I just interviewed Trump voters at a massive protest in East Tennessee who told me "this isn't what I voted for." They thought deportations meant criminals, not the guys building their houses. Here's what 5,000 people in deep red America are saying about what's happening.
We need someone to transform the Democratic Party into a true opposition party. We need a dynamic, visionary leader who is not beholden to the party’s mega donors and who doesn’t rely on focus groups or strategists to guide them.
You're absolutely correct, Corbin! Trump is a symptom, not the cause. The Democrats forgot about working people decades ago. We need a party that represents everyday people, not the wealthy and corporate interests. We tried to turn the tide with Bernie, but the corporate DNC would not have it. We tried to draft Bernie for a people's party, but he wouldn't do it. I read several years ago a wonderful article by Howie Hawkins about building a workers' party from the ground up - an actual blueprint for a workers' party, but, of course, the Greens can't do it. I see now that Les Leopold is calling for a people's party. Who will be the catalyst for this? I am totally stumped as to how we're going to get out of this mess, if at all. Great interview!!
The over 11 million people who joined the No Kings protest across America gives me hope for our shared future. I agree with Corbin: we deserve better political leadership and a brighter vision benefiting us all. With love from Canada 🇨🇦
Basically theDNC as it stands now needs disappear. We need primaries that don’t eliminate the late primaries. I live in PA and rarely do we have anything that resembles a choice. The choice of the DNC is all that is left. Let’s have one day primaries just like the national election . And base the electoral vote by percentage of votes for the nominee no more winner take all bullshit
Yes! Democratic primaries are the first step. 1. Open the primaries in the states that exclude Independents, "unenrolled" and members of parties without candidates. There are a disturbing number of states like this. Voters (like me) have left the party because of the internal corruption. In many states (mine is one of them), I can request the primary ballot from EITHER party at the polling place. Without looking right now, I believe that in most states, unenrolled or independent voters outnumber each of the "major parties". Why exclude such a large number from the process? 2. Adopt Ranked Choice voting. Forcing voters to choose between "lesser" and "greater" evils will just result in evil. Ranked Choice will allow voters to vote from the heart without "throwing away" their vote. I would go so far as to suggest that states which adopt Ranked Choice voting, get first selection of their voting day, in the order their state adopts Ranked Choice, NOT the current, counter-productive competition to attract candidates to their state. I think THAT will acomplish "one day primaries". 3. DO AWAY with "Super-delegates" altogether. There's nothing democratic about giving "extra weight" to former office holders or to reward "seniority" for its own sake. 4. Make the result of the primaries BINDING, with NO internal party back-room dealings, no benefit for an incumbent, seniority, or their record of raising money. NONE. CERTAINLY none of the bullshit of blackballing challengers, publicly endorsing incumbents or enforcing "rules" not included on the ballot voters use. 5. Committee assignments should NOT be based on how members voted when selecting leaders, and certainly not guaranteed by seniority.
In PA if you register Independent you can not vote in primaries at all and you can then only vote in your party, you as a candidate can recross file but not cross vote Fucked up
I disagree on any primary except all states same day. Otherwise those getting to vote last don’t get same field. Those with limited budgets and no backing fro DNC will be forced to drop out. Again the elite win
And we need the DNC, DSCC and DCCC to back away from endorsing primary candidates, and working against those they don't approve of. Let the vote play out, and then get behind the nominee; save your resources for the elections against the Republicans.
🕊️ A Call from One Grandparent to Another: Stand for the America Our Grandchildren Deserve 🇺🇸
To my beloved fellow grandparents,
Today, across this great nation, generations are gathering—shoulder to shoulder in “No King” marches—to raise their voices for freedom, justice, and democracy. They are doing what so many before them have done: standing in peaceful protest to ensure that no president, no party, no regime becomes a monarch over our people.
Let us stand with them. Let us remind our children and grandchildren that this is how America has always found its way forward—through the people.
