James Carville: It’s Time for a Daring Political Maneuver, Democrats "roll over and play dead. Allow the Republicans to crumble"
- Thread starter ☑︎#VoteDemocrat
- Start date
You definitely have a point. Dems are too reactionary and performative. They spend too much time running around and telling people that he's destroying Democracy and the US as we know it. But the thing is that a lot of people feel like the system is failing them anyway so they don't care that it burns and as a matter of fact the Dems are sounding like they're defending a system that isn't beneficial to everyone. But honestly a more progressive part needs to come outta the ashes and push the corporate Dems into the closet. They should be going around city to city mobilizing folks for these local and state races and then build a coalition that way. All this pleading for Trump voters to switch sides is dead in the water. Focus on policies that directly benefit the people and get outta the billionaires pockets
Agreed. The Dems with money are stifling what would be a more resounding message of progressivism. Ive said on hear as a theory that the cultural stuff generally falls to the wayside if people actually feel like they can get ahead in life. we wouldnt see such a stark regression to tribalism and open white supremacy if times were good for enough people that they dont focus on the negatives in their lives overwhelmingly.
There has to be new crops of young progressives in the aftermath of this running for offices because it all starts local. The corporate dems are useless and incidentally remind me of some of the tangibles crowd (this is not meant to shyt on them): in a time where basic human rights are being eroded, and our futures are being stolen from under us, the focus is on trying to get something that’s not going to happen in this political reality. The corporate dims spent last year telling us correctly how terrible Trump would be, but are now focused on securing donor dollars and how to align with a more right wing
friendly ethos. The national Democratic Party has a real knack for missing the point and it’s especially jarring that they are doing this in the middle of a fascist takeover. The upside as we know the names of the folks holding us back. The question is what the hell are we going to do about it?
Dzali OG
Dz Ali OG...Pay me like you owe me!
I go with the OP. It's no different than how you deal with any know-it-all. You let them do them, and either they'll fall on their face or they may turn out do be right.
I really think each side should be given say....4 years of complete control. Then try the other side after the 4 years up. Let the people decide which system is best. The side that's chosen, then give them like 8-10 years.
I think something like this will allow people on the fence to see what side they really prefer.
I really think each side should be given say....4 years of complete control. Then try the other side after the 4 years up. Let the people decide which system is best. The side that's chosen, then give them like 8-10 years.
I think something like this will allow people on the fence to see what side they really prefer.
Trust the plan
Trust the plan 
play dead)Trust the plan 
www.nytimes.com
James Carville: How to Turn Trump’s Economic Chaos Against Him
April 14, 2025
A photo of a car elevated in an auto repair shop, with a wet mop stuck in a traffic cone below.
Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times
By James Carville
Mr. Carville is a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton’s in 1992, and a consultant to American Bridge, a Democratic super PAC.
In many ways, President Trump is a one-trick Shetland pony: He talks a big game, like building a border wall or ending Covid, and then tries to distract Americans when his promises go belly up. Back in office this winter, he promised a golden age for the economy and the end of inflation starting on Day 1 — and then we got served plenty of fish bait: blowing smoke about seizing Greenland, huffing and puffing about annexing Canada and throwing people into a tizzy over seeking a third term, which he will never be able to do.
Now we know why. Mr. Trump didn’t have a plan to bring down inflation and make life better (except for the rich, who disproportionately benefit from his tax cuts), and he was hellbent on tariffs at all costs.
The problem is that smoke and mirrors only work until you screw up so hard that no act of lunacy can pull the American people’s attention elsewhere. And boy, did the president just screw up royally.
In what will certainly be recorded as one of the most ignorant acts of political leadership in American history, the president of the United States has now willfully damaged the global economy with his tariff chaos. Not only was this an act of economic warfare, it has broken the cardinal rule in American politics: Never destabilize the economy. With it, the Trump administration is causing enormous damage to itself — and there can be no more distraction from this naked truth.
