The Bulwark Community Sounds Off
We get mail
Photo by Logan Cyrus / AFP)
Happy Saturday. We’re bringing back our special weekend newsletter featuring select emails from Bulwark community members.
“Have thoughts, feedbacks, laurels, darts? Feel free to write me at cjaysykes@gmail.com.”
At the risk if repeating myself: You people are amazing. The Bulwark community is diverse, thoughtful, engaged, passionate, and often eloquent. My inbox is overflowing — with opinions on everything from WAP and Tucker Carlson, to the minimum wage, Trumpism, and the civil war over dogs and cats. I wish I could publish every one of the replies.
Hi Charlie,
As a lifelong liberal, I wanted to let you know that your podcast has helped me keep a grip on the world this year. Also, there's a photo of my dog attached. Because... dogs. (Yeah I heard about the Bulwark dog war!)
It was James Carville mentioning the Bulwark that made me check it out. (I'm from New Orleans). I gotta say that the last few years drove me to the point of leaving the country for a while. I moved to Vietnam for 3 years because I couldn't handle it. Ironically, I got stuck back in New Orleans because I was back visiting family just as the Covid nightmare hit.
I have a fiancé in Vietnam. We're hanging on, but we haven't seen each other for more than a year. It's the Covid wedding. We just keep waiting for the world to get it's shit together so we can get together.
Yeah. It's been like that.
Anyhow, I wanted to let you know that I feel like The Bulwark gives me a ray of hope. For years I've thought - WTF is wrong with conservatives? After going through all this craziness, I was up to listen to anything different. I'm not saying I'm going to run out and become a Republican. But I really hope we could get back to the time when we could all have honest civic debates (minus the monkeyshit and guns). I think we've all learned how much we got off track in our politics - both conservatives and liberals. Well, some of us have learned.
Which is to bring it all back around and say that your podcast gives me hope because I can listen to you - agree, disagree, laugh, and not get mad about it.
Keep on doing what you're doing. We need more of it.
Thank you, and here's my dog Izzy.
Chris in New Orleans
Mr. Sykes,
As you know, conservatives have nowhere left to go. We have been abandoned by the notionally conservative party, the progressive party is more progressive than ever, and so on, and so on, and so on... There's no need to relitigate any of this. I have an ally of convenience in the Democratic party and I'll just live that way until the Republic crumbles under its political asymmetry, I suppose.
But, in the wasteland, I am left with a nagging question of ideological existentialism. It seems, in retrospect, that all the monsters that ail us now were so clear, that we tended them so lovingly, that we should have known better and earlier the danger of what we were doing, and I am left with a sense of doubt that strikes at the heart of makes (or made?) one a conservative. Clearly, progressives have their demons, but every new political scandal demonstrates that they are not only more institutionally willing to handle them, but ideologically fit to do so, and it leaves me wondering.
Is the ur-fascism a siren call that every conservative movement must resist? Is conservatism at scale doomed to slide into authoritarianism? Or, if that is too doom-and-gloom, which of the ideological or political pillars of the movement was the thing that gave birth to the rot that consumed the party from its core?
Inquiring minds beg to know.
Regards,
Samuel
Hi Charlie,
I wanted to let you know you guys have pissed me off a little bit recently. But then I realized that’s why I’m a subscriber and faithful reader/listener.
I’m a slightly left of center-left Democrat, and realized a while ago that I was in an echo chamber that could use some diversity of thought. The Bulwark has been great at exposing me to some different views via the newsletters, written pieces on the site, and the podcast.
But in the past week or so, I’ve heard and read some things that really aggravated me, and I was thinking about firing off a note to you expressing my outrage. After I thought more about the things that I didn’t like, more or less came to understand what was behind them even if I didn’t agree. Then I realized, that’s EXACTLY why I subscribed to the Bulwark.
Thanks.
And PS - JVL and Sarah’s position about dogs is reprehensible, but I absolutely agree with JVL on HR1.