📚 From Selma to Standing Rock, from the March on Washington to the Women’s March—peaceful protest is our American tradition. It is our shield and our sword against injustice:
The 1963 March on Washington brought over 250,000 people together and helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches led to the Voting Rights Act.
The 2018 March for Our Lives, led by high schoolers, reignited national gun safety conversations.
The 2020 George Floyd protests sparked global movements for police accountability.
Each of these marches made our communities stronger. Not weaker. Not more divided—but more awakened.
🕯️ Today’s protests are especially sacred. They honor the lives of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, good public servants who were gunned down in their homes this morning, reportedly for doing their jobs with honor and courage. They stood up for us—now we must stand for the right to speak up, without fear.
Let us be absolutely clear:
🔹 The First Amendment is non-negotiable.
🔹 Violence meant to silence speech is terrorism, not patriotism.
🔹 We do not cower—we march louder. We speak braver.
🔹 We must teach our families this lesson by living it.
📣 To every grandparent reading this:
Join a protest if you can.
Support one online if you cannot.
Talk to your family, your neighbors, your church groups.
Let them know: free speech lives as long as we defend it.
We are the roots of this family tree. Let’s be strong ones. 🌳
For our kids. For our country. For the Constitution.
I tuned in for a bit to Corbin Trent and Steve Schmidt's live video, but they were just trashing the Democrats. While the Democrats have plenty to answer for and we need major change, today is about resisting the actual fascist in the White House. I found your discussion to be unfocused, not helpful, and it just pissed me off that you weren't talking about the Trump Administration at all. You two just seemed to be jerking each other off instead of discussing what's actually happening.
I don't think we can beat MAGA or Josh Hawley with the Democratic Party we have. When am I supposed to holler about that? When am I allowed to say that this party cannot win the majorities it needs to transform and repair our nation? When am I supposed to talk about Trump being a symptom rather than the cancer?
You can say whatever you want. I was giving you feedback, that on a day dedicated to resisting Trump, trashing his opposition is not helpful. As I said, the Dems have a lot to answer for. Timing is everything. It's like someone opposing Hitler by bashing the Weimar Republic. How does that help?
You're delusional if you think the Dems are going to save you. They're owned by the same people who own the Repugs. The Dems smile and spout the platitudes you want to hear (Joy! Abundance!) while stabbing you in the face and giving MORE MORE MORE (Everything) to the 1%. they throw you a scrap (Here's a rainbow in our ad!) and you think you've got rights, freedom, and all that BS. Pay attention. Educate yourself.
You are correct- this is the moment to have the conversation. Just stay the course, be a tree, grow your roots, bend with the winds and pretty soon others will hear you. Everyone is so pissed off, and angry and most humans have a limit to what they can contain. Those who can see the big picture also have to have more a patience, and persistence. Lets call that: PATIENCE, RESIST, PERSIST & TRANSFORM! or PRPT!!
this is the problem in the Dem party- you're offended. You're not listening like them-I didn't hear bashing at all- what i heard is democrats have not communicated their goals effectively, nor reached deep inside these red states and they are not listening!! and its totally true- we can' t have pelosi, or schumer or even jeffrey hakeems- these are all corporate dems who are beholden in different ways to corporate america and AIPAC. We need a new face of the party because clearly they have no strategy on how to beat fascism. We need to get rid of Citizen's United! The people Corbin was talking about showed up because they need a new answer/ideas as well- and he is correct to say the trump is a symptom of an existing undercurrent. Liberals are foolish to think they can pretend a genocide is not happening, or be indifferent or close eyes and get surprised that fascism is at our doorstep when corporate democrats still stand at the podiums and say israel is "defending itself". Biden and Harris gave lip service while funding genocide and obstructing international justice. Connect the dots- zionism is fascism. Zionism has almost all of our dem politicians in a vice grip (NTM almost 1/2 our elected leaders have dual citizenship in israel), beholden to israels priorities. AIPAC is so smart because they know wherever they throw their money, regardless the cause -albiet abortion rights, civil rights, immigration, you name it- what ever the local cause, whatever smear campaign they can fund-whoever they can buy, as long as they make the pledge to israel, they buy those candidates, and destroy good candidates for not making the zionist pledge, like Jamaal Bowman, because they are sympathetic to Palestinians. And a real human rights advocate does so for ALL humans, not just a select few. I digress, because this is a key part of the devil's underbelly. Our elected officials will never do the people's work when they are beholden to a foreign country and the new definition of anti-semitism
sorry, I hear you and "Pissed off" kinda translates to getting offended and its ok. Either way its the point. we need to open our ears and hearts a little more. Its also part of their strategy- get us so pissed off and riled up we start acting like them. We have to look beyond the orange face in front of us, because the core of our problems are there.
