I subscribed because I am a reader and supporter of Brian's. But mainly because I learn from him. I think the reason I often learn from him is that he get two big things right. They are not difficult to grasp, but they are difficult to live.
The first is incredibly simple. Doing journalism and doing politics are different things, which is not to say you can "cure" journalism of politics. Just that they have different logics. Brian Beutler finesses this better than just about anyone writing in his space.
The other big thing he gets right I would put this way: what is inevitably political in nature does not have to be politicized. By my reading of him, Brian is one of the most scrupulous observers of this distinction.
I realize these abstractions — doing journalism vs. doing politics, the properly political vs. the excessively politicized — require further explanation and examples to make them clear. But that's what Off Message is for.
This is just an incredibly generous comment Jay. Beyond that I just want to say that (no surprise) you grasp what I want to do with this platform perfectly. "These abstractions — doing journalism vs. doing politics, the properly political vs. the excessively politicized — require further explanation and examples to make them clear. But that's what Off Message is for." Hope I succeed.
I had a career from 1965 - 2002 covering government from the state house,to the courthouse in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest and I admire Beutler’s journalism. Rosen is right on in describing Beutler’s journalism.
Lovely piece! Positively Dreadful and Big Tent always got my Friday mornings off to a great start, because I do feel somewhat adrift politically. I’m disillusioned with a lot of online leftist commentators who are in a perpetual communist cosplay battle, but I’m also sick of establishment Dems who decry progressives, but also I like Biden, but also I wish he wouldn’t run--and this is the cycle my brain is going through every day. Thanks for your beautiful writing and ability to channel so many of my frustrations into a message that isn’t doomery or delusional
I signed up here because I liked your work on "Positively Dreadful" and, even though I often agree with the people and positions you criticize, I think this is a needed conversation.
A couple of things I hope you can address:
1. I think disagreement between the left and center is often automatically framed as ideological, when it is also about strategy, tactics, risk, and backlash. I think having a Supreme Court supermajority that caters to a tiny fraction of the ideological spectrum is an existential threat to the republic, but I also think that if the Democrats rans on a platform of packing the court, the Republicans would win a trifacta and pack the court themselves. I also think that all of those people across the Democratic ideological spectrum who could not bring themselves to support establishment Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 were also an existential threat to the Republic and to many core progressive issues like abortion rights.
2. Confronting the Republicans is like playing a game of whack-a-mole where it is easy to be distracted. They seem to attack on every front and issue they can (the Supreme Court, their Senate advantage, their assault on voting rights, use of state supermajority governments, etc.) and even when they lose one battle (for example, ISLT) they are on the attack somewhere else, looking to find any weakness they can exploit. I don't think those of us across the left fully appreciate this or understand how to deal with it.
Edit: I think my biggest point of agreement with you would be the what we (speaking broadly about the Dmeocrats and the left) are doing is not working, and I'm not sure we even no how to do what will work.
I look forward to hearing anything you have to say about this.
Thank you so much for signing up. I agree with the thrust of both of your comments, and those are exactly the kinds of things I'll be writing about here, extensively. Hope it'll be keep you subscribed!
I could not agree with you more re: strategy, and I am very eager to read more pieces that explore the strangulation of ideas and discourse that leaves individuals feeling unimpeachably noble while the project teeters on the verge of collapse.
This comment thread on my introductory post is great, about as good as I could've asked for, and captures the spirit of the community I hope to build among subscribers. I won't ask everyone to agree, nor to walk on eggshells if they feel compelled to voice objections. Just to be generous and non-accusatory. Imagine we're having a spirited but good-natured argument at a house party, and we'll all find it a worthwhile place to spend our time.
Brian, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I hadn't followed your work nearly as closely as I'd intended after you departed TPM. Your introductory piece has reassured me that Off Message will be an indispensable source of informed opinion and perspective. You won't need luck, though it never hurts: just subscribers. You may count on me to recommend Off Message to every politically-engaged friend. I can't wait for your next commentary (that's a silly thing to say: of course I can and must wait, though not very long!)
Looking forward to following you here, with your unfettered voice. My husband and I frequently disagree on the matter of providing unquestioning support to our current president vs. opening up a competitive primary. Interested to see you take that one on.
Signed up for a monthly! Excited to see your work in this new form.
Even this first piece pulled something from the memory hole - how inevitable the turning of the guard felt in ‘08 and how near sacrilegious it seems now.
Brian, I very much hope you will pay attention to what grassroots groups such as Indivisible, the DailyKos community and others are doing.
