‘A tactical mistake’: Inside the Democrats’ year of failed attempts to mend a fraying democracy

By artappraiser on Fri, 01/14/2022 - 6:52pm |

To me an underrated political shift has been the change in the meaning and function of the "message bill" between the 2007-2008 period and the 2019-2020 one. https://t.co/rkdoR6uWAj pic.twitter.com/uyWczLriyF
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 14, 2022

URL:

https://www.grid.news/story/politics/2022/01/14/a-tactical-mistake-inside-the-democrats-year-of-failed-attempts-to-mend-a-fraying-democracy/

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Old Message Bill = stuff that sounds good and is helpful for candidates in marginal seats to run on, even if it doesn't genuinely reflect party priorities

New Message Bill = promise everything to all the constituency groups even if it doesn't reflect a realistic vote count
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 14, 2022

New voters are ideologically moderate and mostly share largely the same priorities as vote switchers. Democratic operatives convincing themselves otherwise has been a giant disaster that might destroy American democracy.
— (((David Shor))) (@davidshor) January 14, 2022

by artappraiser on Fri, 01/14/2022 - 6:54pm

from another thread:

I guess social issues aren't important to 98% of people who are working class? https://t.co/bM5T7cxl5a
— Chris Garlock (@cdgarlock) January 10, 2022

Working class voters tend to have conservative views on social issues (school prayer is reverse coded) and moderate to center-left views on economic issues, which is why Democratic politicians that talk more about economic issues do better with them. pic.twitter.com/fqV3Lh8Tho
— (((David Shor))) (@davidshor) January 11, 2022

by artappraiser on Fri, 01/14/2022 - 6:58pm

If nothing else, this is definitely part of the Trump mystique

The truest meme. pic.twitter.com/NuSCHMQEZO
— Enrique in the BK (@enrique_pause) May 31, 2021

by artappraiser on Sat, 01/15/2022 - 2:52pm

p.s. Enrique is in Brooklyn, elite white lefty central, a bit cynical because he has to deal with their shtick all the time:

All well and good until burglars swipe the autographed copy of White Fragility from the display case at the Berkeley Carroll School, at which point the local gentry will be demanding hard prison time. https://t.co/06gs3343TC
— Enrique in the BK (@enrique_pause) January 15, 2022

by artappraiser on Sat, 01/15/2022 - 3:11pm

not blind yet, I do see political messaging in this breaking news:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on CBS: "All 50 Democrats, all 50, have agreed to the voting rights protection bill, we're just hung on this procedure that effectively gives Mitch McConnell a veto."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 18, 2022

by artappraiser on Tue, 01/18/2022 - 1:44pm

Democrats, please listen to Jeff Maurer and get a fucking grip, thank you https://t.co/aAA8Blp7bA pic.twitter.com/TJZldiXlEl
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 18, 2022

Oh right, also this. This part is also correct, you idiots. pic.twitter.com/LFcYFD2Tz9
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 18, 2022

I think tidying up the ECA is a good idea, but either way our primary defense against people screwing with the vote count is the courts, and we can’t really test how that works until we’re already in the crisis, though court performance in 2020 was promising.
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 18, 2022

All of you are watching too much MSNBC. Turn it off, go outside.
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 18, 2022

I agree that hearings are a much more productive messaging and awareness-raising approach than doomed legislative efforts https://t.co/nLARp6w6U1
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 18, 2022

Next to this in my TL, a much *savvier* piece https://t.co/k0dRTGhuBz
— Anthropic Principal (@mattcushman) January 18, 2022

by artappraiser on Wed, 01/19/2022 - 1:58am

I don't buy it. Combine 4 hour waiting lines in minority & student districts and minority voters & students dropped off the rolls and vigilante poll watchers intimidating voters, and some high profile prosecutions for mistaken voting, etc, i do think it makes enough difference to sway elections. I don't think Štace Abrams was wrong for thinking Kemp as secretary-of-state dropped enough voters to make himself governor. Their strategy has long been "a few here, a few there, and it adds up". And then there are mischievous election machines (not Dominion, curiously enough) that are never quite examined properly, don't have regular audits, many don't have a paper trail, and there have been enough cases where they "mistakenly" get hooked to the internet - see Jennifer Cohn. When Ivanka invests in a voting machine company you wonder. No, it's not the only game in town, but in a closely divided electorate vote suppression and mangling can have a disproportional effect. Did these guy average over *all* elections, or the more important close races?