Indeed.,Mr. Trent is ignorant and intellectually dishonest. People like this are a big part of the reason that Trump won in both 2016 and 2024, and why he was able to put 3 ultra right wingers on the SCOTUS ... people like Corbin dismissed the threat and suggested that things needed to get worse in order for people to wake up -- a sick elitist position.
Absolutely agree with you! Thank you for this encouraging report. Can’t say how many people send me emails and texts asking me for money to win their horse race and all they have to say about why is they are democrats. I have been independent since I became politically conscious. Nothing about what they stand for, what they would do if they won. Are they against genocide? A big one for me. Are they FOR increasing minimum wages? Universal health care for all ages—both insurance and actual health care delivery? Excellent education for everyone? Ethnic and racial equality? Social class equality? Respect for the trades? Against war as a means of settling conflicts? If there isn’t a reason we make one up. Etc etc. Otherwise I have no interest in them. The arrogance and entitlement implied in their requests is offensive. “Hi I’m Susie” —sometimes they don’t even say what their full name is or the state they’re running in. Best interviews I’ve heard along these lines these days are with Pete Buttigieg whom I didn’t take seriously the last time he ran. The DNC elites rigged the primaries against Bernie twice. I feel nausea when I think about Pelosi, Jeffries, Schumer, etc. There are a lot of obstacles to reform/building new institutions. Watch what people do not what they say. Who gets the most donor money and what do they do with it. It’s not new — just so egregiously blatant it’s obvious now. Let’s not go back please. Let’s aim higher. And eliminate the word “again” from our slogans. Thanks for the opportunity to rant.
And please find a way to coordinate with other indecent journalists and opinion writers so you all can make a living and do your work without each of us having to be paid subscribers. There must be a way. We all want wider access and audiences. Thanks again
The reason Dems don’t build in East Tennessee is that it’s built. Should they build the TVA or Oak Ridge again? Meanwhile, how about Medicaid? Medicare? Infrastructure? Federal aid to your schools, your universities? In 2022, under Biden and the Dems, the feds gave TN $3,220 per capita MORE than the state paid in federal taxes. So TN Dems should, like all Dems, talk more about the future, less about You Know Who, but don’t say Dems aren’t doing anything for people. That’s just not true.
This idea that East Tennessee is "built" and doesn't need more is exactly the decline management mindset I'm talking about.
Yeah, TVA was built in the 30s. So what - we're done? We're lagging in energy transmission, new energy production, solar, wind, high-level manufacturing. We're not making the products the world needs. We've separated design from manufacturing, which is economic suicide.
You mention Medicare/Medicaid - I've written whole pieces on this. We don't just need to spend more money. We need to spend it on things that transform our economy, not just maintain the neoliberal status quo. https://www.americasundoing.com/p/beyond-medicare-for-all-building
TVA, Oak Ridge, the Interstate System - these weren't just spending programs. They were investments that made everything else possible. They multiplied our capacity.
