Last May, Gerney and Knight sent a 178-page report
to Democratic politicians, operatives and donors
that laid out ways officials in blue states can most aggressively use their powers.
It was modeled after the tactics of red-state Republican governors and attorneys general when Joe Biden was president.
They emphasized that individual governors must avoid agreements with Trump that tie receiving funds for, say, federal disaster relief with complying with his other demands.
Once the precedent is set that states must bow to Trump to receive federal dollars, that will be hard to break.
Knight and Gerney also argue that it’s also critical for blue states to get their houses in order.
It will be easier for Democrats to win in 2026 and 2028 if they can run on not just Trump’s foibles but policy successes in areas they control.
And if more people move to blue states, that’s an electoral boon for Democrats, eventually giving those states more seats in the House of Representatives and votes in the electoral college.
#Gerney #Knight
https://prospect.org/politics/2024-10-18-playing-hardball/