Strategists: Sniping may backfire on Dems
An anti-Trump resistance has rallied the Democratic base and dominated media coverage, but it could easily backfire with the crucial independent voters it lost in November if the onslaught of obstruction and protest devolves into grandstanding and futility, political strategists said.
“Democrats need to be strategic in choosing their targets, and even then they may be defeated in a large majority of their efforts,” said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. “Opposing everything actually means effectively opposing nothing.”
But so far, Democrats have tried to block nearly everything. Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren railed against attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions. And Democrats held the Senate floor for 24 hours to try to stop the confirmation of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, even as many boycotted committee hearings to delay other appointees.
Warren, emerging as a leading voice, acknowledged on “The Daily Show” last night her actions failed to stop Sessions’ confirmation, but she said, “What it’s done is help us have a better democratic conversation. Understand we don’t have the votes to block somebody like Jeff Sessions or yesterday to block a secretary of education who doesn’t believe in public education. We don’t have those votes. So what we’ve got to do is count on people all around this country to make their voices heard.”
Democratic activists are also organizing protests to President Trump’s plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Local mayors, including Mayor Martin J. Walsh, are vowing to flout Trump’s threat to end sanctuary cities. And Democratic state attorneys general — in one of the few successes (so far) of the resistance — are suing to stop Trump’s travel ban.
And yet, with no control over the White House, both chambers of Congress, most governorships and state legislatures, Democrats are mostly powerless — and losing the fight.
Even worse, public opinion may be shifting against them. Trump’s approval rating among registered voters is now up to 50 percent, according to a daily Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll. Some 52 percent of registered voters agree with Trump’s travel ban, while 42 percent oppose it, according to Reuters.
Strategists argue that while Democratic protests may light up Twitter (#LetLizSpeak topped the charts on social media) and earn fawning adulation in left-wing media, they won’t win over swing-state Trump voters.
“It plays well on Huffington Post, but do they really believe it’s going to play well in those states where they don’t automatically get 60 percent of the vote like Massachusetts?” said Dennis Hale, a political science professor at Boston College.
“I can’t possibly imagine that it’s going to win them any votes they don’t already have,” Hale said. “They may actually begin to lose some voters.”
Hale said Democrats will need a message that runs deeper than just stopping Trump’s every move.
“Ultimately, it’s going to look like the Republicans are showing up for work and the Democrats aren’t,” said Hale. “Bills will be passed and the Democrats will be sitting on the sidelines whining about it. Eventually that’s going to make them look bad.”