" . . . from the days of Al Gore through the debates over the carbon tax, the party has struggled to talk about climate change without using alarmist rhetoric that feels divorced from most voters’ focus on the dollars and cents of their energy bills." My god, I will say this till I am blue in the face!
Renewable energy is a national security concern - I don't give a flip about the environment; since the 1980's they should have been taking this track, because it is almost impossible to argue against renewable energy sources when they are put in the context of national security and future dominance of the global marketplace. The idea should have been pitched decades ago; whoever makes a turnkey renewable energy platform will be the superpower in the coming century.
We already weren't doing enough, thanks in equal measure, from a historical perspective to both the democrats and republicans. At least the democrats recently started putting money into some R&D and infrastructure.
Trump's destruction of those programs is a betrayal of his oath to protect the people, not the one he swore when he didn't put his hand on the bible, but his actual word to them, that he would protect them.
So, use the rising energy prices in conjunction with beginning to place renewable energy where it should have been from the start, a national security issue, not a climate issue.
But, it is good for the climate, you could say.
Have the military talk about solar energy, and trucks that will burn nearly anything, or the way they are thinking about the future of light ground vehicles, battery-operated, which can be fed through panels or a generator - all of this is a national security concern, and will demand a manufacturing infrastructure.
Who is going to rule the marketplace in the next eighty years in renewable resource materials distribution? We were already behind.
National fucking security!!!!
He is depriving your kids of their future worth - we should be on the leading edge in renewable energy technology, and we should be building it at a hundred times the speed we are - and Trump is willfully destroying these capabilities, which will keep us safe and make sure our children and grandchildren are prosperous.
The exact same argument could have been used in the 1980s, the 90s, and the early 2000s and the 2010s, and the further along we went (for instance, the Iraq war), it was never the talking point.
We know why the republicans hate renewables - they perceive them as a threat to an industry that they hold dear, and once a renewable system is in place, there is no energy monopoly.
But what about the democrats? This argument has just been sitting there for decades. It is because the democratic party and leadership wanted change, but they wanted the change THEY wanted, not the change that was actually necessary.
On this issue and lots, and lots of others - I mean, lots, really, it is hard to overstate this, lots of issues. They want change, as long as it is the change the leadership wants.
If it is business as usual in 28, and the democratic fools have not been tossed into the rubbish bin, we will once again lose to some acolyte of the orange-haired buffoon that we elected last time.
Ya know, not that I feel strongly about this or anything. You can listen to other boring stuff at 'the true conservative in nc' on youtube - great work as always, Lauren, super glad you joined the team!
Energy is good to talk about. I would also talk about the cost of a hamburger. Take a family of 4 to BurgerFi and you'll probably spend $80. Meat and groceries in general have gotten no relief from Trump.
Not sure what the democratic strategy is but I have a strategy: every morning I get up and have coffee and read the headlines and when I come to a story about “regular folks” (AKA rural white people) or the head scratching POC or anyone else who voted for Trump getting screwed in some way a smile and suddenly the day seems a bit brighter. As a coastal elite out of touch with “regular folks” (AKA people who don’t live near the Ocean) I am in a much better position to weather the coming Trump slump. So votes have consequences and hate on the Dems all you want in a two party system you can keep voting for the ones screwing you or vote for the other guy or don’t vote. Your choice. My current maga family members have been so hosed by Orange Cthulhu that they won’t walk right for years. So it goes.
Wonderful and here is another,"coastal elite" who feels the same. Enough knuckle draggers keep taking it in the shorts, they will react and it will not go well for the felon and his band of ass lickers.
There are actually real market forces driving up the cost of energy which neither party can control. The only way to lower the price (as Jimmy Carter told us in 1978) is to reduce consumption. Who on earth ever thought that building up and air conditioning Phoenix and Las Vegas was sustainable? Who thought that urbanizing and air-conditioning Florida was a great idea?
Ultimately it will be the same with gas and propane. Wind and solar will only lower costs marginally which then will disappear because of over-consumption.
Obviously "Big Energy" which drives the investment into energy production and distribution (which could never be replaced with taxpayer funding) expects a return to shareholders. Those of us with retirement funds can see those profits in our accounts.
Obviously the higher cost of everything is a great political strategy in a world of poorly educated, uninformed and seriously brain dead voters. Once Democrats get past their obviously "socialistic" solutions it might even get a few votes. But when prices don't go down because of uncontrollable market forces it will also become a hammer in the hands of Republicans.
It’s $60 in Maine just to have electricity to your home. The rates keep going up and up. Our electric company (CMP) where I live versant for the rest of maine. Is owned by a company in Spain. They have done all kinds of shady things. The state unfortunately voted down a state run utility.
The state also voted down an enormous energy corridor to bring power to Massachusetts. All through our woods etc. hydro electric which is good but it just makes people up here bills higher. They went ahead with the project that again Mainers voted down, claiming that the project was already under construction and contact, so this is when I completely realized our vote means nothing. Big companies find a way to do whatever they want. I have nothing against Massachusetts ( I lived there a large chunk of my life) TBİs energy corridor wasn’t going to help the people who has to suffer CMP and their rate jumps.
I’m hoping to be able to go solar. We are completely full sun here. Unfortunately we have had drought status again, we have had 3 or 4years of drought come late summer. It adds up.
