No, Trump’s pivot to the Dems is not a genius move (#NeverTrump Alert)

NY Post ^ | September 8, 2017 | Jonah Goldberg

[Oshkalaboomboom]

The news that President Trump abandoned Republicans to strike a deal with congressional Democrats on a three-month extension of the debt limit yielded a predictable response from his predictable cheerleaders: It was brilliant and typically shrewd for the author of “The Art of the Deal” to take the very first offer the Democrats made and ask for nothing in return.

Less obsequious observers on the right claimed this was the long-prophesied moment. The seventh seal had been broken. Donald Trump was “pivoting” at last. “The pivot is real and it’s spectacular!” proclaimed Ben Domenech, the publisher of The Federalist.

In the lexicon of Trumpism and anti-Trumpism, “pivot” has many meanings. But in this context, pivot means to reach across party lines and work with Democrats, giving the shaft to his own party, or at least to the GOP’s conservatives.

Many conservatives have feared such a move from the earliest days of Trump’s candidacy. The former New York Democrat holds no deep love for ideological conservatism, and many of his favorite issues (protectionism, infrastructure, etc.) are more naturally part of the Democratic portfolio.

But those fears didn’t pan out at first. The president and congressional Republicans tried mimic the Democrats in the wake of Barack Obama’s victory in 2008 and run the table, particularly on ObamaCare “repeal and replace,” on a partisan basis. Unfortunately, the GOP couldn’t get it done. This infuriated many conservatives, Republicans and Trump himself, and to some extent rightly so.

For years, Republicans said that if they could win both Congress and the White House there’d be nothing they couldn’t do. Whether this was a lie or just wishful thinking is debatable.

Regardless, they failed for several reasons. The Republican majority in the Senate is much narrower than the Democratic majority was when Obama was elected.

[JohnyBoy]

>Did ObamacareLite Pass I rest my case. So you saying Trump sucks so bad as a deal negotiator he can’t get two RINO’s who agree with him on working with Pelosi and Schumer to work with Pelosi and Schumer???

They agree with him? There votes say differently.

[MileHi]

You need to get a grip.

[Gene Eric]

Here again is the question — it's not complicated and shouldn't require your diversionary challenges :

Prior to Trump's controversial maneuver, I suppose you've been fully supportive of his dedication to fulfill his campaign promises, yes?