This is where the Democrats have an opening. In February I wrote a piece calling on my party’s leaders to play dead, allowing the Republicans to punch themselves out and crumble beneath their own weight. But many Democrats indulged Mr. Trump’s lunacy or allowed themselves to become the story over the government funding and shutdown debate, while the president continued his campaign of chaos and distraction. Now, Democrats have an opportunity to allow the Republicans to edge closer to collapse as the party in full control of Washington — let’s please not become the story again and get in their way.
In the coming weeks and months, many Americans are going to experience pressure and pain with the tariffs on China and the remaining tariffs on an array of goods and countries. Prices could rise sharply, consumer spending may well dry up and we are already seeing evidence of surging mortgage rates and a weakened bond market. The Trump administration will not be competent enough to dig us out. The path to stabilizing and strengthening the country starts when Democrats can take back the economic narrative from the Republican Party and persuade the majority of Americans to close the book on the Trump chaos.
This can only be done if we avoid the distractions — whether it’s Mr. Trump’s third-term talk or Democratic infighting on social issues — and instead focus on the economic foundations that matter to Americans most. My fellow Democrats, it’s time we transform our party into a projector for the economic pain of the American people.
Here’s how to do it:
First, focus on prices. We must start with what matters most. President Trump won the White House on an overt promise to bring down prices. Let’s not forget his most oft-repeated claims: “Starting on Day 1, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods” or: “Prices will come down. You just watch. They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.”
This promise is formally broken. The cost of trucks and vehicles is set to shoot up thousands of dollars. Dame, a sexual wellness brand that makes adult toys and personal care products, implemented a $5 “Trump tariff surcharge.” Everything from seafood to cans of beer to clothing to toys will grow more expensive.
The most direct hit to working people’s pocketbooks will always be from the cost of daily goods. Making it clear that Trump and the Republicans willingly broke this promise should be in every ad, every podcast talking point, every message we send from now until the midterms.
Second, it’s not about the stock market, it’s about 401(k)s. With six in 10 Americans lacking the savings to cover even a $1,000 emergency expense, Democrats cannot afford to hinge our economic narrative on the rise and fall of a market for the privileged. For younger Americans, stocks will most likely rebound and grow over time. But the tariffs are a poison dagger for those who have saved and vested into their 401(k) their entire lives, just to see it depleted by the reckless actions of the president.
You can bet certain retirees are now living in a panic, pausing home renovations and big-ticket purchases as their life savings start to drain by the day. If this continues, many retirees will have to go back into the work force, spending what should be their comfortable years grinding in the office like they are in their 30s. This is a real, substantial pain that will be felt by the Americans who are the least deserving of it. As it turns out, older voters are also some of the most reliable, powering Trump’s re-election. Democrats, uplift their stories and connect their pain to the president. Do not focus on the market or the daily percentage drop in the Magnificent Seven tech stocks.
And third, make the message local. It’s important that as a party we understand this is not about us and that the Democratic brand is tarnished at this given moment. And instead, take our prints off of the message as much as possible. This is not about us going on CNN or taking to X to complain about the president.
The Democratic Party must now take local stories and project them where they matter most. Record the story of Nicholas Gilbert, a dairy farmer upended by the tariffs — and localize it to Wisconsin. Focus on the Latino and Black men who supported his previous election, and take it to Georgia or Arizona. Go on influencer networks and podcasts talking about the looming increase in car prices and the fact that the president exploded Nintendo’s plans for the Switch 2.
For the entirety of his tenure in American politics, Donald Trump for better or worse has lived on by the grace of the American people’s faith in his economic leadership. Now it is plain and clear, just as with his failures in Atlantic City or with Trump University, that President Trump never had any idea what he was doing all along. If we avoid the distractions to come and stay focused on the economy, Democrats can take back the one issue that has kept Trump on a respirator all this time. Through all the hardships to come, we bring the silver lining. And finally, we can begin again.
Opinion | James Carville: How to Turn Trump’s Economic Chaos Against Him
Tie the president to the people’s pain, and make the message local.
James Carville: How to Turn Trump’s Economic Chaos Against Him
April 14, 2025
A photo of a car elevated in an auto repair shop, with a wet mop stuck in a traffic cone below.
Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times
By James Carville
Mr. Carville is a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton’s in 1992, and a consultant to American Bridge, a Democratic super PAC.
In many ways, President Trump is a one-trick Shetland pony: He talks a big game, like building a border wall or ending Covid, and then tries to distract Americans when his promises go belly up. Back in office this winter, he promised a golden age for the economy and the end of inflation starting on Day 1 — and then we got served plenty of fish bait: blowing smoke about seizing Greenland, huffing and puffing about annexing Canada and throwing people into a tizzy over seeking a third term, which he will never be able to do.
Now we know why. Mr. Trump didn’t have a plan to bring down inflation and make life better (except for the rich, who disproportionately benefit from his tax cuts), and he was hellbent on tariffs at all costs.
The problem is that smoke and mirrors only work until you screw up so hard that no act of lunacy can pull the American people’s attention elsewhere. And boy, did the president just screw up royally.
In what will certainly be recorded as one of the most ignorant acts of political leadership in American history, the president of the United States has now willfully damaged the global economy with his tariff chaos. Not only was this an act of economic warfare, it has broken the cardinal rule in American politics: Never destabilize the economy. With it, the Trump administration is causing enormous damage to itself — and there can be no more distraction from this naked truth.
This is where the Democrats have an opening. In February I wrote a piece calling on my party’s leaders to play dead, allowing the Republicans to punch themselves out and crumble beneath their own weight. But many Democrats indulged Mr. Trump’s lunacy or allowed themselves to become the story over the government funding and shutdown debate, while the president continued his campaign of chaos and distraction. Now, Democrats have an opportunity to allow the Republicans to edge closer to collapse as the party in full control of Washington — let’s please not become the story again and get in their way.
In the coming weeks and months, many Americans are going to experience pressure and pain with the tariffs on China and the remaining tariffs on an array of goods and countries. Prices could rise sharply, consumer spending may well dry up and we are already seeing evidence of surging mortgage rates and a weakened bond market. The Trump administration will not be competent enough to dig us out. The path to stabilizing and strengthening the country starts when Democrats can take back the economic narrative from the Republican Party and persuade the majority of Americans to close the book on the Trump chaos.
This can only be done if we avoid the distractions — whether it’s Mr. Trump’s third-term talk or Democratic infighting on social issues — and instead focus on the economic foundations that matter to Americans most. My fellow Democrats, it’s time we transform our party into a projector for the economic pain of the American people.
Here’s how to do it:
First, focus on prices. We must start with what matters most. President Trump won the White House on an overt promise to bring down prices. Let’s not forget his most oft-repeated claims: “Starting on Day 1, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods” or: “Prices will come down. You just watch. They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.”
This promise is formally broken. The cost of trucks and vehicles is set to shoot up thousands of dollars. Dame, a sexual wellness brand that makes adult toys and personal care products, implemented a $5 “Trump tariff surcharge.” Everything from seafood to cans of beer to clothing to toys will grow more expensive.
The most direct hit to working people’s pocketbooks will always be from the cost of daily goods. Making it clear that Trump and the Republicans willingly broke this promise should be in every ad, every podcast talking point, every message we send from now until the midterms.
Second, it’s not about the stock market, it’s about 401(k)s. With six in 10 Americans lacking the savings to cover even a $1,000 emergency expense, Democrats cannot afford to hinge our economic narrative on the rise and fall of a market for the privileged. For younger Americans, stocks will most likely rebound and grow over time. But the tariffs are a poison dagger for those who have saved and vested into their 401(k) their entire lives, just to see it depleted by the reckless actions of the president.
You can bet certain retirees are now living in a panic, pausing home renovations and big-ticket purchases as their life savings start to drain by the day. If this continues, many retirees will have to go back into the work force, spending what should be their comfortable years grinding in the office like they are in their 30s. This is a real, substantial pain that will be felt by the Americans who are the least deserving of it. As it turns out, older voters are also some of the most reliable, powering Trump’s re-election. Democrats, uplift their stories and connect their pain to the president. Do not focus on the market or the daily percentage drop in the Magnificent Seven tech stocks.
