If you have a chance, it'll be interesting to know how you got there - established community group or informal few people? Champion(s) on the town's board? People set to testify live if that's an option (wasn't in Boston)?
No committee, just me! I started with Boston’s (thank you, Rachel), updated it with the latest constitutional offenses and modified it for Masssachusetts generally and Amherst specifically. And I pinned it to Constitution Day, having missed Independence Day. The draft had to be reviewed by a subcommittee and picked up two Council sponsors. This town being bluer that blue, chances of passage are high. I sent the document directly to Simon.
Thank you, Simon, for your always intelligent words, and always telling the truth and keeping us all up to date on what Freaking Trump is doing on a daily basis.
I prefer to donate through Oath so I don't get pounded with Spam. You've asked us to report when we donate to the recommended candidates. I have been communicating for awhile that Hopium should consider supporting Oath as a viable path to donate.
I donate through Hopium, and if I get asks directly from the campaigns because of it, I just politely let them know I donate through Hopium. It doesn't create any 3rd party spam. And you can always block the campaigns from sending again if you choose.
I think its a very small inconvenience to be part of the Hopium team. Donating here strengthens our influence, our brand as a force for the blue team. Getting to our goal of $250K for Cooper by New Years is a heavy lift. Your $100 to OATH doesn't help us do that.
your entitled to your opinion, have a nice day. I am a huge supporter of Hopium but will continue to donate the way I choose. The donation is via Oath to Roy Cooper. The Roy Cooper campaign is registered with Oath. You should make sure you know what you are talking about before you make such a comment.
So what? Roy Cooper is going to take donations from any where that is legit, as he should. I'm glad he got an extra $100 from you. You have a nice day as well.
Happy to educate you about Oath if your interested. They are a legitimate alternative to Act Blue. Oath simply goes a level above to protect your privacy.
Steven I remember a few months back a convo about Oath, and one of our community members acknowledged they were an advisor to the company. Was that you?
I love seeing our total commitments to each of these campaigns grow, so I like donating with our ActBlue link myself. Of course, donate however you choose.
All Trump does is lie, lie, and lie again. Nothing that comes out of his mouth is true. Anything Trump says is utter bullshit. He's a pathological liar.
So encouraging that Democrats are recruiting top-quality Senate candidates. Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Sherrod Brown in Ohio are as good as it gets! If we fight hard and build a Blue Wave in the Midterm Election, we just may retake the Senate! Yes, I’m well aware that this is an uphill battle, but with our great recruits our odds have improved significantly!
On another note: Today’s Morning Digest from The Downballot has a detailed analysis of California’s redistricting map. Very clarifying! As we know, Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed for this as a response to the gerrymandered power-grab Texas Republicans are doing, ordered by Trump.
Redistricting: Sounds like Newsome is saying, he will go forward unless Texas backs off. BUT, why back off for any reason? What about the Supreme Court allowing Rs to do all manner of redistricting all over the country? What about North Carolina where that Supreme Court has allowed R redistricting in an egregious manner? Now that Ds are finally fired up, why unilaterally disarm when a lot of harm has already been done without even considering the new Texas outrage. Why aren't Ds catching up for past harm? Why aren't Ds playing the game as set forth (or approved) by the Supreme Court and trying to forge ahead?
There is a certain amount of noise in CA about not wanting to circumvent California’s process of districting that is specifically designed to limit partisan gerrymandering. Newsom has carefully crafted an initiative that a) would narrowly target what is perceived to be a potential attack on election integrity and b) would limit the redistricting process so that it reverts back to the bipartisan commission after the next census. With this format, if the CA legislature allows the measure to move forward,it is likely to pass.
Thank you and understood but there have been ongoing attacks on election integrity all over and the Supreme Court has allowed them. This step by Texas as ordered by Trump is just the latest. Glad it finally got people fired up but let's say Texas backs off. Then California backs off. The House is still R and gerrymandered unfairly in many places. N.C. for example has had a D Governor but a 10-4 R to D U.S. House split. Why not retaliate for that (and others).
It is frustrating. But one has to pick and craft the battles one has a chance of winning. Why single out California? Why not pressure every state with a Democratic legislature to adopt authoritarian districting structures? Why not encourage strong candidates with effective twenty-first century political skills?
An essential element of Newsom’s message is that The People get to decide, via a special ballot, whether to bypass the system the voters put in place. Democracy is messy and works slowly. We build a bucket brigade to fight the fire.
Thanks again. Not picking on California, just lamenting the implication that action is based on this Texas action rather than past widespread outrages.
Outstanding candidate, combining great progressive messaging with that likable Mr. Rogers demeanor. We can defiinitely win this one by running up the score in the Research Triangle Park area, Charlotte, etc. Go Roy!
