I continue to believe that the right wing takeover of just about every medium where people get their ‘news’ is a massive problem for everyone, but democrats specifically because regardless of what they say or do, their message will have a very difficult time reaching the masses.
Way too many voters have no idea what is actually happening in this country and why it’s happening (let alone outside the US) and will continue to be fed lies & disinformation spewed on Fox, Twitter, FB, Sinclair, etc.
I mean, a majority still believe that republicans are better on the economy.
I don’t know what anyone can do about it at this point as this fight was lost a long time ago.
Between losing the ‘information’ wars and Citizens United, dems are pretty screwed.
Pritzker seems to me to fit the bill best. He understands the fight before us and is willing to wage it.
Obama did have moral clarity about Iraq that few in his party did. Still, I look back on him as a big disappointment. He was too conflict averse and naive about the political environment.
Organizational development work is pretty clear about how much time it takes leaders to really understand a high-level executive job and perform it well. 5 - 7 years. Obama needed a third term (!). OTHO, Hillary might have been able to do it more quickly.
The liberal politicians I am looking at don't appear to understand that it's about power - and MAGA and their oligarchs aren't going to hand it over peacefully.
That’s THE question. What will we be clamouring for in 2029! It’s frightening to even think about given how fast democracy seems to be falling. Thank you for your work, Brian!
Obama's words about dumb wars won him a lot of votes - then he presided over 8 years of dumb wars, leaving them to Trump for 4 years and to Biden for 8 months when he fulfilled Trump's agreement to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, abandoning allies and leaving Afghans immeasurably worse-off than they were before we "liberated" them.
Guantanamo Bay prison STILL holds un-convicted "detainees" in utter defiance of our precious fucking democratic principles of justice. I'm sure that they were stirred by Obama's gifted oration. Maybe it's not another speech that we need.
Basically when it comes to rebuilding time: decentralization is key. We can support heroes of course, but we can’t be looking for a savior. The quote “a well informed citizenry is necessary for a functioning democracy” comes to mind. We have become complacent in our civic duties to be a well informed public. Allowing the tech oligarchs to control the algorithms and spread rage and misinformation never should have been able to happen in the first place. But that’s what happens when capitalism is king.
Yes the oligarchs Theil and musk are South African immigrants who took advantage of our democracy and capitalism just to destroy it when they reached the top. They’re not even Americans!
I also think we need to think beyond a two party system, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, etc.
We’re looking at a total rebuild of our government infrastructure which is exactly what we need.
The foundation of our country is made of racism, sexism, and classism. The system was never MEANT to be by the people for the people. Young visionary politicians and coalitions need to be uplifted by any democrat who wants a better America for everyone. I will not support democrats who refuse to give up the status quo. The status quo is why we are here right now.
The anti tech oligarch take can work for Macron, who is the President of France, a country which want to see itself as a Great Power, and views America as the nation that robbed it of the greatness. Here, in America, we like our billionaires. Not that we think fondly of them, but rather that we hate our politicians, actors, scientists and other potential leaders. Businessman are therefore valued due to being least hated.
The median voter, even if disliking Trump, will not see the current situation through a class lens. Opposition to oligarchy might excite democrats, but not the disinterested retirees from Midwest. They hate the elites of course, but not oligarchs in particular. Therefore, the critique of Trump and his vision of America must come with different vocabulary that one used by Sanders. The new Obama need to find ways to be against Trump and elites, while at the same time keeping the plausible ambivalence to the moneyed folk.
I was just wondering, and this may or may not be relevant to your comment, if anyone sees the merit in (or sees anyone attempting to) communicate something along the lines of, "The (in many ways, cultural) problems that unleashed the backlash were very real. MAGA is not offering a solution to those problems, but opportunistically exploiting them." Ie is anyone banging the drum of dem self-evaluation while NOT degenerating into backward-looking recrimination that can be further exploited? Threading that needle? Taking honest account of the excesses while looking forward wtih a vision? I am honestly wondering if I'm missing something or if most people are eliding those cultural excesses (which are and remain very real to many) in favor of a purely anti-MAGA message short on specifics. I mean, maybe I'm just losing the plot or hanging onto outdated opinions.