by PeraclesPlease on Wed, 01/19/2022 - 3:19am

As for water... sure, they've got water shortages in Chad (and Beijing), but...

Whew! Sen ⁦@TammyDuckworth⁩ just said: l can’t believe Senators in this room are having pages bring them water at just the right temperature - with ice or not - but won’t vote to protect against a law that keeps ppl from receiving water on a voting line. pic.twitter.com/EEcLWp1GNI
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) January 19, 2022

Nevertheless, 3-4 hour lines for students and minorities in suspected Democratic precincts are the big deal, along with slashing Democrats from voter rolls badly, not that they might need water. But no discomfort too big for the Republicans to discourage the other side from voting.

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 01/20/2022 - 2:35am

In the News

Russia plays weak hand in Palestine
Russia plays weak hand in Palestine

submitted by PeraclesPlease 8 months ago

The intra-Palestinian meeting in Moscow has precedent

Russia's hosted such meetings in the past, most recently Feb 2019

Russia has long lamented the US' "monopolization" of the peace process & tried to carve out a niche for itself: mediating among the disunited Palestinians/2
— Hanna Notte (@HannaNotte) February 29, 2024

Read the article at https://twitter.com/HannaNotte/status/1763116222256701787

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Mother Jones is Reaching out to Alternative Party Voters
Mother Jones is Reaching out to Alternative Party Voters

submitted by HSG 9 months ago

Here's what I told them: https://halginsberg.com/vote-for-jill-stein-again/

Read the article at https://halginsberg.com/vote-for-jill-stein-again/

2 comments

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Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes...
Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes into force

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes into force https://t.co/pCoDg05irX
— Gareth Harris (@garethharr) December 28, 2023

Read the article at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/28/brazil-law-indigenous-land-rights-claim-time-marker?CMP=share_btn_tw

1 comment

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Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (...
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (December 25, 2023)

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Location: U.S. Embassy and residential compounds

Events: Heavy gunfire is occuring around the area of the U.S. Embassy and residential compounds adjacent to the Trutier area of Tabarre. All Embassy personnel have been instructed to remain indoors and shelter-in-place until further notice. All others should avoid the area.

Actions to take:

Avoid the area;

Avoid demonstrations and any large gatherings of people;

Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks; and

If you encounter a roadblock, turn around and get to a safe area.

Read the article at https://ht.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-port-au-prince-haiti-december-25-2023/

3 comments

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Pakistan Is Creating the World’s Next Refugee Crisis
Pakistan Is Creating the World’s Next Refugee Crisis

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

By The Editorial Board @ Bloomberg.com, December 8, 2023

A mass expulsion of Afghan migrants could destabilize the region and fuel radicalization. The West should pressure Islamabad to change course.

Read the article at https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-12-08/pakistan-s-expulsion-of-afghan-refugees-risks-another-crisis

6 comments

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Internet shut down in Chad
Internet shut down in Chad

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

All eyes on #Chad right now
Chad has two internet trunks coming into the country: One from the Red Sea via Sudan; the other from Cameroon. Not possible for the totality of the country's internet network to be shut unless done centrally. A lot of rumors swirling; few facts. https://t.co/N6bDJZ2ixO

Read the article at https://x.com/_hudsonc/status/1732891968709992511?s=20

2 comments

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[Economy] where Joe's success falls short
[Economy] where Joe's success falls short

submitted by PeraclesPlease 11 months ago

Read the article at

3 comments

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[CRIME News] 3 loss-prevention employees in Macy’s across...
[CRIME News] 3 loss-prevention employees in Macy’s across the street from Philadelphia City Hall stabbed