Where are the cancelled endorsements (e.g. LA Times and Washington Post) of VP Harris? They would make for interesting reading - now. One again, the MSM is falling down on the job.
THE ATTACHED LINK IS ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR THOSE ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND SWING VOTER BEHAVIOR (no timestamps, if needed, reference the transcript): https://greattransformation.substack.com/p/swing-voters-what-are-focus-groups . Mike Madrid (a former Republican operative) and Rich Thau (an independent researcher) are highly competent political professionals. Once again, CIVICS EDUCATION is crucial for citizens to understand the VALUE OF POLICY (i.e. politics).
We had a major BIRTHDAY last week, and the DEMOCRATS forgot to have a party (“see what I did there”). Last week was the 90th Anniversary of Social Security (I think it will be impacted by the BIG BAD BILL): https://www.nirsonline.org/2025/08/statement-on-the-90th-anniversary-of-social-security/ . So, Democrats need to have celebrations throughout the Union until the end of the year to help build back their greatly diminished brand and to build bridges with some (realistically, a minority) on the other side.
Authoritarians are really bad at providing social services. REMEMBER WHEN THE PARTY COULD DO BIG THINGS. YES?
Swing voters seem to think of all politicians as basically corrupt operators (i.e. always disappointing). This information provided in their discussion seems to jibe very closely to the research of Dr. Rachel Bitecofer (and found in her book, “Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts, How to Save Democracy By Beating Republicans At Their Own Game”). Also, here is another great interview about the specific form of nihilism overtaking many voters with another biographer of Dolos (timestamp - 1:08:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut2czRt7gxE . The entire interview is worth a listen - with unfortunate statistics about income inequality toward the end of the video.
CARTHAGO DELENDA EST (via nonviolence).
P.S.: Do the following now! FIRST, TEACH CIVICS. Second, register voters. THIRD, TEACH CIVICS. Rinse. Repeat.
Hi Simon and Lincoln, I wanted to let you know that there is a problem with the Abigail Spanberger ActBlue page. I've notified ActBlue - here's the message I sent them: "The "donate" button is not working for the Hopium-Abigail Spanberger site. I've tried with monthly and one-time, with incognito mode, with Safari and Chrome. I've tried with different amounts. I have donated to other folks on ActBlue today, but I can't get past the donate button for Abigail Spanberger. Nothing happens when I click the button. " I'll let you and the community know when I get a response from ActBlue.
Pleasure to donate to Governor Cooper, a fantastic Dem candidate. Simon, this was one of your most inspiring guests. As silly as it might sound, I had tears in my eyes. Going forward, I'll be splitting donations between Gov Cooper and Jon Ossoff (who also needs our help). Excellent interview.
Hello Hical, I don't think it's silly that you had tears in your eyes. Thanks for acknowledging that. It shows that you care...deep in your soul. That's what it's going to take from all of us to win again!
A truly GREAT public servant, Roy Cooper is also a genuinely nice guy who cares about people and knows how to get things done to help them.
Thank you, Simon, for letting us know where to put our money where our mouth is
Unless it is tabled (unlikely), my resolution will be voted on tonight! I hope to have good news to share tomorrow.
Sarah, can you send a bit more background and links to your resolution?
Yay! Deborah found it on the Amherst's website; it's great.
https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/80993/6b-voted-CCA---Amherst-resolution-in-support-of-constitution-and-democracy-DRAFT-as-of-7-17-2025
If you have a chance, it'll be interesting to know how you got there - established community group or informal few people? Champion(s) on the town's board? People set to testify live if that's an option (wasn't in Boston)?
No committee, just me! I started with Boston’s (thank you, Rachel), updated it with the latest constitutional offenses and modified it for Masssachusetts generally and Amherst specifically. And I pinned it to Constitution Day, having missed Independence Day. The draft had to be reviewed by a subcommittee and picked up two Council sponsors. This town being bluer that blue, chances of passage are high. I sent the document directly to Simon.
On your own - so impressive!
Oh, and I will speak. I invited everyone I know to send written public comment or offer live comment - no idea what to expect there.
Thank you, Simon, for your always intelligent words, and always telling the truth and keeping us all up to date on what Freaking Trump is doing on a daily basis.
https://app.oath.vote?ref=SYBI1JHL
Made a $100 donation to Roy Cooper via OATH
Steve, what's the point of this message? Are you telling people here not to donate through our links? How is that helpful?
I prefer to donate through Oath so I don't get pounded with Spam. You've asked us to report when we donate to the recommended candidates. I have been communicating for awhile that Hopium should consider supporting Oath as a viable path to donate.
