"If you think President Biden should request these background checks, join me in spreading the good word..."
Struggling to keep track of Trump's nominations whose backgrounds be should be checked? Who's from Fox? Has been accused of sexual harassment or assault? Worked on Project 2025? A billionaire donor? Use this interactive map.
Question: Is there anything preventing President Biden from ordering thorough FBI background checks on Trump’s nominees, to Cabinet positions as well as other key posts?
(Obviously this is something Trump should have done but has failed to do.)
Here is the message that I sent to President Biden regarding "Trump’s Outrageous 4" identified by Simon. It's a good start.
President Biden, I am asking you to order FBI background checks for Trump’s cabinet nominees to begin immediately. This is allowable under the current MOU between the Department of Justice and The Office of the President and under the Presidential Transition Act. We Democrats must ferociously oppose the most outrageous of the cabinet nominations at every opportunity and build a national campaign to bring other Americans to join us.
We Oppose Tulsi Gabbard who is a Russian propagandist and therefore unfit for Director of National Intelligence. We Oppose Pete Hegseth who was selected for being a Fox News host and a Christian nationalist. He lacks the qualities and experience we need in our Defense Secretary. We Oppose Matt Gaetz who has been accused of illicit and potentially illegal behavior by members of the House, and does not have the character or experience for Attorney General. We Oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary because he promotes vaccine misinformation and other medical misinformation. Subsequent policies will undermine the public health system of the United States and threaten our educational system as more students in the public schools are left unvaccinated.
I am happy to see the endorsement for Congresswoman Spanberger. Can I also make a suggestion that we get behind Judge Susan Crawford for the WI Supreme Court race? Keeping the current balance on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is essential to helping to grow a Democratic legislative presence in Wisconsin and to eventually keep the state ungerrymandered. It's also going to be the first major battle to help our party come back in the next cycle.
Also, about what others have asked re Russian interference? And the possibility of a hand recount in the swing states at least? The results truly seem suspicious in a number of ways given the indications of a Harris win and momentum in both the polls, and even the media. Many thanks!
I found the post I link to below informative. It addresses claims that the 2024 election was stolen and includes this:
"We cannot become like the election deniers who attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power because of rumors about Italian satellites controlling Chinese thermostats.
Election fraud is illegal. It should be investigated and prosecuted. But making an allegation of election fraud requires more than an assertion that “It could happen” or “I think the results are suspicious.” And beware any allegation of a conspiracy that meets every objection by positing a new conspiracy to rebut obvious holes in the original conspiracy."
Long time before replying but i wanted to thank you for introducing me to Hubbell. I have since subscribed and find him the best balance of info, warning, and positivity. Thanks, Ben!
I'm glad another commenter mentioned Robert Hubbell's column today; I found it helpful too. And, as someone who monitors voting trends closely in Boston elections (as an example), I can say there are a lot of bullet-voters here, whole neighborhoods where that's a common practice and long-term pattern, and lots who vote for some offices rather than all, mostly higher offices. The percentage of voters here who vote for every office is small.
Okay, Simon. I rarely call Senators Ossoff and Warnock because mostly I'm pleased as punch at the way they represent the Peach State in the US Senate, but I have them on speed dial now and am calling them daily to WAX POETIC about the dangers of these four special little nutbags that Donny T wants on his cabinet.
Especially Ossoff, who is up for reelection in two short years and who represents the generational turn of the Democratic Party wheel in Georgia. He needs to be LOUD about saying NO to these appointments. LOUDER!
Abigail Spanberger is incredible. Our small, rural county's Democratic Committee supported her in her races for VA 07 (until redistricting) and she showed up and spent time with us. Abigail is a very smart campaigner and effective public servant. Virginia absolutely needs her to be our next Governor. Simon, I'm so proud she is your first endorsement! Thank you?
Eugene Vindman was elected. She didn't run. Worth taking a look at her Congressional website. Good messaging, including stats of what she has done for her constituents displayed prominently.
Thank you Simon for today's post and all you have offered in recent days & this first endorsement -- I agree about moving forward ! but for today, amidst so much other noise from the incoming crew... writing to ask if you might advise /comment to Stephen Spoonamore's posts re: vote recounts and irregular ‘bullet ballots’ in the swing states / relative to Musk’s registration promotion & re: Starlink access / control.
