This is such a great idea and so many have recognized it as such, so why is it not being implemented? Are Democratic leaders still in such a state of shock that they’re not thinking clearly? They’d better get over it and soon. This fascist government is leaping ahead like a tiger, devouring our institutions and ripping the Constitution to shreds.
The current Democratic Leadership appears moribund! Those who cannot make decisions and appreciate others’ ideas should step down and let the people who are still alive and still care take their place. This was a great idea when first proposed and remains one. The population of this great country deserves this and Democrats might find their popularity rising as well.
First, despite what you guys thenk, all politics is local.
Second, we had a great campaign but I think we wuz screwed. I cite to Joe Stalin. Psy ops. Did Trump admit that usk stole Pennsylvania for him. Thom and many others have covered the inconsistencies.
You have to understand we are now a minority party in more ways than one. All that we at the local level ever expected was funding -- and where I was we got no help whatsoever in 2020, 2022 and a few beans in 2024. In 2020 we had Dem officials who supported HRC in 2016 flip for Trump.
Besides being on the "inside" as a board member, I was involved with a national DNC veterans' program that IMHO could have flipped the outcomes in 2022 and 2024.
I took the DNC and affiliate courses for candidates and community organizers. The staff would not answer questions, and could not accept suggestions. They could not even refer us up the chain of command.
My experience is that us old folks are not permitted to offer suggestions to the hired hands before we are cut off. I was also active and contributed to many other organizations. I have an equivalent feeling about them.
Daniel, I appreciate many of the comments you make. I’m not sure what made you think mine was the comment that needed reminding that “all politics is local.” I believe that your second paragraph disproves that in saying Republicans were able to arrange the steal of a state. I’m not disputing the latter,btw. One of the things national leaders do, though, is set the tone of the party. If they are top down, you get the results you went on to describe. That was one of the things I was arguing against in my comment. The Democrats need leaders who are willing to listen to new ideas, from wherever they come. They don’t have them right now, by and large.
You’ll get no argument from me on those points and I agree Harris did a great job given the situation.
I will point out that the article showed the possibilities for getting the alternatives before the general public that might give everyone something different to consider.
Read through all the comments and not one mentioned the "shadow" town halls that Dems are doing. There is new leadership rising. They are on late night media; that's a place where a "cabinet" member could shine.
What shocked the Democrats I know is that their neighbors and relatives voted for obvious crooks, liars and fascists.
Consider a Shadow Cabinet made up of Democrats, Independents and Country First Republicans. As a life long Independent, I am surprised and disgusted frankly, that the people running our government didn’t have a “war plan” already in place if Trump won. Project 2025 was available to everyone - why didn’t Anyone take it seriously??? There it was a plan to alter the Constitution and those running the government ignored the threat
How about two shadow govts: the one above, with more independents and progressives and green-oriented persons, plus RF Dems and non-crazy Rs. Thy play a shadow game. Then another shadow, the real shadow, that takes apart the old paradigm that does not/has not worked to keep humans/planet in balance with each other, one that re-imagines what an Earth population of millions of species looks like facing the absolute fact of drastic climate and ecological change for the next 100 years. If we stopped burning 90 percent of the carbon atoms used right NOW, it would take, minimum, 100 years to adjust and adapt to what is already baked into the cake. The biggest problem with either corporate or govt. is that, without a socialized super- and infra-structure, one size will not only not fit all, it will not fit anyone but the 'leaders,' and we do not need leaders, we need cooperative doers.
We need to get this to the serious intelligent people who can actually know what t with all I can. is being advised by Hartman and all…. Writing about it gets it started , but getting it out there in life form gets action going. Don’t keep just re-stacking! Scream this to the people who need to be put in place. Please. I am sharing I
Agreed - the first to take on the immediate threat and the second to brainstorm and develop a plan to keep us, the animals and the planet alive into the next century. The fools in control now are just thieves planning to strip the land and the wealth of this country for themselves.
Why would they deny FEMA the funds to repair damage
Revolution is not a dirty word. It is just entropy, part of the autophagy of the planet. Evolution is entropy. The QF is our friend here. Respect it and it gives you some agency. Play stupid with denial and stifling singularity and it just recycles you, like so much goo.
