Winning By Not Losing
A look at the last potential debate of the 2020 cycle...
Leading The Bulwark…
Harris Won By Not Losing
Richard North Patterson: Here’s why last night’s vice presidential debate mattered.
Thanks to a little over 1,000 of you Bulwark+ members who joined us for our post-debate coverage of the VP debate. We had a blast.
If you’re a member of Bulwark+ and missed it,you can watch it here. We had planned to do one after every debate… but given today’s news? There might not be any more debates. So, we’ll do some live streams after town hall events if it comes to that.
Not a member of Bulwark+? Join now!
On the Pods / Snapchat / Bulwark+…
Meltdowns with Maria Bartiromo
I join Charlie Sykes to discuss President Trump's morning meltdown with Maria Bartiromo, the Vice Presidential debates, and how the poor response to COVID-19 is impacting the 2020 elections.
Post Post-Debate
Our members can tune into hear JVL and Sarah talk about last night’s debate and the future of the GOP.
Phil Contrino on theater safety and the state of cinemas
Sonny is joined this week by Phil Contrino, the Director of Media and Research for the National Association of Theatre Owners. Topics of discussion include the state of the movie theater business (spoiler: it’s kind of dire at the moment, given news that Regal’s U.S. screens are shuttering again), the relative safety of moviegoing as opposed to dining out or attending church (spoiler: it’s much safer!), and what role the government might play in helping ensure theaters don’t go out of business.
Not My Party Ep. 106 - Sympathy For The Orange Devil?
From The Bulwark Aggregator…
‘Thank you, Mr. Vice President’: Another moderator struggles to control the conversation – Laura Seligman, Politico
Judge Orders Twitter To Unmask FBI Impersonator Who Set Off Seth Rich Conspiracy – Bobby Allyn, NPR
How Did Lindsey Graham End Up In Such A Close Race? – Perry Bacon, Jr., FiveThirtyEight
Both Pence and Harris Dodged the Only Important Question at the Vice Presidential Debate – Eric Boehm, Reason
The Man Who Pretended Not to Notice – David Frum, The Atlantic
COVID Is So Crazy at UW They’re Keeping Sorority Sisters in the Basement – Emily Shugerman, The Daily Beast
In Today’s Bulwark…
Pence Flubbed the Civics 101 Question
Mona Charen: Sen. Harris did just fine at last night’s debate, but the vice president couldn’t answer an important, easy question.
The Indefensible Mike Pence
Amanda Carpenter: Mike Pence shouldn’t have even been at the debate… A good man would have resigned already. But Trump’s White House is no place for good men and Mike Pence still wants to be in it.
🚨Overtime🚨
Thanks to those of you who stayed up late with us on the Bulwark+ post-debate show! We had a blast. If you’re not a member yet, we’d love it if you joined us.
Finally… The culmination of hundreds of Kristol / Crystal jokes became reality as Bill Kristol and Billy Crystal teamed up for the most ambitious crossover of all time.
For those who have worked for Bill can attest, the Kristol / Crystal jokes are legion. I remember picking up a prominent conservative writer who was on the same flight as a TWS colleague during the 2012 GOP convention in Tampa. As we passed a Krystal restaurant, jokes were made about getting Bill to try Krystal. But they went further, involving Billy Crystal… I’ll leave it there, but sometimes a long-running gag can be willed into reality by the universe.
A West Wing special. Each Wednesday after our SGA meetings, a bunch of my college compatriots would go watch the most recent episode of The West Wing. As a young college republican, the show’s liberal themes did not appeal to me. But it was a fun show to watch. After coming out to Washington, I did gain an appreciation for the level of detail exhibited in the show. And now, the cast is reuniting for a special. Check it out:
Is this bad? Former RNC fundraiser Elliott Broidy was charged in a Malaysian-funded illegal lobbying scheme.
The TPUSA Troll Farm. NBC has more about how the teenage-focused GOP group used hundreds of fake accounts on news sites to criticize Dems and praise the bad orange man.
Speaking of trolls… Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman appeared before a Michigan court today, and unless they can put up $100k in a bond, they’re not getting out of prison for a few days while they face trial for robocalls that allegedly violate the law.
I met Wohl once at CPAC and he told me that Jack Abramoff was a personal hero of his. I questioned whether going to prison was something that interested him, and he indicated it was. I guess he may be getting his wish.
Meanwhile, in Michigan…
Must be “Strategic Silence” from the Pelosi hairdresser crowd. Speaker Pelosi’s dumb and ill-advised haircut was catnip for right wing media for days. But the White House Chief of Staff putting on a wedding in the early throes of COVID-19? Well, I guess these folks must not read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution because if you thought Pelosi’s haircut was irresponsible, this is REALLY irresponsible.
That’s it for me today, friends. Sorry for the later newsletter. Podcast difficulties dominated the day, but it all worked out.
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