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Democrats set a shutdown snare for Trump, but may walk into his trap instead
CNN via AOL.com ^ | Wed, October 15, 2025 at 11:22 PM CDT | Stephen Collinson

Posted on 10/19/2025 1:35:12 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Democrats are doing it again.

They’re forced to use conventional political tactics to battle the most unconventional president in history — repeating a scenario that keeps leading them to political disaster.

At first sight, in the third week of the government shutdown, things seem to be working out better than expected for the opposition party locked out of Washington power. They’ve made their key issue — looming health insurance premium hikes — a national story. They’ve opened divisions in the Republican Party. And contrary to stereotype, they didn’t immediately cave, showing supporters a backbone.

In classic shutdown politics, this might have laid a decisive trap for their Republican opponents, as the human cost of the showdown mounts to create a political imperative for the party in power to find an off-ramp.

But this is the nihilistic age of Trump.

The president doesn’t just move the goal posts; he rips up the entire pitch. So assumptions that governed previous shutdowns over 30 years of bitter partisanship in Washington may not apply.

The shutdown started three weeks ago when Senate Democrats refused to back a seven-week spending bill, using the end of government funding as leverage to try to force Republicans to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and to push for a rollback of Medicaid cuts contained in Trump’s big domestic agenda law.

Republicans are willing to talk about extending the subsidies but won’t do so until Democrats back down and vote to reopen the government on their terms. “Anyone that thinks that tomorrow they’ll suddenly start negotiating, I think is smoking something that is illegal in many states,” Vermont Sen. Bernie...

(Excerpt) Read more at aol.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: govtshutdown; schumershutdown; shutdown
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1 posted on 10/19/2025 1:35:12 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I certainly hope so!


2 posted on 10/19/2025 1:38:20 PM PDT by quilterdebbie (We will endeavor to persevere!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Stephen Collinson is a senior reporter for CNN Politics covering the White House, and politics across the United States and around the world.
3 posted on 10/19/2025 1:39:03 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Goal posts” and “pitch” in the same sentence? The author is mixing up different sports.


4 posted on 10/19/2025 1:40:27 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Although I didn’t like either version of Straw Dogs I liked the man traps. Better visuals of one in the remake.

Welcome, Democrats. 😁

1971 synopsis includes:
The trap breaks his neck and crushes his windpipe, causing a slow death. The film caused a great deal of controversy upon its release in 1971.


5 posted on 10/19/2025 1:44:09 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I think what this has demonstrated is people are quite comfortable with the government being shut down.


6 posted on 10/19/2025 1:44:11 PM PDT by jacknhoo (Luke 12:51; Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
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To: Verginius Rufus

Yeah, the writer probably never went to a hockey ball game.


7 posted on 10/19/2025 1:44:53 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: Verginius Rufus
“Goal posts” and “pitch” in the same sentence?

He’s establishing his “I hate America” bonafides.

8 posted on 10/19/2025 1:45:13 PM PDT by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Rips up the entire pitch...

More foreign interference, XiNN...?


9 posted on 10/19/2025 1:48:12 PM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Government shutdown, things seem to be working out better than expected.

They only lost billions on pet projects now how to pay back the bribes in another question?.


10 posted on 10/19/2025 1:48:47 PM PDT by Vaduz
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To: HIDEK6

Given the author’s resume, I’d say that’s a safe bet.


11 posted on 10/19/2025 1:49:09 PM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Are they closing the walls in on Trump again? Maybe this time..right.


12 posted on 10/19/2025 1:49:45 PM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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To: Verginius Rufus

“Block that metaphor...”


13 posted on 10/19/2025 1:50:06 PM PDT by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh

🔥 BREAKING: President Trump just dropped a MAJOR No Kings trigger post

Trump 2028 and BEYOND!

They might have to protest every single weekend at this rate 🤣

3:19 PM · Oct 19, 2025 63.5K Views

https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1979990691938758952

Click at the pic at the link and crank it!!!


14 posted on 10/19/2025 1:53:37 PM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

First off the use of the metaphors goal post and pitch. They do not belong in the same sentence in the good ole U S of A. Full stop for me.


15 posted on 10/19/2025 1:56:40 PM PDT by NavyShoe
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To: Verginius Rufus

I caught that too. An American author?

Anyway, why would something called the Affordable Care Act need subsidies to keep it, well, affordable?


16 posted on 10/19/2025 1:57:17 PM PDT by hanamizu
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To: hanamizu

A Deep State guy. From 2014...

https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/09/cnn-politics-hires-afps-stephen-collinson-196104

AFP is state supported.


17 posted on 10/19/2025 1:59:05 PM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The article is over a thousand words and not one mention of the fact that the Democrats want the taxpayers to pay for illegals’ healthcare.


18 posted on 10/19/2025 2:02:52 PM PDT by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis! Trump & Vance, 2024! (Formerly) Goldwater & Thomas Sowell)
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To: Verginius Rufus

Well, he was a Varsity Letter wearer - Varsity Checkers.


19 posted on 10/19/2025 2:03:56 PM PDT by Shady (#EnoughIsEnough, and we have HAD ENOUGH!)
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To: hanamizu

He is english


20 posted on 10/19/2025 2:12:49 PM PDT by Dartoid
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