Bluesky is now among and often *the* highest referer to @motherjones.com. That’s traffic that has been additive. Only Twitter has dipped btw, the rest as fairly steady state (and instagram impressions and video views on all platforms up enormously.)
Political consultant, media critic, and longtime Cassandra. www.findinggravity.net
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Bluesky is now among and often *the* highest referer to @motherjones.com. That’s traffic that has been additive. Only Twitter has dipped btw, the rest as fairly steady state (and instagram impressions and video views on all platforms up enormously.)
Weeks long? Literally 8 years!
As @vermontgmg.bsky.social observes, it's not just that the many red flags about Trump's health haven't become a news event like they almost certainly would have if Biden or Clinton were involved, it hasn't even become a news *story*: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/it-s-time-...
Contrary to the assertions of the "it's a trap!" crowd, Donald Trump's use of the military to intimidate and control Americans is unpopular -- and his approval on handling crime is underwater. www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
R.E.M. “pushed the boundaries” of alternative rock Herbie Hancock “pushed the boundaries” of jazz Trump & RFK Jr. are “destroying public health & will be responsible for killing people” What is journalism, anyway? 🤷♂️🤦♂️
a distinction that does not matter to Lindsey Graham, who is every bit the little cartoon dog.
Put this one in The Atlantic’s hall of fame, alongside “what if Democrats can’t admit they lost”
Let’s put it in charge of Medicare!
"The visible health problems of the oldest president in American history barely registered in mainstream coverage," writes @passantino.bsky.social for Status_. But @nytimes.com 🐔, @wsj.com 🐔🐔 & other major outlets published dozens of stories about Biden's physical fitness while he was in office.
Sir, because of your decrepit physical state, every social media platform is speculating you're dead.
There would be three New York Times editorials by Monday
Nobody really thinks it’s happening, we’re all just getting some practice reps in. Gotta be ready for the big day.
We’ll know it’s real when Lindsey Graham starts hopping around JD Vance like that little cartoon dog that hops excitedly around the other cartoon dog
And by “down the street” I mean “from Seattle to San Diego, no stopping”
“First point the gun directly at your own knee for safety”? That doesn’t sound right at all!
It is written.
Max if I’m being honest the odds of me remembering any of that while Shit Is Going Down are not great.
don’t worry darth they might get a majority for impeachment but they’ll never get 2/3s for removal
The number of times I have gotten halfway through typing “OK well fuck you too buddy” before realizing that they are not intentionally yelling at me, they are trying to yell at our shared source of frustration …
If this mfer goes when I’m without a decent internet connection for three days, I’m gonna be … well, definitely not pissed, but slightly exasperated.
Zohran Mamdani is the happiest politician in America, his whole campaign is about how New York is awesome and can be even awesomer. Meanwhile, there has never been a politician in history who talked as much about what a shithole he thinks America is as Donald Trump does.
oh I was going alphabetical
It has everything: facts, sarcasm, and a YouGov poll.
Yes, exactly. (I addressed immigration last week: www.findinggravity.net/donald-trump...) bsky.app/profile/jlra...
Trump is weak. He is weak on this issue. Anyone who acts otherwise isn't paying attention.
just the scummiest
NEW from me: The propagandists and cowards insisting Democrats acquiesce to Donald Trump's military occupation of American cities are wrong about public opinion, wrong about basic politics, and most importantly wrong about what the moment demands of patriots: www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
This is good: With Trump/RFK destroying CDC, JB Pritzker's officials are exploring the possibility of buying Covid vaccines from manufacturers and distributing them in-state themselves, source tells me. Dem govs must step up and fill the void. New piece from me: newrepublic.com/article/1998...
I think it has something to do with American elites being both fairly dim and, at least, ok with fascism, as well as with their indifference to facts, coupled with their dislike of being harshly judged for those revealed preferences.
If you read the post you will find my criticism is directed primarily towards media and pundits, with specific examples provided.
Follow @govpritzker.illinois.gov's lead and the data. This should not be hard for Democrats in Congress and at least the second should be easy for the media and reputable polling companies.