Yes, I believe someone will catch fire and I think it will be a woman. Loved what the gal from Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow said the other day about Trump using food as a weapon against the hungry Americans in the shutdown fight. Oh, and whatever happened to those two warmongers Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz? According to Wikipedia, they're still alive. Shame. Here's Mallory McMorrow's beautiful rant: https://bsky.app/profile/strictlychristo.bsky.social/post/3m4hnoi445s2q
A healthy party would be able to choose an effective standard bearer. But the Dems are clearly lost in space, as shown by the 2 recent Big Think reports (own the libs vs. the libs). In this dark hour of the soul we must await a savior, and thankfully there are a few credible candidates around
The rise of "mental health issues" from the internet.
Of course the leaders of the US Democratic Party *know* for sure that that does *not* under any circumstances refer to the rise of gender ideology and the belief that thousands of teenagers are "trapped in the wrong body".
Its Cory. Watch his emotional 25-hr speech in the well of the Senate. He detailed the impact of Trump policies on his constituents----and in a month his campaign attracted $10 million- mostly in small contributions. He's the one.
I'm not so sure. His speech was great, but then he immediately turned around and voted for the appropriations bill. Some folks will remember that, some won't.
The picture of him awkwardly standing with other Senators and Netanyahu doesn't help. There is a divide between the Democratic base and many Dem electeds (including Booker) on this issue. I think it's too late for him to get on the right side of it.
In the end, I think the people who will have the advantage are those who a) have not been in Congress, and b) were not in the Biden administration (Buttigieg)
I continue to believe that the right wing takeover of just about every medium where people get their ‘news’ is a massive problem for everyone, but democrats specifically because regardless of what they say or do, their message will have a very difficult time reaching the masses.
Way too many voters have no idea what is actually happening in this country and why it’s happening (let alone outside the US) and will continue to be fed lies & disinformation spewed on Fox, Twitter, FB, Sinclair, etc.
I mean, a majority still believe that republicans are better on the economy.
I don’t know what anyone can do about it at this point as this fight was lost a long time ago.
Between losing the ‘information’ wars and Citizens United, dems are pretty screwed.
So. . . where and how will Americans learn about this prophetic figure? Which platforms or networks will carry their message?
As BB has himself noted many times, the problem is not so much the specific policy measures as the ability to break through in this media environment.
I 100% agree that Macron identifies an important problem, and that many Americans would support the politician who takes it us as their central fight.
But I don't see how they learn about them and their cause.
A very thoughtful presentation. We definitely need the someone to lead us unafraid to where this goes and how we get there!
Pritzker seems to me to fit the bill best. He understands the fight before us and is willing to wage it.
Obama did have moral clarity about Iraq that few in his party did. Still, I look back on him as a big disappointment. He was too conflict averse and naive about the political environment.
Organizational development work is pretty clear about how much time it takes leaders to really understand a high-level executive job and perform it well. 5 - 7 years. Obama needed a third term (!). OTHO, Hillary might have been able to do it more quickly.
The liberal politicians I am looking at don't appear to understand that it's about power - and MAGA and their oligarchs aren't going to hand it over peacefully.
I agree.
That’s THE question. What will we be clamouring for in 2029! It’s frightening to even think about given how fast democracy seems to be falling. Thank you for your work, Brian!
Obama's words about dumb wars won him a lot of votes - then he presided over 8 years of dumb wars, leaving them to Trump for 4 years and to Biden for 8 months when he fulfilled Trump's agreement to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, abandoning allies and leaving Afghans immeasurably worse-off than they were before we "liberated" them.
Guantanamo Bay prison STILL holds un-convicted "detainees" in utter defiance of our precious fucking democratic principles of justice. I'm sure that they were stirred by Obama's gifted oration. Maybe it's not another speech that we need.
To say nothing of Israel Palestine
Better to say nothing of Israel Palestine. Is there a "solution" that doesn't result in the deaths of too many?
Basically when it comes to rebuilding time: decentralization is key. We can support heroes of course, but we can’t be looking for a savior. The quote “a well informed citizenry is necessary for a functioning democracy” comes to mind. We have become complacent in our civic duties to be a well informed public. Allowing the tech oligarchs to control the algorithms and spread rage and misinformation never should have been able to happen in the first place. But that’s what happens when capitalism is king.
