Bitchin' about Biden, Wolfgang Press are getting back together, Project 2025 is a great liberal meme, the internet went wrong when the book publishers sued Google, a good folksonomies reader comment
I don't actually care who serves the term everyone is fine he would do just fine so would she. Reagan proved you don't beed to be sane to be an effective president ha.
i'm so with you on the biden thing—but i'm *more* angry at the DNC. HOW can there not be a plan B in place after the last two elections? have we not *all* been watching the same slow-motion wreck, frame by frame?! the hubris of it all, and the lack of planning—it's astounding. baffling.
and what if biden drops dead tomorrow? do they seriously not have anyone waiting in the wings other than kamala? because where the fuck has she been for the past four years? i feel like i've only seen her once a year during the state of the union address—and *that* can't be good.
I think Kamala's fine. She's on the View a lot, moms on the View love her. She spends a lot of time talking to normies and that's what she should be doing. I would be totally fine with Kamala. She has moments of brilliance. And a lot of baggage and whiffs, to be sure, but she is seasoned and ready. The DNC is a bunch of dunderheads but of course it is. Who would want to work for the DNC.
but like, WHO is doing the long-term planning for the left—or even the center? there doesn't seem to be any strategic vision, whereas we hear plenty from the right. and yeah, i guess looking to the DNC for this is wrong. but you bring up project 2025—where is the left equivalent to it, or ALEC, or the heritage foundation?
i'm half talking out of my ass here because i haven't been tracking political news (for the sake of my anxiety and sanity), but i do think i'm a leeee-ttle better-informed than the average voter, and this is what i'm finding incomprehensible at this time.
I mean you're getting at a structural problem of big tent dems vs solid, monolithic republicans. We have competing agendas. We do not fall in line. It's a problem but also a feature.
I read and watch a lot of media too. And have worked hard to improve and defend the 4th estate for my entire career. You don't see the erosion of its role in democracy? You don't think the New York Times has tipped over some edge and deserves criticism of its editorial choices, since at least the non stop drum beat of "but her emails" with little coverage of real and verifiable security threats, true corruption and demagoguery?
I WISH the NYT was different, I think it's kind of garbage, but also I have read plenty of histories laying out how fucking awful the NYT has been in the past. I don't think this is its worst period. I think they generally lack bravery and are very captured by industry and "conventional wisdom" but no more so than usual, and I think it's mostly the editors vs the journalists, who by and large still do good work. For all of everyone's complaining about them, I still regularly get passed very good articles that they have produced. I think they're doing about 2% better this time around than they did with Hitler, which they also whiffed. And Lingburgh. And Joseph Coghlin. And Reagan.
It stresses me so much to read your angry rant at Biden when, while perhaps understandable, that pointed anger needs to be focused directly at the person responsible for this current mess...if he finds a way to win again, this country is done. Unrecoverable for generations.
My white hot anger, thinly masking a gutting sadness and soul crushing disappointment, is focused on the MSM (which is nearly all media now) who have so obviously given up on any pretense of journalism and prefer dishing out both-sidesism in the style of sports commentary...chasing clicks and abandoning their role in democracy. Funding, producing, and disseminating actual "news" - vetted, researched, fact based information, is so old school and boring! The unfilled promise of the Internet (connecting and informing everyone everywhere of everything) has turned everything everywhere to shit.
I hope you put down your anger at Joe now. Stupid optimist that I am, I still see Biden (acknowledging many of your reasons for the rant as valid) as our best chance at defeating the Trojan horse Trump and ushering in our first (Black) woman POTUS. We must be united behind those with democratic values as steadfastly as those MAGOTs are behind their fascist Cheeto Jesus.
It is never fair, but it is human to express anger at those you know can do better. I expect nothing more from Trump. He was inevitable given the imperfections inherent in the constitution. He's not even new. He's Lindburgh all over again. The media is better now than then. There is one main difference: Biden is not FDR.
"He was inevitable" is something I can't argue with, given our lack of willingness to keep our firm of governance in touch with the times, but every fiber of my being rejects that fucker and it's just unimaginable to even contemplate him returning, this time to finish the job he started.
I agree 100%! This is why I'm so mad! Biden has minimized this danger every step of the way. He has been wrong about it consistently, and absolutely hubristic thinking HE was the solution.
I don't buy he's being arrogant or believes he's the only one. I think he's being his pragmatic practical self in realizes that he needs to carry the ball into the next term and pass it to the people he's surrounded himself with all of which would make better presidents than him but just not in July before a November election. He's an incumbent. He understands the value and wait that carries. Going with anybody else, at this time, is suicidal. And he knows it.
And here is the core of our disagreement. I do not believe this. He fucked us. It's moot what he does now. He fucked up exactly that transition. And he still is, because the issue isn't going to go away. And the polling this week has been catastrophic and it is no one's fault but his own.
I'm curious, sincerely, to hear what (and when) he could have done something differently, as the incumbent POTUS. Maybe that's worthy of a few paragraphs tomorrow!
I can think of one thing, appoint anyone other than Merrick Garland as his AG...someone who would have immediately started doing that job without fear or favor.
How will you feel if he wins and then steps shortly thereafter steps down and his VP, naming her own VP, serves out the term?
