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In Defense of Unwritten Rules.
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The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture—supported by a community built on good-faith.
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In Defense of Unwritten Rules.

Plus, why Swing Voters Say: ‘Abortion vs. Inflation’ Is a False Choice.

Jim Swift's avatar
Jim Swift
May 20, 2022
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In Defense of Unwritten Rules.
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Recently at The Bulwark:

  • CHARLIE SYKES: The Revenge of Dark MAGA?🔐

  • JVL: In Praise of Republicans Making Good Choices🔐

  • SONNY BUNCH: ‘Men’ Review

  • SCREEN TIME: How Many Subs Do You Pay For?

  • SECRET POD: Larry Hogan Fight Club🔐

You can support The Bulwark by subscribing to Bulwark+ or just by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would value it.


CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER: In Defense of Unwritten Rules.

Under normal circumstances, nobody would think twice about San Francisco Giants shortstop Mauricio Dubón trying to bunt his way to first base against the San Diego Padres. Baseball fans would similarly laud his teammate, Steven Duggar, for stealing second base during the game.

But both the bunt and the stolen base triggered a controversy during and after the game. Both actions took place when the Giants had a virtually insurmountable nine-run lead, and thus violated baseball’s “unwritten rule” against teams running up the score in an attempt to embarrass the other team.

“I’m fully aware of what the sort of unwritten rules are,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler after the April 12 game. “We just don’t think they apply here,” he said, indicating his team would never let its foot off the gas during a game.

READ THE REST.


When 200+ Republicans nix a domestic terror bill, maybe it’s time to point out they aren’t the party of law & order. Plus, CPAC in Hungary, Dems have golden tickets they’re not using — and Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad? Tim Miller joins Charlie Sykes for the weekend podcast.

Yascha Mounk joins the panel to talk about the optimistic case for diverse democracies — and primary results.

Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice. Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.

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CATHY YOUNG: Has the Left Been Pushing Its Own Version of ‘Great Replacement’ Theory?

Last Saturday’s horrific act of racial terrorism in Buffalo, New York—where ten people were killed and three wounded in a shooting spree that specifically targeted the city’s black residents—has reignited polemics about so-called “Great Replacement theory,” which holds that nefarious elites are trying to “replace” native-born Americans or Europeans with Third World migrants. A lengthy manifesto reportedly written by the accused shooter, 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron, reveals an obsession with the idea that white people in America are being replaced by nonwhites (“We are doomed by low birth rates and high rates of immigration”). Now many progressive commentators claim that a somewhat toned-down version of this obsession has become standard fare in the Republican party and in the right-wing media. Most conservatives reject the charge as a dishonest attempt to exploit a tragedy.

READ THE REST.

RICH THAU AND MATT STEFFEE: Swing Voters Say: ‘Abortion vs. Inflation’ Is a False Choice.

When we conducted a pair of focus groups on May 10 with 13 Georgia swing voters, one question stood out: Will the November elections be more about abortion or inflation?

We took our cue from the previous day’s news reports, where a headline in the Washington Post declared: “GOP’s midterm bet: Voters will care more about inflation than abortion.” The same day, a Yahoo News headline proclaimed: “Democrats plan to emphasize abortion in the midterms. Republicans plan to ‘change the topic.’”

We wanted to know: Assuming this dynamic is correct, which party has the smarter strategy when it comes to attracting Trump-to-Biden swing voters in November? As it often turns out with this unique category of voters, the reality is more complex than a simple binary choice.

READ THE REST.


🚨OVERTIME 🚨

Happy Friday! Let’s Go Blues. A great 4-1 victory last night.

Albert Pujols… Closer? A review.

911 dispatcher at risk of losing job… After treating a potential victim of the Buffalo TOPS shooting poorly.

Welcome, Saint Titus Brandsma… A Catholic priest and fearless journalist.

Speaking of Catholic priests… A guardian angel is looking out for one in the D.C. area.

Nuclear vs. Conventional Spending? We Don’t Have that Luxury… Eric Edelman and Franklin Miller in Defense One.

The return of BdB. The former NYC Mayor is back.

Ginni Thomas in the news again… I’m sure you can guess why.

End civil asset forfeiture… It’s getting insane out there.

In 2022, GOP is built around the ‘MAGA-verse,' if not always Trump himself… Tom LoBianco at Yahoo! News.

That’s it for me. Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.

—30—

Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.

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In Defense of Unwritten Rules.
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