Senate Democrats have the power to stop Trump. All they have to do is use it.

[pat_k]

17. Perhaps these thoughts will help resolve your mixed feelings.

It is particularly important for Democrats to "fight tooth and nail" because, too often, they don't. They have a habit of refraining from going "all out." That habit has helped to brand them as "weak" and "ineffective" in the minds of many. The leadership takes a "Can't win, so don't fight" position far too often. One of the major driving forces behind DT's appeal is the view that he is "strong." And, as Bill Clinton pointed out:

"When people are insecure, they'd rather have somebody who is strong and wrong than someone who's weak and right."
-- Bill Clinton

There have always been people in the party fighting for what they know is right, win or lose. And those people are the people that many of us take the greatest pride in. Unfortunately, too many "establishment" Dems (for lack of a better word) spend a lot of effort trying to "moderate" the "tone." They think they are doing it for the good of the party. They are acting out of what I believe is a wrong-headed notion that the electorate breaks down into a neat bell curve, with a majority falling in some "moderate" middle. I think the "spectrum" isn't a "spectrum" at all. I see it as something more like this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8773335

The bell curve view of the spectrum drives many prominent Dems to set aside what they really think needs to happen in favor of some middle of the road proposal. The problem is that's it's almost impossible to be truly passionate about beliefs you have watered down. The lack of passion comes through. Fighting with all the tools at their disposal, and fighting for the "whole loaf," (instead of a measly slice) is the way to inspire confidence in our own power to accomplish some pretty great things. Action is born of hope and confidence. Without it, we will continue to see political participation decline.

So, long story short, more Dems need to take on the mantle of "Strong and Right" by:

(1) Fighting tooth and nail against DT and his cronies, using ALL the tools at their disposal, and
(2) Going beyond being the "opposition party," putting forward some bold proposals, and mounting serious, coordinated, efforts to "sell" those proposals. This would put them in a much stronger position to tear down what DT and cronies are trying to do. When asked "but you don't have the votes," call on voters to put more Dems into the House and Senate in 2018 so we CAN DO IT RIGHT.

One example of (2) would be putting forward a Democratic "fix ACA" plan that includes the Public Option -- and doing it NOW while the "debate" is in the spotlight. . More on why doing this is so vital:

Why Dems need to put forward, and Make the Case for, our own ACA "fix" bill:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1728146


And why they need to connect it to the case for universal health care:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8773578