Big news companies and famous pundits are bullshitting you about Trump's military occupation of America. They're trying to manufacture consent. More in my newsletter; please subscribe & share if you are so inclined: www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
Donald Trump's attempts to impose autocracy on America presents some tough choices for the rest of us. But some choices should be easy: www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
This is one of the most annoying forms of punditry: Taking a reasonable concept (don't draw attention to things that help your opponent) and stretching it to the point of absurdity. This isn't an obscure House vote about ethanol subsidies, it's the military occupation of America. People will notice!
The duck-and-cover crowd seems to think that if Democrats stand quietly by while Trump sends tanks and troops to intimidate and dominate American cities, nobody will notice. That's the unstated-because-it's-so-stupid premise behind "don't take the bait." www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
Contrary to the assertions of the "it's a trap!" crowd, Donald Trump's use of the military to intimidate and control Americans is unpopular -- and his approval on handling crime is underwater. www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
NEW from me: The propagandists and cowards insisting Democrats acquiesce to Donald Trump's military occupation of American cities are wrong about public opinion, wrong about basic politics, and most importantly wrong about what the moment demands of patriots: www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
I’ve seen a lot of fucked up shit in my day, but this might just take the cake.
Sending soldiers into cities under the guise of fighting crime is an unprecedented abuse of power. And it’s illegal. bit.ly/4m6TG77
Grok includes an “unhinged mode” that just cranks conspiracies, fyi
From @jamisonfoser.bsky.social: Trump’s military occupation of American cities is unpopular. The media is trying to manufacture consent for it. www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
New, in my newsletter: Donald Trump’s military occupation of American cities is unpopular. The news media is trying to manufacture consent for it. www.findinggravity.net/trumps-milit...
sure, if you refuse to look at it from Disease's perspective
Seems extremely bad
very excited to read this (and chagrined that I missed the pub date)
"Our frustrations with our false democracy have corroded faith in the ideal to the benefit of antidemocratic figures on the right and the interests they serve." – from the conclusion of @ositanwanevu.com's new book, highly recommended. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704686...
every time these weirdos fantasize about taking to the sea so they can do whatever they want i immediately think of Dennis Reynolds. You know, because of the implication.
MICROSOFT: Our AI-powered calculator can’t do math EVERY OTHER COMPANY: What if we put it in charge of the food supply? Cool idea, right?
AI keeps flunking spelling tests and just encouraged a kid to kill himself but sure lets put it incharge of our power grid bsky.app/profile/sema...
A great and important thread.
you just used a photo of Taylor Swift smiling and holding her fiancé's face in her hands, surrounded by flowers, to illustrate a claim that she has abandoned "her softer sensibilities" and I guess my question for you is: What the fuck?
who could possibly have foreseen
Trump's use of red state National Guards in DC is really about viciously turning Americans against each other, about stoking hate and violence *among Americans.* JB Pritzker's response is so good because it lays *this* bare. Me and @brianbeutler.bsky.social on this: newrepublic.com/article/1997...
anyway if you're interpreting this thread as "Democrats did nothing wrong" or "Republicans did nothing right" or "crime never helps Republicans" rather than "Journalists should back up their assertions" you a fool or have an agenda other than truth.
yep: bsky.app/profile/did:...
In general, media & pundits assume crime helps Republicans. And it often* does! But despite months of friendly "Trump is tough on crime" coverage in 2020, it didn't much help him. After 2022, lots of journos retconned 2020 results to fit narrative * largely because of the way the media covers crime
It is of course possible that Republicans used crime effectively in 2020 despite losing the election. But if you're gonna assert that you should cite some evidence. WaPo doesn't bother. Meanwhile, here's an Oct 2020 poll giving *Biden* a 12-point advantage on the issue: www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/p...
took 3 people to write that article
little known fact: In 2020, Republicans lost the White House and the Senate.
“Federal law enforcement asked the crews to line up to check their IDs, according to the firefighters. One of the firefighters said members of the crew were told not to take video of the incident.” DHS did this as flames actively raged. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
I dare you to go to Annunciation School and tell our grieving community, in effect, guns don’t kill kids, antidepressants do. Just shut up. Stop peddling bullshit. You should be fired.
Evil.
A white-nationalist project of ethnic engineering is being carried out with cold-blooded clarity.
the financial literacy part makes it art
"I'm not resigning, YOU resign"
wtf is this nonsense? He thinks he can understand kid’s “mitochondrial challenges” just by looking at them? This is an insane person.
pretty soon they're gonna have to rename the CDC to just CD
As @jamisonfoser.bsky.social rightly notes here, the story on the politics of Trump's military takeovers and masked kidnapping is that the public doesn't like them, not that Trump has got Dems in a clever trap: www.findinggravity.net/donald-trump...
