Wonderful! I was hoping you would post this, as your discussions with Stuart Stevens are always interesting and informative – and I didn’t have a chance to watch this one live.
Hungary holds parliamentary election this upcoming Sunday, 12 April. The parallels between the Hungary and the USA are uncanny. No wonder! Trump’s key MAGA people, the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025, have been working closely with Viktor Orbán’s for many years to engineer an autocratic takeover, to engineer society, and to engineer elections.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that JD Vance is making a special trip to Hungary to boost Orbán’s election chances.
If you care about America’s upcoming elections, Joyce Vance’s interview with Prof. Kim Scheppele about Hungary’s upcoming elections is not to be missed. Why? Because Trump yearns to imitate Orbán’s power grab. The information revealed in the interview is stunning and deeply unsettling. Here is the link, also shared by others:
“Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party has a 20-point lead in the polls – and yet we don’t know whether he can win because of the way Viktor Orbán has engineered the structure of the election itself.”
– Prof. Kim Scheppele
A stunning factoid about Hungary: “After Viktor Orbán first came to power in 2010, he gerrymandered the whole country to the point that in the 2014 election, he won 45 % of the vote – but 91 % of the single-member districts.”
Listening to the two of you in conversation makes me feel grounded, even if the news is awful, because I recognize my values and what I believe. So important in this time of constant lies and gaslighting.
Phonebanking anyone? If you're thinking about phonebanking but not sure what it's all about, have a look at this event via mobilize. I just read about this in Robert Hubbell's newsletter this morning. I consider myself a master phonebanker, but I had never heard about Elizabeth Chur! I signed up to attend tonight because there's always more to learn.
Absolutely disgusting to see today in the news a Vice President fly to Hungary using our tax dollars to endorse a dictator (Putin's buddy) days before Hungary's election being greeted with the military surrounding him! Rubio was there last month doing the same thing.
Love when you two get together especially when we can enjoy a laugh or two along with you.
I love the concluding paragraph to Rebecca Solnit's piece about the No Kings 3 protests: "I do not know where we go from here. I know that a lot of people are working on it. In 2019, Greta Thunberg said “Avoiding climate breakdown will require cathedral thinking. We must lay the foundation while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling.” I believe that millions are endeavoring to build a cathedral of democracy and a stronghold against authoritarianism. You build it in private in organizations and networks, and you build it in the streets with direct defense of those under attack and with protests like the monumental one on Saturday."
Simon, I wanted to let you know how incredulous I was at seeing campaign ads for NC Republican senator candidate, Michael Whatley on MS NOW which I watch all the time - I have looked at my husband & said “WTF?! They must have money to burn because I can’t imagine anyone watching MSNOW who would seriously entertain voting for Whatley under any circumstances & especially not when the Democratic candidate is the trusted & admired Roy Cooper. But let them waste it all!😃
Nice complement to the NYT column today by Tom Edsall ... Putin is not yet tired of so much winning via Trump. Ukraine persists nevertheless, with European help. We really do need some actual Republican Senators with true patriotism, not the Tom Cotton fake version. Loved Stuart's takedown of Cornyn, much deserved. Sounds like the Senate may very well flip in November's voting. Hard to hang on until next January at present.
I don't know about anyone else, Simon, but what has been causing me to donate less--actually just to delete EVERY one of the thousands of texts and emails that come everyday, especially as we get near the end of a quarter--is that I receive soooooo bloody many requests/demands. Soooo bloody many candidates send texts and emails every single day. Those I've never heard of from places I've never heard of send requests almost as often, though not quite.
AND, this was AFTER the DNC Convention to pick a new chair during which EVERY SINGLE CANDIDATE promised he or she would work on making sure We The People would NO LONGER be treated as though we are nothing but wallets!!!!! Oh, really? The number of demands for my wallet have at least tripled, if not more.
So, I'm bloody furious, I can tell you that. I still donate to those I love and to many organizations, but requests that come from strangers or are the 15th text or email from the same person--known or unknown--go stratight to the trash.
I've written the DNC about this and explained it without any response or care. Since you have contacts, would you please tell them? They are harming themselves!
And just sending another email/text that says, "Gee, I sent you this text yesterday, but YOU didn't respond," or the like, is about as stupid and arrogant as one can be!
I love these conversations. I believe Trump is bent on selling America to Russia or the highest bidder. Don’t let him. Remember that Zelensky became President after the Ukrainians voted out Putin’s puppet. If Ukrainians were able to do that, so can we. Stevens is right about the Trump regime being full of damaged people. We don’t need more monsters “controlling “ our government. The critical issue here is to make ordinary Americans aware of how dangerous this truly is. This is an all-American movement and we have to win this together. Use Ukraine as an example. Courage is contagious.
Wonderful! I was hoping you would post this, as your discussions with Stuart Stevens are always interesting and informative – and I didn’t have a chance to watch this one live.
EYES ON HUNGARY – echoes of TRUMP!
Hungary holds parliamentary election this upcoming Sunday, 12 April. The parallels between the Hungary and the USA are uncanny. No wonder! Trump’s key MAGA people, the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025, have been working closely with Viktor Orbán’s for many years to engineer an autocratic takeover, to engineer society, and to engineer elections.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that JD Vance is making a special trip to Hungary to boost Orbán’s election chances.
