If Schumer and the Democrats want to gain the upper hand in the upcoming budget showdown, they need to be successfull in selling their position nationally starting yesterday. Otherwise, they will be painted by the Republicans, again, as the ones favoring and causing a shutdown because "they don't like Republicans".
While I see recruiting adds from ICE here in DC, I see no public messaging from the Democrats on their position on the budget. We need to get out of this lose, lose, cycle.
We are not in a lose, lose cycle. We've been winning elections across the country all year. We lead in the critical November elections. Please do better in future posts. Suggest, recommend but let's have the discipline to reject doomerism. And to be clear - ALL THE POLLING says Rs will get blamed for the shutdown.
I don't see it as a lose lose cycle but I do agree with you theat Democrats should be out front and open about their position on the budget. I have been calling my electeds every day for the last week about that.
I mean, it's a bit hard to see any of this stuff with the Kimmel firing and the Kirk assassination. This happens a lot in the news in general, but with Trump especially because you go from one chaotic situation to another like the pachinko balls bouncing around in his skull. Many things just don't break through.
Trump owned the prior shutdown so I have faith he will own this one, too. Kudos to Schumer for pointing out Thune & Johnson’s weakness. Hmmm - no shutdowns under Biden. Perhaps Trump is the problem? 🤔
I saw a clip of Snowflake TACOman talking about how the late night comedians are so mean to him. He speaks about himself in the 3rd person which is just so effing weird. He’s not right in the head - at all.
Simon, thank you for last night's strong dose of hopium! And I'm very glad to hear that Maryland is joining up with other Northeast states on health care. I've been contacting Gov. Moore for weeks asking him to do just this.
I contacted Gov. Moore to thank him. I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to raise the idea of making criminal referrals against law breaking by Trump and his administration. I encouraged all my Virginia friends to vote today and I am writing postcards to Virginia voters.
There is no leadership from the Dems - otherwise we would not be in this dystopian nightmare. They are off on messaging. They refuse to "learn" the other side's fight strategies. I really do not see us coming out of this.
We offer opinions all the time - based in fact, not just venting and dragging each other down. The statement "there is no leadership from the Dems" is just not true, certainly not as a global statement about all Dems, not based in recent polls or 40 elections so far this year. If someone has a suggestion about messaging, offer it. If your Dem elected official isn't showing leadership, name them specifically and call them (as I often have to do for my US Rep, all my others are great).
But the emotions we put out in the world contribute to the general mood. Trump wants us to be gloomy and give up; he wants us to spew it onto each other and drag each other down. Emotional doomerism as Simon calls it helps Trump. Venting and emotional doomerism are political choices and political acts, and they contribute to authoritarianism.
I have called, and written Tillis, Budd and my Dem Reps in NC. I have approx 50 single spaced pages in a doc of letters I have written to them! I have been protesting since the DC Women's March. To ask me to remove my my post because it is gloomy or negative is insane! Are we not allowed to express opinions without concern or fear of censorship here? This is unreal
Hopium has really changed the way I think and has made me a better soldier in the fight. I've stopped looking at a lot of comment sections because of the doomerism, which makes me despair and want to give up. This site is devoted to action, and in equipping everyone to take action, and the comments section is part of that. Perhaps that's not for everyone! And that's okay! But the moderation is purposeful.
To take an oath to protect and defend our Constitution, only to then ignore, defy or kick it into the gutter, is an irrefutable act of treason.
There are numerous countries around the world that better suite people who need to bully or be bullied. The fascist wannabe’s polluting our country should try a “run for office” elsewhere because we Americans who believe in this great, imperfect nation will never forsake the cause of Liberty.
I just donated to the Audacious Expansion Fund. Thank you, Simon, for including the Texas Democratic Party.
I have now been redistricted out of District 23 Tony Gonzales into District 21, Chip Roy from bad to worse as part of the Trump mid-decade redistricting. Chip Roy is running for TX AG and maybe a strong Democrat will run in that now open race.