Any bill that meets a minimum threshold on policy that can pass is essential at this moment, almost regardless of what else is in it. Every time I hear some Republican complain that the bill takes away local control of elections, I think “Yeah. That’s the point. Look at what you people are doing with local control.”
Ken Kiyama
As I see it, the culture war, especially the way it's played out today, is mostly nonsense. While I understand that some people might get really upset over WAP, any casual reading of Shakespeare will find it full of pornography. Just think about all of the double entendre around “sword” or “dagger” and the Merlyns scratches the surface. Are you suggesting we ban Shakespeare? Or perhaps we should all just grow up.
Kurt
[Editor’s note: We know Shakespeare. He’s a friend of ours. WAP is no Shakespeare.]
Mr. Sykes;
Re: Today's Morning Shots / Tucker Carlson comment " Maybe I don't want to live in a country that looks nothing like the one I grew up in."
Tucker Carlson has two jobs:
1. Generate Fox News revenue to line his and the Murdoch family's pockets by preaching the gospel to the faithful congregants of The Church of Conservative Inc.
2. Creep out all the rest of us.
He does both of these jobs exceedingly well, as do the rest of the clergy at Fox.
I suppose one might occasionally feel the need to note these homilies in a sort of "know one's enemy" kind of way. In the past I've sometimes pushed the select button on the FNC line of the menu for that purpose. But over time my tolerance for such reconnaissance efforts has been reduced to zero. Zilch. Nada. In the end, I asked myself of this endeavor...To what end?
How in any practical way does watching and listening to Carlson ( or any of the other High Priests of Polarization at Fox ) and then debriefing to all the rest of us accomplish anything besides further befouling the mediasphere, which is plenty befouled already? I'm not criticizing here, not really. Just asking a question.
Seriously though, I applaud reports such as Tim Miller's day long crush-depth dive into Newsmax ( This Is Your Brain On Newsmax, 12-04-20 ), which occasioned an email from me inquiring as to his health since, as I said to him, I saw such an effort as akin to hoisting one's self on a rotisserie spit above the smoldering remains of Chernobyl. ( He kindly wrote back that he was fine. Amazing what the human psyche can sometimes endure.)
Ditto his more recent reporting about the goings-on at CPAC.
These type of things are quite informative one-offs. But Carlson and his on-air noxious blather and off-air nauseating Tweets are everywhere, all day, every day. Not just at Fox and in the Twittersphere, but in almost every news feed I look at. And though the words he speaks are arranged in different ways from broadcast to Tweet and back again, the message is always the same.
Like a broken sewer line spewing sewage into a hurricane force wind, he stinks up every corner of whatever place this ordure is repeated. And, at least for me, a little less of that particular odor on the pages of The Bulwark and it's newsletters would be a welcomed relief.
He's told us exactly who and what he is for...well, forever. And I believe him. Don't need anymore convincing. Nor should any other nonmember of the above mentioned church.
So when the impulse occurs to report out on some foul gobbet of hatefulness or deceit Mr. Carlson has recently produced, perhaps a momentary pause is in order to consider if a better use for the space those words would occupy might be found.
I will post this regarding Mr. Carlson's supposed questioning of whether he " wants to continue to live in a country that looks nothing like the one [he] grew up in."
( We all know the answer to that...he sure as hell ain't packing his bags.)
And unless he does something more newsworthy than he has heretofore, I will be skipping over any mention of him I may come across in the future.
So when is it, exactly, that you "grew up", Mr. Carlson? And where?
Where I come from lying, whining and denigrating others for no other reason than they are different from you are the traits of an immature, self-centered child. Not a grown up man. Not a real one anyway.
Sincerely,
Michael B. Trosino
We Get More Mail
Dear Charlie,
I love your work and I love Bulwark Online! I'm one of your Australian subscribers (not Republican, not American, actually Australian). There's a small (though growing) group of Australians who are hugely into US politics for various reasons. My reason is that the US is an important democracy and we're doing what we can from our end (via public discourse, podcasts, writing etc) to ensure democracy in the US stays alive and healthy! But that is not why I'm writing today.
