The Dude

We live in a post-Trump political reality. Who cares if campaign promises are legal, feasible, or of this planet?

I mean, I do, but I feel quite out of place these days...

Advice: I am paid to pay attention to the news, and even I just shut it off for a day now and then. Don't doomscroll, don't news-surf, don't react to every single thing. Flooding the zone with crazy stuff every day is the point and it's meant to paralyze you.

Wonder if playing the greatest hits of '24 will help Republicans stave off midterm bleeding? Not sure it will, but it doesn't change the fact that Dems haven't found a way to respond to these attacks.

Newsom seems to have figured 'it' out, but maybe other Dems are keeping their powder dry for a 2028 run.

As for the midterms, It'll be interesting to see if Republicans playing the greatest hits (Trans losses) will stave off losses.

Harris may have been a flawed candidate, but Dems inability to adjust to the current media landscape is baffling.

What is it going to take for Dems to abandon the old ways?

When the refs are voters and they don't seem to care, Dems should stop crying foul.

I think we liberals like to lament structural disadvantages while Republicans see the game for what it is and just play it better.

Big take away from your article: Putin feels emboldened after his meeting with Trump.

Unfortunately, America is drowning in a self-inflicted reality show to see how weak our standing has become.

Democrats struggle to create a message/narrative and drive it home.

They seem more reactive and cautionary. Does this have the potential to be a foundation moving forward?

All notifications are on silent. I try to only check my phone after a task or when I'm done talking to someone.

The replies to your comments are why I don't believe meaningful discussions occur very often on social media. People just talk past each other.

But I do enjoy your posts and articles, Tom!

Waiting patiently for Mark Cuban to react...

It’ll end up like college football: less game time, more commercials.

Beyond that, Dems have to realize that they can’t ignore issues while Republicans hammer an issue into the public conscious.

Truly curious to know how elected Dems consume media. It seems they wait for Republicans to set the terms for a debate before they even try to engage.

Dems just seemed to ignore immigration while Republicans made it a core issue.

That's a bingo!

TBD. The speed at which Reps changed skewed expectations on Dem side. Furthermore, it’s not like Trump changed the core mission of Republicans (tax cuts and judges).

I think AOC is one of a few progressives who realized there won’t be a Trump-like takeover of the Dem party. You gotta build coalitions and work from within.

Not a lot of progs willing to do that.

We now have a grievance-filled ecosystem that weaves these instances into a larger narrative of hopelessness.

Social media is going to do irreparable damage to many.

This sure is a monkey-paw curl if I’ve ever seen one.

All of these anecdotes really make it obvious how Dems refused to grapple with the evolving media landscape. I sometimes wonder if they even see what the other side broadcasts...

Mobley asserted himself at the right moments tonight. Nothing forced and it made all the difference.

Thought Darnold was a lock until tonight. If they lose in the first round and he looks like this?

Oof.

I didn’t know Apple products came with custom paint jobs…?

Yeah, and with getting zero credit for ending a "Forever War" I'm wondering if future administrations will lack the gall to do the same.

Would pivoting to the right have saved Biden's fall from grace? Interesting counter-factual, if he kept us in Afghanistan, does his support still collapse regardless of the other policies?

Not to sound nihilistic, but do you really think these reports and segments are going to effectively change perceptions of his legacy?

I doubt it.

Never carried the bitterness of defeat with him. He always maintained his core belief of service to others no matter what.

Truly remarkable human being.

You’re not going to get young viewers to watch by fragmenting broadcasts over multiple networks and subscription services. It’s insane how inaccessible the product has become.

Remember being so frustrated in the LeBron 1.0 era when so much of the coverage was “get him out of Cleveland.”

Haven’t meaningfully watched ESPN in years.