Send in the Surrogates
Send in the Surrogates
Plus: A Good God, Despite Everything
Recently in The Bulwark:
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SARAH LONGWELL: Send in the Surrogates.
OLD AND BUSTED: Sleepy Joe. New hotness: Jacked-up Joe.
Joe Biden did a lot to shore up his weaknesses in his State of the Union address on Thursday. Before the speech, the main criticism of him from Republicans (and many voters, including Democrats) was that he was old and lacked the sharpness and energy to be president.
Then came the SOTU. He addressed his age directly at the end of the speech, observing that with age comes wisdom. And he’s started addressing his age directly in his ads, even joking about it. This is a good start—a necessary first step to reassure voters that he can do the job.
🎥 PODCASTS AND VIDEOS 🎧
Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Evan Osnos: Biden Brims with Confidence [Ad-Free🔐]
Just Between Us: GOP Oversold the Biden Is Old Meme 🔐
ATMA 🎧: Best. Oscars. Ever.
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Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
PHIL CHRISTMAN: A Good God, Despite Everything.
WHAT WAS OFTEN SAID of her good friend, former President Barack Obama, is much more truly said of the novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson: She plays twelve-dimensional chess. Where many essayists move through life content to argue, in each piece, a single main point, perhaps weaving in two or three minor themes if we’re feeling sophisticated, Robinson typically prosecutes many lines of argument at once. A Robinson essay will often begin by noting some error or oversimplification in one of our commonplace notions—the Puritans were joyless bores, say, or neuroscience must change our view of human nature. She will then proceed to attack the position most often taken as the main rival to the position she has just attacked; if a third position has emerged as a potential spoiler to one or the other, she may lob a bomb or two in that direction as well.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Tuesday! Two things to recommend on your Netflix queue from my weekend: The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping, which is not for the faint of heart, and American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders. Both are very well done, and both are relevant to a moment when a sizable portion of the country has joined a cult.
RVAT ‘24 is here: Check out the inaugural ad, and if you have any Trump voters in your life who are over it, encourage them to submit one at RVAT.org.
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🎵On the Jukebox🎵: John Vincent III - Bluebird Singing
When Iran Goes Nuclear… The Islamic Republic will be even more aggressive toward Israel and improve its standing with Russia and China, write Eric Edelman, Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh at The Dispatch.
Kristi Noem is out of the Veepstakes… With this bizarre 5 minute dental testimonial, Trump would never pick her. Now, did she do this on purpose?
Also from Amb. Edelman… Along with David Manning, and Franklin C. Miller at The New Atlanticist: NATO’s decision process has an Achilles’ heel.
BUCKle up… Ken Buck (R-CO) announce he is retiring, which is a very strategic “fuck you” to Mike Johnson and especially Lauren Boebert.
Discharge Petition Time… The rarely-used tactic is in the spotlight, even more so given a soon-to-be-smaller GOP majority.
Full transcript of Biden’s special counsel interview… paints nuanced portrait (WaPo).
…and now we’re finding out more…. About his visit with the Mongolian Prime Minister. Story Time with Joe Biden™ is the best.
Ineffective Activism… Don’t Be An Asshole (Ordinary Times).
Stat of the Day… United States produces more crude oil than any country, ever (EIA).
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