When House Republicans abandoned their plan to gut an independent ethics office last week, it showed the power of public opinion. It also offered a playbook for Democrats in 2017.
As soon as news of the original plan broke late last Monday afternoon, social media exploded with outrage. Phone calls poured in to Capitol Hill the next morning. At 10 a.m., Donald Trump distanced himself from the plan, and by midafternoon Republicans had folded.
We’ve seen this script before, but it has recently come from the political right more often than the left. The Tea Party and its allies managed to alter President Barack Obama’s 2009 stimulus and 2010 health care law, as well as help block climate, preschool and infrastructure bills.
Remember, some of those victories came when Republicans didn’t control the White House or Congress. But they had other advantages: a focused message, a strong organization and a whole lot of passion. They influenced policy by striking political fear into members of Congress.
Now it’s the left’s turn to use public opinion.