First, we must make sure Mikie Sherrill wins the election for Governor of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger wins the election for Governor of Virginia. These elections will be in four months, Nov.4, 2025. They must win overwhelmingly!!!!!
Jerseyite here. I am definitely concerned about the rightward turn the NJ electorate has taken recently. The Republican nominee, Jack Ciatarelli, came very close to defeating Phil Murphy in the last gubernatorial election. Of course, Trump has endorsed him, so any Jersey MAGAs will vote for him, as their leader demands.
On this note, there are virtual events - phone banking and, I think, texting campaigns - on Mobilize for anyone to participate for both these candidates.
After another humiliating loss for the Democratic Party, one of the simplest things the party can do right now is to learn from the example just set by Zohran Mamdani's amazing, unprecedented win in New York City.
Mamdani brought out new voters and young voters in a way no major Democratic candidate has done in ages, all while fighting against a billionaire-funded, well known candidate who outspent him many time over.
The Contrarian needs to stop ignoring Zohran Mamdani.
The New Republic put it well:
'You can’t run a Zohran Mamdani in every district in America, but you can run a Zohran Mamdani–style campaign almost everywhere. These are the lessons centrist Democrats in purple areas could stand to learn. Both the electorate and the media environment are changing quickly, and Democrats need to adapt to a new way of doing business. '
Instead of setting new 'long talking' records, establishment Dems should be looking at his example.
I was with you until you inserted your gratuitous little swipe at both Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Cory Booker for speaking, when they should have done.....what, exactly?
Permit me to focus on the obvious. Democrats are now the minority party in this country because one-third the country didn't bother voting last November, and another third voted for crazy people. Disinterest and willful ignorance played enormous roles in that. Notwithstanding, a simple rule of the House permitted the Leader to speak uninterrupted. That rule allowed Jeffries to ensure Republicans would pass their monstrosity in daylight, not in the middle of the night like ghouls. That was his intent. I think that's important. It didn't change one Republican vote, but it wasn't intended to.
A circular firing squad just gets you a circle full of dead bodies. It doesn't help you win diddly-squat. Just saying...
If Hakeem Jeffries has actually show full support for Mamdani the way he did for Eric Adams, instead of his pathetic 'I don't really know him' response...maybe I would be more sympathetic to him. ..sorry, what can I say, the grandstanding that amounts to nothing is getting less impressive.
Fact is, Jeffries failed badly in the 2024 election to hold NY congressional seats. The flips in NY congressional seats alone was the single biggest factor in the Dems losing the House, which should not have happened. That is largely on him.
But aside from that - this is exactly what I am focusing on too:
"Permit me to focus on the obvious. Democrats are now the minority party in this country because one-third the country didn't bother voting last November, and another third voted for crazy people"
Mamdani has completely changed the game for how Democrats can turn this around. He brought out young voters and new voters like no on ever has done in New York City (which btw, is not Portland or Berkeley- it leans left but the party here is a very 'moderate' left at most).
His numbers here are just astounding. Jeffries and the Dems should be learning from him instead of pretending they haven't heard of him, or worse, attacking him, as many have already.
The 'circular firing squad' is much mor impactful when elected Dems are actively attacking another nominated Democrat. IF you are concerned about that, please save your criticism for Senator Gillibrand, or Eric Swalwell, or any other Dems who have openly attacked Zohran Mamdani.
Um, yeah, no. In NYC (as in many cities and states) the primary is essentially the election. (although that could be different this time with the independent candidates..but I doubt it).
But more than that, it was a seismic change, and a huge, unprecedented turnout of new voters. There were more voters in this primary that in many statewide November elections.
There is a reason virtually every major newspaper and media outlet in the country as well as plenty internationally have reported on this race. Just because you don't get it doesn't mean millions more don't understand why it is significant.
Jason! My man! check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FU7vtb2_5Y And let's hope it's just the start of the Great 1% payback. They have ripped us blind for 50 years. NO MORE!
Mamdani has now been directly threatened by POTUS, who wrote, on his social media echo chamber, "As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!" (Source: Today in Politics, Meidasplus.com) "I hold all the levers"? "I have all the cards"? Sure sounds like a (very nervous about Mamdani) dictator talking there.
Mamdani represents so much of what Trump hates and resents...Muslim, progressive, immigrant, young, charismatic, whip-smart, uncanny ability to engage anyone on a street level ...
That isn't so surprising (which doesn't make it any less awful of course) ... what I find more surprising and galling is the attacks Mamdani has been receiving from fellow Democrats, and the apathy or dismissal from many others.
I expect some of this will change. At least, I hope it does, and soon.
And drumpf just fleeced the cowardly CBS-Paramount for the 60 Minutes interview with Harris, whom he vilified with a greater fury than he spews at Mamdani or spewed at Biden. You've got a grievance, and you keep harping on it, instead of working to unite all who want change for the better.
That is on CBS of course, and was disgraceful as you say..He just got started with Mamdani ...and its not just Trump - Mamdani is getting attacks from every direction already.
But..your point is...?
My entire point is that the Dems need to ' work to unite' by embracing its young progressive like Mamdani, and not holding them at arm's length (at best). The big tent works all ways, not just one way.
It's these Dems causing disunity, not me, not Mamdani...it's also The Contrarian, whose completely blackout of any commentary on Mamdani is really shameful. This outlet is not 'working to unite all who want change for the better' by clearly and overtly ignoring this dynamic and inspiring Democrat.
Obviously, I am a subscriber to The Contrarian and there is a lot of good work here...that doesn't mean I will never be critical...that's what a free press and open democracy is about, after all.....right?
There is a trade-off for Progressives who want to take over the reins of the Democratic Party. Avoid taking hard-line positions and using them as litmus tests. Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Make progress.
That is really the point of this thread, but in reverse.
Many elected Democrats in NY and beyond, all the way up to Bill Clinton, were willing to get behind a disgraced sexual predator just to stop this young progressive from winning.
That is far beyond letting the 'perfect be the enemy of the good', that is letting the bad be the enemy of the great. OR cutting off your nose to spite your face..all of that.
The progressive won a big one, and won decisively. This time, its the 'moderates' and 'centrists' that need to 'avoid taking hard-line positions and using them as litmus tests.'
adding a note - it is some truly thick irony that in a synopsis of articles subtitled 'Some July 4th Optimism' - there is not a single word about the singular burst of optimism and hope For small and large D Democrats that just happened in the nation's largest city.
And a preemptive rebuttal- in other comments I have made in The Contrarian about Mamdani and the lack of coverage he has had here, many responses have ben along the lines of 'Its a local election, not important nationally' etc.'
To which, the same New Republic article I quoted above has this response: 'He is now the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City—which is an ostensibly local government position but only in the sense that The New York Times is an ostensibly local newspaper.'
Plus, The Contrarian has often written article about local elections - it seem quite obvious this outlet is ignoring him because - he is too progressive and -he has been critical of Israel's violations of international law.
I suggest reviewing your local central committee roster for potential allies. Do you, or someone you know, feel you can approach any of them with a phone call? That person or persons can help immensely, by placing resolutions on the floor, publicizing support and stuff like that.
Any Democrat can run for central committee. Wear your TDS with pride.
Like I mentioned above...we did the work and we won this one, big time! It's not over yet of course but that was a big hill to climb.
I appreciate your comments and know you are sincere and I agree with your sentiment...but this time, its time for the moderates to come to us. I know Mamdani is already working hard at forging alliances and will continue to do so....all those Dems that endorsed and funded a literal sex predator who resigned his last office in disgrace need to atone for that, and should back Mamdani in good faith.
