Saw this Deadline WH y 1 of the many news platform that I record. Yes, Joe Biden is a good President. Glad he’s taking a different path with Netanyahu as my POV is he was helping elect the former guy President. Netanyahu has worked against the 2 State solution my whole lifetime. Thank you Simon for Hopium Group.
"I've written to Joyce Vance and Heather Cox Richardson about this, and always get dozens of comments from people enthusiastic about this, but I am not aware of anywhere online where one can find this."
I'm not sure how simplistic you are looking for, but are you aware of these resources:
DemCast USA - https://demcastusa.com/ - I searched on "Biden Record" and it came back with 750 results including this one:
Two points - this site is not geared to low information voters. I talk to you, to activists, teach the teachers so to speak. It's up to the campaigns to talk directly to voters.
Here is what I posted yesterday in the chat about Israel-Gaza:
A few points: 1) Biden's numbers are going up, the generic is going up, Biden's approval inside the Dem party according to Economist/YouGov is 80-16. There is no evidence right now Israel-Gaza is a drag on him, or that there is a broad backlash against him in the Dem Party. The constant assertion that this is front burner issue for large numbers of Democrats and it's hurting Biden is simply not backed up by data. The last time Economist/YouGov asked two weeks ago Biden's job approval on foreign policy among Dems was 70-21. The party is broadly behind him on what he is doing. 2) The chance by Election Day that this becomes a major voting issue for our coalition rather than people's jobs, health care, reproductive freedom, loss of democracy, climate change, gun safety, etc is very very remote. 3) Building and managing a winning Presidential coalition is hard, full of challenges. This is one of them for us. It's a challenge not a threat. What is happening to Trump with the opposition he has from Romney etc is a threat, not just a challenge. Debates like this inside the party are a sign of health. We all don't have to agree on everything, and I welcome this debate.
To be clear - that there is broad and dangerous backlash inside the Dem coalition to Biden's policies in the Middle East is not true. It could happen, but it isn't happening now and it is unlikely to happen this year. Those who are arguing that there is such a broad backlash simply do not have the data to back it up. Right now this is a very secondary issue for the overwhelming majority of Democrats - as it should be, in my opinion. We lose to MAGA and democracy worldwide is crippled; and the most anti-Palestinian President in American history takes office. Joe Biden is fighting for a two state solution, negotiated a cease fire, broke with Bibi - Trump gave Bibi the green light.
Thanks for repeating this! It has always struck me that this issue gets amplified on social media, but that the actual numbers don’t bear out. Certainly the primary numbers (even in *gasp* Michigan) show unified support for Biden.
That article is the antithesis of modern day journalism that is looking to create content vs genuinely adding to the conversation. His points are so weak, especially considering Biden is leading in many poles now. But I would argue Chaits real goal was to stir the pot by pointing to other articles and extracting false premises in the hopes of getting a counter reaction.
Hello journalists/commentators out there interested in my work. Always open to a call to discuss. I write six days a week on Hopium Chronicles. I speak publicly on pods, TV and in presentations several times a week. I post on social media daily. Will always take your call.
That last graph, that's what happens when all you see is doom doom doom. I'm glad there are places like this Substack and /r/VoteDEM that are spreading optimism. The doom narrative is too strong and it's really bad for our society.
Agreed! I'm probably repeating myself here BUT, I honestly don't know what state of mind I'd be in right now, were it not for this newsletter and others. The last year has really drove home how fractured/damaged our media landscape is. Honestly if I only read articles from media outlets, there's a good chance Chait's cold water article would've ruined my day before it even started ( Again this is just me and I know it's not a journalist's job to make a person feel good, but you get the point). Very grateful this platform exists, and allows those of us unwilling to be paralyzed by the doom narrative to work together. These communities have been teaching me " it doesn't have to be this way!" in the face of a largely broken media landscape. Let us Keep calm and not let incentivized media outlets have the last word!
Simon-great interview recently with the NYT. We need to keep on calling out NYT's "both siderism". Their headline that many Democrats are worried about Biden losing belies the fact that many Republicans and Independents are concerned and will vote against Trump.
On deadline WH last night one of the panelists insisted it will be a "a margin of error" election (whatever that means) . I disagree and believe we can get to 55% and a convincing Biden victory.
