Simply put, the elections are “tightening” because rightwing billionaires and giant corporations are pouring billions of dollars into advertising. And advertising works.
It's a sad commentary on human behavior. People work so hard through the years, only to have the fruits of that taken away by a greedy few; seems this will never change. What's that Bible proverb, "Where there is no vision, the people perish". These gullible folks who are led by advertising dollars need a vision, some kind of inspirational goal. Preferably not a celebrity!
Thank you for saying it much better than I was able. I believe Beto O'Rourke, the "Squad" and all the young progressives coming up in the world - and not just here i America - will replace the old guard soon enough, and they are the hope for America and the world. And the old-timers need to step aside and have their backs.
This has been infuriating me for decades now. The Democratic Party is incompetent in developing strategy and getting out the message, to the point it seems they're conspiring with the GOP. We got Bill Clinton who (allegedly) balanced the budget, but he also gave us NAFTA and the war on our social safety net ("The end of welfare as we know it"). Despite the "Hope" message, America was not any better off after Obama, who oversaw the bailout of the corrupt and criminal corporate and financial structures, with ZERO prosecutions, that are now manufacturing inflation and buying out our democracy. Yes, I know he had an uphill battle against the Republican-controlled Congress, but did he use his bully pulpit to at least articulate a vision beyond the vague, feel-good concept of "Hope?" And I'm sorry for HRC supporters, bur she was an ABYSSMAL choice of candidates to go against Trump, absolutely the worst possible pick, especially with Bernie Sanders available! I've heard a lot of Trump supporters say they'd have gone for Sanders if he'd been the candidate. He could have debated Trump into tears, AND he'd have taken dramatic steps toward actually "draining the swamp." Along with all the things you so eloquently identify, Thom, you should also add to the list the tyranny of the duopoly in America, where we have but two parties that as often as not are producing the same programs and results, and are so easily bought out by the ruling oligarchy. Let's not forget that Obama was one of the biggest recipients of petrodollars for his campaigns.
Hard truths. The further the Overton Window shifts to the wacko side of the graph the more Democrats will lose as they stupidly try to play catch-up.
In the public's eye, Bernie is the titular head of the congressional progressive movement, rightfully so, and has spent his entire career singularly focused on dragging America's political thought processes back to the zeitgeist of the FDR era, when everyone knew in their gut which party was for working people and which parry sold out to the fascists -- a useful (and true) term nailed to the Republicans of the time and wildly popularized by Woody Guthrie.
Now THAT is messaging! Franklin Roosevelt welcomed rich bastards' hatred; he didn't kowtow with his hand out or cower in political fear of Wall Street tycoons and their illegitimate power.
Beto O'rourke -- young, energetic, progressive enough -- and other young men and women of his caliber desperately need wider support by party leaders and the opaque party machinery if they expect the party to survive the ongoing onslaught against boilerplate institutions and constitutional principles that are our children's birthright.
Are we the generation that will have let democracy slip through our greedy little fingers, placing a higher premium on the price of gas than on 240 years of a hard-won people's government, such as it is?
In two weeks, a lot will happen that will go a long way in answering that burning question.
Yesterday, got Jimmy Carville on Ari Melber showing the way: hammer and hammer on the Republican stated plan to put your Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block. Today, not a mention of it hours and hours on MSNBC and PBS (Amanpour) Sad.
You are locked into this subject and loaded with the facts and history. So thanks, Thom for your long and formidable journey you've shared.
Perception can be almost everything. We knew when the exit polls were a lost cause, that other polls would likely follow. The media uses this unreliable information to create the horse race they want---not the race that is real.
The horrible "money is speech" decision is at the crux of what enabled Trump and the MAGA crowd to present a negative view of our electoral process. How much of the money and manipulation comes from outside this country we will never know, thanks to the Republicans fighting every piece of legislation we have presented to clean this mess up.
The younger voters see the manipulation of those with the big-bucks. They are not fans of the main-stream, and they know how to fight back and use their own media to get out the vote. I am cheering them on.