It's disheartening that The Contrarian hasn't yet responded to your challenge to cover Mamdani, Jason. It is even more disheartening--it's an outrage--that the Democratic Party leaders have kept their distance or worse, warned against him. We need Norm's hopefulness and intentionality, but even more, we need the Democratic Party to come alive with energy, ideas, determination, creative action. The party is feeble.
Too many Democrats are Republican lite and Mamdani threatens their fiefdoms. For example, Booker gives a stirring 25 hour speech and then votes to confirm Charles Kushner to ambassador to France.
Democracy is threatened and establishment Democrats still don’t understand that. Trump plays the fake populist and wins. Mamdani is a real populist and wins. He so threatens the establishment that the NYT ran a hit piece on him that would have made Fox News blush.
The wind is shifting. Primary elections start in EARLY 2026.
I urge you to take your admiration of Mamdani to heart, start collecting support and doing your homework as a candidate NOW.
This is a good weekend to decide to run. If you do, be sure to reach out to people you think of as the established Dems. Be open to their help, 'cuz some will jump at the chance.
Mamdani is no shrinking violet. He is pushing back hard against Trump’s threats:
(Huffpost) Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, hit back at comments President Donald Trump has made threatening his arrest and endorsing scrutiny of his citizenship status.
“His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy, but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: If you speak up, they will come for you,” Mamdani wrote in a Tuesday statement on X. “We will not accept this intimidation.”
He absolutely is pushing back and is up for the challenge.
But Dems of all stripes, including this outlet, need to be supporting him regardless.
and, this is the crucial part- not just supporting him , but learning from him and his campaign!
He just showed how a candidate can bring out young voters in droves by both speaking plainly about universal economic issues while also offering new and fresh ideas. He didn't just squeak a win over Cuomo (who is not so different than a Dem version of Trump in many ways) as some thought he might, it was a total landslide. The turnout was more than many past NYC turnouts for the main mayoral elections in November.
I wish I could express confidence that we will even have a chance to vote in the midterms. From what I've seen, MAGAs without a trace of moral compass will stoop to unseen lows to hold onto power that has made them dead drunk. Why wouldn't they dream up something like a national emergency or martial law or whatever slick trick to call off voting all-together. If you would have told me a year ago that what's gone down recently could happen--pulling health insurance and from the vulnerable, turning our backs to Ukraine by withholding promised weapons, tearing migrants away from their families and feeding them to alligators and pythons, etc., etc.. etc., I would think you had an overactive imagination. What would stop this group of decrepit humans who will get more desperate as the midterms approach, like cornered rabid rats, from halting the vote?
No doubt MAGA would like that, and lots of otther bad stuff, too.
One way to help us all is to review your own local elections staff. County registrars and elections managers are the front line in terms of both holding elections and how they are managed. It is usually an elected position, and may even be on next year’s ballot. If you lack confidence locally, you can act locally. Push back by supporting the best alternative for democracy, or run yourself.
Granted, I blame Biden for his selfishness the same as I will always blame Ruth Bader Ginsburg for hers. But for all of his mistakes, Biden worked tirelessly to raise up Americans while this demented muck-up is destroying them....
Sophia, thank you for the reply, but I think you're missing my point. For the most part, it wasn't Biden making the decisions during his term. There was a very close circle of family and advisers (along with an autopen) who were essentially running the country. There is nothing in the Constitution about "President by Committee". Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party leadership and the media all knew that Biden was mentally out to lunch as early as the fall of 2021 and went to great lengths to keep that from the public. His public appearances were limited as was his exposure to the media. I don't recall the last time Biden actually held a Cabinet meeting. Jen and Norm are constantly harping about "pro democracy" but are absolutely silent on this. This is the extent of their "moral compass". And no amount of "But Trump!" will ever change that. All of those involved need to own up to what they did and be held accountable, but that likely will never happen.
Here is Jen's op-ed immediately after the Biden-Trump debate a year ago:
In case you don't have a WaPo account, here are some excerpts:
"The problem for President Biden during his debate with felon and former president Donald Trump: He looked and sounded his age. He may have had his facts in a row, but in this format, it hardly matters. Unfortunately, allowing Trump to blather lies nonstop without fact-checking plays right into a compulsive liar’s hands."
"The debate format allowed Trump to present a nonstop stream of nonsense and lies. Biden was compelled to play whack-a-mole. It is humanly impossible to bat them all down in a situation such as this, but Biden did a workmanlike job, gaining ground as the 90 minutes ticked by (e.g., pointing out the economy was “flat on its back” when Biden took over)."
At no point did Jen ever mention Biden's rambling answers or that he looked confused, which was clearly obvious during the debate. But anyone who actually saw the debate or watched videos on cable news saw it plain as day. So Jen knew and decided to stay silent. She has zero credibility.
I don't have to rely on Jen and Norm to report on trump's demented status when I can listen to his nonsensical "blather" salad myself. You really think that trump's running the show? Ha! It's quite out in the open that it is Satan Miller and Laura Looney that "advise" him, or whoever happens to be in his orbit. Remember when the farmers and hoteliers freaked out about their workers being deported and trump backed down? Did that even last 24 hours? Hal, let's touch base a year from now....
I intend to do what I can to help Mamdani win in my home city, where he is already fighting against not just an onslaught of straight up racist attacks from Republicans and their media allies, but from 'mainstream' Democrats as well.
I am not so sure that 'establishment Dems' will 'jump at the chance' to back Mamdani, let alone learn any lessons from him. So far, the signs haven't been great. Even though elected Democrats locally and nationally couldn't wait to sing the praises for Eric Adams after he just barely won the Dem nomination for NYC Mayor in the last election, Mamdani's unprecedented landslide win by over 100,000 RCV votes has been met with mostly silence and scorn from NYC and NYS Dems.
Jeffries laughably claimed he 'doesn't know him well', while Governor Hochul has already criticized his tax plans that are not dissimilar to Democratic campaign talking points. Schumer, naturally, has been silent and timid as usual.
Progressive Dems are always expected to put down their differences and support 'centrist' Dems, which they usually do. So far, we are not seeing the reverse at all.
And The Contrarian, despite its claim to foster a 'community of democracy defenders', has been deafeningly, conspicuously silent about Mamdani.
Hopefully, there are more candidates out there just like him. I want to add that the way to replace establishment Dems is to show up and out-vote them. It's a coalition - not a particularly well-organized one, either. But it is what we have in opposition to Republicans (in most places), and we have them vastly outnumbered. IMO we need to drop labels and litmus tests and get back to democracy. At 73, I am quite sure the work will be done by people like you, and not like me. Be proud and loud.
NYC media culture brought us the meme we call Donald Trump. May the Big Apple continue to astound us, and lead the political backlash against him.
It's always been 'funny' to me how much most NYC residents actually can't stand Trump - maybe because we know him best.
Agreed we need coalitions...and Mamdani has been adept at that as well - see his interesting and also unprecedented co-endorsement with Brad Lander.
This city has produced progressive luminaries like Fiorello La Guardia in the past -- hopefully Mamdani can continue that lineage.
I am no spring chicken neither btw ha, Mamdani could be my son. But I am truly inspired by what he has done nonetheless and intend to do what I can to insure he wins in November...and go from there.
" Primary elections start in EARLY 2026." And the Democratic Party should have hit the ground running with an action plan for the mid-terms in late 2024. As usual, they are out of steam, baffled, unnerved.
