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Kenneth Newman's avatar

A bit of good news, and hopefully a portent of things to come. It seems that the R's are having their own civil war in Congress, this one over Medicaid cuts that the Compassionate Conservatives want to make. A lot of "centerists," particularly in swing districts, are not rolling over for the MAGAs.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/politics/medicaid-republicans-divided-house-trump-bill

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Terry McKenzie's avatar

This was a GREAT conversation. I am glad Julie is carrying this message to people in the party. This is EXACTLY what we need. I’m much more progressive than you are but we are 100% in agreement as to what is required in this moment. I have been keeping a list of Dems I think should be elevated to the forefront of the party for their ability to communicate the stakes with conviction and authenticity. Our problem is not messaging or policy. It is conviction.

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Molly Fordyce's avatar

What can be done if you live in an uber red maga state?!?!?!

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Kenneth Newman's avatar

Move?

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GW B's avatar

Melanie Stansbury rocks!

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GW B's avatar

Nancy Pelosi promised to deliver a Democrat majority in the House in 2026. Total fail. Now we’re all suffering the consequence. How does one survive that and still get deferences. No accountability. Old girlz and boys club. Business as usual still, even after 100 days of misery.

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Kenneth Newman's avatar

To her credit, she resigned her leadership position in 2022 after the R's took control. She is not responsible for the massive failure of the entire party in 2024 and if she did "promise" it, she was foolish.

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Carley's avatar

Such a great conversation and call to action, thank you!!

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Jason Mitchell's avatar

You're committed to Israel and support what they're doing. Our conversation shows the loss of social cohesion within the American Jewish community. There are many people who do not agree with your framing. A majority of the country and a larger majority of the democratic party want a ceasefire, arms embargo and for aid to resume. And it is growing. Even though the Congress tried to outlaw boycotts and are pushing for a definition that makes criticizing Israel and/or Zionism antisemitic, the consensus is growing that Israel and the US are anti-speech, anti-democratic and isolated. If democrats continue to support these policies they will not win. To conflate criticism of a political ideology (zionism) as antisemitic is dangerous to Jews. Israel/US are starving and genociding Gaza. You obviously have no problem with this. They are lying to you.

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Kenneth Newman's avatar

If you think Israel is intentionally committing "genocide" in Gaza, then you have no grasp of what that means or of Israel's military potential. It sounds heartless, but given the density of population and the way that Hamas has totally embedded itself in every aspect of Gaza life and infrastructure, the actions so represent far more surgical strikes than attempts at mass killings.

This may change if Israel does embark on its announced total occupation.

Not to justify any actions, but American progressives must remember what is attributed to Cromwell (but really said by another in opposition to Charles II): "If we beat the King 10 times, he is still the King. If he beats us once, we are finished." THAT is what Israel has faced since 1948; this time, they are aggressively doing something about totally eliminating at least one "king" that is opposing them. There have been some anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza. They may be too little, too late, but if Gazans have any hope of remaining there in the future, they need to do more than just demonstrate.

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Pat H's avatar

A NEW APPROACH IS NEEDED! SOUND BITES! MEDIA EXPERTS AS COACHES!

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Linda Weide's avatar

Nancy Pelosi is not a boomer, she is the The Silent Generation.

However, historian Jefferson Cowie says the Dems need to have a more populist agenda, not the platform, but the words have to be that of inclusion, and the 2/3 of people who do not have college degrees need to be included in your message. Not details, just a message that says we are all in this together. Most people don't know what a fascist is, or democrats. He also says that the Dems appear to be the party of the global educated elite, and the multicultural, but not the working class. They have to regain that, not by specific platforms, but with inclusive talk. They can have specific plans, but all language needs to be plain language, not oligarchs, not fascism, not democracy. Simple slogans that are not abstract to this group.

Cowie also told us that fighting for voting rights is as important is the most important battle that we have not managed to ever really get done. We need to be holding on to the remaining rights, and fighting for their expansion.

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Marton's blotter's avatar

The Dems' problem is wide and systemic and it has to do with the media, too (including this so-called independent media on Substack, which tends to create bubble-like narratives that then solidify into a kind of fixed ideology)... The two-party system is a disaster, because it forces each party to incorporate every extremist possible in order to create a voting group. The GOP has all the conservative-to-neo-Nazis on its side, with the groomed Evangelicals. They won't get those back for a while, because they are suffering from a sunk-cost problem.

So they have to move towards the middle. And there they get caught up in the culture wars... The GOP is good at this game. Do you know the one area where Trump as positive numbers? "Transgender." That was the culture war that the Dems lost (and refuse to see it, because they have to hang on to that one demographic that almost slipped away from them, the Z-ers)... They can do it, but they have to throw it back into the Maga faces..

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duncan bray's avatar

Democrats consist mostly of angry, unattractive women and effeminate men

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JBes's avatar

Go back under the bridge troll, no one’s paying the troll-toll today!

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Marton's blotter's avatar

Nice try... trolls smell bad.

