I can agree that we need to find ways of bringing more manufacturing to the US (like the Green New Deal) paired with better pay and protections for workers. Tariffs might even be a part of the equation to not give an advantage to countries with terrible labor laws or slave labor.
However, if I need my appendix taken out, and the surgeon shows up with a chain saw and an axe, I would not be praising their good intentions. I would be running from the operating room as quickly as possible.
I can't imagine Gov. Tim Walz would have stood there and taken it up the tailpipe like Not-So-Big-Anymore Gretch did. Of course, I can't imagine Walz would have even accepted an invitation to the White House. How disappointing, we all thought she was one of the good, tough ones.
Whitmer should have known better but it seems Dem pols still just don’t get that cozying up to Trump always backfires. That she could still be ambushed like this in 2025 tells us she is just not ready for prime time. This is Schumer-level amateur stuff.
At this point I don’t care about policy positions or governing experience—we need a candidate who knows how to fight fascists. Without that, Dems can’t win and nothing else matters.
We need a stinking LBJ at this point. Someone who gets up in a motherfucker's face when it's called war. And even sometime when it's not. That guy kept everyone terrified. A dick? Sure enough. But we need someone who will put the fear of God into everyone. Someone that you simply do not ever fucking cross.
DeSantis snubbed Harris after Helene because he believed appearing with her after a hurricane would help her campaign. He was probably right! He also flipped it on her and Biden, saying they were playing politics.
I would argue that their understanding is instinctual. The understanding of a feral animal. They are so good at it because they don't have to fucking think about it. They don't plan or ruminate. They simply act. And it's the action itself no matter what that action is that gets people's attention and ultimate loyalty. We need more people who simply speak their mind at the moment and let the cards fall where they may. Jasmine Crockett does that. And despite what we may think about her hot wheels statement it's the fact that she's not overthinking shit that's part of her charm. You know that you're getting What is truly on her mind. I would rather have to deal with the occasional fuck ups like that then have some motherfucker like Chuck Schumer and his overly rehearsed guarded double speak delivered over those goddamn glasses that are always on the tip of his nose. If you love someone for being outspoken, then you ultimately have to be cool with the occasional mist step.
May I please add that labor and labor unions need to be deeply cared about again. Democrats must stand up for the worker and stop fucking around with what the donors want, which is to suppress wages and suppress full time hours. Rule of law absolutely, but labor is who we need to be with and be for. Bernie says it all the time. p.s. And an example to me of the vibe shift if you watch Devil in a Blue Dress with Denzel Washington you see labor out happily mowing their lawns at their wonderful little houses being human and then everything went south after Reagan and the Republicans started buying china for the White House and saying fuck you to the rest of us…I know, I was there and it has been bad…I don’t know exactly what right to work signifies, but I do know that I have had two jobs continuously for the last 35 years just to meet my basic needs all because I did not choose to pay for college or pursue a career…I only wanted a decent job and to be a regular person…thanks for letting me in to the conversation…Happy Pink Full Moon with meteor showers, Everybody…
If Democrats would simply do what Republicans do and treat their voter base like customers a lot of these problems would go away. What do my customers want? That should be the question that every Democratic leader asks themselves. On the Republican side, the customers want to eat shit,so Republican Party leaders feed them shit. They never ask why anyone would actually want to eat shit, but they accept that fact at face value. They just want to get elected, so if their base wants to eat feces, then so be it. The Democratic voter base wants justice and a spine. So give us justice and a spine. It's not fucking rocket science. Rule number one when trying to get new customers. Don't lose your old customers. They are your bread and butter. I know that it's cynical to view politics as a product placement problem, but it's more cynical not to
I have to wait a bit to totally turn on Whitmer, because everything else about her entire career seems good and genuine. Newsome always seemed like a slimy salesman in a human skin suit, so I was ready to be done with him even before his podcast.
Put a fork in Newsom. Whitmer disappointed with this, but maybe it simplifies things as it’s better to know now that she doesn’t know how to handle a fascist.
Exactly. This was a test. Better to know now than to get Sinema-ed later. My concern is what that will do for her gator seat when she's either up for reelection or there is another election with a new Democrat. That was a hard won seat.
Ha! I’d actually forgotten that one. Mainly because I don’t live on the West Coast, and so had no idea why people were upset with how he washed his clothes…
While Whitmer - too bad, I thought she did some good things and showed courage when MAGA tried to kidnap her - and Newsom destroyed what WE think is their future presidential aspirations- assuming we have fair elections - so many of the voters won't notice. These capitulations may help them brand as moderate alternatives.