I'm very pleased to see your retraction regarding non-heroic cats! I've had the joy of caring for so many cats over the decades and they are the most heroic species but because they're shy they get little credit.
My Minnie used to sit at the end of the road waiting for me to come home and spent her days making sure I was loved and well looked after. She would sit and watch tv with me and play soccer with a clothes peg on the floor, chirping with glee—I've never seen such love and affection in a creature before. When I spent a few months with my grandparents in India, one of our kittens, Kushum, used to sit on my shoulder and go to the market with me in the morning (if you've ever been to a crowded produce market in India, you'll know this take lionheart level courage for humans, let alone kittens).
But the most heroic cat of all was my Squirm, Prince of Cats, who died two years ago aged 20. When he was young, he helped save our dog Jesse more than once. Young Jesse loved to squeeze through our gate and go off wandering (usually back to our old house about 3 kilometres away). Squirm, in a high state of anxiety, would come and raise the alarm and we would go off down the road looking for our wandering boy. Squirm was raised by Jesse from the age of 6 weeks, so after Jesse died (I've never seen such grief in a cat!), Squirm did the nightly roundup, making sure we were all tucked in bed at a reasonable hour before he sat guard for awhile, then went off to sleep in his basket (located on my bed). I could give you stories and stories and stories of the 18 cats who've graced my life over the past 4 decades, and maybe someday I will write about them (including our original, a little tuxie girl we named Muffin), but for the present, I simply wanted to share a few stories of cats who have added depth and meaning to my life as they went about their lives with the quiet dignity particular to their species.
Also, and not related to cats (unless it's to do with your new-found shift in perspective), I'd love a discussion as to whether you guys at The Bulwark still really believe you're conservatives—I don't think you are. I wouldn't call you "lefties" but you guys are definitely edging towards the "progressive" category in my opinion. Anyway, I do think this warrants a discussion (I might even write about it myself) and could open up a new category altogether—it certainly flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says people get more conservative as they get older. It's really exciting to see people coming out from every corner to defend the democratic process in America—democracy is such fragile thing, and the alternative is nightmarish!
Keep up the great work!
Kind regards,
Indrani
PS: Sarah Longwell—BRILLIANT brain! Please do let her know she has FANS in Australia!
Hi Charlie,
Regarding "WAP," you wrote, "Serious question here: is it just conservatives who thought this was offensive?"
Answer: Emphatically no.
I used to consider myself as progressive as they come, but now I'd consider myself center-left, and garbage like this is one of the main reasons why.
Back in the '60s when the sexual revolution started, most of its goals were positive on the whole (in my opinion anyway). Birth control, no-fault divorce, destigmatization of premarital sex, legal abortion - that's all fine. Somewhat later, we had the destigmatization of homosexuality: also fine.
Fast-forward to today. In the name of "sex-positivity," we now have:
10-year-olds learning about sex via violent internet pornography
Women posting naked selfies on social media because it's "empowering"
Normalization of fetishes like "adult baby" and "daddy-dom baby-girl BDSM"
Amnesty International suggesting that disabled men have a "right" to hire a woman for sex
New Zealand legalizing pimping
ACLU lawyers claiming that there is no such thing as biological sex
Drag queen story hour (I think performing a sexualized routine in front of small children is bad whether or not the performer is a gay man - shoot me)
People in heterosexual marriages claiming a "queer" identity for social cachet
New York making it legal for rich people to rent the wombs of poor women and claiming it as a victory for LGBT rights
I could go on. All of this ranges from unhealthy to damaging to exploitative, and women are the hardest hit. Yet the left's position on this is, "it's sexy so we must CELEBRATE it and anyone who raises any concerns is a PRUDE." I recently criticized a dumb Vox article on pornography on Twitter, and was immediately berated by some bro sharing details of his sex life and demanding that I do the same. It's so gross.
Anyway I completely agree that WAP is offensive, and I'm glad you said so. Thanks for everything you guys do.
Karla
Hi Charlie,
I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the thoughtful insights that you and the Bulwark team share through your emails, blog posts, and podcasts.