I found G. Elliott Morris's Substack entry today, "When Identity Politics Trump the Constitution," to be bracing, if a little grim. But its conclusion is not without hope. Last night's meeting was great. I admit I was a little shaken by Miller's "We're coming after you" threats last week. So I was immensely pleased yesterday to see many Democratic leaders say basically, No, we're coming after *you.* Democrats clearly understand the fight now. I am completely prepared to help out where I can and have their backs.
I listened to James Talarico being interviewed on the Trippi Show podcast this morning, and it was quite a revelation to me. I think this guy has some real political gifts. I hadn't heard him before at length until today.
I think he really has the right way to talk to how the power structures on the Right use identity politics to divide and then maintain their wealth and status. He calls it more "top down" rather than "left right". The framing I think is fantastic. He also hits the anti-corruption points well, and he is religious without being overbearing about it (at all).
So what is the strategy that will leave the country convinced that a shutdown will be due to Republican intransigence? How do we get ahead in the national conscientiousness of what we know will be Trump's beratting of the Democrats and Schumer if a shutdown occurs??
Why do you believe Trump can win any argument right now? Why the presumption of strength rather than weakness? He is below 50 on literally every issue incl border security and crime. Your pessimism is misplaced. The whole point of my video and article today and for the last few weeks is that we are going to have to fight this out and we should be bold for he is in a weakened state. Schumer laid it all out there today. Now we need to go fight.
I was pleased to see from th Punchbowl article Simon excerpted that Schumer is beginning to show some more grit. I think the recission piece by itself can show the GOP as bad faith actors. THe Dems must stand their ground on that.
Why negotiate a budget if Republicans have a back door to remove any funding they just agreed to if they don't like it. That should be front and center and Dems should be unified in making that argument EVERY DAY during this process.
Friends are all unsubscribing from their Disney bundles, even one who is vacationing in Europe! I am post card writing in support of Prop 50... please donate in support of Calif Prop 50 if you can! Also attending some Overpass rallies and Indivisible rallies on Saturdays... I am trying to keep busy, I am so angry right now. Donating when I can... writing to my Senators and my wonderful Congressman DeSaulnier who shows up at our Saturday Rallies and speaks at get togethers and town halls all over this district...
Simon, thank you. Any idea where we can find a comprehensive list of ABC and Sinclair's advertisers so that we can take the free speech crisis to their pocketbooks?
Thank you Anne. I will look for it and post it here. If you find it, can you post as well? I believe this and boycotting Disney are the most concrete actions we can collectively take right now
Self-reporting: called my representatives today to express my outrage at the lurch towards fascism and to encourage them to be even more vocal critics. Also, my family and I are participating in an anti-ICEstapo protest in the Chicagoland area.
I missed the live meeting last night because there is a group of us who attended one of Bernie's rallies organizing to "fight oligarchy" by mobilizing voters in specific congressional districts to replace the congressperson who voted for the big ugly bill. First up is texting those in our districts to make them aware of this bill and it's impact. We intend to make it personal by follow up phone calls to tell stories of how this bill affects them. I will keep you all posted.
Building on Simon's point about MAGA and soft secession, when it comes to assimilation, MAGA are the ones incapable of assimilating into US civil society, not immigrants. We're talking about a minority of the population who are an intransigent, insurgent element who are continually gnawing away at the foundations of our system. States creating their own protections for vaccines and science are a matter of shoring up and restoring a civil society.
Trump has power. That is all he cares about. He craves the attention of our enemies. He is rejecting the Constitution and are NATO agreement. He changes tariffs knowing there will be no pushback from Congress. And now he is shutting down free speech.
I don't think Trump cares about polling anymore. If he did, we would see reaction to it. Instead, he is securing a massive increase in office space for ICE, allowing cuts to Medicare that will hurt those in rural areas, and continues to disappear those that look like immgrants, killing businesses that rely on these people.
