3 Reasons for 2024 Optimism, The Democratic Party Is Strong, My MSNBC Hit on the "Party of Putin"

Meet Tom Keen, FL HD-35 Hopium Candidate, Wed Night at 6pm EST!

Happy Monday folks! A few things today:

On Friday I dropped a new analysis I hope everyone here at Hopium reads in the coming days. It reviews IMHO the three most important story lines in US politics as we head into 2024:

• The most important electoral data out there right now isn’t noisy and unreliable polls, it’s our ongoing overperformance in elections of all kinds across the US since Dobbs. 2022 taught us centering our understanding of US politics solely on polls is a risky affair - more need to learn that lesson

• The economy is ending 2023 on a remarkably strong note, giving Biden a very sturdy foundation for his re-election next year

• Trump’s Olympian levels of baggage and escalating extremism are being overly discounted in the 2024 chatter. The country has rejected MAGA in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023, and is unlikely to vote for the most extreme and dangerous version of MAGA we’ve seen so far.

I talk about these three story lines in my new year-end video briefing 2023 Was A Very Good Year for Democrats. Let’s Make 2024 Even Better, and in this terrific new Vanity Fair podcast and article, A Dem Strategist Calls B******t on Biden Polling Doom. Enjoy all. As we head into 2024, in every way possible, I would much rather be us than them.

Our 2024 Campaigns So Far - Please Volunteer, Donate, Promote!

• Tom Keen FL HD-35 - Jan 16th Special Election - join us Wed at 6pm EST to for a pep rally for Tom with other Florida political leaders (and me too)

• Tom Suozzi NY-3 - Feb 13th Special Election for Santos Congressional seat

• North Carolina Democratic Party - Ongoing, top 2024 battleground Presidential pickup opportunity

• Background On How We Are Approaching 2024 Here At Hopium

David Pepper on Encouraging Democratic Candidate Recruiting Success in AR, NC, and TX - Fellow Substacker David Pepper has a great new post up analyzing our success in recruiting candidates for the 2024 elections in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas. Do read it in full. Hats off to our friend Anderson Clayton in NC who is clearly off to a strong start as state Dem chair. Having a full slate of candidates is a central way we go on offense, grow and expand in 2024, but as David notes below it is also a central way we “get louder” too:

Think about it for a moment.

The difference.

The difference in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas next year versus 2022 because so many candidates are stepping up.

Every one of these candidates will be holding incumbents accountable for extremism.

Every one (in Texas) will be talking about what happened to Kate Cox and the Supreme Court’s decision on her case.

Every one can explain the role that the statehouse played in that case, and is playing for extremists and special interest at the expense of every day Texans like Kate Cox, and every day North Carolinians.

Every one will be inspiring a team of volunteers to knock on doors to get the vote out for candidates up and down the ballot, including Colin Allred in Texas and candidates in crucial statewide races in North Carolina.

And turnout will be higher because of it. The higher turnout we’ll need to defeat Donald Trump.

Every one of these candidates will be able to explain when a new infrastructure project happens or when new jobs come to town due to the CHIPS bill, that Ted Cruz or Sarah Huckabee Sanders or North Carolina Republicans had nothing to do with it (even though they’re there at the ribbon cutting), but that the progress only came due to Joe Biden and Democrats, and that they got it done even though the Republicans at the groundbreaking opposed it.

They will also all be able to explain that the reason schools and communities are struggling isn’t because of CRT or public school teachers or whatever lies the GOP spreads, but because leaders like Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the GOP statehouse politicians they are running against have been attacking local public schools for years.

And so much more!

Then imagine, if no one were running in all these districts, none of these things would be happening. No presence. No door knocks. No messages. No accountability for extremism.

So, great job, North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas!

The Democratic Party is strong my friends. It is very strong right now.

Talking Ukraine/Israel/Border/Fascism on MSNBC - I did a long segment with Symone Sanders on MSNBC yesterday on the current Ukraine/Israel/border negotiations and Trump’s full on party of Putin comments from Saturday night. I was pleased to have been able to get in some points from my Saturday post, The Republican Party’s Ongoing Betrayal of the Country. You can watch it here. Let me know what you think!

Watch This Remarkable Rebuke of Moms of Liberty Leader Bridget Ziegler - Will Make Your Day, Promise

RFK on CNN - Watch, Share and Keep Sharing - In this brief CNN appearance, RFK reminds, graphically, that he is a charlatan, a fraud, a liar and all in for Trump. Watch this video. Study his arguments and then share it when you need to remind folks what a ridiculous figure he is. This is a brutal, unedited video and we should use it with communities and friends who are open to him.

Keep working hard all. We are going to beat these guys next year - Simon