As a white evangelical woman in Texas(), it is lonely and disheartening to see where current "conservatives" are.
While I've never conformed to the traditional politics of my demographics, it never bothered me that people thought I probably voted straight-ticket Republican.
Until 2016.
Since I've never been a registered Republican or voted straight party, I'm not sure I qualify as a Never-Trumper. But I'm pretty sure I was one before they were a thing.
As I looked at the Republican debate stage before that election, my thoughts were, "There are too many clowns in this clown car."
Unfortunately, the biggest clown won.
And our country and the Republican party continue to pay the price.
I'm not sure how to find the way back for the Republican party, if there is one.
But I want you to know that the words of the Bulwark pieces give me hope. They show me that there are conservative people out there who care about making our country better for everyone, not just a certain group.
So, thank you for all that you do, and keep up the good work.
Joanna
Houston, TX
PS: I agree 100% percent with what Lauranne said in this week's "We Get Mail" that a better slogan choice would have been "Reimagine Policing" for the current movement. It accurately reflects the goals and doesn't feed the right-wing propagandists.
We Get (Even More) Mail
Hi Charlie,
I love the Bulwark work! Love the tone, love the thoughtfulness, and love the attempt to make us enjoy life a little besides some of the dark clouds of the current political and cultural landscape. That is why I love your very funny and light dog wars (after a year of very heavy stuff, it's nice to look forward some mindless fun). And in the spirit of reconciliation, let's share a little.
While growing up, we were a mostly cat family, thought we also had a couple of dogs: seven kids, a cat, a dog, a bunny, a duck, several birds, and no, we did not live in a farm. My husband was a strictly dog-only family, very serious, very proper, the type that would make fun of cat-loving people. Once we got together, the fact that we were cat people seemed to be more of a problem for his family than the fact that I am of a different nationality and religion with a very different life experience and world view. Today, and after almost 29 years, we live in a multi-pet harmonious household. And when my in-laws could visit, the cat even dared to sit on my father-in-law lap without an invitation and he was welcomed there. Happy harmonious cat-dog people entente.
By the way, I love people who share their pets, no problems there, can't understand why some of your colleagues are against it. Let's be a bit more tolerant. I also happen to love people who share their kids and grandkids, their flowers and their fruit bearing trees, and their remodels, their vacation, and their favorite TV shows (convinced my husband to watch "A French Village" that I heard from Sarah). Not everything in life has to be so serious.
Let's go back to a world where people around us don't scream at each other all the time. The Bulwark is doing a good job getting us to a more gentle place.
Thank you!
Marta Alejandro
San Leandro, CA
Hello Charlie - and many thanks and kudos to everyone in the Wilderness of The Bulwark! I am writing on a very painful subject but, unfortunately, not an uncommon one. I am now estranged from my mother - 82 years old! - due to her complete dedication to Trump, Hannity, Rush (when alive), Levin, Dobbs (when on air), Maria B. (who used to be quite respected) and the rest of that gang. She listens to talk radio 24/7, the only pause being when she watches Fox. She reads nothing but tabloid news, Drudge and similar reports.
Last time I saw her, she was trying to sign up for OANN and Newsmax. I am sure by now she has been sucked into those network rabbit holes (to think I wish she would move back to Fox!). I listen to your podcast all the time and while it's comforting to hear Adam Kinzinger's story, I think it would be incredibly important to hear from regular people who have now lost someone due to this cult. And, like Leah Remini with the Scientology show, perhaps even a few people who have come to their senses and are back from the brink?
We must number in the millions, this band of center left, center right rational people who now have completely lost touch with a family member. Last time we spoke to my mom, she told my husband (a registered republican nonetheless) that her country mattered more to her than her family. I truly believe that the only way we can have a relationship is if we declare fealty to this charlatan. As a Manhattanite for a decade, who had a friend who helped start and develop Trump University, as well as another friend who had a close friend who had an affair with Trump behind his wife's back, I well knew beyond the ridiculous notion that he was a successful businessman the actual depravity of the guy before he even ran. That didn't matter to her one jot. So I think exploring the roots of when the transformation began for many of these Magaheads, which I suspect for 99% of them started with becoming Dittoheads, would be an interesting podcast. Also, I would love a forum where the pain of this can be shared. As I live in Connecticut, I don't feel I can admit to having lost someone in this way, because so few people I know have someone this diehard.