I love that last graph. A lot of people only think the things they are told by the media. Unfortunately, media loves to focus on the negatives and conservative media does not portray reality in good faith. But when people look closer to home, it's hard to deny the reality of your community. Almost all communities are better off today than they were 4 years ago.
Simon, I do appreciate your more positive view of our political life. But I am trying to wrap my head around the constant buzz that 1) young people (voting age) are not interested in voting; and 2) that generation is as persuaded by single issues (e.g., Gaza-Israel) as have been older generations....and thus they will either not vote for Dems or will go for a Kennedy candidacy. If you have any wisdom on this, I would sure like to read it...
Thankfully Simon has addressed this in other recent comment threads - I believe even this week. Honestly I think "buzz" is mostly what it is Esther - noise being shamelessly exaggerated by all the media outlets hungry for subs and clicks. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I'm not convinced it's the threat some say. Make no mistake, there are noisemakers in every group/bloc, but I think it is overblown, and largely manageable. Plus based on what I've learned Biden seems to be coming down harder and harder on Bibi. It's up not only to the Biden campaign but all of us to help in their appeals to every group in order to stick that coalition together. It may be noisy under the tent, but we are a big tent party and it's our job to reach and welcome as many with open arms as possible.
Why is it that Democratic Presidents over the last 35 years have presided over 90% of the job creation, balanced budgets, avoidance of large scale destabilizing wars while Republicans get all the credit for the economy, “keeping us safe” and fiscal responsibility. There are two reasons: 1) The Democrats are short-sighted and let Republicans take credit for social programs that Democrat sought to establish - example: Republican politicians bragging to their constituencies about programs they fought against and Trump plastering his name on all COVID checks while Obama, Biden, and other Democrats engage in high-minded but politically useless humility. And - the most important - ALL of the mainstream networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and right wing Fox “News” and the pro-war pro-natalist (cheap labor) news organizations of the Washington Post and the New York Times continue to defer to Republicans and parrott their talking points while self-righteously claiming to be liberal and represent the interests of the liberal American voter when they don’t.
Simon, I just want to thank you so much for being around to lead the charge in this election cycle. Times are so critical and we do have issues on our side which should allow us to see a Blue Hurricane if we act with appropriate information and vigor. We can Blue Hurricane this thing!
Everything may be on the up and up for those who can withstand the ongoing inflation that the middle class cannot tolerate. Any spike in filling up our tank, a $5 increase in eggs, electric bills ever increasing, etc makes for a fragile way of life. And these are the people that Biden needs to convince in order to stay in office. But that’s challenging because I don’t know many who can continue to handle ongoing inflation. Our cat food has increased by $7 since Covid. Our medical insurance rates are higher than ever with increasing deductibles and copays. Biden needs to speak to this part of the population. Inflation hasn’t gone down for this segment enough to give them hope. We need hope. And we fear a Trump dictatorship.
This community and others on this platform has plenty of hope, and more importantly can help any interested learn to take action for hope! Don't get me wrong, expensive cat food and groceries and rising rent are tough to endure, but Biden is doing the very best he can to tackle these (given that a president cannot directly control this). Plus how many people - how many women - will think 'God my rent has gone up. The other party is coming for birth control and wants to further criminalize abortion, but you know... my rent is just too damn high!'? Biden is welcoming everybody into the fold, and it is also our responsibility to reach as many people as possible on his behalf - be it through calls, the written word or door knocking. Fear a Trump dictatorship but do not let the thought paralyze you. You're right we do need hope and you know what ? We have it! Hope combined with action, which for me is Hopium.
HLE, please know I'm not trying to minimize the situation you or others around you might find yourself in. But that statement just makes it sound like we all are sitting here passively "hoping" for what we want. This community isn't just about "having hope". It's also about raising and helping to spread it. It's about pushing past the negativity that our media ecosystem seems to peddle these days. This is about action. Many people that subscribe to this newsletter are campaigning ( or learning to ) in various ways in order to fight for democracy. If we do the work, we win this thing. Right now we have a president who was handed a mess in the midst of a once in a century pandemic, really multiple layers of a mess. He has busted his ass to bring us back from the brink of economic ruin and has done pretty damn good job of it. The truth is he has little control over what companies decide to charge for products - price gouging. From the state of the union speech to his campaign stops I think Biden has made it clear that he is against these practices, and is doing everything he can to counter it. It is incumbent on all of us to help with his message, and that includes reaching out to the communities you refer to. Again I'm not trying to trivialize any hardships anyone is experiencing. There's more going on here than just "having hope"
Biden cannot be blamed for Avian flu which once again has caused a million egg laying hens at one facility in Texas to be euthanized. If one hen gets the flu that is the only way to deal with the problem. Therefore, a shortage of that magnitude, and two years ago it was much, much worse, caused eggs, chicken and turkey prices to spike. Shortages cause increased prices. Period. Sometimes shortages are manufactured, but shortages cause by disease, weather, etc. are certainly beyond the President's control at your grocery store.
