Posted on 11/14/2019 5:07:39 AM PST by EyesOfTX
Tired of all this #WINNING yet? Yeah, neither am I. – Ho-hum. You know what’s coming, don’t you? That’s right: The Dow Jones Industrial average and the S&P 500 closed yet again at all-time record highs on Wednesday. Morning trading was way up as investors began to realize the clownish House Democrats were going down in flames one more time in their latest attempt to frame President Donald Trump, but then pulled back somewhat in the afternoon when news came that US and Chinese representatives had hit a snag in their trade negotiations.
Speaking of the Schiff/Pelosi/Media impeachment circus, we summarized the day’s glorious action with a late afternoon post yesterday, but it’s important to note why the Republican committee members were so successful and effective in that hearing. That’s important to understand, because it has been a rare outcome in the past for Republicans, and it shows some very promising developments are taking place within the House GOP caucus.
Let’s go these reasons:
Strategic thinking – In a somewhat stunning development, the Republican members of the committee came into the hearing with an actual strategy. This is something the Democrats have always done, at least going as far back as the Nixon impeachment. But the Republicans have, in all but a tiny few instances, always avoided strategic planning like it was a communicable disease.
I’ve actually testified in a couple of congressional hearings myself, staffed executives who were testifying in several others, and sat through dozens more over the years, and it has always been striking to me to witness the difference in coordination between the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democrats invariably come into every hearing with a clear goal in mind for outcome, assignments on who covers which specific topics during their 5 minutes of questioning, and excellent message discipline. Republicans typically seem to show up with no goal in mind, no discernible assignments and the message discipline of a bunch of alley cats.
I don’t know if credit is due to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Ranking Member Devin Nunes or Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan – who was transferred to House Intel just for this hearing process – but whoever it was that led this effort to do some strategic planning, kudos to you.
They had a goal in mind – And that goal was to decimate the witnesses before them. Not to play nice with them, not to waste precious time slathering praise on these two guys for their service to the country – or in George Kent’s case, his father’s and grandfather’s service – not to just question what they had to say in some half-assed manner, which has always been their norm in these settings, but to destroy their stories and reveal them for what they are: A pair of disloyal deep state hacks.
This goal became evident right from the start, when Devin Nunes basically insulted them as a couple of operatives who managed to pass muster in Schiff’s capital basement interrogation process so well that they became his star witnesses. Every Republican who asked questions was tough, pointed and precise, taking care not to needlessly insult them and set off the snowflake battalion among the perpetual outrage mob on Twitter, but to destroy the narrative they were pushing point by point.
That was the goal, and by the end of the day, the objective had been met.
They had clear assignments – Rep. Nunes was the stage-setter. His opening statement, when the live TV audience was at its maximum, was a scorched-earth devastation of the pathological Schiff personally and of the Democrats’ four-year effort to frame the President. You could tell how effective it really was by observing how the Democrat toadies in the media reacted to it: The shrillness of their response to anything Nunes does always has a directly inverse relationship to his level of effectiveness.
Jim Jordan had the assignment of ripping Bill Taylor’s credibility to tiny shreds, point by point. This was no easy assignment, because Taylor – unlike Kent, who relied on co-opting the military service record of his ancestors to lend himself credibility – really did serve his country with valor during the Vietnam war before becoming a career bureaucrat. So, Jordan had to rip Taylor’s confusing and byzantine narrative to shreds, reducing him to a mumbling heap, and do it all with a smile on his face. He did all that and more, with Taylor even chuckling along with him at several points.
Everyone else who asked questions, from John Ratcliffe to Chris Stewart to Elise Stefanik to Michael Turner, addressed clearly-defined subject matter and were very effective. As is the case in any team effort, their level of effectiveness was no doubt enhanced by having a clear plan and strategic approach.
They had message discipline – The Republicans came into this hearing with several key messages they wanted to hammer over and over and over again in order to beat them into the collective mind of the viewing public. Among those key messages were:
– This whole process is a sham led by perhaps the single most dishonest member of congress;
– There was no quid pro quo;
– Where’s the whistleblower, and why won’t Adam Schiff be honest about his contact with him?;
– The elected President, not unelected bureaucrats like you guys, gets to determine U.S. foreign policy;
– Neither of these witnesses has any first-hand knowledge about anything relevant;
– The real bad actors relevant to Ukraine are Joe and Hunter Biden.
These messages were pounded home repeatedly, with GOP questioning leaving the two witnesses completely stumped and wordless time after time. In the end, it was Chris Stewart who got to deliver the right uppercut that devastated the Bidens:
Rep. Chris Stewart ✔ @RepChrisStewart Can you give me an example, anytime, where the Vice President shows up and demands that a specific prosecutor be fired & gives them a 6 hour time limit to do so? Are you aware of that ever happening in any other place?
*SILENCE*
I guess the answer is no...
Embedded video 13.5K 2:26 PM - Nov 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 8,367 people are talking about this Of course the answer is no, which is why neither of these very DC Swampy creatures could muster a response.
