The Deeper Reasons Democrats Lost
Why did Democrats lose? The question is still haunting many people today.
The author argues Democrats didn’t lose because of campaign tweaks (too moderate, too left, Harris too late, etc.), but because of deeper structural and psychological dynamics.
1. Turnout collapse, not a rightward shift. Trump gained modestly over 2020, but the bigger factor was that many who voted against Trump last time simply didn’t show up.
We Have Enough Dead Friends
Lena Oleanderson
Come over. The doors are open,
my flat’s a mess and
so is my heart
but the doors are always open.
Come over. I will make soup,
probably from frozen but
the important thing is
we will both eat.
You don’t have to be dying,
but if you are,
or you feel like you are,
or if living’s been hard,
call me, and I will show up.
Society is Powered by Empathy
Jarod K. Anderson
Society is powered by empathy,
by an understanding that diverse lives,
goals, and perspectives deserve our consideration,
respect, and mutual protection.
This empathy is not just rooted in idealism;
it’s rooted in the fundamental truth that our shared
needs and fates outweigh our differences.
This is true for human societies.
It’s also true for our broader fellowships of life,
Folks you have never met grow your food
www.youtube.com/shorts/tW…
Whitney Cummings: Who do you think did 9/11?
Soldier: Us.
WC: So why did America do it?
S: To finish Bush 1’s job.
WC: Where’d you read this?
S: I served 11 years.
WC: Where in the military were you?
S: Syria.
WC: Yeah, I want the full conspiracy. Let’s go.
S: I was at the V.A. a year and a half after an operation that we went to. “Breaking News”: the operation that we did a year and a half ago popped up on the news.
From ChatGPT, when I asked it to explain to me what’s behind the ideas of sovereign citizenship.
Sovereign citizenship is a pseudolegal belief system held by individuals known as sovereign citizens. These individuals assert that they are not subject to government laws, courts, or authority—especially that of the federal government—because they claim to exist outside of what they consider a corrupt or illegitimate legal system. The movement is rooted in conspiracy theories and a misinterpretation of history, law, and constitutional principles.
Maron: At this point, it’s lazy and sloppy and hackneyed, you know, to be in a club where, you know, I’m walking down the hall at the comedy club, or, and, you know, in one room, someone’s doing their bit about trans people. And then I get down the hall and there’s someone on stage going, “Well, I guess I got to do my bit about trans people.” Like, no, you don’t.
(YT)
… There are groups to help you. My, my granddad was a Baptist preacher. I’ve been a member of this church since I was two years old, and now I’m in seminary studying to become a minister myself. My faith means more to me than anything.
But if I’m being very honest, sometimes I hesitate for telling someone I’m a Christian. There is a cancer on our religion. Until we confess the sin that is Christian nationalism and exorcise it from our churches, our religion can do a lot more damage than a six-pack of Lone Star.
The idea behind “I laugh so I don’t cry” goes back at least to the 18th century. In 1775 Pierre-Auguste Caron de Beaumarchais put the line « Je me hâte de rire de tout, de peur d’être obligé d’en pleurer » into the mouth of Figaro in Le Barbier de Séville – “I hurry to laugh at everything, for fear I’ll be forced to weep.” It framed laughter as a deliberate shield against despair, and French readers recognised it instantly as gallows humour.
“The cruelty is the point” entered U.S. political vocabulary through an essay by Adam Serwer, a staff writer at The Atlantic. Published on October 3 2018 and itself titled “The Cruelty Is the Point,” Serwer’s piece argued that Donald Trump’s political style—and many of his administration’s policies—deliberately united supporters through shared pleasure in the suffering of disfavoured groups. The phrase, which appears in the headline and serves as the article’s thesis, was new enough that readers immediately treated it as a coinage and a concise diagnostic of the moment.
I believe abortion should be legal everywhere. I believe in free speech. I am conflicted on capital punishment. I am conflicted on affirmative action. I think guns should be fully outlawed and D.C. v. Heller (2008) is a shameful decision. I support open borders. I support higher taxes. I support a universal basic income. I believe the minimum wage is tremendously out-of-date, to the suffering of many. I favor more regulation overall.
