Assuming the Democrats pursued a strategy of blocking anything and everything -- what do you see as the end game?
I see the following two options for the repubs:
1. Capitulate and not pursue their agenda, which will anger their base no end and put their own re-election prospects at risk.
2. Let the Democrats slow things down, possibly even shut down the government, blame the Democrats (a message the media will latch onto if history is any guide) which will energize their base for 2018.
I prefer an energized Democrat base and a demoralized repub base. And I think the best way to do that is to oppose the repubs vigorously but not indiscriminately block votes on anything and everything. For some things, we will lose, like the privacy repeal, and that repeal not only energizes our base but gives us a great issue to campaign on in 2018. On other issues, like health care, the budget cuts, the Senate repubs themselves are likely to have trouble going along with Trump's agenda and whatever might come out of the House. The message of a repub-controlled legislature that can't get things done, not because of Democratic obstruction but because of their own ineptitude is a much better message going into 2018.
But, that being said, if you have a different idea of how a blockade strategy would play out over the next 20 months (leading up to Nov. 2018), I'm sincerely open to hearing and considering it.
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