Trump tried unsuccessfully to destroy democracy. But I feel he succeeded in destroying many families by ratcheting up the discord to levels where unless you worship him, you're a suppressive person, and your family will have nothing to do with you. It's an emotional blackmail method of trying to increase his base.
Also, a great guest for you to have on would be Steve Hassan, author of "The Cult of Trump," and an expert of the tactics and methods of cult leaders to develop true believers.
Thanks, and again, love your show!
Best,
Karen D
Hi Charlie,
I am and have always been a Liberal Democrat. When Reagan won in 1980, I was devastated. I couldn’t understand how people my age (21) could vote for him. It was a difficult 8 years for me. I became disillusioned and never felt that politics meant much to and for me.
Since Trump, I became a fanatic in watching the news. I watched and read everything. I subscribe to The Atlantic, The Post, The New Yorker.... I know most commentators quite well.
I love listening to you, Tim Miller and yes, Bill Kristol. I respect your opinions and point of view immensely.
But I need help here. Perhaps you can help.
I can’t understand Republicans before Trump, (you, Miller, Kristol, etc...) who agreed with Bush and the Iraqi war, Reaganism, McConnell, Merrick Garland, voter gerrymandering and suppression... Didn’t you all agree and accept the manipulation, the whole agenda of the Republican Party?
While I see you now as honorable, moral and with strong values, I can’t reconcile how any of my favorite Republican never- Trumpers accepted the bs of the Republican history. Is there anything you can say that can help me understand? Can you write something about this dilemma of mine so I and people like me can understand why. Or am I just being naive?
And, as you can probably see, I am a member even though I am going through a divorce and money is tight. The truth is, I respect you a great deal.
Keep up the great work.
Sincerely,
Laila Awar
2nd generation American of Lebanese heritage
Our Mailbox Overfloweth
Good Afternoon Charlie,
I love your letters section, it makes me feel less alone in this cold universe. They also make me think, maybe even more than the Broadcasts. So herewith two sage observations of the moment:
1. Bite-Gate. Please silence the unseemly fifth column of anti-dogism apparently abroad within the Bulwark at this time. Major was set up, probably by Antifa. I know this for absolute certainty because he is a Good Boy!!
2. Yes, the Hard Right hates us, for obvious reasons. But the Progressive Left hates us more. We were handy allies during the fight to remove the Orange Menace from the White House, but now must be discarded and summarily shat upon because... we/The Bulwark/The RAP/etc... have been siphoning off the Non-Crazy Liberals at an alarming rate. Thereby weakening their ability to strike while the iron's hot, so to speak, and force Joe to take his eye off the ball.
Thanks,
George
Good morning Charlie!
A brief dissent on WAP, if I may.
First, the Grammys only had 8.8M viewers overall, way down from the 2012 peak of 39.9M. By contrast, HBO's Game of Thrones – the hit show that regularly featured nudity, gory deaths, incest, etc – clocked in at 13.6M while airing on a service people had to pay extra money to use.
I'm not sure what the WAP-equivalent metaphor is to a tree falling in a forest with no one around, but it applies to any show watched by sub-3% of the country IMO.
Second, did it really "coarsen" the culture at all?
We've had a long list of shibboleths that have preoccupied the Republican Party for as long as I can remember (my first real involvement in the GOP was as a high schooler, trying to understand why the adults were so apoplectic that "blow job" and "fellatio" were being used in describing the Clinton scandal). But none of them seem to matter when finally abandoned, particularly in comparison with how those same folks act toward others – which, IMO, has gotten appreciably worse among Republicans since the Tea Party era.
