Yes, indeed. I am glad you feel so. I hilight the following.
"Moreover, ignoring victims and corruption cedes far too much territory in the battle to defend the rule of law and essential American values, such as empathy and inclusion. An overly narrow view of what “matters” in the fight for democracy or an unduly pessimistic view of the public’s concern for vulnerable people (e.g., migrants, Medicaid recipients) leads to moral indifference and rot.
In the book of Judges, after great male leaders like Moses, Joshua and others suddenly a woman leader shows up and sing a praise song In that she declares
"Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel."
I look foward our Debora like Jen, HCR will save America. Who is DEM's Debora?
Love your comment Hiro! We are spiritually bankrupt. America has so lost its moral core and who better than a woman to bring back empathy and lead by example how to care about and to take care of other humans, animals and our Mother Earth which is our only home we've been given. "Who is DEM's Debora?" as you perfectly call out? I believe this is finally the time for HER to stand up powerfully and rightfully come forth and emerge to save our democracy. Thank you Hiro.
Me too Hiro! I was thinking…..I would love to see a Millions Women March across this country for moral values and freedom for all sentient beings. that’s my dream.
Rachell Maddow show yesterday explained America is already under an autocratic government. With all these comments and cries, I have been wondering what is my best response. Jesus told his apostles make every nation his disciples. So I have decided to become one of his disciples myself. I hope you become one too.
The problem is the lack of leadership on our side. We need a clear-eyed, articulate person with vision, humor, and charisma to get up and point us where we can do the most good. Unfortunately the Lincolns, Roosevelts, JFKs, and the like are quite rare. So, until such a one appears, the rest of us are going to have to stand in - and stand out.
This is where I start to leave people. A "clear-eyed, articulate person with vision, humor and charisma"? Words and phrases driving us to distraction, indeed. They're all over the place, a dime a dozen. Look deeper than the most superficial of news cycles. Corey Booker, Jasmine Crockett, Pete Buttigieg, Eric Swalwell, Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear, Joel Osoff, Brian Katz, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth...I'm sure off the top of my head I've only left out only about 2-3 dozen more.
So tired of the whining about 'no leaders, waaa.' We need a smarter, more engaged, less lazy electorate, not brighter, flashier, more 'practically perfect in every way' Mary Poppinses. How that will happen is the cold-fission-in-a-bottle political question of this new century. Get to work.
The problem with the American electorate is the electorate... 1/4 are propagandized into googly-eyed zombies, 1/4 are Dems who occasionally bump into each other and 1/2 are totally disengaged. A leader should have a plan for bringing some order to this mess.
War is hell. Fight on we must, no matter what the electorate is or is not doing. Zelensky didn't give up because a majority of Ukraine's population fled Ukraine to avoid the bombs. Indivisible (Indivisible.org) is doing a One Million Rising campaign to get the resisting electorate trained in peaceful protest and non-cooperation tactics and how to talk to others about it. WE MUST DO IT. No matter what others are or are not doing. Thousands signed up in the first 30 minutes of Ezra talking about it. We're not alone. Don't get "distracted" by the electorate. No savior is on the way, we're it. Abraham Lincoln said same.
I agree completely. That was my thought. We need intelligence, the ability to speak in such a way that people are inspired by the leader's vision and integrity, and the commitment to stay the course ands be strong against the vile opposition attacks. Your list is a fine start. If he weren't so old now and hadn't done far more than his fair hare, I'd still ad Bernie Sanders. I'd also look at independents like Senator King of Maine.
You state it well. The last thing we need is a single leader, which would leave us hostages to fortune if something happens to that person, and which would also leave us vulnerable when the press, after idealizing that person starts picking that person apart. It is more sustainable, as we work to save democracy to have multiple people stepping up to leadership positions--and knowing when to step away from them and facilitate others in taking leadership positions.
Agreed. The Democrats lack leadership. We need a reputable, charismatic and outspoken leader who can appeal to a broad segment of the population on both sides of the aisle. Lurching to the left is a catastrophic disaster. The MAGA's and a large portion of the Republican Party are willing to hold their noses from the acrid stench of Donald Trump because he offers them what they want to hear. The Democrats need to do the same - without the stench.
well, what is "the left" for this purpose? Wanting health care for more people? Not wanting US residents - citizens or otherwise - seized on the street and held incommunicado? Wanting the rules for clean air and water to stay in place? Wanting reliable and comprehensive weather reports and warnings?
