# Democrats Running For 2018 and 2020 Just Stop and Fucking Govern **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 16, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942 "2018-02-16T17:55:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inbred_Mm_domesticus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/81 "2018-02-20T14:56:16Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > why fight? What does it get them? > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > But calling ‘em out for “selfishness”? Seems reasonable to call them out for selfishness, short-sightedness, stupidity, weakness, and many of the other traits they exhibited on this topic. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/82 "2018-02-20T15:20:17Z")
> [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](#): > > Seems reasonable to call them out for selfishness, short-sightedness, stupidity, weakness, and many of the other traits they exhibited on this topic. But, again, I can only “call them out” for any of that if I first grant one thing. If shutting down the government for a week or two would’ve gotten the Dreamers something, then I can see calling Dems out for stupidity (if they didn’t realize it), or weakness (if they realized it, but backed down out of cowardice), or selfishness (if they realized it, and would’ve done it, but got bought off) or whatever. But if shutting down the government for a week or two _wouldn’t_ have gotten the Dreamers anything, then — what? Do I call the Dems out for stupidity, because they _did_ realize how it would play out? For weakness, because they back down instead of accomplishing _nothing?_ For selfishness, in the sense of gunning for enough power to _actually_ do something for the Dreamers at a later date? If they could’ve gotten a win? Fine, excoriate ‘em. But if they couldn’t — if the GOP _wasn’t in fact going to blink,_ so the Dems either get nothing for the Dreamers _fast_ or they get nothing for the Dreamers _slow_ — well, in that case, I don’t see how I can call the Dems out for stupidity or weakness or selfishness or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/83 "2018-02-20T15:49:25Z")
As far as I can tell, **Inbred** is saying that the Democrats should have fought (i.e. forced a lasting shutdown) for no other reason than to say that they fought. Is that right? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/84 "2018-02-20T16:05:00Z")
That, and to show they’re willing to fight in the future, too. It’s not unreasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/85 "2018-02-20T16:46:07Z")
Sometimes in war, it’s best to cede the battle before it begins, because overall losses make it worse for everyone, but especially you. The Dems decided a shutdown would have turned voters overall against them. Federal employees wouldn’t get paid while the pissing contest goes on, and the Dems do not want to portray themselves as adversaries of the Federal system. It’s best to let the Repubs continue their downward spiral and let the voters show their retribution in the mid-term elections. It sucks for DACA, but if the Dems manage to gain majority power after the elections, they can revisit it. They decided to think in the long term. The Repubs used a similar strategy when they wouldn’t hold meetings to approve Obama’s last SC justice nominee and waited till after Trump won to get the man they wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/86 "2018-02-20T16:52:16Z")
> [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](#): > > injecting stupid into my thread. …To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942/87 "2018-02-20T16:58:09Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > …To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, > To throw a perfume on the violet, > To smooth the ice, or add another hue > Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light > To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,… If the OP had joined recently, you could say it was bringing troll to new-asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-running-for-2018-and-2020-just-stop-and-fucking-govern/808942.md?page=4)