JVL, it seems like you really want Trump to have the R nomination. Maybe it is because you think he would lose, but after 2016 I would not be so confident. I want anyone, anyone other than Trump to get the nomination. And note how after Bill said you should recruit a moderate R governor on twitter all your lefty fans (I am a long term Dem, never voted for a R for pres) basically said they are all as bad as DeSantis and even Trump. Shouldn't that make you wonder about the side you are on now? I am -- as noted -- a longterm Dem but cannot stand Trump and also are getting completely disaffected from the current Dems and 80 year old Biden. Give me Tim Scott or Youngkin or (of course) Hogan or various others, including Jared Polis or Amy Klobuchar (my preferred 2020 candidate), etc., and I will vote for them. I will not vote for Biden (who has not been the moderate he pretended to be and has violated the law consistently), and I will not vote for Trump. I, as a Dem, don't like DeSantis either, and will not vote for him, but it seems weird to me that people who were and pretend to still be Rs apologize for all the worst parts of Biden seem to rejoice in DeSantis' failures when I am not even sure how he is meaningfully different from, say, GWB or even Romney in policy (which is why I am not a fan) -- that does make me think you want Trump to get the nomination and I can't understand why. Apparently you don't agree with me that Trump is uniquely damaging to this country.
DeSantis has barely announced and already he needs to shake up his staff. Of course that won’t fix what is wrong with the top of the ticket. Launching with a guy like Musk who has his own agenda…DeSantis was naive if he thought he would be the focus of this event. A man that foolish shouldn’t be President.
This is a strange comment, but I just want to say I love Bill Kristol's bookshelves.
I have aspired to have tidy bookshelves. JVL's obviously has a dust free set up and Sara has lots of pretty novels on her bookshelves, but to my shame, my book shelves have always looked like Bill's. It's books crammed horizontally and also stacked vertically with the occasional binder mixed in.
I want built-ins and some people in my life are like "why do you want built in bookshelves? Your bookshelves are just going to look junked up because you have too many books".
But Bill Kristol has given me something to aspire to: an entire wall of books unashamedly crammed together to maximize knowledge per square foot. And he has owned this decision by using it as the background for Zooming. I mean it's a library; it's not a Pottery Barn Catalogue. Sorry not sorry interior design crowd! This is the way.
That was a *chef’s kiss* of a show. I didn’t attempt to consume that DeSantis thing in real time and didn’t know anything about what had transpired until I tuned in at 8:00 to the Bulwark Live show.
The turd polishing that Charlie had said was coming actually emerged during the show as Fox News back peddled on its initial take.
How did I not know what tuck swimsuits were until I looked it up during the broadcast tonight? I live in, and wander through, the Philly Gayborhood yet it appears I still don’t get out enough.
Like JVL, i too will sleep well tonight after all that.
Tonight's special TNB on Wednesday night, with six of you (!), was wonderful. JVL did a great job of hosting.
Thank you all for watching the DeSantis launch so I didn't have to and reporting on what others were saying, esp Rich Lowry. They hate the Left/Dems so much, and they've abandoned Trump (for now . . . ), they have to keep propping up DeSantis.
That propping up reminds me of the 1983 movie, "Under Fire", a political thriller film set during the last days of the Nicaraguan Revolution that ended the Somoza regime in 1979. The scene that stuck with me, which I'm recalling now, is the American journalists covering the conflict between Samoza's government and rebels lead by Rafael, an underground figure who has never been photographed. Turns out Rafael is dead. The rebels persuade them to publish a photograph of the dead Rafeal that looks like he's alive. That furthers the cause of the revolutionaries.
I hope the parallel I'm trying to draw here makes sense.
My recollection is hazy because I was working and raising my kids and not paying super close attention to politics but I remember thinking Bill Clinton sorta ' came out of nowhere?
No--he was the favorite all the way through, even when he was underperforming in IA and NH. He just needed to survive ybtil the race headed to the south.
Not quite, Leslie. I wasn't paying as much attention then as I am now, but I've been a lifelong Dem since McGovern ran (my first election), and I come from a politically aware family of Irish Dems in Chicago. So, I know a bit about Bill Clinton's rise to become a presidential nominee. It was from the Democratic Leadership Council (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Leadership_Council). The whole premise of the Council was that Dems were losing badly since Nixon in '68, and needed to move to the center to win. Clinton was a prominent member of the Council, as the Governor of Arkansas. The politcally engaged, such as myself, understood this is where Bill Clinton came from. For us, not out of nowhere.