What is a "privater"? Your profile description is obtuse. But thanks for allowing me to add:
And Democrats have action plans everywhere. It is not a top-down organization, like a business or the nazis. Or MAGA. Grass-roots is the name of this game.
Humiliating loss? It's a humiliating victory for the Nazi party and the voters and enablers who sustain it because it destroys democracy. The Democrats cannot force the rethug party of DEATH to vote against their loyalty to the would-be fuhrer. Yours is another attempt to divide us. If I were a New Yorker, I'd vote for Mamdani in a New York minute, but I also voted for the sterling Harris, who presented programs and policies very much like Mandani's, or didn't you notice?
It is both a loss for the Dems and a win for the fascists to be sure.
Not sure what your point is about Harris? I voted for her too, and..? so...? If Mamdani is so like Harris, why are so many Dems refusing to endorse him?
My point here is - while the writers of The Contrarian emphatically and consistently supported Harris at their respective outlets before this Substack was created (and have since then too) - there has been NOT ONE ARITCLE by a Contrarian author about Mamdani...and there is not a single mention of him in any of the pieces summarized in this article.
The other point here is, one big reason the Democrats have lost so much (and make no mistake, this is another loss)- is the refusal to try new ideas and to listen to the younger progressives in its party. Harris was guilty of this too - her pivot to the right on many issues and her embrace of Never Trumper conservatives like Liz Cheney won exactly zero votes, while also alienating parts of the Dem base.
Not that I didn't want Harris to win of course..and not that she had a tough time with only a few months to run etc and all that - but Dems really, really badly need to update their program.
This is a useful and interesting exchange between you and It's Come To This. It seems to me that what Mamdani did in his campaign was to adopt and improve on the AOC playbook. Not only did he get out and interact with voters directly, frequently, and vigorously, he offered practical solutions to problems facing those voters. And in those encounters, he offered more than just rhetoric, theory, or appeals to legacy. It was "I propose we do this (specific thing) to address this (specific problem) that you are facing." I'm not a New Yorker (originally from New England), but the more I've read about the Mamdani campaign, the more I am impressed by it. And it also seems to me that while Mr. Mamdani might have a lot of personal charisma, intelligence, and energy, other Democratic candidates in other parts of the country might be able to run the same sort of campaign.
It is really instructive to compare how not just NYS but national Democrats treated Eric Adams when he just barely won the NYC Democratic nomination for mayor in 2020, to Mamdani's crushing, landslide win:
This from NY Times 2020:
'When Eric Adams won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, his supporters in Congress were bombarded with questions about him from colleagues representing districts in Michigan and Florida, Chicago and Los Angeles.
When a national group of Irish American Democrats gathered in Manhattan recently to toast President Biden’s victory, Mr. Adams was there too, touting his admiration for Irish American former co-workers in the Police Department.
And in the span of a week, Mr. Adams met with Mr. Biden at the White House and with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Capitol Hill. He appeared with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to discuss combating gun violence. And he stood with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, endorsing her proposal for federal gun trafficking legislation.
Mr. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, has been his party’s mayoral nominee for less than three weeks. But already, many national Democrats appear eager to elevate the former New York police captain, as gun violence shatters parts of major American cities and Republicans seek to caricature their opponents as naïve about crime.
Mr. Adams, for his part, is seizing the mayoral bully pulpit, moving to cement a national reputation as a Democrat who speaks with uncommon authority about both public safety and police reform.'
We all know how that turned out...NYC can't get rid of this brazenly corrupt scammer soon enough.
Mamdani, however, has received nothing remotely close to this sort of welcome from the Democratic Party, despite his landslide win and unprecedented turnout.
Just one voice, north of the border, but one among many I am sure who would join me, wishing all our friends in the USA a happy July Fourth in celebration of hope for a more positive, less chaotic future in continuing to make America great as it always has been in our ongoing, evolving, shared democratic "experiment".
And (belated) Happy Canada Day to you! Now I have a favor to ask of Canadians: Barrage PM Starmer (what a loser) and King Charles to try to get the invitation for a second State Visit by DJT in September rescinded. I know it's complicated but if Canadians spoke with a single voice about what a kick in the face this is to you (thank you, Mr. Starmer), maybe something could be done. Like postpone the visit indefinitely; that would be diplomatic enough.
This morning I received a revoltingly dishonest email from Trump's Social Security Administration, crowing over the benefits that putatively would accrue to "seniors."
Same here. My fury was immediate and (ask my husband) loud when I got that email. Using the SSA to politicize Social Security and boost Trump and the Rs. Shameful! And the email was misleading, essentially stating that most seniors will no longer pay taxes on their SS benefits. Shameful! But what do we expect any more from this regime?
Same - 47’s PR machine is working overtime to convince Seniors that the BBB passage equates to no taxes on their Social Security. Unfortunately there are some people gullible enough to believe the spin.
Thank you Alice and Carolyn for commenting on this. When I got the same false email from Social Security so quickly after reading of the House barely passing this nightmare bill it freaked me out.
Planning on going to next protest against this regime on June 17 and working to get our government back from this hostile takeover!
Yes, and notice it did not mention that many seniors will lose SNAP benefits and their families won't be able to afford to keep them in a nursing home when Medicaid is gutted. Not to mention that many nursing homes will close.
Add to that, the impoverishment and likely closure of some of our rural hospitals. The "one golden hour" between travel and treatment will be cut into. More will suffer.
Alice Barton: I received a SSN letter also. First, I'll believe it when I see it, second, knowing Trump, it's probably hooked to some other hidden legislation that will take more than it gives in some way; and third, it only reminds me of some GOP guy throwing paper towels out to a crowd after a hurricane to help clean up. Also, the democrats seem not to understand how well-organized and timely evil can be (e.g., the Heritage Foundations), and the unwitting MAGA crowd cannot seem to realize when the carnival barker in charge is just doing more of his contemptuous thing to those who still trust him.
As always, thank you Norm. I have a serious request of you and Jennifer: fix the DNC so we get and support some candidates who can win! The DNC is atrocious and not worth a plug nickel. To keep begging for small amounts of money with no vision and no plan is completely asinine. Focus on ensuring we have mid-term elections, and winning them.
You don't seem to understand the purpose of the DNC. They collect money for presidential candidates as well as most Democratic state parties that are part of their revenue sharing plan. They have a robust strategy to boost the monthly amount of funds to state parties with an added amount to various battleground areas.
If you haven't seen the new vision and plans, you haven't been paying attention. Perhaps read a few of their emails, visit their website, and become informed.
I was 21 in 1972 and have voted in every election since. I wish I had kept track.of the number of times I heard "we'll remember at the polls" "we'll vote them out". The elect came and the voters voted the bastards back in. If the big election were this fall, the voters might remember however, I will not hold my breath. We all thought Kamala would beat the yam but enough women and men showed their prejudice against women and we have felons galore taking away our freedoms.
I woke this Independence Day with this running through my mind : 🎶🎶 and we'll rally 'round the flag, boys, we'll rally 'round the flag! Shouting the battle cry of freedom 🎶🎶🎶
If Obama's Congress had given us nationalized health instead of the ACA we wouldn't need Medicaid. If they had gotten rid of, like Obama wanted, our profit-driven health care system, instead of reinforcing it with the very unpopular mandate, we might not have gotten Trump in the following election. I place the rise of Trump squarely on the failures of the Democratic Congress under Obama to deliver on his campaign promises, the reasons we elected him. It's sad that those are the ones who we now have to rely on to save us from Trump.
