Is it okay if I, some random guy on the Internet, tell David Plouffe, a legendary campaign strategist, that he’s full of shit?
Look, I get it. David is a successful politico with a lengthy track record of winning elections. He does not want to believe that Kamala Harris’s performance, the way that performance was attained (her jumping in and getting coronated at the last minute), was the best Democrats could have done against Donald Trump in 2024.
But the evidence strongly suggests what JVL has been saying for over a year now: Americans simply wanted Trump.
They were sick and tired and bored with the “status quo” and wanted to burn it down, and imagined nothing could possibly be worse than keeping it.
That is depressing and horrible to contemplate and many, many elites and Democratic strategists (but I repeat myself) do not want to believe it, but it is the reality staring us in the face.
They were not going to want to burn down the status quo less with a longer Kamala campaign. They were not going to want to burn it down less with a fun, exciting, lengthy primary campaign, with Kamala Harris almost certainly bound to win it regardless—just wounded and likely bashed all to hell by her own party before the general campaign even began.
They were not going to want to burn down America less, and be less delusional that they wouldn’t personally get scorched, after watching the Democratic Party (in the event of a fun, exciting, monthslong primary) rip itself to shreds over, say, Israel/Palestine/genocide.
(If David Plouffe thinks that issue would not have harmed Harris MORE had she had a year longer to campaign, I have some lovely real estate in the Hamptons to sell him.)
Again, I get it. David Plouffe wants someone to blame and some agency to conjure. He does not want to believe that the real problem was not mistakes by the Man! In! Charge!, but the fact that America is a spoiled, delusional child who needs to get burned to learn not to touch that hot stove.
And that’s the thing about reality—It does not care if we want to believe it or not. Or how accomplished and famous we are. A shit take is still a shit take, whether it comes from Plouffe or anyone else.
So, yeah…that’s my reaction to the first paragraph of this newsletter.
Without reading the rest, I’ll assume I agree with the next like twenty paragraphs. Go, Bulwark folks! Rock those politics!! 👍👍
By the way: Are you privy to public universities having to make major research cuts? Do you have internal documents to share? We have a secure tip line for you. Click HERE.
Just replace your tip line with the number to Qatar. They seem to have plenty of money for US universities. And all kinds of other things that aren't airplanes.
"Brazenness is Trump's defense," writes Jill Lawrence, and it sums up so much of the Trump cult-administration. The MAGA base mistook his indifference to norms for honesty. His "intellectual" apologists dressed up his contempt for rules as boldness in plowing through obstacles. His defenders insist that whatever he does in plain sight cannot be wrong because he's being "transparent." As for probing into what he's doing out of sight: that's persecution, driven by TDS.
I'm amazed at how many people have simply accepted the principle that he can do whatever he wants to, simply because he's Trump and because he doesn't give a [supply vulgarity here].
I am quite unhappy with the picture for this article. Please, next time find a "China" background that doesn't include Taiwan. The Bulwark should not be careless with this topic. Thank you!
Is it just me, or is the bulwark terrified of using the words "racism" and "misogyny'? Is it because they are still in the thralls of the Republican Muzzle-ship? Somebody PLEASE explain this glaring omission to me like I'm a four year old. Months dedicated to analyzing what the Harris campaign did wrong....and yet not once, not ONCE did I hear the word "misogynoir?"Weird.
It’s not wild that the bill seeks to prevent regulation of AI. That’s what the tech bros paid for with their various contributions to inauguration funds and PACs that supported the Trump campaign. Tech bros hate regulation of any piece of their business.
So, maybe this is too petty and silly, but I’d kind of like a day counter on how long we have been in the national emergency that justifies all these executive action tariffs. I know Trump will never concede his emergency tariff powers, but I’d like to remind congress and the American public that America has officially been in a state of emergency, as defined by the President, during Trump’s entire damned term. At a certain point, he should have to own the fact that he failed to resolve this emergency.
Did ICE agents and CBP sign up to be MAGA goons? did they already own balaclavas and face masks and were just itching to don them to terrorize college students, soccer moms and 80yr old Bonnie Watson Coleman D(NJ)? Doesnt seem that they have any trouble doing all of the above. Perhaps they might not have aspired to become the goon squad but it also seems like they dont have any issue with going FULL-GOON. It seems that maybe ICE/CBP actually prefer to terrorize college students, soccer moms and Rep Bonnie while dressed up like they are hunting Pablo Escobar. I'm not saying these guys are p@ussies in tactical gear hunting women and children, but i am willing to believe that this is exactly the case.
