ROMANIA: Court annuls result of first round of presidential election. That first round was unexpectedly won by a far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, a NATO skeptic who praises Putin. (Sound familiar?)
Amazingly, Georgescu, who is almost unknown, claims he spent "almost nothing" on his presidential campaign.
The court referred to Romanian intelligence reports that Georgescu benefited from a massive influence operation conducted from abroad (Russia), which was designed to interfere with the result of the vote.
Everyone at the meerting in Phoenix must be aware that their attendance makes them a potential target.
Russian psyops won the "election" for Trump. That should be our first priority. National security.
Biden is still president and has the capacity to mitigate the threat of bloodshed, or even cut it off.
Once Trump is inaugurated, we are lost, and we will be reduced to guerrilla type actions because if Trump becomes the unitary executive due to an emergency, he will be a totalitarian dictator.
Some of us have had counterinsurgency training. and lived the experience of war. The model is China -- where the public is exposed to "1984" in their daily lives. Gulags for heretics. Use of mind altering drugs for political purposes -
It's frustrating to see certain Dems embracing Trump/GOP framing- eg, Khanna and Moskowitz legitimizing DOGE. Being prudent with taxpayer dollars isn't at all the same thing as the destruction Musk envisions, even though they're conflating the two. This is a big challenge for the grassroots- what to do about the Dems who love to be anti-Dem? (Why? To get attention? To show how "reasonable" they are, but without using Dem framing or showing any nuance/context?) We need to develop strategies that not only come up with strong Dem narratives, but also are a way to express displeasure with Dem electeds without devolving into the public circular firing squads that the media salivates over.
Anyone who is in their districts should call them and let them know of your displeasure. It just seems some Dems like to come across as bipartisan, but end up shooting their foot off.
I agree. It's perplexing. Moskowitz did a media interview after Gaetz was nominated for AG in which he said Gaetz is a brilliant legal mind and will be a great AG. I just about fell out of my chair. All I could think was, what does Gaetz have on him? (They're both from FL and apparently have some history.) That said, I do think Dems need to find ways to work with the new Administration to the benefit of Americans (& to offer a dramatic contrast w/the incompetence and absurdity that will no doubt characterize much of the GOP). Maybe Moskowitz and others like him have a strategy. I guess we'll see.
For the benefit of all Americans, yes-- but if that were to be on the table, they need to do it in a way to reinforce a Dem narrative, which they traditionally haven't. Beltway Dems are far too quick to accept GOP framing (especially the framing that shapes polling outcomes) instead of challenging it.
What does the incoming regime offer to benefit all Americans? I see none, and only serious danger to us and the country. I think Dems need to OPPOSE it all, LOUDLY, EVERY DAY. Why do we keep sleepwalking and normalizing??
there could be a long game to be played - & i see a kernel of it in your comment - doing a 'on the one hand/on the other hand' reaction - addressing what seems to prompt the argument for government efficiency - not that i would believe those effers - and then question how is it good for the rest of us, the non-millionaires nor billionaires - they're gonna have to shovel a lot of bs to be convincing that it's not just about cutting their tax bill - & if they fail, there's the hammer (among others) to be used on our way to 2026
Gaetz IS a smart guy, according to Rick Wilson who knew his father. That's what makes his behavior so much more reprehensible, because he can't claim ignorance.
For the time being, I am inclined to give Congressmen Jared Moskowitz & Ro Khanna the benefit of the doubt. I could be wrong, but my initial reading of this is that they believe it will be beneficial "to be in the room" where these things are being discussed. That allows them to have a modicum of influence and to be privy to information they might not otherwise have access to.
Have to agree here. It is frustrating, because R's rarely if ever gave Clinton, Obama, or Biden ANY quarter, even with their obvious successes. R's would never say publicly any of them had good ideas, good plans, or things that made sense. Almost all of them were in attack mode all of the time. Even if there were parts of the plan they agreed with, they'd ignore those and focused on the parts they hated, and they knew would likely be unpopular. Surely enough, those were the things that were amplified and what people heard about (remember 'death panels', 'death tax', 'innovation tax', etc.?)
These Dems are doing politics like it's 1985-1992, where people want a bunch of highly intelligent reasonable people in charge who will work together to solve big problems, and people paid closer attention to policy and could think in nuanced ways.
You can still govern reasonably, but when you're in front of a camera or microphone of any kind, you have to attack, attack, attack.
Exactly. And we all know what happened-- not enough people cared at all that Trump sabotaged it. All they cared about was that Biden "didn't do anything". It didn't cost R's anything politically to pull that stunt.
So, if WE see it, why don't the Dems? I don't get it. Is it bc they live in a bubble or bc they think they know best even if, like Charlie Brown, Lucy keeps moving the football?
I have no idea. I am really struggling with this right now. I run a small Dem club in south Orange County and this week some of our members went to advocate for the only Democrat to have EVER served on the city council to be made mayor (it's a position voted on by the city council and is one-year rotating terms). When our members got up to speak, many of them told the Republicans what a great job they were doing. It's so frustrating! I don't expect them to tell the Republicans they suck, or yell at them, just don't tell them they are great! We need to be making a case for why we need more Democrats on the city council. It's so frustrating.
