The only thing D.C. Democrats control is the media (and their dominance of this last bastion is slipping away).  There is not much they can do to obstruct the Senate confirmation of Donald Trump’s cabinet, barring scandalous revelations.  So stand by for a lot of pointless confirmation hearings theatrics following the inauguration of Donald Trump and formal nominations of his cabinet.

The point the Democrats think they will be making is demonization and de-legitimization of the Trump administration.  They are transparently putting partisan advantage above the national interest.  If our side has the wit, this can be made to backfire.

First of all, the left is doing an excellent job of defining itself as deranged with hate over Trump.  The harassment of Ivanka Trump, the death wishes for the new president from celebrities, and the comparisons to Hitler do not win the sympathy of the 70-80% of the public not trapped in the liberal bubble.  The Trump hysteria of the left is now a meme with a name: Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Second, the nominees most likely to encounter flak are not, for the most part, shrinking violets.  Politicians learn how to squirm and evade as career skills, but CEOs for major corporations have a different set of career skills to draw on.

Third, the GOP Senate needs only 51 votes thanks to Harry Reid.  In critical votes, such as for Energy and State, Joe Manchin of West Virginia is likely to join the GOP, and the GOP senators are unlikely to defect.  See points one and two.

Fourth, the country wants to move on and fix the problems that have heavy majorities seeing the country as on the wrong path.  Rush Limbaugh ran into a media buzzsaw in early 2009 for hoping Obama “fails” in his policies.  Nearly everyone on the left castigated him for harming the national interest because Obama was president of all Americans.

Those video clips live on and will be deployed.

Fifth, there are currently 23 Democrats slated to stand for re-election in 2018, many of them in states Trump carried.  They all suspect (correctly) that Trump could come to their states and campaign against them if they cause a key cabinet appointment to fail confirmation.   

Tom Bevan of Real Clear Politics summed it up yesterday, speaking to Ed Henry on Fox News.

I look forward to Democrats continuing to define themselves as cranks, interested in their own advantage, not in the national interest.  There is more downside than upside for them in the Senate confirmation hearings.