Chuck Schumer and Trump's wall

I will admit to being baffled that Democrats ever offered Trump funding for his "wall."  The proper response was always:  You want your wall?  Get the money from Mexico, like you promised.  Put up or shut up.  The fact that the Democrats were willing to offer funding for it demonstrates two things:  1) they don't know how to exploit weakness, and 2) they were really trying to get a DACA deal.

Both points demonstrate Democratic ineptitude.

If you had to list the central promises of Trump's campaign, I'm not sure which would be the top:  "lock her up," or, making Mexico pay for that wall.

Regarding Clinton, remember that Trump was full of shit on that too.  Right after the election, Trump admitted that he didn't actually care about prosecuting Clinton.  It was just a way to rile people up.  And... Mexico will never pay for the wall.  Trump admitted in the Nieto phone call that he didn't care about that either.  And Mexico will never pay for it.  Trump just has trouble backing down publicly from his stupid shit.  He's a lying idiot.

And that is what Democrats don't know how to exploit.  Don't give in to his bullshit-- shine a light on it!

Then there's the issue that Democrats were trying to get a DACA deal.  Reference time:  John Gilmour, Strategic Disagreement.  It is about when the parties fail to reach a compromise.  First question:  is there a "zone of agreement" between the two parties, meaning, a set of policies that both parties would find acceptable?  Second question:  which party has the public opinion advantage?

As I keep writing, I am very skeptical that there's a deal to be had.  I don't see how House Republicans go along with any DACA deal, and Trump... is just Trump.  There's no "zone of agreement."

Public opinion?  It's on the Democrats' side.  Problem:  this means we should observe a strategy called "pursuit and avoidance."  Basically, Republicans start inching towards the Democrats to try to cut into that public opinion advantage, and Democrats move away to maintain the advantage.

That isn't what was happening.  Democrats were moving towards the GOP in the search of a nonexistent deal.  How popular was the wall?  Factoring in the broken Trump promise... Yeah, this was just stupid.  This was not how it was supposed to go.  But, it shows that Democrats were really pushing for a deal.

Yesterday, then, Schumer rescinded his offer of funding for the wall.  Why?  He's not trying for a deal anymore.  If wall funding wasn't enough to get a DACA deal, nothing is.  Take that away, and a deal won't happen.  So, he's not trying.  This means he doesn't think a deal is possible.  I think he's right.

Where does this leave us in three weeks, when the temporary funding runs out?

I... have no clue.  If there's no DACA deal to be had...  there can't be an indefinite shutdown.  Schumer blinked because McConnell gave him a face-saving way to do it.  Trump doesn't want Schumer to save face, though.  His whole goal is Schumer's humiliation.

So:

1)  Schumer wants a face-saving way to back down.

2)  McConnell wants to give Schumer a face-saving way to back down.

3)  Trump wants to humiliate Schumer.

Schumer and McConnell are on the same side, kind of.  On policy, they disagree, but since they recognize the strategic constraints they both face, kick the children out of the room, and we don't have any more shutdowns.

Then again, Schumer and the Democrats demanded non-germane policy concessions to keep the government open.  Yes, Democratic readers, they are the Ted Cruzes of 2018.  Don't be hypocrites.  Learn to criticize your own.

Or just be misanthropes.

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