We are a very important part of the larger rank and file Democratic Party, both helping define what the Party is and forming the vanguard of activist troops staffing canvassers, phone and text banks, writing letters and postcards, and contacting our MOCs on important issues.
We are extremely important to the success of the Democratic Party, but routinely ignored by the press who is missing this key element of American politics.
One needs Brian to avoid the profound depression that follows from rooting for a political party that has enormous difficulty standing up for itself. I cannot know what the future will entail. But I do know that some worked their butt off to avoid the worst, especially Brian Beutler.
I subscribed because I have really enjoyed following Brian's work at CM, particularly the Positively Dreadful podcast. I'm also an assistant professor that seeks out honest critiques of our parties, policies, and system that go beyond cheerleading or wishcasting. By and large, my students come into college frustrated with the politics that prior generations have created. Across the political spectrum, they are exhausted by a gerontocracy that they say makes them feel that they have no voice in the decisions being made by leaders. I do my best to leave them feeling informed and empowered, while also remaining honest about existing challenges. So that's where I'm coming from. I'm here for them as well as myself, and I believe this will be a good place to work through some of those challenges. Brian doesn't try to hide his partisan and policy preferences, nor should he pretend to. I appreciate his perspective and that he remains open to new information and seeks out interesting guests while aiming to inform the audience and provide analysis. Congratulations on this new venture. I'm excited to be along for the ride.
I’m a former Republican who started reading you at TPM around 2007-08. (The Iraq war was my point of departure, Kerry my first Democratic vote). I’ve been a fan ever since and am excited about the new venture. Regarding media on the broad left, I’ve also found Sam Seder’s Majority Report to be a model of how to criticize the Biden administration--and Democrats generally--in good faith. But I think you’ve identified a critical divide.
I subscribed because I am a reader and supporter of Brian's. But mainly because I learn from him. I think the reason I often learn from him is that he get two big things right. They are not difficult to grasp, but they are difficult to live.
The first is incredibly simple. Doing journalism and doing politics are different things, which is not to say you can "cure" journalism of politics. Just that they have different logics. Brian Beutler finesses this better than just about anyone writing in his space.
The other big thing he gets right I would put this way: what is inevitably political in nature does not have to be politicized. By my reading of him, Brian is one of the most scrupulous observers of this distinction.
I realize these abstractions — doing journalism vs. doing politics, the properly political vs. the excessively politicized — require further explanation and examples to make them clear. But that's what Off Message is for.
This is just an incredibly generous comment Jay. Beyond that I just want to say that (no surprise) you grasp what I want to do with this platform perfectly. "These abstractions — doing journalism vs. doing politics, the properly political vs. the excessively politicized — require further explanation and examples to make them clear. But that's what Off Message is for." Hope I succeed.
You are succeeding and on a daily basis 👏
I had a career from 1965 - 2002 covering government from the state house,to the courthouse in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest and I admire Beutler’s journalism. Rosen is right on in describing Beutler’s journalism.
Wow. This is an awesome recognition from one of the most respected in all of Journalism. Very cool Jay and congrats Brian!
Lovely piece! Positively Dreadful and Big Tent always got my Friday mornings off to a great start, because I do feel somewhat adrift politically. I’m disillusioned with a lot of online leftist commentators who are in a perpetual communist cosplay battle, but I’m also sick of establishment Dems who decry progressives, but also I like Biden, but also I wish he wouldn’t run--and this is the cycle my brain is going through every day. Thanks for your beautiful writing and ability to channel so many of my frustrations into a message that isn’t doomery or delusional
Sounds like I’ve found my target audience distilled into one thoughtful person. Thanks for being here Jacob.
I signed up here because I liked your work on "Positively Dreadful" and, even though I often agree with the people and positions you criticize, I think this is a needed conversation.
A couple of things I hope you can address:
1. I think disagreement between the left and center is often automatically framed as ideological, when it is also about strategy, tactics, risk, and backlash. I think having a Supreme Court supermajority that caters to a tiny fraction of the ideological spectrum is an existential threat to the republic, but I also think that if the Democrats rans on a platform of packing the court, the Republicans would win a trifacta and pack the court themselves. I also think that all of those people across the Democratic ideological spectrum who could not bring themselves to support establishment Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 were also an existential threat to the Republic and to many core progressive issues like abortion rights.
2. Confronting the Republicans is like playing a game of whack-a-mole where it is easy to be distracted. They seem to attack on every front and issue they can (the Supreme Court, their Senate advantage, their assault on voting rights, use of state supermajority governments, etc.) and even when they lose one battle (for example, ISLT) they are on the attack somewhere else, looking to find any weakness they can exploit. I don't think those of us across the left fully appreciate this or understand how to deal with it.