Yes the oligarchs Theil and musk are South African immigrants who took advantage of our democracy and capitalism just to destroy it when they reached the top. They’re not even Americans!
I also think we need to think beyond a two party system, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, etc.
We’re looking at a total rebuild of our government infrastructure which is exactly what we need.
The foundation of our country is made of racism, sexism, and classism. The system was never MEANT to be by the people for the people. Young visionary politicians and coalitions need to be uplifted by any democrat who wants a better America for everyone. I will not support democrats who refuse to give up the status quo. The status quo is why we are here right now.
FWIW, Theil was born in Germany and has German, New Zealand, and US citizenship. He spent 6 years in South Africa as a child.
Thank you I did not know that!
The anti tech oligarch take can work for Macron, who is the President of France, a country which want to see itself as a Great Power, and views America as the nation that robbed it of the greatness. Here, in America, we like our billionaires. Not that we think fondly of them, but rather that we hate our politicians, actors, scientists and other potential leaders. Businessman are therefore valued due to being least hated.
The median voter, even if disliking Trump, will not see the current situation through a class lens. Opposition to oligarchy might excite democrats, but not the disinterested retirees from Midwest. They hate the elites of course, but not oligarchs in particular. Therefore, the critique of Trump and his vision of America must come with different vocabulary that one used by Sanders. The new Obama need to find ways to be against Trump and elites, while at the same time keeping the plausible ambivalence to the moneyed folk.
I was just wondering, and this may or may not be relevant to your comment, if anyone sees the merit in (or sees anyone attempting to) communicate something along the lines of, "The (in many ways, cultural) problems that unleashed the backlash were very real. MAGA is not offering a solution to those problems, but opportunistically exploiting them." Ie is anyone banging the drum of dem self-evaluation while NOT degenerating into backward-looking recrimination that can be further exploited? Threading that needle? Taking honest account of the excesses while looking forward wtih a vision? I am honestly wondering if I'm missing something or if most people are eliding those cultural excesses (which are and remain very real to many) in favor of a purely anti-MAGA message short on specifics. I mean, maybe I'm just losing the plot or hanging onto outdated opinions.
Yes, I believe someone will catch fire and I think it will be a woman. Loved what the gal from Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow said the other day about Trump using food as a weapon against the hungry Americans in the shutdown fight. Oh, and whatever happened to those two warmongers Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz? According to Wikipedia, they're still alive. Shame. Here's Mallory McMorrow's beautiful rant: https://bsky.app/profile/strictlychristo.bsky.social/post/3m4hnoi445s2q
Someone needs to design a specific plan to combat social media and click seeking. Put it together as a bill and introduce it. Then campaign on it.
Does Macron have a plan?
Great work. Great companion to Macron's speech. My Great Concern is the attention span of the needed audience. Is it already too late?
A healthy party would be able to choose an effective standard bearer. But the Dems are clearly lost in space, as shown by the 2 recent Big Think reports (own the libs vs. the libs). In this dark hour of the soul we must await a savior, and thankfully there are a few credible candidates around
Good one.
The rise of "mental health issues" from the internet.
Of course the leaders of the US Democratic Party *know* for sure that that does *not* under any circumstances refer to the rise of gender ideology and the belief that thousands of teenagers are "trapped in the wrong body".
Please reach across the aisle and check this out-
https://www.di-ag.org/
Crucial to bring this up. Thank you for the link.
Its Cory. Watch his emotional 25-hr speech in the well of the Senate. He detailed the impact of Trump policies on his constituents----and in a month his campaign attracted $10 million- mostly in small contributions. He's the one.
I'm not so sure. His speech was great, but then he immediately turned around and voted for the appropriations bill. Some folks will remember that, some won't.
The picture of him awkwardly standing with other Senators and Netanyahu doesn't help. There is a divide between the Democratic base and many Dem electeds (including Booker) on this issue. I think it's too late for him to get on the right side of it.
In the end, I think the people who will have the advantage are those who a) have not been in Congress, and b) were not in the Biden administration (Buttigieg)