TACO is what we need now! Democrats need more of this line of lampoon/attack--and the Republicans are handing us gold to work with every day. Why this weekend weren't pundits and elected Dems out calling the Republicans the "We're all going to die" party?
Stop navel gazing and apologizing and start attacking. To turn Michelle Obama's phrase on its head, when we go high, we lose.
JVL, We need a Triad or a Secret Pod (or both) discussing the "53 Cowards" (I like that as a title) referring of course to the US Senate. They have been MIA for the whole of the Trump take-over. They approved all of Trump's cabinet of misfit toys, and, while making noises about the big beautiful pile of shit, will most likely approve the killing of hundreds if not thousands of Americans most of whom voted for the TACO King. I'll wait with bated breath.:-)
Lets all send postcards to Mar a Lago with the word TACO or a sticker of a taco, whatever…. USPS has to deliver mail. Don’t think it would work at WH. But yes Mar a Lago
This was lovely, thank you so much. I am sorry I missed the face rubbing in Chicago but will remember Community before Strategy. That’s perfect for this time period. We all need more community so thank you for creating it here and through The Bulwark. And I have really enjoyed recent Secret Pods as you and Sarah discuss the nature of humankind. Are we here due to human failings or is it a poisoned, weak society? Your discussions have been so thought provoking.
Humanity is still tribal in nature. The Us/Them dynamic is probably the most powerful social dynamic in human behavior.
If you want to create change or if you want things to stay the same, you need to be part of a tribe. It's sad but true.
You build power and safety by building the tribe.
Regular readers know that I am, if anything, darker and more cynical than JVL--but I continue to think and write and say things and (very modestly) support causes and other writers and thinkers and doers that I am in alignment with.
Not because I think what I am doing will have any substantive effect BY ITSELF. It is part of building a community.
There used to be a tribe called Americans, but that tribe was killed by revolutions in information and media technology. I refer to it as the atomization of society. Everyone pursuing their own little interests in their own little niches. The destruction of shared identity. The proliferation of tribes.
The Democrats thought they were strong because they had a big tent. They are a coalition of tribes that have disparate interests and no real sense of common identity. When push comes to shove each little tribe will break with the coalition or just fail to show up.
The GoP built a tribe. They spent decades doing it. Starting with AM radio back in the day. It was built from the bottom up, based upon shared feelings and ideas and fears and hatreds. A whole lot of fear and hatred. It built until it managed to overthrow what the GoP had been up to that point. It redefined what it meant to be Republican. I got defined right out of the party (actually, I bailed early because I saw what was coming).
I remember sitting in cab several years ago listening to a diatribe from the cabby about RINOs. It was very sincere and very emotional--and that was the thing (spread across many people) that remade the GoP. But little that he was saying was anything remotely about what the GoP was (at that time). These people hated the RINOs (who were the established GoP) far more than they hated (at that time) Democrats or liberals. It was, in some senses, religious in its focus and intensity--and the RINOs were the heretics.
Now that the tribe has been redefined and cleansed, it is time to get all of those Others.
Tribalism begets tribalism in response--because THAT is really the only defense. You must stand together or die separately as someone once said.
If you’ve listened to or read any of Mary Trump’s books you know that mocking Donny is the thing that most infuriates him. TACO is brilliant, and like JVL said, it’s more perfect bc this moniker didn’t come from some “radical lefty,” but rather from the people Donny so desperately wants to be in good graces with. Dems have needed something to counteract MAGA for 10 years, and this is a great start. Keep’em coming.
So who and where is our community and who is developing its strategy? All I see and read about is all the bad stuff being done by the administration. Who should we be following… who is our lead tiger!!!
The TACO tendency might be the Hand of God intervening to mess with Trump's head...or it's just Trump's head messing with it's self. I guess it doesn't matter. If TACO leads to his entrance into the dumpster of history, I'll take mild sauce.
I’m writing this on JVL’s feed although it was Sarah and I think Tim who made merry at the expense of Intersex people.
I just listened to the live in Chicago episode and I your comments about intersex identity were cruel. Intersex is not the same as the discarded term hermaphrodite. Intersex people are born with either amorphous genitals or reproductive organs from both genders. They often require surgery and sometimes an infant is subjected to surgery, which later is not what they would’ve chosen. I hope you will reconsider how you describe this population, especially the individuals who choose to be part of the Gay community.
TACO is what we need now! Democrats need more of this line of lampoon/attack--and the Republicans are handing us gold to work with every day. Why this weekend weren't pundits and elected Dems out calling the Republicans the "We're all going to die" party?
Stop navel gazing and apologizing and start attacking. To turn Michelle Obama's phrase on its head, when we go high, we lose.
