Good luck today! Love the playlist, particularly TP’s Crawling Back to You. Hoping one of my all time favorite lines applies next week- “most things I worry about, never happen anyway”.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Trump voters since 2016, and I’ve come to largely different conclusions than you and Grierson expressed on the pod.
1) Uniformed is a better word than dumb. Many Trump voters aren’t as plugged into political coverage as anybody reading this, and I often wonder if I’d be happier if I took a page out of their book.
2) For every person wearing a MAGA hat, there are more who just kinda like the cut of his gib and disagree with most Democratic policies. Many liberals, myself included, haven’t fully grappled with how alienating, annoying and sometimes wrong we’ve been about certain issues.
3) There are two choices on the ballot. How many of us have ever voted for a Republican candidate? I’d like to think I wouldn’t vote for the Democratic version of Trump, but I don’t know for sure, and many people who consume much less news than I would see the D next to that candidate’s name and fill in that oval.
I blame our media environment, our voting system and Trump’s unique appeal (Trump-backed candidates have mostly gotten their asses kicked) for his first term and potential second term way more than the vast majority of people who vote for him. Many are good people fed bullshit and forced to decide between two imperfect options.
I'm not sure that's necessarily how I could characterize Grierson's and my discussion on the podcast, but I do think you make some fair points here. Particularly with the "I'd be happier if I took a page out of their book" part. But I also do think one has an obligation, maybe even a moral one, to try to keep one's self informed?
I was less trying to characterize your whole discussion than respond to some of the things you guys said. I agree with many of your points too, at least in part. Like keeping one’s self informed: certainly good and what I would prefer, but maybe not a moral obligation. For many people, being informed is less of a choice than a product of their environment.
Definitely fair as well. It's a lot easier for me, with a job where I sit at a desk and type all day, to stay informed. I guess we all can just try to do our best.
Though my politics are to the left, I have a few friends (and relatives) who are to the right. Sometimes when I hear my left-of-center friends talking about them on Facebook, I cringe at the condescension and arrogance. You'll never persuade a voter that way.
I just watched the video of Trump performing fellatio on a microphone at a rally, to wild cheers and laughter from his base. THIS is Presidential behavior? All the Republican pearl clutching about the Democrats and their culture shock ways...and a BJ at the mike is A OK. And the world shakes it's head and cannot believe how far we've sunk.
I imagine you'll mention it in next weekend's newsletter, but wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on successfully finishing the marathon, and while I don't know if you had any specific goals beyond finishing, going under ten minutes a mile is very solid stuff!
Here and newly subscribed after your first IB article (welcome!). This was an incredible article. Sending it to my loved ones that are anxious as all hell about tomorrow.
Not sure Kirk Gibson was even a top-10 hitter in baseball in 1988 (by OPS+, he was 13th). Darryl Strawberry had a better season, but Gibson had the narrative of changing the culture of the Dodgers and getting them to the postseason. ;)
I’ve struggled to understand the country we are at the moment. How people could actually pick a convicted criminal to become president is beyond puzzling and terrifying. And then I was reminded of a book I read sometime ago. The book, by Isabel Wilkerson, is called Caste, the Origins of our Discontents. Isabel was interviewed on Lawrence O’Donell’s show, The Last Word. She is calm, articulate and brilliant. I’m rereading this book and learning so much about what is happening right now. She also wrote The Warmth of Other Suns. I highly recommend both.
I hope we all survive.
Good luck today! Love the playlist, particularly TP’s Crawling Back to You. Hoping one of my all time favorite lines applies next week- “most things I worry about, never happen anyway”.
Good luck tomorrow! Looks like you’ll have great weather.
Good luck dude! I’m mighty jealous of your NYC interlude.
Best of luck to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, William Leitch on Sunday and Harris-Walz on Tuesday!
Typing this at halftime of the Georgia game, but ... well, we're off to a bad start here!
One accomplished, two to go! Good luck!
Two for three so far!