Too many Dems live the fantasy "go along to get along" world and delude themselves that GOPers will reciprocate. That never happens of course, but dope, er "hope" springs eternal.
Hi All, This may be arrant nonsense - and I have no objection to being told so - but I've been reading about the potential for MSNBC to be taken over by Elon Musk. Is there any potential, through the Democratic donor community and wider supporters for Democrats to acquire MSNBC and use it in the same way as Fox is for Republicans? As i say, if I'm talking rubbish just say.
Thanks! A key question I have is this: How was Elon Musk radicalized? In the last few years, Musk has clearly slid off the Alt-Reich/Q deep end, but who influenced him? I am stymied.
1. His son (now "daughter") coming out as transgender, which turned him into irrationally anti-woke (and, therefore, anti-everything-Dem in his juvenile political mind)
2. Being challenged over and over again publicly by Bernie that he should pay more taxes
3. Newsom refusing to classify Tesla as a necessary business/service, therefore shutting his mfg plants in CA down temporarily during COVID. Musk was convinced COVID would just go away by the end of April, so he didn't see a need to shut things down. He threw a billionaire-sized hissy-fit and moved the HQ to Austin, TX.
In order to lash out (vs argue reasonably) in Beavis and Butthead style, which is what he knows gets attention, he started following more and more extreme RW sources just to sling dirt at people. He was indiscriminate (i.e., facts/truth became unimportant), and just continued further down the RW rabbit hole. He realized the more extreme he was, the more attention he got. And, since he was not interested in reality or facts, he adopted every anti-Dem position he encountered.
Unlike Sam Harris, who is vehemently anti-woke, but still progressive, Musk revealed himself to have no moral or ethical compass. Harris at least is always guided by intellectual honesty, reason, and facts (though, he's not perfect-- no one is). Musk just let his emotions completely take over in an attempt to stomp people who crossed him (real or perceived).
"…more than one benevolent billionaire with liberal bonafides has already reached out to acquaintances at MSNBC to express interest in buying the cable channel."
Should Democratic supporters explicitly coalesce around the idea, rather than rely on a billionaire (liberal though they may be)? Could this be the grit around which the pearl of a Democratic news ecosystem forms?
You pose crucial questions and this is a worthwhile discussion. In my opinion, we will do best by concentrating financing ventures that don’t require an insane amount of money, which MSNBC would.
Also, we don’t live in an ideal world. Meanwhile, I think of democracy-defending billionaires and millionaires as potential allies. For example, billionaire Michael Bloomberg whose media outlets most definitely are NOT part of the MAGA ecosphere. Likewise the progressive Kos Media LLC (known for the DailyKos), which as far as I know is still wholly owned by its founder, millionaire Markos Moulitsas.
That said, I would very much like to see new owners for The New York Times and The Washington Post. For instance, it would be perfect if Jeff Bezos sold (or gifted!) the Post to his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. Yes, she is another billionaire, albeit with values very different from Jeff.
I haven't watched MSNBC since 11/5 and I don't ever intend to watch it or cable news again. I have canceled my access to cable and from what I have read, I am not alone. I was a heavy user. It was almost always on as background and I also spent a lot of time actively watching. I had the MSNBC app on my phone. In my car I listened with satellite radio, but not more. I’ve seen this movie before and I don’t intend to watch the sequel. No amount of watching will ever hold HIM accountable or prevent any of his bad policies, personnel picks and actions. I've become a paid subscriber to more Substacks, contributed to Hunter Lazzaro's (formerly of DailyKos) Uncharted Blue.com and made contributions to ProPublica and others. I will shed no tears if MSNBC dies or is "X"'d. I'll always believe that corporate cable news executives wanted HIS return and the ratings they thought HE would bring to their networks, but I have tapped out.
Affordable housing must be a key policy item-and will require action at the state, local and federal level. Dems and others must stand up against Trumpists and Republicans who want to evicerate agencies and cut funding in favor of their own pet projects.
Affordable housing, affordable healthcare, affordable higher ed, the list is long....today I heard two old timers worried about SS and all this talk of cuts, both veterans...did no one pay attention during the election? Folks, we DO have a right to be angry with some of our fellow Americans, who voted for trump or sat this one out ( the real cause IMO, of our loss ). I was reading an article today from a European perspective; they were not laughing at us, they felt pity. And I feel for Ukraine; Americans somehow came to resent our "spending"on them. Now it seems they might be willing to give up some territory to stop the hot war. Has anyone noticed we are not hearing much from the Gaza crowd lately? I wonder why....We're gonna need some help in NJ; the cards are likely stacked in favor of a GOP candidate, Murphy is widely disliked ( SOP in NJ when it comes to Dem governors, though Christie managed to outdo even them with his unpopularity ) and I'm sure the GOP will promise deep cuts to reduce property taxes ( which won't work ). It is critical to try to win back VA and keep NJ; we are state that will be a focus of immigration detention and will need to have a governor to intervene.