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

BREAKING: Three loss prevention employees in Macy’s across the street from Philadelphia City Hall stabbed, one of them has died from stab wounds, @PhillyPolice sources tell me. Police converged on the store as the three workers were rushed to Jefferson Hospital. pic.twitter.com/4U1eKycL4W

Read the article at https://x.com/KeeleyFox29/status/1731713272942940365?s=20

38 comments

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Former U.S. Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As...
Former U.S. Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As Secret Agent For Cuba

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Former US Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As Secret Agent For Cuba https://t.co/LDwo4ZJI1K
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) December 4, 2023

Read the article at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/manuel-rocha-ambassador-arrested-cuba_n_656d1e2ae4b028b0f3d07478

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[War in Israel, Chapter II] UNRWA under scrutiny
[War in Israel, Chapter II] UNRWA under scrutiny

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

[Chapter I news is HERE, Oct. 7 til today]

You don’t get it.
It’s not about an UNRWA teacher who held an Israeli kid hostage in his house.
It’s all about how for 75 years you have destroyed the future of generations of Palestinians, including my family.
My cousins in Arab countries are still not citizens - not even the… https://t.co/nv6anubGhc
— George Deek (@GeorgeDeek) December 2, 2023

Note 'Community Notes' attached to UNWRA's statement.

Read the article at https://x.com/GeorgeDeek/status/1731020551328579863?s=20

58 comments

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Maduro, Under Pressure, Holds Vote to Annex Territory From...
Maduro, Under Pressure, Holds Vote to Annex Territory From a Neighbor

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Imperialism for me but not for thee?

It's wild that Venezuela is now holding a vote on whether 2/3 of Guyana actually belongs to them! Analysts suggest that Modoru may want military action to pump up his sinking popularity.

Could we have a war in South America?!?

"The people who live in Essequibo are largely… pic.twitter.com/QvMEjkkgwy

Read the article at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/world/americas/maduro-vote-essequibo-guyana.html

6 comments

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[Where is the GOP headed?] Divisions leave Florida’s House...
[Where is the GOP headed?] Divisions leave Florida’s House Republicans powerless

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

The lack of a cohesive delegation has allowed attention-seeking lawmakers to act on their own.

McCarthy: “You have [Rep. Matt] Gaetz, who belongs in jail…”

Gaetz: “Tough words from a guy who sucker punches people in the back. The only assault I committed was against Kevin’s fragile ego.”https://t.co/LctPuz6Pcf

Read the article at https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/29/divisions-leave-floridas-house-republicans-powerless-00129200

10 comments

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‘She got so mad at me’: book on the ‘Squad’ details AOC-...
‘She got so mad at me’: book on the ‘Squad’ details AOC-Pelosi clashes

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

By Martinn Pengelly in Washington DC for TheGuardian.com, Nov. 30

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells Ryan Grim life in Congress ‘completely transformed’ after Democratic leader stepped down

Read the article at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/30/squad-book-aoc-nancy-pelosi?CMP=share_btn_tw

15 comments

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US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge -source
US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge -source

submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

@ Reuters, Nov. 29

Read the article at https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/us-health-insurers-humana-cigna-talks-merge-wsj-2023-11-29/

3 comments

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Central Africa’s dinosaur regimes and the art of coup-...
Central Africa’s dinosaur regimes and the art of coup-proofing

submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

"Both the AU and the intl community place more weight on whether elections are held than whether they are free and fair. Sanctions/expulsions occur when there is a coup but not necessarily when elections are rigged or if an “institutional coup” occurs." https://t.co/m9dNimJP0D
— Cameron Hudson (@_hudsonc) November 28, 2023

Read the article at https://africanarguments.org/2023/11/central-africas-dinosaur-regimes-and-the-art-of-coup-proofing/

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