Trump's strategy is to win the House by any, and I mean any, means possible. By getting states to redistrict, by claiming mail-in ballots to be rigged, which he will take to the Supreme Court, and maybe by just declaring a national emergency in 2026 in order to shutdown elections. All this because if he can keep the House, the House can reject the electoral college votes should a Democrat win the Presidential election. Frankly, I am surprised he did not declare a national emergency after Charlie Kirk's assasination.
I read what Shumer said. “We believe the American people will understand that they (the Republicans) are causing a shutdown, again, by not being [bipartisan], by not wanting to do anything on health care at all, and by Trump."
But will they believe it? And even so, does Trump care? An overwhelming campaign on social media will be critical in this fight.
Yeah, I am truly frightened by the power Trump is exercising. It allows him to ignore polls and act like a king.
I just don't see him as strong, but instead throwing a bunch of unhinged things against the wall to see what sticks before the window of opportunity that is the 2026 midterms slams shut on him and the GOP, all while ginning up requisite torture porn to show to the base, who is also a small minority of the population.
He's not strong. Trump is a bully weilding unchecked power. He loves Putin and could care less about Americans. THAT is why I am so concerned about the 2026 mid-terms.
We are all concerned. But we have power too. No one is coming to save us, we the people are forcing the issue. The only way out is through. The weaker he gets, the more desperate he gets. But he is even more dangerous if he doesn't get pushback. He is a megalomaniacal crazy man in cognitive and physical decline.
And Chris Murphy and Eric Swalwell are right on when they say we are coming for you. MAGA are cowards, many are snowflakes. The weaker Trump gets, the more pressure on the cowards to peal off to save themselves.
He absolutely cares about polling. He's going to take undemocratic steps to win, whether his polling is good or not. It is accelerated because his polling is so awful. But he does care about the bad polls.
If he doesn't he's even dumber than I think. The bad polls will increase the resistance to his authoritarian actions and violations of the Constitution and law.
He's going to ramp up the illiberal things because he's failing so badly and his polls are getting really awful. He will flail around like the disorganized idiot he is.
So it will get worse, but I think the resistance will get stronger on pace with it.
Hear, hear to all this! So great that Schumer is ready to fight. To those who say in response “it won’t work, Democrats are weak, we will lose and Trump will win” - what is the alternative? For Dems to do nothing (again)? Yes, we might lose (and get blamed for the shutdown) but we also might win but we will 100% lose if we do nothing. Schumer is imperfect but he’s all we got (in the Senate). Trump (sometimes) backs down when he meets resistance (look at the National Guard and Chicago) - he never backs down when he does not.
Our side is not the only one calling for a national divorce. MTG is calling for one as well; see https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5504117-marjorie-taylor-greene-national-divorce/ And the map of regional health alliances is another straw in the wind. A question: If the Dem states all join together for in essence a half-national health alliance and there's a pandemic, would the Dem alliance help the Republican states? And would Republicans from those states try to spread the pandemic to Dem states? I wouldn't put it past them. And how would Trump respond? Having Congress pass a federal law banning vaccines and masks?
If Schumer and the Democrats want to gain the upper hand in the upcoming budget showdown, they need to be successfull in selling their position nationally starting yesterday. Otherwise, they will be painted by the Republicans, again, as the ones favoring and causing a shutdown because "they don't like Republicans".
While I see recruiting adds from ICE here in DC, I see no public messaging from the Democrats on their position on the budget. We need to get out of this lose, lose, cycle.
We are not in a lose, lose cycle. We've been winning elections across the country all year. We lead in the critical November elections. Please do better in future posts. Suggest, recommend but let's have the discipline to reject doomerism. And to be clear - ALL THE POLLING says Rs will get blamed for the shutdown.
I don't see it as a lose lose cycle but I do agree with you theat Democrats should be out front and open about their position on the budget. I have been calling my electeds every day for the last week about that.