And third, make the message local. It’s important that as a party we understand this is not about us and that the Democratic brand is tarnished at this given moment. And instead, take our prints off of the message as much as possible. This is not about us going on CNN or taking to X to complain about the president.
The Democratic Party must now take local stories and project them where they matter most. Record the story of Nicholas Gilbert, a dairy farmer upended by the tariffs — and localize it to Wisconsin. Focus on the Latino and Black men who supported his previous election, and take it to Georgia or Arizona. Go on influencer networks and podcasts talking about the looming increase in car prices and the fact that the president exploded Nintendo’s plans for the Switch 2.
For the entirety of his tenure in American politics, Donald Trump for better or worse has lived on by the grace of the American people’s faith in his economic leadership. Now it is plain and clear, just as with his failures in Atlantic City or with Trump University, that President Trump never had any idea what he was doing all along. If we avoid the distractions to come and stay focused on the economy, Democrats can take back the one issue that has kept Trump on a respirator all this time. Through all the hardships to come, we bring the silver lining. And finally, we can begin again.
Piff Perkins
Veteran
All the people who were hand wringing over trannies and "dems don't have a leader" took an L. Trump promised to crash the economy and he's on the path to doing it. He hasn't spent a DAY of his presidency talking about prices, ie the main reason he won in the first place. People realize they fukked up and gotta live with it but in the meantime, dems will win elections. Midterms will be 2010-esque, bet on it. This summer gonna be ugly as the economy falters and small businesses run out of time to survive the tariffs.
WTFisWallace?
All Star
100% agree with this. For a decent % of non voters & even on the fence Republican voters….simply hearing “Democrat” is poison to their ears.
The policy could be “providing school lunches to children” but if they see Democrat, AOC, Kamala, Biden attached to it….their first thought is to be against it.
Dems, Get Your Asses to the Port of L.A.
Put down the pen, get on the road and show the American people who cares about the financial pain Trump is needlessly foisting on them.
saltypolitics.substack.com
Dems, Get Your Asses to the Port of L.A.
Put down the pen, get on the road and show the American people who cares about the financial pain Trump is needlessly foisting on them.
Julie Roginsky
Apr 29, 2025
Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash
Enough already.
On CNN this Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke out about Donald Trump’s decision to go after Harvard University under the guise of fighting antisemitism.
Schumer was having none of it. He and four other senators were so outraged that Trump is exploiting antisemitism to pull billions of dollars in funding for medical research that they — wait for it — sent him a sternly worded letter demanding answers.
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“We sent him a very strong letter just the other day asking eight very strong questions about why this isn’t just a pretext,” Schumer bragged.
Uh huh. Not just a letter but an eight question letter. And those questions were not just throwaway questions about Trump’s golf game or the patio he plans to build at the White House. They were "very strong questions” about Harvard’s federal funding. Right now, Trump is definitely sitting in the Oval Office with his #2 pencil, laboring over how to respond to these eight strongly worded questions. Either that or he is playing the eighth hole at his golf course. You decide.
As a messenger for the Democratic cause, Schumer has proven disastrous. But that doesn’t mean that Democrats don’t have a strong message. That message is located far from Washington, DC in San Pedro Bay, about twenty-five miles south of downtown Los Angeles.
The Port of Los Angeles handles about one-third of the nation’s overseas imports and exports. It normally takes a ship leaving China between fifteen and thirty days to arrive at the port. Trump’s tariff “Liberation Day” was nearly one month ago and it’s starting to have an impact. Here’s Fortune:
Those unionized truckers are represented by The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which declined to endorse in last year’s presidential election because of heavy member support for Trump. Shortly after Trump’s tariff “Liberation Day,” the Teamsters fell in line to support the president’s tariff policies. Speaking of the impact Trump’s tariffs will have on truck drivers, Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said, “instead of moving international containers, they may slide over and try to move domestic product. They may move U.S. mail, FedEx, UPS product. So you’ll see folks that have to scramble pretty quickly to keep their jobs and keep food on the table. It’s going to be disruptive.”