Remember your history. The only reason that we didn't get universal healthcare was because the Democratic majority in Congress was so close and contested at the time, that there was serious question if it could pass. We compromised for second best, which we've found is better than nothing, though it certainly needs improvement. The powers that be today are doing all that they can to take healthcare away from us.
Now we are a minority. Had to play jujitsu. We should have been able to neutralize a few more Congressinal Republicans but we didn't use diplomacy, .
The House vote came after Trump/Hegseth withheld arms that were appropriated by Congress just at the time Russia has its summer offensive. Russia has 16 x the number of attacks than one year ago. Withdrawing aid is music to Putin's ears.
The only Republican on the job, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is calling on the White House and the Department of Defense (DOD) to hold an emergency briefing on the Pentagon’s recent pause in shipments of some air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine.
“I respectfully request an emergency briefing from the White House and the Department of Defense on the Pentagon’s recent review of our nation’s weapons and munitions stockpiles, as well as the decision to withhold urgent, lifesaving military assistance to Ukraine,” Fitzpatrick, a vocal ally of Ukraine in Congress, said in a Wednesday letter to the White House.
The Pennsylvania Republican wrote that “while the United States needs to continue to strengthen our Defense Industrial Base here at home, we can and must simultaneously provide urgently needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from brutal invading dictators. To not do both is unacceptable.”
Unfortunately Obama turned his back on his promise to deliver universal single-payer healthcare, as I recall even before he was sworn in. A compromise may seem good at the time, but too often they don't deliver what people need.
Sadly, I think you're wrong that a day of reckoning is coming for the GOP. It's July 2025. The election isn't until NEXT November. Plenty of time for people to forget. In 2010, the difference was March 21 to Nov. 3, 2010 - barely more than six months. Dems dithered (as usual) and it cost them the trifecta. Republicans will throw some bones and red meat to voters next Sept/Oct and, coupled with the extreme gerrymandering (caused, in no small part, by the Dem losses in 2010, thank you very much) we now have, they'll hold both houses. And if it looks bad, Trump will manufacture some calamity and find a way to cancel the election or call into doubt the validity of the results. It's really not that hard.
Negative predictions are not at all helpful or even necessarily more "realistic". A lot of people are even more motivated now to make positive change. And people will begin more and more to feel the hardships imposed by the Murder Bill starting very soon. I would trust Norm's judgment over yours. Don't discourage people. Stay positively active. Make a difference
Honestly, I am not predicting. Just saying where we are now. A lot more folks active and fighting for democracy. My point was making negative predictions can foster discouragement in others at a time where we need encouragement and support
My thoughts exactly. Voters have very short memories. trump was convicted in June and won the election in November. We all should hang our heads in shame.
If the Republican Senate under Mitch McConnell had done their part, we wouldn't be here today. I charge them with breaking their oath of office and their duty to the people and the Constitution.
I didn't vote for trump in any election. However, I did not do enough in the fight against maga and the patriarchy. It is for this reason, I hang my head in shame. We shall see if we are strong enough in the coming months,
Marcie, framing it this way makes sense. This current dire situation is waking us up to realize we need to fight for equality and democracy. I have long taken it for granted. We strengthen and support each other in this.
Yes, the president began the 2026 campaign with his rally in Iowa yesterday, and his speech tonight--accompanied by a military flyover will be over-the-top. He's in fighting form. The Democrats don't seem to be.
We need a new generation of Democratic leaders willing to go on Fox and everywhere the people are. Talking for 8 hours in the House or Senate is a waste of time.
I'm so sad that our nation has come to this terrible place. I received the bullsh*t email from Social Security that cheers the passing of this bill and it tipped me over the edge. But your post gives me some perspective. After the No Kings Day rally, I was sure that we will beat them back. I will not stop fighting.
What can we do to ensure elections again, never mind, free + fair? What can we do to ensure everyone, who disagrees with trump, anywhere, is safe? What does trump have on Murkowski, that she's so afraid? Who, what, when re next rally? Thanks!
About SSN--okay . . . I get to keep what's mine and what I paid for, and we all lose our freedom and security that is afforded by living in a real democracy. Wow, what a deal.
I am the editor of a small community digital magazine (Mirehaven-news.com) for our 55+ community. Our July 1 issue included a feature story called “No Kings” (https://nmstoryteller.shorthandstories.com/mn-july/features/no-kings/index.html ) that talked about the same grievances in the Declaration of Independence mentioned by Ms. Rubin. It is at once terrifying to see the similarities and encouraging to remember that those early Americans persevered and overcame in spite of them.
If there is any optimism afloat these days, it's because of you and Jen and what/whom you have created/gathered together. Cannot thank you enough for shedding a light in these dark times.
The Contrarian is one place where a weary traveler can find real news and the healing power of community (and even laughter, imagine!) I've suggested it to people who think the cowardly legacy media is all there is. I no longer proselytize, explain, or argue them into it. If they DO find you and your strong online footprints, they will also find comfort and inspiration, and ways to do little things that bite at the flanks of the lumbering beast. Enough with the whining and wringing of hands, already. We can all pitch in!!!
For instance, I'm sure that my 100 postcards to Wisconsin voters helped defeat Muskrat and his money in their judicial race. I find I don't like making phone calls but will happily send cards.
The current clown show has to bite itself in the foot. It cannot sustain this level of ridiculousness for very long. The American spirit is still under there! Even some local Trump signs are coming down as his former fans realize how very forked they've been. I have to believe they are finally detecting the danger to their worlds.
Around here, it shows in increasing road rage. It seems the MAGgots ARE noticing, but they still don't know what to do about it. So they ride in my back seat, honk furiously, cut me off, and try to force me to move out of their way. They actually have frightened me off the roads! So I've decided to do any necessary errands between 8 and 12 each day, leaving the rest of the time to them and their manly manful (read: dangerous) road games. Retired people can do this.
And now, please, a question: can you install another category of membership - say, uber-member? lol - so we can give you more money to keep going? Or is there a donation mechanism in place already that I have missed seeing?
With continuing thanks for this and all else you do,
First, we must make sure Mikie Sherrill wins the election for Governor of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger wins the election for Governor of Virginia. These elections will be in four months, Nov.4, 2025. They must win overwhelmingly!!!!!
Jerseyite here. I am definitely concerned about the rightward turn the NJ electorate has taken recently. The Republican nominee, Jack Ciatarelli, came very close to defeating Phil Murphy in the last gubernatorial election. Of course, Trump has endorsed him, so any Jersey MAGAs will vote for him, as their leader demands.
On this note, there are virtual events - phone banking and, I think, texting campaigns - on Mobilize for anyone to participate for both these candidates.
After another humiliating loss for the Democratic Party, one of the simplest things the party can do right now is to learn from the example just set by Zohran Mamdani's amazing, unprecedented win in New York City.
Mamdani brought out new voters and young voters in a way no major Democratic candidate has done in ages, all while fighting against a billionaire-funded, well known candidate who outspent him many time over.
The Contrarian needs to stop ignoring Zohran Mamdani.
The New Republic put it well:
'You can’t run a Zohran Mamdani in every district in America, but you can run a Zohran Mamdani–style campaign almost everywhere. These are the lessons centrist Democrats in purple areas could stand to learn. Both the electorate and the media environment are changing quickly, and Democrats need to adapt to a new way of doing business. '
Instead of setting new 'long talking' records, establishment Dems should be looking at his example.
