24 Comments

After 24 hrs of feeling like a great weight had been lifted, that sinking feeling has returned. No sleep until January 20.

As always, Bill Barr fills me with fear.

Oddly, I take some comfort in the fact that GA and NV governors and Sectys of State are Republicans, and that they are holding firm in their defense of the process. It makes the Trump logical even more twisted. God help us if they cave to his pressure.

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You guys at Crooked Media have inspired me to get more involved than I ever have been. Thankfully pretty much every other voter and budding activist I’ve been talking to seems to understand that defeating Trump was only a battle, not the whole war. Cannot thank you and the rest of the gang enough for keeping my ulcers to a minimum over the four years.

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100% right. The behaviour of Cruz, Graham, etc has confirmed that those with a focus on 2024 believe that loyalty to Trumpism is central to leading the party.

The question is whether you need every element of Trump (perception of massive wealth, whiff of Sulphur, breathless shamelessness, disinterest in substance, 'charisma') in order to have a Trumpism that motivates marginal white voters? Does Trumpism need a 'rock star' to beat the Democratic coalition?

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First, I want to say thanks to Pod Saved America. We all did it together but I feel strongly that without you, your recognition of Stacey Abrams & other incredible leaders, and the sanity and organizing you helped us all with for four years, none of the good things would have happened. THANK YOU. You all truly helped me stay sane and believe intelligent, good people were working on the good fight. Without this, cynicism and withdrawal really might have won out, certainly for me who clung to the pod some days as if it were a lifeline. Second, if you Dan are going to ask us for help, please do not apologize. It does not serve and is not a good model to say "I hate myself for asking." We need to ask a lot of each other, without embarrassment; these asks are all bigger than any one person, as is your own. Third, I think that if Biden can really do some things for all of us, including red, rural America, like putting people to meaningful work that also pays the bills, that will be the true "therapeutics" or vaccine for "Trumpism." It doesn't have to mean being either moderate or radical, it means making moves that are concrete, life-enhancing, meaningful to work on and for, and materially good and healthy. This can be done. "Trumpism" is not just an identity, though it has become that for some, but needing an identity is a sign of systemic ailing. We can address that concretely. There IS much that is wrong with this country. We can rebuild trust in government without all the labeling, framing, categorizing if we help put people to work, if we can show people real compassion and not just words. We don't need to "defund the police" or any of that nonsense. We have to take care of people and environment. And there is plenty of meaningful work to be done! The rest we model, and he is already doing that with his appointments. Those are symbolic, but not just. Not saying any of this is easy, but we are all ready to keep working hard. Again, thanks to all of you for inspiration. And to us.

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There's been so much to think about and worry about and deal with for the last 7 days that I'm only just today coming around to dealing with Sara Gideon's loss. Her campaign did GREAT here, and Susan won by 9 points, which sounds like a good spread until you realize she won by 37 points six years ago. But of course, as happy as that precipitous drop makes me, it wasn't enough and I'm a little bit in despair. How the hell do we get rid of her? She's literally the WORST. And how did she, McConnel, and Graham, with approval ratings in the toilet, get re-elected??

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There is so much to say! In Australia we have been dealing with a version of Trumpism - One Nation for many years. In recent elections this year we saw a massive drop in their vote. Overwhelming move back to mainstream parties, particularly at state level where progressive governments were returned with increased majorities. Key issue? Managing Covid well. Governments that manage the pandemic are getting huge returns in voter loyalty. I am so pleased that Biden is making this his number one issue. There is no economic recovery while the health of the population is at risk. It’s been extraordinary to see the big votes for progressive governments that manage the pandemic aggressively.

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Dan, we will get past this nonsense. I just reminded myself that Bush's transition did not start until December 13, 2000, so I am telling myself this too will pass. But onto to three things I would like you to address: best way to win those two GA seats (I did just sign up), second can we talk about the Latino vote (esp Rio Grande Valley) heading the Trumpism way and what we can do about that?, and third, just my opinion, how to get Stacey Abrams to sit Conor Lamb or Abigail Spanberger and AOC down in the same room and plot the way forward for the Democratic party...BTW, I do want Stacey Abrams for DNC chair. Thank you Dan. I always appreciate your opinion. Felt you have been a steady voice over the past several crazy months. Dina

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Hoping we can get some district lines redrawn with the census having happened this year. How soon can the redrawing happen?