The idea that we're a "post-industrial society" that's done developing is asinine. We need more roads, bridges, housing. More electrical transmission and production. Not just in East Tennessee - everywhere. New York, Vegas, Phoenix, LA, Portland, Kansas, Iowa. Everywhere.
Building the future isn't like doing the dishes once in the 1950s and calling it done. Just because we built great things 70 years ago doesn't mean we stop building.
That federal money you mentioned? Most of it goes to maintaining systems, not transforming them. There's a difference between managing decline and building the future.
Good luck selling all that “big government” out there. Understand, I agree with you TOTALLY about what needs to be done. But I, after 50 years of arguing for progressive government, am DONE trying to sell government as the answer. This is an America that RE-elected the man who spun January 6 and other lies. In such a nation, where vaccinations are dangerous, the mainstream press is all “fake news,” and the slightest government aid is “Marxist,” blaming Democrats is hardly the way forward.
The Democratic Party is being held back from taking any action that does what? What exactly is the Democratic Party refusing to do. It is clear that the Dems strategy right now are winning in the courts (where rulings against the MAGA are being ignored) and winning in the mid term elections (which no-one can guarantee won't be stolen by Musk and Billionaire money).
Since the Dems are following a strategy that has failure written all over it, why is that strategy being followed? And the better question is who benefits from following a losing strategy, who is advising the Dems, who is holding back the Dems? I want to know names and organizations and the rolodex at the center of the advice being handed out and followed.
Don't make so much of the parties' relative popularity. Democratic voters are mad at Democratic leadership. Republicans are getting everything their ugly little fascist hearts desire. That's how that happens.
The point is the desperate need that has been laid bare and should now be obvious to everyone that the current Democratic leadership AND much of its rank and file is either too timid, too lazy, too uninformed, or too captured to face up to fascism. As you're saying. But getting better Democrats is way too risky. I think both party brands have become irredeemably toxic and a new anti-MAGA party should form for 2026 that includes all who oppose him of all political stripes. It should offer a clear platform of 1) specific actions that will right every single institutional, Constitutional, and statutory or regulatory flaw that had left us to this atrocious moment, 2) guarantee the Constitutional rights of every single person in the United States as their oaths of office require them to do, 3) reinstate and re-empower the critical offices, programs, and functions that Trump and Musk destroyed, 4) rejoin our foreign allies and begin renewing our international standing and being on the side of free societies, and 5) hold all members of the administration accountable--with full due process, just like Trump had for his 34 felony convictions and adjudication as a sexual assault perp, for every single crime it committed. (Trump won't have immunity for everything he did, and no one else there has that privilege at all.)
That's it. Make it a full-ticket push. It will require Congress and the White House to achieve the agenda, so make it clear that anything else welcomes fascism. Only a clean break will hold. Do the same thing in every state and every city in every election. Then we might overcome their cheat codes and regain the government before it murders us.
Trump continues to reflect the Party that stands for his agenda, the agenda of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025.
It is time to look at why the Constitution separates faith-based beliefs and personal interests from voting with the interest in the society at large in mind and facts beyond singular personal experiences alone.
We need someone to transform the Democratic Party into a true opposition party. We need a dynamic, visionary leader who is not beholden to the party’s mega donors and who doesn’t rely on focus groups or strategists to guide them.
Bernie would have done that if Democratic Party didn’t sabotage his run as “too radical”.
Bernie wasn't able to get the majority of votes.
Bernie got cheated in the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
Exactly what dors that mean to you?
Talk to Mayor Pete…
Are you being ironic? I hope so, because yet another Corporate Dem is NOT going to change anything.
Mayor Pete is able to talk to Fox News watchers in ways that don't turn them off or away. We need to reach those willing to question the cult.
Sure, Great.
Maybe you're just not very bright or honest.
👎
Corbin- it doesn't need to be your "thing"... you should run!! WE need new fresh ideas and morals, like you have!! Thank you for reporting!
I feel you. I wanna be a voice.
