I gather than Lauren is hard-wired to spit out variations on "Dems in disarray," but is the headline really fair: "Dems Huffing the Hopium"? That has a certain giddiness that doesn't strike me as being backed up by this story or others I have read that quoted Democratic leaders about their chances of retaking both houses of Congress.
The Dems must take back both Senate and House. The country will not survive as a democracy with any kind of place in the world otherwise.
But I have yet to see even the beginning of the Democratic Party rallying around even a smidgen of a platform. Where is it? Where are the leaders? Who will even be the leaders who have a chance at being recognized as possible presidential material that the majority of the country would get behind? The party continues to be lazy and undirected. Scary.
I have an important message: Democrat messaging that works is not going to be from the top. It's going to be from the bottom, up.
Find a Democrat campaign and work with it. I don't care if it's school board or county commissioner or Senate race, find a candidate you like and get involved, learn as you go, and spark ideas. Can you only post flyers once a month? Worth showing up for that. Help with researching platform points one evening a week, campaigns are so many layers and levels, it's not just door knocking - although canvassing is where the ultimate idea gestation happens.
This is what I did and I'm so enjoying myself! Our ideas are floating upwards, I see change rippling through the precinct and district - working on a campaign is like putting a canoe out to sea, all kinds of connections are happening, candidates are on the road and meeting them in person is easy if you are on a campaign - people are rising! Idea parties are happening! Don't miss out!
I'm on 2 campaigns, never did anything like this before, and I can't believe I waited this long. It's like a trampoline, I can't recommend it enough. Shop around, find a campaign you resonate with - don't force a fit if it's not there. My 2 candidates are Indivisible Democrats, leading our No Kings and are fierce, and relentless. This is the kind of Democrat we need to send in.
Don't wait, read this and go find who is running. Bring a friend. We are the revolution we've been waiting for! The only way out is in!
The Democrats will win if they avoid the spotlight and let the Republicans cannibalize each other. The Iran war is going to fracture a lot of the worst MAGA influential voices. While the average presidential election voter has no idea who Megyn Kelly or Candace Owens are, midterm election voters are different.
MAGA voters will turn on traditional Republican candidates and the hawkish types in the party will push back. The chance that Dems win in massively difficult states like Texas is if Cornyn and Paxton have a bloody nasty primary runoff where some of the loser’s supporters stay home.
Democrats also need to be cautious not overconfident. Trump actually carried Republicans in 2018 saving them the senate and winning key governorships like Florida. Democrats retook the House but it was far less impressive than people talk about it in retrospect. Many of those seats were California guaranteed flip backs.
Winning 2+ senate seats between North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Alaska, Florida, Montana, Iowa, Nebraska would be huge for Dems because they will keep all those seats (except Florida I think) for 6 years. As opposed to winning house seats in redder districts that will flip back in a couple of years.
It's not bonkers. MT and IA should be easier pickups than TX (assuming Cornyn is the candidate). Dan Osborne came within 6 points of Deb Fischer last cycle in NE & is running against a weaker candidate in Ricketts in a better environment.
Thats 2 GOP seats where the Dem should be slightly favored and 5 seats that are clearly winnable in a normal year.
Kalshi has the Dems at a 50% chance to win the Senate...1 in 5 chance of 51 and 1 in 4 chance of 52+
Important and serious comment that Elon will have bags of money but if the money is spent on messages that matter only to Elon and his very online friends it may be a wash.
Citizens are outraged about the gutting of FEMA, the destruction of the forest service, The abandonment of endangered species act, the torture of children in detention camps and the murdererous attacks in the Caribbean. I didn’t see any mention of any of these as to why to vote out Republicans.
The abandonment of the violence against women act, the promotion of unchecked guns, the gutting of scientists in the CDC, the destruction of the justice department – the Dems— and you —should be talking about these things.
Emotional comment re the link which I did not read that when Almanzo asks Laura, "Are you for women's rights, like Eliza?" and Laura says, "No. I do not want to vote." probably 8-year-old me thought that was crazy, that someone would simply not want to vote. (Jimmy Carter was president, I am 95% sure) Also these people cannot imagine the peace and tranquility inherent in our household having 2 votes and my being able to spend the one that is mine on any lost-cause Democrats that I want.
