, Unions picking off the weakest auto company first to set the model. Neat thing is your politicians can see it coming and can’t do a d@mn thing about. The value of seniority disappears, parties pick congressional seat winners, get on committees, defense contractors donate some, win again, move up the committee, more donor money, rinse and repeat, chairman, more donor money, more taxes handed to local contractors, everyone loses until My. Mr. P, and Your T. end it. Should be good theater, watching this generation Andrew Jackson’s play scorpion on the frog, and move government from enslaving their people to working for them.

Anonymous said...

The party of stupid bullies are at it again. the vaudeville act gets old after a while, just how many times can you laugh at routine? ok, a dozen but we're past that. now we just expect Mr. T. to pull the chair out from under them. Next we get to a world-wide strategy for everyone getting busy getting rich so there's no time to fight, and since everyone has nukes, no land invasions are possible, and look cross eyed at Moscow or New York and we'll end you, so the days of the military industrial complex and the engine that drives the every larger government and spending swamp disappearing. With luck the government in session one year in four. Amazing what Melania and HenryK. and son Barron can gameplay out based on Philipp II of Spain's lessons. ok, so even this is vaudeville, but at least they clearly enjoy the exercise as compared to the sourpusses of party of stupid bullies.

Michael The Magnificent said...

I pity the fool who don't know how to use paragraphs!

James Pawlak said...

It's called "pissing in the soup".

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Here's another way

A field guide to white supremacists

Sam L. said...

The Donald gonna beat them like a drum solo that lasts a really long time.

walter said...

"Democrats lost their control over Congress at the very first opportunity, in the 2010 midterms; even before that, major elements of Obama’s agenda — including climate-change legislation — were derailed."

Yep..if only they had heaped more on the altar of CAGW.
I like the way this guy thinks. He should be encouraged..

Michael K said...

We are going to have a massive correction in the next few years. It is baked in. we have printed/borrowed over 15 Trillion dollars these past 8 years and GDP growth is not even close to that. Truck Driver is by number the most common job in 37 states. Within 10 years there will be 0 truck drivers.

I don't disagree except the timing. Trump may get the economy going with real growth as there is pentup demand and cash on the sidelines because of Democrat idiocy. That might get going and keep up for a decade.

Eventually, we are going to have a hell of a correction and I have no idea what it will look like. Maybe a war,

FDR kept the Depression going for 8 years. I've finally concluded that nothing happens as fast as I expect it to.

Fabi said...

Thanks for the explanation, HT. My interpretation was incorrect -- mea culpa. I did relax and thoroughly enjoy the soirée.

I've also spent some time in your state. I miss Dreamland. :-)

Douglas B. Levene said...

Shorter Ed Kilgore: Denial really is a river in Egypt.

Achilles said...

Michael K said...

Eventually, we are going to have a hell of a correction and I have no idea what it will look like. Maybe a war,

It will be controlled and timed. There are not that many Billionaires out there. Somewhere around 2000. They are almost monolithic politically. They have control of the central banks. Watch as the Fed decides that it is finally time to stop printing money and starts raising interest rates.

The media, which is all owned by the Oligarchs, will be relentless just like they were with Bush. We will all be better off out here, but there will be a stock market crash and the media will call it the second depression. It will be after the 2018 election when there are ~60 republican senators and Trump has cut taxes and reigned in the bureaucracy.

Everything will be blamed on Trump, republicans, tax cuts, and deregulation. The stories are already written. The question is whether or not republicans will fall for the same trick they fell for in 2008.

Rusty said...

Michael K said...

"Eventually, we are going to have a hell of a correction and I have no idea what it will look like. Maybe a war,"

If things keep going as they have been. We can pull back from the edge, but it will require sacrifice in the public sector.

Anonymous said...

1: The Republicans can get rid of the filibuster any time they want. Thanks Harry Reid!
2: Every time Democrats / the Left attack Trump, they make him more conservative. http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/12/is-trump-becoming-a-conservative.php

By all means, please keep on attacking him