Moderate dems are a losing bet. We've been told for so long that fire breathing progressives can never win that we actually believe it ourselves. The first thing that the democratic power brokers need to do is simply get out of our fucking way. Like the way that Nancy Pelosi cock blocked AOC for the house oversight Position. It's not Republicans that are undermining a progressive progressive candidates. The call is coming from inside the house
I'm in full agreement. Somebody sold us a bill of goods. And "moderate" Democrats are to the right of older moderate Democrats, as the RW moves the center rightward.
If a fascist’s minions tried to kidnap me and I had a chance to meet with that fascist, the only thing I’d do with him is shake his hand with a razor blade to slice open his palm and as he recoils in horror say “next time you dint mess with the Gretch.”
Another what I thought was a solid Dem turned wishy-washy. Can’t ever take her or Newsom seriously ever again. Both added to the list of “don’t ever ask me for donations again”
Why do these politically savvy people throw everything away and trash their careers and legacies in one fell swoop? As I mentioned when my California governor took a hard right turn platforming the worst extremists: ‘Gavin Newsom is the first person to simultaneously resign from the position he’s applying for.’
I don't understand the Dem mindset of groveling to trump in the hopes that he will do or give them what they want. If they are lucky, he will give them crumbs, but more likely, they get nothing. OTOH, he backs down when people stand up to him. Both of these have been demonstrated over and over, but too many Dems haven't learned. Sigh.
Welp there's another fave on the pyre. Thankfully for her as she is a lady she is not going to be in any Presidential Democratic contest.
Also not surprised there wasn't a defense of Obama or Biden. That's the big time ticket to clout, leaving other Dems twisting in the wind. Whole lot of perverse incentives here.
We're not going to get the kick-ass warrior presidential candidate we need.
We're going to get someone who promises a return to "normal". Someone who refuses to recognize that returning to "normal" is impossible now. Someone who respects norms that have long been beaten to death by the Republican party.
And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they lose.
Right? The one "good "thing about this mess is that our institutions are so broken and corrupted they need to be built back from scratch. We aren't going to rewind the clock 10 or 20 years and start again. Everything has to be rebuilt and I mean everything
The voters yes! Democratic leadership and power brokers, no. Unfortunately it is necessary to make a clear distinction between Democratic leadership and the Democratic voter base. Except for a tiny handful of names I need not mention, we still don't have representation through our party leadership
Yeah, but so far... sheesh... there aren't many Democrats in leadership who really understand that the old ways are dead and we're in a cold civil war.
Oh great, another leading Democratic Governor messing it up. Easy enough to say -- these tariffs hurt American industry and are arbitrarily set, imposed, and then "paused," to probably be reset later. Small businesses, large businesses, and industries cannot plan for the future.
You nailed it. It's the inability to plan for a future that is so stultifying. What business can afford to take out loans in this environment? What kind of promises can they expect to be kept and not broken?
All she had to do was consult with any economist who could've set her straight. Even the fucking conservative ones. No one who knows anything about tariffs thinks that this was a good move.
I started reading this post, then took a break because I wanted to yell at the governor. Instead I cleaned the bathrooms (amazing how physical activity and being productive calms me down). While doing so, I thought of "Mr. Roberts," the film where Henry Fonda plays the title character. Mr. Roberts is serving in the US Navy in the Pacific during WWII, but has seen no combat action, as he is serving on a supply ship. He's a good guy, and is friendly with everyone, except the captain, played by James Cagney, who is a jerk to everyone on the ship. He's such a jerk that he is going to deny the crew liberty while in a liberty port. Mr. Roberts makes a deal with the captain to get the crew liberty - instead of trying to get on a war ship, which the captain thinks makes him look bad, Mr. Roberts will stop trying to get on a war ship. Unlike trump, the captain kept his word, so why did I think of that? Bad as James Cagney's character was, he did keep his word. Maybe the point is - don't trust trump, but you can trust a fictional ship's captain.
I recently found out Whitmer is my third cousin. I don’t know her, but I’m still disappointed. How do I survive this family humiliation?! 😉
I can agree that we need to find ways of bringing more manufacturing to the US (like the Green New Deal) paired with better pay and protections for workers. Tariffs might even be a part of the equation to not give an advantage to countries with terrible labor laws or slave labor.