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Yes, this is excellent! We're often told that we should "breathe a sigh of relief" that Trump is an incompetent fool, that it would've been worse if he understood government. True – but that ignores the fact that he doesn’t need to, since he provided cover to smarter cynics! Those three traits – anti-democratic tendencies, plutocratic policies, white nationalism – work in concert and Trump provides the third in circus form to enable the first two. He distracts while McConnell and Ryan enact their cynical agenda. Trump is an undisciplined moron but that's central to his (largely fraudulent) appeal, which begets right-wing power in the first place.

When we’re warned about a “smarter” Trump rising, that idea underestimates his unique political strength. I’m not sure Ted Cruz or Tom Cotton, or even Trump Jr, could tap into the same grievance as Trump, or build the same base. It requires someone with no shame or conscience, plus the false perception of being an outsider and a shrewd businessman.

Basically I’m skeptical that Trumpism can work without Trump. Smarter snakes would potentially be more dangerous – although stupidity didn’t temper Trump’s corruption of government and national discourse – but they won’t be able to gain power without a cult rooted in personality. Without that movement, there’s no path to the White House. Trump was as bad as it could get. He's a trojan horse in a sense for the less glaring type of corruption and cynicism that accompanies traditional hacks like McConnell and Barr, or hypocrites like Ryan and Rubio.

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Thank you for this clear, concise analysis. I just donated to Fair Fight Action and the New Georgia Project, and re-upped my monthly donation to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Those of us living in solidly blue states need to do whatever we can to support effective, long-term organizing elsewhere.

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@danpfeiffer have you read Epsilon Theory Ben Hunts’ newsletter on polling? If not, ET is an outstanding newsletter (generally examining the financial industry but often incorporating politics and pop culture) and something that might add a different dimension to your own analysis and commentary on our political dynamic.

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FYI for those of you who want to help in Georgia. The BDC has put together a link for GA, how you can help. https://linktr.ee/bidencoalition?fbclid=IwAR1NC82v2ETwfLRVJjMa93eiWIBN4opGkFZ3raFdZxx5Mgc5x9IG2aDglXA

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I am anxiously awaiting the analysis of votes, given the discussion about the increase in black votes for 45. “In this year’s election, Mr. Biden attracted about 87 percent of the Black vote. At the same time, Mr. Trump, despite being widely viewed as inflaming racial hatred, gained more Black voters than in 2016, especially among Black men, according to exit polls.” We need to look beyond race, we need to get to the basis of the MALEs regardless of color voting for 45 (I wil never utter his name again! ). I believe we are talking about authoritarian leanings which may be more prevalent amongst males than females ...just thoughts!

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Obviously a "split decision" in the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs may be the least likely outcome, but, all the same, do you think the pitches to voters by Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are fundamentally different? Or should they arguably run as a "ticket" of unity (mindful of legal campaign finance restrictions, of course)?

It seems like Perdue and Loeffler are running as a "unified" ticket where, if elected, they would act as a check on the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamal Harris.

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Thoughts about what Pompeo just did, saying there would be a smooth continuation into a second Trump term?

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The machinations that are going on right now - the firing of Esper, the firing of Oregon’s elections director, sowing distrust in our electoral process and perpetuating perceptions of illegitimacy, the rampant disinformation that continues to be allowed on Facebook, the resignation of James Anderson, the top policy adviser at the Pentagon. Dan, I have a knot in my stomach today the size of New Jersey after a brief celebration of our Biden/Harris win. I worked (thru voteforward.org) and wrote letters to Georgia voters prior to the presidential election and I will do it again! I'll do whatever I can. But my anxiety is overwhelming right now. As a heart patient with a pacemaker and a compromised immune system, I hope I don't have a massive coronary before we see Joe Biden sworn in on January 20th. Kind of joking. Kind of not. I just want to scream right now at the massive corruption that allowed and continues to allow this to happen in America. I am heartbroken (literally and figuratively).

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