I was with you until you inserted your gratuitous little swipe at both Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Cory Booker for speaking, when they should have done.....what, exactly?
Permit me to focus on the obvious. Democrats are now the minority party in this country because one-third the country didn't bother voting last November, and another third voted for crazy people. Disinterest and willful ignorance played enormous roles in that. Notwithstanding, a simple rule of the House permitted the Leader to speak uninterrupted. That rule allowed Jeffries to ensure Republicans would pass their monstrosity in daylight, not in the middle of the night like ghouls. That was his intent. I think that's important. It didn't change one Republican vote, but it wasn't intended to.
A circular firing squad just gets you a circle full of dead bodies. It doesn't help you win diddly-squat. Just saying...
If Hakeem Jeffries has actually show full support for Mamdani the way he did for Eric Adams, instead of his pathetic 'I don't really know him' response...maybe I would be more sympathetic to him. ..sorry, what can I say, the grandstanding that amounts to nothing is getting less impressive.
Fact is, Jeffries failed badly in the 2024 election to hold NY congressional seats. The flips in NY congressional seats alone was the single biggest factor in the Dems losing the House, which should not have happened. That is largely on him.
But aside from that - this is exactly what I am focusing on too:
"Permit me to focus on the obvious. Democrats are now the minority party in this country because one-third the country didn't bother voting last November, and another third voted for crazy people"
Mamdani has completely changed the game for how Democrats can turn this around. He brought out young voters and new voters like no on ever has done in New York City (which btw, is not Portland or Berkeley- it leans left but the party here is a very 'moderate' left at most).
His numbers here are just astounding. Jeffries and the Dems should be learning from him instead of pretending they haven't heard of him, or worse, attacking him, as many have already.
The 'circular firing squad' is much mor impactful when elected Dems are actively attacking another nominated Democrat. IF you are concerned about that, please save your criticism for Senator Gillibrand, or Eric Swalwell, or any other Dems who have openly attacked Zohran Mamdani.
It's a damn primary.
Um, yeah, no. In NYC (as in many cities and states) the primary is essentially the election. (although that could be different this time with the independent candidates..but I doubt it).
But more than that, it was a seismic change, and a huge, unprecedented turnout of new voters. There were more voters in this primary that in many statewide November elections.
There is a reason virtually every major newspaper and media outlet in the country as well as plenty internationally have reported on this race. Just because you don't get it doesn't mean millions more don't understand why it is significant.
You realize that whatever happens in NY is irrelevant in most of the rest of the country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S828Y7Eais
you won the prize for the dumbest comment in this thread, congrats.
It has the power to start a precident. Mamdani--should he win and be able to implement his policies-- has the power to change things everywhere.
Jason! My man! check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FU7vtb2_5Y And let's hope it's just the start of the Great 1% payback. They have ripped us blind for 50 years. NO MORE!
Both are in the pocket of people who are murdering woman and children.
That matters.
I like Jeffries and love Booker, but they both took paid for trips to Israel and have always supported the Netanyahu narrative.
That isn’t leadership.
Mamdani has now been directly threatened by POTUS, who wrote, on his social media echo chamber, "As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!" (Source: Today in Politics, Meidasplus.com) "I hold all the levers"? "I have all the cards"? Sure sounds like a (very nervous about Mamdani) dictator talking there.
Mamdani represents so much of what Trump hates and resents...Muslim, progressive, immigrant, young, charismatic, whip-smart, uncanny ability to engage anyone on a street level ...
That isn't so surprising (which doesn't make it any less awful of course) ... what I find more surprising and galling is the attacks Mamdani has been receiving from fellow Democrats, and the apathy or dismissal from many others.
I expect some of this will change. At least, I hope it does, and soon.
If the Democratic Party is truly the 'big tent' that it claims to be, these behaviors need to change forthwith.
Absolutely. If its big enough for Never Trumpers, its big enough for young progressives.
And drumpf just fleeced the cowardly CBS-Paramount for the 60 Minutes interview with Harris, whom he vilified with a greater fury than he spews at Mamdani or spewed at Biden. You've got a grievance, and you keep harping on it, instead of working to unite all who want change for the better.
That is on CBS of course, and was disgraceful as you say..He just got started with Mamdani ...and its not just Trump - Mamdani is getting attacks from every direction already.
But..your point is...?
My entire point is that the Dems need to ' work to unite' by embracing its young progressive like Mamdani, and not holding them at arm's length (at best). The big tent works all ways, not just one way.
It's these Dems causing disunity, not me, not Mamdani...it's also The Contrarian, whose completely blackout of any commentary on Mamdani is really shameful. This outlet is not 'working to unite all who want change for the better' by clearly and overtly ignoring this dynamic and inspiring Democrat.
Obviously, I am a subscriber to The Contrarian and there is a lot of good work here...that doesn't mean I will never be critical...that's what a free press and open democracy is about, after all.....right?
There is a trade-off for Progressives who want to take over the reins of the Democratic Party. Avoid taking hard-line positions and using them as litmus tests. Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Make progress.
That is really the point of this thread, but in reverse.
Many elected Democrats in NY and beyond, all the way up to Bill Clinton, were willing to get behind a disgraced sexual predator just to stop this young progressive from winning.
That is far beyond letting the 'perfect be the enemy of the good', that is letting the bad be the enemy of the great. OR cutting off your nose to spite your face..all of that.
The progressive won a big one, and won decisively. This time, its the 'moderates' and 'centrists' that need to 'avoid taking hard-line positions and using them as litmus tests.'
Isn't the good also the enemy of the perfect? Thus we settle.
adding a note - it is some truly thick irony that in a synopsis of articles subtitled 'Some July 4th Optimism' - there is not a single word about the singular burst of optimism and hope For small and large D Democrats that just happened in the nation's largest city.
And a preemptive rebuttal- in other comments I have made in The Contrarian about Mamdani and the lack of coverage he has had here, many responses have ben along the lines of 'Its a local election, not important nationally' etc.'
To which, the same New Republic article I quoted above has this response: 'He is now the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City—which is an ostensibly local government position but only in the sense that The New York Times is an ostensibly local newspaper.'
Plus, The Contrarian has often written article about local elections - it seem quite obvious this outlet is ignoring him because - he is too progressive and -he has been critical of Israel's violations of international law.
It is huge! We need to make sure Mamdani is protected from MAGA, they are afraid of him!
..protected from MAGA certainly, and promoted within the Democratic Party itself!
I suggest reviewing your local central committee roster for potential allies. Do you, or someone you know, feel you can approach any of them with a phone call? That person or persons can help immensely, by placing resolutions on the floor, publicizing support and stuff like that.
Any Democrat can run for central committee. Wear your TDS with pride.
Like I mentioned above...we did the work and we won this one, big time! It's not over yet of course but that was a big hill to climb.
I appreciate your comments and know you are sincere and I agree with your sentiment...but this time, its time for the moderates to come to us. I know Mamdani is already working hard at forging alliances and will continue to do so....all those Dems that endorsed and funded a literal sex predator who resigned his last office in disgrace need to atone for that, and should back Mamdani in good faith.
It's disheartening that The Contrarian hasn't yet responded to your challenge to cover Mamdani, Jason. It is even more disheartening--it's an outrage--that the Democratic Party leaders have kept their distance or worse, warned against him. We need Norm's hopefulness and intentionality, but even more, we need the Democratic Party to come alive with energy, ideas, determination, creative action. The party is feeble.