Simon do you have any comments about the recent news about the Trump-Saudi conversations? It seems like this has potential to be a benefit to him either financially or otherwise in the election.
Saw this Deadline WH y 1 of the many news platform that I record. Yes, Joe Biden is a good President. Glad he’s taking a different path with Netanyahu as my POV is he was helping elect the former guy President. Netanyahu has worked against the 2 State solution my whole lifetime. Thank you Simon for Hopium Group.
Simon, please comment on Jonathan Chait's post this morning: There’s No Reason to Think Trump’s Lead Is Caused By Skewed Polling Denial leads to wishful thinking.https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/polls-trump-lead-biden-skewed-red-wave-simon-rosenberg.html
Whatever
I am pretty sure he talked about the Israel Gaza conflict yesterday. Check it out.
"I've written to Joyce Vance and Heather Cox Richardson about this, and always get dozens of comments from people enthusiastic about this, but I am not aware of anywhere online where one can find this."
I'm not sure how simplistic you are looking for, but are you aware of these resources:
DemCast USA - https://demcastusa.com/ - I searched on "Biden Record" and it came back with 750 results including this one:
https://demcastusa.com/2024/01/02/10-incredible-things-president-biden-accomplished-in-2023/
Amplify- activateamerica.vote/amplify - here is a post on prescription drug prices: https://www.activateamerica.vote/amplify/rxcosts
Also can get your info directly from the Biden campaign by signing up to be a Social Ambassador: https://democrats.org/take-action/
I can also recommend A Biden a Day - one shareable post for you to share every day
https://www.facebook.com/groups/abidenaday/
Two points - this site is not geared to low information voters. I talk to you, to activists, teach the teachers so to speak. It's up to the campaigns to talk directly to voters.
Here is what I posted yesterday in the chat about Israel-Gaza:
A few points: 1) Biden's numbers are going up, the generic is going up, Biden's approval inside the Dem party according to Economist/YouGov is 80-16. There is no evidence right now Israel-Gaza is a drag on him, or that there is a broad backlash against him in the Dem Party. The constant assertion that this is front burner issue for large numbers of Democrats and it's hurting Biden is simply not backed up by data. The last time Economist/YouGov asked two weeks ago Biden's job approval on foreign policy among Dems was 70-21. The party is broadly behind him on what he is doing. 2) The chance by Election Day that this becomes a major voting issue for our coalition rather than people's jobs, health care, reproductive freedom, loss of democracy, climate change, gun safety, etc is very very remote. 3) Building and managing a winning Presidential coalition is hard, full of challenges. This is one of them for us. It's a challenge not a threat. What is happening to Trump with the opposition he has from Romney etc is a threat, not just a challenge. Debates like this inside the party are a sign of health. We all don't have to agree on everything, and I welcome this debate.
To be clear - that there is broad and dangerous backlash inside the Dem coalition to Biden's policies in the Middle East is not true. It could happen, but it isn't happening now and it is unlikely to happen this year. Those who are arguing that there is such a broad backlash simply do not have the data to back it up. Right now this is a very secondary issue for the overwhelming majority of Democrats - as it should be, in my opinion. We lose to MAGA and democracy worldwide is crippled; and the most anti-Palestinian President in American history takes office. Joe Biden is fighting for a two state solution, negotiated a cease fire, broke with Bibi - Trump gave Bibi the green light.
Thanks for repeating this! It has always struck me that this issue gets amplified on social media, but that the actual numbers don’t bear out. Certainly the primary numbers (even in *gasp* Michigan) show unified support for Biden.
We'd be happy to help with visual production if we have the data on this. Ping me (gmiller@osetinstitute.org)
In Chait's column comments, I asked him to respond to https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/hopium-in-the-nytimes-16-polls-show. We'll see what, if anything, he says.