As a point of comparison, consider: you occasionally say "fuck" on the podcast, something you'd never do on your radio show – and even though I suspect based on the download numbers that The Bulwark hits more ears. No one sane thinks you've gotten more coarse as you've aged. You've just implicitly recognized that certain taboos are pointless.
I understand the argument in this morning's newsletter, but it really does have a "get off my lawn you damn kids" vibe to it. The root of the culture is how we conduct ourselves in relation to our neighbors and other fellow citizens, and none of that is affected by some racy lyrics and provocative dancing on a late evening award show most people never saw.
Apologies for the length! Hope you and the family are well!
--T. Greg Doucette,
Dear Charlie,
While the performance of WAP on Sunday at the Grammys may have "owned the conservatives," shame on the Grammys for engaging in such behavior.
One doesn't have to be "conservative" to exercise judgment and discernment in deciding how one acts in public (and this was a public performance). Just because something can be done, doesn't mean that it should be done.
While I would not censor or prohibit the making of WAP or people listening or purchasing it, that doesn't mean that it should be performed everywhere. I don't think people, conservatives or liberals, would be pleased if their local high school music assembly performed it.
Sincerely,
Alan S. Acker
Fountain Hills, AZ
Charlie,
Congratulations on the Bulwark! I signed up as a plus member a few months ago and it has been essential in keeping me from literally going insane. Tim and JVL are national treasures - it’s uncanny how JVL is my ideological soulmate, down to his dislike of pets!
A little background. I’m a physician of South Asian descent who was born in England, but moved to Pakistan in my teens and came to the USA after graduate school. My time in Pakistan spanned the end of a military dictatorship and an attempted democratic transition that was derailed by corruption and multiple coups. As a consequence, I've seen the machinery of authoritarianism up close.
In Pakistan we used to read the Reader’s Digest religiously, which was definitely on the conservative side of the spectrum but fostered an admiration of Reagan and American derring-do. The USA in those days was definitely a “shiny city on a hill” for all us aspiring immigrants.
Having been here almost 20 years, now, I am much less sanguine about the American Project. The last year I embarked upon a crash course in American history, particularly the Republican Party. I’ve read books by yourself, Heather Cox Richardson, Max Boot, Stuart Stevens, Jon Meacham and countless others. And here are my conclusions:
1) The Republican Party as it currently exists has three core characteristics - it is:
- Nativist (which obviously overlaps with racist)- Anti-intellectual - Anti-democratic ( A determination to enforce minority rule makes sense when this is your entire platform)
2) The decline of the Republican Party has been a gradual process at least since the 1960s. Donald Trump was just the icing on this particularly distasteful cake. I still remember watching with slack-jawed amazement at GW Bush’s performance in the debates vs. Gore, and the media claiming it was a “draw”. The nonsensical justifications for the Iraq War. Mitt Romney (who I voted for!) disowning his admirable record as a Massachusetts governor to pander to the Republican base. And - of course - the aspiring vice presidency of Sarah Palin.
3) The Republican voting base shares each and every one of these characteristics with their elected leaders. This is not about economic anxiety.
4) The above reasons are why voting reform is mandatory. I appreciate Sarah Longwell’s optimistic approach occasionally, but the fact is that half our elected representatives essentially endorsed a coup and have demonstrated NO interest in governing over the past decade.
Do even any of the “reasonable” Republicans, I wonder, have a coherent plan for health care reform (besides “repeal Obamacare”), climate change, or nuclear proliferation? The fact is they do not because they don’t have to. In gerrymandered districts “owning the libs” is good enough.
The only way to salvage American democracy is to force Republicans to actually compete for their votes in the center, not the far right. And you can forget about watering things down to get the current Republican Party on board.
Keep up the good work!
(Please withhold my name if you publish this). Thanks!
Hi Charlie Sykes,
I’m not sure if a $15 minimum is the right number for the whole country because of large differences in the cost of living and prevailing wages. But it is clear that the current minimum wage is much too low and has not been changed for many years. And adjustments could clearly be made through phase-ins, possible different rates for various size companies etc.