Too many Democrats are Republican lite and Mamdani threatens their fiefdoms. For example, Booker gives a stirring 25 hour speech and then votes to confirm Charles Kushner to ambassador to France.
Democracy is threatened and establishment Democrats still don’t understand that. Trump plays the fake populist and wins. Mamdani is a real populist and wins. He so threatens the establishment that the NYT ran a hit piece on him that would have made Fox News blush.
Norm Eisen does great work for sure.
But I agree with all you say here.
I do wonder if the writers read these comments?
The wind is shifting. Primary elections start in EARLY 2026.
I urge you to take your admiration of Mamdani to heart, start collecting support and doing your homework as a candidate NOW.
This is a good weekend to decide to run. If you do, be sure to reach out to people you think of as the established Dems. Be open to their help, 'cuz some will jump at the chance.
Mamdani is no shrinking violet. He is pushing back hard against Trump’s threats:
(Huffpost) Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, hit back at comments President Donald Trump has made threatening his arrest and endorsing scrutiny of his citizenship status.
“His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy, but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: If you speak up, they will come for you,” Mamdani wrote in a Tuesday statement on X. “We will not accept this intimidation.”
He absolutely is pushing back and is up for the challenge.
But Dems of all stripes, including this outlet, need to be supporting him regardless.
and, this is the crucial part- not just supporting him , but learning from him and his campaign!
He just showed how a candidate can bring out young voters in droves by both speaking plainly about universal economic issues while also offering new and fresh ideas. He didn't just squeak a win over Cuomo (who is not so different than a Dem version of Trump in many ways) as some thought he might, it was a total landslide. The turnout was more than many past NYC turnouts for the main mayoral elections in November.
I wish I could express confidence that we will even have a chance to vote in the midterms. From what I've seen, MAGAs without a trace of moral compass will stoop to unseen lows to hold onto power that has made them dead drunk. Why wouldn't they dream up something like a national emergency or martial law or whatever slick trick to call off voting all-together. If you would have told me a year ago that what's gone down recently could happen--pulling health insurance and from the vulnerable, turning our backs to Ukraine by withholding promised weapons, tearing migrants away from their families and feeding them to alligators and pythons, etc., etc.. etc., I would think you had an overactive imagination. What would stop this group of decrepit humans who will get more desperate as the midterms approach, like cornered rabid rats, from halting the vote?
No doubt MAGA would like that, and lots of otther bad stuff, too.
One way to help us all is to review your own local elections staff. County registrars and elections managers are the front line in terms of both holding elections and how they are managed. It is usually an elected position, and may even be on next year’s ballot. If you lack confidence locally, you can act locally. Push back by supporting the best alternative for democracy, or run yourself.
"From what I've seen, MAGAs without a trace of moral compass..."
Where was the "moral compass" of the Democratic Party and the media when it came to denying and hiding Biden's mental decline?
Granted, I blame Biden for his selfishness the same as I will always blame Ruth Bader Ginsburg for hers. But for all of his mistakes, Biden worked tirelessly to raise up Americans while this demented muck-up is destroying them....
Sophia, thank you for the reply, but I think you're missing my point. For the most part, it wasn't Biden making the decisions during his term. There was a very close circle of family and advisers (along with an autopen) who were essentially running the country. There is nothing in the Constitution about "President by Committee". Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party leadership and the media all knew that Biden was mentally out to lunch as early as the fall of 2021 and went to great lengths to keep that from the public. His public appearances were limited as was his exposure to the media. I don't recall the last time Biden actually held a Cabinet meeting. Jen and Norm are constantly harping about "pro democracy" but are absolutely silent on this. This is the extent of their "moral compass". And no amount of "But Trump!" will ever change that. All of those involved need to own up to what they did and be held accountable, but that likely will never happen.
Here is Jen's op-ed immediately after the Biden-Trump debate a year ago:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/06/28/debate-newletter-reaction/
In case you don't have a WaPo account, here are some excerpts:
"The problem for President Biden during his debate with felon and former president Donald Trump: He looked and sounded his age. He may have had his facts in a row, but in this format, it hardly matters. Unfortunately, allowing Trump to blather lies nonstop without fact-checking plays right into a compulsive liar’s hands."
"The debate format allowed Trump to present a nonstop stream of nonsense and lies. Biden was compelled to play whack-a-mole. It is humanly impossible to bat them all down in a situation such as this, but Biden did a workmanlike job, gaining ground as the 90 minutes ticked by (e.g., pointing out the economy was “flat on its back” when Biden took over)."
At no point did Jen ever mention Biden's rambling answers or that he looked confused, which was clearly obvious during the debate. But anyone who actually saw the debate or watched videos on cable news saw it plain as day. So Jen knew and decided to stay silent. She has zero credibility.
I don't have to rely on Jen and Norm to report on trump's demented status when I can listen to his nonsensical "blather" salad myself. You really think that trump's running the show? Ha! It's quite out in the open that it is Satan Miller and Laura Looney that "advise" him, or whoever happens to be in his orbit. Remember when the farmers and hoteliers freaked out about their workers being deported and trump backed down? Did that even last 24 hours? Hal, let's touch base a year from now....
I intend to do what I can to help Mamdani win in my home city, where he is already fighting against not just an onslaught of straight up racist attacks from Republicans and their media allies, but from 'mainstream' Democrats as well.
I am not so sure that 'establishment Dems' will 'jump at the chance' to back Mamdani, let alone learn any lessons from him. So far, the signs haven't been great. Even though elected Democrats locally and nationally couldn't wait to sing the praises for Eric Adams after he just barely won the Dem nomination for NYC Mayor in the last election, Mamdani's unprecedented landslide win by over 100,000 RCV votes has been met with mostly silence and scorn from NYC and NYS Dems.
Jeffries laughably claimed he 'doesn't know him well', while Governor Hochul has already criticized his tax plans that are not dissimilar to Democratic campaign talking points. Schumer, naturally, has been silent and timid as usual.
Progressive Dems are always expected to put down their differences and support 'centrist' Dems, which they usually do. So far, we are not seeing the reverse at all.
And The Contrarian, despite its claim to foster a 'community of democracy defenders', has been deafeningly, conspicuously silent about Mamdani.
Hopefully, there are more candidates out there just like him. I want to add that the way to replace establishment Dems is to show up and out-vote them. It's a coalition - not a particularly well-organized one, either. But it is what we have in opposition to Republicans (in most places), and we have them vastly outnumbered. IMO we need to drop labels and litmus tests and get back to democracy. At 73, I am quite sure the work will be done by people like you, and not like me. Be proud and loud.
NYC media culture brought us the meme we call Donald Trump. May the Big Apple continue to astound us, and lead the political backlash against him.
It's always been 'funny' to me how much most NYC residents actually can't stand Trump - maybe because we know him best.
Agreed we need coalitions...and Mamdani has been adept at that as well - see his interesting and also unprecedented co-endorsement with Brad Lander.
This city has produced progressive luminaries like Fiorello La Guardia in the past -- hopefully Mamdani can continue that lineage.
I am no spring chicken neither btw ha, Mamdani could be my son. But I am truly inspired by what he has done nonetheless and intend to do what I can to insure he wins in November...and go from there.
" Primary elections start in EARLY 2026." And the Democratic Party should have hit the ground running with an action plan for the mid-terms in late 2024. As usual, they are out of steam, baffled, unnerved.
