Does Mundane, Democratic Small Ball Make Sense Against War-like Trumpian Nullification?

Does Mundane, Democratic Small Ball Make Sense Against War-like Trumpian Nullification?
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/node/98986

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We need a wartime president. Instead, we have a well-meaning, professional, Nice Guy Negotiator (like Obama) who trusts that reasonable, politics as usual will work against lying, bad-faith foes. As FDR may have quipped, when friends pressured him to fight discrimination, “Now go out and make me do it.” In effect, create such public pressure you force presidential boldness – not bad advice today.

Dumb, deluded and impenetrable, Trump’s rugged individualism, geared for warfare, lacked FDR’s discretion, worshiped gut instincts, and fell on his face. FDR understood in our system the power of majority leverage. But FDR believed in the sovereignty of the people, that certified elections matter and only the seditious dishonor the democratic choice.

So today there’s pounding on the leaky roof, water soaking the furniture, and the response so far is to hunt up half-gallon buckets? How about “systemic reforms,” at least flashing wartime emergency lights? That ain’t Santa Claus on the roof, wielding his ax but the orange ghost of Christmas past bemoaning elections done and gone. Trump works hard to spur his sideline battle, mainly for fundraising, but for him and his base he remains at war, nameless, noxious enemies out to do him in.

All things being equal (which they never are), Biden is hardly the worst Democrat, and even with improbable GA senate wins faces an uphill grind. But whether pushing progressive or moderate legislation, he has not learned what FDR (and the Godfather movie) knew: when you face unprincipled vicious opponents who’ll do anything to win (laws and rules are loose feathers), the successful match power with power, recognize the siege and orchestrate full-throated responses. That means rejecting the filibuster, twisting arms, adding Supreme Court judges, reducing student debt, pushing family support hard, and reforming immigration.

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Declare the need for judicial speed

Democrats should apply maximum pressure to accelerate prosecutorial decision-making about indictments of law-breaking, across the spectrum of misconduct. Americans must know who honors the law and who holds it in contempt – another non-negotiable issue.

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