They are building new houses on part of the land that was split when I bought this ( well my dad , who passed in February ) she had 70 acres. I’m not really objecting the houses (!it’s his land after all )I have 2 acres. We tried to buy more land but the guy wouldn’t budge. I’m fairly confident they will be bought by Massachusetts people. I’m worried they will put in chem lawns , it’s mostly overgrown pasture now . The water for these lawns will affect my well. Theirs as well but they will be clueless about it. This is the first year in the last 4 that my well is struggling. We pray for rain. 🌧️ it all goes together. The people with loads of money get what they want. These houses are not going to have the minimum acreage for this zone (2acres ) , they’re open space will be adjacent to our pasture outback.
This guy who bought the remaining aces when we bought 4 years ago and wouldn’t sell is more. Tried to get ( and eventually did) a solar farm. CMP couldn’t handle the load . They named it my street address. That was the real issue I had with them!
I have no clue as to how she keeps getting re-elected. Her and her “concern “ . I hope she gets voted out. It will have to be an independent. This state is weird in some ways. She has some great challengers, I am hoping for Graham Platner. He is running as a democrat. I hope the party backs him. Suzie has gotten much wealthier ( she was always wealthy) but congress has made her uber wealthy. Idk . Here’s a link for my pick. I sure the Republican Party will dig up , make up, all kinds of bullshit on him .it would be wonderful if he gets in. It would be great I feel if he ran as an independent he would get a better shot. Idk. Im not the sharpest tool in the toolbox. So I actually really don’t know.
Oh boy it will be quite a show I am sure with a good portion of Maine has quite a lot of “snowbirds “ from Florida, I am not sure what portion votes .
I too think Platner can win. If enough Maine residents are actually sick of Collins and her timid BS, there can be change. I sure as hell will donate to Platner.
On 2028, New Hampshire is small enough and a good gauge of independent voters. It should go first. As for debating energy costs, the GOP will point to any Democratic governorships that have high utility bills in their state. It may be hard to lay that issue directly on the Republicans.
One of the ways for customers to reduce their utility bills is to add solar panels. Taking away the federal incentives passed by Biden is another way that Republicans are hiking your energy costs.
I'm not sure about what state should be chosen first but I'm damn well sure I DON'T want the DNC putting their hand on the scale for their "chosen" nominee! I'd like a real nomination pro eds NY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE!!
We went solar 4 years ago, taking advantage of state and federal tax credits. We have a heat pump providing heat and ac. Our energy bills are at or near zero half the year, and quite affordable the rest. Those who can should get busy.
We're getting great payback from our rooftop solar in Northern California. I think, even now, with some of the federal and state benefits expiring, it's a good investment. But it may be more difficult to get payback in colder climates. And it's likely not an option for people who rent.
We had a similar experience. We started with one solar panel in the garden and the benefits were immediately apparent. So last year we got another one. We use a local company that has plug and play technology so that the installation is just a matter of finding the right spot, positioning the panel, and then plugging the panel into our house's electrical system. It has cut our electricity bill in half.
"High prices are still the main theme, and Medicaid cuts and tariffs will continue to be an important component of Democrats’ midterms argument. But the party increasingly sees political opportunity in centering its message on rising energy prices."
IDK, but it seems to me that maybe the Dems are pivoting away from the two things that will be both noticeable and painful before they should.
* The RINOs have not only touched, but are enthusiastically grasping, one of politics' third rails: Medicaid (and my money's on Medicare will go under the DOGE knife well before the midterms, followed by Social Security). Not to be Capt Obvious since this is already known, but part of the New GOP base is rural and they will feel the pinch worse than pretty much everyone else. This needs to be drummed in over and over. Billboards are a relatively inexpensive way to get a message across, and once the ad is paid for all that remains is rent for however long your agreement is with the sign owner, and the rent can be damn cheap.
> "Traditional billboard pricing follows a simple formula. You pay for visibility, measured by daily traffic counts and demographic targeting.
* From what I've read, most Economists are saying the tariff/tax price increases haven't kicked in yet. Why shift focus from a surefire talking point? Never mind the price of eggs, they've stabilized; it's other staples at the grocery that will be the new problems, and it will be directly attributable to XFG's tariffs: ie beef, veggies, and fruit, most of which are imported.
* IMO, energy prices will increase but in an arithmetic sort of way; a straight line, even if it might be steep in comparison to energy price increases in the past. OTOH, the other basics needed to live thrive and survive will increase geometrically; a tight upward moving side of a parabola.
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"Soaring energy bills will also be of interest to a wider audience than, say, Trump’s [sic] Medicaid cuts, as energy prices affect nearly all Americans."
This is probably true, but I think there is a way to keep focus on Medicaid cuts: personalize the message. Josef Stalin said "the death of one is a tragedy, a million is a statistic[,]" (attributed) don't let the RINOs control the narrative to the degree that the cuts become a stat and not that the tragedy becomes blurred. Put faces to the consequences of the damage done by The Big Beautiful Bill, remind people that they have friends and/or family likely needing Medicaid. This technique is nothing new, it has a long history, and is still effective.
