Just minutes ago, the last sentence of this article said that the victory of Zohran Mamdani was 'intriguing'.
Now that sentence is gone??
Someone else please confirm..I just did, I had the article open in another tab, with the last sentence about Mamdani still visible..and when I refreshed, that sentence was gone.
Did The Contrarian seriously remove this? It was bad enough that this stunning upset by a young progressive Muslim over the scion of one of New York's most powerful political families, with billionaires and 'moderate' Dems lining up behind him, only warranted a single sentence..and now even that is gone?
Compare that the the recent Wisconsin State Supreme Court race, where The Contrarian features dozens of articles and several interviews. There has not been one single dedicated piece in the Contrarian about the NYC mayoral primary.
That is just incredible, especially in an article supposedly about a 'Democracy Revival'.
I see now it's gone from Substack. From an editing standpoint, the piece is stronger ending as it does now. I think you're reading more into the removal of that sentence than is there (and I live in NY and was squarely in the "don't rank Cuomo" camp, and did vote for ZM).
Rubin or some staffer at The Contrarian got cold feet and chickened out.
This would be in line with their total blackout on reporting on the NYC mayoral race.
And, it wouldn't be at all surprising that The Contrarian would have second thoughts about even tepid support for a young Muslim who has been critical of Israel's violations of international law.
The Contrarian needs to explain this if it wants to keep any credibility as a self proclaimed defender of 'unvarnished truth'.
Some coincidence that the glitch only affected one single sentence, and the only mention of Zohran Mamdani (which might even be the first mention ever in The Contrarian).
Give it a little time. According to what I read, Mamdani won the first round of voting but did not break the 50% threshold needed for a conclusive victory. This is ranked choice voting so there will be another iteration before this is over.
Yes, I fear Cuomo will run as an Independent and might still pull off a win, thanks to support from the timid Democratic Party. His ego is too big for him to just go quietly into that good night of political irrelevance where he belongs. (Well, he actually belongs in a more punitive place.)
It's possible, but I am wondering if he is reconsidering after his lopsided defeat, after all that money and all that support .... plus, hm and Eric Adams could actually split the 'moderate' Dem vote.
There's no doubt many will be coming after Mamdani hard.
I predict, and hope!!, that you're correct. But, meanwhile, can we please simply try to stay calm? It's 9 a.m. and my daily heat advisory has already begun (93.7 degrees and rising). It's also a bit too early to yield to the temptation to leap into the realm of conspiracy thinking.
yes its hot here too...but, regardless of anything else, last nights victory was huge, and unprecedented in NYC city politics, and deserving of attention.
OK, I just went back, reopened and reread the post that I received at 7:45 (approximating on the minutes) this morning. The sentence in question is still there. When I go back to the (same) post that I'm responding to here, the sentence is gone. I don't understand this either. Let's wait and see whether we get some sort of explanation.
I opened Edge and then reviewed Jen's article there and the last line wasn't there regardin Zamdani. But I came back to my desktop on Chrome and it was there. I'm confused.
"Just minutes ago, the last sentence of this article said that the victory of Zohran Mamdani was 'intriguing'. Now that sentence is gone??"
Yes it is , so it was edited out. There's no right or wrong here, just an editing decision. Many posters (myself included) edit their initial posts for a variety of reasons.
"I don't buy it. Maybe you're right but my money is that this was someone getting cold feet."
An article called 'Time for A Democracy Revival' written the morning after a stunning upset in the country's largest city is worth more than a single sentence..Mamdani should have been featured in the article as an example of exactly the kind of inspiration and creativity Rubin claims to support.
Not only that, but The Contrarian has not published a single article about this race, despite its huge significance and clear conflict between old and tired Democratic Party machine, and new young leaders that want to change it for the better.
Contrast this to The Contrarians numerous articles and interviews about the Wisconsin's State Supreme Court race. Rubin herself interviewed Susan Crawford, Ben Wilker from WisDems, and others related to the race.