Meola's second Springsteen book (Streets of Fire) is also excellent and, I believe, a bit more readily available.
these absolute weirdos can't be normal for five minutes
I am begging my fellow Dems to emerge from the reflexive “it’s a trap” position on these issues and realize that some things are very simple: the public doesn’t like the federal government turning the military against its own citizens.The public doesn’t like the armed occupation of a city.Period.
My friend @carynrose.bsky.social published this (free) interview with Eric Meola in her Springsteen-focused newsletter. It's a great read, full of detail & insight, and the kind of thing you can't get anywhere else. If that appeals to you you'll love a paid sub. www.radio-nowhere.com/photographer...
After seeing a virtually unknown Bruce Springsteen in 1973, the completely unknown Eric Meola thought “I've got to photograph this guy no matter what.” Two years later, Meola shot the iconic cover of Born to Run. Great interview: www.radio-nowhere.com/photographer...
Hey Chris, since the day you published that piece insisting it made "ZERO sense" to fight Trump on immigration because his "polling on ... immigration ... has stayed strong," Trump's net approval on immigration is down 7 points. I explain what you missed here: www.findinggravity.net/donald-trump...
That Cillizza DC/crime piece is a near word-for-word re-run of a piece Cillizza wrote about immigration in June. In my newsletter last week, I checked in on how well the June piece is holding up. Spoiler: Very, very badly. www.findinggravity.net/donald-trump...
speaking of "dimwitted":
The Minneapolis shooter was apparently a fan of several mass murderers who were motivated by the same "Great Replacement Theory" that has pretty much taken over the Republican Party.
"if it's so useless, how did it talk that kid into suicide" is some sociopath shit, even for the New York Times
you do not in fact gotta hand it to the suicide encourager
The same people who have spent the last five years pretending their hatred of trans people is about protecting kids are trying to ban any regulation of a half-baked technology that is encouraging kids to kill themselves
It was time of your life (obviously) but still
it was the segue more than anything Like, here is a song that was a mothball-smelling avatar of nostalgia for 30 years ago 40 years ago … and what better to pair it with than … Green Day!
dingdingding
Oldies station in this Uber just played Unchained Melody followed directly by a Green Day song and I now feel one million years old
Respectfully,
there’s gotta be a 5 gallon Sysco tub of mustard just outside the frame, right?
There are two political conversations underway. There's the inside-the-DC bubble with lots of fretting by Dem strategists accompained by pessimistic reporting from the savvy media then, there are the results playing out across the country the results matter way more than the punditry
Re-upping last week’s newsletter, on the topic of pundits’ assertions about the political climate: bsky.app/profile/jami...
Is “Democrats are overperforming last year’s presidential results by an average of 16 points, far ahead of 2017-2018” consistent with the portrayal of the political environment you find in the news coverage and punditry you consume? If not, what does that say? bsky.app/profile/the-...
house was so big it had a fully Subway kitchen inside it
a 20-point swing away from Trump’s party even as The Pundits have assured us that Trump is masterfully getting the political fights he wants.
big burley men, arms like tree trunks, came to him, tears in their eyes. never seen such a thing, strong men, quivering, 'please, sir, our children are thirsty but we can't turn the tap.' Trump rolled up a sleeve and gave the valve an easy twist. these men, you've never seen anyone so grateful.
oh no, that would be free. public service, you know?
the best thing about this man, by far, is that he Wooly Willys himself before he goes on tv
if by "it" you mean "death by its own hubris"
*visiting New York Times dot com in search of life-saving news in the midst of an unfolding natural disaster* "Click to pay $187 for this article. Prices are higher than usual due to high demand."
They’re not making the slightest pretense of doing anything but weaponizing a federal agency against Trump’s enemies, and the New York Times’ response is “Well played, sire!”
hahahahahaha surge pricing for a newspaper is the worst idea I've ever heard, so it'll happen in like six weeks
The house is on fire. We don’t have time to play Where’s Waldo with the truth. Say it directly, then elaborate. bsky.app/profile/jami...