Why Democrats won't beat Trump playing by his rules
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Liz Marlantes Politics Editor
| Washington
Dear reader:
First, President Donald Trump appeared to decline to shake House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚 hand. Later, Ms. Pelosi tore up the president鈥檚 speech.
The made-for-meme moments bookending last night鈥檚 State of the Union address represent a dispiriting sign of our times.
Why We Wrote This
President Trump鈥檚 stagecraft and emotion 鈥� whether you love it or hate it 鈥� tends to crowd out everything else.
Politics has always been about theater, as presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama intuitively understood. But today鈥檚 tit for tat theatrics seem increasingly petty and crass.
President Trump鈥檚 penchant for schoolyard insults and over-the-top rhetoric 鈥� his willingness to听go there听鈥� has long confounded his opponents. If they try to rise above it, a la Michelle Obama鈥檚 famous 鈥渨hen they go low, we go high鈥� dictum, they risk not getting any credit 鈥� or more importantly, any attention.
But while a clap back may generate cheers from the base, it can diminish your stature in the long run.
Over the weekend, after Mr. Trump sent out a series of tweets mocking former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as 鈥淢ini Mike,鈥� the Bloomberg campaign chose to responded in kind. 鈥淭he president is lying,鈥� said Bloomberg campaign spokeswoman Julie Wood. 鈥淗e is a pathological liar who lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity, and his spray-on tan.鈥�
Trump-haters loved it. Others saw it as taking the bait.
鈥淒onald Trump is a master of forcing opponents to play the game by his rules,鈥澨齈olitico鈥檚 Tim Alberta. 鈥淭his. Stuff. Does. Not. Work. Just ask Rubio, Cruz, Hillary鈥� The president鈥檚 kryptonite is substance and reason. You cannot beat him at stagecraft and emotion.鈥�
The problem is, Mr. Trump鈥檚 stagecraft and emotion 鈥� whether you love it or hate it 鈥� tends to crowd out everything else. As one Democratic voter in Iowa听: 鈥淎lthough I disagree with him on everything, he does know how to manipulate the media and get attention.鈥�
In the run up to Monday鈥檚听, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was听听how he would take on Mr. Trump. He answered: 鈥淚鈥檓 going to respond without becoming what we鈥檙e fighting.鈥�
We鈥檒l see if he can stick to that plan.
Let us know what you鈥檙e thinking at听csmpolitics@csmonitor.com.
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