I am attaching two links:
1
Letter to VP Harris from Stephen Spoonamore --
This is his second letter to the VP that outlines what appears to be (?) a persuasive account of significant amounts of single-race ballot votes for candidate DJT / president and ONLY in the swing states (where Musk had his ‘lottery’ and gained the street addresses of those who registered.)
Even if Spoonamores claims seem far-fetched, other concerns regarding software have been raised. And did the bomb threats from Russia, in key swing states, have a measurable impact? It only took 1 out of 100 votes in key battleground states to swing this election. Then there is the voter roll purges and the right to “challenge” a voter’s right to vote.
Why aren’t the bomb threats alone being investigated and acted on?
Spent yesterday afternoon at the NCGA watching the Republicans take away authorities from our incoming Governor Stein and AG Jackson that had been in the NC Constitution for over a century. Mark Robinson held the gavel and cleared the gallery when we clapped for NC Senator Lisa Graffstein when she said the move was weak especially when considering more votes were cast in NC for Democrats than Republicans two weeks ago. We were then pushed out, including incoming Senator Woodson Bradley. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCm6UmfJyTC/?igsh=MWY2NTBuM2g4MzZ2Yw==
Y'all, please keep working to help us in NC. We need you!
I was there with my husband yesterday, Christine! Thank you for being there! It wasn't a large crowd, but I adore Lisa Grafstein! I do communications stuff for County-to-County NC and I couldn't agree with you more about our continued need for attention! The NYT did a good piece yesterday. I posted it above, but here it is in case you didn't see it. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/us/politics/north-carolina-bill-governor-elections.html
One more thing, Christine and all: Thomas Mills of Politics NC just posted this, and I'm going to call these three NC Republican legislators who voted no on the "Hurricane Relief Bill" (which is actually packed chock full of power grabs) and thank them: "Every Democrat and three mountain Republicans stood against the bill. We should praise Representatives Mike Clampitt, Karl Gillespie, and Mark Pless. They’ve taken a principled stand in opposition to their colleagues and in support of their constituents. It’s not easy to go against a caucus organization. Those legislators have shown real political courage."
I sent a message to President Biden and forwarded Frank’s message on to a small network. Thanks for the heads up and action step. Connecting with Jessica Craven (Chop Wood, Carry Water) on these action steps would be helpful since she is geared towards that and puts out clear scripts and phone numbers or email contacts. She makes it easy to understand and do.
"America: meet your new Secretary of Homeland Security [Kristi Noem]. She’s Trump without the empathy."
. –Andy Borowitz
“I’m a business guy so I think the more business people we get up here [in the Senate], the better off we are. I’m excited to serve with [Dave McCormick].”
. – Rick "Medicare Fraudster" Scott, R-FL
""When the Clown moves into the Palace, he doesn’t become a Sultan – rather, the Palace becomes a Circus."
Hopium Chronicles - What's Next? How to Cut the Head Off the Snake Worldwide
🔸️FITNESS FOR DUTY EVALUATIONS that are mandatory, like the military for high responsibility positions, would have stopped Trump before he got within a mile of the White House. True for every dictator, authoritarian, and oligarch worldwide.
Bandy X Lee, Steven Hassan, and 100 other psychiatrists agree Trump has five dangerous mental illnesses as listed in the books "The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" and "The Psychology Of Trump Contagion - An Existential Threat to American Democracy and All Humankind".
In one fell swoop, Fitness for Duty Evaluations worldwide, stops every dictator, authoritarian, and oligarch.
"Containing Trump Contagion and Healing from Mental Pathology in Politics"
🔸️Fitness for Duty Evaluations start with everyone who interacts with the individual in question, and when red flags start to appear, 'say something.'
The US Military has procedures to follow that require individuals in question to have a Fitness for Duty Evaluation. Voters must demand the House and Senate do the same.
"Stephen Xenakis- Fitness for Duty Exams: Preventing Autocratic Abuse"
🔸️Outside the military are professionals like Dr. Bandy X. Lee who has several dozen colleagues all of whom are highly qualified to do Fitness for Duty Evaluations.
