Don't back down. This is another assault on democracy.

Don't back down. This is another assault on democracy.

by digby


CNN Poll of Polls (average of five polls)
ALL AMERICANS
Jan. 2-21
How Trump is Handling
His Job as President

Approve 37%
Disapprove 57%
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 23, 2019



Trump's base is fracturing over the shutdown.

The new CBS poll finds:

43% of Republicans say the wall is *not* worth govt shutdown

21% of Republicans say border can be secured *without* wall

30% of Republicans want Trump to reopen govt *without* wallhttps://t.co/B7h1pZZ6i8
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 23, 2019


Via Vox:

The Politico/Morning Consult poll finds that a majority of voters — 54 percent — blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown, compared to 35 percent who blame Democrats.

In a statement, Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult’s vice president, said, “As the government shutdown enters its second month, President Trump continues to carry the bulk of the blame among voters for the stalemate. ... In this week’s poll nearly half of voters (49 percent) say the president is responsible — up 6 points since the shutdown began. At the same time, 35 percent of voters blame congressional Democrats, up 4 points, while 4 percent of voters blame congressional Republicans, down 3 points.”

The second poll, conducted by CBS News, finds that 71 percent of Americans “don’t think the issue of a border wall is worth a government shutdown, which they say is now having a negative impact on the country.”

I'm hearing from anchors on all the cable news shows that people are suffering so it's time for the Democrats to fold. After all, the president is holding his breath until he turns blue and is clearly ready to do it until doomsday so they might as well accept that they have to capitulate to him.

On the other hand, Ben Wikler of Move On says he's hearing there is a remote chance that enough Republican Senators will sign on to a clean Continuing Resolution (one withou the wall) tomorrow that they might be able to force the situation. They are calling for people to get in touch with their Senators:

Here's the target list I've seen circulating privately: R senators who, we hear, want to reopen the govt:

Alexander
Blunt
Burr
Cassidy
Collins
Enzi
Ernst
Fischer
Gardner
Graham
Isakson
Kennedy
McSally
Murkowski
Portman
Rick Scott
Roberts
Romney
Young

...CALL: REOPEN, NO WALL

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) January 23, 2019


That list of wavering GOP senators is the reason everyone I've heard from on the Hill is shouting as loud as they can that NOW is the time to apply pressure. Literally, before you read the next tweet in this thread, call the Senate: 202-224-3121. I'm doing it now myself.

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) January 23, 2019


If you don't mind calling your Senators to end the shutdown, call now. If for any reason calling isn't your thing, you can still help. First, use @MoveOn's new tool to #RageText your Senator. Text RAGE to 668366. @ShutdownRage will guide you through the rest. pic.twitter.com/LOVmfDTbdh

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) January 23, 2019


When it's time for resistance, it's time for @resistbot. Text "congress" to 50409 and the https://t.co/7k3KYl18DJ will text you back with questions and then turn it into an official letter to your Senators and Rep. It'll even give you option to make it an open letter, like so: pic.twitter.com/YXiwvRIs18

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) January 23, 2019



Today may be the day to weight in. The heat is on the Republicans far more than the Democrats and it's important not to let the media hector the Democrats into weakening. Trump is doing a dominance play --- insisting that he will win no matter how much chaos and pain he causes millions of people. It's what his base loves and it's all he knows. If it wasn't he would take the easy way out and declare an emergency and throw it to the courts. He might not get his wall but he could easily spin it as a strong move. Instead he's insisting on playing chicken because he believes that unless he puts Nancy Pelosi in her place, he will have lost face.

The Republicans can't be allowed to use these extreme measures to enact policies that are disapproved of by the majority of the country. It's another assault on democracy. If the Democrats don't stand against these actions we are well and truly screwed.


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