I mean, it's a bit hard to see any of this stuff with the Kimmel firing and the Kirk assassination. This happens a lot in the news in general, but with Trump especially because you go from one chaotic situation to another like the pachinko balls bouncing around in his skull. Many things just don't break through.
Great post.
Trump owned the prior shutdown so I have faith he will own this one, too. Kudos to Schumer for pointing out Thune & Johnson’s weakness. Hmmm - no shutdowns under Biden. Perhaps Trump is the problem? 🤔
I saw a clip of Snowflake TACOman talking about how the late night comedians are so mean to him. He speaks about himself in the 3rd person which is just so effing weird. He’s not right in the head - at all.
Agree - a house divided by itself cannot stand.
Simon, thank you for last night's strong dose of hopium! And I'm very glad to hear that Maryland is joining up with other Northeast states on health care. I've been contacting Gov. Moore for weeks asking him to do just this.
I contacted Gov. Moore to thank him. I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to raise the idea of making criminal referrals against law breaking by Trump and his administration. I encouraged all my Virginia friends to vote today and I am writing postcards to Virginia voters.
Notice the 2 NE states ABSENT from the consortium have GOP Governors. Weak.
There is no leadership from the Dems - otherwise we would not be in this dystopian nightmare. They are off on messaging. They refuse to "learn" the other side's fight strategies. I really do not see us coming out of this.
Gina, please take this post down. It's both clearly untrue and we just don't do doomerism here.
Why aren’t people allowed to express their opinions here?
We offer opinions all the time - based in fact, not just venting and dragging each other down. The statement "there is no leadership from the Dems" is just not true, certainly not as a global statement about all Dems, not based in recent polls or 40 elections so far this year. If someone has a suggestion about messaging, offer it. If your Dem elected official isn't showing leadership, name them specifically and call them (as I often have to do for my US Rep, all my others are great).
But the emotions we put out in the world contribute to the general mood. Trump wants us to be gloomy and give up; he wants us to spew it onto each other and drag each other down. Emotional doomerism as Simon calls it helps Trump. Venting and emotional doomerism are political choices and political acts, and they contribute to authoritarianism.
Exactly, and I REFUSE to give up!
I have called, and written Tillis, Budd and my Dem Reps in NC. I have approx 50 single spaced pages in a doc of letters I have written to them! I have been protesting since the DC Women's March. To ask me to remove my my post because it is gloomy or negative is insane! Are we not allowed to express opinions without concern or fear of censorship here? This is unreal
Simon!
Hopium has really changed the way I think and has made me a better soldier in the fight. I've stopped looking at a lot of comment sections because of the doomerism, which makes me despair and want to give up. This site is devoted to action, and in equipping everyone to take action, and the comments section is part of that. Perhaps that's not for everyone! And that's okay! But the moderation is purposeful.
Same. For me Hopium offers an alternative to the wearying negativity of social media. People can post whatever they want there.
Thank-you!
Let’s call a spade a spade.
To take an oath to protect and defend our Constitution, only to then ignore, defy or kick it into the gutter, is an irrefutable act of treason.
There are numerous countries around the world that better suite people who need to bully or be bullied. The fascist wannabe’s polluting our country should try a “run for office” elsewhere because we Americans who believe in this great, imperfect nation will never forsake the cause of Liberty.
"To take an oath to protect and defend our Constitution, only to then ignore, defy or kick it into the gutter, is an irrefutable act of treason."
Thank you!!
I consider an oath to be sacred. Our Declaration ends with that word in front of "honor."
When people tolerate the breaking of vows ... all bets are off.
I just donated to the Audacious Expansion Fund. Thank you, Simon, for including the Texas Democratic Party.
I have now been redistricted out of District 23 Tony Gonzales into District 21, Chip Roy from bad to worse as part of the Trump mid-decade redistricting. Chip Roy is running for TX AG and maybe a strong Democrat will run in that now open race.