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Jason Mitchell's avatar

Wajahat, I love your program and almost all of your guests. You are a very important voice and understand the need for education and expanding the base. That being said, this was a very disappointing interview. I turned it off at 24 minutes. Ms. Roginsky IS the problem. she said it herself. she is a middle of the road, moderate, corporate democrat. How many times did she align herself with Connely, Schumer and Carville. She voted against Bernie in 16, 20 and would have in 24....but now she realizes he was right "about everything". The framing of AOC and Bernie as "too radical" IS the problem. They are not talking about what is right in front of our eyes. They are not motivating people to ACT!!!

There is an elite group of billionaires who are racist, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, white supremacists and traitors who are trying to kill us. They want to go back to Jim Crow, back room abortions and continued colonialism. They support genocide, apartheid and continue to fund Israel who is starving Palestinians. They don't respect the rule of law, the constitution or elections. Your guest seems to argue that better messaging is the equivalent of "fighting". It is not.

The democratic party is dead. It has revealed itself as beholden to Wall Street, billionaires, corporations, Christian Nationalist and Jewish Zionists. Ms Roginsky talked about some election in 2028. HA! Electoral politics, while still important, have shown us that it will not solve the problems by itself. The Dems needs to reject and eliminate billionaires, hold them accountable and put them in prison, go after money in politics, dismantle the electoral college, fight for healthcare and housing and disrupt the flow of capital. I don't care who you voted for, if you support and believe in workers, people of color, all genders, the environment and accountability, then I'll stand with you. The dems need to go bigger, and reject this "capture of the middle". We don't need or want MAGA, Right wing Republicans and/or Corporate democrats. This drip, drip, drip of democratic moderation will fail. With dems like Schumer, Fetterman, Jeffries and Booker we see that there is no resistance other than that which is performative.

Thank you for all you do. I appreciate and support your programming, but we need to hear from more Progressive voices and not establishment consultants. In solidarity, Jason

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Kenneth Newman's avatar

All really "nice" things for the D's to do. But first...how about getting elected??

Or, should they just be allowed to do those things because they sound good?

As for putting billionaires in prison, ask Ketitia James how well that went. Chances are, she will see the inside of one before any billionaire she tried to go after.

And I really like the "Jewish Zionist" remark. How very progressive of you.

Amazon is having a pre-tariff sale on Guy Fawkes masks and Handmaid hats...better stock up for the Revolution!

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Jason Mitchell's avatar

Elected to do what? The dems have a 21% approval rating. Why do you think that is? Dems got rid of the death penalty from the platform. Harris talked about Liz Cheney and militarizing the border. Catered to Wall Street. Catered to billionaires and said there would be no change in Israeli/Palestinian policy when 147 countries say it is a genocide. As I wrote above, elections are part of the strategy, but by themselves won't change anything. Claiming trump is "bad" and "anti-democratic" has already been tried. It didn't work...because there is no material change in the lives of working people. It seems that you want more of the same...the status quo....so I suspect you really supported the interviewer. Good for you! Lastly, standing against genocide and starvation is Progressive. It wasn't Progressives that stood with Pastor Hagee and Mike Johnson and other Christian, right-wing Zionists. No, that was our democratic establishment. How very fascist of you.

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Kenneth Newman's avatar

I was actually being ironic. I know that the D's are hopelessly out of touch with everyone that isn't represented by a rainbow or a unicorn. But who else is going to do all that "cleansing" of those horrid billionaires, etc.? OWS?

Most antisemites hate Israeli Jews because, unlike the American ones whose idea of self-defense is to run and whine for their lawyer, Israelis kill their enemies. I'm not crying for people who welcomed Hamas, turned over their country to them, and now are paying the price for it. Their option is, unfortunately, painfully simple: fight and destroy the element that single-handedly caused their current condition. Might as well; Israel is planning to steamroll the entire area anyway. Then, they can have their own country, probably rebuilt by Israel, by recognizing that country's right to exist. It's been that way for almost 60 years.

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Fatarae's avatar

I was spellbound by this conversation. Thank you so much! It was the best pep talk ever!

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Peggy M's avatar

We need action and fearless leadership. This isn’t about being old it is all about rising to the demands of the moment. We are losing our way of life. Fight for it dammit.

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Tom Bogenschild's avatar

Excellent discussion. Thanks.

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ROBERT W. MOILANEN's avatar

Hey stupid, you do not get to throw the old people under the damn bus, cause next thing you know, you are the oldest person soo you are next to be thrown under the bus......

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JBes's avatar

Hey stupid, he was talking about old politics not old people.

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THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali's avatar

not old people. clearly talking about old ways of thinking.

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ROBERT W. MOILANEN's avatar

You throw out the old ideas of thinking, you don't learn shit from the old people, if that's you saying to the old people "We don't want you, nor your ideas, just your votes"

How well did your ideas do last November??? Oh wait, the Democrats lost... NEXT

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