Trump threatens to keep government shutdown for months or maybe years!

[Keith&Co.]

Trump's numbers have slightly improved since he caved.

I would suspect the Trumpettes are rationalizing the bitter loss, convincing themselves he's setting them up for a REAL win.

In chess, that's something akin to the Queen's Gambit. "Yes, I may have just lost my queen, but that was only to set you up for checkmate."

It's the argument that Sean Hannity is reputedly making right now, much to Ann Coulter's consternation.

But something has to actually CHANGE in the Queen's Gambit. It's not a gambit to get up and walk away from the board for thirty five turns, then whining that the other guy won't let you Castle because you haven't moved your knights...

 

[Elixir]

Trump's numbers have slightly improved since he caved.

I would suspect the Trumpettes are rationalizing the bitter loss, convincing themselves he's setting them up for a REAL win.

In chess, that's something akin to the Queen's Gambit. "Yes, I may have just lost my queen, but that was only to set you up for checkmate."

It's the argument that Sean Hannity is reputedly making right now, much to Ann Coulter's consternation.

Not nearly a good analogy. Losing your queen is not part of the queen's gambit unless you're doing it wrong. Sacrificing a pawn for control of the middle of the board, is NOT what the extreme right is up to.

 

[James Brown]

In chess, that's something akin to the Queen's Gambit. "Yes, I may have just lost my queen, but that was only to set you up for checkmate."

It's the argument that Sean Hannity is reputedly making right now, much to Ann Coulter's consternation.

Not nearly a good analogy. Losing your queen is not part of the queen's gambit unless you're doing it wrong. Sacrificing a pawn for control of the middle of the board, is NOT what the extreme right is up to.

D'oh! You're right. I meant  Queen_sacrifice

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Trump's numbers have slightly improved since he caved. He also seems to be having some success with the Venezuela situation and the Taliban. I expect his popularity to go back to roughly what it has been for months--2/5 of Americans love him, and less than 3/5 disapprove. Even with his obvious weakness and incompetence at making "deals" with everyone.

Nate Silver had an interesting take on Trump's ability to negotiate: How President Trump Is Like A Terrible Poker Player

Trumpo certainly thinks he's a better poker player than he actually is, and it showed against Pelosi.

But I think his greater weakness is that people now know his game and his tactics. They've learned how valuable the saying is "Fool me once shame on you; Fool me twice shame on me." Mueller certainly understands that. Every candidate he beat out for the nomination ought to understand that. Pelosi, to her credit, just wouldn't play Trumpo's game and wouldn't play by Trumpo's rules. That's why she won.

 

[TV and credit cards]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-money-in-u-s-border-deal-talks-idUSKCN1PP28J
Nancy’s got a pair of Trumpnutz in her purse and she’s not giving them back.

 

[PyramidHead]

There are libertarian socialists, FYI.

No there aren't. No matter what they call themselves.

Eh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_socialism

Libertarianism as a concept long predates the American co-opting of the term.