Schumer’s Shutdown, The Dirty Secret.

The Schumer Shutdown was a calculated ‘game of chicken,’ two objects, amnesty for illegals vs. building a wall, objects hurtling headlong at each other to an inevitable collision. For one side to achieve success the other side must give up, move away and yield the field. Failure to do so should be like the immovable object meets the irresistible force, a smash up of incalculable violence unless, of course, one of the objects was squishy. Hummn?

The calculation has always been predictably the same, with the same outcome, Democrats win, Republicans lose. But not this time. No, this time one of the energy forces was Donald Trump, not a Republican, but definitely a leader. The Republicans haven’t enjoyed real adult supervision like this since Ronald Reagan but, they haven’t yet moved to embrace Trump.

Schumer, secure in his arrogant insouciance, called for a government shutdown and Trump didn’t respond!  He all but laughed off Schemers threats, ignored alarming the public and very efficiently hung the shutdown debacle around Schemers neck, and it drug him down.

The media was shocked by Trump’s handling of the “Dreamer” negotiations. “Why, that was not how the game was to be played.” But nobody told Trump. Negotiations are supposed to be conducted between the political parties, a consensus arrived at and a bipartisan bill placed upon the President’s desk that he was expected to sign. Not this time. Trump made campaign promises and he expects to fulfill them. The non-Republican President already knew what he wanted, and he told them so. The mere political expectation for the usual order for things, heretofore designed to meet Democrat demands, amnesty for all without a wall, simply wouldn’t pass muster for President Trump. Shock, OMG!

Trump didn’t get involved in the detailed negotiations, he simply told them he would have the wall before any amnesty for illegals would even be considered. Schemer thought he could call Trump’s bluff, with the American people behind him. But Trump wasn’t bluffing. It took two days for Schumer to realize that Americans weren’t with him after all and he give up, a first!

Schumer’s dirty little secret in this game of chicken is the dangers of underestimating Donald Trump. For over the first full year of his presidency, Trump has continuously demonstrated his ability to connect with the people on all the issues the politicians ignore. Trump is absolute in trusting his instincts and he knew he would prevail because he understands the peoples gestalt far better than poll takers, precinct workers and the fake news media.

More importantly, Trump clearly doesn’t trust Republican leadership either, locked as they have been for so long in the policy of failure. We see changes here with Paul Ryan realizing where genuine conservative leadership comes from and adjusting his position in the House. Mitch McConnell is slowly coming around too. The taste of victory is sweet and delicious. The taste of failure, a first for Democrats, is like the bile rising up from an upset stomach.

What is Trump’s secret? First, he doesn’t even try to appease the NYT or Washington Post or, more especially, CNN.  He doesn’t need their approval because nothing he could do, short of quitting, would ever earn their respect. Instead he attacks them as the purveyors of fake newsies and propaganda they have become and therefore he delegitimizes them as trustworthy sources of real news. The people love it and Trump knows it. We can’t afford to lose this man, he’s a fighter!

Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (25Jan18)