Joe Biden Is A Good President, Muscular Grassroots = Big Dem Wins, Coming To Terms With Russia's Historic Penetration Of The Republican Party

New Video Interviews with Rick Wilson/Joe Trippi and Leigh McGowan/PoliticsGirl

Happy Wednesday all. Got a few things for you today:

We’ve Had Remarkable Economic News In Recent Months - Want to start our post today with a reminder of what we’ve seen in recent months:

• US has the best economic recovery from COVID in the G7, stock market is breaking records, 401(k)s are happy. GDP grew by 4.1% over the past two quarters, and has grown on average almost 3% in Biden’s Presidency, 3 times higher than Trump averaged over his 4 years.

• Lowest unemployment rate in peacetime economy since WWII, jobs more plentiful today than any time since the 1960s. 8 times as many Biden jobs in 36 months as last 3 GOP Presidents combined over 16 years. Overwhelming majority of Americans have never experienced a job market this robust and strong in their lifetimes

• Inflation has fallen dramatically, and is lowest of all G7 countries. Prices of mortgages, rents, and many food items are actually falling. All measures of consumer sentiment are improving, some sharply

• Very elevated wage gains, new business starts and prime-age worker participation rate. 1.3 job openings per unemployed person. Real wage growth we are seeing - wage growth minus inflation - is currently running at highest levels in decades. Last few months has been as good as it gets for American workers

• Median wealth up 37% from 2020-2022; median wealth for 18-34 year olds in this period more than doubled

• Lowest uninsured rate in history, ACA signups this past year highest ever, lower prescription drug costs

• The deficit is trillions less today than it was under Trump

• Domestic energy production of all kinds - oil, gas, renewables - setting records, leaving America far more energy independent than it has been in decades

• Biden’s big investment agenda will create opportunities for American workers and prosperity for the country for decades to come, and is already dramatically accelerating our energy transition from carbon-based fuels

• For young people the best job markets since the 1960s, fewest uninsured ever, as of last spring home ownership rates for Gen Z were above both Millennials and Gen X at this point in their lives, the Biden Administration has erased more than $130b in student debt for 4m people, many states and cities have raised the minimum wage in recent years, creating a much higher income floor for young and low-wage workers

As I like to say, Joe Biden is a good President, and the country is far better off today. Let’s be loud and proud people! Loud and proud…..

Why I Am Optimistic About Winning This November -Have two great new video interviews for your viewing pleasure this week. First, here’s my sit down with Leigh McGowan, better known as PoliticsGirl:

Next up, I had a terrific discussion with Rick Wilson and Joe Trippi last night on Resolute Square’s Strategy Center:

More on 2024:

• Hopium Analysis - Why I Am Optimistic About 2024. Posted yesterday, reminds us that the most important electoral data out there today is all these elections we’ve been winning since Dobbs

• Other Media - Our Monthly Hopium Gathering With Special Guest Tom Suozzi, My Appearance On The Ezra Klein Show

• Op-eds/Essays - Biden’s Chances Are Much Stronger Than People Realize (MSNBC), 4 Things Biden Should Do Now (New Republic)

• The Most Powerful Democratic Political Machine We’ve Ever Seen - Read my recent post on what we are building together, and let’s just keep staring at this jawdropping data from the Suozzi campaign:

In the space of five weeks people knocked on over 150,000 doors, made over 2 million phone calls, and wrote hundreds of thousands of postcards. Our campaign estimates that every Democrat household in the NY-03 received, on average, five handwritten postcards.

Coming To Terms With Russia’s Penetration Of The Republican Party - Compromise, Fifth Columnists, penetration, partnership, treason - not sure what the words we will use to describe Russia’s historic penetration of one of our two political parties, but it may be the single most consequential event in our recent history. This is a topic I’ve commented frequently since Russia attacked the Democratic Party and our nominee Hillary Clinton in the summer of 2016, and I will be spending time working to explain what I know and believe in the coming weeks. Simply, we cannot look away at what’s happened - one of our two political parties is actively working with genocidal Putin against the interests of the United States and the West. No matter how often I write about all this it remains truly shocking to me.