Edit: I think my biggest point of agreement with you would be the what we (speaking broadly about the Dmeocrats and the left) are doing is not working, and I'm not sure we even no how to do what will work.
I look forward to hearing anything you have to say about this.
Thank you so much for signing up. I agree with the thrust of both of your comments, and those are exactly the kinds of things I'll be writing about here, extensively. Hope it'll be keep you subscribed!
I could not agree with you more re: strategy, and I am very eager to read more pieces that explore the strangulation of ideas and discourse that leaves individuals feeling unimpeachably noble while the project teeters on the verge of collapse.
This comment thread on my introductory post is great, about as good as I could've asked for, and captures the spirit of the community I hope to build among subscribers. I won't ask everyone to agree, nor to walk on eggshells if they feel compelled to voice objections. Just to be generous and non-accusatory. Imagine we're having a spirited but good-natured argument at a house party, and we'll all find it a worthwhile place to spend our time.
Reflexive oppositional demagoguery is a phrase you used to describe a key Republican political tactic. It stayed with me. I admire your work.
Thanks Albert! I remember that! I'm glad it resonated with you. Welcome.
Brian, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I hadn't followed your work nearly as closely as I'd intended after you departed TPM. Your introductory piece has reassured me that Off Message will be an indispensable source of informed opinion and perspective. You won't need luck, though it never hurts: just subscribers. You may count on me to recommend Off Message to every politically-engaged friend. I can't wait for your next commentary (that's a silly thing to say: of course I can and must wait, though not very long!)
Marc! My undying gratitude for this. Thank you.
Looking forward to following you here, with your unfettered voice. My husband and I frequently disagree on the matter of providing unquestioning support to our current president vs. opening up a competitive primary. Interested to see you take that one on.
Thank you Geri, and welcome. RE Biden... Stay tuned next week!
Signed up for a monthly! Excited to see your work in this new form.
Even this first piece pulled something from the memory hole - how inevitable the turning of the guard felt in ‘08 and how near sacrilegious it seems now.
Brian, I very much hope you will pay attention to what grassroots groups such as Indivisible, the DailyKos community and others are doing.
We are a very important part of the larger rank and file Democratic Party, both helping define what the Party is and forming the vanguard of activist troops staffing canvassers, phone and text banks, writing letters and postcards, and contacting our MOCs on important issues.
We are extremely important to the success of the Democratic Party, but routinely ignored by the press who is missing this key element of American politics.
Thanks
One needs Brian to avoid the profound depression that follows from rooting for a political party that has enormous difficulty standing up for itself. I cannot know what the future will entail. But I do know that some worked their butt off to avoid the worst, especially Brian Beutler.
Always helps to have a goal to work toward, and a party that learns to stand up for itself seems achievable. So we keep at it. Welcome Alan!
I subscribed because I have really enjoyed following Brian's work at CM, particularly the Positively Dreadful podcast. I'm also an assistant professor that seeks out honest critiques of our parties, policies, and system that go beyond cheerleading or wishcasting. By and large, my students come into college frustrated with the politics that prior generations have created. Across the political spectrum, they are exhausted by a gerontocracy that they say makes them feel that they have no voice in the decisions being made by leaders. I do my best to leave them feeling informed and empowered, while also remaining honest about existing challenges. So that's where I'm coming from. I'm here for them as well as myself, and I believe this will be a good place to work through some of those challenges. Brian doesn't try to hide his partisan and policy preferences, nor should he pretend to. I appreciate his perspective and that he remains open to new information and seeks out interesting guests while aiming to inform the audience and provide analysis. Congratulations on this new venture. I'm excited to be along for the ride.
Thank you for this comment, and the trust you've placed in me. I'll work very hard to maintain it.
Subscribed! Always looking to support fearless voices.
Go get ‘em bud!
I’m sold - wish I could subscribe in the app right now!
I’m a former Republican who started reading you at TPM around 2007-08. (The Iraq war was my point of departure, Kerry my first Democratic vote). I’ve been a fan ever since and am excited about the new venture. Regarding media on the broad left, I’ve also found Sam Seder’s Majority Report to be a model of how to criticize the Biden administration--and Democrats generally--in good faith. But I think you’ve identified a critical divide.
Thank you Ben! Agree about Sam. Welcome to Off Message.
Sam is one of my faves as well
After reading I am quite sure this platform is right place to start VOICING OUT LOUD and spread the pure initial spirit.