It's His Métier, Stupid

With Joe Biden's lead in the polls rising to double digits, President Trump tweeted yesterday that there would be no stimulus package until after the November 3rd election. The move seemed politically suicidal to Republicans and even Democrats. [bold added]

Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their...

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020

...request, and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business. I have asked...

Mitch McConnell not to delay, but to instead focus full time on approving my outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. Our Economy is doing very well. The Stock Market is at record levels, JOBS and unemployment...

also coming back in record numbers. We are leading the World in Economic Recovery, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Your humble blogger cannot believe that, after watching Donald Trump in politics for four years, observers would think that would be the last word--on second thought, maybe I do believe it--on the stimulus negotiations. We are back to his métier, deal-making.

Speaker Pelosi tried to push through a stimulus bill that included state-and-local government aid primarily to Blue States and used the imminent election to panic the President and the Senate to make a deal on her terms.

The President today tweeted his support for a "clean" bill with little for Democratic constituencies.

If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy? @MarkMeadows @senatemajldr @kevinomccarthy @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020

How the stimulus negotiations will play out in the weeks ahead is anyone's guess, but I suspect the perceptions in the rest of the country are not as one-sided against the President as the commentators thought yesterday.