I put forward the four people who showed the most fire and ability to remain articulate while angry during House congressional hearings. They are also well informed and prepared. Becca Balint, Jamie Raskin, Madeleine Dean, and Maxwell Frost.
Hakeem Jeffries is absolutely unfit for the job that needs to be done....terrible speaker....halting and inarticulate and without moral clarity.
AOC is a huge disappointment with her Jeffries support, and underestimates the immediate need to deal with our desperate conditions in every area of human life. What the hell is she thinking?
CR: I agree with you re Summer Lee, but not Robert Garcia because he is still pro-Israel and also because even though he now claims to take no corporate money, in the past he has taken a lot of corporate money.
eiggod8: While I agree with you re Jeffries and AOC, I do not agree with you on who we should be backing. I am not sure about Frost, but I can't agree with you re Balint (whose Leadership PAC was taking thousands of dollars from Google and a few other big corporations while she was claiming to take no corporate money (see link below). Nor can I agree with you re Dean or Raskins because neither of them is willing to admit that Israel is committing genocide.
I confess, I was hoping to generate some other people's suggestions, and mine were based on hearings where the dogged questioners appeared. I read the Balint article and agree that her PAC use is problematic though not as blatant as most. I believe it was Bondi or Noem who accused her of being antisemitic which caused her to blow up because of family that died in the Holocaust. Raskin voted last year against sending Israel any more military support.
Do you have thoughts about possible candidates for speaker?
Sorry, but I don't know any other names for our Speaker "hope list." However, it is not something I have researched (other than the ones listed so far on this thread).... so there may well be some out there.
Frost does eliminate the Jeffries would be the first black Speaker piece, but is far too young to have a shot, imo. Not to say I wouldn’t be excited if it happened.
All I had to see was a video clip of Hakeem Jeffries proudly declaring that "I stand with Israel 100% No questions asked!" followed by a report of the millions he'd received from AIPAC.
If Jeffries becomes Speaker we will be mired in incrementalism, compromise, and collaboration with the current regime. Like most corporate Dems, he wants to maintain the status quo, not make the bold changes that will benefit those of us that are not part of the 1%.
"[MAGA will] be beaten when Democrats become more trustworthy than the people lying to them."
This line is everything. And the bar for trustworthy is the lowest it's ever been. A cadre of no-bullshit fighters could dominate both houses right now if enough of them would just go for it.
Lander and AOC are making things much worse than if they never got involved in politics. There is nothing like the betrayal of the ones you really thought had your back. Devastating. Will anybody ever vote again after that knife twist?
I’ll concede that there’s a little more nuance to it than that. We also have to make sure that we don’t come across looking like we’re incapable of governing.
Luckily, there is real time example in NYC. I think in the current climate having a fight is good (for the right reasons). But jeez even a dignified silence would be better than the status quo…
Yes, we need a great talker. But a talker who states the problems clearly and then addresses them head on, with solutions that are real and direct. I'm hoping that's what we'll get. If not, we're doomed to keep fighting tiny fake battles while the war rages on above us.
Yeah, the talker can't be full of shit, otherwise you end up with nothing. You have to be able to honestly and clearly address the challenges head on. Agreed, 100%, as usual, John.
If you are going to go there Corbin, it behooves you to name names. It’s easy to yell, “We need someone better.” Well, who have you got? Does that person have a chance in hell of receiving enough caucus votes to win? Do you really need to be reminded that the caucus consists of representatives from places other than NYC?
Magrooder: What a strange statement! The idea of democracy is that everyone takes part in the solution to problems... not just the person who points out the problem!
You are absolutely correct, Corbin. The first thing I see to do is sit down with AOC, read and explain your essay on Hakeem Jeffries. She will change her tune. She has the courage to do that.
Been watching her for quite a while, and she mainly disappoints on significant votes. Sure, we always give these "potentials" a break, but I don't see her as part of any "winning ticket" as far as my interests are concerned...yet.
I’m one of those small recurring donors to AOC. I consider her endorsements of a candidate, as credibility of the candidate’s values and subsequently a potential recipient of my donations. Now AOC endorses Jefferies when he and Schumer are failed party leaders incapable of guiding the party away from the status quo. I’m at a crossroads, a dilemma, of how to proceed. Do I continue to support AOC financially and spiritually or write her off as just another politician who fought the establishment to get elected, only to become the establishment once elected? Or maybe she’s part of a political New York clan that protects its own no matter their shortcomings.