The U.S. House and Senate have several mechanisms to enforce their rules, including:
* Leadership
* Committees
* Floor Procedures
* Party Discipline
It's important to note that these mechanisms are not always used consistently or effectively. The more voters demand mentally fit leaders the more the House and Senate will comply.
all is quiet on DNC chair front?? heard martin O'malley?? is Hopium going to jump into this?? do we have a candidate that can modernize and digitize the Dems attract youth and hispanics? Also, will the DNC correct the narrative about landslide election?? think this is critical going forward. havent seen any dems on tv working on this. do they send out press releases anymore with data to correct media????? just curious. we need to create comprehensive to do list for joe!!!
My biggest worry is that we are still playing the game by the rules; rules that republicans have already ignored and rules that they will dump in a New York minute. Like the filibuster. Our greatest liability is that we don't know what will happen on January 20th.
Thought, question - how to do we improve our response preparation for GOP moves? We are constantly out maneuvered and on the back foot. The NC assembly just kneecapped the incoming governor. Why weren’t we prepared for this? Maybe Governor Cooper should have stayed in the state unto the new legislature was sworn in? It seems like our main response to these aggressive moves by the GOP is to call them out to the political press and our own community as being unfair. Unfortunately , no one is listening and it is not working or curbing the behavior. We need to change how we respond and be more combative and strategic and political rather than complaining to refs who do not exist anymore. Simon and others did heroic work in trying to call out the Red Wave polls but maybe the better response was to use some of the $2.5 billion we raised to flood the zone with our own polls (which could actually be accurate) because our complaints did not stop the red wave polls from working. Similarly, during Hurricane Helene we responded by saying “no fair” to the media and our own team and lost the debate with voters in response to the attack on FEMA funding (I heard this at the doors) and the lies by focusing our efforts in responding to this attack via the MSM. And we are doing his again by fighting Trump’s nominees in the MSM political media. We need to get on the podcasts, media that the voters are following NOW.. Why doesn’t Kamala Harris or Barack Obama or AOC someone go on Joe Rogan now? We need to focus on hurting them politically (constantly) with their/our voters rather than focusing on Politico. We don’t have the luxury of feeling good about being right anymore. P.S. Very happy about the Spanberger endorsement!
Once the new legislature is sworn in, won't they be able to do this since I heard that the election broke the gerrymandering and gave dems 1 vote more than Republicans? I thought this was in the state legislature.
"Why doesn’t Kamala Harris or Barack Obama or AOC someone go on Joe Rogan now"
I think they will. At least, some Dem leaders will. Sanders, Warren, and Yang all went on Rogan in 2020 during the primary. I think many Dems recognize the value of it, but unfortunately, during the campaign, VP Harris had only 3.5 months. She constantly had to make choices between bringing out the base (which was down on Biden), or expanding the audience.
To your point, now is the time to go full court press on popular media and screw MSM. Dan Pfieffer talks about this in his Substack today.
Sam Harris seems to think she didn't go on Rogan because it would have been a flood of trans talk, and she was already in trouble on that issue. I don't know how much Sam Harris can be trusted, he seems a bit full of himself and I haven't heard from him in almost 20 years, but it seems like she did not answer questions on this issue adequately, and it cost her when a flood of billionaire sponsored ads hit the swing states.
Harris is one of my intellectual role models, and is a great voice. Having said that, he does see everything through anti-woke glasses (I admit, I can, also, and that's not a bad thing sometimes). Rogan himself said VP Harris wanted to do the podcast, but she needed to do it from the east coast (call-in/Zoom) because of the travel schedule at the time. Rogan wanted to only do it in his Austin studio, so they just couldn't agree on a time.
Now, Sam H. may claim that VP Harris was using that as a dodge, but then why would they have even offered to do a remote show? Rogan could have easily agreed, and then they'd have to do it.
Of course, Rogan is extremely anti-woke, and probably would have broached the trans thing. However, since 2020, VP Harris has sharpened her answer quite a bit. It's become clearer over time. And, I'd imagine she could pivot away from it pretty easily if needed. Rogan is a pretty fair interviewer most of the time. I doubt he would have been in complete attack mode.