I donate through Hopium, and if I get asks directly from the campaigns because of it, I just politely let them know I donate through Hopium. It doesn't create any 3rd party spam. And you can always block the campaigns from sending again if you choose.
I think its a very small inconvenience to be part of the Hopium team. Donating here strengthens our influence, our brand as a force for the blue team. Getting to our goal of $250K for Cooper by New Years is a heavy lift. Your $100 to OATH doesn't help us do that.
your entitled to your opinion, have a nice day. I am a huge supporter of Hopium but will continue to donate the way I choose. The donation is via Oath to Roy Cooper. The Roy Cooper campaign is registered with Oath. You should make sure you know what you are talking about before you make such a comment.
So what? Roy Cooper is going to take donations from any where that is legit, as he should. I'm glad he got an extra $100 from you. You have a nice day as well.
Happy to educate you about Oath if your interested. They are a legitimate alternative to Act Blue. Oath simply goes a level above to protect your privacy.
Steven I remember a few months back a convo about Oath, and one of our community members acknowledged they were an advisor to the company. Was that you?
Yes. I'm an unpaid advisor. I'm an electronic payments expert.
I love seeing our total commitments to each of these campaigns grow, so I like donating with our ActBlue link myself. Of course, donate however you choose.
Thanks
All Trump does is lie, lie, and lie again. Nothing that comes out of his mouth is true. Anything Trump says is utter bullshit. He's a pathological liar.
Thank you for continuing to be of service!!!
So encouraging that Democrats are recruiting top-quality Senate candidates. Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Sherrod Brown in Ohio are as good as it gets! If we fight hard and build a Blue Wave in the Midterm Election, we just may retake the Senate! Yes, I’m well aware that this is an uphill battle, but with our great recruits our odds have improved significantly!
On another note: Today’s Morning Digest from The Downballot has a detailed analysis of California’s redistricting map. Very clarifying! As we know, Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed for this as a response to the gerrymandered power-grab Texas Republicans are doing, ordered by Trump.
https://www.the-downballot.com/p/morning-digest-responding-to-texas
yes to blue wave! dream big!
UGH, NJ redistricting comment was from my state senator. Will have to have a convo w him...
Redistricting: Sounds like Newsome is saying, he will go forward unless Texas backs off. BUT, why back off for any reason? What about the Supreme Court allowing Rs to do all manner of redistricting all over the country? What about North Carolina where that Supreme Court has allowed R redistricting in an egregious manner? Now that Ds are finally fired up, why unilaterally disarm when a lot of harm has already been done without even considering the new Texas outrage. Why aren't Ds catching up for past harm? Why aren't Ds playing the game as set forth (or approved) by the Supreme Court and trying to forge ahead?
There is a certain amount of noise in CA about not wanting to circumvent California’s process of districting that is specifically designed to limit partisan gerrymandering. Newsom has carefully crafted an initiative that a) would narrowly target what is perceived to be a potential attack on election integrity and b) would limit the redistricting process so that it reverts back to the bipartisan commission after the next census. With this format, if the CA legislature allows the measure to move forward,it is likely to pass.
Thank you and understood but there have been ongoing attacks on election integrity all over and the Supreme Court has allowed them. This step by Texas as ordered by Trump is just the latest. Glad it finally got people fired up but let's say Texas backs off. Then California backs off. The House is still R and gerrymandered unfairly in many places. N.C. for example has had a D Governor but a 10-4 R to D U.S. House split. Why not retaliate for that (and others).
It is frustrating. But one has to pick and craft the battles one has a chance of winning. Why single out California? Why not pressure every state with a Democratic legislature to adopt authoritarian districting structures? Why not encourage strong candidates with effective twenty-first century political skills?
An essential element of Newsom’s message is that The People get to decide, via a special ballot, whether to bypass the system the voters put in place. Democracy is messy and works slowly. We build a bucket brigade to fight the fire.
Thanks again. Not picking on California, just lamenting the implication that action is based on this Texas action rather than past widespread outrages.
Outstanding candidate, combining great progressive messaging with that likable Mr. Rogers demeanor. We can defiinitely win this one by running up the score in the Research Triangle Park area, Charlotte, etc. Go Roy!
HURRICANE ERIN!! FEMA??
Where is Jill Stein?
“…Queens not Brooklyn…”
- Hakeem Jeffries (D), House Minority Leader
Where are the cancelled endorsements (e.g. LA Times and Washington Post) of VP Harris? They would make for interesting reading - now. One again, the MSM is falling down on the job.