To make it simpler for family and friends, if the candidate has an R next to their name, vote against them. Where ever they are, whoever they are, no matter the position, vote D.
Dems need to think and act boldly. The oligarch-driven Repubs are gifting Dems so many talking points that would resonate with the average voter. We are at the point now that so much damage is being done to destroy the social safety net to further enrich the already rich, that the differences are more about class than party. Dems need to be clear about what they are FOR, not just against the actions of this regime. I’m very afraid the current Dem Party leadership will not be up to the task. If Dems had better messaging and went on the offense they would raise more money.
I don’t know who writes your headlines, but Huffing the Hopium implies that the Dems are dreaming and not based in reality. I know it pains you, Lauren, to write that Dems have a strong chance at winning both Houses (which is what you did write) but this headline did you no favors with The Bulwark audience.
Lauren, like many of us, have been burned before. Voters can be pissed and still think the Dem brand is absolute poison. I don't care what Rogan says, all he needs is for some high profile Dem to do something politically-correctly icky and he could change right back. Events could also change things; a riot, a terrorist attack, a scandal (since scandals stick to Ds but not Rs).
God willing the Dems retake the Senate. The one mistake they cannot and must not make is electing Chuck Schumer the majority leader again. No one has missed the moment more than that clown. This man cannot be allowed to even sniff any sort of leadership position. If for some god forsaken reason he becomes the Senate leader again it would kill any victory in its infancy.
This is a good discussion of Dems prospects and certainly valid. However it’s not the whole story.
Timothy Snyder recently predicted Trump will use the ongoing war to stage a coup, possibly using a fake terrorist attack.
Here’s hoping Dems will be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. We will have to address Trump’s efforts to prevent the election and push for a huge turnout that cannot be sabotaged.
Apparently the RepublIcans are prepared to do anything to protect a President from what Russia has on him in addition to Epstein. So, we know what we are against. The bigger question is what the Dems are for. They need to get behind someone they will ultimately run for President. And, that person needs to be out there in all the swing states giving voters someone to think about, to wish for. We need a Jed Bartlet. For my money, that candidate is Gavin Newsom.
The problem with Newsom is he's a hothouse baby. He grew up in the extremely fertile soil of Royal Blue California. He's had two recalls against him (from memory) and one that caused his people to become genuinely concerned.
Newsom is not popular in the red areas of the state, thus the recalls. They think he spends too much money, and his social progressivism has alienated many right-of-center voters. The Oppo will be able to pull lots of tape of him spouting off on the culture war issues, such as sanctuary cities and limitations on parental rights.
He needs to keep a disciplined message on the economic issues and how well the state takes care of its residents.
I am aware that the donor class is all about culture war issues (they don't want him to talk about raising their taxes), but they can't have their way if he is going to be a serious candidate. I'm not saying he should back off on any of his viewpoints, but he can't make them central to his campaign. I don't know that that will be enough, but it is his best way forward.
Also, the slick and super-expensive haircut, the noticeably supercilious smile, and the oil-smooth politician's way of speaking will have to be jettisoned... like now.
Newsom endorsed the cruel and vicious blackouts on the people of Cuba from the Trump administration. Yes, it’s true. He endorsed this atrocity a couple days ago.
I gather than Lauren is hard-wired to spit out variations on "Dems in disarray," but is the headline really fair: "Dems Huffing the Hopium"? That has a certain giddiness that doesn't strike me as being backed up by this story or others I have read that quoted Democratic leaders about their chances of retaking both houses of Congress.
The story on Act Blue is extremely alarming.
The Dems must take back both Senate and House. The country will not survive as a democracy with any kind of place in the world otherwise.
But I have yet to see even the beginning of the Democratic Party rallying around even a smidgen of a platform. Where is it? Where are the leaders? Who will even be the leaders who have a chance at being recognized as possible presidential material that the majority of the country would get behind? The party continues to be lazy and undirected. Scary.