Hey, it’s Pete. I know a lot of us were frustrated and disappointed to see Congress pass the so-called beautiful bill and Donald Trump sign it, giving himself and his fellow billionaires a tax cut, paying for it by cutting health care off for millions of Americans and blowing up the deficit while they did it.
This bill is full of destructive measures that will make life in America worse. It will make America sicker, literally, with thousands of people expected to die sooner because of the loss of health care.
“I think we’re living in a dystopic riff on the main timeline, like a nightmare that someone in the main plot is having.
“That’s where we exist, because I was just watching the news and they had a talking hat on. He was talking about the situation in the Middle East and he was like, I wish we had a Bush presidency right now.
“And my first thought was, oh man, that would be great.
Come over. The doors are open, my flat’s a mess and so is my heart but the doors are always open. Come over. I will make soup, probably from frozen but the important thing is we will both eat.
You don’t have to be dying, but if you are, or you feel like you are, or if living’s been hard, call me, and I will show up. It doesn’t have to be that bad, it doesn’t have to be bad at all, but if it is, please call.
Nick Cave:
Okay, so the question someone has written in called Valerio from Stockholm has written in saying: “Following the last few years, I’m feeling empty and more cynical than ever. I’m losing faith in other people and I’m scared to pass these feelings on to my little son. Do you still believe in us human beings?”
So this is the letter that I wrote.
Dear Valerio,
Much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt.
A: Hey man, you parked on my foot! What’s your problem?
B: I don’t think he has a problem with you.
A: Then why else would he park on my foot and ignore me?
B: I think he’s deaf.
A: Hey, you’re on my foot!
B: He must be blind too.
A :Then why is he driving?
B: Ask him?
A: Dude, not the time! It’s locked! I hate this guy!
www.youtube.com/shorts/tW…
Whitney Cummings: Who do you think did 9/11?
Soldier in Audience: Us.
WC: So why did America do it?
S: To finish Bush 1’s job.
WC: Where’d you read this?
S: I served 11 years.
WC: Where in the military were you?
S: Syria.
WC: Yeah, I want the full conspiracy. Let’s go.
S: I was at the V.A. a year and a half after an operation that we went to.
Fighting fascism is an ideological war of attrition against you.
You win by not relenting this instant, tomorrow, and every day thereafter.
Listen to us!
MAGA Fascism
You aren’t crazy: MAGA under Trump is turning fascist. Even researchers begin to realize this. For all historical differences, there are modern definitions of fascism perfectly applicable to MAGA:
“It wants to silence and even murder its opponents rather than arguing with them; it prefers an authoritarian state over democracy; it pits an aggressively exclusionary idea of the nation against a pluralism that values and prioritizes difference.
Fascism is here. It’s not wearing jackboots. It’s wearing a flag. Holding a Bible. Funded by billionaires. And led by a felon in a suit shouting: “Law and order.” “Patriots only.” “America First.” What does it look like? Schools punished for teaching history. Teachers criminalized for using a kid’s pronouns. Universities defunded unless they obey. Law firms threatened for defending the law. Judges smeared and silenced, Immigrants blamed. Minorities targeted. The press attacked.
imgur.com/gallery/r…
ORANGE: World War 3!? Is that good? Whose idea was that? Israel bombed Iran first and now the USA is bombing Iranian nuclear sites, the world is up in arms and maybe even ending! What is going on!? I’m frightened!
BEIGE: It’s all for a good cause. You should know that Israel was forced to bomb Iran in preemptive self-defence in order to achieve peace through strength.
ORANGE: Israel bombed Iran first?
Man: Hiya.
Ticket Agent: Hi.
Man: This is a bit of a strange question, but can you tell me how to get there?
Ticket Agent: Where is it? Where was the photo taken? Oh, I know, that’s Millport. Right, what you would do is, get the train to Largs, from there you get the ferry, the train takes roughly…
Man: No, sorry, I know how to get to Millport, but can you tell me how to get to there [points to photo]?
PANEL 1:
Yellow guy, exited, smiling, blue star, green squiggly, red cone, yellow circle.
Off-screen: “You’re too loud.”
