Democrats: It's Time to Fight for Our Democracy. Debate Society's Over
They stack the odds still we take to the street. For the kill, with the skill to survive. It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight. Risin' up to the challenge of our rival - Survivor
In This Letter!
😁 David Shuster’s Great video
👊 My Column
🥃 NYT Pitchbot’s Hilarious Pitches
Doctors at the CDC say children should receive Covid vaccines. A
disgraced ex-environmental lawyer who spent 20 years abusing heroin
says they shouldn't. For busy parents, it can be hard to know who to
trust.
DAVID SHUSTER VIDEO, EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU!
Watch as David Shuster…
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We wanted to understand the theory that Joe Biden was executed and
replaced by clones in 2020. So we talked with three involuntarily
celibate crypto investors at a Whataburger in Buford.
Cliff’s Note: Time for Democratic Leadership & Message Upgrade—Bring On the Fighters, Not the Flinchers
Two days ago, I wrote about the stunning reaction by Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries and longtime elder statesman, Rep. Jerry Nadler, to the Baby Doc Duvalier unit of MAGA busting into Nadler’s New York office and illegally threatening and handcuffing one of his aides.
They used the language of being “troubled” and “alarmed,” the kinda crap you say when a Republican sneaks a tax cut for private jet repairs into a bill, or you find out creeper Mike Johnson “monitors” his son’s porn collection like he’s Billy Baldwin from the film Sliver. You know, some rancid yet regular Republican occurrence.
However, when the GOP Gestapo known as ICE—who refuse to identify themselves, are as warrantless as a Putin assassin visiting your 5th floor hotel balcony and cover their faces because they KNOW there are Nuremberg Trials somewhere over the rainbow—break into your congressional office and threaten everyone simply for giving refuge to peaceful protestors, we’re long past a point where mouths can be mealy.
I shared my messaging proposal on this in the Monday letter, which you can and should read. But now we have a new challenge…because, then came Chuck Schumer. Standing up and opposing Donald Trump’s bleach-blonde-badly-built-butch-body bill by saying “I agree with Elon Musk” is messaging brought to you by crystal meth. Making it even worse, holding up Musk’s tweet like he was proving it existed to his high school principal was some Mad-Men-age shit. Cringe level? Kevin Sorbo “acting.”
Senator Schumer, please, for the good of our country, hand over leadership to someone who knows how to play this game. May I suggest Chris Murphy? Tammy Duckworth? Cory Booker? Because, agreeing with Elon Musk is like your grandpa telling you he’s “hip with the TikToks.”
The messaging part of this should be so easy, but I guess I have to explain it:
Saying “even Elon Musk, who illegally entered our Treasury to steal data, did a Seig Heil salute at the RNC and destroyed tens of thousands of American lives with DOGE thinks the bill’s cruel, corrupt and incompetent. What does that tell you about how terrible Trump’s big beautiful bill will be for Americans with bankrupted farms and busted 401Ks?”
That would’ve been good messaging. As in, see, even an awful guy thinks this bill sucks. But elevating him and his views by saying you “agree with him??” Nuh-uh. It’s the difference between saying “when cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer invited you for dinner, he invited YOU FOR DINNER” and “I found Jeffrey Dahmer’s culinary instincts to be rather off-putting.”
These people lied and spread libel, slander and conspiracy to Grover Cleveland a grotesque creature back into office, treating them with even a modicum of respect not only makes no sense to me, but makes me livid. And judging by the fact that GOP’s screwed everything and Democrats still have the lowest approval rating ever—27%— that tells me I’m not alone.
If Democrats run on our values, tie them to the history of this nation and people’s daily lives, and offer the a mixture of strength and warmth, we’ll win quite often (even more if we fight their vote purges). But, with the opponent we have right now? We do this and we’ll inspire people and wipe the floor with him/his party.
But, atomized policy proposals with no rhyme, reason or emotion…won’t get it done. Because, no matter how bad Republicans are—and they’re historically, morally and democratically the equivalent of an over-flowing porta potty inhabited by Seb Gorka—we can’t win if we don’t have a positive message about what we’ll do and a narrative encapsulating the horror show Republicans have delivered to America.
Be, as I like to call myself, as Asshole for Freedom. You can (and should) be the nicest person in the world in general interactions. But when your country, your Constitution and your kids are on the line, it’s time to turn into The Hulk. And Smash.
And FFS, stop saying anything nice about Elon Fucking Musk, a guy who’s cashed in more brain cells with ketamine—allegedly—than there are Trump meme coins. And is so GD boring when he opens his yap, he makes cocaine wanna doze off.
Take a page from Jasmine Crockett. No, actually, take the whole freakin book. She’s constantly spoken in plan language, potty language, language reminding everyone Trump’s a criminal, fought back in hearings, given compelling speeches, etc. She announced a bid to be ranking member of the House Oversight Committee—as she put it, we’re “not in normal times” and have a “lawless” President. That’s how to do it.
Crockett gets media. Gets message discipline. Gets hitting back hard. Gets that when fascism comes dressed in a badge and a budget bill, you don’t write a strong letter—you burn the barn down and build something better. In fact, she just explained Democrats’ problems, in her own words.
Democrats aren’t trusted messengers. Why? Because too many deliver their points like they’re asking for permission. Crockett, like Eric Swalwell, AOC, Dan Goldman, Melanie Stansbury, Maxwell Frost and Chris Murphy, to name only some of them, understands that in the age of TikTok, Fox News propaganda, and billionaire-tantrums-as-political statements, it’s not enough to be right. You must fight like hell.
You have to call out the police state being built in plain sight. Because the battle is here. The stakes are real. And the people in charge can’t keep acting like it’s 1997 and the biggest threat to democracy is whether Joe Lieberman is having a sad.
So here’s the ask, the demand, the damn necessity: Elevate Jasmine Crockett. Promote other fighters. Stop giving the Elon Musks of the world unearned credibility, and start backing Democrats who understand strength isn’t a liability—it’s a survival strategy. We’re The Terminator. They’re JD Vance trying to order donuts.
Otherwise, we’ll keep watching the Chuck Schumers of the world play checkers while Trump lights our whole board on fire.
Donald's Dickensian directives are going to have Americans eating
gruel this Christmas while they're visited by the ghosts of democracy
past. And after Bobby's through with the polio vaccines, there will be
plenty of Tiny Tims on crutches.
by Maureen Dowd
VIDEO ON DEMAND!
More on Jasmine Crockett, fighting and winning, as well as how to form the largest counter-protest ever on June 14th, Trump’s tank-filled, flaccid b-day party. With Malcolm Nance, David Shuster & me! WATCH!
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