My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

Death By Lightning: My Opinion of the Netflix Series, and Other Thoughts Well, the 1880’s finally has some visual media coverage. That’s the good news. I do think it was an enjoyable series. I’m at a bit of a disadvantage being a history podcaster, as …

Death By Lightning: My Opinion of the Netflix Series, and Other Thoughts myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.wordpress.com/2025/11/17/d...

...And then having scored 7 points and dominated clock, the abandoned that strategy for lousy throws on 3rd and 2.

As a NYJets fan I hope. And pure political/approval rating it does. making it obvious, he's using DOJ. Trouble is it does have teeth. Ties up Dems, puts a sheen of 'investigation" and vindication comes well down the pike.

Also just generally, gerrymandering does involve risk, it is ultimately giving Ds to R districts to split the Ds up. But R gerrymanders over the year are getting close to some diminishing returns, I think. Might be OK in a normal midterm. In a wave, those Rs the computer gave you vote D.

This is possible: Passaic County NJ was a big swing. (of course ppl forget it did used to vote R). Swing almost entirely on immigration "thought you were going after cartels" to kidnapping cousins.

when i say hate socialism it's an exaggerated version of the reality in their home countries, and exaggerated comparisons to Democrats.

a) Univision at Mar-a-logo
b) Many Latino men recently from Latin America or Carribean (Dominican) hate socialism and are not unused to a little autocracy.

If Trump was high in polls, and the shutdown was bringing him down...maybe right now you got a big win in elections, how much longer do you want to keep the government closed. The GOP party ultimately can survive it, their base makes jokes about Congress and government anyway.

I think you've got the facts right but we've finally got in an American politics a Madman Theory in effect, madman at helm. i.e. he really doesn't care. So even if he makes remarks, he really doesn't care. His bread is not buttered in politics anymore, poll rating low already. Thus: feed people.

Original version started with cigarettes on airplanes and then I came across it. I think 2026 will feature more ephemera.

1990’s Ephemera Push in the drawer of your CD-ROM drive and enjoy random stories of politics and culture from the 1990’s. Stories that haven’t gotten much notice since.

Our podcast episode on the 1990's myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/1...

There's a lot of first-mover with Mandami, innovations and good ideas. The Reaganite/Kennedyite/Carterite (when he was candidate) smile.

Still I think both his wins come most from poor performers: Adams and Cuomo.

For Koch it was to show sensitivity to crime victims while still being a liberal, to be fair, 1977 in NYC crime high...police b/c of Beame's cuts were not responding. For Cuomo it was virtue signaling. In at least one source Koch sent back channel to say stop talking about issue.

There will always be some kind of an argument that it matters. I remember in a 30,000 person NJ town as a council candidate I was asked about abortion and gun control. I of course pushed back on that's not really what we do. But there is some police mgmt.

In my local town's school board race - school board - they had an Israel support questionaire that became an issue, or at least candidates tried. Obviously NJ gov race it was a big factor, with Cittarelli really trying to show that pro-Israel vote (mostly through orthodox).

The judge thankfully is getting fed up with the prosecution, asking for videos, takedown of DHS statements in the case and also asking for release of "de escalation policies."

Habba’s Office Told to Release Videos in Assault Case Against Democrat

Interesting. These are NY state troopers, with ICe now they are arresting for this type of contact, as with McIver in Newark who is still as I understand it going for dismissal. What a world. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/n...

Responding here because I don't see a post for 90s Ephemera:

I hope you can tell I mean it as a compliment, that your music this episode puts me in mind of Joe Frank

And the Chirac nuclear episode may be timely, due to Trump's recent announcement about resuming testing!

The unexpected Howard Stern anecdote that begins Bruce’s latest @myhist.bsky.social, man, is that worth the price of admission. I feel like I’d heard about it one time, if that, but regardless—Bruce knits together his insight and vintage clips into an exceptional slice of podcasting. Props, brother

New episodes of Jerry & Alex (@presidencies.bsky.social) talking *vice* presidencies, & Bruce, @myhist.bsky.social, musing on the connection between Thomas Jefferson & John Adams, one of whom—you get one guess–was actually not a slaveholder, a rarity amongst the early presidents. Good listens ahead!

Probably about as meaningful as that he visited her so he knows he was touch. That leap some modern historians or more commentators have made to "she influenced him in doing the right thing" is a bit much for me. My sense would be he told Alan to burn embarrasing things but not the others.

Thanks. Lee Rosevere Music for Podcasts, available to any and all podcasters as I understand it works for me. I used a lot of music on this one b/c it "ties together" the segments.

With the death penalty, the way the media linked mayorality and the issue was with Cuomo's relationship with Gov. Carey, also a death penalty opponent. I think the SCOTUS stay of death penalty made it a free issue, and one that liberals could say - well do it better, but do it.

John Lindsay said it was the 2nd toughest job in the world, the NY Mayor with control of schools controls a lot.

...a kind of 1977 virtual signaling.

Of course, it can be more argued on Israel / Palestine that there's issues around safety, taking seriously threats etc. Now, I think that's an exaggeration, but that's how it lands. With Koch, he did do that, but when it came to Koch Cuomo, ppl said Cuomo brought it up as much or more.

But yet, is not universally true that boxing is a destructive sport. For Hollyfield, it was a saving grace, and many others. It's inspirational, a solo sport with an opponent provides a challenge and inspiration.

Brutal. Good they reduced the sport from to 12 from 15 rounds, but it should go even lower. Can't KO a man with strength and/or footwork, no need to watch a kidney-depletion or slow concussive strategy.

Well done 5 years ago and this ep Not complete, but good in its chosen scope. Interview with Michael Brown aka Brownie classic. 5 years ago, Brown gave his best "mea sorta culpa" to Vann and New Orleans. And despite some holdback, Brown is listen-worthy.

"very long wind up" - repetitive. You already indicated it was the New York Times.