If you care about America’s upcoming elections, Joyce Vance’s interview with Prof. Kim Scheppele about Hungary’s upcoming elections is not to be missed. Why? Because Trump yearns to imitate Orbán’s power grab. The information revealed in the interview is stunning and deeply unsettling. Here is the link, also shared by others:
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/understanding-hungarys-upcoming-election
“Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party has a 20-point lead in the polls – and yet we don’t know whether he can win because of the way Viktor Orbán has engineered the structure of the election itself.”
– Prof. Kim Scheppele
A stunning factoid about Hungary: “After Viktor Orbán first came to power in 2010, he gerrymandered the whole country to the point that in the 2014 election, he won 45 % of the vote – but 91 % of the single-member districts.”
Is there anything we can do to help Magyar and the Tisza Party? It’s so sad to see the same anti-democratic nonsense happening in other countries
This I do not know. You might message Timothy Snyder or check out Direkt36.
https://substack.com/@snyder
https://www.direkt36.hu/en/
Last Week Tonight w J. Oliver did a recent interesting look into Orban. FYI.
Listening to the two of you in conversation makes me feel grounded, even if the news is awful, because I recognize my values and what I believe. So important in this time of constant lies and gaslighting.
Good point. The regime has no values whatsoever.
Great podcast 👏 👌
Phonebanking anyone? If you're thinking about phonebanking but not sure what it's all about, have a look at this event via mobilize. I just read about this in Robert Hubbell's newsletter this morning. I consider myself a master phonebanker, but I had never heard about Elizabeth Chur! I signed up to attend tonight because there's always more to learn.
https://mobilize.us/s/sIG11w
And remember that Simon is hosting the Network NOVA/Rural Groundgame phonebanks this Thursday and next for the upcoming April 21 special election in VA. Here's that link. https://www.mobilize.us/ruralgroundgame/event/932462/?rname=Claire&share_context=event_details&share_medium=copy_link
Absolutely disgusting to see today in the news a Vice President fly to Hungary using our tax dollars to endorse a dictator (Putin's buddy) days before Hungary's election being greeted with the military surrounding him! Rubio was there last month doing the same thing.
Love when you two get together especially when we can enjoy a laugh or two along with you.
HCR is the founding mother of our new United States.
Wow, I love this. (I think she'd love it too, but would humbly take no credit.) Thank you.
I am so glad that these convos have become a thing. They are always smart and to the point and refreshing in their honesty. Thank you both!
I love the concluding paragraph to Rebecca Solnit's piece about the No Kings 3 protests: "I do not know where we go from here. I know that a lot of people are working on it. In 2019, Greta Thunberg said “Avoiding climate breakdown will require cathedral thinking. We must lay the foundation while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling.” I believe that millions are endeavoring to build a cathedral of democracy and a stronghold against authoritarianism. You build it in private in organizations and networks, and you build it in the streets with direct defense of those under attack and with protests like the monumental one on Saturday."
We are doing this every day at Hopium!
https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/eight-million-protestors-and-no-kings-the-case-for-showing-up-2/?ref=meditations-in-an-emergency-newsletter&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Simon, I wanted to let you know how incredulous I was at seeing campaign ads for NC Republican senator candidate, Michael Whatley on MS NOW which I watch all the time - I have looked at my husband & said “WTF?! They must have money to burn because I can’t imagine anyone watching MSNOW who would seriously entertain voting for Whatley under any circumstances & especially not when the Democratic candidate is the trusted & admired Roy Cooper. But let them waste it all!😃
Really, really good discussion and laying what we need to do and what we need to expect. Thank you Simon and Stuart!
Much needed discussion. Thank you both
Nice complement to the NYT column today by Tom Edsall ... Putin is not yet tired of so much winning via Trump. Ukraine persists nevertheless, with European help. We really do need some actual Republican Senators with true patriotism, not the Tom Cotton fake version. Loved Stuart's takedown of Cornyn, much deserved. Sounds like the Senate may very well flip in November's voting. Hard to hang on until next January at present.
I don't know about anyone else, Simon, but what has been causing me to donate less--actually just to delete EVERY one of the thousands of texts and emails that come everyday, especially as we get near the end of a quarter--is that I receive soooooo bloody many requests/demands. Soooo bloody many candidates send texts and emails every single day. Those I've never heard of from places I've never heard of send requests almost as often, though not quite.
AND, this was AFTER the DNC Convention to pick a new chair during which EVERY SINGLE CANDIDATE promised he or she would work on making sure We The People would NO LONGER be treated as though we are nothing but wallets!!!!! Oh, really? The number of demands for my wallet have at least tripled, if not more.
So, I'm bloody furious, I can tell you that. I still donate to those I love and to many organizations, but requests that come from strangers or are the 15th text or email from the same person--known or unknown--go stratight to the trash.
I've written the DNC about this and explained it without any response or care. Since you have contacts, would you please tell them? They are harming themselves!
And just sending another email/text that says, "Gee, I sent you this text yesterday, but YOU didn't respond," or the like, is about as stupid and arrogant as one can be!
Wish I could have a beer with you two guys!
I love these conversations. I believe Trump is bent on selling America to Russia or the highest bidder. Don’t let him. Remember that Zelensky became President after the Ukrainians voted out Putin’s puppet. If Ukrainians were able to do that, so can we. Stevens is right about the Trump regime being full of damaged people. We don’t need more monsters “controlling “ our government. The critical issue here is to make ordinary Americans aware of how dangerous this truly is. This is an all-American movement and we have to win this together. Use Ukraine as an example. Courage is contagious.