I don’t know which Substack I saw it on, but Joni Ernest answer to her constituents concerns/fears that slashing Medicaid would result in People Dying was “Everyone Dies...”
Really??? That’s your answer as their representative to the US government?
I “kind of” went ballistic on that.
But I just had to call the police on someone who was threatening me. I told the cops that there was a loaded gun in the house. That person had threatened to ...physical violence.
I had the gun hidden but available to me. I did not want to use it BUT I was not going to be beaten badly either. The cop agreed.
The situation was resolved.
That’s what we as Americans have to understand. I had been in a violent marriage previously. I will not tolerate that again. I had extensive firearms training from a former cop.
We have a Constitution which was written after this country fought a war to rid themselves of a king who refused to listen to their complaints. Instead like Trump, tried to make their lives harder.
The colonists reached the point of enough!
They fought to get rid of that king and put in the Second Amendment so this nation would be able to defend our democracy if anyone tried to become a king again.
The former cop who trained me said I was a nice lady who was simply willing to “take care of business if I had to”.
The police dispatcher understood what I was saying.
This country needs to do the same thing.
Trumpverse is abusing the people of the United States. People are probably dying now and as Joni Ernest basically said “they don’t care”.
The corrupted Supreme Court ignored the 14.3 Amendment and allowed Trump to run.
It’s time to fix this. Adam Kinzinger has brought up a way to do it legally. Like me contacting the police - that’s the better way. But one way or another it must be done.
I know I am scaring them because they are breaking through my blocks on my phone to harass me.
I have been VERY open that I had a Near Death Experience. I know where I am going when I die. So yes, Joni we all die. I saw Heaven and I am going back. I was told to “fight” when I was sent back.
You are ignoring your oath to the Constitution of the United States 🇺🇸. Where are you going to spend Eternity if you think it’s ok to let vulnerable people die.
Daniel. I don't think that Biden was the decider in the Oval Office. He was an indecisive, bipartisan, ameliorater. . He has is cabinet and advisors telling him what to do.
I want to know which of his advisors or cabinet, was telling him not piss off Putin by shipping F-16's and HIMARS to Ukraine. His failure to fully support Zelenskyy has cost Ukrain Hunderds of thousands of lives, and billions of proprerty and revenue.
Pyschological projection? Who me? Yeh sure, I was an inept president of the U..S. as to Biden's accomplishments, let's start with the IRA, it had juicy plums in it for the billionaire class. CHIPS act,, the same. the American Rescue Plan Act.. all of which contained plums fro the ruling class, had they not they wouldn't have passed the Senate.
I hold the following briefs against Biden.
Merrick Garlands appointment, of which the unintended consequences are DJT, and withhold vital war winning aid to Ukraine, while he supplied 2,000 lb bombs to Israel.
The Democrats, who still don't know how they lost to such an obviously crooked and incompetent individual, need to go to work to explain their party's raison d'etre--not just to the general public, but to their own membership. They must be pro-worker and anti-corporate or we have nothing to vote for.
Yes Mr. Hobbs, the Dems lost because they really stood for nothing except their claim that they were not MAGATs. For decades now 2/3 to 3/4 of Americans have approved of single payer health care. This is indicated by many polls of voters. Where have the Dems been? Why don't we have single payer? There are many other examples as well.
Those who have never systematically studied and analyzed institutions and human behavior, have a tendency to believe that campaigning wins elections. It does not. Good, effective institutions win elections. FDR was re-elected three times because he understood this truism. All my life I have watched the Repubs work to destroy the institutions FDR created. They have almost reached the tipping point today where they might succeed completely. The feckless Dems will not, are not stopping them.
They only thing that might put off a complete victory for President Vought and his acolytes will be the fact that this is a huge, complicated nation. That might not save us either. Russel Vought's intellect should not be underestimated. He has tatken that into account too.
I have said for years that the Shadow Cabinet is the best way to get the attention of corporate media routinely. Alternative ideas/plans are given equal attention and the public can compare and contrast. One-off announcements by Schumer or a committee ranking member get lost in the noise.
