“Newsom may not be perfect, but he recognizes the threat for what it is and is willing to meet it head-on.”
Hi Shankar … absolutelyty right! I’m glad to see that, amongst your other many responsibilities, you are still keeping your eye on the state of the ‘Union’. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor must be the only honest member of SCOTUS at the moment.
In your assessment, what is the likelihood of Trump (or possibly Vance by then) declaring a federal state of emergency at mid-term to deny an election?
"They avoided the Sun Belt, handed the Hispanics to Trump, and ended up losing more than necessary."
I disagree with the wording of this phrase. As if Hispanics cannot think for themselves, or must be swayed to vote for the candidate that has their best interests at heart, as opposed to the man who would like nothing better than to deport them along with the so-called 'illegal' immigrants.
So now they wouldn't vote for Hippo Don? Now they realize, as I argue in my post 'Trump and the Latino vote, and why the Latinos made an epic mistake' that Hippo Don and his cronies don't make a distinction between legal and illegal Latino immigrants?
Now they realize Hippo Don will throw them out of the country first chance he gets?
Fuck the Latinos who voted for Hippo Don. Sorry, but fuck 'm. They deserve everything that's coming to them.
What makes it extra shameful - a lot of Latino immigrants have fled dictatorial regimes or are the children of men and women who have fled dictatorial regimes. One would imagine they recognize a wannabe dictator when they see one. But no.
The Latinos who voted for Hippo Don wouldn't recognize a dictator if they stumbled over one. Apparently the Latinos who voted for Hippo Don don't have a democratic bone in their body.
Such people deserve to be oppressed by a brutal dictator.
Why??? We have to do our job. That is the part dems miss. They don't do the job and there are things as a campaign you need to try. Harris campaign did avoid the sun belt..due to this weakness
Shankar, the election was not won or lost in the sun belt. It was lost in the swing states. I still can't believe that all of them went to Trump, I can't help but wonder what electronic hanky panky went on. I would like to see judicial recounts of those states....and cannot understand why those were not held, if only to strengthen the nation's trust of election result reporting.
She has researched the anomalous voting figures you speak of and, with some plausibility, has uncovered evidence of voting machine software manipulation.
People who don't realize they should vote for a five legged, two headed, dead donkey instead of Hippo Don have forfeited the right to moan about persecution and deportation.
This is not about the virtues of Democrats. It is about vileness of Hippo Don...
I have to agree with you on this one, Michiel. I continue to be stunned that with so very much so obviously on the line, folks not only voted for Trump, but so many failed to vote at all in a crucial election. A sack of flour would have been a better choice than the Donald.
I am tired of the dispiriting nihilism that is baked into the "this is the fault of Democrats" commentaries and comments. Harris ran an inspiring campaign, talked about all the right issues, and ran smack into a wall of racism, misogyny and oppositional defiance disorder.
We'll see, pending the Rockland County suit, just how real the GOP win was. What is real is a GOP that confirmed the most appalling cabinet possible. I can hardly think of who they could have endorsed who would be worse choices. The party that melted to Trump, that endorsed a nutter butter cabal of fanatics, and applauded Elon Musk throwing his money behind the campaign and sat silent while he Doge'd essential services with his fanboy BigBallz....they deserve to lose their seats and slink off down the corridor of history.
It is Republicans who are to blame for this terrifying mess. It is possible for them to stop it overnight. But they do not. That is on them, not the Democrats.
I can’t for the life of me believe Trump won every swing state as well as states who voted blue up and down the ballot except then magically switched to Trump in their vote for president. No way.
And with that attitude, you'll hand the next "election" to Trump too. Trump won because too many Dems stayed home. If you're not trying to address that and get Dems out of their house next time, you're part of the problem. Look, I agree with you: how anyone CAN'T realize Trump and the GOP are now Hitler 2.0 is completely beyond me. But facts are facts, and you ignore them at your own peril. Dumb-ass Americans voted AGAIN for the guy who literally attempted a violent coup on Jan. 6. How to convert those idiot and/or get Dems out to polls is all our problem, or we won't get democracy back, and that affects all of us, not just the idiots who voted for him.
I get what you are saying, but again we are back to the issue of racism, mysogyny and oppositional defiance disorder...add in the juvenile thinking that because the Harris/Walz ticket did not trumpet your special interest...Gaza, Israel, whatever...you decided to "punish" them by either not voting, or voting third party. Thus making it even easier for Donald to win.