I don't think Sam H.'s explanation makes a lot of sense, but of course none of us knows the real lowdown. I'll take Rogan's tweet at face value.
Seems to me that two cases of trans inmates is much ado about nothing. We were warned about Chris LaCivita, but perhaps 100 days was not enough to prepare for the onslaught. And damn if she still didn't come close; nearly half the voters were ok with her. As there is no real justification to me for anyone voting for trump, this one hurts. Had we lost to Chris Christie or Nikki Haley, well that would be bad, we'd still get asshole judges ( though they likely would be more diverse ) but our international alliances would be intact.
I think more Democrats answered the polls than Republicans. Yes, the Democratic party needs to be strengthened from the ground up.
"If you think President Biden should request these background checks, join me in spreading the good word..."
Struggling to keep track of Trump's nominations whose backgrounds be should be checked? Who's from Fox? Has been accused of sexual harassment or assault? Worked on Project 2025? A billionaire donor? Use this interactive map.
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/11/21/trump-nominees-mapped/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/share/
Question: Is there anything preventing President Biden from ordering thorough FBI background checks on Trump’s nominees, to Cabinet positions as well as other key posts?
(Obviously this is something Trump should have done but has failed to do.)
Apparently not. Here's Frank Figliuzzi's article: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/biden-trump-cabinet-picks-fbi-background-checks-rcna180698?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Excellent! Thank you for sharing that!
Here is the message that I sent to President Biden regarding "Trump’s Outrageous 4" identified by Simon. It's a good start.
President Biden, I am asking you to order FBI background checks for Trump’s cabinet nominees to begin immediately. This is allowable under the current MOU between the Department of Justice and The Office of the President and under the Presidential Transition Act. We Democrats must ferociously oppose the most outrageous of the cabinet nominations at every opportunity and build a national campaign to bring other Americans to join us.
We Oppose Tulsi Gabbard who is a Russian propagandist and therefore unfit for Director of National Intelligence. We Oppose Pete Hegseth who was selected for being a Fox News host and a Christian nationalist. He lacks the qualities and experience we need in our Defense Secretary. We Oppose Matt Gaetz who has been accused of illicit and potentially illegal behavior by members of the House, and does not have the character or experience for Attorney General. We Oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary because he promotes vaccine misinformation and other medical misinformation. Subsequent policies will undermine the public health system of the United States and threaten our educational system as more students in the public schools are left unvaccinated.
Thank you.
Where did you send it?
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/share/
Thanks!
Totally bonkers to nominate RFK Jr to head what all-too-soon would become the "Disease Efficiency Advancement Department" (DEAD).
I am happy to see the endorsement for Congresswoman Spanberger. Can I also make a suggestion that we get behind Judge Susan Crawford for the WI Supreme Court race? Keeping the current balance on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is essential to helping to grow a Democratic legislative presence in Wisconsin and to eventually keep the state ungerrymandered. It's also going to be the first major battle to help our party come back in the next cycle.
Yes! Just set up monthly donations to both Susan Crawford and Wisconsin Dems. Go Ben! Will now add Abigail Spanberger. Let’s gooooo!
Spanberger is terrific. She is good news all around.
SIMON - could you give us your thoughts or any info about the issues brought up in this article? https://kmac.substack.com/p/rigged-cyber-security-experts-in
Also, about what others have asked re Russian interference? And the possibility of a hand recount in the swing states at least? The results truly seem suspicious in a number of ways given the indications of a Harris win and momentum in both the polls, and even the media. Many thanks!
I found the post I link to below informative. It addresses claims that the 2024 election was stolen and includes this:
"We cannot become like the election deniers who attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power because of rumors about Italian satellites controlling Chinese thermostats.
Election fraud is illegal. It should be investigated and prosecuted. But making an allegation of election fraud requires more than an assertion that “It could happen” or “I think the results are suspicious.” And beware any allegation of a conspiracy that meets every objection by positing a new conspiracy to rebut obvious holes in the original conspiracy."
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/addressing-claims-that-the-2024-election
100% Agree!