It's a sad commentary on human behavior. People work so hard through the years, only to have the fruits of that taken away by a greedy few; seems this will never change. What's that Bible proverb, "Where there is no vision, the people perish". These gullible folks who are led by advertising dollars need a vision, some kind of inspirational goal. Preferably not a celebrity!
Advertising matters. Why don’t we see advertising for voter rights on the Super Bowl? It’s mainly snack foods, beer, insurance, and crypto.
Let me know if you are Democracy Aware. Free democracy awareness ribbons being distributed with voter registration outreach this weekend.
Thank you for saying it much better than I was able. I believe Beto O'Rourke, the "Squad" and all the young progressives coming up in the world - and not just here i America - will replace the old guard soon enough, and they are the hope for America and the world. And the old-timers need to step aside and have their backs.
This has been infuriating me for decades now. The Democratic Party is incompetent in developing strategy and getting out the message, to the point it seems they're conspiring with the GOP. We got Bill Clinton who (allegedly) balanced the budget, but he also gave us NAFTA and the war on our social safety net ("The end of welfare as we know it"). Despite the "Hope" message, America was not any better off after Obama, who oversaw the bailout of the corrupt and criminal corporate and financial structures, with ZERO prosecutions, that are now manufacturing inflation and buying out our democracy. Yes, I know he had an uphill battle against the Republican-controlled Congress, but did he use his bully pulpit to at least articulate a vision beyond the vague, feel-good concept of "Hope?" And I'm sorry for HRC supporters, bur she was an ABYSSMAL choice of candidates to go against Trump, absolutely the worst possible pick, especially with Bernie Sanders available! I've heard a lot of Trump supporters say they'd have gone for Sanders if he'd been the candidate. He could have debated Trump into tears, AND he'd have taken dramatic steps toward actually "draining the swamp." Along with all the things you so eloquently identify, Thom, you should also add to the list the tyranny of the duopoly in America, where we have but two parties that as often as not are producing the same programs and results, and are so easily bought out by the ruling oligarchy. Let's not forget that Obama was one of the biggest recipients of petrodollars for his campaigns.
Hard truths. The further the Overton Window shifts to the wacko side of the graph the more Democrats will lose as they stupidly try to play catch-up.
In the public's eye, Bernie is the titular head of the congressional progressive movement, rightfully so, and has spent his entire career singularly focused on dragging America's political thought processes back to the zeitgeist of the FDR era, when everyone knew in their gut which party was for working people and which parry sold out to the fascists -- a useful (and true) term nailed to the Republicans of the time and wildly popularized by Woody Guthrie.
Now THAT is messaging! Franklin Roosevelt welcomed rich bastards' hatred; he didn't kowtow with his hand out or cower in political fear of Wall Street tycoons and their illegitimate power.
Beto O'rourke -- young, energetic, progressive enough -- and other young men and women of his caliber desperately need wider support by party leaders and the opaque party machinery if they expect the party to survive the ongoing onslaught against boilerplate institutions and constitutional principles that are our children's birthright.
Are we the generation that will have let democracy slip through our greedy little fingers, placing a higher premium on the price of gas than on 240 years of a hard-won people's government, such as it is?
In two weeks, a lot will happen that will go a long way in answering that burning question.
Yesterday, got Jimmy Carville on Ari Melber showing the way: hammer and hammer on the Republican stated plan to put your Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block. Today, not a mention of it hours and hours on MSNBC and PBS (Amanpour) Sad.
You are locked into this subject and loaded with the facts and history. So thanks, Thom for your long and formidable journey you've shared.
Perception can be almost everything. We knew when the exit polls were a lost cause, that other polls would likely follow. The media uses this unreliable information to create the horse race they want---not the race that is real.
The horrible "money is speech" decision is at the crux of what enabled Trump and the MAGA crowd to present a negative view of our electoral process. How much of the money and manipulation comes from outside this country we will never know, thanks to the Republicans fighting every piece of legislation we have presented to clean this mess up.
The younger voters see the manipulation of those with the big-bucks. They are not fans of the main-stream, and they know how to fight back and use their own media to get out the vote. I am cheering them on.