1-Trump has always been at ease with our adversarie, he has always been at disease with the American Dream, because he is a sociopath and the only people Trump can relate to and call friends?, are thugs, criminals and thieves. KEEP IN MIND, KEEP REMINDING AMERICA, TRUMP IS A (34) CONVICTED FELON, (FRAUD BEING HIS SPECIALTY), ADJUDICATED SEXUAL PREDATOR, SEDITIONIST AND A TRAITOR. For the second time in (30) days, Trump has manipulated the stock market for himself and his DEEEEP STATE GOP, MAGA cronies. What I contiue to wonder is, WHAT PREVENTS YOU AND THE MIDIA IN GENERAL FROM CALLING OUT, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN THE NAME OF TRUMP, Q, Q, Q, WHY NOT? You have all the evidence, its puplic knowledge, his crimes are all over the place but, NO GUTS, BLOVIATION IS ALL WE GET FROM YOU AND THE REST OF THE MIDIA. Confounding, bewildering at the least, (COMPLICIT), at what level, who knows, maybe no one really cares???
(“At what point is the approach of danger, (ITS HERE NOW!), (TRUMP), to be delt with? When? It reached us, it, has as predicted, sprung up (amongst us). It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. (As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time or die by suicide.”)
The big question so far as masked "ICE" agents is, why are they doing they work if they are ashamed to show their faces ? Or are they not actual ICE agents but maybe people who have been deputized by ICE and don't want to be recognized that they previously where convicted of J6 offenses or are local LEOs moonlighting for ICE so they can bash heads under cover of law and cover of masks? Were these guys previously Proud Boys or in some other militia ? Has anyone checked Craigslist for an ad that says something like: "actors wanted to bash immigrants and arrest them - $50"?
I think we can safely eliminate the "shame" motive, leaving us to wonder what they're hiding. Your suggestions are all plausible. No benign explanation fits.
This administration's immigration policies are only "un-American" if we're ignoring the fact that white supremacy is still a deeply held value to millions of Americans.
Noem’s treacherous end to temporary protected status for our Afghan allies is due to become official on May 20. On July 12, their legal status is terminated.
Contact your elected officials to protest this outrage!
Is it okay if I, some random guy on the Internet, tell David Plouffe, a legendary campaign strategist, that he’s full of shit?
Look, I get it. David is a successful politico with a lengthy track record of winning elections. He does not want to believe that Kamala Harris’s performance, the way that performance was attained (her jumping in and getting coronated at the last minute), was the best Democrats could have done against Donald Trump in 2024.
But the evidence strongly suggests what JVL has been saying for over a year now: Americans simply wanted Trump.
They were sick and tired and bored with the “status quo” and wanted to burn it down, and imagined nothing could possibly be worse than keeping it.
That is depressing and horrible to contemplate and many, many elites and Democratic strategists (but I repeat myself) do not want to believe it, but it is the reality staring us in the face.
They were not going to want to burn down the status quo less with a longer Kamala campaign. They were not going to want to burn it down less with a fun, exciting, lengthy primary campaign, with Kamala Harris almost certainly bound to win it regardless—just wounded and likely bashed all to hell by her own party before the general campaign even began.
They were not going to want to burn down America less, and be less delusional that they wouldn’t personally get scorched, after watching the Democratic Party (in the event of a fun, exciting, monthslong primary) rip itself to shreds over, say, Israel/Palestine/genocide.
(If David Plouffe thinks that issue would not have harmed Harris MORE had she had a year longer to campaign, I have some lovely real estate in the Hamptons to sell him.)
Again, I get it. David Plouffe wants someone to blame and some agency to conjure. He does not want to believe that the real problem was not mistakes by the Man! In! Charge!, but the fact that America is a spoiled, delusional child who needs to get burned to learn not to touch that hot stove.
And that’s the thing about reality—It does not care if we want to believe it or not. Or how accomplished and famous we are. A shit take is still a shit take, whether it comes from Plouffe or anyone else.
So, yeah…that’s my reaction to the first paragraph of this newsletter.
Without reading the rest, I’ll assume I agree with the next like twenty paragraphs. Go, Bulwark folks! Rock those politics!! 👍👍
Isn’t Trump trying to stop people leaving America? So any academics thinking of leaving better go now
By the way: Are you privy to public universities having to make major research cuts? Do you have internal documents to share? We have a secure tip line for you. Click HERE.
Just replace your tip line with the number to Qatar. They seem to have plenty of money for US universities. And all kinds of other things that aren't airplanes.
https://substack.com/inbox/post/163512714
"Brazenness is Trump's defense," writes Jill Lawrence, and it sums up so much of the Trump cult-administration. The MAGA base mistook his indifference to norms for honesty. His "intellectual" apologists dressed up his contempt for rules as boldness in plowing through obstacles. His defenders insist that whatever he does in plain sight cannot be wrong because he's being "transparent." As for probing into what he's doing out of sight: that's persecution, driven by TDS.