Sadly, I think the answer is more than good campaign technique, although that never hurts. The answer lies at least in part with running a white male presidential candidate. At least this time out.
Christian nationalism is often misunderstood. It's not just white. Evangelicals are the fastest growing faith group in Latin America. So, Latinos didn't miss this messaging in the campaign. They just believed the anti-trans and Christian persecution rhetoric from the GOP. Then they figured, I'm here legally, so I don't have to worry about the immigration crack-down.
It's an important distinction because some people believe the Democrats should compromise the rights of the LGBTQ to appeal to these groups. F*** all Christian nationalists, including non-whites, if they don't want equality.
We need to create a Democracy Foundation with a Project 2028 Manifesto NOW! This will give us a plan of ACTION to follow that will help us achieve our goals. Talk won't do it. Demonstrations won't do. We need a PLAN of ACTION NOW!
I will never understand why the Latinx folks (and black folk for that matter) voted for a man who practically put on billboards his hatred for everyone who isn't white.
People have been begging the Democrats to take action for quite a while now. Their ratings are in the tank. But we need to stop fighting amongst ourselves and take action with or without them. That is happening now all over the country and Newsom knows it. No party will save our democracy.
At what point do we stop talking about Democratic Party leadership being old and inept, and just assume that it is corrupt?
I don’t see how anyone can look at the past 10 years and think any of this is just gonna blow over and it’s OK to do nothing. But yet that’s what they keep doing.
I see an interesting sub-plot here, where Dems search for a national candidate who's moderate but not insipid. In local elections (ahem, NYC) a more polarizing figure can win, butbthe Dem's coalitional politics has driven national candidates towards an "offend no one" platform/attitude, which is a very Dove-vs-Hawk strategy in the current environment. As someone who's left of left of (what used to be) center, I don't love Newsome, but I'm onboard for a national Dem who's on speaking terms with, say, Catholic Latinx and Baptist Black voters.
100% agree. It’s a constant battle for attention now like it or not. And like it or not many people don’t pay attention to the news or politics and they can’t tell lies from truth. So whoever can connect and build trust in this environment will win.
He’s here on Substack! And he’s making enough noise that, didn’t the Texas regime threatened to sue him for fraudulent campaigning, or somesuch? He’s been holding town halls etc.
I think Newsom is doing a fabulous job right now, but I don't think he's the right guy for the presidency. It's far too early to start the horse race. Let's get Trump out of office (I think he will soon be out, for health reasons if nothing else) and Zohran Mamdani into office. Then I think the Dem establishment will take voter's concerns more seriously.
The 2024 election was stolen from Harris. An NSA audit proves it. Three whistleblowers have come forward to make the same claim. Forensic evidence of swing states and Texas shows voting patterns different than prior elections. Worth investigating by AG’s and suing. This Will Hold has it documented.
The Pelosicrats are useless and complicit. Anyone taking AIPAC money, which includes all Republicans, is a threat to the US. The change will not come from within the system, not until later.
Let’s survive 2025 first. Pritzker, Moore, Hochul, Governor MLG, all standing for democracy and up to Trump.
I’m happy and impressed to see that number for Newsome. Apparently, playing Trump‘s game is working. If that’s the case, I’m all for it. More pictures of musclebound Gavin riding a triceratops. Mock Trump like he’s never been mocked before.
I'm waiting on the next AI generated poster put out by Newsom's team. Hoping it's him bashing a pinata that looks like the Orange One, releasing big turds onto a platter of tacos.
“Newsom may not be perfect, but he recognizes the threat for what it is and is willing to meet it head-on.”
Hi Shankar … absolutelyty right! I’m glad to see that, amongst your other many responsibilities, you are still keeping your eye on the state of the ‘Union’. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor must be the only honest member of SCOTUS at the moment.
In your assessment, what is the likelihood of Trump (or possibly Vance by then) declaring a federal state of emergency at mid-term to deny an election?
"They avoided the Sun Belt, handed the Hispanics to Trump, and ended up losing more than necessary."
I disagree with the wording of this phrase. As if Hispanics cannot think for themselves, or must be swayed to vote for the candidate that has their best interests at heart, as opposed to the man who would like nothing better than to deport them along with the so-called 'illegal' immigrants.