This is big, headline news. It's being reported all over the world. Where is The Contrarian?
The Contrarian exists primarily as a 24/7 anti-Trump platform. The coverage of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race fit that narrative because of Elon Musk's direct involvement and the $20 million he spent. I believe around $90 million total was spent there, something I consider obscene for a state judicial race. In comparison, when Beto O'Rourke ran against Ted Cruz for the Texas Senate race, that was around $80 million.
I guess in the eyes of the Contrarian staff (or Jen herself), commenting about the New York Democratic Primary didn't fit into the overall narrative of the article as much as you personally think it should. Maybe they will change their minds later.
It's not for sure that Cuomo will run....I am sure he is reconsidering after the absolute drubbing he got last night.
And, Adams is running too...so? His approval has been in the toilet for many months. He only ran as an independent because he knew he would never win a primary.
Between those two totally disgraced candidates splitting the 'moderate' vote, and the perennial GOP clown Curtis Sliwa running again, its unlikely Mamdani will have any problem.
I'm wait and see. If a Muslin is going to win it most likely will be in NYC. I still wonder about those that would never vote for a candidate of a certain culture. It's like those who will never, ever vote for a woman. We'll see. I'm jaded.
All well and good, and I agree with a robust platform to reform the executive branch. It must start with reversing the corrosive effects of the abhorrent Citizens United decision. Without this essential reform, nothing else will happen. Dark money infects both parties, so I’m not confident that we will find enough patriots to run for office on a promise to tackle this issue.
Just minutes ago, the last sentence of this article said that the victory of Zohran Mamdani was 'intriguing'.
Now that sentence is gone??
Someone else please confirm..I just did, I had the article open in another tab, with the last sentence about Mamdani still visible..and when I refreshed, that sentence was gone.
Did The Contrarian seriously remove this? It was bad enough that this stunning upset by a young progressive Muslim over the scion of one of New York's most powerful political families, with billionaires and 'moderate' Dems lining up behind him, only warranted a single sentence..and now even that is gone?
Young - check .... social media savvy - check....inspires voters across the Democratic base and has even brought young white men back into the fold - check. Great campaigner - check...Positive message that is genuine and not forced - check.
All well and good, though he is needed in New York and isn't well known outside of the state. He may be a contender in 2028, and there are others who will fill the field as well.
Why, oh why, do people immediately start presidential buzz after various elections, whether it be after a Democrat is elected governor (Michigan, Kentucky, Maryland, etc.) or mayor? Give people time to do the jobs they are elected to do instead of suggesting that they be looking past it to another job. Also, the skill set of a governor or mayor is not the same as the skill set of a president.
We need to break out of the 'continuous campaign' mode that the media so likes to postulate on and profit from. You are correct - let's see what a person can do in one job before trying to push them into another.
Now is not the time for A Leader, as Jen correctly points out. It is the time for Democrats to take leadership roles wherever they can in the push to halt the erosion of democracy. We need to do the work Jen lays out. The candidate will emerge.
Bravo, Jen, Bravo!! From your keyboard to the eyes of those who lead what is supposed to be the opposition party but which has proven itself to be unbelievably weak and ineffectual. Keep pounding this, it is exactly what is needed. Great work!
Excellent article Jennifer. To me, the major issue is getting people out to vote. Strategies now must looked at and tested to assure voter turnout. It’s critical.
Can’t win or change anything without winning the vote column.
The Democratic party needs to speak to the people on the basics such as healthcare, housing, educational opportunity. Think of FDR's "Four Freedoms." Reverend Barbour in a conversation yesterday with Steve Beschloss pointed out that people will vote when they hear you recognizing them and speaking to them. Democrats would have been better served in the 2024 election by doing just that rather than allowing the media to focus on the celebrity endorsements.
Simply naming people's struggles will be a start. Food, housing, education, work, health care, transportation, and good employment are much more of a struggle to obtain in the US than they could or should be.
