Observations about the Democratic Senate minority: Do they have what it takes to beat Trump now?

[lees1975]

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2025/03/observations-about-democrats-in-senate.html

The political playbook that was once the standard modus operandi for making bi-partisan legislation happen in the Senate is still the political "bible" for some Democrats who are part of the Senate minority. The Republicans threw that playbook out a long time ago, after McConnell's years of majority leadership where it got used when it benefitted Republicans and ignored when it didn't. But after Schumer came into the Senate leadership and the Republicans were already working to undermine government and make it fail, he somehow thought that he could bring back the "give and take" compromise methodology that hasn't really worked effectively since before Bush was in the White House.

But I sense there's a new factor involved that is finding its way into the Democratic minority during this Trump administration, and that's self-preservation. It seems there are a few Senators who, after winning their seat on the backs of moderate to liberal Democratic party supporters with strong rhetoric and appealing characteristics, have now decided to preserve their power and their seat, not by compromise, but by being conciliatory. There were several of those who didn't have to run for re-election in 2024 with Trump on the ballot, who won a decisive race in the 2022 mid-terms, and who are now sitting back thinking that they may somehow achieve the "king's" favor by kissing his ass or his ring.

The Democrats had a chance, with control of both houses of Congress and the White House, to protect the country from having this happen to us once again. And yet, here we are, because when that chance presented itself, the Democratic party leadership was unwilling to step outside of the boundaries they set for themselves, because they were still thinking that the old rules of bi-partisan give and take compromise, were somehow still in effect. So, in the old line partisan thinking, they gave away their Democratic party majoity and sold us out to the GOP. And yet, everything we would have done would have been within the law.

Granted, it would have taken some really politically risky moves. But anything worth achieving is worth the risk. There were Democrats who were farsighted and visionary enough to see what needed to occur in order to prevent Trump from being the existential threat to democracy that Democrats said he was. And if we really believed he was such a threat, real action could have accompanied the rhetoric, and we would have succeeded in making sure Trump was never able to walk the halls of the White House again.