This is exciting to read. Colom seems like a perfect candidate. Hyde- Smith reminds me of Marsha Blackburn, who hasn't had a Town Hall since 2017. She won't talk to people unless they are giving her a check. She wants Tennessee to be only red.
Hope she loses. Dems have a couple of good candidates. Jerri Green is a Memphis council woman and was a Nashville prosecutor. Ditch Adams is a Nashville musician and has been endorsed by several songwriters including Roger Alan Wade. Roger is the cousin of Johnny Knoxville from the Jack Ass movies. Roger wrote the songs for the movies.
I’m looking forward to tonight’s meeting. I know we don’t do primaries much but I’m curious about both the CA governor primary and the Michigan Senate primary. But I understand if we don’t get to those.
I may be a bit of a contrarian on this, but I think what's important is that he lost two of them. This is Indiana and a midterm primary. You'd only expect the most MAGA base types to show up, so it's not surprising that they'd do whatever Trump told them to do. What's more interesting to me is that he wasn't able to make this a clean sweep. I could be wrong.
There is an attempt to use these races to paint Trump as strong again but the truth is this kind of stuff is terrible for a party, and further ties the GOP to a sinking ship and a failed politics. Trump is weak, losing, corrupt and the Rs are in huge trouble. Period.
This political fact was stressed by G. Elliott Morris in his Substack post this morning--backed up with data. The closer Rs tie themselves to Trump to win a primary, the more they shoot themselves in the foot in trying to win the general--where they have to get votes from way beyond the ~25-30% Trump cult
As Simon has said, there is roughly 35% of the country which isn’t available to us. Case in point: While working the early voting polls, a Republican co- worker remarked to me that she voted for Trump because “he’s a Businessman and not a politician” to which I replied that he could hardly be called a successful businessman because he went bankrupt several times. She told me that wasn’t true and when I suggested she look up the public records on the matter, she said “there are records and there are records - depends where you look.”
But there are cracks. Indiana Dems ran in virtually all races this time. In the 5th CD which encompasses Hamilton County, our current Congress person is Super MAGA and her primary opponent garnered 41% of the vote - which is tighter than you would expect against a long-serving incumbent. We have an excellent Dem running for that seat and i am optimistic, although it will be an uphill battle. Indiana is notorious for low voter turnout and yesterday did not disappoint on that score: 5th district had a turnout of 15.7%. BUT: Dems accounted for 89k voters while Rs posted 19k. The enthusiasm gap is large and in our favor. We have attracted quality candidates. Reasons for optimism.
I take it to mean that pretty much what’s left of the Republican base is distilled trumpism and primaries tend to reflect the most committed party voters.
Looks like the Dem winning the special Michigan state senate seat will reach a 20-point landslide win after the remaining 5 percent of ballots get tallied.
Kristen McDonald Rivet (now in Congress) won that seat in 2022 to flip the Michigan Senate blue. She won by 6 points in what was billed as a red wave election (thanx to Simon for setting the record straight)
Control of the Michigan Senate hinged on the special election for the Flint (documentary filmmaker Michael Moore), Saginaw (Stevie Wonder) and Bay City (Madonna) district in mid-Michigan.
Simon, thank you for the updates. I keep reading that Putin is hiding in an underground bunker, afraid of a coup. Trump's been all over the place about Iran, making it even more clear that he's no longer capable of directing his government.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to say NO taxpayer money for the ugly ballroom and that Trump is not in touch with reality and must be removed from office as soon as possible. I'm writing postcards to Ohio voters today.
Absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking events in the Middle East. These service members are willing to risk their lives for us and this is how we treat them. Then they come home and end up on the street with nowhere to turn bc of epic VA failure/defunding. Appalling. Shadow hearings on this now!
And we must demand support for Ukraine, no ifs ands buts.
Working on AK postcards - VBM ballot for NJ primary has been received by local Bd of Elex - and concentrating on getting same day voting here in NJ. Looking forward to this afternoon's call as well as this evening's discussion.
Simon, while we had an impressive over performance win in MI last night, mainstream media outlets continue to focus on Indiana’s elections, touting how Trump has exacted revenge and still holds a tight grip on the party, etc. Do you see the Indiana wins as any sense of leverage for him or is this all ‘overblown?’ I’m tempted to say it’s an overreaction but at the same time, it is concerning those candidates who stood up to him in the state are getting the boot.