There is almost no serious "left" in the US. The farthest one gets are Bernie Saunders and AOC, and they are not advocating for anything more radical than fairer taxes and quality education.
The Democrats' policies are generally good ones and popular if they can read the citizens, but the mainstream media find Trump's distractions (Greeenland, names of sports teams, Brazilian prosecutions) more interesting than good policies - and of course Fox will never tell anyone anything good about Democrats.
So the people "want to hear" that, but getting the message out - esp with a minority in Congress - is very hard.
By lurching to the Left, I had in mind the sudden surge of popularity of the avowed Socialist Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York City who is avidly supported by AOC and even the Teacher's Union. If elected, he will be a lightning rod for attack by Republicans around the country who are running in 2026, not to mention their blowhard mouthpiece Donald Trump.
Joe Biden is a lightning rod for attack by Republicans, and Biden is pretty much centrist. For decades, the Republicans have been attacking Democrats as "leftists" and the Democratic Party as a whole as been moving farther to the right, to no avail. US Democrats would probably be considered to be conservatives in most European countries. Mamdani is popular because he is proposing to deal with issues that NY City residents face on a daily basis like huge housing costs and the drastic wealth disparities that exist in the city.
I agree. Going with economic and quality of life issues for ordinary Americans must be the paramount strategy. Trump is corruption personified and ruining American business (for all but corporate overlords) maybe for the long term. We need a dynamic people-centered leader who is not beholden to the super-rich and powerful lobbies. All the names chosen above would be great if we weren’t still a racist, sexist, elite-driven culture aiming to embed Taliban’s worst practices in our daily lives. (Kamala would have saved us.) As it is, for our transition back to decency, we need an outstanding youngish white guy with the common touch appealing to Americans still capable of rational thought. Where is he?
If Mamdani is strong enough to be that lightning rod, I think he will surprise the Dem naysayers who are convinced health care for all is a scary, left wing, radical notion that must be squashed.
The big challenge is that suggesting that government can do *anything* to make people's lives better is called "hard left" or even "Marxist" by Fox-poisoned commentators and a lot of people who should know better. (Trump used those labels for the Episcopalian Bishop of DC when she said that he should not govern by fear.)
Mamdani may call himself a Democratic Socialist (as does Bernie S), but he is running on largely bread-and-butter issues. And surely a politician is allowed to be ambitious, to share his vision - even if it's outside his legislative bailiwick. As mayor of NYC, he may be able to affect bus fares and maybe even housing (harder), but he won't be able to 'abolish' billionaires or set up a wealth tax.
And Democrats need to speak to the people who will elect them - so a candidate in NYC is going to be more progressive than a Democrat in KY or TX or ... you name it, but probably the NYC and CA Democrats will have a lot to agree on.
But being the rational, civil, non-cruel candidate everywhere in the country is worth aspiring to, and the Republicans are not seeking that label.
P.S. In Canada we have a party that considers itself "social democratic". It has formed the government in several provinces - it holds two at present - and often turns out to provide some pretty decent, non-scary government, no more inclined to run big deficits than anyone else, and just as respectful of civil liberties. So we are not as terrified of "socialists" as Americans.
Agreed, which does not mean MAGA, Trump and the Republican enablers in Congress are not the main wrongdoers. They are, definitely. How about Chris Murphy and Jasmine Crockett? They're at least trying to call out the BS.
We have many proven Democratic leaders. We just have to rally together around our values and moral principles, which are under serious attack right now. WE are the leaders we need. Can’t wait for someone else. WE need to step forward.
But, we actually do have lots of talent in the leadership, communication and ability-to- appear human talents: Buttigieg, yes, Newsome, JB Pritzker, AOC, Mallory Malloy, Chris Murphy, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, Jasmine Crockett...there are probably lots more!
They are busy actually doing their current jobs! Wes Moore’s accomplishments in Maryland are numerous and innovative. His partnership w/ the Feds to repair that bridge was an excellent example of collaborative leadership. He also has a pretty good social media presence.
That's a simplification. MAGA is a symptom, as is Trump himself, symptoms of a large group of reasons (imagined or not) that have a lot of people convinced that they are getting a raw deal and that they're grossly unhappy about it; they will go to bot legal and illegal means to get what they believe to be theirs. Fear, hate, lies, and conspiracies drive them.