I'm amazed at how many people have simply accepted the principle that he can do whatever he wants to, simply because he's Trump and because he doesn't give a [supply vulgarity here].
Ok - who do we suspect inserted that AI bit in the reconciliation bill?
I am quite unhappy with the picture for this article. Please, next time find a "China" background that doesn't include Taiwan. The Bulwark should not be careless with this topic. Thank you!
There is no trade war in Ba Sing Se
Oh…it is absolutely the racism, stupid.
Is it just me, or is the bulwark terrified of using the words "racism" and "misogyny'? Is it because they are still in the thralls of the Republican Muzzle-ship? Somebody PLEASE explain this glaring omission to me like I'm a four year old. Months dedicated to analyzing what the Harris campaign did wrong....and yet not once, not ONCE did I hear the word "misogynoir?"Weird.
Sorry. It is absolutely the racism and misogyny when it comes to Harris.
It’s not wild that the bill seeks to prevent regulation of AI. That’s what the tech bros paid for with their various contributions to inauguration funds and PACs that supported the Trump campaign. Tech bros hate regulation of any piece of their business.
So, maybe this is too petty and silly, but I’d kind of like a day counter on how long we have been in the national emergency that justifies all these executive action tariffs. I know Trump will never concede his emergency tariff powers, but I’d like to remind congress and the American public that America has officially been in a state of emergency, as defined by the President, during Trump’s entire damned term. At a certain point, he should have to own the fact that he failed to resolve this emergency.
Did ICE agents and CBP sign up to be MAGA goons? did they already own balaclavas and face masks and were just itching to don them to terrorize college students, soccer moms and 80yr old Bonnie Watson Coleman D(NJ)? Doesnt seem that they have any trouble doing all of the above. Perhaps they might not have aspired to become the goon squad but it also seems like they dont have any issue with going FULL-GOON. It seems that maybe ICE/CBP actually prefer to terrorize college students, soccer moms and Rep Bonnie while dressed up like they are hunting Pablo Escobar. I'm not saying these guys are p@ussies in tactical gear hunting women and children, but i am willing to believe that this is exactly the case.
1-Trump has always been at ease with our adversarie, he has always been at disease with the American Dream, because he is a sociopath and the only people Trump can relate to and call friends?, are thugs, criminals and thieves. KEEP IN MIND, KEEP REMINDING AMERICA, TRUMP IS A (34) CONVICTED FELON, (FRAUD BEING HIS SPECIALTY), ADJUDICATED SEXUAL PREDATOR, SEDITIONIST AND A TRAITOR. For the second time in (30) days, Trump has manipulated the stock market for himself and his DEEEEP STATE GOP, MAGA cronies. What I contiue to wonder is, WHAT PREVENTS YOU AND THE MIDIA IN GENERAL FROM CALLING OUT, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN THE NAME OF TRUMP, Q, Q, Q, WHY NOT? You have all the evidence, its puplic knowledge, his crimes are all over the place but, NO GUTS, BLOVIATION IS ALL WE GET FROM YOU AND THE REST OF THE MIDIA. Confounding, bewildering at the least, (COMPLICIT), at what level, who knows, maybe no one really cares???
(“At what point is the approach of danger, (ITS HERE NOW!), (TRUMP), to be delt with? When? It reached us, it, has as predicted, sprung up (amongst us). It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. (As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time or die by suicide.”)
The big question so far as masked "ICE" agents is, why are they doing they work if they are ashamed to show their faces ? Or are they not actual ICE agents but maybe people who have been deputized by ICE and don't want to be recognized that they previously where convicted of J6 offenses or are local LEOs moonlighting for ICE so they can bash heads under cover of law and cover of masks? Were these guys previously Proud Boys or in some other militia ? Has anyone checked Craigslist for an ad that says something like: "actors wanted to bash immigrants and arrest them - $50"?
I think we can safely eliminate the "shame" motive, leaving us to wonder what they're hiding. Your suggestions are all plausible. No benign explanation fits.
Maybe it’s cool to act out movie and video game fantasies.
This administration's immigration policies are only "un-American" if we're ignoring the fact that white supremacy is still a deeply held value to millions of Americans.
Noem’s treacherous end to temporary protected status for our Afghan allies is due to become official on May 20. On July 12, their legal status is terminated.
Contact your elected officials to protest this outrage!
Fantasy Island warned us: Da plane! Da plane!