> "Government health officials launched the second round of a graphic ad campaign Thursday that is designed to get smokers off tobacco, saying they believe the last effort convinced tens of thousands to quit.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is hearing strong criticism from some camps for its in-your-face advertising campaign designed to attack Georgia’s childhood obesity epidemic. But the pediatric health system stands firmly by its approach, saying the grim advertisements featuring overweight kids are necessary to get families to recognize the widespread public health problem." https://publichealth.uga.edu/grim-childhood-obesity-ads-stir-critics/
An example from the late '60s into 1970 of this working was an ad campaign that felt like a gut-punch that you couldn't ignore: starving Biafran babies:
> "images and stories reached homes all over the globe, and people across Africa, Europe, and the United States were deeply moved. In those photos, the suffering of children was paramount." https://www.neh.gov/article/picturing-war-no-one-cares-about
And who hasn't been sickened by the ASPCA ads of abused dogs; it tore at your heart and made you think about doing something to help. (I was never a big Sarah McLachlan but I can't listen to anything by her because her song, "Angel," is the background soundtrack.)
Not stupid, but a tad incompetent maybe. The Dems can keep hammering that the end is nigh, and the RINOs will deny it until the Third Coming (XFG is the Second, obvi). The RINOs lost control of the narrative from the start; their messaging team couldn't stop the Dems from raising a stink, putting them on the defensive, leaving little to no time to put together a response to pieces like:
> "Medicaid changes will likely reduce young adults’ access to reproductive care and other critical health services. OBBBA withholds one year of Medicaid funding ***(July 2025–July 2026)*** from some nonprofit community providers that provide primarily family planning or reproductive services. These are some of the most critical health care needs young adults have."
> "Starting on December 31, 2026, Section 44108 of the bill would require all states to conduct eligibility redeterminations for expansion individuals, including many parents and people with disabilities and chronic conditions, every six months. More frequent redeterminations would significantly elevate the risk of procedural disenrollments despite enrollees remaining eligible [...] As a result, more frequent redeterminations would likely cut federal Medicaid spending because it would create additional barriers to retaining Medicaid coverage among expansion adults and result in higher rates of disenrollment, not because it would identify substantial numbers of ineligible people who are enrolled." https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/05/27/medicaid-and-chip-cuts-in-the-house-passed-reconciliation-bill-explained
The Democrats need to go full class warfare. When the Republicans say it’s class warfare you say yeah it is the rich are trying to make the poor extinct.
Who's Medicaid? Yours? Mine? Most voters don't get Medicaid. Therefore they don't care about Medicaid. It would be interesting to find out (I have tried and failed) to know how many Medicaid recipients even vote.
Threats to Medicaid may motivate Democrats to turn out their own vote but I don't think it will move many to vote for Democrats.
You’re missing the point. They’re coming to take your Medicare. They’re coming to take your Medicaid. They’re coming to take your Social Security. That’s the narrative you run all day long. And then they say well there’s that’s not in the bill at all and you just ignore it. You just keep going with propaganda. Technically propaganda doesn’t have to be false. It’s just agenda driven information.
As I said, the pain for consumers is just starting:
"From what I've read, most Economists are saying the tariff/tax price increases haven't kicked in yet. [...] other staples at the grocery that will be the new problems, and it will be directly attributable to XFG's tariffs: ie beef, veggies, and fruit, most of which are imported."
Democrats should adopt an "all of the above" energy policy. It's easy to explain, easy to contrast with the Republican position that squelches wind and solar even when those are the lowest-cost and fastest-to-scale options, appeals to nearly every rate payer on the basis of common sense alone, and produces jobs and income across the widest range of the political spectrum.
But I suspect that the progressive Democratic climate "group" will veto this, wanting to go all in on renewables while vilifying fossil fuels and nuclear power (and even hydro power in my neck of the woods).
Continued use of fossil fuels is certainly a problem for the climate, but the reality is that base load for the grid and transportation (especially air transport) will depend on fossil fuels for quite some time. Fighting that reality is an election loser.
It’s gotta fit on a bumper sticker. It’s gotta work at a third grade level. It’s gotta be short and concise. Republicans are blowing up your electric bill. That’s it. Don’t explain it. Don’t get out a whiteboard or a blackboard or any other color board. Don’t get charts or power points just say Republicans high energy bills
No subsidies or penalties or rate preferences for any form of energy generation and distribution, consistent with the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and probably some other legislation that I don't know about. @J AZ (below) would be entitled to be paid by the utility for his home solar feed to the grid at same rate that the utility charges for grid power. (In an economist's perfect world there would be penalties -- such as a carbon tax -- to deal with externalities, but that won't fit on a bumper sticker.)
The IRS is required to pay the same interest on overpayment of federal income taxes that it charges for underpayments.
No income cap on FICA taxes, and no cap on SS benefits.
No step-up in cost basis for inherited assets.
Capital gains taxed like ordinary income.
No tax deduction for carried interest.
All tax credits must be refundable. E.g., the soon-to-disappear $7500 tax credit for EV purchase only has its full benefit for those who have at least $7500 in tax liability. A refundable credit would pay any buyer $7500, regardless of their actual tax liability.
Negative federal income tax (hat tip to Milton Friedman) coupled with elimination of TANF and SNAP.
No stock or bond trading by elected officials.
No paid lobbying by previously elected officials.
Members of Congress and government employees get the same health insurance and retirement plan options available to any other citizen.
Multimember congressional districts with proportional representation -- every voter then suddenly matters. (A fantasy, I know, since both major parties benefit from the current duopoly.)
