Jennifer Rubin: Trump has already lost the shutdown fight

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

The first rule of shutdown fights is never say you are for a shutdown. Voters invariably oppose this kind of stunt and see it as evidence of incompetence and unnecessary rancor by the governing party. In short, since Republicans control everything and are likely to be blamed for shuttering the government, the last thing President Trump wants to do is say he is for a shutdown. And that’s exactly what he said Tuesday, no doubt to the joy of Democrats who are trying to convince Americans the GOP is unfit to govern.

...snip...

Ironically, it was Democrats who tried to spare Trump the embarrassment. (“Pelosi and Schumer repeatedly sought to end the open press portion of the meeting," CNN reports, "telling the President they should debate in private, not in front of the cameras. ‘Let us have our conversation and then we can meet with the press again,’ Pelosi said.”)

It was an extraordinary moment when Trump not only lost the high ground as president but made Democrats look like the grown-ups. ("The American people recognize that we must keep government open, that a shutdown is not worth anything, and that we should not have a Trump shutdown,” Pelosi said, sounding more like a president than the actual president.)

[fishwax]

1. you could tell that "trump shutdown" line really got under his skin

Not that he was doing a great job in his rambling preamble, but when she started speaking he had a good ten seconds or so of listening fairly respectfully and attentively. Then after that remark he spiraled pretty quickly.

[barbtries]

2. the democrats don't just look like the grown ups

they are.

trump is an infantile, desperate maniac.