At The American Spectator, David Catron explains how President Trump will hammer home his case for building the wall on the southern border during his upcoming State of the Union address. With little but what Catron calls “identity politics, obstruction, investigations, and magical thinking on policy,” with which to fight Trump’s wall, it’s hard to see how Democrats can win the battle. He writes (abridged):
The Democrats squealed with delight when the President decided to temporarily end the partial government shutdown. Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and their media supporters believe they have won a famous victory. Indeed, more than a few have declared the Trump presidency dead.
This isn’t merely delusional, it means that two years of dealing with “the Donald” have taught them nothing about how he operates. The President is adapting to the post-midterm political environment by changing his “game face.” The Democrats continue to indulge their irrational antipathy toward Trump and embrace increasingly inane policy positions. Meanwhile, he is becoming more presidential.
Thus, when he was told last week that Nancy Pelosi had withdrawn the SOTU invitation, he reacted more in sorrow than in anger: “I’m not surprised. It’s really a shame what’s happening with the Democrats. They’ve become radicalized.”
Then, after getting Madam Speaker’s attention by halting her taxpayer-funded vacation, he responded in a measured fashion: “She changed her mind because of the shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative. I will do the address when the shutdown is over.” Now that she has once again invited him to speak to Congress, and what may well be a record national audience, he will use the SOTU address to close the deal on the Wall.
There is no practical way for the Democrats to stop Trump from getting his wall.
He will make a sound, statesmanlike case for it to the nation during the State of the Union address — just 10 days before the deadline to avoid another shutdown. Nancy Pelosi will be scowling behind him, still smarting from the beating she received in the polls from the last shutdown and the hectoring to which she has no doubt been subjected from vulnerable members whose constituents are tired of, “NO.”
Then, failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will deliver the Dem SOTU response and characterize Trump’s wall using the usual tired clichés about racism.
In other words, Trump will have been presidential. He will have delivered all manner of good news about the economy, deregulation, health care, foreign policy, and will have laid out a plan for the wall.
The Democrats will have offered identity politics, obstruction, investigations, and magical thinking on policy. Pelosi will at length decide it’s smarter to ignore the crazies in her caucus, give Trump something that he can call a “win” on the wall, and move on to something else… anything else. And all the TDS victims and Never Trumpers will demand to know what happened to their bête noire.
Read more here.