Ranked-choice or approval voting for all national elections.
Proportional allocation of electoral college votes, as Maine and Nebraska do now.
Feel free to add to the FAIR DEAL list, trying to avoid anything that requires an amendment to the Constitution.
You can’t win that argument because none of their facts are actually facts. That’s the problem, we’re not really polarized. Polarization involves different solutions to common problems. We can’t agree on reality so we don’t have common problems. So fighting back their whiteboard is a waste of time because they’re not even utilizing it.And their whiteboard is in no way constrained by reality. So you’re talking about setting yourself up for a losing battle. But that’s classic Democratic tactics right?
Rooftop/backyard solar doesn't stress the grid, can actually relieve it - but Republicans keep working to dis-incentivize widespread adoption. Utilities pay state legislators to scuttle efforts to require the utilities pay fair rates to home solar owners who can send their excess power back into the grid. The regulator/utility complex in Arizona stopped fair pricing years ago. Southern Arizona averages ~340 days of sunshine per year, but a home solar set-up that costs $25K to install is not that economical to pay off just from the savings on one's own electric bill. Selling the excess power back to the utility would improve affordability, but the meager rates now in effect don't make the math work for middle class homeowners - who has that upfront cash for an investment that will require 20 years to pay for itself? All that sunshine could limit the need for more power plants, instead it's just wasted potential.
One problem with focusing on energy costs: what’s your solution? The prices are being driven by AI. No simple solution. The Rs canceling wind and solar can’t be helping.
Tariffs may be harder to understand but the solution is crystal clear: remove the tariffs.
Oh my God, that’s not a problem. It wasn’t Joe Biden’s fault that we had high inflation after a once in a century epidemic. Yet the Republicans hung the whole thing on Biden by constant repetition and just screaming about prices from morning to night time.
Here’s what the Democrats don’t get. If you take the offensive and you own the narrative by attacking your opponent, they don’t spend time talking about your inflation, problem and how you let things spiral out of control. They’re too busy keeping up with the crazy stuff you’re saying. This is highly effective. How do I know? Look who’s in the oval office.
I’m just making the point that strategic lying is what wins elections. And that the Democrats need to do that. Ironically, there’s so much crazy corruption on the right that they probably don’t need to do it but they need to package it in a way that is to the point.Don’t make the argument to democratic and independent voters. Just label the opposition as criminal, unfit, etc. That’s my point.
They would NEVER get away with it. First, the media (again and again and again so many of our problems lie with our legacy/mainstream/corporate etc media) would pillory any Dem who lied. The double standard is alive and well.
The perception of the media couldn’t be lower. It wouldn’t matter. And calling Trump a pedophile is hardly a stretch. It would definitely work and flooding. The field with shit has proven absolutely effective. But more to the point, it sends the message that the Democrat that does that is actually not a wimpy victim because no one wants to vote for a loser.
"I’m just making the point that strategic lying is what wins elections. And that the Democrats need to do that."
Hallalujah! Alas, this is what it has come to. But, for crying out loud, if MAGA really is an existential threat to our country, then a creative relationship to the truth is one of the LEAST bad options I can think of.
There should be a massive effort (Financed by the Democratic Party) to place a billboard on every major highway on the outskirts of every major town in every Red District in the Country identifying by name the U.S. Representative who voted for the Big Ugly Bill listing the eventual damages it will do to its citizens to include higher energy costs. The same should be done in every State with a Republican Senator up for reelection. Much of the bad stuff will not be apparent to voters until after the midterms; consequently, Democratic Party messaging between now and then is critical!
This is a must better tactic than splitting hairs on good vs bad tariff implementation. When you are talking to a mass of people all at once your message needs to be simple, or something they feel matters to them. Preferably both if possible. I can add from a local perspective that in Georgia, the largest power company currently has its rates frozen until 2028, due to several increases in the past few years right on top of each other. It got them some negative press so they implemented the rate freeze. I bring up the situation in Georgia due to the Ossoff senate race, and that the power bill argument will still be good but not as effective in Georgia. In any case I'm glad to hear the Dems are doing this, thanks for the update.
Glad I installed solar last year…
" . . . from the days of Al Gore through the debates over the carbon tax, the party has struggled to talk about climate change without using alarmist rhetoric that feels divorced from most voters’ focus on the dollars and cents of their energy bills." My god, I will say this till I am blue in the face!
Renewable energy is a national security concern - I don't give a flip about the environment; since the 1980's they should have been taking this track, because it is almost impossible to argue against renewable energy sources when they are put in the context of national security and future dominance of the global marketplace. The idea should have been pitched decades ago; whoever makes a turnkey renewable energy platform will be the superpower in the coming century.
We already weren't doing enough, thanks in equal measure, from a historical perspective to both the democrats and republicans. At least the democrats recently started putting money into some R&D and infrastructure.
Trump's destruction of those programs is a betrayal of his oath to protect the people, not the one he swore when he didn't put his hand on the bible, but his actual word to them, that he would protect them.
So, use the rising energy prices in conjunction with beginning to place renewable energy where it should have been from the start, a national security issue, not a climate issue.
But, it is good for the climate, you could say.
Have the military talk about solar energy, and trucks that will burn nearly anything, or the way they are thinking about the future of light ground vehicles, battery-operated, which can be fed through panels or a generator - all of this is a national security concern, and will demand a manufacturing infrastructure.