"Folks, we DO have a right to be angry with some of our fellow Americans, who voted for trump or sat this one out"
Agree 100%. We're always asked to reach out and exert extra effort to understanding the motivations and feelings of Trump voters/MAGA or apathetic non-participants. Screw that. It's not motivations or feelings-- it's pathology. These people voted for (actively or passively) a convicted felon (34 counts of FRAUD, nonetheless), a person found liable for sexual assault, a guy who demonstrably tried to overthrow an election with an objectively dis-proven lie, a guy who repeatedly stood with Russia over America, who called KIA soldiers "suckers and losers", and who has bank accounts in China.
And what the hell was their response when Biden won in 2020? Oh-- he didn't win, it's fraudulent. You all cheated. In fact, we're even angrier at you now.
Did any of their leaders ask them to reach out to us? No, it was exact opposite.
I don't wish harm or bad times on any of them, but I'm at the place where, if it happens, f*ck 'em and good luck.
Simon, I thought your interview on CNN re: Hegsreth was clear eyed and smart compared to the talking point nonsense coming from the Republican spinner. Nice contrast! (Must everything be political spin 24/7 on every issue with them? Not sure voters will have patience for that now that they’re ‘in charge’.)
This is in regards to the information war, from Pat Kreitlow, founding editor of “Up North News”
“Conservative media is an iron dome of outlets and strategies, sheltering their audiences from news and information that would change how they view the people on their ballots.
Despite losing his gerrymandered dominance in the Wisconsin Legislature, give Assembly Speaker Robin Vos a little credit—even with a setback that large, he feels no pangs of conscience that would lead him to do anything differently with his smaller majority. Truth be told, it’s progressives who need to make some changes in order to win more elections, and a recent interview with Vos provides one example when it comes to talking to voters about things like taxes, spending, and our public schools.
When Vos was recently asked about state Superintendent Jill Underly’s plan to propose major education spending investments in the next state budget, the Speaker had a succinct response—that he would oppose a “massive increase in education spending, when we just gave the largest increase in a generation like 18 months ago.”
Short and sweet—and not the full story at all.
Your neighbor certainly doesn’t know the full story. He or she just heard a short and sweet summary that makes sense on its face. If progressives are to improve election outcomes, they need their neighbors to hear that Robin Vos answer and then think to themselves, “Wait, that doesn’t match what I’ve heard over and over again about how state school aid hasn’t kept up with inflation for 16 years in a row.” Or, “Wait, that so-called ‘largest increase in a generation’ was a budget gimmick. A ton of that money never went to schools except in name only.”
But our neighbors don’t know these things. They’ve probably never heard them—or maybe they did once during a brief door visit from a candidate or volunteer. However, they hear things like what Vos said over and over again instead of the actual facts on school spending.
On my radio show recently, Chris Thiel from Milwaukee Public Schools, outlined the conservative budget gimmick—how the legislature was able to claim it allocated $1.2 billion to schools even though about half of it ($590 million) went directly to property tax relief. There’s nothing wrong with property tax relief, but it’s wrong to call it the “School Levy Tax Credit” if it never goes to schools. That’s just plain old mislabeling.
“It isn’t funding that you can buy a crayon with,” Thiel told me. “You can’t heat a school building with it. You can’t pay a teacher with it.”
Yet Vos and Republican lawmakers are gaining traction with the message that there was a $1.2 billion allocation to our schools, even though it’s a lie. In the upcoming state budget debate, they will repeat their talking point to every education ally who tries to call them out on it during public hearings of the Joint Finance Committee. I’m not saying the allies shouldn’t come testify. I’m saying their points need to be heard far beyond the committee hearings and well beyond the few crazy weeks of an election campaign.
This is only one example, but it properly illustrates what progressives need to do going forward. Spread the facts. Relentlessly.
For far too long, far too many of us have imagined facts as individual helium balloons that would, in time, float above the fray of misinformation and gently land upon a voter at just the right time—with one really good piece of political mail or one really good political TV ad or one really pleasant candidate visit. But that’s not how it works. Right-wing media has successfully stymied factual information by creating an “iron dome” of outlets and strategies. Those little fact balloons are under assault like no other phase of our lifetimes—buffeted by “bothsidesism,” “whataboutism,” and of course, “alternative facts,” originally known as disinformation.
There is only one way for an iron dome to be overcome and that is for it to be overwhelmed.
Building a long-range ecosystem for messaging and media is a column for another day. But use this simple example from Speaker Vos to ask yourself how progressives can use every platform (radio shows, social media, newsletters, etc.) and every format (videos, graphics, text, conversations) to turn just one fact into many messages, delivered year-round. Truly, the mission for progressives is to turn each little balloon into an army of drones. Facts are on their side, but the messaging battleground is not.”