The public wants solutions, and many have proven willing to turn from democracy to other systems that promise to solve problems. Democracy must, frankly, earn the right to be the dominant system by better showing a pragmatic ability to ease peoples' lives in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
" Democrats have critical work in the interim, namely building consensus for a positive pro-democracy agenda that goes beyond reversing Trump’s legacy."
And Ms. Rubin presents some good ideas and directions to go in this essay. Though only briefly mentioned, if at all, is growing a grass-roots majority that can bring more voters into the Democratic tent for the midterm elections in 2026. It's not far away, and the build-up needs to start now.
Sorry to hear you feel this way. You remind me of the Kelly's Heroes comment about 'negative waves' spoken by Donald Sutherland. It's worth fighting for the freedom to vote, if it comes to that.
IMHO we have a chance to stop the entire Trump agenda in the senate today.
We were robbed in 2016 and 2024. We suffered from voter preclusion. From Russian psy ops. Many prospective voters were threatened, were intimitated. Many votes remain uncounted. Many inconsistencies.
You are right there needs to be a reform agenda. It must be broad enough to include enough but it must be carefully outlined in a manner that it focuses on reform of the system not a change of the system and focuses only on fundamentals. The risk is that if it becomes to specific that it will only cause turmoil within the party and will be exploited by those on the right. I think that your piece provides a very good outline of the areas that need to be changed as we really need to insure that we no longer have someone like the Donald holding the levers of power again.
Democracy Revival 2028….superb and timely. Bolstered by simple slogans…. “tariffs are taxes” , “healthcare is a right”, “reform the immigration process”… and without complete reliance on “Trump_____”. .
A repeat of 2024 is unthinkable. We must repair Congress and replace the President.
A very important comment. Republicans have been winning elections for decades because they've capitalized on a few great slogans. Dems need a great sloganeer.
These lofty goals will go over many voters' heads. It is STILL the economy. Democrats MUST get the message out about the TRUE state of the economy. They flopped miserably last time, where the voters could not grasp how well Biden had done. Right now, the economy appears to be doing fine. So the damage that Trump's tariffs will do had better start kicking in by 2026. And then the Democrats have to make voters realize that. A gigantic challenge.
Why not a message that combines democracy and the economy. The two are intertwined, as the tech billionaires try to end democracy as we know it, and they are doing so by undermining the financial system that allows us to grow the middle class. Biden talked about growing the middle class from the bottom up and the middle out.
Yes, you are partially correct. Your position on the economy is right, but our situation regarding our democracy is far greater than one issue. These are not just elections coming in 2026 and 2028 (assuming there is one in 2026); these are true turning points for our future. As stated in the article, this is not going to end the coup immediately, after all, they have been working steadily for 45 years to get here.
This is about developing a completely new agenda that can be the bread and butter of the Party's platform. and it will take a massive change in how it is promoted and how it is promoted. I live in NM, and we see regular Trump stump commercials on our TVs today! You never see anything from the Democrats, either explaining a talking point or a major lie
So, sure it will be the economy, but there should be many other roads that are added to the path to a new democracy! There MUST be!!
That was my reaction exactly. I don't for one minute believe the MAGA voter read Project 2025, nor do I think the majority of voters would read our new proposals. As much as I hate to admit it, the average voter doesn't take the time to really study the issues and most will vote on gut reactions. In saying this, I don't suggest that a new pathway forward isn't needed, but we must not rely on presenting lofty goals as much as we need to focus on how these goals will improve the loves of the voting population.
Right on. Jen's piece is mostly on resistance political issues which we Dems love ... not the kitchen table goals which MIGHT reach the "unreachable" non-college folks. We need a positive economic/cultural agenda, led by a winning candidate. Try the agenda laid out by Sanders, or Slotkin, and pick a candidate who can win Independents.