You're absolutely correct, Corbin! Trump is a symptom, not the cause. The Democrats forgot about working people decades ago. We need a party that represents everyday people, not the wealthy and corporate interests. We tried to turn the tide with Bernie, but the corporate DNC would not have it. We tried to draft Bernie for a people's party, but he wouldn't do it. I read several years ago a wonderful article by Howie Hawkins about building a workers' party from the ground up - an actual blueprint for a workers' party, but, of course, the Greens can't do it. I see now that Les Leopold is calling for a people's party. Who will be the catalyst for this? I am totally stumped as to how we're going to get out of this mess, if at all. Great interview!!
Thank You Corbin...
Thanks for listening.
The over 11 million people who joined the No Kings protest across America gives me hope for our shared future. I agree with Corbin: we deserve better political leadership and a brighter vision benefiting us all. With love from Canada 🇨🇦
Basically theDNC as it stands now needs disappear. We need primaries that don’t eliminate the late primaries. I live in PA and rarely do we have anything that resembles a choice. The choice of the DNC is all that is left. Let’s have one day primaries just like the national election . And base the electoral vote by percentage of votes for the nominee no more winner take all bullshit
Yes! Democratic primaries are the first step. 1. Open the primaries in the states that exclude Independents, "unenrolled" and members of parties without candidates. There are a disturbing number of states like this. Voters (like me) have left the party because of the internal corruption. In many states (mine is one of them), I can request the primary ballot from EITHER party at the polling place. Without looking right now, I believe that in most states, unenrolled or independent voters outnumber each of the "major parties". Why exclude such a large number from the process? 2. Adopt Ranked Choice voting. Forcing voters to choose between "lesser" and "greater" evils will just result in evil. Ranked Choice will allow voters to vote from the heart without "throwing away" their vote. I would go so far as to suggest that states which adopt Ranked Choice voting, get first selection of their voting day, in the order their state adopts Ranked Choice, NOT the current, counter-productive competition to attract candidates to their state. I think THAT will acomplish "one day primaries". 3. DO AWAY with "Super-delegates" altogether. There's nothing democratic about giving "extra weight" to former office holders or to reward "seniority" for its own sake. 4. Make the result of the primaries BINDING, with NO internal party back-room dealings, no benefit for an incumbent, seniority, or their record of raising money. NONE. CERTAINLY none of the bullshit of blackballing challengers, publicly endorsing incumbents or enforcing "rules" not included on the ballot voters use. 5. Committee assignments should NOT be based on how members voted when selecting leaders, and certainly not guaranteed by seniority.
In PA if you register Independent you can not vote in primaries at all and you can then only vote in your party, you as a candidate can recross file but not cross vote Fucked up
I disagree on any primary except all states same day. Otherwise those getting to vote last don’t get same field. Those with limited budgets and no backing fro DNC will be forced to drop out. Again the elite win
And we need the DNC, DSCC and DCCC to back away from endorsing primary candidates, and working against those they don't approve of. Let the vote play out, and then get behind the nominee; save your resources for the elections against the Republicans.
🕊️ A Call from One Grandparent to Another: Stand for the America Our Grandchildren Deserve 🇺🇸
To my beloved fellow grandparents,
Today, across this great nation, generations are gathering—shoulder to shoulder in “No King” marches—to raise their voices for freedom, justice, and democracy. They are doing what so many before them have done: standing in peaceful protest to ensure that no president, no party, no regime becomes a monarch over our people.
Let us stand with them. Let us remind our children and grandchildren that this is how America has always found its way forward—through the people.
📚 From Selma to Standing Rock, from the March on Washington to the Women’s March—peaceful protest is our American tradition. It is our shield and our sword against injustice:
The 1963 March on Washington brought over 250,000 people together and helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches led to the Voting Rights Act.
The 2018 March for Our Lives, led by high schoolers, reignited national gun safety conversations.