I found G. Elliott Morris's Substack entry today, "When Identity Politics Trump the Constitution," to be bracing, if a little grim. But its conclusion is not without hope. Last night's meeting was great. I admit I was a little shaken by Miller's "We're coming after you" threats last week. So I was immensely pleased yesterday to see many Democratic leaders say basically, No, we're coming after *you.* Democrats clearly understand the fight now. I am completely prepared to help out where I can and have their backs.
I listened to James Talarico being interviewed on the Trippi Show podcast this morning, and it was quite a revelation to me. I think this guy has some real political gifts. I hadn't heard him before at length until today.
I think he really has the right way to talk to how the power structures on the Right use identity politics to divide and then maintain their wealth and status. He calls it more "top down" rather than "left right". The framing I think is fantastic. He also hits the anti-corruption points well, and he is religious without being overbearing about it (at all).
I'm looking forward to Simon interviewing him.
Fair enough, Simon.
So what is the strategy that will leave the country convinced that a shutdown will be due to Republican intransigence? How do we get ahead in the national conscientiousness of what we know will be Trump's beratting of the Democrats and Schumer if a shutdown occurs??
Why do you believe Trump can win any argument right now? Why the presumption of strength rather than weakness? He is below 50 on literally every issue incl border security and crime. Your pessimism is misplaced. The whole point of my video and article today and for the last few weeks is that we are going to have to fight this out and we should be bold for he is in a weakened state. Schumer laid it all out there today. Now we need to go fight.
I was pleased to see from th Punchbowl article Simon excerpted that Schumer is beginning to show some more grit. I think the recission piece by itself can show the GOP as bad faith actors. THe Dems must stand their ground on that.
Why negotiate a budget if Republicans have a back door to remove any funding they just agreed to if they don't like it. That should be front and center and Dems should be unified in making that argument EVERY DAY during this process.
Friends are all unsubscribing from their Disney bundles, even one who is vacationing in Europe! I am post card writing in support of Prop 50... please donate in support of Calif Prop 50 if you can! Also attending some Overpass rallies and Indivisible rallies on Saturdays... I am trying to keep busy, I am so angry right now. Donating when I can... writing to my Senators and my wonderful Congressman DeSaulnier who shows up at our Saturday Rallies and speaks at get togethers and town halls all over this district...
I dropped Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+. I watch NHL games but I guess not this year.
I also sent emails to about every exec at ABC, and also to Robert Iger. I found three different addresses and none of them at least bounced back.
Simon, thank you. Any idea where we can find a comprehensive list of ABC and Sinclair's advertisers so that we can take the free speech crisis to their pocketbooks?
I can't access it right now (I have a lot of sites blocked so I don't read them all day), but there's a post on Daily Kos that lists them.
Thank you Anne. I will look for it and post it here. If you find it, can you post as well? I believe this and boycotting Disney are the most concrete actions we can collectively take right now
For a start, here is a list of Sinclair stations nationally
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_owned_or_operated_by_Sinclair_Broadcast_Group
Governor Pritzker speaking out--yes, the Dems are speaking out
Be Loud--For America
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/WhctKLbmmFLHzbQRVLpSfNPPLSbnzZXtkdtrkDzfPLrrbRCBJWJZWBxQTfDGcFlFxrKwkxV
Clicked on link and nothing popped up except blank GMail logo
Self-reporting: called my representatives today to express my outrage at the lurch towards fascism and to encourage them to be even more vocal critics. Also, my family and I are participating in an anti-ICEstapo protest in the Chicagoland area.
ICEstapo is good framing. I'm going to steal it!
A new term for my protest sign idea list!
I missed the live meeting last night because there is a group of us who attended one of Bernie's rallies organizing to "fight oligarchy" by mobilizing voters in specific congressional districts to replace the congressperson who voted for the big ugly bill. First up is texting those in our districts to make them aware of this bill and it's impact. We intend to make it personal by follow up phone calls to tell stories of how this bill affects them. I will keep you all posted.