If it's honest it would be deadly. $32 trillion debt, $3 trillion deficit when the economy is humming. Add to that the need to spend close to $1 trillion per year fighting climate change.Trump doesn't care about the safety net but we do. And you actually propose anything honest that will also lead to debt reduction
I agree with all of this, but I have felt for a long time that marking the 2028 election (or even the mid-terms) as the goal line is a mistake. At the rate Trump is going, we well may not have elections in 2028. The crisis is today and tomorrow and every day until this administration is stopped.
I am not as optimistic as you are that there will even BE a 2028 election! Trump is simply trying to get us into a war, ANY war, so that he can claim "special wartime powers" and "suspend" the mid-terms (and all future elections until further notice) due to the "nationwide threat to our national security". Doesn't matter if it's a war on Iran, Greenland, Canada, Panama, activist judges, whacky liberals, immigrants, fentanyl, crappy fast food, etc. He just needs to get us into anything he can call a "war" pronto!
He will then use his "special" powers to assume a life term as POTUS for the sole purpose of simply staying out of jail. EVERYTHING he's doing points to this very simple objective. He has no use for any other concern, especially MAGA, who he will gladly discard with the garbage now that he doesn't need them anymore. It's ironic that MAGA turns out to be Trump's true suckers and losers.
Forget all those other "democracy 2028" tactics; the way to get to the right wing is to explain why Trump is going to go after everyone's GUNS! Remind them that no dictator allows the People to walk the streets with loaded guns as they openly speak their minds about a rogue government. He's already ripping up the First Amendment. It's only a matter of time before he shreds the Second, too.
Mark my words, he has no intention to leave the White House in this lifetime!
How about creating a new identity for the Dems. The New Dems. What are younger people concerned about? Their futures, among other issues. Eliminating corruption in all facets of the federal government is an appealing idea to people across the country. There's a lot to repair. I hope we have an election in 2026, which I think is not assured.
Jen is a national treasure, wouldn’t you say?
Wait, I am really confused here.
Just minutes ago, the last sentence of this article said that the victory of Zohran Mamdani was 'intriguing'.
Now that sentence is gone??
Someone else please confirm..I just did, I had the article open in another tab, with the last sentence about Mamdani still visible..and when I refreshed, that sentence was gone.
Did The Contrarian seriously remove this? It was bad enough that this stunning upset by a young progressive Muslim over the scion of one of New York's most powerful political families, with billionaires and 'moderate' Dems lining up behind him, only warranted a single sentence..and now even that is gone?
Compare that the the recent Wisconsin State Supreme Court race, where The Contrarian features dozens of articles and several interviews. There has not been one single dedicated piece in the Contrarian about the NYC mayoral primary.
That is just incredible, especially in an article supposedly about a 'Democracy Revival'.
Jason, I just closed and reopened and I still see that sentence. Closed and reopened three times and I still see it.
So have I. Still there
Don't just open and close, refresh , or close your browser and open a brand new session, or in cognito..it is gone.
I did.
I have opened it in three different browser, and in in cognito mode, and refreshed several times..it is gone....
If there was a glitch..it just happens to be a glitch involving one single sentence, and the only mention of Mamdani?
I see now it's gone from Substack. From an editing standpoint, the piece is stronger ending as it does now. I think you're reading more into the removal of that sentence than is there (and I live in NY and was squarely in the "don't rank Cuomo" camp, and did vote for ZM).
So do I.
Gone from mine too. A weird glitch?
No way I believe that.
Rubin or some staffer at The Contrarian got cold feet and chickened out.
This would be in line with their total blackout on reporting on the NYC mayoral race.
And, it wouldn't be at all surprising that The Contrarian would have second thoughts about even tepid support for a young Muslim who has been critical of Israel's violations of international law.
The Contrarian needs to explain this if it wants to keep any credibility as a self proclaimed defender of 'unvarnished truth'.
It actually came back. Still there. Checked it thrice.
i have checked over and over in different browsers... nothing.
