Some Thoughts On What Comes Next
I'll be co-hosting "Coffee with Contrarians" Monday at 915am EST
Morning all. Today’s post is one of those posts that is more a sketch pad, a series of notes, than a fully thought through essay…….
Looking at the next few months here is what I see:
We need to be investing in and readying our parties and candidates for the 2026 election
We have to stay focused on getting as much out of the upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget negotiations as possible
In January state legislatures, city and county councils, governments across the country and at every level, will start deliberations about how to respond to the damage Trump’s agenda has done to their states and communities - higher prices, slower economy/job loss, assault on our health care system, harm to small businesses and farmers due to the tariffs, impending cuts to and weakening of SNAP, out of control DHS/ICE, worker shortages due to mass deportation, higher electricity prices, downsizing of FEMA, and more. How does this community get involved in this process, amplify voices, tell the stories of harm - and our response to it all - that need to be told?
We have to keep defining Trump as weak, old, losing his powers, a lame duck, corrupt and venal, and the second biggest mistake America has ever made (slavery #1)
We need a cogent, party-wide response to Trump’s new, lawless “forever war” being are launched against the cartels here in the Americas. For as we’ve discussed here this new “strategy” is far more surrender than war, and is a predicate for an illiberal crack down against Trump’s domestic opponents here in the US.
Democrats must develop a rough consensus on our national narrative/agenda that fights in at least three domains - tariffs/inflation/affordability, heath care, threats to democracy/corruption/No Kings. While the focus on health care costs was effective for us these last few months it is time reorient around the totality of the concerns that voters now have.
I’ve offered my initial thoughts on the momentous last 10 days of American politics and our path forward, together, in a new written analysis and video presentation, Epstein, Election Blowout, Failed Government - Trump And His Presidency Are In Deep Trouble.
Next week we will start expanding our work in the 2026 elections through an initial set of endorsements of House open seat and challengers races, “red to blue” as they called, the seats that can flip the House for us next November.
I am also going to reboot and re-energize our Resolutions Project in the coming weeks. Let us aspire to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence next year with thousands of local communities across the US having adopted resolutions condemning our Mad King’s many modern day “injuries,” “abuses,” and “usurpations.”
Watch Jamie Raskin explain the significance of these new Epstein emails (this is very powerful):
Look at this pathetic gibberish, newly posted:
Former prosecutor Rep. Dan Goldman released this excellent video on the significance of these emails:
Yesterday the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a very aggressive statement condemning Trump’s inhumane treatment of people here in the US:
Watch this remarkable video from they released:
Here is an excerpt from their “Special Message” (cc JD Vance):
As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.
Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.
Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together.
The cost for Trump’s ridiculous sending of the National Guard to our cities is going to be in the many billions:
We need to be talking about the rising cost of electricity more:
Note these events coming up:
Mon, Nov 17, 915am - I’ll be guest co-hosting “Coffee with Contrarians” with Jen Rubin.
Wed, Nov 19, 7pm ET - Our weekly Hopium paid subscriber get together. Registration info forthcoming.
Mon, Nov 24, 130pm - Historian, author and fellow Substacker Ruth Ben-Ghiat joins us live. Link forthcoming. Excited for this one!
Check our Events page for the latest schedule and links. Recordings of these events can always be found under the Podcast tab on the main Hopium site and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify too.
Now, Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The Midterms - Support Our 2026 Candidates
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $51k raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interviews with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $93k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $237k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents
Expanding The Senate and Electoral College Maps (2026-2032)
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $250,000 goal, $191,000 raised - Join our new campaign to expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas | Donate to all five state parties in a single contribution | Watch my interviews with Alaska Chair Eric Croft, Florida Chair Nikki Fried, Iowa Chair Rita Hart and Texas Chair Kendall Scudder | Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $10,000 to each of our five state parties!
North Carolina and Ohio - Learn more about our 2026 opportunities in Ohio in this conversation with David Pepper, and in North Carolina in this new interview Anderson Clayton
Defending America, Winning The Big Arguments With Trump - We have two recommended actions today:
1 - Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act Upon Our Four-Part Agenda - We need to be loud people, very, very loud and make the case for our emerging four part agenda and for releasing the Epstein files:
Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world
Defend our democracy, rule of law, and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restoring due process for immigrants across the country, vigorously defending the 1st Amendment, warring against his outrageous targeting of his domestic political opponents, and ending the use of the military on our streets and the unlawful occupation of our cities
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy
Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia and China
Release the Epstein files
2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Be sure to check out our new discussion with Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner who have passed resolutions in New Mexico and Boston. They offer practical advice on how to get a resolution passed in your own community.
Remarkably, members of this community have passed or are advancing 85 (!!!!) resolution projects in 23 states + DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the end of the year?
Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder!
Keep working hard all, and remember Hopium is hope with a plan. We don’t just hope tomorrow will be better than today.
We do the work to make it so.
- Simon
Simon,
You were quoted at the end of Professor Richardson’s latest post!
Awesome!
This was at the end of her November 13th post.
Political strategist Simon Rosenberg commented: “If Trump wags the dog in Venezuela it is going to do enormous damage to his already degraded brand here in the US. Zero support for this in the public. Will be seen for what it is—[a] transparent attempt to rescue his flailing Presidency.”