So now they wouldn't vote for Hippo Don? Now they realize, as I argue in my post 'Trump and the Latino vote, and why the Latinos made an epic mistake' that Hippo Don and his cronies don't make a distinction between legal and illegal Latino immigrants?
Now they realize Hippo Don will throw them out of the country first chance he gets?
Fuck the Latinos who voted for Hippo Don. Sorry, but fuck 'm. They deserve everything that's coming to them.
What makes it extra shameful - a lot of Latino immigrants have fled dictatorial regimes or are the children of men and women who have fled dictatorial regimes. One would imagine they recognize a wannabe dictator when they see one. But no.
The Latinos who voted for Hippo Don wouldn't recognize a dictator if they stumbled over one. Apparently the Latinos who voted for Hippo Don don't have a democratic bone in their body.
Such people deserve to be oppressed by a brutal dictator.
Ugh...
Why??? We have to do our job. That is the part dems miss. They don't do the job and there are things as a campaign you need to try. Harris campaign did avoid the sun belt..due to this weakness
Shankar, the election was not won or lost in the sun belt. It was lost in the swing states. I still can't believe that all of them went to Trump, I can't help but wonder what electronic hanky panky went on. I would like to see judicial recounts of those states....and cannot understand why those were not held, if only to strengthen the nation's trust of election result reporting.
Hi Janet, take a look at the author “Dissent in Bloom” on SubStack
https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=4006016&post_id=165548878
She has researched the anomalous voting figures you speak of and, with some plausibility, has uncovered evidence of voting machine software manipulation.
Hence the Rockland County lawsuit. If election tampering is proved, the dominoes will start to fall...
The Democrats don't have to do anything.
People who don't realize they should vote for a five legged, two headed, dead donkey instead of Hippo Don have forfeited the right to moan about persecution and deportation.
This is not about the virtues of Democrats. It is about vileness of Hippo Don...
I have to agree with you on this one, Michiel. I continue to be stunned that with so very much so obviously on the line, folks not only voted for Trump, but so many failed to vote at all in a crucial election. A sack of flour would have been a better choice than the Donald.
I am tired of the dispiriting nihilism that is baked into the "this is the fault of Democrats" commentaries and comments. Harris ran an inspiring campaign, talked about all the right issues, and ran smack into a wall of racism, misogyny and oppositional defiance disorder.
We'll see, pending the Rockland County suit, just how real the GOP win was. What is real is a GOP that confirmed the most appalling cabinet possible. I can hardly think of who they could have endorsed who would be worse choices. The party that melted to Trump, that endorsed a nutter butter cabal of fanatics, and applauded Elon Musk throwing his money behind the campaign and sat silent while he Doge'd essential services with his fanboy BigBallz....they deserve to lose their seats and slink off down the corridor of history.
It is Republicans who are to blame for this terrifying mess. It is possible for them to stop it overnight. But they do not. That is on them, not the Democrats.
I agree with every single word you say, especially the wall of racism, misogyny and oppositional defiance disorder!
If Harris had set up camp full time in the Sunbelt States, it wouldn't have made the slightest difference.
Exactly. I blame the sit at home Dems who let Lard Ass win. If he really did win
But as I was posting right up to Election Day I would have voted for Joe Biden’s head in a glass beaker of blue liquid before voting for trump.
How could so many not see?!!
I can’t for the life of me believe Trump won every swing state as well as states who voted blue up and down the ballot except then magically switched to Trump in their vote for president. No way.
And with that attitude, you'll hand the next "election" to Trump too. Trump won because too many Dems stayed home. If you're not trying to address that and get Dems out of their house next time, you're part of the problem. Look, I agree with you: how anyone CAN'T realize Trump and the GOP are now Hitler 2.0 is completely beyond me. But facts are facts, and you ignore them at your own peril. Dumb-ass Americans voted AGAIN for the guy who literally attempted a violent coup on Jan. 6. How to convert those idiot and/or get Dems out to polls is all our problem, or we won't get democracy back, and that affects all of us, not just the idiots who voted for him.
ps for a little terror, listen to the The Rest is History podcast on how Hitler rose to power. The parallels with the Trump admin are stunning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHfxImhk61g&t=2343s
I get what you are saying, but again we are back to the issue of racism, mysogyny and oppositional defiance disorder...add in the juvenile thinking that because the Harris/Walz ticket did not trumpet your special interest...Gaza, Israel, whatever...you decided to "punish" them by either not voting, or voting third party. Thus making it even easier for Donald to win.