I lived a block from the Cuban governments in exile, here in Baghdad By the Sea. After released from prison in Cuba in 1979, Hubar Matos resided in Miami and remained active in the U.S.-based opposition to the Castro government. He also established the organization Cuba Independiente y Democrática (CID) in Miami, which broadcast uncensored news to Cuba. Matos died in Miami in 2014. Eventually, Jorge Mas Canosa held himself out to be the de-facto president of Cuba. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-24-mn-57293-story.html
In my home town we had the government in exile of Slovenia, which wasn't even a country at that time. The former princess of Rumania hung out and held herself out to be the "real" ruler. https://www.orthodoxmonasteryellwoodcity.org/about/foundress
Although George Bush I acknowledged Matos and Mas Canosa, never got the attention of anybody.
Agreed 100%. If organizing a full shadow cabinet is too large a bite, we should start with a shadow press secretary. We need someone standing by, armed with facts, to correct the record every time Karoline Leavitt opens her anti-Christ mouth to lie about what Trump is up to.
None of this will reach 45% of the country that watches Fox, OAN or Newsmax, but it's a start.
There was absolutely no plan to fight back against Project 2025 although it was publicly posted two years in advance. The shadow government is a great idea but what exactly is going to get these lame dems off their butts? Time to start making some phone calls.
They have to work with the Independents and the Country First Republicans. They must attack and I mean ATTACK as a unified force. Buy media. Look at what the Catholic Church is doing - I am not a Catholic but - excellent move for the Pope to have a rally on June 14.
My guess is that the issue is money. With exceptions like Bernie, AOC, Warren, Buttigieg, and a few others who are determined, dedicated, and visibly active and probably receiving funds aplenty for their efforts, the issue will be cash. The cash needs to go to those politicians who truly represent what the people want and need. Not what billionaires and corporations want.
I’m fairly certain that like me, most of us are receiving daily Dem requests for money to run. Well, if candidates want to get a name for themselves so that we the people are more likely to contribute, they need to get more proactive than just the usual spiel for us to send cash for their future campaign. A shadow office is a great way to prove themselves, and to get people enthusiastic about getting them into office.
The Democratic Party should funnel some cash into this project of a shadow government to get it rolling. Or possibly, those previously mentioned can help set something like this up—sponsor it. It would only help their issues.
It needs to be understood that those who are willing to actually show us they care and are not bought by corporate funds are the ones who get the steady streams of $$$.
To validate everything Thom said today... Because I spent my 45-year career in the tall trees of Washington government, I learned the value of the MSM and developed the habit of staying on top of the news. That way, I could spot soon-to-break news that would likely bring reporters to the office of my admirals, generals, and agency heads so they could be prepared for when the story arrived at their front doors. Once retired, some of my prep school pals asked me to share my access to the news, and I started a small daily summary via email.
One thing I soon noticed was that even out of office, Trump was in way more headline news than all the Democrats. The daily Red to Blue ratio was typically about 8 to 1 - it still is - and Trump dominates the Red news. That statistic is telling because I monitor the headlines of about 60 MSM sources and the stories from a dozen Substack-type sources like Thom's - some of which also are news summaries like Naked Capitalism and Daily Dose of Democracy. Even today, only AOC, and Senators Warren and Sanders dominate the Blue headline news. Biden is finally getting some MSM headline news, mostly due to Tapper's "Original Sin" book being spotlighted by MAGA pols to increase their own news coverage..
Absolutely....it needs to be formed ASAP .....when Thom mentioned it before I asked my cousin (Canadian) about it as well as my British friend. The Democrats can't do it quick enough. Now the question is how to get the 'ball rolling'. I will be calling my Democratic Senators today to tell them about it. I understand that calling your Congressmen is better than writing letters or signing petitions (as a person in the know advised mail at the Capitol doesn't getting sorted sometimes for weeks...and petitions are often ignored because signers aren't necessarily constituents.
Thank you, Thom! The wisdom and timeliness of this column made me immediately switch to being a paid subscriber. We need to put all of our heads together and figure out how we can forcefully ask this of the outspoken influencers of our time, particularly those now in government or recently there, to act on this. This needs to rise from being an extremely valuable suggestion to being a demand that is acted upon now. How can we give it unavoidable visibility, and make it a top priority for our movement? Can you reach out to the others on Substack and have them amplify this need? How can we help you?
I love this idea. Who the players are is quite important. But given our corporate media today, I can't see them giving a Democrat "shadow government" any space or airtime. It would have to come from the independent media.
