This just means letting your opponents dictate what actions you can take and is an indefinite barrier to action. It is self limiting behavior not based on reality, but fear: “I’m afraid that someone might tell me no or try and stop me if I do X.” Our enemies are bolder than we, and this is just one of the reasons they make progress while we lose ground. What’s that SAS motto, “He Who Dares, Wins”? I don’t think it was “He Who Does What is Politically Viable Wins.”
Progress here comes in seizing opportunities and taking territory, so to speak, FIGHTING FOR IT, when the opportunity arises. This administration has already had so many of these in the past nine months, and has failed to take any meaningful action each and every time. It isn’t “politically viable” because Republicans have made it so, by saying such at each juncture. People that utter this phrase have made it a self-fulfilling prophecy. They had such an opportunity just two weeks ago. Wasted.
Rahm Emmanuel is shaking his head and smiling to himself.