To signal my opposition to her decision I’m going to suspend my donations and send her a “strongly worded letter” about my decision and see if that tactic works on her.
I think she is an amazing representative and would make an amazing senator or what have you. I think the problem is amongst many of us that want her to be a transformative figure, but that's a lot to put on somebody.
Transformative leaders are exactly what we looking for. I think AOC is one even if she's not perfect (no one is)....you too Corbin! Hopefully she and other progressive hopeful will listen to their grass roots supporters, sift through our feedback and use the nuggets within. I can't vote for AOC, I would if I could, still she "belongs" to and is accountable to all of us as is every representative in Congress because their collective decisions or lack thereof affects all our lives. Man, how I wish someone like AOC would replace my Congressional rep Kim Schrier.
AOC is a powerful personality and speaker. She traveled the country with Bernie drawing the largest crowds ever. But her absence of endorsements for primary candidates (Kiros, Saikat Chakrabarti, as well as those in NY) speaks volumes. She was even featured in DeGettes ads against Kiros. It does lead one to believe that she has "fallen in line" with the establishment power in the Democratic Party, right when we have some momentum building for change and need her leadership.
Thank you Corbin for this thoughtful reflection. It left me thinking that perhaps the greatest communicators do more than persuade. They invite people to see themselves as active participants in the work ahead. That sense of shared ownership and responsibility may be one of the most powerful forms of leadership we can cultivate.
“But the gavel’s a job, and the job right now is to move a country that’s stopped believing us.” Very insightful statement. Our issue is people stopped believing in Democrats because they’ve messed up so badly and no more than in education where there’s actually a simple solution-let the whistleblowers who taught teach Democrats what to do at WhiteChalkCrime.com.
The teacher unions are going along to get along and at the heart of the education problem but once people understand why, we can fix it. Democrats must become problem solvers not problem users.
They teach managers that the best indicator of future performance is past performance. For that reason alone, I cannot believe Hakeem Jeffries is even under consideration. The idea that it’s his “turn” is how we got Hillary. He is simply not up to this fight. He’s not ruthless, he’s not creative. He’s a horrible communicator and as you point out, doesn’t actually believe in health care and affordable housing. The only way we’ll survive his speakership is if we learn to work around him.
Yes, Obama was certainly an eloquent speaker and could make people believe in him. How? Because he had mastered the truism that: "The secret to politics is sincerity, and if you can fake that, you will succeed."
He was the master of faking sincerity. As a result, millions lost their homes, millions died in wars he kept going and wars he initiated. He oversaw one of the greatest transfers of wealth from the bottom 90% to the top 10%,. He oversaw one of the largest transfers of power from Democrats to Republicans in Congress, state legislatures, and governors, all of which paved the way for Donald Trump. Yes, another eloquent speaker like Obama and we will see a revolution in this country.
“Unless we reignite the American can-do spirit, the old belief that we can still build things and that things can get done on purpose, the next several years are going to be a long, hard slog.” My take on the answer to what we need is a different spirit in the land, where we recognize the gift of being human and we serve the creation instead of steal from it. We need a leader who can help us see how great humanity can be. We even have science supporting how we were designed to be cooperative and we need an inspired speaker to cheerlead for that. Government is so dirty that clean people don’t gravitate there, but let’s get we the people talking that up and maybe we’ll get lucky and a champion for the greatness of humanity will emerge.
I put forward the four people who showed the most fire and ability to remain articulate while angry during House congressional hearings. They are also well informed and prepared. Becca Balint, Jamie Raskin, Madeleine Dean, and Maxwell Frost.
Hakeem Jeffries is absolutely unfit for the job that needs to be done....terrible speaker....halting and inarticulate and without moral clarity.
AOC is a huge disappointment with her Jeffries support, and underestimates the immediate need to deal with our desperate conditions in every area of human life. What the hell is she thinking?
Centrists are a death knell.
I’ll add Summer Lee and Robert Garcia to that list.
CR: I agree with you re Summer Lee, but not Robert Garcia because he is still pro-Israel and also because even though he now claims to take no corporate money, in the past he has taken a lot of corporate money.