Who is going to rule the marketplace in the next eighty years in renewable resource materials distribution? We were already behind.
National fucking security!!!!
He is depriving your kids of their future worth - we should be on the leading edge in renewable energy technology, and we should be building it at a hundred times the speed we are - and Trump is willfully destroying these capabilities, which will keep us safe and make sure our children and grandchildren are prosperous.
The exact same argument could have been used in the 1980s, the 90s, and the early 2000s and the 2010s, and the further along we went (for instance, the Iraq war), it was never the talking point.
We know why the republicans hate renewables - they perceive them as a threat to an industry that they hold dear, and once a renewable system is in place, there is no energy monopoly.
But what about the democrats? This argument has just been sitting there for decades. It is because the democratic party and leadership wanted change, but they wanted the change THEY wanted, not the change that was actually necessary.
On this issue and lots, and lots of others - I mean, lots, really, it is hard to overstate this, lots of issues. They want change, as long as it is the change the leadership wants.
If it is business as usual in 28, and the democratic fools have not been tossed into the rubbish bin, we will once again lose to some acolyte of the orange-haired buffoon that we elected last time.
Ya know, not that I feel strongly about this or anything. You can listen to other boring stuff at 'the true conservative in nc' on youtube - great work as always, Lauren, super glad you joined the team!
Energy is good to talk about. I would also talk about the cost of a hamburger. Take a family of 4 to BurgerFi and you'll probably spend $80. Meat and groceries in general have gotten no relief from Trump.
Not sure what the democratic strategy is but I have a strategy: every morning I get up and have coffee and read the headlines and when I come to a story about “regular folks” (AKA rural white people) or the head scratching POC or anyone else who voted for Trump getting screwed in some way a smile and suddenly the day seems a bit brighter. As a coastal elite out of touch with “regular folks” (AKA people who don’t live near the Ocean) I am in a much better position to weather the coming Trump slump. So votes have consequences and hate on the Dems all you want in a two party system you can keep voting for the ones screwing you or vote for the other guy or don’t vote. Your choice. My current maga family members have been so hosed by Orange Cthulhu that they won’t walk right for years. So it goes.
Wonderful and here is another,"coastal elite" who feels the same. Enough knuckle draggers keep taking it in the shorts, they will react and it will not go well for the felon and his band of ass lickers.
There are actually real market forces driving up the cost of energy which neither party can control. The only way to lower the price (as Jimmy Carter told us in 1978) is to reduce consumption. Who on earth ever thought that building up and air conditioning Phoenix and Las Vegas was sustainable? Who thought that urbanizing and air-conditioning Florida was a great idea?
Ultimately it will be the same with gas and propane. Wind and solar will only lower costs marginally which then will disappear because of over-consumption.
Obviously "Big Energy" which drives the investment into energy production and distribution (which could never be replaced with taxpayer funding) expects a return to shareholders. Those of us with retirement funds can see those profits in our accounts.
Obviously the higher cost of everything is a great political strategy in a world of poorly educated, uninformed and seriously brain dead voters. Once Democrats get past their obviously "socialistic" solutions it might even get a few votes. But when prices don't go down because of uncontrollable market forces it will also become a hammer in the hands of Republicans.
It’s $60 in Maine just to have electricity to your home. The rates keep going up and up. Our electric company (CMP) where I live versant for the rest of maine. Is owned by a company in Spain. They have done all kinds of shady things. The state unfortunately voted down a state run utility.
The state also voted down an enormous energy corridor to bring power to Massachusetts. All through our woods etc. hydro electric which is good but it just makes people up here bills higher. They went ahead with the project that again Mainers voted down, claiming that the project was already under construction and contact, so this is when I completely realized our vote means nothing. Big companies find a way to do whatever they want. I have nothing against Massachusetts ( I lived there a large chunk of my life) TBİs energy corridor wasn’t going to help the people who has to suffer CMP and their rate jumps.
I’m hoping to be able to go solar. We are completely full sun here. Unfortunately we have had drought status again, we have had 3 or 4years of drought come late summer. It adds up.
They are building new houses on part of the land that was split when I bought this ( well my dad , who passed in February ) she had 70 acres. I’m not really objecting the houses (!it’s his land after all )I have 2 acres. We tried to buy more land but the guy wouldn’t budge. I’m fairly confident they will be bought by Massachusetts people. I’m worried they will put in chem lawns , it’s mostly overgrown pasture now . The water for these lawns will affect my well. Theirs as well but they will be clueless about it. This is the first year in the last 4 that my well is struggling. We pray for rain. 🌧️ it all goes together. The people with loads of money get what they want. These houses are not going to have the minimum acreage for this zone (2acres ) , they’re open space will be adjacent to our pasture outback.
This guy who bought the remaining aces when we bought 4 years ago and wouldn’t sell is more. Tried to get ( and eventually did) a solar farm. CMP couldn’t handle the load . They named it my street address. That was the real issue I had with them!
Be sure to thank Susan Collins for her "great" help.
I have no clue as to how she keeps getting re-elected. Her and her “concern “ . I hope she gets voted out. It will have to be an independent. This state is weird in some ways. She has some great challengers, I am hoping for Graham Platner. He is running as a democrat. I hope the party backs him. Suzie has gotten much wealthier ( she was always wealthy) but congress has made her uber wealthy. Idk . Here’s a link for my pick. I sure the Republican Party will dig up , make up, all kinds of bullshit on him .it would be wonderful if he gets in. It would be great I feel if he ran as an independent he would get a better shot. Idk. Im not the sharpest tool in the toolbox. So I actually really don’t know.
