Arthur: And the winners fail when they convince themselves that since victory is permanent, they can set an agenda that attracts no one from the other side.

Gail: Well, looking at a President Trump and a Republican-controlled House and Senate, I’d say we are in for a stretch of dumb things.

Presidents generally get most of their big changes done in the first year or two. President Obama did that with health care. His agenda was nothing compared to George W. Bush, who did everything from tax cuts to getting authorization for the Iraq invasion. But Obamacare was certainly a big lift. It was also a central campaign promise. I know you think it was a bad idea.

Arthur: I think that strategy is enormously shortsighted. I remember thinking when the Democrats held the White House and both houses of Congress in 2009, “Even though they don’t have to, it might be wise to give a little to bring some centrist Republicans into Obamacare. Some day the Republicans might be in a position to reverse everything if they have zero political investment in it.” And sure enough, here we are.

My point is that of course a president should have a vision that matches his ideology. That’s why he got elected. But I think it is impractical and imprudent to — forgive me for another reference to “This Is Spinal Tap” — turn it up to 11. Give on a few things where you don’t have to, because someday you’re going to need friends to protect the stuff you care about most. The Trump administration might learn from the outgoing administration’s horror at seeing some or all of Obamacare repealed.

Gail: We part company here. My perception of Obamacare was of a Democratic Party willing to work on compromise legislation while the Republicans just stalled. There was no unified Republican position, just a ton of people who wanted to be deal-makers but kept changing their mind.

But the bottom line is that we’ve left behind the old let’s-have-a-drink-after-work Congress. We’ve now got guys who sleep in their offices and don’t even talk to the other side at the House gym.