However, if I need my appendix taken out, and the surgeon shows up with a chain saw and an axe, I would not be praising their good intentions. I would be running from the operating room as quickly as possible.
I can't imagine Gov. Tim Walz would have stood there and taken it up the tailpipe like Not-So-Big-Anymore Gretch did. Of course, I can't imagine Walz would have even accepted an invitation to the White House. How disappointing, we all thought she was one of the good, tough ones.
Whitmer should have known better but it seems Dem pols still just don’t get that cozying up to Trump always backfires. That she could still be ambushed like this in 2025 tells us she is just not ready for prime time. This is Schumer-level amateur stuff.
At this point I don’t care about policy positions or governing experience—we need a candidate who knows how to fight fascists. Without that, Dems can’t win and nothing else matters.
We need a stinking LBJ at this point. Someone who gets up in a motherfucker's face when it's called war. And even sometime when it's not. That guy kept everyone terrified. A dick? Sure enough. But we need someone who will put the fear of God into everyone. Someone that you simply do not ever fucking cross.
DeSantis snubbed Harris after Helene because he believed appearing with her after a hurricane would help her campaign. He was probably right! He also flipped it on her and Biden, saying they were playing politics.
Yep—Republicans seem to understand how image and public relations work, and they understand their audience. Democrats clearly do not.
I would argue that their understanding is instinctual. The understanding of a feral animal. They are so good at it because they don't have to fucking think about it. They don't plan or ruminate. They simply act. And it's the action itself no matter what that action is that gets people's attention and ultimate loyalty. We need more people who simply speak their mind at the moment and let the cards fall where they may. Jasmine Crockett does that. And despite what we may think about her hot wheels statement it's the fact that she's not overthinking shit that's part of her charm. You know that you're getting What is truly on her mind. I would rather have to deal with the occasional fuck ups like that then have some motherfucker like Chuck Schumer and his overly rehearsed guarded double speak delivered over those goddamn glasses that are always on the tip of his nose. If you love someone for being outspoken, then you ultimately have to be cool with the occasional mist step.
May I please add that labor and labor unions need to be deeply cared about again. Democrats must stand up for the worker and stop fucking around with what the donors want, which is to suppress wages and suppress full time hours. Rule of law absolutely, but labor is who we need to be with and be for. Bernie says it all the time. p.s. And an example to me of the vibe shift if you watch Devil in a Blue Dress with Denzel Washington you see labor out happily mowing their lawns at their wonderful little houses being human and then everything went south after Reagan and the Republicans started buying china for the White House and saying fuck you to the rest of us…I know, I was there and it has been bad…I don’t know exactly what right to work signifies, but I do know that I have had two jobs continuously for the last 35 years just to meet my basic needs all because I did not choose to pay for college or pursue a career…I only wanted a decent job and to be a regular person…thanks for letting me in to the conversation…Happy Pink Full Moon with meteor showers, Everybody…
"Let's [do] as President Trump says..." is not a resistance message, not a strong message, not a winning message.
But it is a sign of a party that is just broken.
If Democrats would simply do what Republicans do and treat their voter base like customers a lot of these problems would go away. What do my customers want? That should be the question that every Democratic leader asks themselves. On the Republican side, the customers want to eat shit,so Republican Party leaders feed them shit. They never ask why anyone would actually want to eat shit, but they accept that fact at face value. They just want to get elected, so if their base wants to eat feces, then so be it. The Democratic voter base wants justice and a spine. So give us justice and a spine. It's not fucking rocket science. Rule number one when trying to get new customers. Don't lose your old customers. They are your bread and butter. I know that it's cynical to view politics as a product placement problem, but it's more cynical not to
I have to wait a bit to totally turn on Whitmer, because everything else about her entire career seems good and genuine. Newsome always seemed like a slimy salesman in a human skin suit, so I was ready to be done with him even before his podcast.
Put a fork in Newsom. Whitmer disappointed with this, but maybe it simplifies things as it’s better to know now that she doesn’t know how to handle a fascist.
Exactly. This was a test. Better to know now than to get Sinema-ed later. My concern is what that will do for her gator seat when she's either up for reelection or there is another election with a new Democrat. That was a hard won seat.
His French Laundry debacle was what did it for me.
Ha! I’d actually forgotten that one. Mainly because I don’t live on the West Coast, and so had no idea why people were upset with how he washed his clothes…
While Whitmer - too bad, I thought she did some good things and showed courage when MAGA tried to kidnap her - and Newsom destroyed what WE think is their future presidential aspirations- assuming we have fair elections - so many of the voters won't notice. These capitulations may help them brand as moderate alternatives.
