I’d like a word or two with “the ugly stepsisters of the Harris coalition” about last night’s post-Convention Night coverage.
I get that most of you want(ed) every minute of every night of the Democratic National Convention to be geared towards winning over undecided voters, expanding the coalition, eating away at the margins that will matter come November 5th.
But this is the Convention of the Democratic Party, and while I am certain the upcoming nights will be more to your way of thinking, I think we’ve earned the right to indulge one evening in healing the wounds we’ve endured. Joe Biden did the right thing and deserved his moment in the spotlight last night. Were it not for him, trump 2.0 would have happened in 2020, and were it not for him, most certainly trump 2.0 would be happening in 2024.
It’s been on the shoulders of the Democratic Party to save Democracy every election since 2016. But I sometimes wonder how many of you stood up to your (former?) party prior to the ascent of trump? How many of you spoke out during the two decades prior to 2016 when Gingrich, Rove, and so many others began:
1. Labeling the Democrats as “ENEMIES”
2. Defining Red state Americans as “Real Americans”, implying the rest of us were not
3. Amplifying their assault on Voting Rights that continues to this day in “Red” states
4. Claiming Democrats “HATE” America, Republicans “LOVE” America
Let’s not forget you come from the party of “Freedom Fries”, FFS. The toxicity began long before trump, in a party many of you were active participants in. Where were your voices all along that surely laid the groundwork for trump’s take-over of the Republican Party?
I understand that you have broad policy differences with the Democrats, and that one day you will think it “safe” to turn from this Coalition. But it seems the least you could do is to learn lessons about how your own silence and acquiescence over the past few decades contributed to needing this coalition to begin with. Will you? Or will you put your full support behind some “normie” Republican like Nikki Haley? Will you then claim that she only did what she had to do to stay viable in a post-trump Republican Party, that she was never a true trump believer… ?
While I value your immense contribution within this coalition to save our country from trumpism, I would admonish you to let the Democratic Party celebrate itself every now and then. One night of one convention is not where History will lay the blame for this catastrophic and dangerous era in American Politics.
As was explained to me when I said why is the Republican Convention taking so much time when it was clear after the 1st night that the ticket would be Trump/Vance...a convention is for the state and local party members that toil in the trenches. This is their celebration and time for re-commitment to their political party. The same is true for the Democratic Party.
Wow this is so well said. I couldn’t believe how much banging on the bulwark was doing about “why won’t they something I like.”
Never trunpers: remember we are visiting the Democratic Party. Most of our ideas they do not like. Most of our ideas, republicans don’t like. Let’s at least be humble about if our wants are really popular
Your comment made me sad, but it is accurate. A few years ago I visited the Netherlands, and one of my guides talked about how they have about 23 different political parties sitting in their version of Congress. Including a party that was focused on the rights of animals! (I am not sure if that was true or he was teasing). I thought it sounded kind of fun, and would force multiple coalitions on various issues. In any event, if we had that system here, you would certainly find a party to belong to!
Ha. Yeah but as bad as Trump was he did one thing for me: he showed me that the republicans were really full of shit. Everything they said they believed in, Trump showed in public, that it was bullshit.
The difference between the bulwark crew and I, is that I’ve concluded what I wanted just isn’t popular. It’s humbling but good to know.
Here here! I wrote a long comment that Substack ate when I hit send. Probably for the best, but I agree with everything you said so much. Thank you for this post!
I turned Tim and company off last night when I saw where they were headed. Bless you for this post. I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes life makes strange bedfellows, and I’ve been reminded of same many times as the writers here tell us what we Democrats need to do to save democracy one more time. I love this space and these people who provide it for us, but let us be Democrats. You don’t like us all the time, maybe most of the time, but in fact you are the guests at our party, the party of sanity and respect for American democracy. Until that changes, and may it come soon, please accept that we will annoy each other as allies do, but we Dems are doing everything we can to see that we all love to fight another day. Also how about Ukraine? They continue to surprise and inspire.
The toxicity began with Rush and expanded exponentially with Fox. The base for some demagogue was created by the propaganda industry’s lust for money. It will still be thriving regardless of the 2024 election outcome. Like Goebbels, they have weaponized free speech and we’re too timid to attack the problem.
Ronald Reagan actually was demented , betrayed the country negotiating with Iran before the election about hostages while he was still as with it as he ever was, then betrayed his comrades in crime with Iran contra . His goofy wife consulted an astrologer to help run the country . This is what the Rs want ? .This was morning in America?