If we canonize our allies we're imitating MAGA. The enemy was never DJT alone, or even just the Republicans. The Democrats were part of the problem (look what they're now doing to Mamdani) but we didn't want to hear that, and so DJT won a narrative that should never have been his to win.
I don't disagree but neither do I totally agree. We have clear-eyed, charismatic and well spoken leaders - think Pete Buttigieg, Jasmine Crockett, Chris Murphy, Hakeem Jeffries, AOC, to name a few. What we seem to lack is unified messaging that echos over and over across the party and the nation. Buttigieg has made numerous appearances on Fox where he articulates his position with clear, calm explanations AND, most importantly, they keep inviting him back. Make someone like Pete the de facto spokesperson for the Democrats and then everyone get behind it by repeating the facts and talking points he's speaking over and over. In my personal experience, whenever I mention Pete, the universal response I hear is, "I love Pete, he's great! "
I have written that suggestion multiple times in Substack comments since December and passed it on to him.We just are not seeing enough of these people and they have scattershot messaging.
Their base is beginning to suffer now also, ‘cracks appearing’ in their support & Epstein just an issue for them a cover of their other disappointments with Trump … they don’t want to admit publicly, how bad he is on the other issues they thot he wd be great on.
Gotta have both in the end, but yes, in order to get the independents, stay-at-homes & swing voters to the voting booth — and news media to cover — you need charisma.
I discovered you the first day you published. I am a former political and whatever writer for heyday of magazines… helped start New York and Ms. Now 89 and aghast.You have been life savers for me. Grateful. Steadied. Fascinated. And sending you a picture of my dog
The gestapo AKA ICE, pulled 15 staff people off 2 cruise ships in Detroit, Michigan. They had work visas. Didn't matter. Just gone.
This is what has come to America, we are in a police state. Protest, call your congressional members EVERYDAY, there is no shortage of material. Support legal organizations such as the ACLU who are fighting for all of us. We can not be silent!
Thank you for reminding me that I have not given any support to the ACLU in some time - there are so many places to give - and I will rectify that, today.
It seems to me, Jen, that you are pointing at something less 'political' than fundamental: the importance, the critical importance, of our innate (although sometimes repressed as 'inconvenient') sense of right and wrong. The closer things come to fundamentals, the stronger they burn, and we are so much more than our appetites. So it's perhaps not surprising that getting a clear focus on something as morally repugnant as raping 13-17 year old girls (and the too often tragic aftermath of such a violation of their humanity) has started a bonfire of Trump's vanities. Politicians have often hidden from the implications of moral considerations so as not to be associated with such horrors as the institutionalized, patriarchal and deformed versions of morality espoused by evangelicals of all religious traditions, I suppose--or because they themselves have abandoned their moral sensitivity in order to grub for money or other forms of corruption. To their, and our detriment.
Yes, yes and yes‼️ Democrats should pound away on your every point. I hope someone reads this who holds sway and have the Democrats focus on a message, find one spokesperson and get their act together. Now!
Is there not a contradiction, though, between "pound away on your every point" and "focus on a message".
And it is very early to find one spokesperson - good work can be done in different constituencies by different people. AOC and Andy Beshear (and many others across the spectrum) are all worth listening to, and all may reach some MAGAts or some doubters.
You are correct. There isn't "one message". So many horrors coming down the pike from the BBB. We have been resilient people in the past, we can do it again. We all have to do our part, and on the maga side, well ... who knows what will break their fever, but it looks like the Epstein debacle may be the first major crack in the wall the herd lives its fantasy life behind.
"Too often, nervous Democrats urge the public to ignore one set of Trump abuses to focus on more “popular” issues."
An excellent point, Ms. Rubin. A problem is that none of what Trump does are actual distractions, but components of an increasingly effective move toward authoritarianism and fascism. Granted, there are the "comments of the moment" that draw the headlines, and they wander from point to point. The sum of all of them reveal the loss of rights, liberty, and democracy, and this must not be overlooked. It also must not be overlooked that the president's thin skin and dementia are both advancing. Probably the overarching issue is what the budget bill will do to individuals when they go into effect. We must keep them front and center as they will affect us all.
Jen: Despite your assertions about the DNC, they have been attacking my representative, Maria Elvira Slalazar, who proposes immigration reform but is a MAGA and votes against her own people, Cuban Americans.