I just heard Chip Roy say that the culture war is the key to the future. Don’t let them lie about immigration or the economy. All the Right is now is culture wars.
Trump sure has a much much better campaign team this time around....which is just one more indication for me that the GOP power brokers can't be trusted or believed.
Thanks for this. The delightful schadenfreude of Twitter crashing again and again as Florida Man tried to make his announcement on Elon's knee is too great to enjoy alone. It must be shared, the more broadly the better.
Can't wait - 30 more min. I really don't understand how or why people like this man. The book banning, banning certain curricula, all the anti "woke" shit, the you run your business my way or I will shut you down shit - oh lets ban abortion after 6 weeks putting many many women lives in danger. I just don't get him.
Then you don't get the people who like cultural authoritarians (which is NOT ME!!). If you are at all interested in learning about our fellow Americans who like authoritarian leaders, let me know. They are not the majority of us, but about 30%. But they've got a toehold in the Republican party.
Florida voters also tell a story: Percentage of actual voters; 32.5% 45-64 years old, 27.6% 65+ years old.....so 60% of Florida voters in the last election were over 45, which means the vast majority don't have to worry about abortion...or children in grade school, or working for Disney. Florida is not America and for DeSantis to think he can make America into Florida is insane. The red wave didn't happen in 2022 because of the turnout of voters 30 and under was higher than usual, and they did not vote Republican by a long shot. 60+% voted Dem over all.
JVL, it seems like you really want Trump to have the R nomination. Maybe it is because you think he would lose, but after 2016 I would not be so confident. I want anyone, anyone other than Trump to get the nomination. And note how after Bill said you should recruit a moderate R governor on twitter all your lefty fans (I am a long term Dem, never voted for a R for pres) basically said they are all as bad as DeSantis and even Trump. Shouldn't that make you wonder about the side you are on now? I am -- as noted -- a longterm Dem but cannot stand Trump and also are getting completely disaffected from the current Dems and 80 year old Biden. Give me Tim Scott or Youngkin or (of course) Hogan or various others, including Jared Polis or Amy Klobuchar (my preferred 2020 candidate), etc., and I will vote for them. I will not vote for Biden (who has not been the moderate he pretended to be and has violated the law consistently), and I will not vote for Trump. I, as a Dem, don't like DeSantis either, and will not vote for him, but it seems weird to me that people who were and pretend to still be Rs apologize for all the worst parts of Biden seem to rejoice in DeSantis' failures when I am not even sure how he is meaningfully different from, say, GWB or even Romney in policy (which is why I am not a fan) -- that does make me think you want Trump to get the nomination and I can't understand why. Apparently you don't agree with me that Trump is uniquely damaging to this country.
DeSantis has barely announced and already he needs to shake up his staff. Of course that won’t fix what is wrong with the top of the ticket. Launching with a guy like Musk who has his own agenda…DeSantis was naive if he thought he would be the focus of this event. A man that foolish shouldn’t be President.
This is a strange comment, but I just want to say I love Bill Kristol's bookshelves.
I have aspired to have tidy bookshelves. JVL's obviously has a dust free set up and Sara has lots of pretty novels on her bookshelves, but to my shame, my book shelves have always looked like Bill's. It's books crammed horizontally and also stacked vertically with the occasional binder mixed in.
I want built-ins and some people in my life are like "why do you want built in bookshelves? Your bookshelves are just going to look junked up because you have too many books".
But Bill Kristol has given me something to aspire to: an entire wall of books unashamedly crammed together to maximize knowledge per square foot. And he has owned this decision by using it as the background for Zooming. I mean it's a library; it's not a Pottery Barn Catalogue. Sorry not sorry interior design crowd! This is the way.
"Sorry not sorry" gave me a laugh.
Ron De Cuck. :|
Do you think DeSatan would have experienced the same technological problems if he had launched via, I don’t know.....Disney+? Just asking...:)
Perhaps they could have had a prince come out to kiss him.
Great conversation tonight Bulwark team! Thank you!!
That was a *chef’s kiss* of a show. I didn’t attempt to consume that DeSantis thing in real time and didn’t know anything about what had transpired until I tuned in at 8:00 to the Bulwark Live show.
The turd polishing that Charlie had said was coming actually emerged during the show as Fox News back peddled on its initial take.
How did I not know what tuck swimsuits were until I looked it up during the broadcast tonight? I live in, and wander through, the Philly Gayborhood yet it appears I still don’t get out enough.
Like JVL, i too will sleep well tonight after all that.
Like you last sentence.