Yesterday, Tennessee had their primary for county offices. Hamilton County, where Chattanooga is located, had more Democrats voting than Republicans. The County Mayor (R) is concerned and formed a Pac to help Republican candidates. He said Republicans have won all the county offices for a generation. I hope he loses in the August race.
My husband and another Democrat were on the Democratic ticket. The general election is in August. I went out to the polling site and held a sign for him. A friend saw me and realized it was election day, so she voted for them.
Friends, there are going to be a lot of candidates in long shot races who are going to work the grassroots/Substack/pod community hard for exposure in the coming months. I want to expand the map as bad as anyone but we need to work to establish the difference between reach and long shot, and stay very focused on the reach, particularly given the GOP's financial advantage this time.
I was afraid you’d say that. But, who knows, maybe some exposure will give him the boost needed for a big surprise. And I agree about Indiana. I hope there are some good Dems running for those seats!
Heard. Appreciate the distinction between a reach and a long shot, and the insight that long shot candidates will be working hard to get noticed. Gives context to an article I noticed the other day about the Kansas Senate race and a popular minister running as a Democrat there. And then I read today that KS hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. 1932. Maybe Iowa Senate race is the stretch, with Kansas a definite long shot. And we can’t neglect Hopium supported candidates like Peltola in the meantime.
Horrible news about the bloodthirsty Putin inflicting such pain and suffering on the brave people of Ukraine; another TACO in the Middle East (no surprise there) and great news about the Dem overperformance in Michigan.
It should not surprise anyone that we are being lied to about the damage being inflicted by Iran on US military assets in the ME. When it comes to the current regime/junta, we must never forget that if the mouths are moving, they are lying.
Trump and his cabinet cannot declare a named war time action is complete in order to get around the 60 day congressional approval and then come up with a new name for a new action to continue the war. He has no idea how to get out of the mess he has created with the goal now being -according to Rubio- to reopen the Strait of Hormuz which was fully open for all ships to pass through freely prior to T and Hegseth's ridiculous military flex.
To add to the new Democratic agenda. We need to advocate for genuine immigration reform that combines a secure border with a streamlined legal immigration system. This is a problem that needs to be solved, not thrown back and forth, has a political football, endlessly between the parties.
It’s a good opportunity for Dems on immigration, tearing down the concentration camps, greatly increasing funding for immigration courts to make asylum decisions quickly. As well as a clear legal process for immigration.
I so admire Zelensky for what he has been able to do with the drones. A TV personality that actually knows how to get things done. Who knew? Somehow I am on the GOP email list. Yesterday I got four emails from Vivek in Ohio. That tells me he is struggling. However, I am disappointed that Graham Platner has not gotten any acknowledgement from leadership. I watched his interview with Jon Stewart and was very impressed.
Apparently he has received phone calls from Chuck Schumer and the Dem Senate Committee which he said in an interview I think with Jen Psaki that happened after Janet Mills withdrew, but I'm not sure of the details.
I am heartened by Chedrick Greene's resounding win in MI. I'm always especially happy about outcomes like that when the candidate is someone for whom I've written postcards.
I've been writing for Rankin and Jordan in GA, am delighted that Hopium is raising funds for them, and am so hoping for a victory for them in 2 weeks.
Re Trump and Indiana - he may have gotten even, but he still didn’t get the IN maps redrawn, did he? And at the moment they are still losing the mid-decade restricting nationally…
Net loss for them, let him have his consolation prize….
I wonder if Putin realizes how weak he looks asking for a cease fire so he can have a "Victory Parade". It just boggles the mind he wouldn't realize how pathetic that is. Victory Parades don't usually require a cease fire.
Simon, I wonder if this is on your radar at all…of all things the Mississippi Senate race. I wonder what Stuart Stevens would say. Please read this. It looks like we might actually have a chance of electing a Democrat, given all our over performances in red places. https://grassrootsconnector.substack.com/p/mississippi-turning?r=7vxhp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
This is exciting to read. Colom seems like a perfect candidate. Hyde- Smith reminds me of Marsha Blackburn, who hasn't had a Town Hall since 2017. She won't talk to people unless they are giving her a check. She wants Tennessee to be only red.
Amen on Marsha Blackburn, Sandy! Nauseated at the thought she's likely to be next governor of TN.