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" -(The great) Carl Sagan
Thanks for the link - will read and hope what you say is true.
Thank you for being open to considering different perspectives.
Long time before replying but i wanted to thank you for introducing me to Hubbell. I have since subscribed and find him the best balance of info, warning, and positivity. Thanks, Ben!
I'm glad another commenter mentioned Robert Hubbell's column today; I found it helpful too. And, as someone who monitors voting trends closely in Boston elections (as an example), I can say there are a lot of bullet-voters here, whole neighborhoods where that's a common practice and long-term pattern, and lots who vote for some offices rather than all, mostly higher offices. The percentage of voters here who vote for every office is small.
Okay, Simon. I rarely call Senators Ossoff and Warnock because mostly I'm pleased as punch at the way they represent the Peach State in the US Senate, but I have them on speed dial now and am calling them daily to WAX POETIC about the dangers of these four special little nutbags that Donny T wants on his cabinet.
Especially Ossoff, who is up for reelection in two short years and who represents the generational turn of the Democratic Party wheel in Georgia. He needs to be LOUD about saying NO to these appointments. LOUDER!
LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hot damn! My calls worked and Gaetz has been forced out!
Well done! Your call was "the straw that broke the hebephile’s back!"
That thought gets me out of bed with a smile on my face each & every morning!
I emailed both of them yesterday about this and will call them now. We are SO lucky to have these 2 DEM Senators leading GA!!
Thank you, Stacy Abrams!
Abigail Spanberger is incredible. Our small, rural county's Democratic Committee supported her in her races for VA 07 (until redistricting) and she showed up and spent time with us. Abigail is a very smart campaigner and effective public servant. Virginia absolutely needs her to be our next Governor. Simon, I'm so proud she is your first endorsement! Thank you?
How likely are Democrats to hold Spanberger’s congressional district after she leaves the House?
Her seat was up in this election & held by Eugene Vindman.
Excellent! Thank you, I did not realize that was the seat Vindman ran for.
Vindman winning made me so happy!
She’s already left - well technically didn’t seek reelection to the House to focus on Gov race - Eugene Vindman held the seat for Dems.
Eugene Vindman was elected. She didn't run. Worth taking a look at her Congressional website. Good messaging, including stats of what she has done for her constituents displayed prominently.
I clicked on the Tran ballot curing phone bank and got an error message.
Should redirect to Mobilize page: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/742562/
Thank you Simon for today's post and all you have offered in recent days & this first endorsement -- I agree about moving forward ! but for today, amidst so much other noise from the incoming crew... writing to ask if you might advise /comment to Stephen Spoonamore's posts re: vote recounts and irregular ‘bullet ballots’ in the swing states / relative to Musk’s registration promotion & re: Starlink access / control.
I am attaching two links:
1
Letter to VP Harris from Stephen Spoonamore --
This is his second letter to the VP that outlines what appears to be (?) a persuasive account of significant amounts of single-race ballot votes for candidate DJT / president and ONLY in the swing states (where Musk had his ‘lottery’ and gained the street addresses of those who registered.)
https://substack.com/home/post/p-151721941
Please read the letter before the next link, for context to Mr. Spoonamore's most recent post:
2
An Update on getting a Recount for 2024 / dated last evening.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-151923500
Thank you / from Chicago where we have the first snow.
Even if Spoonamores claims seem far-fetched, other concerns regarding software have been raised. And did the bomb threats from Russia, in key swing states, have a measurable impact? It only took 1 out of 100 votes in key battleground states to swing this election. Then there is the voter roll purges and the right to “challenge” a voter’s right to vote.
Why aren’t the bomb threats alone being investigated and acted on?
Spent yesterday afternoon at the NCGA watching the Republicans take away authorities from our incoming Governor Stein and AG Jackson that had been in the NC Constitution for over a century. Mark Robinson held the gavel and cleared the gallery when we clapped for NC Senator Lisa Graffstein when she said the move was weak especially when considering more votes were cast in NC for Democrats than Republicans two weeks ago. We were then pushed out, including incoming Senator Woodson Bradley. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCm6UmfJyTC/?igsh=MWY2NTBuM2g4MzZ2Yw==
Y'all, please keep working to help us in NC. We need you!