I have an important message: Democrat messaging that works is not going to be from the top. It's going to be from the bottom, up.
Find a Democrat campaign and work with it. I don't care if it's school board or county commissioner or Senate race, find a candidate you like and get involved, learn as you go, and spark ideas. Can you only post flyers once a month? Worth showing up for that. Help with researching platform points one evening a week, campaigns are so many layers and levels, it's not just door knocking - although canvassing is where the ultimate idea gestation happens.
This is what I did and I'm so enjoying myself! Our ideas are floating upwards, I see change rippling through the precinct and district - working on a campaign is like putting a canoe out to sea, all kinds of connections are happening, candidates are on the road and meeting them in person is easy if you are on a campaign - people are rising! Idea parties are happening! Don't miss out!
I'm on 2 campaigns, never did anything like this before, and I can't believe I waited this long. It's like a trampoline, I can't recommend it enough. Shop around, find a campaign you resonate with - don't force a fit if it's not there. My 2 candidates are Indivisible Democrats, leading our No Kings and are fierce, and relentless. This is the kind of Democrat we need to send in.
Don't wait, read this and go find who is running. Bring a friend. We are the revolution we've been waiting for! The only way out is in!
The Democrats will win if they avoid the spotlight and let the Republicans cannibalize each other. The Iran war is going to fracture a lot of the worst MAGA influential voices. While the average presidential election voter has no idea who Megyn Kelly or Candace Owens are, midterm election voters are different.
MAGA voters will turn on traditional Republican candidates and the hawkish types in the party will push back. The chance that Dems win in massively difficult states like Texas is if Cornyn and Paxton have a bloody nasty primary runoff where some of the loser’s supporters stay home.
Democrats also need to be cautious not overconfident. Trump actually carried Republicans in 2018 saving them the senate and winning key governorships like Florida. Democrats retook the House but it was far less impressive than people talk about it in retrospect. Many of those seats were California guaranteed flip backs.
Winning 2+ senate seats between North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Alaska, Florida, Montana, Iowa, Nebraska would be huge for Dems because they will keep all those seats (except Florida I think) for 6 years. As opposed to winning house seats in redder districts that will flip back in a couple of years.
I expect Dems to take the house. And possibly narrow the R majority in the Senate (Collins is likely to lose her seat IMO). All else is wait-and-see.
The Dems will have to get to 52 seats in the Senate, bkz Fetterman.
Good point.
It's not bonkers. MT and IA should be easier pickups than TX (assuming Cornyn is the candidate). Dan Osborne came within 6 points of Deb Fischer last cycle in NE & is running against a weaker candidate in Ricketts in a better environment.
Thats 2 GOP seats where the Dem should be slightly favored and 5 seats that are clearly winnable in a normal year.
Kalshi has the Dems at a 50% chance to win the Senate...1 in 5 chance of 51 and 1 in 4 chance of 52+
Important and serious comment that Elon will have bags of money but if the money is spent on messages that matter only to Elon and his very online friends it may be a wash.
Or "Elon is trying to buy the election with racist-on-their-face ads" could even explode in Elon's face.
Not if there's money handouts involved.
Citizens are outraged about the gutting of FEMA, the destruction of the forest service, The abandonment of endangered species act, the torture of children in detention camps and the murdererous attacks in the Caribbean. I didn’t see any mention of any of these as to why to vote out Republicans.
The abandonment of the violence against women act, the promotion of unchecked guns, the gutting of scientists in the CDC, the destruction of the justice department – the Dems— and you —should be talking about these things.
Emotional comment re the link which I did not read that when Almanzo asks Laura, "Are you for women's rights, like Eliza?" and Laura says, "No. I do not want to vote." probably 8-year-old me thought that was crazy, that someone would simply not want to vote. (Jimmy Carter was president, I am 95% sure) Also these people cannot imagine the peace and tranquility inherent in our household having 2 votes and my being able to spend the one that is mine on any lost-cause Democrats that I want.
We must make sure all our family and friends come out and vote on Nov. 3, 2026!!!
