Why is Schumer Picking This Fight Now? Because It's The Only Card Left to Play.

Chuck Schumer wants to pick a filibuster fight now at the time the Senate Democrats are most vulnerable and don’t even have the votes. Why on earth? I do not understand how the Democrats have gotten so bad at this, but they have. Part of it is, though, is because it is the only hand they have to play.

Let me explain what’s going on.

This is their only hand. They can’t get Build Back Better done yet. Manchin is demanding they pare it back. They don’t have the votes for anything else to overcome the filibuster. Likewise, crime, education, inflation, the economy, and the virus are pulling down Biden’s polling, which directly hurts them. The only thing they can do is try to convince the public that GOP is anti-democracy. It is why tomorrow will be full-blown hysteria over January 6th. They have no cards left to play other than fear and demonization about Republicans. Trying to convince voters the GOP cannot be trusted with democracy is the only thing they have left and if the filibuster fails, they’ll use that as part of the PR campaign.

They need their base angry and mobile. Midterms tend to have lower turn out that presidential elections. If they can let the grievance fester, they hope their base will be pissed off and ready to roll in November. The problem for the Democrats here is twofold. First, they risk their base turning on them in primaries. Second, they risk their base burning out by November and throwing up their hands in frustration. There are already signs that is happening with a disaffected Democratic base already agitating for primarying Biden. Keeping the base angry and giving them no deliverables typically doesn’t work well for a party. See the GOP, whose base decided to burn it all down with Trump.

Schumer is scared of AOC. He does not want a primary from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He has to be seen as a fighter. Remember, we’re in post-modern times where performance outweighs results. If Schumer gets to be seen as a fighter, even if he gets no deliverables, he is hoping the base decides he is with them enough to stop AOC from running against him in a New York primary.

The bottom line is it won’t work. Voters do not care about the For the People Act or the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Voters do not really care about January 6th. They do not care about the GOP and Trump. They care that gas is expensive, groceries are expensive, store shelves are empty, and they did better under Trump. Also, Manchin and Sinema are not willing to blow up the filibuster in a 50-50 Senate. They do not have the votes and the theater won’t persuade voters. But it will anger their base and that anger will most likely be directed internally, not at the GOP.

I had a black man named Franklin call my show yesterday. His phone call sums up the very reason the Democrats have no cards left to play other than fear of the GOP.