Oh boy it will be quite a show I am sure with a good portion of Maine has quite a lot of “snowbirds “ from Florida, I am not sure what portion votes .
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/graham-platner-oysterman-harbormaster-rural-maine-enters-race/story?id=124758156
I too think Platner can win. If enough Maine residents are actually sick of Collins and her timid BS, there can be change. I sure as hell will donate to Platner.
On 2028, New Hampshire is small enough and a good gauge of independent voters. It should go first. As for debating energy costs, the GOP will point to any Democratic governorships that have high utility bills in their state. It may be hard to lay that issue directly on the Republicans.
One of the ways for customers to reduce their utility bills is to add solar panels. Taking away the federal incentives passed by Biden is another way that Republicans are hiking your energy costs.
I'm not sure about what state should be chosen first but I'm damn well sure I DON'T want the DNC putting their hand on the scale for their "chosen" nominee! I'd like a real nomination pro eds NY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE!!
We went solar 4 years ago, taking advantage of state and federal tax credits. We have a heat pump providing heat and ac. Our energy bills are at or near zero half the year, and quite affordable the rest. Those who can should get busy.
We're getting great payback from our rooftop solar in Northern California. I think, even now, with some of the federal and state benefits expiring, it's a good investment. But it may be more difficult to get payback in colder climates. And it's likely not an option for people who rent.
The important payback is to planet earth.
We had a similar experience. We started with one solar panel in the garden and the benefits were immediately apparent. So last year we got another one. We use a local company that has plug and play technology so that the installation is just a matter of finding the right spot, positioning the panel, and then plugging the panel into our house's electrical system. It has cut our electricity bill in half.
"High prices are still the main theme, and Medicaid cuts and tariffs will continue to be an important component of Democrats’ midterms argument. But the party increasingly sees political opportunity in centering its message on rising energy prices."
IDK, but it seems to me that maybe the Dems are pivoting away from the two things that will be both noticeable and painful before they should.
* The RINOs have not only touched, but are enthusiastically grasping, one of politics' third rails: Medicaid (and my money's on Medicare will go under the DOGE knife well before the midterms, followed by Social Security). Not to be Capt Obvious since this is already known, but part of the New GOP base is rural and they will feel the pinch worse than pretty much everyone else. This needs to be drummed in over and over. Billboards are a relatively inexpensive way to get a message across, and once the ad is paid for all that remains is rent for however long your agreement is with the sign owner, and the rent can be damn cheap.
> "Traditional billboard pricing follows a simple formula. You pay for visibility, measured by daily traffic counts and demographic targeting.
Rural and small town billboards typically cost $250-$750 monthly. These locations offer broad reach with lower competition for attention." https://timessquarebillboard.com/blog/how-much-does-a-billboard-really-cost-complete-2025-pricing-guide/
* From what I've read, most Economists are saying the tariff/tax price increases haven't kicked in yet. Why shift focus from a surefire talking point? Never mind the price of eggs, they've stabilized; it's other staples at the grocery that will be the new problems, and it will be directly attributable to XFG's tariffs: ie beef, veggies, and fruit, most of which are imported.
* IMO, energy prices will increase but in an arithmetic sort of way; a straight line, even if it might be steep in comparison to energy price increases in the past. OTOH, the other basics needed to live thrive and survive will increase geometrically; a tight upward moving side of a parabola.
-----
"Soaring energy bills will also be of interest to a wider audience than, say, Trump’s [sic] Medicaid cuts, as energy prices affect nearly all Americans."
This is probably true, but I think there is a way to keep focus on Medicaid cuts: personalize the message. Josef Stalin said "the death of one is a tragedy, a million is a statistic[,]" (attributed) don't let the RINOs control the narrative to the degree that the cuts become a stat and not that the tragedy becomes blurred. Put faces to the consequences of the damage done by The Big Beautiful Bill, remind people that they have friends and/or family likely needing Medicaid. This technique is nothing new, it has a long history, and is still effective.
> "Government health officials launched the second round of a graphic ad campaign Thursday that is designed to get smokers off tobacco, saying they believe the last effort convinced tens of thousands to quit.
The ads feature sad, real-life stories: There is Terrie, a North Carolina woman who lost her voice box. Bill, a diabetic smoker from Michigan who lost his leg. And Aden, a 7-year-old boy from New York, who has asthma attacks from secondhand smoke." https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/real-people-hurt-smoking-star-graphic-new-ads-flna1c9127806
--or--
> "Grim childhood obesity ads stir critics
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is hearing strong criticism from some camps for its in-your-face advertising campaign designed to attack Georgia’s childhood obesity epidemic. But the pediatric health system stands firmly by its approach, saying the grim advertisements featuring overweight kids are necessary to get families to recognize the widespread public health problem." https://publichealth.uga.edu/grim-childhood-obesity-ads-stir-critics/
An example from the late '60s into 1970 of this working was an ad campaign that felt like a gut-punch that you couldn't ignore: starving Biafran babies:
> "images and stories reached homes all over the globe, and people across Africa, Europe, and the United States were deeply moved. In those photos, the suffering of children was paramount." https://www.neh.gov/article/picturing-war-no-one-cares-about
And who hasn't been sickened by the ASPCA ads of abused dogs; it tore at your heart and made you think about doing something to help. (I was never a big Sarah McLachlan but I can't listen to anything by her because her song, "Angel," is the background soundtrack.)
fnord
The challenge is the medicaid cuts don't take effect for 2 years. The people may be evil, but they aren't stupid.