What is a "privater"? Your profile description is obtuse. But thanks for allowing me to add:
And Democrats have action plans everywhere. It is not a top-down organization, like a business or the nazis. Or MAGA. Grass-roots is the name of this game.
For sure. It's time for the Bill Clintons and Mario Cuomos to fade into the sunset and take their corporate agenda with them! Please listen and make this go viral: https://fair.org/home/jeff-cohen-and-norman-solomon-on-mamdani-and-the-democrats/
Humiliating loss? It's a humiliating victory for the Nazi party and the voters and enablers who sustain it because it destroys democracy. The Democrats cannot force the rethug party of DEATH to vote against their loyalty to the would-be fuhrer. Yours is another attempt to divide us. If I were a New Yorker, I'd vote for Mamdani in a New York minute, but I also voted for the sterling Harris, who presented programs and policies very much like Mandani's, or didn't you notice?
It is both a loss for the Dems and a win for the fascists to be sure.
Not sure what your point is about Harris? I voted for her too, and..? so...? If Mamdani is so like Harris, why are so many Dems refusing to endorse him?
My point here is - while the writers of The Contrarian emphatically and consistently supported Harris at their respective outlets before this Substack was created (and have since then too) - there has been NOT ONE ARITCLE by a Contrarian author about Mamdani...and there is not a single mention of him in any of the pieces summarized in this article.
The other point here is, one big reason the Democrats have lost so much (and make no mistake, this is another loss)- is the refusal to try new ideas and to listen to the younger progressives in its party. Harris was guilty of this too - her pivot to the right on many issues and her embrace of Never Trumper conservatives like Liz Cheney won exactly zero votes, while also alienating parts of the Dem base.
Not that I didn't want Harris to win of course..and not that she had a tough time with only a few months to run etc and all that - but Dems really, really badly need to update their program.
This is a useful and interesting exchange between you and It's Come To This. It seems to me that what Mamdani did in his campaign was to adopt and improve on the AOC playbook. Not only did he get out and interact with voters directly, frequently, and vigorously, he offered practical solutions to problems facing those voters. And in those encounters, he offered more than just rhetoric, theory, or appeals to legacy. It was "I propose we do this (specific thing) to address this (specific problem) that you are facing." I'm not a New Yorker (originally from New England), but the more I've read about the Mamdani campaign, the more I am impressed by it. And it also seems to me that while Mr. Mamdani might have a lot of personal charisma, intelligence, and energy, other Democratic candidates in other parts of the country might be able to run the same sort of campaign.
Agree with every word!
adding another note:
It is really instructive to compare how not just NYS but national Democrats treated Eric Adams when he just barely won the NYC Democratic nomination for mayor in 2020, to Mamdani's crushing, landslide win:
This from NY Times 2020:
'When Eric Adams won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, his supporters in Congress were bombarded with questions about him from colleagues representing districts in Michigan and Florida, Chicago and Los Angeles.
When a national group of Irish American Democrats gathered in Manhattan recently to toast President Biden’s victory, Mr. Adams was there too, touting his admiration for Irish American former co-workers in the Police Department.
And in the span of a week, Mr. Adams met with Mr. Biden at the White House and with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Capitol Hill. He appeared with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to discuss combating gun violence. And he stood with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, endorsing her proposal for federal gun trafficking legislation.
Mr. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, has been his party’s mayoral nominee for less than three weeks. But already, many national Democrats appear eager to elevate the former New York police captain, as gun violence shatters parts of major American cities and Republicans seek to caricature their opponents as naïve about crime.
Mr. Adams, for his part, is seizing the mayoral bully pulpit, moving to cement a national reputation as a Democrat who speaks with uncommon authority about both public safety and police reform.'
We all know how that turned out...NYC can't get rid of this brazenly corrupt scammer soon enough.
Mamdani, however, has received nothing remotely close to this sort of welcome from the Democratic Party, despite his landslide win and unprecedented turnout.
Just one voice, north of the border, but one among many I am sure who would join me, wishing all our friends in the USA a happy July Fourth in celebration of hope for a more positive, less chaotic future in continuing to make America great as it always has been in our ongoing, evolving, shared democratic "experiment".
Thank you for your optimism and encouragement, Peter. We need it in these days.
And (belated) Happy Canada Day to you! Now I have a favor to ask of Canadians: Barrage PM Starmer (what a loser) and King Charles to try to get the invitation for a second State Visit by DJT in September rescinded. I know it's complicated but if Canadians spoke with a single voice about what a kick in the face this is to you (thank you, Mr. Starmer), maybe something could be done. Like postpone the visit indefinitely; that would be diplomatic enough.
This morning I received a revoltingly dishonest email from Trump's Social Security Administration, crowing over the benefits that putatively would accrue to "seniors."
Same here. My fury was immediate and (ask my husband) loud when I got that email. Using the SSA to politicize Social Security and boost Trump and the Rs. Shameful! And the email was misleading, essentially stating that most seniors will no longer pay taxes on their SS benefits. Shameful! But what do we expect any more from this regime?
Same - 47’s PR machine is working overtime to convince Seniors that the BBB passage equates to no taxes on their Social Security. Unfortunately there are some people gullible enough to believe the spin.
Thank you Alice and Carolyn for commenting on this. When I got the same false email from Social Security so quickly after reading of the House barely passing this nightmare bill it freaked me out.
Planning on going to next protest against this regime on June 17 and working to get our government back from this hostile takeover!
@Bonny. That date should read JULY 17! Everyone needs to show up!
Thank you Michael!
Yes, and notice it did not mention that many seniors will lose SNAP benefits and their families won't be able to afford to keep them in a nursing home when Medicaid is gutted. Not to mention that many nursing homes will close.
Add to that, the impoverishment and likely closure of some of our rural hospitals. The "one golden hour" between travel and treatment will be cut into. More will suffer.
Alice Barton: I received a SSN letter also. First, I'll believe it when I see it, second, knowing Trump, it's probably hooked to some other hidden legislation that will take more than it gives in some way; and third, it only reminds me of some GOP guy throwing paper towels out to a crowd after a hurricane to help clean up. Also, the democrats seem not to understand how well-organized and timely evil can be (e.g., the Heritage Foundations), and the unwitting MAGA crowd cannot seem to realize when the carnival barker in charge is just doing more of his contemptuous thing to those who still trust him.
I didn't get the email, though at 77 (yesterday) Social Security is significant. Thank you for commenting on this, as I'm now better informed.
Note: The Washington Post didn't say anything about it today, and only grazed the contents of the changes the day before.
As always, thank you Norm. I have a serious request of you and Jennifer: fix the DNC so we get and support some candidates who can win! The DNC is atrocious and not worth a plug nickel. To keep begging for small amounts of money with no vision and no plan is completely asinine. Focus on ensuring we have mid-term elections, and winning them.
You don't seem to understand the purpose of the DNC. They collect money for presidential candidates as well as most Democratic state parties that are part of their revenue sharing plan. They have a robust strategy to boost the monthly amount of funds to state parties with an added amount to various battleground areas.
If you haven't seen the new vision and plans, you haven't been paying attention. Perhaps read a few of their emails, visit their website, and become informed.
I was 21 in 1972 and have voted in every election since. I wish I had kept track.of the number of times I heard "we'll remember at the polls" "we'll vote them out". The elect came and the voters voted the bastards back in. If the big election were this fall, the voters might remember however, I will not hold my breath. We all thought Kamala would beat the yam but enough women and men showed their prejudice against women and we have felons galore taking away our freedoms.