We must start at the HS level and teach classes in civil rights, anti-bullying,
voting rights, true history which includes black history and Native Americans. We must tell the truth about immigrants and their enormous contributions to our society. We must involve them in the democratic party at all levels, where they can be mentored and participate.
Make politics fun, diverse interactional and TRULY
Agreed! But back in the day, when I went to school, this curriculum started in elementary school – it certainly didn’t wait until high school. And children of migrant farm workers were my fellow pupils, an integral part of the class.
I agree with you on history, anti-bullying and acceptance of people who aren't like you taught in grade school. But participation in the process should start in HS. Programs which connect connect grade school kids with mentoring HS kids have been successful too.
Back in the day in California, civics was taught in 8th grade and 11th grade and that makes sense. Perhaps an earlier first round in the 5th grade could be added, to introduce the idea of a constitution, a congress, a president and a judiciary.
Democrats need to restructure the party. Main focus need to be: 1. Majority vs. elite, 2. Average American vs. 1% 3. We need an authentic Messenger to lead the party going forward, they have not yet appeared.
Ask: "Does this communication/policy/law/regulation affect an average individual's life for the better or foe the worse?
I have to disagree with the contention that the county moved right. Looking at the ballot initiatives that won even in states where they elected Trump I'd say our messaging was not getting through about Democrats being behind all the good things. Voters WANT what we have and who we are, they have just been poisoned against us and we haven't broken through the Republican BS/gerrymandering. (Here's a link summarizing our initiative wins https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ballot-measures-deliver-big-wins-progressive-policy-priorities-rcna179308)
We need to dance with who brought us--We, the people. We need to remind the people EVERY FREAKING DAY (and not just every four years) that we are pro-union, pro-woman, pro-healthcare, pro-democracy, anti-racist, etc.
There was a poll (which of course I don’t have and can’t remember where I saw it) - where people chose Democratic proposals when they didn’t know if they were Dem or Rep.
Simon, the problem is not our messaging. It is that Trump and those gathered around him are amoral and skilled criminals. He had gotten away with unfathomable crimes already and our Country is on the verge of going to Hell ( and taking the rest of the world with it) due to the current (and wonderful and good - for sure) administration and the Democrats in positions to “Do Something” somehow giving everything over to treasonous, cheating crooks who are laughing and calling us “suckers”.
My husband and I have zero resources ,except for our social security, if we become too infirm to work.
I hope and pray that someone currently in a position of authority stops this “peaceful transfer of power” to those who stole this election and have no intention of leaving in 4 years!
How and why would you give our Democratic Republic over to those who unabashedly and with glee plan to destroy it?! How unbelievably naive!
I am 99.999% certain that the majority of people of this country did not vote for this! And most of the ones who did actually vote for Trump did so subject to the nonstop lies. Why? Because it is almost impossible for any of us to believe that the awful things were not jokes!”He won’t really do that” chuckle,chuckle.
“I’m not running for DNC Chairman because, after meeting with former chairmen [to discuss what the primary focus of the committee’s work]. I have no interest in being a full-time fundraiser for the party. I’m still committed to fixing and rebuild our party, but I’ll do it without being the chairman.”
Simon, may I suggest an interview with Jaime Harrison, the current DNC Chair? Given the urgency, it would be very interesting to hear what changes Harrison is implementing – and especially what he has done to bring various groups to the table. I am most interested in hearing Harrison’s report on the ongoing conversation about needed change and renewal of the Democratic Party.
Also: how much time does Jaime Harrison spend fundraising, and how much time on other priorities – and which?
Both speakers clearly worried that looking at the future realistically would be too scary for the viewers/listeners, but what they ended up presenting seemed like it belonged here at Hopium.
I have been thinking a lot about Chalupa’s advice for the last couple of days. Basically, find your joy, share your skills, and fight for the things you love. (But longer and with more details.)
Anyway, I found it inspiring and decided to share it here.
ROMANIA: Court annuls result of first round of presidential election. That first round was unexpectedly won by a far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, a NATO skeptic who praises Putin. (Sound familiar?)
Amazingly, Georgescu, who is almost unknown, claims he spent "almost nothing" on his presidential campaign.
The court referred to Romanian intelligence reports that Georgescu benefited from a massive influence operation conducted from abroad (Russia), which was designed to interfere with the result of the vote.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/06/romanian-court-annuls-first-round-of-presidential-election
Everyone at the meerting in Phoenix must be aware that their attendance makes them a potential target.
Russian psyops won the "election" for Trump. That should be our first priority. National security.
Biden is still president and has the capacity to mitigate the threat of bloodshed, or even cut it off.
Once Trump is inaugurated, we are lost, and we will be reduced to guerrilla type actions because if Trump becomes the unitary executive due to an emergency, he will be a totalitarian dictator.
Some of us have had counterinsurgency training. and lived the experience of war. The model is China -- where the public is exposed to "1984" in their daily lives. Gulags for heretics. Use of mind altering drugs for political purposes -
Well now, that sounds familiar
Hi Simon -Please let us know about the reform initiative feedback from the ASDC meeting and some of the other points mentioned on DEC 4.