Moderate dems are a losing bet. We've been told for so long that fire breathing progressives can never win that we actually believe it ourselves. The first thing that the democratic power brokers need to do is simply get out of our fucking way. Like the way that Nancy Pelosi cock blocked AOC for the house oversight Position. It's not Republicans that are undermining a progressive progressive candidates. The call is coming from inside the house
I'm in full agreement. Somebody sold us a bill of goods. And "moderate" Democrats are to the right of older moderate Democrats, as the RW moves the center rightward.
If a fascist’s minions tried to kidnap me and I had a chance to meet with that fascist, the only thing I’d do with him is shake his hand with a razor blade to slice open his palm and as he recoils in horror say “next time you dint mess with the Gretch.”
THIS!
Another what I thought was a solid Dem turned wishy-washy. Can’t ever take her or Newsom seriously ever again. Both added to the list of “don’t ever ask me for donations again”
Why do these politically savvy people throw everything away and trash their careers and legacies in one fell swoop? As I mentioned when my California governor took a hard right turn platforming the worst extremists: ‘Gavin Newsom is the first person to simultaneously resign from the position he’s applying for.’
It's like, where are they getting their information? Are they really paying that little attention to the Democratic Party base?
I don't understand the Dem mindset of groveling to trump in the hopes that he will do or give them what they want. If they are lucky, he will give them crumbs, but more likely, they get nothing. OTOH, he backs down when people stand up to him. Both of these have been demonstrated over and over, but too many Dems haven't learned. Sigh.
Welp there's another fave on the pyre. Thankfully for her as she is a lady she is not going to be in any Presidential Democratic contest.
Also not surprised there wasn't a defense of Obama or Biden. That's the big time ticket to clout, leaving other Dems twisting in the wind. Whole lot of perverse incentives here.
We're not going to get the kick-ass warrior presidential candidate we need.
We're going to get someone who promises a return to "normal". Someone who refuses to recognize that returning to "normal" is impossible now. Someone who respects norms that have long been beaten to death by the Republican party.
And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they lose.
Right? The one "good "thing about this mess is that our institutions are so broken and corrupted they need to be built back from scratch. We aren't going to rewind the clock 10 or 20 years and start again. Everything has to be rebuilt and I mean everything
Didn’t Biden already run on that in 2020? I think Dem voters might have learned their lesson.
The voters yes! Democratic leadership and power brokers, no. Unfortunately it is necessary to make a clear distinction between Democratic leadership and the Democratic voter base. Except for a tiny handful of names I need not mention, we still don't have representation through our party leadership
Yeah, but so far... sheesh... there aren't many Democrats in leadership who really understand that the old ways are dead and we're in a cold civil war.
Oh great, another leading Democratic Governor messing it up. Easy enough to say -- these tariffs hurt American industry and are arbitrarily set, imposed, and then "paused," to probably be reset later. Small businesses, large businesses, and industries cannot plan for the future.
You nailed it. It's the inability to plan for a future that is so stultifying. What business can afford to take out loans in this environment? What kind of promises can they expect to be kept and not broken?
Another capitulating Democrat. Gretchen Whitmer, it was almost nice to know ya.
All she had to do was consult with any economist who could've set her straight. Even the fucking conservative ones. No one who knows anything about tariffs thinks that this was a good move.
I started reading this post, then took a break because I wanted to yell at the governor. Instead I cleaned the bathrooms (amazing how physical activity and being productive calms me down). While doing so, I thought of "Mr. Roberts," the film where Henry Fonda plays the title character. Mr. Roberts is serving in the US Navy in the Pacific during WWII, but has seen no combat action, as he is serving on a supply ship. He's a good guy, and is friendly with everyone, except the captain, played by James Cagney, who is a jerk to everyone on the ship. He's such a jerk that he is going to deny the crew liberty while in a liberty port. Mr. Roberts makes a deal with the captain to get the crew liberty - instead of trying to get on a war ship, which the captain thinks makes him look bad, Mr. Roberts will stop trying to get on a war ship. Unlike trump, the captain kept his word, so why did I think of that? Bad as James Cagney's character was, he did keep his word. Maybe the point is - don't trust trump, but you can trust a fictional ship's captain.
Enjoy life on the scrap heap, Madame Governor. Maybe you can get together for drinks with Mike Pence and talk about what might have been.