That article is the antithesis of modern day journalism that is looking to create content vs genuinely adding to the conversation. His points are so weak, especially considering Biden is leading in many poles now. But I would argue Chaits real goal was to stir the pot by pointing to other articles and extracting false premises in the hopes of getting a counter reaction.
Agree. And here is what I just posted on Twitter:
Hello journalists/commentators out there interested in my work. Always open to a call to discuss. I write six days a week on Hopium Chronicles. I speak publicly on pods, TV and in presentations several times a week. I post on social media daily. Will always take your call.
I decided to respond to Chait, on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SimonWDC/status/1776380707423555683
And will do a version of it in here soon. Not in a rush to bring it in here. It's a silly article.
What Trump lead?
Exactly.
The reader comment section on nymag is doing a great job in explaining why Chait’s article should be taken with a big grain of salt.
That last graph, that's what happens when all you see is doom doom doom. I'm glad there are places like this Substack and /r/VoteDEM that are spreading optimism. The doom narrative is too strong and it's really bad for our society.
Agreed! I'm probably repeating myself here BUT, I honestly don't know what state of mind I'd be in right now, were it not for this newsletter and others. The last year has really drove home how fractured/damaged our media landscape is. Honestly if I only read articles from media outlets, there's a good chance Chait's cold water article would've ruined my day before it even started ( Again this is just me and I know it's not a journalist's job to make a person feel good, but you get the point). Very grateful this platform exists, and allows those of us unwilling to be paralyzed by the doom narrative to work together. These communities have been teaching me " it doesn't have to be this way!" in the face of a largely broken media landscape. Let us Keep calm and not let incentivized media outlets have the last word!
Last month the economy added more people to the work force than the population of Pittsburgh. A city that supports an NFL, MLB and NHL franchise.
“While the homeownership rate for adult Gen Zers has stagnated, a majority of them are still outpacing young people of the past.”
In discussions I like to share that I bought my first home as a single, 28-year-old in the 80’s/Reagonomics era. My mortgage rate ➡️ 12%
Simon-great interview recently with the NYT. We need to keep on calling out NYT's "both siderism". Their headline that many Democrats are worried about Biden losing belies the fact that many Republicans and Independents are concerned and will vote against Trump.
On deadline WH last night one of the panelists insisted it will be a "a margin of error" election (whatever that means) . I disagree and believe we can get to 55% and a convincing Biden victory.
Thanx for all you do, Simon. You connect the dots!
The issues align with Dems. Plus, Trump is evil. Dems need to help voters see the realities. There’s still time….
I love that last graph. A lot of people only think the things they are told by the media. Unfortunately, media loves to focus on the negatives and conservative media does not portray reality in good faith. But when people look closer to home, it's hard to deny the reality of your community. Almost all communities are better off today than they were 4 years ago.
Thanks for helping us stay focused Simon!
Simon, I do appreciate your more positive view of our political life. But I am trying to wrap my head around the constant buzz that 1) young people (voting age) are not interested in voting; and 2) that generation is as persuaded by single issues (e.g., Gaza-Israel) as have been older generations....and thus they will either not vote for Dems or will go for a Kennedy candidacy. If you have any wisdom on this, I would sure like to read it...
Many thanks for all your work....
Thankfully Simon has addressed this in other recent comment threads - I believe even this week. Honestly I think "buzz" is mostly what it is Esther - noise being shamelessly exaggerated by all the media outlets hungry for subs and clicks. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I'm not convinced it's the threat some say. Make no mistake, there are noisemakers in every group/bloc, but I think it is overblown, and largely manageable. Plus based on what I've learned Biden seems to be coming down harder and harder on Bibi. It's up not only to the Biden campaign but all of us to help in their appeals to every group in order to stick that coalition together. It may be noisy under the tent, but we are a big tent party and it's our job to reach and welcome as many with open arms as possible.
Why is it that Democratic Presidents over the last 35 years have presided over 90% of the job creation, balanced budgets, avoidance of large scale destabilizing wars while Republicans get all the credit for the economy, “keeping us safe” and fiscal responsibility. There are two reasons: 1) The Democrats are short-sighted and let Republicans take credit for social programs that Democrat sought to establish - example: Republican politicians bragging to their constituencies about programs they fought against and Trump plastering his name on all COVID checks while Obama, Biden, and other Democrats engage in high-minded but politically useless humility. And - the most important - ALL of the mainstream networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and right wing Fox “News” and the pro-war pro-natalist (cheap labor) news organizations of the Washington Post and the New York Times continue to defer to Republicans and parrott their talking points while self-righteously claiming to be liberal and represent the interests of the liberal American voter when they don’t.