(A rising Democratic star in Pennsylvania)
Pennsylvania’s Austin Davis elected chair of Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association
By: Ian Karbal - December 3, 2024 2:16 pm
https://penncapital-star.com/briefs/pennsylvanias-austin-davis-elected-chair-of-democratic-lieutenant-governors-association/
It's frustrating to see certain Dems embracing Trump/GOP framing- eg, Khanna and Moskowitz legitimizing DOGE. Being prudent with taxpayer dollars isn't at all the same thing as the destruction Musk envisions, even though they're conflating the two. This is a big challenge for the grassroots- what to do about the Dems who love to be anti-Dem? (Why? To get attention? To show how "reasonable" they are, but without using Dem framing or showing any nuance/context?) We need to develop strategies that not only come up with strong Dem narratives, but also are a way to express displeasure with Dem electeds without devolving into the public circular firing squads that the media salivates over.
Anyone who is in their districts should call them and let them know of your displeasure. It just seems some Dems like to come across as bipartisan, but end up shooting their foot off.
I agree. It's perplexing. Moskowitz did a media interview after Gaetz was nominated for AG in which he said Gaetz is a brilliant legal mind and will be a great AG. I just about fell out of my chair. All I could think was, what does Gaetz have on him? (They're both from FL and apparently have some history.) That said, I do think Dems need to find ways to work with the new Administration to the benefit of Americans (& to offer a dramatic contrast w/the incompetence and absurdity that will no doubt characterize much of the GOP). Maybe Moskowitz and others like him have a strategy. I guess we'll see.
For the benefit of all Americans, yes-- but if that were to be on the table, they need to do it in a way to reinforce a Dem narrative, which they traditionally haven't. Beltway Dems are far too quick to accept GOP framing (especially the framing that shapes polling outcomes) instead of challenging it.
What does the incoming regime offer to benefit all Americans? I see none, and only serious danger to us and the country. I think Dems need to OPPOSE it all, LOUDLY, EVERY DAY. Why do we keep sleepwalking and normalizing??
there could be a long game to be played - & i see a kernel of it in your comment - doing a 'on the one hand/on the other hand' reaction - addressing what seems to prompt the argument for government efficiency - not that i would believe those effers - and then question how is it good for the rest of us, the non-millionaires nor billionaires - they're gonna have to shovel a lot of bs to be convincing that it's not just about cutting their tax bill - & if they fail, there's the hammer (among others) to be used on our way to 2026
Gaetz IS a smart guy, according to Rick Wilson who knew his father. That's what makes his behavior so much more reprehensible, because he can't claim ignorance.
Hi, did you by any chance go to EGR HS?
For the time being, I am inclined to give Congressmen Jared Moskowitz & Ro Khanna the benefit of the doubt. I could be wrong, but my initial reading of this is that they believe it will be beneficial "to be in the room" where these things are being discussed. That allows them to have a modicum of influence and to be privy to information they might not otherwise have access to.
This approach has never worked out for the Dems. I am dismayed by Moskowitz.
Have to agree here. It is frustrating, because R's rarely if ever gave Clinton, Obama, or Biden ANY quarter, even with their obvious successes. R's would never say publicly any of them had good ideas, good plans, or things that made sense. Almost all of them were in attack mode all of the time. Even if there were parts of the plan they agreed with, they'd ignore those and focused on the parts they hated, and they knew would likely be unpopular. Surely enough, those were the things that were amplified and what people heard about (remember 'death panels', 'death tax', 'innovation tax', etc.?)
These Dems are doing politics like it's 1985-1992, where people want a bunch of highly intelligent reasonable people in charge who will work together to solve big problems, and people paid closer attention to policy and could think in nuanced ways.
You can still govern reasonably, but when you're in front of a camera or microphone of any kind, you have to attack, attack, attack.
Agree. Heck the republicans even voted against pretty much their own immigration bill bc Biden wanted to pass it.
Exactly. And we all know what happened-- not enough people cared at all that Trump sabotaged it. All they cared about was that Biden "didn't do anything". It didn't cost R's anything politically to pull that stunt.
They run the same play over and over.
They voted against their own Heritage Foundation health care proposal because Obama adopted parts of it. Romney care....
That's right. I forgot about that!
Yes! Bipartisanship and norms only work if you have two parties committed to them. That ship sailed long ago.
Very well-stated!
So, if WE see it, why don't the Dems? I don't get it. Is it bc they live in a bubble or bc they think they know best even if, like Charlie Brown, Lucy keeps moving the football?
I have no idea. I am really struggling with this right now. I run a small Dem club in south Orange County and this week some of our members went to advocate for the only Democrat to have EVER served on the city council to be made mayor (it's a position voted on by the city council and is one-year rotating terms). When our members got up to speak, many of them told the Republicans what a great job they were doing. It's so frustrating! I don't expect them to tell the Republicans they suck, or yell at them, just don't tell them they are great! We need to be making a case for why we need more Democrats on the city council. It's so frustrating.