The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents dock workers across the United States, also declined to endorse in last year’s presidential election. After Trump’s victory, its president issued a fawning press release, in which the ILA’s president addressed Trump directly and said, “You have proven yourself to be one of the best friends of working men and women in the United States.” The press release noted that “the union now regards President Donald Trump as one of the greatest friends of Organized Labor and champion of the working men and women of this country.”
How quickly the leopard ate the ILA’s face. Yesterday, the union blasted Trump’s tariffs. “The reality is clear: these tariffs don’t put ‘America First’ — they put American working people last. They will kill jobs, raise costs, and fuel economic instability that will ripple through every community in this country.”
What’s worse is that the true impact of Trump’s disastrous tariff policies have yet to be felt. The true pain will likely start to be felt next week. By the first week of May, there will be a 44% drop in freight vessels from China arriving in Southern California. That means fewer longshoremen unloading fewer containers, fewer truckers hauling goods to fewer storage facilities and fewer products arriving on store shelves.
According to the Chicago Tribune:
One of the things that makes Trump’s tariffs so dumb is the timing. April and May is when suppliers begin to place orders for back-to-school and Christmas shopping. Even if Trump were to wake up tomorrow and say that he was wrong about the tariffs — even if China agreed to forget about it — it will be too late for Americans not to feel the pinch come August, when their kids need new clothes and supplies for school. The holidays this year will be painful for families all across the country.
Yet Schumer is busy sending stern letters to the White House. It’s pretty pathetic when corporate America beats Democrats at the political blame game. Amazon is placing the responsibility for price hikes squarely where it belongs. The e-commerce behemoth will now display how much tariffs are adding to an item’s cost next to each product’s total listed price. Some third-party sellers on Amazon are pulling out of Prime Day, one of the biggest shopping days of the year, because tariffs have made it impossible for them to discount their products. (Amazon is not the first company to do this. Chinese fast-fashion giant Temu is now placing a 145% surcharge on the products it imports into the United States, more than doubling the cost in many cases.)
That’s why any Democrat who is interested in pulling up the party’s dismal polling numbers should hightail it to San Pedro Bay. A whopping 69% of Americans believe that the Democratic Party is out of touch with “the concerns of most people” across the country. One way to show that you are in touch with what is happening is to stow the sternly worded letters and create a visual narrative that underscores what is happening and who is at fault.
With apologies to Elvis, what the Democratic Party needs now is a little less conversation, a little more action.
Trump and the rest of the MAGA cult certainly won’t bring attention to the empty ships, which will lead to empty trucks, which will lead to empty shelves. This is a golden opportunity for Democrats. They have wasted far too many of them already.
Put down the pen, get on the road and show the American people who cares about the financial pain Trump is needlessly foisting on them. Now.
Further Reading:
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
MassLive: ‘Pathetic’: Critics cringe at leading Dem’s ‘very strong letter’ to Trump
Fortune: Huge decline at L.A. port is a hit to truckers—and a stark warning of coming tariff damage
CNBC: Chinese freight ship traffic to busiest U.S. ports, Los Angeles, Long Beach, sees steep drop
International Longshoremen’s Association: ILA PRESIDENT HAROLD DAGGETT CREDITS PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP’S SUPPORT AS KEY TO HELPING HIS MEMBERS SECURE GREATEST CONTRACT
FreightWaves: Longshore union blasts Trump tariffs, warns of massive job losses
Politico: Teamsters members heavily favor Trump over Harris ahead of union endorsement decision
Newsweek: Key Labor Union Backs Donald Trump's Tariffs: 'Something Needed to Be Done'
Politico: America’s largest port is struggling to navigate Trump’s tariffs
Chicago Tribune: Empty ports, empty shelves? Trump tariff battle set to hit home soon
Punchbowl News: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers
Reuters: Exclusive: Some Amazon sellers are pulling out of Prime Day amid Trump tariffs
CNBC: Temu adds ‘import charges’ of about 145% after Trump tariffs, more than doubling price of many items
The Hill: Most say Trump, Democrats are ‘out of touch’: Poll
