Josh Marshall Calm Amidst the Storm

Find what you can actually do that’s not begging or meaningless and then do it.”

There is palpably an appetite for someone to be the opposition to all of this. And what works as an opposition is knowing where the footholds of power actually are and using those aggressively and to the hilt. There’s is nothing to be gained by begging Republicans to do this or that. You attack them for supporting what’s happening. Raise the stakes. Gaining credibility as an opposition means demonstrating you know how to do it, that you can land wounds, catch your opponents off guard, leave them confused or force them to come to you. Results.

As we discussed Monday, early 21st century American politics is all about this theater of performative power. A resolved calm and knowing the limited levers of power and using them to their maximum extent is power. It signals power. It also drives press narratives as the White House or Trump or whoever else has to react to that power. This is where we are.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/calm-amidst-the-storm