I really don't understand. With Dems like these, geez, who needs Republicans?
Too many Dems live the fantasy "go along to get along" world and delude themselves that GOPers will reciprocate. That never happens of course, but dope, er "hope" springs eternal.
Hi All, This may be arrant nonsense - and I have no objection to being told so - but I've been reading about the potential for MSNBC to be taken over by Elon Musk. Is there any potential, through the Democratic donor community and wider supporters for Democrats to acquire MSNBC and use it in the same way as Fox is for Republicans? As i say, if I'm talking rubbish just say.
Yesyesyes! We must save journalism and take it away from the Oligarchs!
There should be support for journalists without control of content by owners.
Link, please, if you’ve been reading about this online.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/25/media/elon-musk-msnbc-spinoff-cable/index.html
Thanks! A key question I have is this: How was Elon Musk radicalized? In the last few years, Musk has clearly slid off the Alt-Reich/Q deep end, but who influenced him? I am stymied.
I think there were three tipping points:
1. His son (now "daughter") coming out as transgender, which turned him into irrationally anti-woke (and, therefore, anti-everything-Dem in his juvenile political mind)
2. Being challenged over and over again publicly by Bernie that he should pay more taxes
3. Newsom refusing to classify Tesla as a necessary business/service, therefore shutting his mfg plants in CA down temporarily during COVID. Musk was convinced COVID would just go away by the end of April, so he didn't see a need to shut things down. He threw a billionaire-sized hissy-fit and moved the HQ to Austin, TX.
In order to lash out (vs argue reasonably) in Beavis and Butthead style, which is what he knows gets attention, he started following more and more extreme RW sources just to sling dirt at people. He was indiscriminate (i.e., facts/truth became unimportant), and just continued further down the RW rabbit hole. He realized the more extreme he was, the more attention he got. And, since he was not interested in reality or facts, he adopted every anti-Dem position he encountered.
Unlike Sam Harris, who is vehemently anti-woke, but still progressive, Musk revealed himself to have no moral or ethical compass. Harris at least is always guided by intellectual honesty, reason, and facts (though, he's not perfect-- no one is). Musk just let his emotions completely take over in an attempt to stomp people who crossed him (real or perceived).
That's my best take.
Thank you.
Those reasons make sense. And I wonder if him taking Ketamine has anything to do with it.
It seems he lost his mind after he started taking Ketamine.
"…more than one benevolent billionaire with liberal bonafides has already reached out to acquaintances at MSNBC to express interest in buying the cable channel."
Should Democratic supporters explicitly coalesce around the idea, rather than rely on a billionaire (liberal though they may be)? Could this be the grit around which the pearl of a Democratic news ecosystem forms?
You pose crucial questions and this is a worthwhile discussion. In my opinion, we will do best by concentrating financing ventures that don’t require an insane amount of money, which MSNBC would.
Also, we don’t live in an ideal world. Meanwhile, I think of democracy-defending billionaires and millionaires as potential allies. For example, billionaire Michael Bloomberg whose media outlets most definitely are NOT part of the MAGA ecosphere. Likewise the progressive Kos Media LLC (known for the DailyKos), which as far as I know is still wholly owned by its founder, millionaire Markos Moulitsas.
That said, I would very much like to see new owners for The New York Times and The Washington Post. For instance, it would be perfect if Jeff Bezos sold (or gifted!) the Post to his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. Yes, she is another billionaire, albeit with values very different from Jeff.
Absolutely spot on!
I haven't watched MSNBC since 11/5 and I don't ever intend to watch it or cable news again. I have canceled my access to cable and from what I have read, I am not alone. I was a heavy user. It was almost always on as background and I also spent a lot of time actively watching. I had the MSNBC app on my phone. In my car I listened with satellite radio, but not more. I’ve seen this movie before and I don’t intend to watch the sequel. No amount of watching will ever hold HIM accountable or prevent any of his bad policies, personnel picks and actions. I've become a paid subscriber to more Substacks, contributed to Hunter Lazzaro's (formerly of DailyKos) Uncharted Blue.com and made contributions to ProPublica and others. I will shed no tears if MSNBC dies or is "X"'d. I'll always believe that corporate cable news executives wanted HIS return and the ratings they thought HE would bring to their networks, but I have tapped out.
Affordable housing must be a key policy item-and will require action at the state, local and federal level. Dems and others must stand up against Trumpists and Republicans who want to evicerate agencies and cut funding in favor of their own pet projects.
Affordable housing, affordable healthcare, affordable higher ed, the list is long....today I heard two old timers worried about SS and all this talk of cuts, both veterans...did no one pay attention during the election? Folks, we DO have a right to be angry with some of our fellow Americans, who voted for trump or sat this one out ( the real cause IMO, of our loss ). I was reading an article today from a European perspective; they were not laughing at us, they felt pity. And I feel for Ukraine; Americans somehow came to resent our "spending"on them. Now it seems they might be willing to give up some territory to stop the hot war. Has anyone noticed we are not hearing much from the Gaza crowd lately? I wonder why....We're gonna need some help in NJ; the cards are likely stacked in favor of a GOP candidate, Murphy is widely disliked ( SOP in NJ when it comes to Dem governors, though Christie managed to outdo even them with his unpopularity ) and I'm sure the GOP will promise deep cuts to reduce property taxes ( which won't work ). It is critical to try to win back VA and keep NJ; we are state that will be a focus of immigration detention and will need to have a governor to intervene.