Not stupid, but a tad incompetent maybe. The Dems can keep hammering that the end is nigh, and the RINOs will deny it until the Third Coming (XFG is the Second, obvi). The RINOs lost control of the narrative from the start; their messaging team couldn't stop the Dems from raising a stink, putting them on the defensive, leaving little to no time to put together a response to pieces like:
> "Medicaid changes will likely reduce young adults’ access to reproductive care and other critical health services. OBBBA withholds one year of Medicaid funding ***(July 2025–July 2026)*** from some nonprofit community providers that provide primarily family planning or reproductive services. These are some of the most critical health care needs young adults have."
[...]
Beginning in fiscal year 2027, OBBBA also prohibits states from increasing taxes on health care providers and using this revenue to qualify for federal matching payments. [...] This will likely reduce the number of providers that accept Medicaid and the amount of services they provide." [emphasis added] https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/medicaid-cuts-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-leave-3-10-young-adults-vulnerable-losing
--and--
> "Starting on December 31, 2026, Section 44108 of the bill would require all states to conduct eligibility redeterminations for expansion individuals, including many parents and people with disabilities and chronic conditions, every six months. More frequent redeterminations would significantly elevate the risk of procedural disenrollments despite enrollees remaining eligible [...] As a result, more frequent redeterminations would likely cut federal Medicaid spending because it would create additional barriers to retaining Medicaid coverage among expansion adults and result in higher rates of disenrollment, not because it would identify substantial numbers of ineligible people who are enrolled." https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/05/27/medicaid-and-chip-cuts-in-the-house-passed-reconciliation-bill-explained
fnord
The Democrats need to go full class warfare. When the Republicans say it’s class warfare you say yeah it is the rich are trying to make the poor extinct.
Just state that the Republicans are coming to take away your Medicaid.
Who's Medicaid? Yours? Mine? Most voters don't get Medicaid. Therefore they don't care about Medicaid. It would be interesting to find out (I have tried and failed) to know how many Medicaid recipients even vote.
Threats to Medicaid may motivate Democrats to turn out their own vote but I don't think it will move many to vote for Democrats.
You’re missing the point. They’re coming to take your Medicare. They’re coming to take your Medicaid. They’re coming to take your Social Security. That’s the narrative you run all day long. And then they say well there’s that’s not in the bill at all and you just ignore it. You just keep going with propaganda. Technically propaganda doesn’t have to be false. It’s just agenda driven information.
Good point...
Tariffs are starting to kick in but businesses are complaining more than consumers.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/deere-tariff-costs-farm-belt-jason-smith-donald-trump-josh-beal-f42ea4ab
As I said, the pain for consumers is just starting:
"From what I've read, most Economists are saying the tariff/tax price increases haven't kicked in yet. [...] other staples at the grocery that will be the new problems, and it will be directly attributable to XFG's tariffs: ie beef, veggies, and fruit, most of which are imported."
fnord
Democrats should adopt an "all of the above" energy policy. It's easy to explain, easy to contrast with the Republican position that squelches wind and solar even when those are the lowest-cost and fastest-to-scale options, appeals to nearly every rate payer on the basis of common sense alone, and produces jobs and income across the widest range of the political spectrum.
But I suspect that the progressive Democratic climate "group" will veto this, wanting to go all in on renewables while vilifying fossil fuels and nuclear power (and even hydro power in my neck of the woods).
Continued use of fossil fuels is certainly a problem for the climate, but the reality is that base load for the grid and transportation (especially air transport) will depend on fossil fuels for quite some time. Fighting that reality is an election loser.
It’s gotta fit on a bumper sticker. It’s gotta work at a third grade level. It’s gotta be short and concise. Republicans are blowing up your electric bill. That’s it. Don’t explain it. Don’t get out a whiteboard or a blackboard or any other color board. Don’t get charts or power points just say Republicans high energy bills
A FAIR DEAL
No subsidies or penalties or rate preferences for any form of energy generation and distribution, consistent with the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and probably some other legislation that I don't know about. @J AZ (below) would be entitled to be paid by the utility for his home solar feed to the grid at same rate that the utility charges for grid power. (In an economist's perfect world there would be penalties -- such as a carbon tax -- to deal with externalities, but that won't fit on a bumper sticker.)
The IRS is required to pay the same interest on overpayment of federal income taxes that it charges for underpayments.
No income cap on FICA taxes, and no cap on SS benefits.
No step-up in cost basis for inherited assets.
Capital gains taxed like ordinary income.
No tax deduction for carried interest.
All tax credits must be refundable. E.g., the soon-to-disappear $7500 tax credit for EV purchase only has its full benefit for those who have at least $7500 in tax liability. A refundable credit would pay any buyer $7500, regardless of their actual tax liability.
Negative federal income tax (hat tip to Milton Friedman) coupled with elimination of TANF and SNAP.