The 2020 George Floyd protests sparked global movements for police accountability.
Each of these marches made our communities stronger. Not weaker. Not more divided—but more awakened.
🕯️ Today’s protests are especially sacred. They honor the lives of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, good public servants who were gunned down in their homes this morning, reportedly for doing their jobs with honor and courage. They stood up for us—now we must stand for the right to speak up, without fear.
Let us be absolutely clear:
🔹 The First Amendment is non-negotiable.
🔹 Violence meant to silence speech is terrorism, not patriotism.
🔹 We do not cower—we march louder. We speak braver.
🔹 We must teach our families this lesson by living it.
📣 To every grandparent reading this:
Join a protest if you can.
Support one online if you cannot.
Talk to your family, your neighbors, your church groups.
Let them know: free speech lives as long as we defend it.
We are the roots of this family tree. Let’s be strong ones. 🌳
For our kids. For our country. For the Constitution.
With love and clarity,
Clarissa Sr. — an American Grandma
#NoKingMarch 👑❌
#GrandparentsForDemocracy
#JusticeForAll
#HonorRepHortman
#HonorSenHoffman
#FirstAmendmentForever
#StandUpSpeakOutStayFree
I tuned in for a bit to Corbin Trent and Steve Schmidt's live video, but they were just trashing the Democrats. While the Democrats have plenty to answer for and we need major change, today is about resisting the actual fascist in the White House. I found your discussion to be unfocused, not helpful, and it just pissed me off that you weren't talking about the Trump Administration at all. You two just seemed to be jerking each other off instead of discussing what's actually happening.
I don't think we can beat MAGA or Josh Hawley with the Democratic Party we have. When am I supposed to holler about that? When am I allowed to say that this party cannot win the majorities it needs to transform and repair our nation? When am I supposed to talk about Trump being a symptom rather than the cancer?
You can say whatever you want. I was giving you feedback, that on a day dedicated to resisting Trump, trashing his opposition is not helpful. As I said, the Dems have a lot to answer for. Timing is everything. It's like someone opposing Hitler by bashing the Weimar Republic. How does that help?
You're delusional if you think the Dems are going to save you. They're owned by the same people who own the Repugs. The Dems smile and spout the platitudes you want to hear (Joy! Abundance!) while stabbing you in the face and giving MORE MORE MORE (Everything) to the 1%. they throw you a scrap (Here's a rainbow in our ad!) and you think you've got rights, freedom, and all that BS. Pay attention. Educate yourself.
Maybe reread what I've said, and don't put words in my mouth, OK?
Last wordism
Dishonest aholeism.
You are correct- this is the moment to have the conversation. Just stay the course, be a tree, grow your roots, bend with the winds and pretty soon others will hear you. Everyone is so pissed off, and angry and most humans have a limit to what they can contain. Those who can see the big picture also have to have more a patience, and persistence. Lets call that: PATIENCE, RESIST, PERSIST & TRANSFORM! or PRPT!!
You can say it now. You just did.
this is the problem in the Dem party- you're offended. You're not listening like them-I didn't hear bashing at all- what i heard is democrats have not communicated their goals effectively, nor reached deep inside these red states and they are not listening!! and its totally true- we can' t have pelosi, or schumer or even jeffrey hakeems- these are all corporate dems who are beholden in different ways to corporate america and AIPAC. We need a new face of the party because clearly they have no strategy on how to beat fascism. We need to get rid of Citizen's United! The people Corbin was talking about showed up because they need a new answer/ideas as well- and he is correct to say the trump is a symptom of an existing undercurrent. Liberals are foolish to think they can pretend a genocide is not happening, or be indifferent or close eyes and get surprised that fascism is at our doorstep when corporate democrats still stand at the podiums and say israel is "defending itself". Biden and Harris gave lip service while funding genocide and obstructing international justice. Connect the dots- zionism is fascism. Zionism has almost all of our dem politicians in a vice grip (NTM almost 1/2 our elected leaders have dual citizenship in israel), beholden to israels priorities. AIPAC is so smart because they know wherever they throw their money, regardless the cause -albiet abortion rights, civil rights, immigration, you name it- what ever the local cause, whatever smear campaign they can fund-whoever they can buy, as long as they make the pledge to israel, they buy those candidates, and destroy good candidates for not making the zionist pledge, like Jamaal Bowman, because they are sympathetic to Palestinians. And a real human rights advocate does so for ALL humans, not just a select few. I digress, because this is a key part of the devil's underbelly. Our elected officials will never do the people's work when they are beholden to a foreign country and the new definition of anti-semitism
We need a brand new party. Dems are dead.