"Folks, we DO have a right to be angry with some of our fellow Americans, who voted for trump or sat this one out"
Agree 100%. We're always asked to reach out and exert extra effort to understanding the motivations and feelings of Trump voters/MAGA or apathetic non-participants. Screw that. It's not motivations or feelings-- it's pathology. These people voted for (actively or passively) a convicted felon (34 counts of FRAUD, nonetheless), a person found liable for sexual assault, a guy who demonstrably tried to overthrow an election with an objectively dis-proven lie, a guy who repeatedly stood with Russia over America, who called KIA soldiers "suckers and losers", and who has bank accounts in China.
And what the hell was their response when Biden won in 2020? Oh-- he didn't win, it's fraudulent. You all cheated. In fact, we're even angrier at you now.
Did any of their leaders ask them to reach out to us? No, it was exact opposite.
I don't wish harm or bad times on any of them, but I'm at the place where, if it happens, f*ck 'em and good luck.
"What you reap is what you sow" - RATM
Great interview. Here in Virginia we definitely have important elections coming up.
Simon, I thought your interview on CNN re: Hegsreth was clear eyed and smart compared to the talking point nonsense coming from the Republican spinner. Nice contrast! (Must everything be political spin 24/7 on every issue with them? Not sure voters will have patience for that now that they’re ‘in charge’.)
This is in regards to the information war, from Pat Kreitlow, founding editor of “Up North News”
“Conservative media is an iron dome of outlets and strategies, sheltering their audiences from news and information that would change how they view the people on their ballots.
Despite losing his gerrymandered dominance in the Wisconsin Legislature, give Assembly Speaker Robin Vos a little credit—even with a setback that large, he feels no pangs of conscience that would lead him to do anything differently with his smaller majority. Truth be told, it’s progressives who need to make some changes in order to win more elections, and a recent interview with Vos provides one example when it comes to talking to voters about things like taxes, spending, and our public schools.
When Vos was recently asked about state Superintendent Jill Underly’s plan to propose major education spending investments in the next state budget, the Speaker had a succinct response—that he would oppose a “massive increase in education spending, when we just gave the largest increase in a generation like 18 months ago.”
Short and sweet—and not the full story at all.
Your neighbor certainly doesn’t know the full story. He or she just heard a short and sweet summary that makes sense on its face. If progressives are to improve election outcomes, they need their neighbors to hear that Robin Vos answer and then think to themselves, “Wait, that doesn’t match what I’ve heard over and over again about how state school aid hasn’t kept up with inflation for 16 years in a row.” Or, “Wait, that so-called ‘largest increase in a generation’ was a budget gimmick. A ton of that money never went to schools except in name only.”
But our neighbors don’t know these things. They’ve probably never heard them—or maybe they did once during a brief door visit from a candidate or volunteer. However, they hear things like what Vos said over and over again instead of the actual facts on school spending.
On my radio show recently, Chris Thiel from Milwaukee Public Schools, outlined the conservative budget gimmick—how the legislature was able to claim it allocated $1.2 billion to schools even though about half of it ($590 million) went directly to property tax relief. There’s nothing wrong with property tax relief, but it’s wrong to call it the “School Levy Tax Credit” if it never goes to schools. That’s just plain old mislabeling.
“It isn’t funding that you can buy a crayon with,” Thiel told me. “You can’t heat a school building with it. You can’t pay a teacher with it.”
Yet Vos and Republican lawmakers are gaining traction with the message that there was a $1.2 billion allocation to our schools, even though it’s a lie. In the upcoming state budget debate, they will repeat their talking point to every education ally who tries to call them out on it during public hearings of the Joint Finance Committee. I’m not saying the allies shouldn’t come testify. I’m saying their points need to be heard far beyond the committee hearings and well beyond the few crazy weeks of an election campaign.
This is only one example, but it properly illustrates what progressives need to do going forward. Spread the facts. Relentlessly.
For far too long, far too many of us have imagined facts as individual helium balloons that would, in time, float above the fray of misinformation and gently land upon a voter at just the right time—with one really good piece of political mail or one really good political TV ad or one really pleasant candidate visit. But that’s not how it works. Right-wing media has successfully stymied factual information by creating an “iron dome” of outlets and strategies. Those little fact balloons are under assault like no other phase of our lifetimes—buffeted by “bothsidesism,” “whataboutism,” and of course, “alternative facts,” originally known as disinformation.
There is only one way for an iron dome to be overcome and that is for it to be overwhelmed.
