My Reply: When Does This Nightmare End?
Never Trumpers looking for answers that nobody knows.
Welcome to My Reply, where I curate your questions and publish my replies.
Some of these exchanges come from the comments section of Convulsions columns. Others come from the daily “Morning Read-In,” a pre-dawn ritual where I curate the most compelling stories on politics, culture, communications, and life — with micro-essays of insight and live chats.
Your parts are in italics. Mine are not.
When does this nightmare end?
Susan’s Substack read in the MRI about President Trump’s silencing of critics and asked, “How many Americans will it take to end this nightmare?”
REPLY: I assume by “nightmare,” you mean not just Trump’s presidency but the toxic strain of populism known as MAGA?
The number is 60%. It will take 60% of all voters to eradicate MAGA-ism through landslide defeats in the next two or three election cycles. Narrow victories won’t be enough, because MAGA will rise anew and we’ll struggle through another generation of see-saw election cycles controlled by a discredited duopoly.
So here’s the core question: Is the Democratic Party, as it’s currently constructed, capable of winning landslides? More on point: Can a party that scorns independent voters, mocks Trump voters, exploits minority voters, embraces status quo politics, and remains arrogantly out-of-touch with working class Americans build a supermajority coalition?
The answer, obviously, sadly, is no. Not as currently constructed.
How do Democrats get swing voters to swing back?
Stacy Tselekis joined me in praising Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s response to Trump’s congressional address. “Democrats need to do a better job of of hearing people and their concerns without shaming them, calling them stupid. If moms are concerned about the health of their children, talk to them. By … calling them names, we simply alienate them. The swing voters dissatisfied with Trump, and I know many, need a home to come to.”
REPLY: Preach, Stacy!
Why don’t pundits give Democrats better advice?
Bob Wenning said Democrats aren’t getting good counsel from pundits. “Yes, Democratic response to Trump has been diffuse and incoherent,” he wrote, “but the response of pundits and critics has been similarly diffuse, incoherent, inconsistent or silent. Many have no suggestions but just say what Democrats are doing is too shrill. Or not shrill enough. Or too focused on MAGA. Or not focused enough on MAGA. Or not focused enough on the economy. Listen to the activists. Ignore the groups,” he said, adding: “Maybe Democratic critics should get their act together as well with some coherent suggestions instead of just automatically shitting on everything the Democrats try.”
REPLY: Every pundit and critic has a right to their opinions. Uniting them is impossible because they are not a monolith. But that’s no excuse for Democrats losing twice to Trump and allowing a MAGA-infused party to spread across the political map.
Slotkin has been consistent about her prescription for the Democratic messaging and brandings ails, as outlined here by me and here by the great Tim Alberta of The Atlantic.
Are typos a good thing on Substack?
Baz noted typos in one of these newsletters, evidence that I shouldn’t be allowed to write in public without an editor, and quipped: “Typos are the new flex. They prove your work is 100% human-made and not AI generated.”
REPLY: I am to dam humane.
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There is an energy building..... STAND!
Typos happen. So do nightmares.