THE PEOPLE ARE AHEAD OF THE POLS, AS USUAL – AT 10:28 A.M. ET:   It's clear from the election that the American people want results.  It's also clear that the Democratic Party hasn't noticed.   Big mistake.  From The Hill: 

A strong majority of Americans say Democrats should look to cooperate with President Trump to strike deals, according to the inaugural Harvard-Harris poll provided exclusively by The Hill.

The survey found that 73 percent of voters want to see Democrats work with the president, against only 27 percent who said Democrats should resist Trump’s every move.

The findings are significant as Democratic leaders in Congress are under growing pressure by their liberal base to obstruct the president's agenda. The poll shows the party is divided on how to deal with Trump: 52 percent of Democrats polled say they should cooperate with him on areas of agreement and 48 percent saying they shouldn't.

Those figures are nearly identical when the question is flipped – 68 percent of those polled say that Trump should be willing to compromise and find ways to work with Democrats in Congress. Thirty-two percent said Trump shouldn’t bend at all, even if it means finding ways to achieve his agenda without congressional approval.

Republicans are similarly divided here, with 48 percent wanting compromise and 52 percent saying Trump should be unwavering.

COMMENT:  The bottom line is that the Republicans have the power.  They control the White House and both houses of Congress.  It is up to the Democrats to decide to cooperate with the president, and they should.  They can at least tell the voters that they tried.

But the Democratic Party is increasingly controlled by a rigid, and frightening, left-wing fringe that openly threatens members who want to be reasonable.  Those Democrats are threatened with primary challenges in their next election campaigns, even if they've been Democrats all their adult lives.  It will take a certain number of Dems from conservative states to buck the party if they wish to produce results for their constituents, or even save their own careers.  This used to be the party of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy.  It's pathetic.

February 19, 2017