Hope she loses. Dems have a couple of good candidates. Jerri Green is a Memphis council woman and was a Nashville prosecutor. Ditch Adams is a Nashville musician and has been endorsed by several songwriters including Roger Alan Wade. Roger is the cousin of Johnny Knoxville from the Jack Ass movies. Roger wrote the songs for the movies.
Thanks for the information, Kate! Not surprisingly, I'd never heard of Scott Colom. I just made a small donation.
I am going to do the same.
Me too.
That’s awesome! I didn’t know about him but I will donate to his campaign. Wouldn’t that be an upset!
I’m looking forward to tonight’s meeting. I know we don’t do primaries much but I’m curious about both the CA governor primary and the Michigan Senate primary. But I understand if we don’t get to those.
What is the significance of the GOP primary in Indiana? Not sure what this means, as the NYT stated Trump candidates won 5 of 7 of the primaries.
I may be a bit of a contrarian on this, but I think what's important is that he lost two of them. This is Indiana and a midterm primary. You'd only expect the most MAGA base types to show up, so it's not surprising that they'd do whatever Trump told them to do. What's more interesting to me is that he wasn't able to make this a clean sweep. I could be wrong.
There is an attempt to use these races to paint Trump as strong again but the truth is this kind of stuff is terrible for a party, and further ties the GOP to a sinking ship and a failed politics. Trump is weak, losing, corrupt and the Rs are in huge trouble. Period.
This political fact was stressed by G. Elliott Morris in his Substack post this morning--backed up with data. The closer Rs tie themselves to Trump to win a primary, the more they shoot themselves in the foot in trying to win the general--where they have to get votes from way beyond the ~25-30% Trump cult
As Simon has said, there is roughly 35% of the country which isn’t available to us. Case in point: While working the early voting polls, a Republican co- worker remarked to me that she voted for Trump because “he’s a Businessman and not a politician” to which I replied that he could hardly be called a successful businessman because he went bankrupt several times. She told me that wasn’t true and when I suggested she look up the public records on the matter, she said “there are records and there are records - depends where you look.”
But there are cracks. Indiana Dems ran in virtually all races this time. In the 5th CD which encompasses Hamilton County, our current Congress person is Super MAGA and her primary opponent garnered 41% of the vote - which is tighter than you would expect against a long-serving incumbent. We have an excellent Dem running for that seat and i am optimistic, although it will be an uphill battle. Indiana is notorious for low voter turnout and yesterday did not disappoint on that score: 5th district had a turnout of 15.7%. BUT: Dems accounted for 89k voters while Rs posted 19k. The enthusiasm gap is large and in our favor. We have attracted quality candidates. Reasons for optimism.
Here is an interesting take from Perry Bacon at the New Republic for anyone that is interested...
https://newrepublic.com/article/210002/indiana-primary-results-gerrymandering-gop-trump-cult?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tnr_daily
I take it to mean that pretty much what’s left of the Republican base is distilled trumpism and primaries tend to reflect the most committed party voters.
Looks like the Dem winning the special Michigan state senate seat will reach a 20-point landslide win after the remaining 5 percent of ballots get tallied.
Kristen McDonald Rivet (now in Congress) won that seat in 2022 to flip the Michigan Senate blue. She won by 6 points in what was billed as a red wave election (thanx to Simon for setting the record straight)
Control of the Michigan Senate hinged on the special election for the Flint (documentary filmmaker Michael Moore), Saginaw (Stevie Wonder) and Bay City (Madonna) district in mid-Michigan.
Simon, thank you for the updates. I keep reading that Putin is hiding in an underground bunker, afraid of a coup. Trump's been all over the place about Iran, making it even more clear that he's no longer capable of directing his government.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to say NO taxpayer money for the ugly ballroom and that Trump is not in touch with reality and must be removed from office as soon as possible. I'm writing postcards to Ohio voters today.
Someone on the Democratic side should draft a bill to rebuild the East Wing as it was before Trump destroyed it.
I look forward to the celebration.
Absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking events in the Middle East. These service members are willing to risk their lives for us and this is how we treat them. Then they come home and end up on the street with nowhere to turn bc of epic VA failure/defunding. Appalling. Shadow hearings on this now!
And we must demand support for Ukraine, no ifs ands buts.
Working on AK postcards - VBM ballot for NJ primary has been received by local Bd of Elex - and concentrating on getting same day voting here in NJ. Looking forward to this afternoon's call as well as this evening's discussion.
Keep going!