I woke this Independence Day with this running through my mind : 🎶🎶 and we'll rally 'round the flag, boys, we'll rally 'round the flag! Shouting the battle cry of freedom 🎶🎶🎶
If Obama's Congress had given us nationalized health instead of the ACA we wouldn't need Medicaid. If they had gotten rid of, like Obama wanted, our profit-driven health care system, instead of reinforcing it with the very unpopular mandate, we might not have gotten Trump in the following election. I place the rise of Trump squarely on the failures of the Democratic Congress under Obama to deliver on his campaign promises, the reasons we elected him. It's sad that those are the ones who we now have to rely on to save us from Trump.
Remember your history. The only reason that we didn't get universal healthcare was because the Democratic majority in Congress was so close and contested at the time, that there was serious question if it could pass. We compromised for second best, which we've found is better than nothing, though it certainly needs improvement. The powers that be today are doing all that they can to take healthcare away from us.
Now we are a minority. Had to play jujitsu. We should have been able to neutralize a few more Congressinal Republicans but we didn't use diplomacy, .
The House vote came after Trump/Hegseth withheld arms that were appropriated by Congress just at the time Russia has its summer offensive. Russia has 16 x the number of attacks than one year ago. Withdrawing aid is music to Putin's ears.
The only Republican on the job, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is calling on the White House and the Department of Defense (DOD) to hold an emergency briefing on the Pentagon’s recent pause in shipments of some air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine.
“I respectfully request an emergency briefing from the White House and the Department of Defense on the Pentagon’s recent review of our nation’s weapons and munitions stockpiles, as well as the decision to withhold urgent, lifesaving military assistance to Ukraine,” Fitzpatrick, a vocal ally of Ukraine in Congress, said in a Wednesday letter to the White House.
The Pennsylvania Republican wrote that “while the United States needs to continue to strengthen our Defense Industrial Base here at home, we can and must simultaneously provide urgently needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from brutal invading dictators. To not do both is unacceptable.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5382219-brian-fitzpatrick-ukraine-weapons/
We should have been all over Don Bacon, Mike Turner et al.
Unfortunately Obama turned his back on his promise to deliver universal single-payer healthcare, as I recall even before he was sworn in. A compromise may seem good at the time, but too often they don't deliver what people need.
Sadly, I think you're wrong that a day of reckoning is coming for the GOP. It's July 2025. The election isn't until NEXT November. Plenty of time for people to forget. In 2010, the difference was March 21 to Nov. 3, 2010 - barely more than six months. Dems dithered (as usual) and it cost them the trifecta. Republicans will throw some bones and red meat to voters next Sept/Oct and, coupled with the extreme gerrymandering (caused, in no small part, by the Dem losses in 2010, thank you very much) we now have, they'll hold both houses. And if it looks bad, Trump will manufacture some calamity and find a way to cancel the election or call into doubt the validity of the results. It's really not that hard.
Negative predictions are not at all helpful or even necessarily more "realistic". A lot of people are even more motivated now to make positive change. And people will begin more and more to feel the hardships imposed by the Murder Bill starting very soon. I would trust Norm's judgment over yours. Don't discourage people. Stay positively active. Make a difference
Hope you're right, but we'll see. Happy to connect in November 2026 and review. :-)
Honestly, I am not predicting. Just saying where we are now. A lot more folks active and fighting for democracy. My point was making negative predictions can foster discouragement in others at a time where we need encouragement and support
Medicare cuts begin August 1.
My thoughts exactly. Voters have very short memories. trump was convicted in June and won the election in November. We all should hang our heads in shame.
I don't hang my head in shame. I did not vote for Trump.
If the Republican Senate under Mitch McConnell had done their part, we wouldn't be here today. I charge them with breaking their oath of office and their duty to the people and the Constitution.
I agree. The Republican party is a travesty.
I didn't vote for trump in any election. However, I did not do enough in the fight against maga and the patriarchy. It is for this reason, I hang my head in shame. We shall see if we are strong enough in the coming months,
Marcie, framing it this way makes sense. This current dire situation is waking us up to realize we need to fight for equality and democracy. I have long taken it for granted. We strengthen and support each other in this.
Yes, the president began the 2026 campaign with his rally in Iowa yesterday, and his speech tonight--accompanied by a military flyover will be over-the-top. He's in fighting form. The Democrats don't seem to be.
We need a new generation of Democratic leaders willing to go on Fox and everywhere the people are. Talking for 8 hours in the House or Senate is a waste of time.
Thanks, Jen and Norm. We so need truth and hope and I get them both from you and your guests.
I'm so sad that our nation has come to this terrible place. I received the bullsh*t email from Social Security that cheers the passing of this bill and it tipped me over the edge. But your post gives me some perspective. After the No Kings Day rally, I was sure that we will beat them back. I will not stop fighting.
What can we do to ensure elections again, never mind, free + fair? What can we do to ensure everyone, who disagrees with trump, anywhere, is safe? What does trump have on Murkowski, that she's so afraid? Who, what, when re next rally? Thanks!
About SSN--okay . . . I get to keep what's mine and what I paid for, and we all lose our freedom and security that is afforded by living in a real democracy. Wow, what a deal.
According to Indivisible, July 17th!!!
thank you norm. OPTIMISM IS A TREASURED TOOL THAT WE ALL NEED. AN ENERGY TO SAVE US. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. THANK YOU TO JEN
Beautiful writing. Onward! .
“The Trump administration is like a forest fire burning through American governance, but one that will also allow a new growth.”
I am the editor of a small community digital magazine (Mirehaven-news.com) for our 55+ community. Our July 1 issue included a feature story called “No Kings” (https://nmstoryteller.shorthandstories.com/mn-july/features/no-kings/index.html ) that talked about the same grievances in the Declaration of Independence mentioned by Ms. Rubin. It is at once terrifying to see the similarities and encouraging to remember that those early Americans persevered and overcame in spite of them.
Dear Norm,
If there is any optimism afloat these days, it's because of you and Jen and what/whom you have created/gathered together. Cannot thank you enough for shedding a light in these dark times.
The Contrarian is one place where a weary traveler can find real news and the healing power of community (and even laughter, imagine!) I've suggested it to people who think the cowardly legacy media is all there is. I no longer proselytize, explain, or argue them into it. If they DO find you and your strong online footprints, they will also find comfort and inspiration, and ways to do little things that bite at the flanks of the lumbering beast. Enough with the whining and wringing of hands, already. We can all pitch in!!!
For instance, I'm sure that my 100 postcards to Wisconsin voters helped defeat Muskrat and his money in their judicial race. I find I don't like making phone calls but will happily send cards.
The current clown show has to bite itself in the foot. It cannot sustain this level of ridiculousness for very long. The American spirit is still under there! Even some local Trump signs are coming down as his former fans realize how very forked they've been. I have to believe they are finally detecting the danger to their worlds.
Around here, it shows in increasing road rage. It seems the MAGgots ARE noticing, but they still don't know what to do about it. So they ride in my back seat, honk furiously, cut me off, and try to force me to move out of their way. They actually have frightened me off the roads! So I've decided to do any necessary errands between 8 and 12 each day, leaving the rest of the time to them and their manly manful (read: dangerous) road games. Retired people can do this.
And now, please, a question: can you install another category of membership - say, uber-member? lol - so we can give you more money to keep going? Or is there a donation mechanism in place already that I have missed seeing?
With continuing thanks for this and all else you do,
Warmly,
Judith