I did not say I was offended. Please don't put words in people's mouths. Reread my comment.
sorry, I hear you and "Pissed off" kinda translates to getting offended and its ok. Either way its the point. we need to open our ears and hearts a little more. Its also part of their strategy- get us so pissed off and riled up we start acting like them. We have to look beyond the orange face in front of us, because the core of our problems are there.
"this is the problem in the Dem party- you're offended."
So the problem with the Dem party is anyone anywhere being pissed off, that is, angry, about something? You people are such dishonest aholes.
Indeed.,Mr. Trent is ignorant and intellectually dishonest. People like this are a big part of the reason that Trump won in both 2016 and 2024, and why he was able to put 3 ultra right wingers on the SCOTUS ... people like Corbin dismissed the threat and suggested that things needed to get worse in order for people to wake up -- a sick elitist position.
Absolutely agree with you! Thank you for this encouraging report. Can’t say how many people send me emails and texts asking me for money to win their horse race and all they have to say about why is they are democrats. I have been independent since I became politically conscious. Nothing about what they stand for, what they would do if they won. Are they against genocide? A big one for me. Are they FOR increasing minimum wages? Universal health care for all ages—both insurance and actual health care delivery? Excellent education for everyone? Ethnic and racial equality? Social class equality? Respect for the trades? Against war as a means of settling conflicts? If there isn’t a reason we make one up. Etc etc. Otherwise I have no interest in them. The arrogance and entitlement implied in their requests is offensive. “Hi I’m Susie” —sometimes they don’t even say what their full name is or the state they’re running in. Best interviews I’ve heard along these lines these days are with Pete Buttigieg whom I didn’t take seriously the last time he ran. The DNC elites rigged the primaries against Bernie twice. I feel nausea when I think about Pelosi, Jeffries, Schumer, etc. There are a lot of obstacles to reform/building new institutions. Watch what people do not what they say. Who gets the most donor money and what do they do with it. It’s not new — just so egregiously blatant it’s obvious now. Let’s not go back please. Let’s aim higher. And eliminate the word “again” from our slogans. Thanks for the opportunity to rant.
And please find a way to coordinate with other indecent journalists and opinion writers so you all can make a living and do your work without each of us having to be paid subscribers. There must be a way. We all want wider access and audiences. Thanks again
The reason Dems don’t build in East Tennessee is that it’s built. Should they build the TVA or Oak Ridge again? Meanwhile, how about Medicaid? Medicare? Infrastructure? Federal aid to your schools, your universities? In 2022, under Biden and the Dems, the feds gave TN $3,220 per capita MORE than the state paid in federal taxes. So TN Dems should, like all Dems, talk more about the future, less about You Know Who, but don’t say Dems aren’t doing anything for people. That’s just not true.
This idea that East Tennessee is "built" and doesn't need more is exactly the decline management mindset I'm talking about.
Yeah, TVA was built in the 30s. So what - we're done? We're lagging in energy transmission, new energy production, solar, wind, high-level manufacturing. We're not making the products the world needs. We've separated design from manufacturing, which is economic suicide.
