A number of folks here have alluded to Biden's win in the 2nd district of deep red Nebraska as a sign the Democrats can make headway in rural states.
First, the 2nd district in Nebraska is an urban/suburban district. The usual Democratic coalition in the urban center held together and turned out. Any Republican shift away from Trump was minuscule in the suburban precincts but enough to solidify Biden's win.
Second, they split their ticket. Enough Republicans were tired of Trump but voted OVERWHELMINGLY for Republican Senator Ben Sasse and Congressman Don Bacon. They also voted for Republican adjacent state legislators for their technically "nonpartisan" unicameral.
Again, Biden's victory was not predicated upon policies or campaign promises but upon some Republican voters being sick and tired of Trump.
A repetition of this in 2024 will entirely depend on how repellent the next Republican candidate is and how disappointed voters in the Omaha area are with Biden's job performance.
Deep red rural Nebraska remains utterly beyond the reach of Democrats.
I'd like to clarify that the boos for Harry and Megan were actually being directed at the unpopular Prime Minister who was following behind them and they actually got a great reception.
Sage advice, it seems to me. As a Bulwark+ subscriber mostly interested in the podcasts, this Morning Shot caught my interest. I'll be back again and again, of that I'm certain. Long live the the middle ground I always like to say.
Speaking of worlds gone mad - another Know-Nothing celebrity who hasn't a clue how to govern, but sells snake oil and is in Trump's pocket won the R primary - Dr. Oz.
Hey Charlie, I like James Hohmann and mostly agree with both of you on these issues..
Talia has to live in a blue bubble...I know a lot of liberals here in OH, and they are mostly centers, the progressives congregate in the urban centers, but, they aren't all the liberals...
And people like her are why that part of the dem coalition is making me crazy, they are feeding the far right with bad takes on liberals as a group
Also, moderates overwhelmingly got Biden nominated...if not, Bernie would have won
Geez, the contempt from other Liberals ( progressives mostly it seems) , when those of us who are moderate liberals speak or have an opinion... is getting pretty deep on here
The superior tone is also off putting, and the lecturing
I don't talk like to other people, certainly not those who are supposed to be on the same side as me
I sure hope I am not going to feel homeless again if I have to keep reading how evil I am and how I need to talk and believe the same things being said, it's like being on a far right site lately, as a moderate
I never particularly liked Kamala as a politician or VP...that doesn't make me "bad", or God forbid, a Republican, just my opinion
Everyone who doesn't think like you ( general you) 0r agree with you is not the enemy...if you don't like the company, you can always form your own party where you won't be bothered by us evil moderates....
I agree with a lot of what Hohmann says, and some of what Charlie says, and I love the contributors here , and sometimes agree and sometimes not...but, I never tell people I am right and only what I think counts...if you want to debate ideas, fine, but, I am not into debating who are better liberals, people , centers etc
This is one of the reasons so many on the right hate us so much
I think you've been punked. Taila does not represent how most Democrats feel. AOC is considered far left and marginal by most people accept for her constiuents and apparently Taila. I know a lot of small town Democrats although there are Southern states that view Trump as their Messiah and think Putin should declare war on Democrats. So, if it makes you feel good to think that Taila is most Democrats think, I don't know what to tell you.
Charlie, I don't understand why not just repeal or amend the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, making it easier to discharge student loans in bankruptcy instead of forgiving student loan debt. For at least seven years, folks that discharge their student loans could look forward to higher interest rates and difficulty obtaining credit approval. It's not like bankruptcy isn't without consequences.
Letting borrowers decide whether they want to risk their credit score for zero student loan payments keeps the playing field fair, especially since future graduates will face the same debt burdens.
If the Dems didn’t keep shooting themselves in the foot they’d be marching much better. And, while most of the squad are obnoxious none are despicable as are so many Republicans.
A lot of odd commentary on this one. Pretty sure no one should be writing off any group of voters…that is exactly the problem and why this country has drifted so far from the center. Our two political parties have spent the last 20 years writing off voters and now are both becoming more extreme. Charlie is right about this.
On the debate about Kamala and whether "attacks" on her are racist or misogyny, here's a thought experiment. How many people would support Susan Rice as VP over Kamala (putting aside the Benghazi baggage)?
Thanks for the newsletter, especially the passage from C.S. Lewis. That was moving...
I mostly agree with you about the Democrats reaction to your podcast with that guy from the Washington Post, but I get annoyed by small things. Pundits keep saying that Democrats only represent "coastal elites", but don't the Carolinas, Florida, and Texas have large coast lines as well? How come the Democrats aren't doing well there? The political schism in this country isn't between the coasts and inland or North vs. South, it's Atlanta vs. rural Georgia, San Francisco vs. Modesto, Pittsburgh vs. Central PA. Basically, urban America is more liberal, and rural America is conservative. Stop with this obsession with geography! It isn't accurate.
The progressive left that inhabits twitter and other online media suffer from the same proximity bias that caused MAGA GOPers to conclude the election was stolen from Trump. After all, if everyone you know voted for Trump, who the hell was voting for Biden? No one you know, afterall.
Also Progressive's insistence that they are the majority of the party, the true party and they appeal to most of America reminds me of the Tea Party insurgents in 2008 who were hunting RINOs. Drive off the middle and yes, you're more pure but at what cost? The Tea Party took over the GOP and gave us Trump and Trumpism. Progressives might do the same to the Dem party after a while but not now.
The Dems don't have the luxury of being the "other choice". That privilege goes to the GOP in America. The Dems are required by voters to be absolutely perfect in pitch, policy and execution or they get punished. It's not fair but life isn't fair so you deal with it.
A number of folks here have alluded to Biden's win in the 2nd district of deep red Nebraska as a sign the Democrats can make headway in rural states.