Building on Simon's point about MAGA and soft secession, when it comes to assimilation, MAGA are the ones incapable of assimilating into US civil society, not immigrants. We're talking about a minority of the population who are an intransigent, insurgent element who are continually gnawing away at the foundations of our system. States creating their own protections for vaccines and science are a matter of shoring up and restoring a civil society.
A couple of points.
Trump has power. That is all he cares about. He craves the attention of our enemies. He is rejecting the Constitution and are NATO agreement. He changes tariffs knowing there will be no pushback from Congress. And now he is shutting down free speech.
I don't think Trump cares about polling anymore. If he did, we would see reaction to it. Instead, he is securing a massive increase in office space for ICE, allowing cuts to Medicare that will hurt those in rural areas, and continues to disappear those that look like immgrants, killing businesses that rely on these people.
Trump's strategy is to win the House by any, and I mean any, means possible. By getting states to redistrict, by claiming mail-in ballots to be rigged, which he will take to the Supreme Court, and maybe by just declaring a national emergency in 2026 in order to shutdown elections. All this because if he can keep the House, the House can reject the electoral college votes should a Democrat win the Presidential election. Frankly, I am surprised he did not declare a national emergency after Charlie Kirk's assasination.
I read what Shumer said. “We believe the American people will understand that they (the Republicans) are causing a shutdown, again, by not being [bipartisan], by not wanting to do anything on health care at all, and by Trump."
But will they believe it? And even so, does Trump care? An overwhelming campaign on social media will be critical in this fight.
Yeah, I am truly frightened by the power Trump is exercising. It allows him to ignore polls and act like a king.
I just don't see him as strong, but instead throwing a bunch of unhinged things against the wall to see what sticks before the window of opportunity that is the 2026 midterms slams shut on him and the GOP, all while ginning up requisite torture porn to show to the base, who is also a small minority of the population.
He's not strong. Trump is a bully weilding unchecked power. He loves Putin and could care less about Americans. THAT is why I am so concerned about the 2026 mid-terms.
We are all concerned. But we have power too. No one is coming to save us, we the people are forcing the issue. The only way out is through. The weaker he gets, the more desperate he gets. But he is even more dangerous if he doesn't get pushback. He is a megalomaniacal crazy man in cognitive and physical decline.
And Chris Murphy and Eric Swalwell are right on when they say we are coming for you. MAGA are cowards, many are snowflakes. The weaker Trump gets, the more pressure on the cowards to peal off to save themselves.
Stillabeliever? Then let's go kick a** !!!
He absolutely cares about polling. He's going to take undemocratic steps to win, whether his polling is good or not. It is accelerated because his polling is so awful. But he does care about the bad polls.
If he doesn't he's even dumber than I think. The bad polls will increase the resistance to his authoritarian actions and violations of the Constitution and law.
He's going to ramp up the illiberal things because he's failing so badly and his polls are getting really awful. He will flail around like the disorganized idiot he is.
So it will get worse, but I think the resistance will get stronger on pace with it.
Hear, hear to all this! So great that Schumer is ready to fight. To those who say in response “it won’t work, Democrats are weak, we will lose and Trump will win” - what is the alternative? For Dems to do nothing (again)? Yes, we might lose (and get blamed for the shutdown) but we also might win but we will 100% lose if we do nothing. Schumer is imperfect but he’s all we got (in the Senate). Trump (sometimes) backs down when he meets resistance (look at the National Guard and Chicago) - he never backs down when he does not.
Our side is not the only one calling for a national divorce. MTG is calling for one as well; see https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5504117-marjorie-taylor-greene-national-divorce/ And the map of regional health alliances is another straw in the wind. A question: If the Dem states all join together for in essence a half-national health alliance and there's a pandemic, would the Dem alliance help the Republican states? And would Republicans from those states try to spread the pandemic to Dem states? I wouldn't put it past them. And how would Trump respond? Having Congress pass a federal law banning vaccines and masks?