As of 2025, CAP's board of directors includes Democratic politician Julian Castro, Sandler Foundation president Steve Daetz, businessman Andrew Hauptman, former Bain Capital partner Kristin Mugford, CAP founder John Podesta, billionaire hedge fund manager Donald Sussman, CAP president and CEO Neera Tanden, and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss.
As a 501(c)(3) organization under the US Internal Revenue Code.[18] In 2014, CAP received $45 million from a variety of sources, including individuals, foundations, labor unions, and corporations. From 2003 to 2007, CAP received about $15 million in grants from 58 foundations. Major individual donors include George Soros, Peter Lewis, Steve Bing, and Herb and Marion Sandler. The center receives undisclosed sums from corporate donors. In December 2013, the organization released a list of its corporate donors, which include Walmart, CitiGroup, Wells Fargo, defense contractor Northrop Grumman, America's Health Insurance Plans, and Eli Lilly and Company.
I would go further and suggest that, since the Trump administration is busy dismantling government, Democrats should have a whole shadow government in place to hit the ground running and start rebuilding when the administration collapses.
Action! We need action! Infrequent strongly-worded letters don’t cut it. We Dems have more than enough qualified cabinet candidates, and poling that very much supports our genuinely populist agenda. The richly-rewarded consultant class and sundry corporate Dems have repeatedly demonstrated their ineffectiveness; ignore them. Thanks again, Thom!
The succesors to King George III have got a great idea. They learned. We can learn, too. We need to learn how to be democratic shadow! Thank you, Thom.
This is such a great idea and so many have recognized it as such, so why is it not being implemented? Are Democratic leaders still in such a state of shock that they’re not thinking clearly? They’d better get over it and soon. This fascist government is leaping ahead like a tiger, devouring our institutions and ripping the Constitution to shreds.
The current Democratic Leadership appears moribund! Those who cannot make decisions and appreciate others’ ideas should step down and let the people who are still alive and still care take their place. This was a great idea when first proposed and remains one. The population of this great country deserves this and Democrats might find their popularity rising as well.
First, despite what you guys thenk, all politics is local.
Second, we had a great campaign but I think we wuz screwed. I cite to Joe Stalin. Psy ops. Did Trump admit that usk stole Pennsylvania for him. Thom and many others have covered the inconsistencies.
You have to understand we are now a minority party in more ways than one. All that we at the local level ever expected was funding -- and where I was we got no help whatsoever in 2020, 2022 and a few beans in 2024. In 2020 we had Dem officials who supported HRC in 2016 flip for Trump.
Besides being on the "inside" as a board member, I was involved with a national DNC veterans' program that IMHO could have flipped the outcomes in 2022 and 2024.
I took the DNC and affiliate courses for candidates and community organizers. The staff would not answer questions, and could not accept suggestions. They could not even refer us up the chain of command.
My experience is that us old folks are not permitted to offer suggestions to the hired hands before we are cut off. I was also active and contributed to many other organizations. I have an equivalent feeling about them.
Daniel, I appreciate many of the comments you make. I’m not sure what made you think mine was the comment that needed reminding that “all politics is local.” I believe that your second paragraph disproves that in saying Republicans were able to arrange the steal of a state. I’m not disputing the latter,btw. One of the things national leaders do, though, is set the tone of the party. If they are top down, you get the results you went on to describe. That was one of the things I was arguing against in my comment. The Democrats need leaders who are willing to listen to new ideas, from wherever they come. They don’t have them right now, by and large.
The "experts" are generally wrong. They needed to listen to some old timers, instead.
Considering everything Harris did a good job.
You’ll get no argument from me on those points and I agree Harris did a great job given the situation.
I will point out that the article showed the possibilities for getting the alternatives before the general public that might give everyone something different to consider.
Read through all the comments and not one mentioned the "shadow" town halls that Dems are doing. There is new leadership rising. They are on late night media; that's a place where a "cabinet" member could shine.
What shocked the Democrats I know is that their neighbors and relatives voted for obvious crooks, liars and fascists.
That last line is excellent, Linda!
