Nancy Pelosi
The Main Stream Media, after exhausting the topic of whether Nancy Pelosi will be the next Speaker of the House has latched on to another question that seems geared more to the Republicans than journalism. Will the Democrats be able to keep its legislative promise to voters and fix health care or will they go crazy investigating Trump and his administration?
Unfortunately, too many Democrats play into the either legislate or investigate frame and respond by saying we can walk and chew gum at the same time. This cutesy response reinforces the frame that Democrats will have the choice of either legislating or investigating. The truth is the Democratic agenda and how voters perceive their agenda will depend on two other players.
Unfortunately, too many Democrats play into the either legislate or investigate frame and respond by saying we can walk and chew gum at the same time. This cutesy response reinforces the frame that Democrats will have the choice of either legislating or investigating. The truth is the Democratic agenda and how voters perceive their agenda will depend on two other players.
First, the Democrats will not be able legislate without Trump and Mitch McConnell. And they will not want to pass any bills because to do so will undermine their main line of attack against Democrats in 2020. They will be quite content to run on what Fox and the Republicans will call Democratic failures. It will allow them to focus on what has been their bread and butter: social issues. They will raise the immigration threat, whine about how Democrats are destroying law and order, and blame Democrats for embracing policies that will change the U.S. from the heaven it was in the fifties. In fact, they, with Fox’s help, will decry the diversity of the House Democrats and argue that its diversity is why the Democrats fail to accomplish anything. And don’t doubt for a minute that this argument won’t have some takers.
Also, what the Democrats do will depend on the Republicans in another way. Congress has a sworn responsibility to exercise oversight. Although the Republicans have forgotten their duty the Democrats have not. When they uncover even more of Trump’s corruption than has been reported so far, they are honor bound to investigate. No one should doubt for a second that there will more corruption in the White House than is known so far. More dirt is being uncovered every day. Just consider the last month and the Saudis committing a grisly murder and Ivanka with her private emails.
Second, no matter how hard the Democrats work their little fingers to the bone passing bills, it is unlikely that the Main Stream Media will spend any of their precious air time on it. The media will find investigations sexier than legislation. My guess is that the media will spend about 100 times more time covering investigations than legislation. This will be especially true because the bills that the House passes will not become law, and thus, will not have any effect on the country.
Perhaps, the Democrats can hold hearings on a hot topic like gun control and get some coverage other than C-Span.
I’m not sure. I am sure of this. Going into 2020, the public’s perception of the Democrats will be that they spent their time investigating and not legislating.
Also, what the Democrats do will depend on the Republicans in another way. Congress has a sworn responsibility to exercise oversight. Although the Republicans have forgotten their duty the Democrats have not. When they uncover even more of Trump’s corruption than has been reported so far, they are honor bound to investigate. No one should doubt for a second that there will more corruption in the White House than is known so far. More dirt is being uncovered every day. Just consider the last month and the Saudis committing a grisly murder and Ivanka with her private emails.
Second, no matter how hard the Democrats work their little fingers to the bone passing bills, it is unlikely that the Main Stream Media will spend any of their precious air time on it. The media will find investigations sexier than legislation. My guess is that the media will spend about 100 times more time covering investigations than legislation. This will be especially true because the bills that the House passes will not become law, and thus, will not have any effect on the country.
Perhaps, the Democrats can hold hearings on a hot topic like gun control and get some coverage other than C-Span.
I’m not sure. I am sure of this. Going into 2020, the public’s perception of the Democrats will be that they spent their time investigating and not legislating.