“Trump will be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery, and what Reagan was for communism.”
Maria Elvira should be the poster girl -- along with Martio Diaz Balart and Carlost Gimenez, our other MSAGA Cuban American reps on immigration. Here's what Miami healthcare CEO Michael “Mike” B. Fernandez wrote in an "open letter" to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of the Republican Cuban-American Miami-Dade congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and Maria Elvira Salazar:
"For decades, I have stood with you in defense of the freedoms we cherish, those we were denied in the country of our birth and found in the grace of this one. I know what it means to flee tyranny. Like you, I carry that history in my bones and that pain in my heart.
"But like a growing number in our community, I have watched with dismay as the very values we once found sanctuary in are now being attacked by a previously unthinkable threat — the sitting president of the United States."
Ms. Rubin: You are the best. In one page you succinctly put the United States state affairs in clear and orderly precision . I read your essay every day along with HCR (and lots others)You make understanding the chaos a little more fathomable. Thank you for leaving that “news paper” and coming here to Substack. You are so appreciated by so many. CBA
The Trump Regime seems to stand on two legs: one leg is cruelty and punishment for those it considers enemies, unworthies, and racial inferiors; the other leg is enriching even more the rich elites including billionaires and tech Lords. You see these fawning individuals around the aging, festering waste of Trump as he signs laws and executive orders benefiting them. The glee and anticipation in them is palpable. There is so much wrong with this picture, this Game of Thrones, that the concerned citizen must deal with. Like Rosie the Riveter we have a war to fight.
We appear to be stuck in the quicksand of our history. As we attempt to lift every heavy leg for our survival, we find it impossible to identify our way forward, and at the same time, have the energy needed to survive. Despite the attempts of the masses trying to pull those in power out of this dilemma, to help them identify their way forward, despite the weight of the quicksand and its implications, they are unable to grasp the effort needed and are now far too weak to try!
That quicksand needs to be cleared, and that means that everyone of those mired in it must either agree to be pulled out and saved, or let go and rest in its arms! The idea that, if they go low, we go high, will never get them out of the death net! The idea that young and aggressive elected politicians must remain quiet and wait their turn essentially allows the quicksand to grab them as well.
The elders of our Democratic Party need to step down and become the chief supporters and help identify a new version for a way out of the quicksand! We are stuck, and first we need to identify that, so we can find our way forward! The truth is that we are at war, and it is America's second Civil War! The South has risen again, this time with more States, just as Reagan predicted, and if we remain standing on the high ground and aloof, if we do not hold the flag high and announce to the citizens a plan for our survival, we will sink into the depths of the sand! We need a written Emancipation Proclamation that will address the reason for this war to be identified!
This is absolutely one of your top columns. Bravo!
Yes, indeed. I am glad you feel so. I hilight the following.
"Moreover, ignoring victims and corruption cedes far too much territory in the battle to defend the rule of law and essential American values, such as empathy and inclusion. An overly narrow view of what “matters” in the fight for democracy or an unduly pessimistic view of the public’s concern for vulnerable people (e.g., migrants, Medicaid recipients) leads to moral indifference and rot.
In the book of Judges, after great male leaders like Moses, Joshua and others suddenly a woman leader shows up and sing a praise song In that she declares
"Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel."
I look foward our Debora like Jen, HCR will save America. Who is DEM's Debora?
Love your comment Hiro! We are spiritually bankrupt. America has so lost its moral core and who better than a woman to bring back empathy and lead by example how to care about and to take care of other humans, animals and our Mother Earth which is our only home we've been given. "Who is DEM's Debora?" as you perfectly call out? I believe this is finally the time for HER to stand up powerfully and rightfully come forth and emerge to save our democracy. Thank you Hiro.
Thank you Lilla. In this divided country, I pray for Debora, Mother of America as President to embrace and unite all with love.
All of us women need to become your “Deborah”. It’s up to us to save democracy and ourselves.
Me too Hiro! I was thinking…..I would love to see a Millions Women March across this country for moral values and freedom for all sentient beings. that’s my dream.
Rachell Maddow show yesterday explained America is already under an autocratic government. With all these comments and cries, I have been wondering what is my best response. Jesus told his apostles make every nation his disciples. So I have decided to become one of his disciples myself. I hope you become one too.
So much to exploit, so little time and resources:
a “target rich environment.”