This is the funniest part of their whole conversation though. They spent 2 weeks making fun of Trump because no one would speak at his convention. Then Kamala brings out a bunch of ex presidents and the current president and they “are like we can’t you talk to never trumpers and independents?”
They never stood up. Never told the likes of Limbaugh that they had no decency. Never said Ken Starr was going too far or that Roger Stone’s dirty tricks were repulsive. They took the wins and kept their mouths shut. And very few of them acknowledge that.
We get it Bill you don’t like Joe. Too bad. Most of us Dems love him. What strikes me, is that when Trump led in the polls, the election was considered a done deal and Biden was toast. Now that Kamala is rising and leading, it’s “but anything can change at any day.” Give it a rest.
I agree with your first part, but I don't begrudge anyone on the Bulwark staff expressing their honest opinions. I am grateful for, and indeed greatly value, their contributions to saving democracy now.
I could never vote for Liz Cheney, but I deeply admire her drawing the line at attempted coups. The courage she showed to put her entire political career on the line (and lose it), is remarkable.
I just wish some of them had drawn the lines in the 2 decade lead-up to trump and trumpism.
OMG! YES! Thank you for writing so eloquently what I felt reading Kristol!! How complicit are Kristol, Lingwell, Miller, & Eggers? They worked for the candidates that have brought us to this moment! I’m old enough to remember Kristol swooning over Sarah Palin! They are part of the problem that got us here. Thank you for your fine thoughts
THANK YOU!!!! Well said. How many times has the Dems saved our economy from the GOP? Now we have "Save our Democracy" yet again from the current version of the GOP? The Dems deserve a night like that after all the heavy lifting they've done for us!
The problem is that the Republican party stopped being THE Republican party decades ago. Even Nixon - the man who established the EPA, the Clear Water Act, other environmental pluses, détente with the Soviet Union, anti-ballistic treaties - wouldn't recognize it now. Though the Watergate Nixon would probably approve of parts of it.
Certainly didn't have a positive impact on the inflation numbers. It might have worked if Nixon had broadened his horizons, but some areas were untouchable and gas was one of them.
Nixon wouldn't recognize it, but after a moment's astonishment he would love it. He has 100% personality overlap with a MAGA list of enemies. Nixon begot Roger Stone and Roger Stone is 1000 percent in bed with Trump.
The snarkiness, lazy jibes and snickering mockery by Tim, Egger, Perticone and Sebastian were really bad. Maybe the bros on the video last night should follow the old adage of “if you have got nothing good to say, then maybe don’t say anything at all”.
Look, I don’t expect cheerleading from The Bulwark. But we do deserve some thoughtful analysis, not lazy and vacuous rants.
Plus, Tim seems determined to be immature, disrespectful and ageist every time he sees Biden on screen now.
I was lured to the post-game show by Tim's snarky "come on over, sickos" on Twitter. But I didn't last 10 minutes. I usually love Tim but I think everyone just needed to go to bed.
Why so protective and reactionary? Are we not all on the same team - team democracy? You’re already acting like you’re going to be stabbed in the back by those of us who are not card carrying members of the Democratic Party. You’re sure not making me feel very welcome in the coalition… I suspect that this moment will have a similar reshuffling effect as Nixon’s southern strategy. We don’t know yet how the electorate will truly look after this is all over.
I was speaking to the Bulwark members who moderated the Post-Convention-Night Coverage podcast/youtube last night, who were very down on the first night's focus and selections. It didn't meet their needs. I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush - I just thought they needed to hear a different perspective from someone who appreciated the celebration of folks from earlier in the party - Jesse Jackson, Hilary, Biden....
"They Did Go Back. (For One Night, At Least.)"
I’d like a word or two with “the ugly stepsisters of the Harris coalition” about last night’s post-Convention Night coverage.
I get that most of you want(ed) every minute of every night of the Democratic National Convention to be geared towards winning over undecided voters, expanding the coalition, eating away at the margins that will matter come November 5th.
But this is the Convention of the Democratic Party, and while I am certain the upcoming nights will be more to your way of thinking, I think we’ve earned the right to indulge one evening in healing the wounds we’ve endured. Joe Biden did the right thing and deserved his moment in the spotlight last night. Were it not for him, trump 2.0 would have happened in 2020, and were it not for him, most certainly trump 2.0 would be happening in 2024.