I don't actually care who serves the term everyone is fine he would do just fine so would she. Reagan proved you don't beed to be sane to be an effective president ha.
This is my hope...or perhaps my wish/fantasy.
i'm so with you on the biden thing—but i'm *more* angry at the DNC. HOW can there not be a plan B in place after the last two elections? have we not *all* been watching the same slow-motion wreck, frame by frame?! the hubris of it all, and the lack of planning—it's astounding. baffling.
and what if biden drops dead tomorrow? do they seriously not have anyone waiting in the wings other than kamala? because where the fuck has she been for the past four years? i feel like i've only seen her once a year during the state of the union address—and *that* can't be good.
I think Kamala's fine. She's on the View a lot, moms on the View love her. She spends a lot of time talking to normies and that's what she should be doing. I would be totally fine with Kamala. She has moments of brilliance. And a lot of baggage and whiffs, to be sure, but she is seasoned and ready. The DNC is a bunch of dunderheads but of course it is. Who would want to work for the DNC.
but like, WHO is doing the long-term planning for the left—or even the center? there doesn't seem to be any strategic vision, whereas we hear plenty from the right. and yeah, i guess looking to the DNC for this is wrong. but you bring up project 2025—where is the left equivalent to it, or ALEC, or the heritage foundation?
i'm half talking out of my ass here because i haven't been tracking political news (for the sake of my anxiety and sanity), but i do think i'm a leeee-ttle better-informed than the average voter, and this is what i'm finding incomprehensible at this time.
I mean you're getting at a structural problem of big tent dems vs solid, monolithic republicans. We have competing agendas. We do not fall in line. It's a problem but also a feature.
I read and watch a lot of media too. And have worked hard to improve and defend the 4th estate for my entire career. You don't see the erosion of its role in democracy? You don't think the New York Times has tipped over some edge and deserves criticism of its editorial choices, since at least the non stop drum beat of "but her emails" with little coverage of real and verifiable security threats, true corruption and demagoguery?
I WISH the NYT was different, I think it's kind of garbage, but also I have read plenty of histories laying out how fucking awful the NYT has been in the past. I don't think this is its worst period. I think they generally lack bravery and are very captured by industry and "conventional wisdom" but no more so than usual, and I think it's mostly the editors vs the journalists, who by and large still do good work. For all of everyone's complaining about them, I still regularly get passed very good articles that they have produced. I think they're doing about 2% better this time around than they did with Hitler, which they also whiffed. And Lingburgh. And Joseph Coghlin. And Reagan.
And Hilary? How are they doing compared to 2016? I'd argue worse.
I feel like they were worse to Hillary. But yeah certainly not better now. They have learned zero lessons.
It stresses me so much to read your angry rant at Biden when, while perhaps understandable, that pointed anger needs to be focused directly at the person responsible for this current mess...if he finds a way to win again, this country is done. Unrecoverable for generations.
My white hot anger, thinly masking a gutting sadness and soul crushing disappointment, is focused on the MSM (which is nearly all media now) who have so obviously given up on any pretense of journalism and prefer dishing out both-sidesism in the style of sports commentary...chasing clicks and abandoning their role in democracy. Funding, producing, and disseminating actual "news" - vetted, researched, fact based information, is so old school and boring! The unfilled promise of the Internet (connecting and informing everyone everywhere of everything) has turned everything everywhere to shit.
I hope you put down your anger at Joe now. Stupid optimist that I am, I still see Biden (acknowledging many of your reasons for the rant as valid) as our best chance at defeating the Trojan horse Trump and ushering in our first (Black) woman POTUS. We must be united behind those with democratic values as steadfastly as those MAGOTs are behind their fascist Cheeto Jesus.
I don't buy media criticism at all. I read the media and am informed. It's all there if you want it.
It is never fair, but it is human to express anger at those you know can do better. I expect nothing more from Trump. He was inevitable given the imperfections inherent in the constitution. He's not even new. He's Lindburgh all over again. The media is better now than then. There is one main difference: Biden is not FDR.
"He was inevitable" is something I can't argue with, given our lack of willingness to keep our firm of governance in touch with the times, but every fiber of my being rejects that fucker and it's just unimaginable to even contemplate him returning, this time to finish the job he started.
I agree 100%! This is why I'm so mad! Biden has minimized this danger every step of the way. He has been wrong about it consistently, and absolutely hubristic thinking HE was the solution.
I don't buy he's being arrogant or believes he's the only one. I think he's being his pragmatic practical self in realizes that he needs to carry the ball into the next term and pass it to the people he's surrounded himself with all of which would make better presidents than him but just not in July before a November election. He's an incumbent. He understands the value and wait that carries. Going with anybody else, at this time, is suicidal. And he knows it.
And here is the core of our disagreement. I do not believe this. He fucked us. It's moot what he does now. He fucked up exactly that transition. And he still is, because the issue isn't going to go away. And the polling this week has been catastrophic and it is no one's fault but his own.
I'm curious, sincerely, to hear what (and when) he could have done something differently, as the incumbent POTUS. Maybe that's worthy of a few paragraphs tomorrow!
I can think of one thing, appoint anyone other than Merrick Garland as his AG...someone who would have immediately started doing that job without fear or favor.
Voice text. Wait = weight!
Firm = form
I guess I didn't realize you can't edit comments in substack