I am just a NYC street-wise concerned citizen, looking to do better, and this concerns me greatly. We all know how information holes can send a working mind to murky places. And we don't need that right now. I really wish they'd reconsider.
Stefanik drops her candidacy for Governor of New York and is leaving politics. Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming announces she will not seek reelection in 2026. Senators Ernst and Tillis are also retiring...
The good news just keeps piling up!
NB I do indeed notice a newfound swagger in the step of many Democrats!
Even though it’s not the DNC report, this overview by Pew has a lot of good info about voter composition. It looks like it was overall a close election, just that the non-voters in past elections went for trump more than Harris, while that same late-breaking low info type went for Biden in 2020. I do share concerns about how social media will be deployed to benefit republicans in 2026 like with Tik Tok and streaming ads. That’s how they reached the low info voters last year.
I also think that it's a bad idea to make big decisions based on situations when trump was on the ballot. I just don't see other Republicans successfully replicating what he has been able to do. That said, the use of social media will be a big focus of theirs. I also think JD Vance is going to run as a white nationalist in 2028.
And what’s really wild is according to the Pew article, the non-voters in 2024 skewed slightly more toward trump, which means it would have likely been worse of a loss for us if they HAD voted. Never again will I assume that new or low-info voters are automatically liberal.
Is there any stated reason, or do we understand why, the DNC is not releasing their postmortem on 2024? Maybe it highlights what they did wrong? That's usually why people make decisions like this. But Martin wasn't in charge so I don't get it.
Redacting the Epstein files won't make things better for Trump, or make bad things go away.
We also shouldn't be holding back our postmortem on 2024.
If there are lessons people can learn, they need to release it. Hard truths are better than nothing.
Check the link Simon posted where he mentions the report. It links to a New Republic article that has some info. Not a lot, but Ken Martin states the reasoning.
Wow! "Swaggering" is great press. Describing Dems this way shows that they're strong, dominant, powerful. More like this, please.
I've been thinking about Gov. Wes Moore's motto of "work, wages, and wealth." That could be a good motto for more Dems to adopt. As Simon's shown us, it's Democrats who have, for the last decades, created almost all the jobs. Dems can come out loudly in favor of raising the minimum wage and, even, for tying workers' wages to CEO earnings. And home ownership is one of the most important ways to create generational wealth, so an emphasis, like Abigail Spanberger's, on building new affordable homes could round out the equation. That, plus an emphasis on stopping and punishing corruption could go a long ways towards winning the midterms, IMHO.
I called my representatives and asked them to stop the war in Venezuela and to protect the city of Washington, DC.
I just called my Democratic representative and asked her to ask the DNC to release the report. If we should have learned anything from 2020, it's that "looking forward, not back" is a losing strategy. We failed to press for accountability then, and look what it got us. We failed to press Biden to be clear about his thinking in running again, and look what it got us. I'm not asking for some narrow blame game report (and if they wrote it that way, they wasted a lot of money). I'm asking for some sense the party gets it: that the grassroots doesn't have endless money to throw into some money pit PAC. That we need clear eyed thinking. That we also to act as if failure is not an option. I view this as a major test of leadership for Ken Martin.
Also, if you live in a state where the traditional Medicare AI pilot is being tested, call your Governor and Congressional delegation and ask them to push back, hold hearings, demand understanding of what it will do and what the rationale is. This is another way to undermine Medicare.
Here's an article from the Washington Post (of all places) that I'm looking forward to sharing with MAGA-supporting friends--talk about defending the indefensible. Apparently every time Trump pardons another scammer (or any criminal at all), not only do they get out of jail, but all the restitution they owed their victims gets wiped off the books as well. In the case highlighted in the article, the fraudster involved spent all of eleven days behind bars and still owed those he defrauded $76+ million dollars. Now those victims have to start all over again, this time in civil court, where, of course, a huge chunk of what they were cheated of will go to their lawyers unless they win punitive damages as well. Defend *that*, mfers! https://wapo.st/48RYisQ (gift link)
I was glad to see you mention the DNC report. I am going to offer a counter view for consideration.
Not releasing it publicly doesn’t mean it’s not being discussed with State Party chairs and the like, does it? I am a firm believer in the motto “All politics is local,” so I can conceive that a divisive report could undermine what works in each specific election district. Thinking Glusenkemp-Perez as compared to Mamdani, as an example.
What I care about is winning in 2026 and beyond, with a strategy that deploys contributions (financial and otherwise) effectively and efficiently to GOTV. If the DNC implements that approach then the past doesn’t matter to me, other than as a guide to what should be avoided.
My biggest annoyance about all of this is Ken Martin said he agreed with Simon about seeing grassroots dollars and volunteers as partners in the cause, but this decision is clear that we are not actually partners.
They are going to keep treating us like atm machines, it is why the Sharrod Brown Campaign texts me long generic text messages asking for money instead of someone from campaign reaching out to see how have a real discussion about how to volunteer and whatnot.