Tonight's special TNB on Wednesday night, with six of you (!), was wonderful. JVL did a great job of hosting.
Thank you all for watching the DeSantis launch so I didn't have to and reporting on what others were saying, esp Rich Lowry. They hate the Left/Dems so much, and they've abandoned Trump (for now . . . ), they have to keep propping up DeSantis.
That propping up reminds me of the 1983 movie, "Under Fire", a political thriller film set during the last days of the Nicaraguan Revolution that ended the Somoza regime in 1979. The scene that stuck with me, which I'm recalling now, is the American journalists covering the conflict between Samoza's government and rebels lead by Rafael, an underground figure who has never been photographed. Turns out Rafael is dead. The rebels persuade them to publish a photograph of the dead Rafeal that looks like he's alive. That furthers the cause of the revolutionaries.
I hope the parallel I'm trying to draw here makes sense.
My recollection is hazy because I was working and raising my kids and not paying super close attention to politics but I remember thinking Bill Clinton sorta ' came out of nowhere?
No--he was the favorite all the way through, even when he was underperforming in IA and NH. He just needed to survive ybtil the race headed to the south.
Thanks, I had just never heard of him before at the time.
Not quite, Leslie. I wasn't paying as much attention then as I am now, but I've been a lifelong Dem since McGovern ran (my first election), and I come from a politically aware family of Irish Dems in Chicago. So, I know a bit about Bill Clinton's rise to become a presidential nominee. It was from the Democratic Leadership Council (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Leadership_Council). The whole premise of the Council was that Dems were losing badly since Nixon in '68, and needed to move to the center to win. Clinton was a prominent member of the Council, as the Governor of Arkansas. The politcally engaged, such as myself, understood this is where Bill Clinton came from. For us, not out of nowhere.
Thanks. Like I said, I was voting but wasn't following political news the way I do now 😉
It's so great to have so many of you! 💕
I just heard Chip Roy say that the culture war is the key to the future. Don’t let them lie about immigration or the economy. All the Right is now is culture wars.
POTUS just sent out a fundraising e-mail titled “This link works”
🤣🤣🤣🤣
So you say. Please provide evidence, like a link to the email and that it doesn't work.
I didn’t say it didn’t work. I thought it was very funny because it was making fun of DeSantis’ disaster on Twitter tonight.
POTUS’ comms people are geniuses.
Sorry - I misread your comment😔
It’s no problem! I just figured you hadn’t heard about DeSantis’ Twitter Hindenburg yet.
"Twitter Hindenburg" - like that. When I'm wrong, I like to acknowledge it. Keeps my credibility clean.
Trump sure has a much much better campaign team this time around....which is just one more indication for me that the GOP power brokers can't be trusted or believed.
I already have my Biden-Harris 2024 bumper sticker on my car!
Same. I can't put a sign in my yard because I'm sure they'd shoot up my house and probably poison my dogs 🙄
Im lucky enough to live in blue, blue Columbus in the middle of the red hell that is Ohio.
Keep forgetting to come to the website. Tonight’s get together is delicious. Thank you all.
Completely agree!
Thanks for this. The delightful schadenfreude of Twitter crashing again and again as Florida Man tried to make his announcement on Elon's knee is too great to enjoy alone. It must be shared, the more broadly the better.
Yes, the wine has gone down smoothly tonight.
Can't wait - 30 more min. I really don't understand how or why people like this man. The book banning, banning certain curricula, all the anti "woke" shit, the you run your business my way or I will shut you down shit - oh lets ban abortion after 6 weeks putting many many women lives in danger. I just don't get him.
Then you don't get the people who like cultural authoritarians (which is NOT ME!!). If you are at all interested in learning about our fellow Americans who like authoritarian leaders, let me know. They are not the majority of us, but about 30%. But they've got a toehold in the Republican party.
Florida voters also tell a story: Percentage of actual voters; 32.5% 45-64 years old, 27.6% 65+ years old.....so 60% of Florida voters in the last election were over 45, which means the vast majority don't have to worry about abortion...or children in grade school, or working for Disney. Florida is not America and for DeSantis to think he can make America into Florida is insane. The red wave didn't happen in 2022 because of the turnout of voters 30 and under was higher than usual, and they did not vote Republican by a long shot. 60+% voted Dem over all.
Thank you. Florida is a demographic anomaly that cannot be replicated.
Do yourselves a favor and go down a Tina Turner rabbit hole on YouTube.
No matter what the British think their royals are, Tina was and always will be the real Queen .
Celebrate a great American with tech that’s working