I was there with my husband yesterday, Christine! Thank you for being there! It wasn't a large crowd, but I adore Lisa Grafstein! I do communications stuff for County-to-County NC and I couldn't agree with you more about our continued need for attention! The NYT did a good piece yesterday. I posted it above, but here it is in case you didn't see it. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/us/politics/north-carolina-bill-governor-elections.html
Thank you. I did not see this. Hise is a fascist, by the way.
One more thing, Christine and all: Thomas Mills of Politics NC just posted this, and I'm going to call these three NC Republican legislators who voted no on the "Hurricane Relief Bill" (which is actually packed chock full of power grabs) and thank them: "Every Democrat and three mountain Republicans stood against the bill. We should praise Representatives Mike Clampitt, Karl Gillespie, and Mark Pless. They’ve taken a principled stand in opposition to their colleagues and in support of their constituents. It’s not easy to go against a caucus organization. Those legislators have shown real political courage."
Mike Clampitt:
919-715-3005
Mike.Clampitt@ncleg.gov
Karl Gillespie:
919-733-5859
Karl.Gillespie@ncleg.gov
Mark Pless:
919-733-5732
Mark.Pless@ncleg.gov
Just got this, too. On it!
I sent a message to President Biden and forwarded Frank’s message on to a small network. Thanks for the heads up and action step. Connecting with Jessica Craven (Chop Wood, Carry Water) on these action steps would be helpful since she is geared towards that and puts out clear scripts and phone numbers or email contacts. She makes it easy to understand and do.
QUOTABLE
"America: meet your new Secretary of Homeland Security [Kristi Noem]. She’s Trump without the empathy."
. –Andy Borowitz
“I’m a business guy so I think the more business people we get up here [in the Senate], the better off we are. I’m excited to serve with [Dave McCormick].”
. – Rick "Medicare Fraudster" Scott, R-FL
""When the Clown moves into the Palace, he doesn’t become a Sultan – rather, the Palace becomes a Circus."
. – Turkish proverb
I sent this to
Hopium Chronicles - What's Next? How to Cut the Head Off the Snake Worldwide
🔸️FITNESS FOR DUTY EVALUATIONS that are mandatory, like the military for high responsibility positions, would have stopped Trump before he got within a mile of the White House. True for every dictator, authoritarian, and oligarch worldwide.
Bandy X Lee, Steven Hassan, and 100 other psychiatrists agree Trump has five dangerous mental illnesses as listed in the books "The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" and "The Psychology Of Trump Contagion - An Existential Threat to American Democracy and All Humankind".
In one fell swoop, Fitness for Duty Evaluations worldwide, stops every dictator, authoritarian, and oligarch.
"Containing Trump Contagion and Healing from Mental Pathology in Politics"
https://youtu.be/HTkCqU5LM-k?si=f6g0PolglC21w1nR
🔸️Fitness for Duty Evaluations start with everyone who interacts with the individual in question, and when red flags start to appear, 'say something.'
The US Military has procedures to follow that require individuals in question to have a Fitness for Duty Evaluation. Voters must demand the House and Senate do the same.
"Stephen Xenakis- Fitness for Duty Exams: Preventing Autocratic Abuse"
https://youtu.be/vdtChF07ryU?si=VJ5dauWFoUQg10uH
🔸️Outside the military are professionals like Dr. Bandy X. Lee who has several dozen colleagues all of whom are highly qualified to do Fitness for Duty Evaluations.
The U.S. House and Senate have several mechanisms to enforce their rules, including:
* Leadership
* Committees
* Floor Procedures
* Party Discipline
It's important to note that these mechanisms are not always used consistently or effectively. The more voters demand mentally fit leaders the more the House and Senate will comply.
all is quiet on DNC chair front?? heard martin O'malley?? is Hopium going to jump into this?? do we have a candidate that can modernize and digitize the Dems attract youth and hispanics? Also, will the DNC correct the narrative about landslide election?? think this is critical going forward. havent seen any dems on tv working on this. do they send out press releases anymore with data to correct media????? just curious. we need to create comprehensive to do list for joe!!!