Simon, while we had an impressive over performance win in MI last night, mainstream media outlets continue to focus on Indiana’s elections, touting how Trump has exacted revenge and still holds a tight grip on the party, etc. Do you see the Indiana wins as any sense of leverage for him or is this all ‘overblown?’ I’m tempted to say it’s an overreaction but at the same time, it is concerning those candidates who stood up to him in the state are getting the boot.
I comment on it above. If this is a win for him let him have it. It's irrelevant for the general and if anything probably hurts the Rs.
Yesterday, Tennessee had their primary for county offices. Hamilton County, where Chattanooga is located, had more Democrats voting than Republicans. The County Mayor (R) is concerned and formed a Pac to help Republican candidates. He said Republicans have won all the county offices for a generation. I hope he loses in the August race.
My husband and another Democrat were on the Democratic ticket. The general election is in August. I went out to the polling site and held a sign for him. A friend saw me and realized it was election day, so she voted for them.
An overlooked opportunity for Senate?? A well-regarded AG vs. an unpopular incumbent?
Maybe take a look, Simon?
https://grassrootsconnector.substack.com/p/mississippi-turning?r=3u95b&utm_medium=ios
Friends, there are going to be a lot of candidates in long shot races who are going to work the grassroots/Substack/pod community hard for exposure in the coming months. I want to expand the map as bad as anyone but we need to work to establish the difference between reach and long shot, and stay very focused on the reach, particularly given the GOP's financial advantage this time.
I was afraid you’d say that. But, who knows, maybe some exposure will give him the boost needed for a big surprise. And I agree about Indiana. I hope there are some good Dems running for those seats!
Heard. Appreciate the distinction between a reach and a long shot, and the insight that long shot candidates will be working hard to get noticed. Gives context to an article I noticed the other day about the Kansas Senate race and a popular minister running as a Democrat there. And then I read today that KS hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. 1932. Maybe Iowa Senate race is the stretch, with Kansas a definite long shot. And we can’t neglect Hopium supported candidates like Peltola in the meantime.
Horrible news about the bloodthirsty Putin inflicting such pain and suffering on the brave people of Ukraine; another TACO in the Middle East (no surprise there) and great news about the Dem overperformance in Michigan.
It should not surprise anyone that we are being lied to about the damage being inflicted by Iran on US military assets in the ME. When it comes to the current regime/junta, we must never forget that if the mouths are moving, they are lying.
Trump and his cabinet cannot declare a named war time action is complete in order to get around the 60 day congressional approval and then come up with a new name for a new action to continue the war. He has no idea how to get out of the mess he has created with the goal now being -according to Rubio- to reopen the Strait of Hormuz which was fully open for all ships to pass through freely prior to T and Hegseth's ridiculous military flex.
To add to the new Democratic agenda. We need to advocate for genuine immigration reform that combines a secure border with a streamlined legal immigration system. This is a problem that needs to be solved, not thrown back and forth, has a political football, endlessly between the parties.
It’s a good opportunity for Dems on immigration, tearing down the concentration camps, greatly increasing funding for immigration courts to make asylum decisions quickly. As well as a clear legal process for immigration.
I so admire Zelensky for what he has been able to do with the drones. A TV personality that actually knows how to get things done. Who knew? Somehow I am on the GOP email list. Yesterday I got four emails from Vivek in Ohio. That tells me he is struggling. However, I am disappointed that Graham Platner has not gotten any acknowledgement from leadership. I watched his interview with Jon Stewart and was very impressed.
Apparently he has received phone calls from Chuck Schumer and the Dem Senate Committee which he said in an interview I think with Jen Psaki that happened after Janet Mills withdrew, but I'm not sure of the details.
I am heartened by Chedrick Greene's resounding win in MI. I'm always especially happy about outcomes like that when the candidate is someone for whom I've written postcards.
I've been writing for Rankin and Jordan in GA, am delighted that Hopium is raising funds for them, and am so hoping for a victory for them in 2 weeks.
I'm looking forward to tonight's meeting.
Re Trump and Indiana - he may have gotten even, but he still didn’t get the IN maps redrawn, did he? And at the moment they are still losing the mid-decade restricting nationally…
Net loss for them, let him have his consolation prize….
I wonder if Putin realizes how weak he looks asking for a cease fire so he can have a "Victory Parade". It just boggles the mind he wouldn't realize how pathetic that is. Victory Parades don't usually require a cease fire.