You mention Medicare/Medicaid - I've written whole pieces on this. We don't just need to spend more money. We need to spend it on things that transform our economy, not just maintain the neoliberal status quo. https://www.americasundoing.com/p/beyond-medicare-for-all-building
TVA, Oak Ridge, the Interstate System - these weren't just spending programs. They were investments that made everything else possible. They multiplied our capacity.
The idea that we're a "post-industrial society" that's done developing is asinine. We need more roads, bridges, housing. More electrical transmission and production. Not just in East Tennessee - everywhere. New York, Vegas, Phoenix, LA, Portland, Kansas, Iowa. Everywhere.
Building the future isn't like doing the dishes once in the 1950s and calling it done. Just because we built great things 70 years ago doesn't mean we stop building.
That federal money you mentioned? Most of it goes to maintaining systems, not transforming them. There's a difference between managing decline and building the future.
https://www.americasundoing.com/p/a-massive-american-pay-cut
https://www.americasundoing.com/p/the-death-of-american-capability
Good luck selling all that “big government” out there. Understand, I agree with you TOTALLY about what needs to be done. But I, after 50 years of arguing for progressive government, am DONE trying to sell government as the answer. This is an America that RE-elected the man who spun January 6 and other lies. In such a nation, where vaccinations are dangerous, the mainstream press is all “fake news,” and the slightest government aid is “Marxist,” blaming Democrats is hardly the way forward.
East Tennessee might be red but we're not stupid.
The Democratic Party is being held back from taking any action that does what? What exactly is the Democratic Party refusing to do. It is clear that the Dems strategy right now are winning in the courts (where rulings against the MAGA are being ignored) and winning in the mid term elections (which no-one can guarantee won't be stolen by Musk and Billionaire money).
Since the Dems are following a strategy that has failure written all over it, why is that strategy being followed? And the better question is who benefits from following a losing strategy, who is advising the Dems, who is holding back the Dems? I want to know names and organizations and the rolodex at the center of the advice being handed out and followed.
Darn straight. Long past time to expose the Democratic funding ecosystem.
Here us some evidence from the NYT for my hypothesis written above
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/us/politics/huma-abedin-alex-soros-wedding-hillary-clinton-kamala-harris.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Don't make so much of the parties' relative popularity. Democratic voters are mad at Democratic leadership. Republicans are getting everything their ugly little fascist hearts desire. That's how that happens.
The point is the desperate need that has been laid bare and should now be obvious to everyone that the current Democratic leadership AND much of its rank and file is either too timid, too lazy, too uninformed, or too captured to face up to fascism. As you're saying. But getting better Democrats is way too risky. I think both party brands have become irredeemably toxic and a new anti-MAGA party should form for 2026 that includes all who oppose him of all political stripes. It should offer a clear platform of 1) specific actions that will right every single institutional, Constitutional, and statutory or regulatory flaw that had left us to this atrocious moment, 2) guarantee the Constitutional rights of every single person in the United States as their oaths of office require them to do, 3) reinstate and re-empower the critical offices, programs, and functions that Trump and Musk destroyed, 4) rejoin our foreign allies and begin renewing our international standing and being on the side of free societies, and 5) hold all members of the administration accountable--with full due process, just like Trump had for his 34 felony convictions and adjudication as a sexual assault perp, for every single crime it committed. (Trump won't have immunity for everything he did, and no one else there has that privilege at all.)
That's it. Make it a full-ticket push. It will require Congress and the White House to achieve the agenda, so make it clear that anything else welcomes fascism. Only a clean break will hold. Do the same thing in every state and every city in every election. Then we might overcome their cheat codes and regain the government before it murders us.
The same message that David Hogg has been sending out to the public and Democrats.
Trump continues to reflect the Party that stands for his agenda, the agenda of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025.
It is time to look at why the Constitution separates faith-based beliefs and personal interests from voting with the interest in the society at large in mind and facts beyond singular personal experiences alone.
Vote for ideals, not against singular interests.