Yes! Thank-you, Charlie in VA.
The problem is the lack of leadership on our side. We need a clear-eyed, articulate person with vision, humor, and charisma to get up and point us where we can do the most good. Unfortunately the Lincolns, Roosevelts, JFKs, and the like are quite rare. So, until such a one appears, the rest of us are going to have to stand in - and stand out.
This is where I start to leave people. A "clear-eyed, articulate person with vision, humor and charisma"? Words and phrases driving us to distraction, indeed. They're all over the place, a dime a dozen. Look deeper than the most superficial of news cycles. Corey Booker, Jasmine Crockett, Pete Buttigieg, Eric Swalwell, Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear, Joel Osoff, Brian Katz, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth...I'm sure off the top of my head I've only left out only about 2-3 dozen more.
So tired of the whining about 'no leaders, waaa.' We need a smarter, more engaged, less lazy electorate, not brighter, flashier, more 'practically perfect in every way' Mary Poppinses. How that will happen is the cold-fission-in-a-bottle political question of this new century. Get to work.
The problem with the American electorate is the electorate... 1/4 are propagandized into googly-eyed zombies, 1/4 are Dems who occasionally bump into each other and 1/2 are totally disengaged. A leader should have a plan for bringing some order to this mess.
War is hell. Fight on we must, no matter what the electorate is or is not doing. Zelensky didn't give up because a majority of Ukraine's population fled Ukraine to avoid the bombs. Indivisible (Indivisible.org) is doing a One Million Rising campaign to get the resisting electorate trained in peaceful protest and non-cooperation tactics and how to talk to others about it. WE MUST DO IT. No matter what others are or are not doing. Thousands signed up in the first 30 minutes of Ezra talking about it. We're not alone. Don't get "distracted" by the electorate. No savior is on the way, we're it. Abraham Lincoln said same.
I agree! I’ve taken the Indivisible and ACLU training courses and I encourage all those reading here to - even if you are having a down day.
Could not agree more. Bad officers are elected by decent people who just don't vote or are too lazy to look beyond the surface.
I agree completely. That was my thought. We need intelligence, the ability to speak in such a way that people are inspired by the leader's vision and integrity, and the commitment to stay the course ands be strong against the vile opposition attacks. Your list is a fine start. If he weren't so old now and hadn't done far more than his fair hare, I'd still ad Bernie Sanders. I'd also look at independents like Senator King of Maine.
You state it well. The last thing we need is a single leader, which would leave us hostages to fortune if something happens to that person, and which would also leave us vulnerable when the press, after idealizing that person starts picking that person apart. It is more sustainable, as we work to save democracy to have multiple people stepping up to leadership positions--and knowing when to step away from them and facilitate others in taking leadership positions.
Agreed. The Democrats lack leadership. We need a reputable, charismatic and outspoken leader who can appeal to a broad segment of the population on both sides of the aisle. Lurching to the left is a catastrophic disaster. The MAGA's and a large portion of the Republican Party are willing to hold their noses from the acrid stench of Donald Trump because he offers them what they want to hear. The Democrats need to do the same - without the stench.
well, what is "the left" for this purpose? Wanting health care for more people? Not wanting US residents - citizens or otherwise - seized on the street and held incommunicado? Wanting the rules for clean air and water to stay in place? Wanting reliable and comprehensive weather reports and warnings?
There is almost no serious "left" in the US. The farthest one gets are Bernie Saunders and AOC, and they are not advocating for anything more radical than fairer taxes and quality education.
The Democrats' policies are generally good ones and popular if they can read the citizens, but the mainstream media find Trump's distractions (Greeenland, names of sports teams, Brazilian prosecutions) more interesting than good policies - and of course Fox will never tell anyone anything good about Democrats.
So the people "want to hear" that, but getting the message out - esp with a minority in Congress - is very hard.
By lurching to the Left, I had in mind the sudden surge of popularity of the avowed Socialist Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York City who is avidly supported by AOC and even the Teacher's Union. If elected, he will be a lightning rod for attack by Republicans around the country who are running in 2026, not to mention their blowhard mouthpiece Donald Trump.
Joe Biden is a lightning rod for attack by Republicans, and Biden is pretty much centrist. For decades, the Republicans have been attacking Democrats as "leftists" and the Democratic Party as a whole as been moving farther to the right, to no avail. US Democrats would probably be considered to be conservatives in most European countries. Mamdani is popular because he is proposing to deal with issues that NY City residents face on a daily basis like huge housing costs and the drastic wealth disparities that exist in the city.