EPSTEIN, EPSTEIN, EPSTEIN. There were a thousand-plus victims (timestamp - 16:20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11xrXoI7Ckg&list=TLPQMTYwODIwMjXOjpKb1lfTwQ . If the citations from a new UK tell-all are true, that FLOTUS and Epstein had a relationship prior to her meeting Dolos, then there is a national security risk: https://unpresidented.substack.com/p/trump-biographer-drops-major-bombshell. If Epstein or a former law enforcement official passed on information about Dolos like the UK intelligence services believe might have happened relative to Prince Andrew, then there is a national security risk: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/mi6-fears-russia-can-link-prince-andrew-to-jeffrey-epstein-abuse-wc995nj7x . The world is watching how the country manages the Epstein scandal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMIP4RIoCHc&list=TLPQMTcwODIwMjWYx6tpqy6QPA .
Here are Professor Barbara Walter’s five suggestions for fighting authoritarianism:
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/the-hidden-battle-that-decides-whether .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/authoritarian-power-is-mostly-performance .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/how-dictators-lose-control-of-the .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/4-storms-and-streets-break-regimes .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/5-how-to-break-a-tyrant .
She also provides a warning about not so secret police: https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/the-thing-that-scares-me-the-most .
The NETWORK STATE - For the best synopsis of the objectives of the “Tech Lords”, please listen to this 45-minute podcast and share widely (these folks are going to leave a huge blast radius - if we let them): https://www.thenerdreich.com/the-nerd-reich-podcast-episode-1-the-network-state-2/.
Project 2025 Trackers:
https://www.project2025.observer .
https://substack.com/@project2025progress .
https://substack.com/@ahmedbaba/p-158109308 .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPElaGebGPc (timestamps 13:10 and 55:07).
Folks (AND DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS):
THE ATTACHED LINK IS ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR THOSE ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND SWING VOTER BEHAVIOR (no timestamps, if needed, reference the transcript): https://greattransformation.substack.com/p/swing-voters-what-are-focus-groups . Mike Madrid (a former Republican operative) and Rich Thau (an independent researcher) are highly competent political professionals. Once again, CIVICS EDUCATION is crucial for citizens to understand the VALUE OF POLICY (i.e. politics).
We had a major BIRTHDAY last week, and the DEMOCRATS forgot to have a party (“see what I did there”). Last week was the 90th Anniversary of Social Security (I think it will be impacted by the BIG BAD BILL): https://www.nirsonline.org/2025/08/statement-on-the-90th-anniversary-of-social-security/ . So, Democrats need to have celebrations throughout the Union until the end of the year to help build back their greatly diminished brand and to build bridges with some (realistically, a minority) on the other side.
Authoritarians are really bad at providing social services. REMEMBER WHEN THE PARTY COULD DO BIG THINGS. YES?
Swing voters seem to think of all politicians as basically corrupt operators (i.e. always disappointing). This information provided in their discussion seems to jibe very closely to the research of Dr. Rachel Bitecofer (and found in her book, “Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts, How to Save Democracy By Beating Republicans At Their Own Game”). Also, here is another great interview about the specific form of nihilism overtaking many voters with another biographer of Dolos (timestamp - 1:08:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut2czRt7gxE . The entire interview is worth a listen - with unfortunate statistics about income inequality toward the end of the video.
CARTHAGO DELENDA EST (via nonviolence).
P.S.: Do the following now! FIRST, TEACH CIVICS. Second, register voters. THIRD, TEACH CIVICS. Rinse. Repeat.
Hi Simon and Lincoln, I wanted to let you know that there is a problem with the Abigail Spanberger ActBlue page. I've notified ActBlue - here's the message I sent them: "The "donate" button is not working for the Hopium-Abigail Spanberger site. I've tried with monthly and one-time, with incognito mode, with Safari and Chrome. I've tried with different amounts. I have donated to other folks on ActBlue today, but I can't get past the donate button for Abigail Spanberger. Nothing happens when I click the button. " I'll let you and the community know when I get a response from ActBlue.
Pleasure to donate to Governor Cooper, a fantastic Dem candidate. Simon, this was one of your most inspiring guests. As silly as it might sound, I had tears in my eyes. Going forward, I'll be splitting donations between Gov Cooper and Jon Ossoff (who also needs our help). Excellent interview.
Hello Hical, I don't think it's silly that you had tears in your eyes. Thanks for acknowledging that. It shows that you care...deep in your soul. That's what it's going to take from all of us to win again!
What a great and experienced candidate!
Much success in your Senatorial race Governor!
Go Roy Go! Great interview. I almost wished he had run for President instead of Senate.
Speaking of the Senate, If Jon Tester runs in Montana, that puts another Senate seat in play.