The fact the GOP is actually having a debate about this is a big improvement over end the estate tax/invade iran or whatever https://t.co/7xVFzByopP

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

They aren't actually debating against Democrats despite the surface-level framing, they're debating against eachother, but contrasting it with the Democrats. Like figuring out what they should do to be the opposition. It's pretty interesting.

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

Snarky left-of-center people always criticize me for implying this populist GOP faction will outflank the Dems. I don't think they will. They don't want to be more left wing than the Dems. They want to be more like the Tories vs. Labour. https://t.co/4Xj7B9Hg4x

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

They want to break GOP out of orthodoxy and use more government policy tools for the public interest/virtue. This could eventually make them more competitive than the Democrats but only because economically moderate/socially moderate would be more viable than current Dems.

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

For instance a Republican presidential candidate who is pro-life, moderate on immigration, but wants some increase in the minimum wage, some kind of child allowance or basic income, and fair trade policies would probably beat the Dems all other things considered.

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

That isn't because the GOPer would be more left wing than the Dems. I don't think the GOP will become more left wing than the Dems in my lifetime, but they might become more of a mix of views rather than conservative orthodoxy and that would make them electorally powerful.

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

Yeah 2021 Mitt>>>>2012 Mitt. It's too bad cult of personality politics has hurt his brand so much in the GOP because unlike the Lincoln Project/Liz Cheney/NT people he actually has evolved in his policy thinking and has good ideas https://t.co/HYlOPNWaCP

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

So single people don't get free money?

— William Belcher (@EdB_Ohio) May 5, 2021

It's based on a child allowance, to help pay for children

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) May 5, 2021

via ⁦@elainaplott⁩ https://t.co/cmFbOrEBhc

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 5, 2021