Consider a Shadow Cabinet made up of Democrats, Independents and Country First Republicans. As a life long Independent, I am surprised and disgusted frankly, that the people running our government didn’t have a “war plan” already in place if Trump won. Project 2025 was available to everyone - why didn’t Anyone take it seriously??? There it was a plan to alter the Constitution and those running the government ignored the threat
How about two shadow govts: the one above, with more independents and progressives and green-oriented persons, plus RF Dems and non-crazy Rs. Thy play a shadow game. Then another shadow, the real shadow, that takes apart the old paradigm that does not/has not worked to keep humans/planet in balance with each other, one that re-imagines what an Earth population of millions of species looks like facing the absolute fact of drastic climate and ecological change for the next 100 years. If we stopped burning 90 percent of the carbon atoms used right NOW, it would take, minimum, 100 years to adjust and adapt to what is already baked into the cake. The biggest problem with either corporate or govt. is that, without a socialized super- and infra-structure, one size will not only not fit all, it will not fit anyone but the 'leaders,' and we do not need leaders, we need cooperative doers.
Mick,
We need to get this to the serious intelligent people who can actually know what t with all I can. is being advised by Hartman and all…. Writing about it gets it started , but getting it out there in life form gets action going. Don’t keep just re-stacking! Scream this to the people who need to be put in place. Please. I am sharing I
Shit, the phone has its own corruption!!!!! I said: I am sharing what I can with everyone …. Help please!
Agreed - the first to take on the immediate threat and the second to brainstorm and develop a plan to keep us, the animals and the planet alive into the next century. The fools in control now are just thieves planning to strip the land and the wealth of this country for themselves.
Why would they deny FEMA the funds to repair damage
Revolution is not a dirty word. It is just entropy, part of the autophagy of the planet. Evolution is entropy. The QF is our friend here. Respect it and it gives you some agency. Play stupid with denial and stifling singularity and it just recycles you, like so much goo.
I don’t know which Substack I saw it on, but Joni Ernest answer to her constituents concerns/fears that slashing Medicaid would result in People Dying was “Everyone Dies...”
Really??? That’s your answer as their representative to the US government?
I “kind of” went ballistic on that.
But I just had to call the police on someone who was threatening me. I told the cops that there was a loaded gun in the house. That person had threatened to ...physical violence.
I had the gun hidden but available to me. I did not want to use it BUT I was not going to be beaten badly either. The cop agreed.
The situation was resolved.
That’s what we as Americans have to understand. I had been in a violent marriage previously. I will not tolerate that again. I had extensive firearms training from a former cop.
We have a Constitution which was written after this country fought a war to rid themselves of a king who refused to listen to their complaints. Instead like Trump, tried to make their lives harder.
The colonists reached the point of enough!
They fought to get rid of that king and put in the Second Amendment so this nation would be able to defend our democracy if anyone tried to become a king again.
The former cop who trained me said I was a nice lady who was simply willing to “take care of business if I had to”.
The police dispatcher understood what I was saying.
This country needs to do the same thing.
Trumpverse is abusing the people of the United States. People are probably dying now and as Joni Ernest basically said “they don’t care”.
The corrupted Supreme Court ignored the 14.3 Amendment and allowed Trump to run.
It’s time to fix this. Adam Kinzinger has brought up a way to do it legally. Like me contacting the police - that’s the better way. But one way or another it must be done.
I know I am scaring them because they are breaking through my blocks on my phone to harass me.
I have been VERY open that I had a Near Death Experience. I know where I am going when I die. So yes, Joni we all die. I saw Heaven and I am going back. I was told to “fight” when I was sent back.
You are ignoring your oath to the Constitution of the United States 🇺🇸. Where are you going to spend Eternity if you think it’s ok to let vulnerable people die.
I’m not afraid to die - are you?
Some of us did. Biden wouldn't listen.
Daniel. I don't think that Biden was the decider in the Oval Office. He was an indecisive, bipartisan, ameliorater. . He has is cabinet and advisors telling him what to do.
I want to know which of his advisors or cabinet, was telling him not piss off Putin by shipping F-16's and HIMARS to Ukraine. His failure to fully support Zelenskyy has cost Ukrain Hunderds of thousands of lives, and billions of proprerty and revenue.
Who was breathing intohis ear? Jake Sullivan?
Psychological projection? Biden was captain of the ship. Despite what you say, was able to get legislation passed, was effective in many ways.
My main objection is that it took 2 years to treat Trump et al a criminals.
