Why members of Congress aren't very worried about Trump taking them out

[DonViejo]

By Philip Bump March 24 at 9:47 AM

One thing that’s worth keeping in mind about Donald Trump is that his path to the White House was unusually tricky. He was the first winning presidential candidate in the modern era of politics to get less than 50 percent of the total vote in both the primary and the general elections. He won more electoral votes than his opponent, but far fewer actual votes — a nearly 3-million-vote margin for his opponent, by far the worst popular-vote loss for any winning president.

The point is that, while Trump has won far more elections than most people, his strength isn’t exactly electoral politics. Over the course of the primaries, it was clear that his campaign’s ability to organize voters was lacking, costing him victory in the Iowa caucuses and, later, delegates in Colorado. He still won, of course, but it’s not clear that he has a strong ability to ensure an electoral victory or loss.

That’s important Friday morning, the morning of the vote on the wavering Republican health-care bill known as the American Health Care Act, for a perhaps obvious reason. Trump has presumably learned by now that his ability to twist arms or push his will on members of Congress through sheer force of personality is limited. Earlier this week, he offered a more concrete threat.

“I’m going to come after you, but I know I won’t have to, because I know you’ll vote ‘yes,’ ” he said to Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who has led the conservative opposition to the AHCA. In political terms, “come after you” has a simple translation: I will ensure you’re kicked out of office.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/24/why-members-of-congress-arent-very-worried-about-trump-taking-them-out/?tid=pm_politics_pop&utm_term=.d3b50b93d436

[TeapotInATempest]

1. That and the fact that the Koch brothers

are threatening them if they do vote Yes and, let's face it, the Reps know which side their bread's buttered on.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. With Trump's threats,

and now that more of his Cabinet is being exposed for collusion with Putin,the only threat a GOP Senator or Congressman has is Federal Prosecution for Treason.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. He has a favorability rating of 37%. The Russia thing is hanging over his head.

He hasn't a clue how to govern and he's woefully uninformed about the basics of government. He seems to think members of Congress are his employees and he's been treating them that way - and I'm sure they don't like it. They'll go along with him as long as he helps their agendas but they know there's no reason to be afraid of him.

[dalton99a]

4. +1