# Democrats decide to work with Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 18, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307 "2016-11-18T04:16:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/21 "2016-11-18T16:17:42Z")
> [@furt](#): > > … > > Trump has also said repeatedly that rebuilding the inner cities and gaining support of minorities is a priority of his. If the Dems are convinced that Trump will say/do things in the future that will make him be perceived as politically toxic, then all the more reason to work with him now, and get what they can get while they can get it. It would be sweet irony if Trump starts pushing moderate programs that the Democrats can sincerely agree with and the Republicans are put in the awkward position of not being able to block him the way they blocked Obama. Hehe. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/22 "2016-11-18T16:37:54Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Trump has also said repeatedly that rebuilding the inner cities and gaining support of minorities is a priority of his. If the Dems are convinced that Trump will say/do things in the future that will make him be perceived as politically toxic, then all the more reason to work with him now, and get what they can get while they can get it. Trump has said a lot of things, many of them directly contradicting one another. The way forward is to see what Trump does, and what he’s doing right now is putting ultra-conservatives like Sessions and bigots like Bannon and Flynn in positions of power. It doesn’t suggest that rebuilding inner cities and gaining the support of minorities are going to be a priority. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/23 "2016-11-18T16:49:22Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Trump has said a lot of things, many of them directly contradicting one another. The way forward is to see what Trump does, and what he’s doing right now is putting ultra-conservatives like Sessions and bigots like Bannon and Flynn in positions of power. It doesn’t suggest that rebuilding inner cities and gaining the support of minorities are going to be a priority. That All Minorities Live in Hellish Inner Cities meme is out of date. Many Inner Cities are _already_ being rebuilt–or gentrified. Not\* all\* minorities are poverty stricken, despite what Trump seems to “think.” So some will be able to move into the new highrises & trendy lofts. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/24 "2016-11-18T16:58:05Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > That All Minorities Live in Hellish Inner Cities meme is out of date. Many Inner Cities are _already_ being rebuilt–or gentrified. > > Not\* all\* minorities are poverty stricken, despite what Trump seems to “think.” So some will be able to move into the new highrises & trendy lofts. I am aware. Trump, however and as you note, spent his entire campaign unable to discuss any one of “the African-Americans”, “inner cities” or “crime” without mentioning the other two in close proximity. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/25 "2016-11-18T16:58:14Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It would be sweet irony if Trump starts pushing moderate programs that the Democrats can sincerely agree with and the Republicans are put in the awkward position of not being able to block him the way they blocked Obama. Hehe. Step away from the Dr. Pepper! You’ve had _quite_ enough! ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/26 "2016-11-18T16:59:41Z")
Any proposed legislation will need to be examined/debated very carefully before the Dems jump on board. A Republican infrastructure bill will likely give huge tax breaks to private investors who want to generate their own revenue stream. But Trump is likely taking office with the lowest approval ratings in history, and he won’t get much of a honeymoon. If his approval ratings keep going down, I’m not sure the Dems have any incentive to work with him. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/27 "2016-11-18T17:10:46Z")
We aren’t the GOP. To the extent that good bills enter Congress, the Democrats should support them and not reflexively block them. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/28 "2016-11-18T17:25:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Step away from the Dr. Pepper! You’ve had _quite_ enough! \ Aw, let a girl have some fun… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/29 "2016-11-18T17:29:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > These are the reasons I’m not so worried about him. I do figure that will all change before long, but for right now the cat is neither dead nor alive and it could go either way. I’d just as soon not have the US sink from hitting a heisenberg. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/30 "2016-11-18T17:34:59Z")
Are you certain about that? Or is that just another one of those “theories”? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/31 "2016-11-18T17:42:23Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Are you certain about that? Or is that just another one of those “theories”? Yeah, what he said. After all [Gravity Is Only a Theory](https://ncse.com/library-resource/gravity-its-only-theory), too. I won’t believe \*\*that \*\*until someone can prove it to me. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/32 "2016-11-18T17:48:40Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s smart. Either he goes with their stuff, and keeps his promises, or he publicly makes a big deal out of not keeping his promises. I don’t see a loss. > > And I don’t think there’s much risk of “being seen as working with Trump” being a bad thing, as who is going to spin that? The Republicans can’t. And the Democrats have no reason to. They can easily push the “we have to do what we can now” narrative. The danger is that the Trump administration might be viewed as successful. While I’m actually in favor of Democrats supporting those portions of a Trump administration that they believe will help the American people, I can’t deny that the Republican strategy of opposing everything and not letting Obama get a single win even on issues they agreed with him on ended up working well for the Republicans. Yes it made America worse but it allowed them blame Obama for all of the troubles. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/33 "2016-11-18T17:57:25Z")
They would have anyway. Failing that, they would make up shit and blame him for stuff that didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307/34 "2016-11-18T18:30:58Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s smart. Either he goes with their stuff, and keeps his promises, or he publicly makes a big deal out of not keeping his promises. I don’t see a loss. > > And I don’t think there’s much risk of “being seen as working with Trump” being a bad thing, as who is going to spin that? The Republicans can’t. And the Democrats have no reason to. They can easily push the “we have to do what we can now” narrative. > > Once you’re actually forced to work with a narcissist, the guidelines go to butter him up considerably, while looking for a way to leave later before it harms your mental health. You nailed it, BigT. Democrats in congress are basically agreeing to work with the president on initiatives that he not only talked about but were a huge attraction to his campaign among a constituency that, in times past, was more blue than red. It makes total sense. Now it’s just a matter of waiting to see whether Trump goes off in the direction of fiscal extremism – which many of Trump’s voters really _don’t_ want – or whether they actually can work together and, if nothing else, rebrand themselves as a worker’s party. I think they’re betting that Trump is so overwhelmed right now that he’s leaning on right wing extremists to get him through his first 100 days, and indeed, that does indeed some to be the case if we’re to judge him by his appointments. It’s entirely possible that Trump alienates the white working class that helped vote him in by siding with Ryan, or that he balks and tries to fight off Ryan, Pence, and McConnell and then finds himself facing the threat of a right wing putsch from congress and even his cabinet and vice president. The threat of a great republican party splinter is still very real. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-decide-to-work-with-trump/772307.md?page=1)