And in any case, if there were a glitch..it just happens to be a glitch involving one single sentence, and the only mention of Mamdani?
"The Contrarian needs to explain this if it wants to keep any credibility as a self proclaimed defender of 'unvarnished truth'."
Two thing to consider, Jasons:
1. The Contrarian is not a source of "unvarnished truth".
2. The Contrarian staff decides what is or is not an appropriate topic about which to write.
1. The line about 'unvarnished truth' is directly from The Contrarian's own 'About' page. Look it up.
2. Yea , no kidding...do you have a point? You think this omission isn't notable?
It must be a glitch of some sort. I saw the sentence also, and looked further to find out exactly what happened.
Some coincidence that the glitch only affected one single sentence, and the only mention of Zohran Mamdani (which might even be the first mention ever in The Contrarian).
It was there. Immediately after reading, I came here to comment and saw your message. Checked article and sentence was gone.
at minimum, it deserves an explanation.
Give it a little time. According to what I read, Mamdani won the first round of voting but did not break the 50% threshold needed for a conclusive victory. This is ranked choice voting so there will be another iteration before this is over.
Yes, I fear Cuomo will run as an Independent and might still pull off a win, thanks to support from the timid Democratic Party. His ego is too big for him to just go quietly into that good night of political irrelevance where he belongs. (Well, he actually belongs in a more punitive place.)
It's possible, but I am wondering if he is reconsidering after his lopsided defeat, after all that money and all that support .... plus, hm and Eric Adams could actually split the 'moderate' Dem vote.
There's no doubt many will be coming after Mamdani hard.
But, we will see! for now Ill take the W.
There is but Cuomo already ceded, and Mamdani will likely gain votes in the next rounds anyway.
I predict, and hope!!, that you're correct. But, meanwhile, can we please simply try to stay calm? It's 9 a.m. and my daily heat advisory has already begun (93.7 degrees and rising). It's also a bit too early to yield to the temptation to leap into the realm of conspiracy thinking.
yes its hot here too...but, regardless of anything else, last nights victory was huge, and unprecedented in NYC city politics, and deserving of attention.
I agree...how about people are sick of perves as candidates ?
OK, I just went back, reopened and reread the post that I received at 7:45 (approximating on the minutes) this morning. The sentence in question is still there. When I go back to the (same) post that I'm responding to here, the sentence is gone. I don't understand this either. Let's wait and see whether we get some sort of explanation.
I see it on my screen. It never left. Don't know what happened with yours.
See a dozen other comment here. Not just me.
Did you open in another browser, clear your cache?
I opened Edge and then reviewed Jen's article there and the last line wasn't there regardin Zamdani. But I came back to my desktop on Chrome and it was there. I'm confused.
I have tried in three browsers now, and in in cognito mode.
Yest I did clear my cashe and returned to the original article and the last line about Mamdani is still on my screen.
Jason, I've closed it out and opened a new session, and it is still there.
I have that comment. Perhaps your browser or internet provider interfered?
see the many other comments in this thread. Not justt me.
"Just minutes ago, the last sentence of this article said that the victory of Zohran Mamdani was 'intriguing'. Now that sentence is gone??"
Yes it is , so it was edited out. There's no right or wrong here, just an editing decision. Many posters (myself included) edit their initial posts for a variety of reasons.
"I don't buy it. Maybe you're right but my money is that this was someone getting cold feet."
Perhaps, but that is their choice.
Yes, a terrible choice.
An article called 'Time for A Democracy Revival' written the morning after a stunning upset in the country's largest city is worth more than a single sentence..Mamdani should have been featured in the article as an example of exactly the kind of inspiration and creativity Rubin claims to support.
Not only that, but The Contrarian has not published a single article about this race, despite its huge significance and clear conflict between old and tired Democratic Party machine, and new young leaders that want to change it for the better.
Contrast this to The Contrarians numerous articles and interviews about the Wisconsin's State Supreme Court race. Rubin herself interviewed Susan Crawford, Ben Wilker from WisDems, and others related to the race.