What about Ro?
eiggod8: While I agree with you re Jeffries and AOC, I do not agree with you on who we should be backing. I am not sure about Frost, but I can't agree with you re Balint (whose Leadership PAC was taking thousands of dollars from Google and a few other big corporations while she was claiming to take no corporate money (see link below). Nor can I agree with you re Dean or Raskins because neither of them is willing to admit that Israel is committing genocide.
https://vtdigger.org/2025/08/18/becca-balint-tells-supporters-she-doesnt-take-corporate-pac-money-records-show-its-not-that-simple/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20don't%20take%20corporate%20PAC,to%20support%20and%20win%20favor
I confess, I was hoping to generate some other people's suggestions, and mine were based on hearings where the dogged questioners appeared. I read the Balint article and agree that her PAC use is problematic though not as blatant as most. I believe it was Bondi or Noem who accused her of being antisemitic which caused her to blow up because of family that died in the Holocaust. Raskin voted last year against sending Israel any more military support.
Do you have thoughts about possible candidates for speaker?
Ro Khanna would actually be my first choice
Mine too
Sorry, but I don't know any other names for our Speaker "hope list." However, it is not something I have researched (other than the ones listed so far on this thread).... so there may well be some out there.
Frost does eliminate the Jeffries would be the first black Speaker piece, but is far too young to have a shot, imo. Not to say I wouldn’t be excited if it happened.
Hello Eiggod8.... Has AOC been 'Turned'?...
I believe according to Break Point News that she would support him.
All I had to see was a video clip of Hakeem Jeffries proudly declaring that "I stand with Israel 100% No questions asked!" followed by a report of the millions he'd received from AIPAC.
Who is he really working for?
… and if you need a Biblical quote: “No man can serve two masters“
Same stance as Schumer!
If Jeffries becomes Speaker we will be mired in incrementalism, compromise, and collaboration with the current regime. Like most corporate Dems, he wants to maintain the status quo, not make the bold changes that will benefit those of us that are not part of the 1%.
"[MAGA will] be beaten when Democrats become more trustworthy than the people lying to them."
This line is everything. And the bar for trustworthy is the lowest it's ever been. A cadre of no-bullshit fighters could dominate both houses right now if enough of them would just go for it.
Lander and AOC are making things much worse than if they never got involved in politics. There is nothing like the betrayal of the ones you really thought had your back. Devastating. Will anybody ever vote again after that knife twist?
I certainly trust AOC more than Schumer, Jeffries, Gillibrand and all the establishment Democrats who vote for Genocide and the oligarchs.
Hello Corbin... Another Fine Post... Thank-You....
The Left doesn't even need to succeed the first time around. They just need to show that they can prevent a Speaker getting elected to change things.
I’ll concede that there’s a little more nuance to it than that. We also have to make sure that we don’t come across looking like we’re incapable of governing.
Luckily, there is real time example in NYC. I think in the current climate having a fight is good (for the right reasons). But jeez even a dignified silence would be better than the status quo…
Yes, we need a great talker. But a talker who states the problems clearly and then addresses them head on, with solutions that are real and direct. I'm hoping that's what we'll get. If not, we're doomed to keep fighting tiny fake battles while the war rages on above us.
Yeah, the talker can't be full of shit, otherwise you end up with nothing. You have to be able to honestly and clearly address the challenges head on. Agreed, 100%, as usual, John.
If you are going to go there Corbin, it behooves you to name names. It’s easy to yell, “We need someone better.” Well, who have you got? Does that person have a chance in hell of receiving enough caucus votes to win? Do you really need to be reminded that the caucus consists of representatives from places other than NYC?
Magrooder: What a strange statement! The idea of democracy is that everyone takes part in the solution to problems... not just the person who points out the problem!
You are absolutely correct, Corbin. The first thing I see to do is sit down with AOC, read and explain your essay on Hakeem Jeffries. She will change her tune. She has the courage to do that.
Too late, she's already sold her soul
Condemning people that quickly is not the "winning ticket".
Been watching her for quite a while, and she mainly disappoints on significant votes. Sure, we always give these "potentials" a break, but I don't see her as part of any "winning ticket" as far as my interests are concerned...yet.
Sorry, but which votes are those? I am not aware of them.