JVL, We need a Triad or a Secret Pod (or both) discussing the "53 Cowards" (I like that as a title) referring of course to the US Senate. They have been MIA for the whole of the Trump take-over. They approved all of Trump's cabinet of misfit toys, and, while making noises about the big beautiful pile of shit, will most likely approve the killing of hundreds if not thousands of Americans most of whom voted for the TACO King. I'll wait with bated breath.:-)
Lets all send postcards to Mar a Lago with the word TACO or a sticker of a taco, whatever…. USPS has to deliver mail. Don’t think it would work at WH. But yes Mar a Lago
This (part 1) made me a little misty. ♥️
This was lovely, thank you so much. I am sorry I missed the face rubbing in Chicago but will remember Community before Strategy. That’s perfect for this time period. We all need more community so thank you for creating it here and through The Bulwark. And I have really enjoyed recent Secret Pods as you and Sarah discuss the nature of humankind. Are we here due to human failings or is it a poisoned, weak society? Your discussions have been so thought provoking.
Humanity is still tribal in nature. The Us/Them dynamic is probably the most powerful social dynamic in human behavior.
If you want to create change or if you want things to stay the same, you need to be part of a tribe. It's sad but true.
You build power and safety by building the tribe.
Regular readers know that I am, if anything, darker and more cynical than JVL--but I continue to think and write and say things and (very modestly) support causes and other writers and thinkers and doers that I am in alignment with.
Not because I think what I am doing will have any substantive effect BY ITSELF. It is part of building a community.
There used to be a tribe called Americans, but that tribe was killed by revolutions in information and media technology. I refer to it as the atomization of society. Everyone pursuing their own little interests in their own little niches. The destruction of shared identity. The proliferation of tribes.
The Democrats thought they were strong because they had a big tent. They are a coalition of tribes that have disparate interests and no real sense of common identity. When push comes to shove each little tribe will break with the coalition or just fail to show up.
The GoP built a tribe. They spent decades doing it. Starting with AM radio back in the day. It was built from the bottom up, based upon shared feelings and ideas and fears and hatreds. A whole lot of fear and hatred. It built until it managed to overthrow what the GoP had been up to that point. It redefined what it meant to be Republican. I got defined right out of the party (actually, I bailed early because I saw what was coming).
I remember sitting in cab several years ago listening to a diatribe from the cabby about RINOs. It was very sincere and very emotional--and that was the thing (spread across many people) that remade the GoP. But little that he was saying was anything remotely about what the GoP was (at that time). These people hated the RINOs (who were the established GoP) far more than they hated (at that time) Democrats or liberals. It was, in some senses, religious in its focus and intensity--and the RINOs were the heretics.
Now that the tribe has been redefined and cleansed, it is time to get all of those Others.
Tribalism begets tribalism in response--because THAT is really the only defense. You must stand together or die separately as someone once said.
Just a sad fact of human existence.
If you’ve listened to or read any of Mary Trump’s books you know that mocking Donny is the thing that most infuriates him. TACO is brilliant, and like JVL said, it’s more perfect bc this moniker didn’t come from some “radical lefty,” but rather from the people Donny so desperately wants to be in good graces with. Dems have needed something to counteract MAGA for 10 years, and this is a great start. Keep’em coming.
This is a great idea. It's simple and easy to promote--everywhere. Brand enhancement for the movement which jabs right at the lizard's soft center.
So who and where is our community and who is developing its strategy? All I see and read about is all the bad stuff being done by the administration. Who should we be following… who is our lead tiger!!!
How about MASA for the democrats catch phrase? Make Americans Smart Again.
The TACO tendency might be the Hand of God intervening to mess with Trump's head...or it's just Trump's head messing with it's self. I guess it doesn't matter. If TACO leads to his entrance into the dumpster of history, I'll take mild sauce.
Why can't I buy this hat yet... :)
My family only has taco Tuesdays, but Trump has them almost every day
Guys,
I’m writing this on JVL’s feed although it was Sarah and I think Tim who made merry at the expense of Intersex people.
I just listened to the live in Chicago episode and I your comments about intersex identity were cruel. Intersex is not the same as the discarded term hermaphrodite. Intersex people are born with either amorphous genitals or reproductive organs from both genders. They often require surgery and sometimes an infant is subjected to surgery, which later is not what they would’ve chosen. I hope you will reconsider how you describe this population, especially the individuals who choose to be part of the Gay community.
Word on the Austin Street: @realDonaldTrump is a #SoftTaco, Surrendering Often, Fearing Trouble,Trump Always Chickens Out!
Here's another vendor of TACO merch: https://cloudytees.com/product/taco-trump-always-chickens-out-hat-2025/