Pyschological projection? Who me? Yeh sure, I was an inept president of the U..S. as to Biden's accomplishments, let's start with the IRA, it had juicy plums in it for the billionaire class. CHIPS act,, the same. the American Rescue Plan Act.. all of which contained plums fro the ruling class, had they not they wouldn't have passed the Senate.
I hold the following briefs against Biden.
Merrick Garlands appointment, of which the unintended consequences are DJT, and withhold vital war winning aid to Ukraine, while he supplied 2,000 lb bombs to Israel.
The Democrats, who still don't know how they lost to such an obviously crooked and incompetent individual, need to go to work to explain their party's raison d'etre--not just to the general public, but to their own membership. They must be pro-worker and anti-corporate or we have nothing to vote for.
We wuz robbed.
Psy ops.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2024_United_States_elections
Yes Mr. Hobbs, the Dems lost because they really stood for nothing except their claim that they were not MAGATs. For decades now 2/3 to 3/4 of Americans have approved of single payer health care. This is indicated by many polls of voters. Where have the Dems been? Why don't we have single payer? There are many other examples as well.
Those who have never systematically studied and analyzed institutions and human behavior, have a tendency to believe that campaigning wins elections. It does not. Good, effective institutions win elections. FDR was re-elected three times because he understood this truism. All my life I have watched the Repubs work to destroy the institutions FDR created. They have almost reached the tipping point today where they might succeed completely. The feckless Dems will not, are not stopping them.
They only thing that might put off a complete victory for President Vought and his acolytes will be the fact that this is a huge, complicated nation. That might not save us either. Russel Vought's intellect should not be underestimated. He has tatken that into account too.
I have said for years that the Shadow Cabinet is the best way to get the attention of corporate media routinely. Alternative ideas/plans are given equal attention and the public can compare and contrast. One-off announcements by Schumer or a committee ranking member get lost in the noise.
I lived a block from the Cuban governments in exile, here in Baghdad By the Sea. After released from prison in Cuba in 1979, Hubar Matos resided in Miami and remained active in the U.S.-based opposition to the Castro government. He also established the organization Cuba Independiente y Democrática (CID) in Miami, which broadcast uncensored news to Cuba. Matos died in Miami in 2014. Eventually, Jorge Mas Canosa held himself out to be the de-facto president of Cuba. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-24-mn-57293-story.html
In my home town we had the government in exile of Slovenia, which wasn't even a country at that time. The former princess of Rumania hung out and held herself out to be the "real" ruler. https://www.orthodoxmonasteryellwoodcity.org/about/foundress
Although George Bush I acknowledged Matos and Mas Canosa, never got the attention of anybody.
Agreed 100%. If organizing a full shadow cabinet is too large a bite, we should start with a shadow press secretary. We need someone standing by, armed with facts, to correct the record every time Karoline Leavitt opens her anti-Christ mouth to lie about what Trump is up to.
None of this will reach 45% of the country that watches Fox, OAN or Newsmax, but it's a start.
Start attacking the right wing media with class action lawsuits. Use the tactics of Trumpverse against them.
Fox is especially vulnerable.
There was absolutely no plan to fight back against Project 2025 although it was publicly posted two years in advance. The shadow government is a great idea but what exactly is going to get these lame dems off their butts? Time to start making some phone calls.
They have to work with the Independents and the Country First Republicans. They must attack and I mean ATTACK as a unified force. Buy media. Look at what the Catholic Church is doing - I am not a Catholic but - excellent move for the Pope to have a rally on June 14.
My guess is that the issue is money. With exceptions like Bernie, AOC, Warren, Buttigieg, and a few others who are determined, dedicated, and visibly active and probably receiving funds aplenty for their efforts, the issue will be cash. The cash needs to go to those politicians who truly represent what the people want and need. Not what billionaires and corporations want.
I’m fairly certain that like me, most of us are receiving daily Dem requests for money to run. Well, if candidates want to get a name for themselves so that we the people are more likely to contribute, they need to get more proactive than just the usual spiel for us to send cash for their future campaign. A shadow office is a great way to prove themselves, and to get people enthusiastic about getting them into office.
The Democratic Party should funnel some cash into this project of a shadow government to get it rolling. Or possibly, those previously mentioned can help set something like this up—sponsor it. It would only help their issues.
It needs to be understood that those who are willing to actually show us they care and are not bought by corporate funds are the ones who get the steady streams of $$$.