It’s been on the shoulders of the Democratic Party to save Democracy every election since 2016. But I sometimes wonder how many of you stood up to your (former?) party prior to the ascent of trump? How many of you spoke out during the two decades prior to 2016 when Gingrich, Rove, and so many others began:
1. Labeling the Democrats as “ENEMIES”
2. Defining Red state Americans as “Real Americans”, implying the rest of us were not
3. Amplifying their assault on Voting Rights that continues to this day in “Red” states
4. Claiming Democrats “HATE” America, Republicans “LOVE” America
Let’s not forget you come from the party of “Freedom Fries”, FFS. The toxicity began long before trump, in a party many of you were active participants in. Where were your voices all along that surely laid the groundwork for trump’s take-over of the Republican Party?
I understand that you have broad policy differences with the Democrats, and that one day you will think it “safe” to turn from this Coalition. But it seems the least you could do is to learn lessons about how your own silence and acquiescence over the past few decades contributed to needing this coalition to begin with. Will you? Or will you put your full support behind some “normie” Republican like Nikki Haley? Will you then claim that she only did what she had to do to stay viable in a post-trump Republican Party, that she was never a true trump believer… ?
While I value your immense contribution within this coalition to save our country from trumpism, I would admonish you to let the Democratic Party celebrate itself every now and then. One night of one convention is not where History will lay the blame for this catastrophic and dangerous era in American Politics.
Hear, hear!
As was explained to me when I said why is the Republican Convention taking so much time when it was clear after the 1st night that the ticket would be Trump/Vance...a convention is for the state and local party members that toil in the trenches. This is their celebration and time for re-commitment to their political party. The same is true for the Democratic Party.
And we have a winner!!!! Yes to every word.
Wow this is so well said. I couldn’t believe how much banging on the bulwark was doing about “why won’t they something I like.”
Never trunpers: remember we are visiting the Democratic Party. Most of our ideas they do not like. Most of our ideas, republicans don’t like. Let’s at least be humble about if our wants are really popular
Your comment made me sad, but it is accurate. A few years ago I visited the Netherlands, and one of my guides talked about how they have about 23 different political parties sitting in their version of Congress. Including a party that was focused on the rights of animals! (I am not sure if that was true or he was teasing). I thought it sounded kind of fun, and would force multiple coalitions on various issues. In any event, if we had that system here, you would certainly find a party to belong to!
Ha. Yeah but as bad as Trump was he did one thing for me: he showed me that the republicans were really full of shit. Everything they said they believed in, Trump showed in public, that it was bullshit.
The difference between the bulwark crew and I, is that I’ve concluded what I wanted just isn’t popular. It’s humbling but good to know.
Here here! I wrote a long comment that Substack ate when I hit send. Probably for the best, but I agree with everything you said so much. Thank you for this post!
I turned Tim and company off last night when I saw where they were headed. Bless you for this post. I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes life makes strange bedfellows, and I’ve been reminded of same many times as the writers here tell us what we Democrats need to do to save democracy one more time. I love this space and these people who provide it for us, but let us be Democrats. You don’t like us all the time, maybe most of the time, but in fact you are the guests at our party, the party of sanity and respect for American democracy. Until that changes, and may it come soon, please accept that we will annoy each other as allies do, but we Dems are doing everything we can to see that we all love to fight another day. Also how about Ukraine? They continue to surprise and inspire.
Bravo!!!
The toxicity began with Rush and expanded exponentially with Fox. The base for some demagogue was created by the propaganda industry’s lust for money. It will still be thriving regardless of the 2024 election outcome. Like Goebbels, they have weaponized free speech and we’re too timid to attack the problem.
I agree. I’m tired of this comment. What did they expect? No mention of Biden (or anyone that has been in office before) at all? Total disrespect.
How long did we have to hear about Reagan ffs ?
Ronald Reagan actually was demented , betrayed the country negotiating with Iran before the election about hostages while he was still as with it as he ever was, then betrayed his comrades in crime with Iran contra . His goofy wife consulted an astrologer to help run the country . This is what the Rs want ? .This was morning in America?
This is the funniest part of their whole conversation though. They spent 2 weeks making fun of Trump because no one would speak at his convention. Then Kamala brings out a bunch of ex presidents and the current president and they “are like we can’t you talk to never trumpers and independents?”
Me thinks some Bulwarkians are suffering from no longer being in the room.
