Ben

Pro-tip: If you want people to very easily understand why you're voting hell to the fuck no on funding, call it something ear-catching, focused on harms caused, and accurate: #MAGAMurderBill
No Money for Murder
No Funding for Fascism
No Payouts for Pedophiles

Imagine having leaders who believe their job isn't running for office merely for the sake of having their name plate on a door but actually enacting an agenda.

Why Elizabeth Warren Declared War on Abundance Billionaires In a fiery speech, Warren warned the Abundance agenda has been captured by Big-Tech and billionaires—and is hollowing out Democrats’ economic message when voters want a fight.

Warren’s Abundance attack caught many off guard because she's exposing a hidden DC power play:

The rapid proliferation of billionaire-backed advocacy groups now rallying under the ‘Abundance’ banner to push a deregulatory agenda – one that threatens the populist economic platform Dems need to win👇

Why Elizabeth Warren Declared War on Abundance Billionaires In a fiery speech, Warren warned the Abundance agenda has been captured by Big-Tech and billionaires—and is hollowing out Democrats’ economic message when voters want a fight.

Full piece: libertyandpower.substack.com/p/why-elizab...

The ever-quotable @anatosaurus.bsky.social on the electoral promise of Abundance 👇

Why did Bush admin embed reporters in Iraq? To narrow aperture of frame: make reporting be how war was fought & not questioning motives & legitimacy of it. And to have reporters become dependent on troops for safety & therefore unable to have objectivity.

If you're hungry for way more, here's my full breakdown of some of what I raise below.
www.weekendreading.net/p/bringing-a...

The appropriate Democratic response is that the president is out of control.

You don’t need to repeat his Maduro talking points. Stop being pussies.

Bombing another country and kidnapping its leader would also be wrong with Congressional approval. The outrage, and call for impeachment, should be over the evil and illegal outcome not merely the failure to follow the prescribed process.

This is a very good read, and worth sharing with anyone you know who is preparing a run for office in 2026.

Bringing a Survey to a Gun Fight “Pollingism” Has Failed Democrats and Voters. Here’s Why, and What to Do Instead.

More from the amazing @anatosaurus.bsky.social here on what Dems can learn from Trump and the GOP on winning attention and shifting the debate: www.weekendreading.net/p/bringing-a...

I imagine if you keep saying first and foremost that you’re the best, it sounds like you’re not going to do big, necessary things to make life better for people as well.

These insights are consistent with the research that @waytowinus.bsky.social conducted on the missing Biden voters from 2020 who didn't show up in 2024 -- they don't want Democrats to be more "moderate," they want candidates who will fight for them and prioritize their issues.

In my county Dems and the GOP have been losing voter registration as people are increasingly registering independent. These folks are not centrists or moderates! They are angry at a political system that doesn't care about them, and they are insulted when we try to serve them centrist pablum.

They’re exasperated that the party hasn’t been listening.

Celinda Lake blames (1) the influence of corporate-aligned donors (2) that moderation feels safe and instinctive for many leaders (3) failure to understand (and compete with) the appeal of right-wing populism.

You’re right, although I think they do care about policy – just maybe not in the same way policy wonks do.

They want policy that’s big, immediately impactful, and fits the scale of their struggles (which is not to say that we can’t pursue other slower burning policy change as well).

This is a truly excellent analysis of a major problem plaguing Democratic strategy 👇

It didn’t make this piece, but they did not have nice things to say about the consultant class (despite technically being a part of it!)

7 Hard Lessons Democrats Must Learn in 2026 Democratic pollsters say economic populism is the party’s clearest path forward. What follows is their blunt, unfiltered thoughts on how to pull it off – and why Democrats keep sabotaging themselves.

The pollsters all mentioned this as a mistake for the campaign - after being attacked for “price controls” the campaign abandoned the messaging after a week or so and saw support drop too.

But it was still popular. They had made Republicans attack them on a popular policy - which is what you want!

7 Hard Lessons Democrats Must Learn in 2026 Democratic pollsters say economic populism is the party’s clearest path forward. What follows is their blunt, unfiltered thoughts on how to pull it off – and why Democrats keep sabotaging themselves.

Here’s the full piece: libertyandpower.substack.com/p/7-hard-les...

We actually spoke at length about this.

Voters continued to support it, even as republicans attacked it (heat which actually helped voters learn about it!)

But the Harris campaign flinched and dropped the gouging messaging in favour of milquetoast platitudes (and saw their support drop after).

They’re frustrated with the party for ignoring their advice and doing that – it’s not pollsters that have been pressing them to go for the center, it’s donors and pundits.

How about reading the piece - they all agree with you ;)

7 Hard Lessons Democrats Must Learn in 2026 Democratic pollsters say economic populism is the party’s clearest path forward. What follows is their blunt, unfiltered thoughts on how to pull it off – and why Democrats keep sabotaging themselves.

Key insight from Biden pollster Celinda Lake on this kind of language:

When we deride bold policies as “unrealistic” or “unaffordable,” swing voters hear “bullshit.”

They believe:

1) Trump is delivering the unimaginable daily;

2) Taxing the rich + corporations would pay for it.

7 Hard Lessons Democrats Must Learn in 2026 Democratic pollsters say economic populism is the party’s clearest path forward. What follows is their blunt, unfiltered thoughts on how to pull it off – and why Democrats keep sabotaging themselves.

More here: libertyandpower.substack.com/p/7-hard-les...

Key insight from Biden pollster Celinda Lake on this kind of language:

When we deride bold policies as “unrealistic” or “unaffordable,” swing voters hear “bullshit.”

They believe:

1) Trump is delivering the unimaginable daily;

2) Taxing the rich + corporations would pay for it.

7 Hard Lessons Democrats Must Learn in 2026 Democratic pollsters say economic populism is the party’s clearest path forward. What follows is their blunt, unfiltered thoughts on how to pull it off – and why Democrats keep sabotaging themselves.

More on what pollsters say Dems need to grapple with here: libertyandpower.substack.com/p/7-hard-les...

Key insight from Biden pollster Celinda Lake:

When we deride bold policies as “unrealistic” or “unaffordable,” swing voters hear “bullshit.” It's electoral poison.

They believe:

1) Trump is delivering the unimaginable daily;

2) Taxing the rich + corporations would pay for it.

Something Dem pollsters want to *scream* at the party: Stop imagining swing voters as centrists!

They're largely idiosyncratic, anti-system, economics-focused and think both parties are corrupt.

“You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve heard in focus groups!” –
@admcrlsn.bsky.social

More here: libertyandpower.substack.com/p/7-hard-les...