, Columnist
What the Democratic Playbook Might Look Like in 2021
Republicans have succeeded by breaking longstanding norms.
Which side are you on?
Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg
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“The Untouchables,” the 1987 movie about gangsters and cops in Prohibition-era Chicago, was defined by these lines, spoken by police officer Jim Malone (played by Sean Connery) to his protégé, Eliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner):
Connery’s character was speaking of Al Capone. But his lines capture something more universal. If you are in some kind of fight, your best response might be to up the ante. If your opponents know that’s what you’ll do, they might back off — in which case you win. And if they don’t back off, they’ll get hurt — in which case you also win.