I continue to get responses back from Sens. Booker & Kim, and will call them today regarding this very concerning info regarding Russian behavior in Europe. We need to continue the bicameral, bipartisan hearings next year--Sen. Blumenthal's recent hearing was an excellent example.
Phone calls today on the all-out naming assault. That's seriously Orange's play, has been his whole life. Slap his name on something, take credit for it, then watch it burn. Here in the Garden State, we don't have to look past Atlantic City for that story. UGH.
Excited to hear more from Gov.-Elect Sherrill in the coming days - there will be listening sessions and there's already a robust outreach program going on via the transition website.
Looking forward to hearing from Dr. Ben-Ghiat shortly, who will be hosting an expert on Asian politics.
It is not hopeless and you are not helpless - keep going!
I take comfort in thinking about how revolutionary patriots took down the statue of King George in NYC's Bowling Green, in the summer of 1776, and turned it into bullets for the war.
During Trump's first term, buildings here had Trump's (licensed) name removed from them.
When he leaves the national stage - God willing, it'll be sooner than we can even hope - I look forward to his name disappearing from everywhere. Question is: Do we prefer a quiet departure, as if he never darkened our lives in the first place, as if waking from a bad dream? Or, do we make it a national celebration?
Thanks for mentioning this. It’s outrageous. I hope Ken Martin will join you at some point to discuss it.
I am just a NYC street-wise concerned citizen, looking to do better, and this concerns me greatly. We all know how information holes can send a working mind to murky places. And we don't need that right now. I really wish they'd reconsider.
idk, imo it's best left aside for the time being; I trust Martin etc's judgement on when to get into it
I must admit: "Democrats" and "swagger" are two words I never expected to see in the same sentence in a Politico article!
Yes the media climate has changed significantly here in Washington in recent weeks.
For as we say here - we are now strong, and they weak!
Stefanik drops her candidacy for Governor of New York and is leaving politics. Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming announces she will not seek reelection in 2026. Senators Ernst and Tillis are also retiring...
The good news just keeps piling up!
NB I do indeed notice a newfound swagger in the step of many Democrats!
Not surprised that the DNC isn’t releasing the report. It’s total BS. And they wonder why people don’t believe in the DNC…
Friday Epstein Files Release
https://open.substack.com/pub/ojaiohana/p/videos-friday-pre-game-files-release?r=5chxge&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Even though it’s not the DNC report, this overview by Pew has a lot of good info about voter composition. It looks like it was overall a close election, just that the non-voters in past elections went for trump more than Harris, while that same late-breaking low info type went for Biden in 2020. I do share concerns about how social media will be deployed to benefit republicans in 2026 like with Tik Tok and streaming ads. That’s how they reached the low info voters last year.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/06/26/voter-turnout-2020-2024/
a lot of those folks don't bother to vote in the midterms though
I also think that it's a bad idea to make big decisions based on situations when trump was on the ballot. I just don't see other Republicans successfully replicating what he has been able to do. That said, the use of social media will be a big focus of theirs. I also think JD Vance is going to run as a white nationalist in 2028.
my only question is why millions of dems did not vote but sat on their hands. really need an answer for that.
And what’s really wild is according to the Pew article, the non-voters in 2024 skewed slightly more toward trump, which means it would have likely been worse of a loss for us if they HAD voted. Never again will I assume that new or low-info voters are automatically liberal.
Friday congresspersons call script:
- [senators] pass HR 6019. No handouts for J6ers.
- pass the ACA subsidy extensions. Y’all get taxpayer-subsidized healthcare so we should too.
- release the Epstein files. Enforce the deadline.
Is there any stated reason, or do we understand why, the DNC is not releasing their postmortem on 2024? Maybe it highlights what they did wrong? That's usually why people make decisions like this. But Martin wasn't in charge so I don't get it.
Redacting the Epstein files won't make things better for Trump, or make bad things go away.
We also shouldn't be holding back our postmortem on 2024.
If there are lessons people can learn, they need to release it. Hard truths are better than nothing.
Check the link Simon posted where he mentions the report. It links to a New Republic article that has some info. Not a lot, but Ken Martin states the reasoning.
Thanks, Steve, for pointing it out. It's my assignment for later today.
Thanks. I'm lazy. I only skimmed the article but it is what one would assume, CYA mode, which is not what people want. I think it is a mistake.
Basically that it would be divisive within the party and they do not want to distract from beating Republicans.
Pretty poor excuse in my opinion. I have emailed my state party chair asking that they push Ken Martin to publish the report.
Doesn’t have to be divisive
I do not think it would be, but that is what Ken Martin gave as a reason.
Wow! "Swaggering" is great press. Describing Dems this way shows that they're strong, dominant, powerful. More like this, please.
I've been thinking about Gov. Wes Moore's motto of "work, wages, and wealth." That could be a good motto for more Dems to adopt. As Simon's shown us, it's Democrats who have, for the last decades, created almost all the jobs. Dems can come out loudly in favor of raising the minimum wage and, even, for tying workers' wages to CEO earnings. And home ownership is one of the most important ways to create generational wealth, so an emphasis, like Abigail Spanberger's, on building new affordable homes could round out the equation. That, plus an emphasis on stopping and punishing corruption could go a long ways towards winning the midterms, IMHO.