Over the past few days we’ve learned some astonishing things - the person whose testimony was the basis of the GOP’s Impeachment into Joe Biden made it all up, AND was openly working with Russian intelligence to once again smear a leading Democrat here in the US. Here’s a terrific two minute, must watch report from CBS News on what we’ve just learned:

Here’s an important CNN interview with Rep. Dan Goldman from last night on what we’ve learned in recent days. This one is a bit longer but worth your time:

Over the past few days the GOP’s rancid relationship with Putin has become front and center in our politics, as it should. Spend time with these videos today, and I promise we will be coming back to all this in the coming days. The GOP’s ongoing and unprecedented betrayal of the country is now a major part of the 2024 election, and another reason we why need to kick their asses this year.

Let’s Do More, Worry Less - Here at Hopium we strive to channel all this worry and anxiety we have about our current moment into concrete action - do more, worry less - as we say here. I try to give you a bit of direction about where to channel your work by endorsing campaigns and projects, and providing you information to help you become a more effective information warrior for your democracy. Together we just made a big difference in NY-3, and if you looking at ways to help I am encouraging people to take two important steps today (donate/learn more here for both):

• Donate and join the Biden-Harris campaign. This is very important. The campaign comms and field operations are gearing up and it’s critical you receive info from the campaign every day, and start thinking about how you are going to be part of this effort as it expands. Please donate whatever amount you can - $5, $10 - just to get started.

• Make an early investment into North Carolina, our most important 2024 expansion state, and watch an interview I did here at Hopium with Anderson Clayton, the dynamic new NC Dem Party chair.

I will be offering some new recommendations in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

March Event Dates - Three events on the books so far. Mark your calendars!

• Friday, March 1, 1pm EST - Hopium Founding Members Get Together W/ Simon

• Wednesday, March 6, 7pm EST - Hopium Paid Subscriber Monthly Gathering

• Wednesday, March 13, 7pm EST - Hopium Community-Wide Gathering

Some Hopium Housekeeping - First, welcome all of our new subscribers - it’s great to have you here in this community of proud patriots and info warriors!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing my thoughts about where Hopium is as we approach our first birthday on March 7th, but in the meantime a few Housekeeping items:

• The only practical way to engage with me directly given how much we’ve grown in recent months is in the paid subscriber chat. We do have a robust discussion each day, and it’s really my favorite part of this Substack platform. Rather than emailing me directly as some do, if you have ideas, questions, suggestions share them on the chat so others can see our exchange. It’s likely that others have the same questions, or could benefit from our back and forth. If you are not yet a paid subscriber you can become one by clicking here. It’s a wonderful community and the more the merrier!

• In engaging with me or others in the Hopium community, a few tips: 1) don’t fire off quick, frustrated messages. Take your time, gather your thoughts, do a bit of research, back up questions or comments with data, be respectful of others, and others time before you hit send 2) practice do more/worry less in the way you communicate here, and everywhere. Don’t be frustrated, worried, fearful - go on offense, be strong, be confident, persuade, be respectful of others in the pro-democracy movement, particularly the President and our elected leaders 3) as we discussed yesterday, do not let others dictate your understandings, don’t get blown around, do not think you have to respond to every little thing that comes along. Stay grounded, strong, resolute.

• If you can’t find something please go to the site itself and look around. m Every email you receive from me ends up on the site so please spend some on the site, cruise around, and see what’s there. In case you miss an event they are always put on the site afterwards, and you can also find our events on my YouTube channel if that is preferred.

• To invite me to speak at gatherings please use the Booking Simon tab on the main site. As the elections approach I have fewer opening this year than last so get your requests in. Zoom based events should guarantee at least 100-200 people, and I entertain in person invitation under very limited circumstances.

Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you - Simon