At The HCR Table, Was Prez. Shamwow Playing Bridge at a Poker Game?

Tom Tomorrow certainly seems to think so (click on the image to enlarge), and he gets at the thing that has always bothered me about Prez. Shamwow's "negotiating style," his fundamental weakness, his apparent willingness to have negotiated away what the negotiation was supposedly to be about even before the negotiations have begun.

This, I would argue, is not a way to "succeed" at negotiation, unless the purpose for your negotiation is merely and only to reach any kind of spurious agreement, rather than to win concessions for your side. In this 'debate,' Prez Sham 'folded'--gave away the ranch--before the first card was ever dealt...