Building a long-range ecosystem for messaging and media is a column for another day. But use this simple example from Speaker Vos to ask yourself how progressives can use every platform (radio shows, social media, newsletters, etc.) and every format (videos, graphics, text, conversations) to turn just one fact into many messages, delivered year-round. Truly, the mission for progressives is to turn each little balloon into an army of drones. Facts are on their side, but the messaging battleground is not.”
A recent essay from Marc Elias on the importance of building an opposition and not just a resistance: https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/building-the-opposition/
We must start at the HS level and teach classes in civil rights, anti-bullying,
voting rights, true history which includes black history and Native Americans. We must tell the truth about immigrants and their enormous contributions to our society. We must involve them in the democratic party at all levels, where they can be mentored and participate.
Make politics fun, diverse interactional and TRULY
REPRESENTATIVE of We the People!
Agreed! But back in the day, when I went to school, this curriculum started in elementary school – it certainly didn’t wait until high school. And children of migrant farm workers were my fellow pupils, an integral part of the class.
I agree with you on history, anti-bullying and acceptance of people who aren't like you taught in grade school. But participation in the process should start in HS. Programs which connect connect grade school kids with mentoring HS kids have been successful too.
Back in the day in California, civics was taught in 8th grade and 11th grade and that makes sense. Perhaps an earlier first round in the 5th grade could be added, to introduce the idea of a constitution, a congress, a president and a judiciary.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/25/media/elon-musk-msnbc-spinoff-cable/index.html
Democrats need to restructure the party. Main focus need to be: 1. Majority vs. elite, 2. Average American vs. 1% 3. We need an authentic Messenger to lead the party going forward, they have not yet appeared.
Ask: "Does this communication/policy/law/regulation affect an average individual's life for the better or foe the worse?
I have to disagree with the contention that the county moved right. Looking at the ballot initiatives that won even in states where they elected Trump I'd say our messaging was not getting through about Democrats being behind all the good things. Voters WANT what we have and who we are, they have just been poisoned against us and we haven't broken through the Republican BS/gerrymandering. (Here's a link summarizing our initiative wins https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ballot-measures-deliver-big-wins-progressive-policy-priorities-rcna179308)
We need to dance with who brought us--We, the people. We need to remind the people EVERY FREAKING DAY (and not just every four years) that we are pro-union, pro-woman, pro-healthcare, pro-democracy, anti-racist, etc.
Totally agree. This indicates an extremely serious branding/messaging/communications problem, not necessarily a policy/platform problem.
There was a poll (which of course I don’t have and can’t remember where I saw it) - where people chose Democratic proposals when they didn’t know if they were Dem or Rep.
Simon, the problem is not our messaging. It is that Trump and those gathered around him are amoral and skilled criminals. He had gotten away with unfathomable crimes already and our Country is on the verge of going to Hell ( and taking the rest of the world with it) due to the current (and wonderful and good - for sure) administration and the Democrats in positions to “Do Something” somehow giving everything over to treasonous, cheating crooks who are laughing and calling us “suckers”.
My husband and I have zero resources ,except for our social security, if we become too infirm to work.
I hope and pray that someone currently in a position of authority stops this “peaceful transfer of power” to those who stole this election and have no intention of leaving in 4 years!
How and why would you give our Democratic Republic over to those who unabashedly and with glee plan to destroy it?! How unbelievably naive!
I am 99.999% certain that the majority of people of this country did not vote for this! And most of the ones who did actually vote for Trump did so subject to the nonstop lies. Why? Because it is almost impossible for any of us to believe that the awful things were not jokes!”He won’t really do that” chuckle,chuckle.
Yes, THEY are in process of doing all of it.
EMINENTLY QUOTABLE
“I’m not running for DNC Chairman because, after meeting with former chairmen [to discuss what the primary focus of the committee’s work]. I have no interest in being a full-time fundraiser for the party. I’m still committed to fixing and rebuild our party, but I’ll do it without being the chairman.”
– Chuck Rocha, political strategist
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/chuck-rocha-dnc-chair/
Simon, may I suggest an interview with Jaime Harrison, the current DNC Chair? Given the urgency, it would be very interesting to hear what changes Harrison is implementing – and especially what he has done to bring various groups to the table. I am most interested in hearing Harrison’s report on the ongoing conversation about needed change and renewal of the Democratic Party.
Also: how much time does Jaime Harrison spend fundraising, and how much time on other priorities – and which?
On the subject of moving forward, I really enjoyed this PoliticsGirl podcast with guest Andrea Chalupa, an expert in Soviet and Ukrainian history.
https://youtu.be/CvImpAfyG8w?si=TKU6spIYQjKV_m4Y
Both speakers clearly worried that looking at the future realistically would be too scary for the viewers/listeners, but what they ended up presenting seemed like it belonged here at Hopium.
I have been thinking a lot about Chalupa’s advice for the last couple of days. Basically, find your joy, share your skills, and fight for the things you love. (But longer and with more details.)
Anyway, I found it inspiring and decided to share it here.