Bill makes me laugh. He literally contradicts himself from week to week. It’s actually pretty amazing if you think about it
They never stood up. Never told the likes of Limbaugh that they had no decency. Never said Ken Starr was going too far or that Roger Stone’s dirty tricks were repulsive. They took the wins and kept their mouths shut. And very few of them acknowledge that.
We get it Bill you don’t like Joe. Too bad. Most of us Dems love him. What strikes me, is that when Trump led in the polls, the election was considered a done deal and Biden was toast. Now that Kamala is rising and leading, it’s “but anything can change at any day.” Give it a rest.
I agree with your first part, but I don't begrudge anyone on the Bulwark staff expressing their honest opinions. I am grateful for, and indeed greatly value, their contributions to saving democracy now.
I could never vote for Liz Cheney, but I deeply admire her drawing the line at attempted coups. The courage she showed to put her entire political career on the line (and lose it), is remarkable.
I just wish some of them had drawn the lines in the 2 decade lead-up to trump and trumpism.
OMG! YES! Thank you for writing so eloquently what I felt reading Kristol!! How complicit are Kristol, Lingwell, Miller, & Eggers? They worked for the candidates that have brought us to this moment! I’m old enough to remember Kristol swooning over Sarah Palin! They are part of the problem that got us here. Thank you for your fine thoughts
THANK YOU!!!! Well said. How many times has the Dems saved our economy from the GOP? Now we have "Save our Democracy" yet again from the current version of the GOP? The Dems deserve a night like that after all the heavy lifting they've done for us!
Yes!!! Also shame, shame, shame! à la Game of Thrones!
Thanks MM. I thought of making a post myself about the post-debate show.
It was very disappointing.
It's the Democratic party that's been beating back Trumpism by being Democrats. We have nothing to be ashamed about.
We are not Republican-lite. We are who we are and we've been winning since getting caught off-guard in 2016.
Yes, I decided not to watch it because I knew that would be the reaction
You are expecting a Republican to stop being a Republican. Not possible.
The problem is that the Republican party stopped being THE Republican party decades ago. Even Nixon - the man who established the EPA, the Clear Water Act, other environmental pluses, détente with the Soviet Union, anti-ballistic treaties - wouldn't recognize it now. Though the Watergate Nixon would probably approve of parts of it.
That would be the same Nixon who instituted price controls...you know that communist thing they are claiming Kamala wants to do.
Leading to hige gas lines. It didn’t work
Certainly didn't have a positive impact on the inflation numbers. It might have worked if Nixon had broadened his horizons, but some areas were untouchable and gas was one of them.
Nixon wouldn't recognize it, but after a moment's astonishment he would love it. He has 100% personality overlap with a MAGA list of enemies. Nixon begot Roger Stone and Roger Stone is 1000 percent in bed with Trump.
So would the Southern Strategy Nixon.
Amen! Couldn’t have said it any better.
The snarkiness, lazy jibes and snickering mockery by Tim, Egger, Perticone and Sebastian were really bad. Maybe the bros on the video last night should follow the old adage of “if you have got nothing good to say, then maybe don’t say anything at all”.
Look, I don’t expect cheerleading from The Bulwark. But we do deserve some thoughtful analysis, not lazy and vacuous rants.
Plus, Tim seems determined to be immature, disrespectful and ageist every time he sees Biden on screen now.
I was lured to the post-game show by Tim's snarky "come on over, sickos" on Twitter. But I didn't last 10 minutes. I usually love Tim but I think everyone just needed to go to bed.
Why so protective and reactionary? Are we not all on the same team - team democracy? You’re already acting like you’re going to be stabbed in the back by those of us who are not card carrying members of the Democratic Party. You’re sure not making me feel very welcome in the coalition… I suspect that this moment will have a similar reshuffling effect as Nixon’s southern strategy. We don’t know yet how the electorate will truly look after this is all over.
I’m sorry. It’s Bulwark staff who couldn’t let Democrats celebrate 1 night without snark & criticism.
I was speaking to the Bulwark members who moderated the Post-Convention-Night Coverage podcast/youtube last night, who were very down on the first night's focus and selections. It didn't meet their needs. I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush - I just thought they needed to hear a different perspective from someone who appreciated the celebration of folks from earlier in the party - Jesse Jackson, Hilary, Biden....
You were 100% correct. Let them stand down for 1 freaking night