This is big, headline news. It's being reported all over the world. Where is The Contrarian?
The Contrarian exists primarily as a 24/7 anti-Trump platform. The coverage of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race fit that narrative because of Elon Musk's direct involvement and the $20 million he spent. I believe around $90 million total was spent there, something I consider obscene for a state judicial race. In comparison, when Beto O'Rourke ran against Ted Cruz for the Texas Senate race, that was around $80 million.
I guess in the eyes of the Contrarian staff (or Jen herself), commenting about the New York Democratic Primary didn't fit into the overall narrative of the article as much as you personally think it should. Maybe they will change their minds later.
Still on mine. Yes, refreshed multiple times.
see several other comments above. Use In cognito or another browser.
It disappeared and reappeared on my phone. Weird
I have refreshed several times and it is gone.
9: 46AM Delaware. It's still there. Not gone. Relax. Aren't Adams and Cuomo running as Independents?
see several comments above.
It's not for sure that Cuomo will run....I am sure he is reconsidering after the absolute drubbing he got last night.
And, Adams is running too...so? His approval has been in the toilet for many months. He only ran as an independent because he knew he would never win a primary.
Between those two totally disgraced candidates splitting the 'moderate' vote, and the perennial GOP clown Curtis Sliwa running again, its unlikely Mamdani will have any problem.
I'm wait and see. If a Muslin is going to win it most likely will be in NYC. I still wonder about those that would never vote for a candidate of a certain culture. It's like those who will never, ever vote for a woman. We'll see. I'm jaded.
Yes, she is!
Yes, the voice of reason and reassurance as always.
Absolutely!
I would add some bipartisan controls on presidential pardon powers to your list of reforms.
Redistricting reform (anti-gerrymandering). Tax reform. Corporations are not persons for political purposes- restore political contribution limits.
Great ideas. Lotsa luck getting them through the bought-and-paid-for Supreme Court
Instead of throwing up road blocks, let's take a page from Jennifer Rubin and concentrate on knocking them down.
How is this “throwing up roadblocks?“ Just a valid concern.
I just made the same comment.
All well and good, and I agree with a robust platform to reform the executive branch. It must start with reversing the corrosive effects of the abhorrent Citizens United decision. Without this essential reform, nothing else will happen. Dark money infects both parties, so I’m not confident that we will find enough patriots to run for office on a promise to tackle this issue.
Like this? https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf
I am amazed that you think of everything.
Just minutes ago, the last sentence of this article said that the victory of Zohran Mamdani was 'intriguing'.
Now that sentence is gone??
Someone else please confirm..I just did, I had the article open in another tab, with the last sentence about Mamdani still visible..and when I refreshed, that sentence was gone.
Did The Contrarian seriously remove this? It was bad enough that this stunning upset by a young progressive Muslim over the scion of one of New York's most powerful political families, with billionaires and 'moderate' Dems lining up behind him, only warranted a single sentence..and now even that is gone?
We desperately need a leader, someone, anyone. They need to be in the streets with us leading the resistance to the insanity.
Yes, his name is Zohran Mamdani.
Young - check .... social media savvy - check....inspires voters across the Democratic base and has even brought young white men back into the fold - check. Great campaigner - check...Positive message that is genuine and not forced - check.
All well and good, though he is needed in New York and isn't well known outside of the state. He may be a contender in 2028, and there are others who will fill the field as well.
Why, oh why, do people immediately start presidential buzz after various elections, whether it be after a Democrat is elected governor (Michigan, Kentucky, Maryland, etc.) or mayor? Give people time to do the jobs they are elected to do instead of suggesting that they be looking past it to another job. Also, the skill set of a governor or mayor is not the same as the skill set of a president.
We need to break out of the 'continuous campaign' mode that the media so likes to postulate on and profit from. You are correct - let's see what a person can do in one job before trying to push them into another.