Gutsavsson mentions that in Sweden unions help to negotiate the minimum wage. But in the U.S. unions are extremely weak and almost nonexistent in most of the states with the lowest minimum wages.
Moreover, the author does not mention that when employers (including large and rich companies like Walmart) do not pay “a living wage”; the government has to subsidize their workers by paying for food stamps, various forms of welfare, emergency care at hospitals etc.
Given the enormous and growing levels of income and wealth disparities in the U.S., I am much more interested in reading about ideas on how to reverse those trends and promote greater equity than in articles focusing on the weaknesses of proposals like a $15 minimum wage. The problems of income and wealth disparities are moral and ethical and also dangerous to the entire economy of the nation. As wealth and income gets more and more concentrated demand for goods and services (beyond luxury items and key basic necessities) declines. U.S. companies are sitting on unprecedented amounts of money and not investing in growing their businesses often because there is not enough demand. Moreover these disparities help to fuel extremism, anger and hatred on both ends of the political spectrum. And these disparities widen the racial divide and the one between urban and rural areas.
Thank you for your work. Stay safe and well.
Marvin Ciporen, Ph.D. Brooklyn, NY
Charlie,
First I love the Bulwark!!
I'm a retired Navy Corpsman with 24 years of service who joined the Navy in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda) but have retired in Burlington WI.
The "ONLY" thing I have as a critique to the Bulwark, is, while watching the great video content and the zoom meetings etc.
"Everyone is White".
I know what you all are working for against the deranged Right and the Extreme Left. I think it would help if you all had someone of color added to your shows or regular panels.
Just my two cents, like I said a critique not a complaint. This isn't a "Shots Fired" email. ;-)
And try to get Tim on more stuff like he doesn't have enough to do.
Keep up the great work!!
Darrell Crone
HMC(AW) USN(ret).
Hi Charlie,
I have a question for you.
Has leaving the GOP caused you to re-think any of your previously held policy positions?
Or do you still believe in the great con of trickle down economics, cutting taxes for the rich and gutting social security & Obamacare?
You know what. While I appreciate you voting for Biden, the policy positions that you Never Trumpers hold are still terrible and antithetical to the middle class and working men/women of USA. I think that you cannot come to a true reckoning of the movement that were so long a part of without moderating / rethinking some of the terrible policy positions like the ones I mentioned before.
What do you think? Would very much like to hear you discuss your current policy positions on your show to see if they are still the same.
Kind Regards,
Shounak
Charlie
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the work that your doing on behalf of our country - While I’m an independent politically, I fundamentally support Democrats much more than Republicans but believe in having at least two healthy political parties.
It’s my belief that the Republican Party has always had challenges especially when addressing the needs of African Americans and other minorities and their inability to recognize the impact of systemic racism. Now the Republican party, under Trump has lost it totally and has become the party of white supremacy, privilege, grievance, lies, anti-democracy, anti-science, anti-intellect, and conspiracy theories.
While I would like to help restore the party back to the party of the people who I respected and admired (Bush’s, McCain, Specter, Kemp, Romney, etc) I fundamentally believe that the people who can really make a difference are republicans and specifically White Republicans. During the last presidential campaign I proudly supported almost all of the republican groups that fought Trump and Trumpism.
By the way I’m a huge fan of both you and Bill Kristol (I love you guys) and actually read and listen to all the members of your team. In fact I listen to your podcast and read your articles everyday (I don’t know how you do it). My only critique for you is to implore you to have more people of color on your team so that you will better understand how critical the success of your work is.
When our democracy was being jeopardized under Trump, if we were to weakened or even loose this great experiment, White people will be hurt, but it’s nothing like what other minorities, especially the African American community would endure because they (we) are so far behind already in every category that counts and lead in every category that’s bad.
There’s a saying that when America catches a cold, the Black community catches triple pneumonia - I’ve replaced triple pneumonia with Covid.
Keep up the good work and I hope you understand my critique.
Rahim Islam
Bulwark Member