The Partisan Divide on Issues

[Bob Butler 54]

It is almost embarrassing to quote MSNBC on something these days.  They have a perspective, an agenda, almost a strong as and in opposition to Fox.  If you can win market share by telling the people what they want to hear, they are looking for market share.  

Still, Rachel Maddow has been sounding the alarm of late.  Since the acquittal, Trump is openly selling pardons to those who can afford it and seeking revenge against those who spoke truth.  The Republican Establishment put their credit behind the administration, and by credit I mean electability.  Trump is now spending it freely.  He is in power, figures the Senate will block any accountability, and going to use that power for his personal gain.  If the Republicans had any pretense of ruling for the benefit of the people, that is pretty well shot now.

I have to believe this will come into play come the general election.  There are almost two sets of issues.  One is the obvious corruption and abuse of power that is Trump.  The other is the more traditional red against blue.  On the Republican side it is small government, racism, elitism, strong defense, a belief in voodoo economics and a few other issues.  On the Democratic, the environment comes to mind.

It is easy to believe that Trump on corruption has blown the Republicans out of the water.  They have zip credibility.  The middle of the road people will flip the see saw.  2020 looks good for the Democrats.

But it is not clear that the basic red against blue divide has been resolved.  They red leaners will still look for a king alligator to drain the swamp, the people who profited from shipping the jobs abroad to ship them back, the accident that was the intact American infrastructure after World War II to repeat somehow, Voodoo Economics to continue to work after the second term…