Mostly war/offense/Israel support nonsense....
To me, it makes sense to support defensive weapons only -- but ONLY if all sides have them!
I SO AGREE!
Thank you!
AOC type speaker
I’m one of those small recurring donors to AOC. I consider her endorsements of a candidate, as credibility of the candidate’s values and subsequently a potential recipient of my donations. Now AOC endorses Jefferies when he and Schumer are failed party leaders incapable of guiding the party away from the status quo. I’m at a crossroads, a dilemma, of how to proceed. Do I continue to support AOC financially and spiritually or write her off as just another politician who fought the establishment to get elected, only to become the establishment once elected? Or maybe she’s part of a political New York clan that protects its own no matter their shortcomings.
To signal my opposition to her decision I’m going to suspend my donations and send her a “strongly worded letter” about my decision and see if that tactic works on her.
I think she is an amazing representative and would make an amazing senator or what have you. I think the problem is amongst many of us that want her to be a transformative figure, but that's a lot to put on somebody.
Transformative leaders are exactly what we looking for. I think AOC is one even if she's not perfect (no one is)....you too Corbin! Hopefully she and other progressive hopeful will listen to their grass roots supporters, sift through our feedback and use the nuggets within. I can't vote for AOC, I would if I could, still she "belongs" to and is accountable to all of us as is every representative in Congress because their collective decisions or lack thereof affects all our lives. Man, how I wish someone like AOC would replace my Congressional rep Kim Schrier.
AOC is a powerful personality and speaker. She traveled the country with Bernie drawing the largest crowds ever. But her absence of endorsements for primary candidates (Kiros, Saikat Chakrabarti, as well as those in NY) speaks volumes. She was even featured in DeGettes ads against Kiros. It does lead one to believe that she has "fallen in line" with the establishment power in the Democratic Party, right when we have some momentum building for change and need her leadership.
She just endorsed Sayed and that is important- he is awesome
I like your idea of a strongly worded letter- I might just do the same!
Thank you Corbin for this thoughtful reflection. It left me thinking that perhaps the greatest communicators do more than persuade. They invite people to see themselves as active participants in the work ahead. That sense of shared ownership and responsibility may be one of the most powerful forms of leadership we can cultivate.
“But the gavel’s a job, and the job right now is to move a country that’s stopped believing us.” Very insightful statement. Our issue is people stopped believing in Democrats because they’ve messed up so badly and no more than in education where there’s actually a simple solution-let the whistleblowers who taught teach Democrats what to do at WhiteChalkCrime.com.
The teacher unions are going along to get along and at the heart of the education problem but once people understand why, we can fix it. Democrats must become problem solvers not problem users.
As a 40 year teacher union member- the NEA is very un democratic and ALWAYS supports the corporate establishment candidate.
They teach managers that the best indicator of future performance is past performance. For that reason alone, I cannot believe Hakeem Jeffries is even under consideration. The idea that it’s his “turn” is how we got Hillary. He is simply not up to this fight. He’s not ruthless, he’s not creative. He’s a horrible communicator and as you point out, doesn’t actually believe in health care and affordable housing. The only way we’ll survive his speakership is if we learn to work around him.
Yes, Obama was certainly an eloquent speaker and could make people believe in him. How? Because he had mastered the truism that: "The secret to politics is sincerity, and if you can fake that, you will succeed."
He was the master of faking sincerity. As a result, millions lost their homes, millions died in wars he kept going and wars he initiated. He oversaw one of the greatest transfers of wealth from the bottom 90% to the top 10%,. He oversaw one of the largest transfers of power from Democrats to Republicans in Congress, state legislatures, and governors, all of which paved the way for Donald Trump. Yes, another eloquent speaker like Obama and we will see a revolution in this country.
“Unless we reignite the American can-do spirit, the old belief that we can still build things and that things can get done on purpose, the next several years are going to be a long, hard slog.” My take on the answer to what we need is a different spirit in the land, where we recognize the gift of being human and we serve the creation instead of steal from it. We need a leader who can help us see how great humanity can be. We even have science supporting how we were designed to be cooperative and we need an inspired speaker to cheerlead for that. Government is so dirty that clean people don’t gravitate there, but let’s get we the people talking that up and maybe we’ll get lucky and a champion for the greatness of humanity will emerge.