Vote these Republicans out of office:
CA: Ken Calvert-41, Mike Garcia-27, Young Kim-40, John Duarte-13, OPEN-48,
FL: Maria Elvira Salazar-27, Anna Paula Luna-13, Cory Mills-07, Laurel Lee-15, Vern Buchanan-16,
OPEN-21, OPEN-02, OPEN-06,
VA: Jen Kiggans-02, Rob Whittman-01, KY: OPEN-06. NB: OPEN-02, OR:OPEN-05,
CO Gabe Edwards-08, ME:OPEN-02, ID:Mike Simpson-02, NJ:Tom Kean Jr.-07,
AK: Nick Begich.
To make it simpler for family and friends, if the candidate has an R next to their name, vote against them. Where ever they are, whoever they are, no matter the position, vote D.
Dems need to think and act boldly. The oligarch-driven Repubs are gifting Dems so many talking points that would resonate with the average voter. We are at the point now that so much damage is being done to destroy the social safety net to further enrich the already rich, that the differences are more about class than party. Dems need to be clear about what they are FOR, not just against the actions of this regime. I’m very afraid the current Dem Party leadership will not be up to the task. If Dems had better messaging and went on the offense they would raise more money.
I don’t know who writes your headlines, but Huffing the Hopium implies that the Dems are dreaming and not based in reality. I know it pains you, Lauren, to write that Dems have a strong chance at winning both Houses (which is what you did write) but this headline did you no favors with The Bulwark audience.
Lauren, like many of us, have been burned before. Voters can be pissed and still think the Dem brand is absolute poison. I don't care what Rogan says, all he needs is for some high profile Dem to do something politically-correctly icky and he could change right back. Events could also change things; a riot, a terrorist attack, a scandal (since scandals stick to Ds but not Rs).
I duuno, nice alliteration... And hopium is about all we have at the moment.
God willing the Dems retake the Senate. The one mistake they cannot and must not make is electing Chuck Schumer the majority leader again. No one has missed the moment more than that clown. This man cannot be allowed to even sniff any sort of leadership position. If for some god forsaken reason he becomes the Senate leader again it would kill any victory in its infancy.
This is a good discussion of Dems prospects and certainly valid. However it’s not the whole story.
Timothy Snyder recently predicted Trump will use the ongoing war to stage a coup, possibly using a fake terrorist attack.
Here’s hoping Dems will be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. We will have to address Trump’s efforts to prevent the election and push for a huge turnout that cannot be sabotaged.
Schumer and Jeffries will snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.
Apparently the RepublIcans are prepared to do anything to protect a President from what Russia has on him in addition to Epstein. So, we know what we are against. The bigger question is what the Dems are for. They need to get behind someone they will ultimately run for President. And, that person needs to be out there in all the swing states giving voters someone to think about, to wish for. We need a Jed Bartlet. For my money, that candidate is Gavin Newsom.
Mark Kelly.
The problem with Newsom is he's a hothouse baby. He grew up in the extremely fertile soil of Royal Blue California. He's had two recalls against him (from memory) and one that caused his people to become genuinely concerned.
Newsom is not popular in the red areas of the state, thus the recalls. They think he spends too much money, and his social progressivism has alienated many right-of-center voters. The Oppo will be able to pull lots of tape of him spouting off on the culture war issues, such as sanctuary cities and limitations on parental rights.
He needs to keep a disciplined message on the economic issues and how well the state takes care of its residents.
I am aware that the donor class is all about culture war issues (they don't want him to talk about raising their taxes), but they can't have their way if he is going to be a serious candidate. I'm not saying he should back off on any of his viewpoints, but he can't make them central to his campaign. I don't know that that will be enough, but it is his best way forward.
Also, the slick and super-expensive haircut, the noticeably supercilious smile, and the oil-smooth politician's way of speaking will have to be jettisoned... like now.
Newsom endorsed the cruel and vicious blackouts on the people of Cuba from the Trump administration. Yes, it’s true. He endorsed this atrocity a couple days ago.
https://x.com/repjayapal/status/2040938957257449842?s=46&t=3bH8D8i-ig_gphDWbc5ibA