First, the 2nd district in Nebraska is an urban/suburban district. The usual Democratic coalition in the urban center held together and turned out. Any Republican shift away from Trump was minuscule in the suburban precincts but enough to solidify Biden's win.
Second, they split their ticket. Enough Republicans were tired of Trump but voted OVERWHELMINGLY for Republican Senator Ben Sasse and Congressman Don Bacon. They also voted for Republican adjacent state legislators for their technically "nonpartisan" unicameral.
Again, Biden's victory was not predicated upon policies or campaign promises but upon some Republican voters being sick and tired of Trump.
A repetition of this in 2024 will entirely depend on how repellent the next Republican candidate is and how disappointed voters in the Omaha area are with Biden's job performance.
Deep red rural Nebraska remains utterly beyond the reach of Democrats.
I like Mitch Landeau, the former mayor of New Orleans
I'd like to clarify that the boos for Harry and Megan were actually being directed at the unpopular Prime Minister who was following behind them and they actually got a great reception.
Sage advice, it seems to me. As a Bulwark+ subscriber mostly interested in the podcasts, this Morning Shot caught my interest. I'll be back again and again, of that I'm certain. Long live the the middle ground I always like to say.
Speaking of worlds gone mad - another Know-Nothing celebrity who hasn't a clue how to govern, but sells snake oil and is in Trump's pocket won the R primary - Dr. Oz.
Hey Charlie, I like James Hohmann and mostly agree with both of you on these issues..
Talia has to live in a blue bubble...I know a lot of liberals here in OH, and they are mostly centers, the progressives congregate in the urban centers, but, they aren't all the liberals...
And people like her are why that part of the dem coalition is making me crazy, they are feeding the far right with bad takes on liberals as a group
Also, moderates overwhelmingly got Biden nominated...if not, Bernie would have won
PS; And all conservatives are not evil nor did they consciously do evil things...sigh
Geez, the contempt from other Liberals ( progressives mostly it seems) , when those of us who are moderate liberals speak or have an opinion... is getting pretty deep on here
The superior tone is also off putting, and the lecturing
I don't talk like to other people, certainly not those who are supposed to be on the same side as me
I sure hope I am not going to feel homeless again if I have to keep reading how evil I am and how I need to talk and believe the same things being said, it's like being on a far right site lately, as a moderate
I never particularly liked Kamala as a politician or VP...that doesn't make me "bad", or God forbid, a Republican, just my opinion
Everyone who doesn't think like you ( general you) 0r agree with you is not the enemy...if you don't like the company, you can always form your own party where you won't be bothered by us evil moderates....
I agree with a lot of what Hohmann says, and some of what Charlie says, and I love the contributors here , and sometimes agree and sometimes not...but, I never tell people I am right and only what I think counts...if you want to debate ideas, fine, but, I am not into debating who are better liberals, people , centers etc
This is one of the reasons so many on the right hate us so much
Some people just don't seem to get this
I think you've been punked. Taila does not represent how most Democrats feel. AOC is considered far left and marginal by most people accept for her constiuents and apparently Taila. I know a lot of small town Democrats although there are Southern states that view Trump as their Messiah and think Putin should declare war on Democrats. So, if it makes you feel good to think that Taila is most Democrats think, I don't know what to tell you.
Charlie, I don't understand why not just repeal or amend the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, making it easier to discharge student loans in bankruptcy instead of forgiving student loan debt. For at least seven years, folks that discharge their student loans could look forward to higher interest rates and difficulty obtaining credit approval. It's not like bankruptcy isn't without consequences.
Letting borrowers decide whether they want to risk their credit score for zero student loan payments keeps the playing field fair, especially since future graduates will face the same debt burdens.
I'm thinking Talia has a whopping student loan debt and she is very attached to the idea of that debt being "forgiven."
If the Dems didn’t keep shooting themselves in the foot they’d be marching much better. And, while most of the squad are obnoxious none are despicable as are so many Republicans.
A lot of odd commentary on this one. Pretty sure no one should be writing off any group of voters…that is exactly the problem and why this country has drifted so far from the center. Our two political parties have spent the last 20 years writing off voters and now are both becoming more extreme. Charlie is right about this.
On the debate about Kamala and whether "attacks" on her are racist or misogyny, here's a thought experiment. How many people would support Susan Rice as VP over Kamala (putting aside the Benghazi baggage)?
Thanks for the newsletter, especially the passage from C.S. Lewis. That was moving...
I mostly agree with you about the Democrats reaction to your podcast with that guy from the Washington Post, but I get annoyed by small things. Pundits keep saying that Democrats only represent "coastal elites", but don't the Carolinas, Florida, and Texas have large coast lines as well? How come the Democrats aren't doing well there? The political schism in this country isn't between the coasts and inland or North vs. South, it's Atlanta vs. rural Georgia, San Francisco vs. Modesto, Pittsburgh vs. Central PA. Basically, urban America is more liberal, and rural America is conservative. Stop with this obsession with geography! It isn't accurate.
The progressive left that inhabits twitter and other online media suffer from the same proximity bias that caused MAGA GOPers to conclude the election was stolen from Trump. After all, if everyone you know voted for Trump, who the hell was voting for Biden? No one you know, afterall.
Also Progressive's insistence that they are the majority of the party, the true party and they appeal to most of America reminds me of the Tea Party insurgents in 2008 who were hunting RINOs. Drive off the middle and yes, you're more pure but at what cost? The Tea Party took over the GOP and gave us Trump and Trumpism. Progressives might do the same to the Dem party after a while but not now.
The Dems don't have the luxury of being the "other choice". That privilege goes to the GOP in America. The Dems are required by voters to be absolutely perfect in pitch, policy and execution or they get punished. It's not fair but life isn't fair so you deal with it.