Regardless of whether or not your comments have merit, what the Democrats have done and are continuing to do is not working.
When can we expect to have written copies of the Democrat's platform and plan in our hands - Project 2026? Where is it? Who is writing it?
And are we, the taxpayers, paying for djt's lawsuits against WSJ & Murdoch for example? I am not able to find that out? Plus all the other lawsuits?
I agree. Going with economic and quality of life issues for ordinary Americans must be the paramount strategy. Trump is corruption personified and ruining American business (for all but corporate overlords) maybe for the long term. We need a dynamic people-centered leader who is not beholden to the super-rich and powerful lobbies. All the names chosen above would be great if we weren’t still a racist, sexist, elite-driven culture aiming to embed Taliban’s worst practices in our daily lives. (Kamala would have saved us.) As it is, for our transition back to decency, we need an outstanding youngish white guy with the common touch appealing to Americans still capable of rational thought. Where is he?
I agree but I think you might want to revisit whether advocating a white guy is really what you meant.
If Mamdani is strong enough to be that lightning rod, I think he will surprise the Dem naysayers who are convinced health care for all is a scary, left wing, radical notion that must be squashed.
The big challenge is that suggesting that government can do *anything* to make people's lives better is called "hard left" or even "Marxist" by Fox-poisoned commentators and a lot of people who should know better. (Trump used those labels for the Episcopalian Bishop of DC when she said that he should not govern by fear.)
Mamdani may call himself a Democratic Socialist (as does Bernie S), but he is running on largely bread-and-butter issues. And surely a politician is allowed to be ambitious, to share his vision - even if it's outside his legislative bailiwick. As mayor of NYC, he may be able to affect bus fares and maybe even housing (harder), but he won't be able to 'abolish' billionaires or set up a wealth tax.
And Democrats need to speak to the people who will elect them - so a candidate in NYC is going to be more progressive than a Democrat in KY or TX or ... you name it, but probably the NYC and CA Democrats will have a lot to agree on.
But being the rational, civil, non-cruel candidate everywhere in the country is worth aspiring to, and the Republicans are not seeking that label.
P.S. In Canada we have a party that considers itself "social democratic". It has formed the government in several provinces - it holds two at present - and often turns out to provide some pretty decent, non-scary government, no more inclined to run big deficits than anyone else, and just as respectful of civil liberties. So we are not as terrified of "socialists" as Americans.
Agreed, which does not mean MAGA, Trump and the Republican enablers in Congress are not the main wrongdoers. They are, definitely. How about Chris Murphy and Jasmine Crockett? They're at least trying to call out the BS.
We have many proven Democratic leaders. We just have to rally together around our values and moral principles, which are under serious attack right now. WE are the leaders we need. Can’t wait for someone else. WE need to step forward.
I nominate Kamala Harris. Again. & for VP, Mayor Pete or Texas Looser-guy or Robert Reich. (& no, he’s not too old)!
But, we actually do have lots of talent in the leadership, communication and ability-to- appear human talents: Buttigieg, yes, Newsome, JB Pritzker, AOC, Mallory Malloy, Chris Murphy, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, Jasmine Crockett...there are probably lots more!
They are great, but I'm just not seeing enough of them.
Dollars to donuts that's a corporate media disssing
They are busy actually doing their current jobs! Wes Moore’s accomplishments in Maryland are numerous and innovative. His partnership w/ the Feds to repair that bridge was an excellent example of collaborative leadership. He also has a pretty good social media presence.
I’m glad, but the news must be staying in Maryland. It is invisible in GA.
The enemy is MAGA.
That's a simplification. MAGA is a symptom, as is Trump himself, symptoms of a large group of reasons (imagined or not) that have a lot of people convinced that they are getting a raw deal and that they're grossly unhappy about it; they will go to bot legal and illegal means to get what they believe to be theirs. Fear, hate, lies, and conspiracies drive them.
MAGAts are daily propagandized by Faux Snooze.
True that, and the rest of the compromised main stream media aren't too far behind.
But you attack YOUR ALLIES. Psy ops in action.