I called my representatives and asked them to stop the war in Venezuela and to protect the city of Washington, DC.
I wonder if we could add well-being to cover healthcare at least, so the agenda is not just economic.
I just called my Democratic representative and asked her to ask the DNC to release the report. If we should have learned anything from 2020, it's that "looking forward, not back" is a losing strategy. We failed to press for accountability then, and look what it got us. We failed to press Biden to be clear about his thinking in running again, and look what it got us. I'm not asking for some narrow blame game report (and if they wrote it that way, they wasted a lot of money). I'm asking for some sense the party gets it: that the grassroots doesn't have endless money to throw into some money pit PAC. That we need clear eyed thinking. That we also to act as if failure is not an option. I view this as a major test of leadership for Ken Martin.
I agree John they should release it and if not give us a better reason. Simon your thoughts?
It concerns me that the DNC is not going to release the 2024 "autopsy" report. I would like your opinion.
Also, if you live in a state where the traditional Medicare AI pilot is being tested, call your Governor and Congressional delegation and ask them to push back, hold hearings, demand understanding of what it will do and what the rationale is. This is another way to undermine Medicare.
Here's an article from the Washington Post (of all places) that I'm looking forward to sharing with MAGA-supporting friends--talk about defending the indefensible. Apparently every time Trump pardons another scammer (or any criminal at all), not only do they get out of jail, but all the restitution they owed their victims gets wiped off the books as well. In the case highlighted in the article, the fraudster involved spent all of eleven days behind bars and still owed those he defrauded $76+ million dollars. Now those victims have to start all over again, this time in civil court, where, of course, a huge chunk of what they were cheated of will go to their lawyers unless they win punitive damages as well. Defend *that*, mfers! https://wapo.st/48RYisQ (gift link)
that's infuriating. Thanks for sharing!
I was glad to see you mention the DNC report. I am going to offer a counter view for consideration.
Not releasing it publicly doesn’t mean it’s not being discussed with State Party chairs and the like, does it? I am a firm believer in the motto “All politics is local,” so I can conceive that a divisive report could undermine what works in each specific election district. Thinking Glusenkemp-Perez as compared to Mamdani, as an example.
What I care about is winning in 2026 and beyond, with a strategy that deploys contributions (financial and otherwise) effectively and efficiently to GOTV. If the DNC implements that approach then the past doesn’t matter to me, other than as a guide to what should be avoided.
Open to counter-arguments, so let ‘em rip!!
My biggest annoyance about all of this is Ken Martin said he agreed with Simon about seeing grassroots dollars and volunteers as partners in the cause, but this decision is clear that we are not actually partners.
They are going to keep treating us like atm machines, it is why the Sharrod Brown Campaign texts me long generic text messages asking for money instead of someone from campaign reaching out to see how have a real discussion about how to volunteer and whatnot.
Got my end of year bonus, so I finally made a contribution to the audacious expansion fund! Woo hoo! Let’s start strong in 2026! 💪
You're a good man, Steve!
Just got an email from the DNC detailing their new Local Listener program, which trains vols to go out into their communities and engage in conversation that will be fed back to the DNC and help shape policy and activities going forward. Info and signup here: https://platform.winnable.app/events/local-listeners-bootcamp-ji9l4?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
I continue to get responses back from Sens. Booker & Kim, and will call them today regarding this very concerning info regarding Russian behavior in Europe. We need to continue the bicameral, bipartisan hearings next year--Sen. Blumenthal's recent hearing was an excellent example.
Phone calls today on the all-out naming assault. That's seriously Orange's play, has been his whole life. Slap his name on something, take credit for it, then watch it burn. Here in the Garden State, we don't have to look past Atlantic City for that story. UGH.
Excited to hear more from Gov.-Elect Sherrill in the coming days - there will be listening sessions and there's already a robust outreach program going on via the transition website.
Looking forward to hearing from Dr. Ben-Ghiat shortly, who will be hosting an expert on Asian politics.
It is not hopeless and you are not helpless - keep going!
I take comfort in thinking about how revolutionary patriots took down the statue of King George in NYC's Bowling Green, in the summer of 1776, and turned it into bullets for the war.
During Trump's first term, buildings here had Trump's (licensed) name removed from them.
When he leaves the national stage - God willing, it'll be sooner than we can even hope - I look forward to his name disappearing from everywhere. Question is: Do we prefer a quiet departure, as if he never darkened our lives in the first place, as if waking from a bad dream? Or, do we make it a national celebration?
Some local Colorado patriots are fighting back: https://www.denverpost.com/2025/12/19/national-parks-pass-stickers-cover-trumps-face/?share
Micro-activism works to eliminate the stain.
what fun! thanks for posting
Team televised/livestream bonfire, here!
I will never forget when Saddam's statue was pulled over to much fanfare; I think it's only fair all the leftover Trump crap should be too. :)
of course, I now realize my folly in my wording: there is no "sooner than we can even hope" when it comes to his leaving the national stage.