He is just getting started of course...but yes he is needed here first.
One need not be a presidential candidate to be an inspiring Democratic leader.
Hopefully the national party takes notice of what just happened..I am not holding my breath after what they did to David Hogg however.
Now is not the time for A Leader, as Jen correctly points out. It is the time for Democrats to take leadership roles wherever they can in the push to halt the erosion of democracy. We need to do the work Jen lays out. The candidate will emerge.
Bravo, Jen, Bravo!! From your keyboard to the eyes of those who lead what is supposed to be the opposition party but which has proven itself to be unbelievably weak and ineffectual. Keep pounding this, it is exactly what is needed. Great work!
Whoops, maybe a third party is needed. Ken Martin is a joke. https://www.iask.ca/news/381ea326358496e28b69bec2687d12b8/union-leaders-exit-from-dnc-exposes-mind-boggling-tensions-inside-democratic-party
This may be the same kind of psy ops that has undermined us since the 2016 election. IMHO we wuz robbed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2024_United_States_elections
Excellent article Jennifer. To me, the major issue is getting people out to vote. Strategies now must looked at and tested to assure voter turnout. It’s critical.
Can’t win or change anything without winning the vote column.
The Democratic party needs to speak to the people on the basics such as healthcare, housing, educational opportunity. Think of FDR's "Four Freedoms." Reverend Barbour in a conversation yesterday with Steve Beschloss pointed out that people will vote when they hear you recognizing them and speaking to them. Democrats would have been better served in the 2024 election by doing just that rather than allowing the media to focus on the celebrity endorsements.
Yes!!
Like this? https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf
First answer the question, "Why democracy?"
Simply naming people's struggles will be a start. Food, housing, education, work, health care, transportation, and good employment are much more of a struggle to obtain in the US than they could or should be.
The public wants solutions, and many have proven willing to turn from democracy to other systems that promise to solve problems. Democracy must, frankly, earn the right to be the dominant system by better showing a pragmatic ability to ease peoples' lives in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
" Democrats have critical work in the interim, namely building consensus for a positive pro-democracy agenda that goes beyond reversing Trump’s legacy."
And Ms. Rubin presents some good ideas and directions to go in this essay. Though only briefly mentioned, if at all, is growing a grass-roots majority that can bring more voters into the Democratic tent for the midterm elections in 2026. It's not far away, and the build-up needs to start now.
We may never have a valid election.
Sorry to hear you feel this way. You remind me of the Kelly's Heroes comment about 'negative waves' spoken by Donald Sutherland. It's worth fighting for the freedom to vote, if it comes to that.
IMHO we have a chance to stop the entire Trump agenda in the senate today.
We were robbed in 2016 and 2024. We suffered from voter preclusion. From Russian psy ops. Many prospective voters were threatened, were intimitated. Many votes remain uncounted. Many inconsistencies.
The Biden administration knew this was happening and did nothing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2024_United_States_elections
Did Trump admit that Musk stole Pennsylvania?
You are right there needs to be a reform agenda. It must be broad enough to include enough but it must be carefully outlined in a manner that it focuses on reform of the system not a change of the system and focuses only on fundamentals. The risk is that if it becomes to specific that it will only cause turmoil within the party and will be exploited by those on the right. I think that your piece provides a very good outline of the areas that need to be changed as we really need to insure that we no longer have someone like the Donald holding the levers of power again.
Democracy Revival 2028….superb and timely. Bolstered by simple slogans…. “tariffs are taxes” , “healthcare is a right”, “reform the immigration process”… and without complete reliance on “Trump_____”. .
A repeat of 2024 is unthinkable. We must repair Congress and replace the President.
A very important comment. Republicans have been winning elections for decades because they've capitalized on a few great slogans. Dems need a great sloganeer.
Any candidate could come up with at least a couple…..although maybe some of them need a little help…..Let’s write our elected folks with ideas!!!!