PANEL 2:
Slightly faded yellow guy, discouraged, less bright. Tiny blue star, red triangle, yellow circle fading out.
PANEL 3:
Dimmer yellow guy with white speech buttons. Off-screen: “You’re being really annoying.”
PANEL 4:
Orange guy with speech balloon popping out.
PANEL 5:
Even dimmer orange guy. Speech balloon: “Haha, you’re so weird.
A counterpart question to the question I asked ChatGPT about the Democratic Party:
Q: Based solely on actions by its elected representatives in the national legislative and executive branch and not on any stated principles, please provide 250 words on what the Republican Party stands for.
A: Republican officials’ record signals seven governing principles.
1. Supply-side taxation: they pursue permanent, across-the-board tax relief and creative scoring to justify it, treating lower revenue as an engine for private-sector growth and political reward.
As a reaction to Dave’s question I thought I’d ask my own, but with a twist – asking it to base its answer solely on their actions, rather than their words.
Q: Based solely on actions by its elected representatives in the national legislative and executive branch and not on any stated principles, please provide 250 words on what the Democratic Party stands for.
A: The party’s record since 2021 reveals a set of operational principles that repeat across issue areas:
Forgotten Food Bank Needs
Boxed Milk Butter & Eggs Cake & Frosting Dish Detergent Ground Beef Sandwich Bread Cooking Oil Salt & Pepper Sugar & Flour Feminine Hygiene Ground Coffee Spices Eric McCool: Sharing wisdom from a food bank volunteer:
Everyone donates Kraft Mac & Cheese in the box. But it needs milk & butter which is hard to get from food banks. Boxed Milk is a treasure. Kids need it for cereal, which they get a lot of.
No more fear, no more ICE, freedom now—don’t think twice! Raise your voice, stop the raids—liberty must not be swayed! Tear down ICE, tear down fear—no more kings, the time is here! From sea to sea, our shining land—stand with migrants, make your stand! Break the silence, end the strife—ICE destroys our peaceful lives! This is home, we belong—your cruel laws are dead wrong! They come at night, they come in fear—rise up now, make it clear!
Scandal S05E20 – I imagine it is not an accident that this episode was called “Trump Card”:
You want a sound bite? You want the truth? [Donald Trump] is a disgusting piece of trash. A relic. A man, like many other white men, who have had a free run at prosperity and opportunity. For whom discrimination and injustice are as foreign to them as the Muslim immigrants that they want to ban from our country.
Psychotherapy Action Network (@PsiANorg): So, according the the FTC, BetterHelp:
Sold data about all LGBTQ users who looked into “Pride Counseling,’’ teens who visited “Teen Counseling,’ Christians who visited “Faithful Counseling,’ & Spanish-speaking folks who visited “Terappeuta.” (at least spell it right?)
Uploaded the email address of all current and former users to Facebook to target them and their friends with BetterHelp ads
Falsely used the HIPAA logo to deceive patients that they met HIPAA requirements for privacy and confidentiality
“Sweetheart, if they text you after 11 p.m., it’s not ethics. It’s hormones.”
“I didn’t come here to get a degree. I came here to see what the youth are stressed about and bring snacks accordingly.”
“He ghosted you? Oh honey. Block him and light a candle. For yourself.”
“I once survived a cheating husband, a power outage, and disco. You can survive this exam.”
“You don’t need closure. You need carbs and a nap.
Translated from Cat by Dora Round; revised by the editor. Originally Published in Intimate Things, 1935.
This is my Man. I am not afraid of him. He is very strong, for he eats a great deal; he is an Eater of All Things. What are you eating? Give me some!
He is not beautiful, for he has no fur. Not having enough saliva, he has to wash himself with water. He meows in a harsh voice and a great deal more than necessary.
Sen. Chris Murphy to Kristi Noem, Trump’s Homeland Security Director:
[Y]our department is out of control.
You’re spending like you don’t have a budget. You are running out of money for this fiscal year. You are illegally refusing to spend funds that have been authorized by this Congress and appropriated by this committee. You are ignoring the immigration laws of this nation, implementing a brand new immigration system that you have invented that has little relation to the statutes that you are required to follow as spelled out in your oath of office.