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Playing Poker With Democrats [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-03-06

I have not played holdem in years but seem to remember two basics: aggressive play and bluffing - often the same. I f I were thinking about playing with today’s democrats and republicans:

Republicans - they seem to understand the game. Aggressive play, press one’s opponent. Bluff/lie prodigiously.

Democrats - they’d fold every hand waiting for pocket aces. And then what? Probably only call?

Tuesday night, Trump lied about Medicaid and Al Green called his bluff. Republicans raised back by ejecting him (1st time in ........) . The democrat's response should have been to raise back! The party should have had Green’s back and walked out. The entire party! Instead, we got pink garb (are you serious?) and pathetic paddles? Hapless and chuckles are not the leaders this country needs to counter fascism.

In a past day, with an objective news media, good policy alone might be enough to carry a party. But we live in an era of saturation lies and gotcha moments. And only a concerted push back of counter gotcha moments is likely to stop this fascist train.

A friend’s maga friend is a really good guy. But he is a crypto guy. So in his universe he doesn’t hear trump lies. There trump has only 100% deported felons, family separation was only an Obama thing, inflation all Biden - he doesn’t believe trump said he’d lower prices on day one, etc........ he’s never heard otherwise. The democrats have a major messaging problem. And talking about a 50-state strategy doesn’t work when you have no actual plan/strategy.

I think the democrats have candidate quality issues through much of their party/organization. A huge aipac/Israel problem. That the party always supports incumbents entrenches the rot. But it is their leadership that passes on every hand/play - refusing to raise or even call a bluff that will be so costly to our fading democracy.

Democrats please invest a few $’s into daily news counter programming. Americans should know that trump is betraying Ukraine............many don’t. Americans should know that we are actually siding with Putin/Russia.....most don’t know about the UN vote. Americans should be reminded of the Bucha war crimes (putin gave them medals). Americans should know that trump is lying about Medicaid......maga’s have no clue. Most maga’s have no idea some federal workers pass up higher private salaries to work for their country......but instead let republicans denigrate the lot of them?

In poker, money management is huge. When opponents are playing with others money winning can seem difficult. But the dems need to stop folding. At a minimum they need to start calling republican moves - on some of the crazier moves/lies they need to raise, raise, raise. If roles were reversed, we’d hear a non stop stream of republican accusations of president the betrayer.....the president surrenders, president stealing Medicaid, the president doesn’t have the right to raise tariffs, etc.....

btw - dems - in 2026 the republicans will run on crime. It doesn’t matter what the actual stats are the republicans always want to make us scared. They have every election since the magna carta granted /acknowledged rights to others. Maybe once......just once........the dems could have a plan for 2026? How about starting now with less expensive billboards and short online ads reshaping minds, expectations back to reality……...and saving our democracy.

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