If we canonize our allies we're imitating MAGA. The enemy was never DJT alone, or even just the Republicans. The Democrats were part of the problem (look what they're now doing to Mamdani) but we didn't want to hear that, and so DJT won a narrative that should never have been his to win.
More BS. They aren't doing ANYTHING.... More psy ops.
Calling any criticism of Dems psyops is akin to the MAGAs calling reports of DJT's faults faux news.
I don't disagree but neither do I totally agree. We have clear-eyed, charismatic and well spoken leaders - think Pete Buttigieg, Jasmine Crockett, Chris Murphy, Hakeem Jeffries, AOC, to name a few. What we seem to lack is unified messaging that echos over and over across the party and the nation. Buttigieg has made numerous appearances on Fox where he articulates his position with clear, calm explanations AND, most importantly, they keep inviting him back. Make someone like Pete the de facto spokesperson for the Democrats and then everyone get behind it by repeating the facts and talking points he's speaking over and over. In my personal experience, whenever I mention Pete, the universal response I hear is, "I love Pete, he's great! "
I have written that suggestion multiple times in Substack comments since December and passed it on to him.We just are not seeing enough of these people and they have scattershot messaging.
“They have scattershot messaging” — or are they covered in a ‘scattershot manner’? There’s a reason why Trump “floods the zone”.
And it may be that they are getting their message out where more people see it. For us, it is almost paralyzing while it makes their base giddy.
Their base is beginning to suffer now also, ‘cracks appearing’ in their support & Epstein just an issue for them a cover of their other disappointments with Trump … they don’t want to admit publicly, how bad he is on the other issues they thot he wd be great on.
We have to use these cracks to help them exit the cult.
Unfortunately, this is true. If you need a charismatic leader, the form is more important than the substance.
Gotta have both in the end, but yes, in order to get the independents, stay-at-homes & swing voters to the voting booth — and news media to cover — you need charisma.
I know that but it is my opinion that that is a weakness in the system. Management as entertainment is a poor way to run things.
I discovered you the first day you published. I am a former political and whatever writer for heyday of magazines… helped start New York and Ms. Now 89 and aghast.You have been life savers for me. Grateful. Steadied. Fascinated. And sending you a picture of my dog
Charlotte.
But apparently not today… darn phone. Thank you.
I'm with you, Ms Riley!
(Substack doesn’t allow photos in comments. Your phone isn’t the problem.)
The gestapo AKA ICE, pulled 15 staff people off 2 cruise ships in Detroit, Michigan. They had work visas. Didn't matter. Just gone.
This is what has come to America, we are in a police state. Protest, call your congressional members EVERYDAY, there is no shortage of material. Support legal organizations such as the ACLU who are fighting for all of us. We can not be silent!
Thank you for reminding me that I have not given any support to the ACLU in some time - there are so many places to give - and I will rectify that, today.
Thank you. I have given annual (modest) gifts to the ACLU for decades. I will increase the amount now!
It seems to me, Jen, that you are pointing at something less 'political' than fundamental: the importance, the critical importance, of our innate (although sometimes repressed as 'inconvenient') sense of right and wrong. The closer things come to fundamentals, the stronger they burn, and we are so much more than our appetites. So it's perhaps not surprising that getting a clear focus on something as morally repugnant as raping 13-17 year old girls (and the too often tragic aftermath of such a violation of their humanity) has started a bonfire of Trump's vanities. Politicians have often hidden from the implications of moral considerations so as not to be associated with such horrors as the institutionalized, patriarchal and deformed versions of morality espoused by evangelicals of all religious traditions, I suppose--or because they themselves have abandoned their moral sensitivity in order to grub for money or other forms of corruption. To their, and our detriment.
Bingo! Thank you, Leigh. Indeed, sometimes life demands we rise above our appetites for the greater good — which used to be a thing.
Yes, yes and yes‼️ Democrats should pound away on your every point. I hope someone reads this who holds sway and have the Democrats focus on a message, find one spokesperson and get their act together. Now!
Is there not a contradiction, though, between "pound away on your every point" and "focus on a message".
And it is very early to find one spokesperson - good work can be done in different constituencies by different people. AOC and Andy Beshear (and many others across the spectrum) are all worth listening to, and all may reach some MAGAts or some doubters.
You are correct. There isn't "one message". So many horrors coming down the pike from the BBB. We have been resilient people in the past, we can do it again. We all have to do our part, and on the maga side, well ... who knows what will break their fever, but it looks like the Epstein debacle may be the first major crack in the wall the herd lives its fantasy life behind.