My biggest worry is that we are still playing the game by the rules; rules that republicans have already ignored and rules that they will dump in a New York minute. Like the filibuster. Our greatest liability is that we don't know what will happen on January 20th.
Thought, question - how to do we improve our response preparation for GOP moves? We are constantly out maneuvered and on the back foot. The NC assembly just kneecapped the incoming governor. Why weren’t we prepared for this? Maybe Governor Cooper should have stayed in the state unto the new legislature was sworn in? It seems like our main response to these aggressive moves by the GOP is to call them out to the political press and our own community as being unfair. Unfortunately , no one is listening and it is not working or curbing the behavior. We need to change how we respond and be more combative and strategic and political rather than complaining to refs who do not exist anymore. Simon and others did heroic work in trying to call out the Red Wave polls but maybe the better response was to use some of the $2.5 billion we raised to flood the zone with our own polls (which could actually be accurate) because our complaints did not stop the red wave polls from working. Similarly, during Hurricane Helene we responded by saying “no fair” to the media and our own team and lost the debate with voters in response to the attack on FEMA funding (I heard this at the doors) and the lies by focusing our efforts in responding to this attack via the MSM. And we are doing his again by fighting Trump’s nominees in the MSM political media. We need to get on the podcasts, media that the voters are following NOW.. Why doesn’t Kamala Harris or Barack Obama or AOC someone go on Joe Rogan now? We need to focus on hurting them politically (constantly) with their/our voters rather than focusing on Politico. We don’t have the luxury of feeling good about being right anymore. P.S. Very happy about the Spanberger endorsement!
Once the new legislature is sworn in, won't they be able to do this since I heard that the election broke the gerrymandering and gave dems 1 vote more than Republicans? I thought this was in the state legislature.
"Why doesn’t Kamala Harris or Barack Obama or AOC someone go on Joe Rogan now"
I think they will. At least, some Dem leaders will. Sanders, Warren, and Yang all went on Rogan in 2020 during the primary. I think many Dems recognize the value of it, but unfortunately, during the campaign, VP Harris had only 3.5 months. She constantly had to make choices between bringing out the base (which was down on Biden), or expanding the audience.
To your point, now is the time to go full court press on popular media and screw MSM. Dan Pfieffer talks about this in his Substack today.
Sam Harris seems to think she didn't go on Rogan because it would have been a flood of trans talk, and she was already in trouble on that issue. I don't know how much Sam Harris can be trusted, he seems a bit full of himself and I haven't heard from him in almost 20 years, but it seems like she did not answer questions on this issue adequately, and it cost her when a flood of billionaire sponsored ads hit the swing states.
Harris is one of my intellectual role models, and is a great voice. Having said that, he does see everything through anti-woke glasses (I admit, I can, also, and that's not a bad thing sometimes). Rogan himself said VP Harris wanted to do the podcast, but she needed to do it from the east coast (call-in/Zoom) because of the travel schedule at the time. Rogan wanted to only do it in his Austin studio, so they just couldn't agree on a time.
Now, Sam H. may claim that VP Harris was using that as a dodge, but then why would they have even offered to do a remote show? Rogan could have easily agreed, and then they'd have to do it.
Of course, Rogan is extremely anti-woke, and probably would have broached the trans thing. However, since 2020, VP Harris has sharpened her answer quite a bit. It's become clearer over time. And, I'd imagine she could pivot away from it pretty easily if needed. Rogan is a pretty fair interviewer most of the time. I doubt he would have been in complete attack mode.
I don't think Sam H.'s explanation makes a lot of sense, but of course none of us knows the real lowdown. I'll take Rogan's tweet at face value.
Seems to me that two cases of trans inmates is much ado about nothing. We were warned about Chris LaCivita, but perhaps 100 days was not enough to prepare for the onslaught. And damn if she still didn't come close; nearly half the voters were ok with her. As there is no real justification to me for anyone voting for trump, this one hurts. Had we lost to Chris Christie or Nikki Haley, well that would be bad, we'd still get asshole judges ( though they likely would be more diverse ) but our international alliances would be intact.