Democrats need to sell POLICIES to the American people, not just candidates
Perhaps the most un-American act by a president in the history of the country was Ronald Reagan’s selling the American people the message that their government was their enemy.That one act has led to...
View ArticleBook idea: "Profiles in Cowardice"
John Kennedy wrote “Profiles in Courage” to promote the idea and public support for politicians trying to ‘do the right thing’ when it threatened their power.To further that purpose, I think the book...
View ArticleResponding to trump officials' refusal to answer questions to Democratic...
Unsurprisingly, trump officials are pushing the envelope with a novel claim for refusing to answer Democratic Senators’ questions.They could claim that trump is asserting ‘executive privilege’, which...
View ArticleHow Congress should talk about the Russian election interference
Russia’s politics are those of a former superpower, gripped by kleptocracy — the people want to feel important and powerful.When Putin seized Crimea, his approval rating shot up from the low 60’s to...
View ArticleA frame for trump
trump is waging war on the American presidency and American values.I think that is the ‘frame’ we should suggest and discuss him in.Every time his behavior is below the dignity of the office, every...
View ArticleTax Reform is as important as healthcare policy
The policy on tax reform is likely the most important policy issue this year. Moreso than healthcare repeal, which was a miniature version of tax reform — cutting taxes on the rich and spending on the...
View ArticleAn idea how to save healthcare
One plan to save healthcare would carry the price tag of throwing Obama under the bus.Hopefully, he’d accept that price for the benefit.As we know, on the one hand Republicans are one vote short of...
View ArticleDon't think for a moment that the 'Republican civil war' will prevent their...
People WANT a hopeful message — ‘The civil war among Republicans will keep them from being able to do the terrible things they want! What a relief!’No, it won’t.The whole reason for being of the...
View ArticleThere is no such thing as the "alt-left"
The phrase is nothing but a lie and a smear of some on the left against others.The phrase “alt-right” itself is nothing but a ‘new name’ to try to put sheep’s clothing on the fix of racists, since our...
View ArticleI want to make this commercial for trump voters to watch
Picture a nice looking, white man, sitting on a stool, with a MAGA cap. He looks ‘normal’.I’m standing next to him with a microphone, talking about him as he watches. I say: “This is an American...
View ArticleBeware deals with Republicans
When Republicans realize it, there’s a deal they can push on Democrats: Offer opposition to racism, in exchange for concessions on economics.They’ll side with you against trump and neo-Nazis, if you...
View ArticleElephants are being abused and need our protection
Put aside the real issue of all the terrible things elephants face.This diary is about another abuse of them: their non-consensual use as the symbol for Republicans.Elephants are great. They are quite...
View ArticleScandal fatigue: how to control public opinion, one technique
So, trump is quite bad — and we can imagine it getting even worse, if, say, the Russia investigation finds even more. So, why can’t the country do better at responding to trump as a scandal, a threat,...
View ArticleI have an idea for an activist project
And here it is: Create a ‘Traitor Park’ of statues.Everywhere the battle is about tearing down confederate statues. Today I saw a report that they are being put up on private land in response. So...
View ArticleCan we organize a boycott of tenants of Jared Kushner's building?
We’ve been seeing stories how Kushner has a lot of debt for his Manhattan building — which he bought for almost nothing down as the most expensive building sold in NYC. Now, besides the story showing...
View ArticleDemocracy relies on a rational citizenry. Could be it we don't have that?
In terms of human history, likely the single biggest inflection point we recognize is ‘the Enlightenment’— when we went from Dark Ages to Renaissance and began a great increase in education, in the...
View ArticleI'd like to add a talking point to the Democratic Party agenda: Reagan was...
Post-Eisenhower, the only Republican president who has not ended his presidency in political tatters is Ronald Reagan. The view that he was a ‘great president’ mostly, that he improved the direction of...
View ArticleHow to sell Medicare for All: Stop throwing away over a trillion dollars...
Politically, Americans — not only including but especially Republicans and Independents — are conditioned to the message of ‘cutting wasteful spending’.However much they’re ideologically indoctrinated...
View ArticleAs a supporter of Medicare for All: Fight the current Republican bill to...
Too much of the discussion involves attacking advocates of Medicare for All claiming they’re threatening to reduce the fight against the repeal now being pushed. It’s a false claim. Medicare for All...
View ArticleThe optimal, limited role of the private sector
I think everyone agrees — and yes, that’s saying a lot — that both the government and private sectors have a role to play. The balance varies by an extreme amount, but no one I know of thinks the...
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