To validate everything Thom said today... Because I spent my 45-year career in the tall trees of Washington government, I learned the value of the MSM and developed the habit of staying on top of the news. That way, I could spot soon-to-break news that would likely bring reporters to the office of my admirals, generals, and agency heads so they could be prepared for when the story arrived at their front doors. Once retired, some of my prep school pals asked me to share my access to the news, and I started a small daily summary via email.
One thing I soon noticed was that even out of office, Trump was in way more headline news than all the Democrats. The daily Red to Blue ratio was typically about 8 to 1 - it still is - and Trump dominates the Red news. That statistic is telling because I monitor the headlines of about 60 MSM sources and the stories from a dozen Substack-type sources like Thom's - some of which also are news summaries like Naked Capitalism and Daily Dose of Democracy. Even today, only AOC, and Senators Warren and Sanders dominate the Blue headline news. Biden is finally getting some MSM headline news, mostly due to Tapper's "Original Sin" book being spotlighted by MAGA pols to increase their own news coverage..
Absolutely....it needs to be formed ASAP .....when Thom mentioned it before I asked my cousin (Canadian) about it as well as my British friend. The Democrats can't do it quick enough. Now the question is how to get the 'ball rolling'. I will be calling my Democratic Senators today to tell them about it. I understand that calling your Congressmen is better than writing letters or signing petitions (as a person in the know advised mail at the Capitol doesn't getting sorted sometimes for weeks...and petitions are often ignored because signers aren't necessarily constituents.
Let’s do it!
Thank you, Thom! The wisdom and timeliness of this column made me immediately switch to being a paid subscriber. We need to put all of our heads together and figure out how we can forcefully ask this of the outspoken influencers of our time, particularly those now in government or recently there, to act on this. This needs to rise from being an extremely valuable suggestion to being a demand that is acted upon now. How can we give it unavoidable visibility, and make it a top priority for our movement? Can you reach out to the others on Substack and have them amplify this need? How can we help you?
I love this idea. Who the players are is quite important. But given our corporate media today, I can't see them giving a Democrat "shadow government" any space or airtime. It would have to come from the independent media.
There are many Dem foundations that have an eqivalent. E.G. The Center for American Progress (CAP) was created in 2003 as a Democratic alternative to conservative think tanks such as The Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_American_Progress#:~:text=The%20Center%20for%20American%20Progress%20was%20created%20in%202003%20as,American%20Enterprise%20Institute%20(AEI).
Action. https://www.americanprogressaction.org/
As of 2025, CAP's board of directors includes Democratic politician Julian Castro, Sandler Foundation president Steve Daetz, businessman Andrew Hauptman, former Bain Capital partner Kristin Mugford, CAP founder John Podesta, billionaire hedge fund manager Donald Sussman, CAP president and CEO Neera Tanden, and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss.
As a 501(c)(3) organization under the US Internal Revenue Code.[18] In 2014, CAP received $45 million from a variety of sources, including individuals, foundations, labor unions, and corporations. From 2003 to 2007, CAP received about $15 million in grants from 58 foundations. Major individual donors include George Soros, Peter Lewis, Steve Bing, and Herb and Marion Sandler. The center receives undisclosed sums from corporate donors. In December 2013, the organization released a list of its corporate donors, which include Walmart, CitiGroup, Wells Fargo, defense contractor Northrop Grumman, America's Health Insurance Plans, and Eli Lilly and Company.
Here is the 2024 paper on Heritage 2025.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025-the-plan-to-seize-power-by-gutting-americas-system-of-checks-and-balances/
I would go further and suggest that, since the Trump administration is busy dismantling government, Democrats should have a whole shadow government in place to hit the ground running and start rebuilding when the administration collapses.
https://suenethercott.substack.com/p/recovery
I called Senator Schiff and made that suggestion.
Action! We need action! Infrequent strongly-worded letters don’t cut it. We Dems have more than enough qualified cabinet candidates, and poling that very much supports our genuinely populist agenda. The richly-rewarded consultant class and sundry corporate Dems have repeatedly demonstrated their ineffectiveness; ignore them. Thanks again, Thom!
The succesors to King George III have got a great idea. They learned. We can learn, too. We need to learn how to be democratic shadow! Thank you, Thom.