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Trump voters since 2016, and I’ve come to largely different conclusions than you and Grierson expressed on the pod.
1) Uniformed is a better word than dumb. Many Trump voters aren’t as plugged into political coverage as anybody reading this, and I often wonder if I’d be happier if I took a page out of their book.
2) For every person wearing a MAGA hat, there are more who just kinda like the cut of his gib and disagree with most Democratic policies. Many liberals, myself included, haven’t fully grappled with how alienating, annoying and sometimes wrong we’ve been about certain issues.
3) There are two choices on the ballot. How many of us have ever voted for a Republican candidate? I’d like to think I wouldn’t vote for the Democratic version of Trump, but I don’t know for sure, and many people who consume much less news than I would see the D next to that candidate’s name and fill in that oval.
I blame our media environment, our voting system and Trump’s unique appeal (Trump-backed candidates have mostly gotten their asses kicked) for his first term and potential second term way more than the vast majority of people who vote for him. Many are good people fed bullshit and forced to decide between two imperfect options.
I'm not sure that's necessarily how I could characterize Grierson's and my discussion on the podcast, but I do think you make some fair points here. Particularly with the "I'd be happier if I took a page out of their book" part. But I also do think one has an obligation, maybe even a moral one, to try to keep one's self informed?
I was less trying to characterize your whole discussion than respond to some of the things you guys said. I agree with many of your points too, at least in part. Like keeping one’s self informed: certainly good and what I would prefer, but maybe not a moral obligation. For many people, being informed is less of a choice than a product of their environment.
Definitely fair as well. It's a lot easier for me, with a job where I sit at a desk and type all day, to stay informed. I guess we all can just try to do our best.
Well put. I've always appreciated how hard you've tried to do your best.
Though my politics are to the left, I have a few friends (and relatives) who are to the right. Sometimes when I hear my left-of-center friends talking about them on Facebook, I cringe at the condescension and arrogance. You'll never persuade a voter that way.
Totally agree. I think both Harris and Walz have bent over backwards not to do that, though.
I just watched the video of Trump performing fellatio on a microphone at a rally, to wild cheers and laughter from his base. THIS is Presidential behavior? All the Republican pearl clutching about the Democrats and their culture shock ways...and a BJ at the mike is A OK. And the world shakes it's head and cannot believe how far we've sunk.
I used to run three mile races in high school. My hat is off to you and everyone else participating.
That second map is stuff of nightmares despite the outcome I hope for.
It brought me no joy.
I’m sure it didn’t. Have a great run tomorrow!
I imagine you'll mention it in next weekend's newsletter, but wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on successfully finishing the marathon, and while I don't know if you had any specific goals beyond finishing, going under ten minutes a mile is very solid stuff!
Here and newly subscribed after your first IB article (welcome!). This was an incredible article. Sending it to my loved ones that are anxious as all hell about tomorrow.
Go Illini! 🧡
congratulations on finishing the NY Marathon!!!!!
Thanks! Everything hurts!
Congratulations!
Not sure Kirk Gibson was even a top-10 hitter in baseball in 1988 (by OPS+, he was 13th). Darryl Strawberry had a better season, but Gibson had the narrative of changing the culture of the Dodgers and getting them to the postseason. ;)
Fair enough! He was definitely the best hitter on the Dodgers, though!
Good luck tomorrow. What an adventure!
I’ve struggled to understand the country we are at the moment. How people could actually pick a convicted criminal to become president is beyond puzzling and terrifying. And then I was reminded of a book I read sometime ago. The book, by Isabel Wilkerson, is called Caste, the Origins of our Discontents. Isabel was interviewed on Lawrence O’Donell’s show, The Last Word. She is calm, articulate and brilliant. I’m rereading this book and learning so much about what is happening right now. She also wrote The Warmth of Other Suns. I highly recommend both.
My version of the map has her winning Nevada too. I have a hunch about N.C. but I don't trust my gut. Good luck in the race tomorrow.
Worried about Jon Ralston's reports coming out of there ...