Do you think the Dems are focusing too much on the Russia narrative?

[ApatheticAustrian]

The Russia issue lost Hillary votes, not Trump.

nah, calling a stone-cold killer like putin someone on the same level as US presidents is absolutely digusting for many americans.

closer to truth...both lost and won votes through this exchange, but like with all of trump's votes, maybe trump's votes were spread more successfully.

ofc the weakness of the US under trump is in fact going to create more wars, but that lesson everbody has to learn on his/herself.

[Virginiá]

I am not convinced there will be any consensus on the Russia issue until at least after the midterms, when we can see how well Democrats performed. All this speculation is leading to some funny conclusions. Trump supporters obviously don't believe it because Trump denied it, so God as spoken on that. Some liberal factions see it simply as a way of ignoring how bad of a choice Clinton was, and feeling so vindicated here they seem to be unable to appreciate the scandal for what it is. Then you have some liberals/Democrats who are pushing the scandal who may be pushing too hard on something that appears to have very long legs. However, in the end, as someone already said, the story has taken on a life of its own. Democrats are not standing over America controlling everything like a surgeon. They can only try to guide the discussion but ultimately constant leaks and revelations just carry it beyond anyone's control.

As stated before, Democrats would be wise to focus more on undermining the GOP's economic agenda (which is pretty vulnerable to criticism if you ask me), but this Russia story and Trump's daily hijinks will make that very difficult. They are simply more popular with the media and its viewers.

[ApatheticAustrian]

imho the economy is going to become a bigger issue automatically as soon as either trump finally decides how to use his marbles, which is going to limit his possibilities and/or the never-ending growth cycle finally ends, which the current president is always blamed for.

ofc if trump really is able to push through his trillion dollar stimulus infrastructure thingie, a sugar high would boost the economy for some time, but i don't see a deal like that right now...especially since the "freedom caucus" is getting wary about the speed of the O-Care repeal.....how does one expect those guys to be silents about such a spending spree?

[hopper]

I do agree that Democrats should make major efforts to undermine the GOP's agenda and highlight just how hard they are trying to stack the system against workers and in favor of corporations / the wealthy, but Democrats are not manipulating time and space to create meetings between Trump administration officials and Russian officials. These are all things Trump's circle has engaged in, and at this point there is a real question of whether there was deals made between Trump and the Russians. With all this thick smoke, there is probably a fire. [/b]Democrats can't really stop these tidbits from coming out and dominating the headlines. In fact, Trump himself seems to constantly make things worse as well.

So I wonder what exactly Democrats can do to reduce the focus on Russia short of actually defending Trump or being a party of Trump apologists/rationalizers like the GOP is right now. The bigger question is how Democrats begin to take control of the conversation and shift it to policy issues that will undermine the Republican Party. Right now, the news cycles are like one storm after another, the Democratic Party is just a boat in it, trying to stay the course.

Too late Obama already did that for the GOP. Most of the gains in income were made by the wealthy during the Obama years.

There might be a fire. We just don't know yet.

[Deblano]

I am not convinced there will be any consensus on the Russia issue until at least after the midterms, when we can see how well Democrats performed. All this speculation is leading to some funny conclusions. Trump supporters obviously don't believe it because Trump denied it, so God as spoken on that. Some liberal factions see it simply as a way of ignoring how bad of a choice Clinton was, and feeling so vindicated here they seem to be unable to appreciate the scandal for what it is. Then you have some liberals/Democrats who are pushing the scandal who may be pushing too hard on something that appears to have very long legs. However, in the end, as someone already said, the story has taken on a life of its own. Democrats are not standing over America controlling everything like a surgeon. They can only try to guide the discussion but ultimately constant leaks and revelations just carry it beyond anyone's control.

As stated before, Democrats would be wise to focus more on undermining the GOP's economic agenda (which is pretty vulnerable to criticism if you ask me), but this Russia story and Trump's daily hijinks will make that very difficult. They are simply more popular with the media and its viewers.

[Badger]

The point here isn't overestimating Russia's status as akin to Cold War rivalry days--though anyone that underestimates Putin's attempts and ability to weaken American influence globally, particularly in the Middle East and Europe, does so at their own folly--but rather that this has the unfolding of a potential real scandal of lies and backroom foreign contacts that has exposed the top of Trump's administration as perjurers at best, and literal traitors at worst. 

[Hermit For Peace]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I would have to say that we need to get clear on Trump's Russian ties. Especially if there's going to be a conflict of interest we need to know about. It's nothing like what they did to Hillary and the emails, or the Benghazi situation, where she had to sit through how many hearings? And what did they ever find there?

Give me a break. Let's get to the bottom of Trump's ties with Russia, and let's also take care of business at hand.

[ApatheticAustrian]

would have been a lot less questionable if trump would have published his tax returns like all other candidates have done for quite a long time.

donald hangs himself with his own golden string of question marks.

[Reaganfan]

I think the shock of his victory is still in full swing. Hell, who remembers the "Re-elect Gore 2004" bumper stickers?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     It comes off as obsessive to me, though I am also too young to remember when Russia was a legitimate bogeyman. I would be more disturbed by Saudi connections.

[Beet]

     It comes off as obsessive to me, though I am also too young to remember when Russia was a legitimate bogeyman. I would be more disturbed by Saudi connections.

Saudi Arabia is far weaker than Russia.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     It comes off as obsessive to me, though I am also too young to remember when Russia was a legitimate bogeyman. I would be more disturbed by Saudi connections.

Saudi Arabia is far weaker than Russia.

     Sure, they're less likely to be a credible military threat, but that's rather besides the point.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

     It comes off as obsessive to me, though I am also too young to remember when Russia was a legitimate bogeyman. I would be more disturbed by Saudi connections.

Saudi Arabia is far weaker than Russia.

-One pays to be covered favorably by the newspapers. The other doesn't stoop so low.

[Beet]

     It comes off as obsessive to me, though I am also too young to remember when Russia was a legitimate bogeyman. I would be more disturbed by Saudi connections.

Saudi Arabia is far weaker than Russia.

     Sure, they're less likely to be a credible military threat, but that's rather besides the point.

What is the point?

[Chief Justice Keef]

Yes. I see it as a way for Democrats to get out of saying they need to change. "Oh, no, there's nothing wrong with us. Hillary actually won the popular vote. But the other side cheated." Not to mention, it's being used as their main narrative as opposed to other things. If there was as big a push for universal healthcare and a living wage from Democrats right now as a call for investigations into Russia connections, I'd have a lot more faith in the party going forward in stopping Trump in both Congress and at the ballot box.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Yes. I see it as a way for Democrats to get out of saying they need to change. "Oh, no, there's nothing wrong with us. Hillary actually won the popular vote. But the other side cheated." Not to mention, it's being used as their main narrative as opposed to other things. If there was as big a push for universal healthcare and a living wage from Democrats right now as a call for investigations into Russia connections, I'd have a lot more faith in the party going forward in stopping Trump in both Congress and at the ballot box.

People say this but the dems aren't really acting like that. I know people here where mad about Perez but he is a progressive who openly acknowledges the grassroots need funding and has gone to these areas. Also they choose Beshear for the response. In both cases the party has acknowledged they need to connect more with rural whites an bread/butter issues

[ApatheticAustrian]

saudi-arabia is horrible in 100 of ways but with all their terror-funding, they are not nearly as dangerous for liberal values and liberal democracy as russia....in fact they don't care what we do, while moscow spends billions against the west.