Simon, I just want to thank you so much for being around to lead the charge in this election cycle. Times are so critical and we do have issues on our side which should allow us to see a Blue Hurricane if we act with appropriate information and vigor. We can Blue Hurricane this thing!
Simon
I tried to sign up for the Civics Center program Thursday, April 18 at 6 pm – 8pm Eastern. You are the main event. The link didn't work.
Field team 6, as you know, unlike the Civics Center, concentrates on Democrats. They may want to share data. https://www.fieldteam6.org/mission
I got hooked when I’d see you w/Lawrence O’Donnell & now I’m a subscriber!! Thank you for the “light” when at times it all looks so bleak!!
Everything may be on the up and up for those who can withstand the ongoing inflation that the middle class cannot tolerate. Any spike in filling up our tank, a $5 increase in eggs, electric bills ever increasing, etc makes for a fragile way of life. And these are the people that Biden needs to convince in order to stay in office. But that’s challenging because I don’t know many who can continue to handle ongoing inflation. Our cat food has increased by $7 since Covid. Our medical insurance rates are higher than ever with increasing deductibles and copays. Biden needs to speak to this part of the population. Inflation hasn’t gone down for this segment enough to give them hope. We need hope. And we fear a Trump dictatorship.
This community and others on this platform has plenty of hope, and more importantly can help any interested learn to take action for hope! Don't get me wrong, expensive cat food and groceries and rising rent are tough to endure, but Biden is doing the very best he can to tackle these (given that a president cannot directly control this). Plus how many people - how many women - will think 'God my rent has gone up. The other party is coming for birth control and wants to further criminalize abortion, but you know... my rent is just too damn high!'? Biden is welcoming everybody into the fold, and it is also our responsibility to reach as many people as possible on his behalf - be it through calls, the written word or door knocking. Fear a Trump dictatorship but do not let the thought paralyze you. You're right we do need hope and you know what ? We have it! Hope combined with action, which for me is Hopium.
Best of luck with having hope. I’m just living in reality.
HLE, please know I'm not trying to minimize the situation you or others around you might find yourself in. But that statement just makes it sound like we all are sitting here passively "hoping" for what we want. This community isn't just about "having hope". It's also about raising and helping to spread it. It's about pushing past the negativity that our media ecosystem seems to peddle these days. This is about action. Many people that subscribe to this newsletter are campaigning ( or learning to ) in various ways in order to fight for democracy. If we do the work, we win this thing. Right now we have a president who was handed a mess in the midst of a once in a century pandemic, really multiple layers of a mess. He has busted his ass to bring us back from the brink of economic ruin and has done pretty damn good job of it. The truth is he has little control over what companies decide to charge for products - price gouging. From the state of the union speech to his campaign stops I think Biden has made it clear that he is against these practices, and is doing everything he can to counter it. It is incumbent on all of us to help with his message, and that includes reaching out to the communities you refer to. Again I'm not trying to trivialize any hardships anyone is experiencing. There's more going on here than just "having hope"
Biden cannot be blamed for Avian flu which once again has caused a million egg laying hens at one facility in Texas to be euthanized. If one hen gets the flu that is the only way to deal with the problem. Therefore, a shortage of that magnitude, and two years ago it was much, much worse, caused eggs, chicken and turkey prices to spike. Shortages cause increased prices. Period. Sometimes shortages are manufactured, but shortages cause by disease, weather, etc. are certainly beyond the President's control at your grocery store.
Great supportive comments Jarrod. Thank you!
Give this a listen. Simon and Robert Hubbell on Big Tent USA. “We have every reason to be hopeful and no reason to be complacent”-Robert Hubbell
https://youtu.be/t6K4KLHG2mk?si=uAp0qhwpjRBL5sd2
I saw this in my news feed and had to share. Enjoy the X backlash to Lara Trump's appeal to Trump supporters!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lara-trump-cash-plea_n_660faa20e4b04fa39614341b
Simon do you have any comments about the recent news about the Trump-Saudi conversations? It seems like this has potential to be a benefit to him either financially or otherwise in the election.