No stock or bond trading by elected officials.
No paid lobbying by previously elected officials.
Members of Congress and government employees get the same health insurance and retirement plan options available to any other citizen.
Multimember congressional districts with proportional representation -- every voter then suddenly matters. (A fantasy, I know, since both major parties benefit from the current duopoly.)
Ranked-choice or approval voting for all national elections.
Proportional allocation of electoral college votes, as Maine and Nebraska do now.
Feel free to add to the FAIR DEAL list, trying to avoid anything that requires an amendment to the Constitution.
I just suggested that you NOT pull out the whiteboard…
You do know that MAGA has a white(house)board in addition to the slogan, right?
https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/
You can’t win that argument because none of their facts are actually facts. That’s the problem, we’re not really polarized. Polarization involves different solutions to common problems. We can’t agree on reality so we don’t have common problems. So fighting back their whiteboard is a waste of time because they’re not even utilizing it.And their whiteboard is in no way constrained by reality. So you’re talking about setting yourself up for a losing battle. But that’s classic Democratic tactics right?
Rooftop/backyard solar doesn't stress the grid, can actually relieve it - but Republicans keep working to dis-incentivize widespread adoption. Utilities pay state legislators to scuttle efforts to require the utilities pay fair rates to home solar owners who can send their excess power back into the grid. The regulator/utility complex in Arizona stopped fair pricing years ago. Southern Arizona averages ~340 days of sunshine per year, but a home solar set-up that costs $25K to install is not that economical to pay off just from the savings on one's own electric bill. Selling the excess power back to the utility would improve affordability, but the meager rates now in effect don't make the math work for middle class homeowners - who has that upfront cash for an investment that will require 20 years to pay for itself? All that sunshine could limit the need for more power plants, instead it's just wasted potential.
New fossil fuel plants are expensive to build. Nuclear power plants are insanely expensive to build.
One company is refurbishing a closed nuke plant at Three Mile Island.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/shut-three-mile-island-nuclear-plant-may-restart-2027-owner-says-2025-06-25/
One problem with focusing on energy costs: what’s your solution? The prices are being driven by AI. No simple solution. The Rs canceling wind and solar can’t be helping.
Tariffs may be harder to understand but the solution is crystal clear: remove the tariffs.
Free to read about energy & AI:
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/kilowatt-madness
Oh my God, that’s not a problem. It wasn’t Joe Biden’s fault that we had high inflation after a once in a century epidemic. Yet the Republicans hung the whole thing on Biden by constant repetition and just screaming about prices from morning to night time.
And again not just the GOP. The media did too.
Here’s what the Democrats don’t get. If you take the offensive and you own the narrative by attacking your opponent, they don’t spend time talking about your inflation, problem and how you let things spiral out of control. They’re too busy keeping up with the crazy stuff you’re saying. This is highly effective. How do I know? Look who’s in the oval office.
I agree the pandemic inflation was no one’s fault but Trump said it was. His followers believe everything he says.
The article I linked to wasn’t about pandemic inflation anyway.
I’m just making the point that strategic lying is what wins elections. And that the Democrats need to do that. Ironically, there’s so much crazy corruption on the right that they probably don’t need to do it but they need to package it in a way that is to the point.Don’t make the argument to democratic and independent voters. Just label the opposition as criminal, unfit, etc. That’s my point.
They would NEVER get away with it. First, the media (again and again and again so many of our problems lie with our legacy/mainstream/corporate etc media) would pillory any Dem who lied. The double standard is alive and well.
Gavin Newsom is flooding the zone with Twitter attacks. The media can’t keep up. And the media hasn’t condemned him. Other than dingdong Perino..
The perception of the media couldn’t be lower. It wouldn’t matter. And calling Trump a pedophile is hardly a stretch. It would definitely work and flooding. The field with shit has proven absolutely effective. But more to the point, it sends the message that the Democrat that does that is actually not a wimpy victim because no one wants to vote for a loser.
"I’m just making the point that strategic lying is what wins elections. And that the Democrats need to do that."
Hallalujah! Alas, this is what it has come to. But, for crying out loud, if MAGA really is an existential threat to our country, then a creative relationship to the truth is one of the LEAST bad options I can think of.
There should be a massive effort (Financed by the Democratic Party) to place a billboard on every major highway on the outskirts of every major town in every Red District in the Country identifying by name the U.S. Representative who voted for the Big Ugly Bill listing the eventual damages it will do to its citizens to include higher energy costs. The same should be done in every State with a Republican Senator up for reelection. Much of the bad stuff will not be apparent to voters until after the midterms; consequently, Democratic Party messaging between now and then is critical!
Great idea! How about billboards across the United States asking? Where is the Epstein file?
An advantage that CA has over TX is that by asking for a referendum, the process becomes legal while doing it by fiat is most definitely illegal.
This is a must better tactic than splitting hairs on good vs bad tariff implementation. When you are talking to a mass of people all at once your message needs to be simple, or something they feel matters to them. Preferably both if possible. I can add from a local perspective that in Georgia, the largest power company currently has its rates frozen until 2028, due to several increases in the past few years right on top of each other. It got them some negative press so they implemented the rate freeze. I bring up the situation in Georgia due to the Ossoff senate race, and that the power bill argument will still be good but not as effective in Georgia. In any case I'm glad to hear the Dems are doing this, thanks for the update.