The Bottom Line – Unless Schiff and San Fran Nan have some witness waiting in the wings who is going to make some stunning new accusation backed-up by real, first-hand knowledge and corroborated by others, they would be far better off disbanding this budding fiasco today rather than extending the pain for another two full weeks or more.
After yesterday, they have a clear rationale for doing so, and for pinning it on the President. They could gather all their corrupt press toadies together for a live conference, and tell them that the testimony of these two third-hand gossips and nasty questioning by the GOP members of them shows that it would unproductive to continue this process. They wouldn’t want their other third-hand witnesses to be “bullied,” after all.
They could then blame it all on President Trump and his firm assertion of executive privilege in refusing to allow his top advisors, who might actually have some first-hand information about something relevant, to testify before Schiff’s clown show.
And then they could all go to the capitol basement and huddle up to work on their next false narrative designed to frame President Trump.
Of course, Nan and Bug-eyes aren’t clear-headed enough to do that, so the nation will be subjected to this clown show until it comes to a bitter end.
That is all.
Republicans working together is a refreshing change. May it continue.
The only missed opportunity was when Schiffty said he didn't know the whistleblowers name. Jordan should have jumped on that asking "If you don't know his name, how can you protect him?"
This gong show would have ended right there.
– Neither of these witnesses has any first-hand knowledge about anything relevant;
- This whole process is a sham led by perhaps the single most dishonest member of congress;
– There was no quid pro quo;
– Where’s the whistleblower, and why won’t Adam Schiff be honest about his contact with him?;
– The elected President, not unelected bureaucrats like you guys, gets to determine U.S. foreign policy;
Excellent analysis.
Not likely ... Schiffhead's dishonesty is exceeded only by his shamelessness about it. He will carry the charade to the bitter end.
“The Democrats invariably come into every hearing with a clear goal in mind for outcome, assignments on who covers which specific topics during their 5 minutes of questioning, and excellent message discipline. Republicans typically seem to show up with no goal in mind, no discernible assignments and the message discipline of a bunch of alley cats.”
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Democrats are emotional decision makers. They first make a decision based upon how they feel. Then they search for the facts that support their decision and ignore any facts that refute their decision. If anyone tries to present facts contradictory to their decision already made, they attack the messenger.
Republicans are more logical decision makers who gather facts and then make a decision. They want both positive and negative facts relating to a situation. They continue gathering facts and adjust their decisions to the changing situations.
I saw a fair amount of the hearing, so I know how it went.
And I note that the media today seems to be trying to send the message: “Yesterday was devastating for Trump, after the testimony of these two very respected witnesses, he’s in serious danger of impeachment.”
I can’t say I’m shocked, but the media is disgusting.
It was effective. How effective? The former governor of Massachusetts an Obama pal just threw his hat in the ring for President.
You could tell how effective it really was by observing how the Democrat toadies in the media reacted to it: The shrillness of their response to anything Nunes does always has a directly inverse relationship to his level of effectiveness.
The shrillness is directly correlated to effectiveness.
Democrats are emotional decision makers. They first make a decision based upon how they feel. Then they search for the facts that support their decision and ignore any facts that refute their decision. If anyone tries to present facts contradictory to their decision already made, they attack the messenger.
Republicans are more logical decision makers who gather facts and then make a decision. They want both positive and negative facts relating to a situation. They continue gathering facts and adjust their decisions to the changing situations.
Yes, that is true. But for the last half century, the Democrats have been fighting all-out war against our nation’s institutions and the Republicans have been bringing knives to a raging gunfight.
Yesterday was a clear indication that the GOP members in the House are finally “woke” to their reality and have decided to fight back in an organized fashion.
That has to scare the Democrats to death.
“That has to scare the Democrats to death.”
It’s about time. They resemble a dog chasing it’s tail. Never ends.
Great article, great writing.
The Dems are too blinded by ideological rage and hatred for Trump to see the great political opportunities they are missing out on. They could easily hold the House if they were smart but they are totally consumed by their obsession of impeaching Trump. Its a self-destructive crusade and they are incapable of seeing it.
Republicans working together is a refreshing change. May it continue.
*************
Meanwhile the pathetic senate Republicans are doing nothing at all. One gets the sense they are just waiting to have a shot at Trump.
I totally agree with your observations about Democrats.
While the Republicans generally are more objective they are often incapable of developing firm convictions and standing up for them. Republicans have an almost instinctive tendency to want to fall on their swords. That is the nicest thing I can say about them.
Graham sounded fine on Hannity last night. He had a shrewd balance in his assessment and said he would call Schiff as a witness, not convict on hearsay, and demand that the stooge (my words) who caused this appear.
I heard him. But he’s been all over the place. One day saying this and the next day saying that. Its clear to me Graham is hedging. Never forget his close friendship with McCain. That in itself is reason to distrust him.
“Democrats are emotional decision makers. They first make a decision based upon how they feel. Then they search for the facts that support their decision and ignore any facts that refute their decision. If anyone tries to present facts contradictory to their decision already made, they attack the messenger.”
“Republicans are more logical decision makers who gather facts and then make a decision. They want both positive and negative facts relating to a situation. They continue gathering facts and adjust their decisions to the changing situations.”
Good summary of the emotional/logical dichotomy between these two groups.
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