POWERFUL column. Thank you.
I appreciate that you are able to articulate so clearly and powerfully the chaotic feelings that are roiling through my head. Thank you!
"Too often, nervous Democrats urge the public to ignore one set of Trump abuses to focus on more “popular” issues."
An excellent point, Ms. Rubin. A problem is that none of what Trump does are actual distractions, but components of an increasingly effective move toward authoritarianism and fascism. Granted, there are the "comments of the moment" that draw the headlines, and they wander from point to point. The sum of all of them reveal the loss of rights, liberty, and democracy, and this must not be overlooked. It also must not be overlooked that the president's thin skin and dementia are both advancing. Probably the overarching issue is what the budget bill will do to individuals when they go into effect. We must keep them front and center as they will affect us all.
Bravo, Jen. Follow our heart and gut, and to hell with political strategists! The experts will be hoist on their own petards!
Jen: Despite your assertions about the DNC, they have been attacking my representative, Maria Elvira Slalazar, who proposes immigration reform but is a MAGA and votes against her own people, Cuban Americans.
https://dccc.org/maria-elvira-salazar-trump-will-end-immigration-just-like-lincoln-ended-slavery/
“Trump will be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery, and what Reagan was for communism.”
Maria Elvira should be the poster girl -- along with Martio Diaz Balart and Carlost Gimenez, our other MSAGA Cuban American reps on immigration. Here's what Miami healthcare CEO Michael “Mike” B. Fernandez wrote in an "open letter" to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of the Republican Cuban-American Miami-Dade congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and Maria Elvira Salazar:
"For decades, I have stood with you in defense of the freedoms we cherish, those we were denied in the country of our birth and found in the grace of this one. I know what it means to flee tyranny. Like you, I carry that history in my bones and that pain in my heart.
"But like a growing number in our community, I have watched with dismay as the very values we once found sanctuary in are now being attacked by a previously unthinkable threat — the sitting president of the United States."
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article304271841.html#storylink=cpy
Ms. Rubin: You are the best. In one page you succinctly put the United States state affairs in clear and orderly precision . I read your essay every day along with HCR (and lots others)You make understanding the chaos a little more fathomable. Thank you for leaving that “news paper” and coming here to Substack. You are so appreciated by so many. CBA
Oh and also, I read everything Joyce Vance write, too. Even chickens in taco costumes. Three magnificent women. I’m so lucky to have you guys.
The work you doing is amazing. DOJ is very cupurreped.
cupurreped ?
I looked it up. Google turned it into "corrupted." So I'm guessing that's the definition.
Thank You
I've posted this on Bluesky and LinkedIn as wisdom.
The Trump Regime seems to stand on two legs: one leg is cruelty and punishment for those it considers enemies, unworthies, and racial inferiors; the other leg is enriching even more the rich elites including billionaires and tech Lords. You see these fawning individuals around the aging, festering waste of Trump as he signs laws and executive orders benefiting them. The glee and anticipation in them is palpable. There is so much wrong with this picture, this Game of Thrones, that the concerned citizen must deal with. Like Rosie the Riveter we have a war to fight.
We appear to be stuck in the quicksand of our history. As we attempt to lift every heavy leg for our survival, we find it impossible to identify our way forward, and at the same time, have the energy needed to survive. Despite the attempts of the masses trying to pull those in power out of this dilemma, to help them identify their way forward, despite the weight of the quicksand and its implications, they are unable to grasp the effort needed and are now far too weak to try!
That quicksand needs to be cleared, and that means that everyone of those mired in it must either agree to be pulled out and saved, or let go and rest in its arms! The idea that, if they go low, we go high, will never get them out of the death net! The idea that young and aggressive elected politicians must remain quiet and wait their turn essentially allows the quicksand to grab them as well.
The elders of our Democratic Party need to step down and become the chief supporters and help identify a new version for a way out of the quicksand! We are stuck, and first we need to identify that, so we can find our way forward! The truth is that we are at war, and it is America's second Civil War! The South has risen again, this time with more States, just as Reagan predicted, and if we remain standing on the high ground and aloof, if we do not hold the flag high and announce to the citizens a plan for our survival, we will sink into the depths of the sand! We need a written Emancipation Proclamation that will address the reason for this war to be identified!