Sadly, I think the answer is more than good campaign technique, although that never hurts. The answer lies at least in part with running a white male presidential candidate. At least this time out.
Christ, we can debate all you want, but I resent people blaming Harris.
She did all she could, and then some.
It's insane to blame Harris for Hippo Don's reelection.
As if it's her fault she couldn't get enough dems off the couch...
JB Pritzker also understands the assignment.
Christian nationalism is often misunderstood. It's not just white. Evangelicals are the fastest growing faith group in Latin America. So, Latinos didn't miss this messaging in the campaign. They just believed the anti-trans and Christian persecution rhetoric from the GOP. Then they figured, I'm here legally, so I don't have to worry about the immigration crack-down.
It's an important distinction because some people believe the Democrats should compromise the rights of the LGBTQ to appeal to these groups. F*** all Christian nationalists, including non-whites, if they don't want equality.
These evangelical churches are recruiting Hispanics at an alarming rate. Buy the premise, buy the bit. Perhaps god will save them.
We need to create a Democracy Foundation with a Project 2028 Manifesto NOW! This will give us a plan of ACTION to follow that will help us achieve our goals. Talk won't do it. Demonstrations won't do. We need a PLAN of ACTION NOW!
The election fixing Musk did in swing states was a huge factor.
I will never understand why the Latinx folks (and black folk for that matter) voted for a man who practically put on billboards his hatred for everyone who isn't white.
People have been begging the Democrats to take action for quite a while now. Their ratings are in the tank. But we need to stop fighting amongst ourselves and take action with or without them. That is happening now all over the country and Newsom knows it. No party will save our democracy.
At what point do we stop talking about Democratic Party leadership being old and inept, and just assume that it is corrupt?
I don’t see how anyone can look at the past 10 years and think any of this is just gonna blow over and it’s OK to do nothing. But yet that’s what they keep doing.
I see an interesting sub-plot here, where Dems search for a national candidate who's moderate but not insipid. In local elections (ahem, NYC) a more polarizing figure can win, butbthe Dem's coalitional politics has driven national candidates towards an "offend no one" platform/attitude, which is a very Dove-vs-Hawk strategy in the current environment. As someone who's left of left of (what used to be) center, I don't love Newsome, but I'm onboard for a national Dem who's on speaking terms with, say, Catholic Latinx and Baptist Black voters.
100% agree. It’s a constant battle for attention now like it or not. And like it or not many people don’t pay attention to the news or politics and they can’t tell lies from truth. So whoever can connect and build trust in this environment will win.
Where is Beto O’Rourke?
He’s here on Substack! And he’s making enough noise that, didn’t the Texas regime threatened to sue him for fraudulent campaigning, or somesuch? He’s been holding town halls etc.
I think Newsom is doing a fabulous job right now, but I don't think he's the right guy for the presidency. It's far too early to start the horse race. Let's get Trump out of office (I think he will soon be out, for health reasons if nothing else) and Zohran Mamdani into office. Then I think the Dem establishment will take voter's concerns more seriously.
Mr. Narayan,
The 2024 election was stolen from Harris. An NSA audit proves it. Three whistleblowers have come forward to make the same claim. Forensic evidence of swing states and Texas shows voting patterns different than prior elections. Worth investigating by AG’s and suing. This Will Hold has it documented.
The Pelosicrats are useless and complicit. Anyone taking AIPAC money, which includes all Republicans, is a threat to the US. The change will not come from within the system, not until later.
Let’s survive 2025 first. Pritzker, Moore, Hochul, Governor MLG, all standing for democracy and up to Trump.
I’m happy and impressed to see that number for Newsome. Apparently, playing Trump‘s game is working. If that’s the case, I’m all for it. More pictures of musclebound Gavin riding a triceratops. Mock Trump like he’s never been mocked before.
I'm waiting on the next AI generated poster put out by Newsom's team. Hoping it's him bashing a pinata that looks like the Orange One, releasing big turds onto a platter of tacos.