These lofty goals will go over many voters' heads. It is STILL the economy. Democrats MUST get the message out about the TRUE state of the economy. They flopped miserably last time, where the voters could not grasp how well Biden had done. Right now, the economy appears to be doing fine. So the damage that Trump's tariffs will do had better start kicking in by 2026. And then the Democrats have to make voters realize that. A gigantic challenge.
Why not a message that combines democracy and the economy. The two are intertwined, as the tech billionaires try to end democracy as we know it, and they are doing so by undermining the financial system that allows us to grow the middle class. Biden talked about growing the middle class from the bottom up and the middle out.
Yes, you are partially correct. Your position on the economy is right, but our situation regarding our democracy is far greater than one issue. These are not just elections coming in 2026 and 2028 (assuming there is one in 2026); these are true turning points for our future. As stated in the article, this is not going to end the coup immediately, after all, they have been working steadily for 45 years to get here.
This is about developing a completely new agenda that can be the bread and butter of the Party's platform. and it will take a massive change in how it is promoted and how it is promoted. I live in NM, and we see regular Trump stump commercials on our TVs today! You never see anything from the Democrats, either explaining a talking point or a major lie
So, sure it will be the economy, but there should be many other roads that are added to the path to a new democracy! There MUST be!!
That was my reaction exactly. I don't for one minute believe the MAGA voter read Project 2025, nor do I think the majority of voters would read our new proposals. As much as I hate to admit it, the average voter doesn't take the time to really study the issues and most will vote on gut reactions. In saying this, I don't suggest that a new pathway forward isn't needed, but we must not rely on presenting lofty goals as much as we need to focus on how these goals will improve the loves of the voting population.
Right on. Jen's piece is mostly on resistance political issues which we Dems love ... not the kitchen table goals which MIGHT reach the "unreachable" non-college folks. We need a positive economic/cultural agenda, led by a winning candidate. Try the agenda laid out by Sanders, or Slotkin, and pick a candidate who can win Independents.
If they vote at all....
If it's honest it would be deadly. $32 trillion debt, $3 trillion deficit when the economy is humming. Add to that the need to spend close to $1 trillion per year fighting climate change.Trump doesn't care about the safety net but we do. And you actually propose anything honest that will also lead to debt reduction
I agree with all of this, but I have felt for a long time that marking the 2028 election (or even the mid-terms) as the goal line is a mistake. At the rate Trump is going, we well may not have elections in 2028. The crisis is today and tomorrow and every day until this administration is stopped.
The "2028 election", huh?
I am not as optimistic as you are that there will even BE a 2028 election! Trump is simply trying to get us into a war, ANY war, so that he can claim "special wartime powers" and "suspend" the mid-terms (and all future elections until further notice) due to the "nationwide threat to our national security". Doesn't matter if it's a war on Iran, Greenland, Canada, Panama, activist judges, whacky liberals, immigrants, fentanyl, crappy fast food, etc. He just needs to get us into anything he can call a "war" pronto!
He will then use his "special" powers to assume a life term as POTUS for the sole purpose of simply staying out of jail. EVERYTHING he's doing points to this very simple objective. He has no use for any other concern, especially MAGA, who he will gladly discard with the garbage now that he doesn't need them anymore. It's ironic that MAGA turns out to be Trump's true suckers and losers.
Forget all those other "democracy 2028" tactics; the way to get to the right wing is to explain why Trump is going to go after everyone's GUNS! Remind them that no dictator allows the People to walk the streets with loaded guns as they openly speak their minds about a rogue government. He's already ripping up the First Amendment. It's only a matter of time before he shreds the Second, too.
Mark my words, he has no intention to leave the White House in this lifetime!
How about creating a new identity for the Dems. The New Dems. What are younger people concerned about? Their futures, among other issues. Eliminating corruption in all facets of the federal government is an appealing idea to people across the country. There's a lot to repair. I hope we have an election in 2026, which I think is not assured.