Friday Mailbag! 📬

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I left legacy media to build something different: independent, honest political analysis with no corporate or partisan agenda.

I call balls and strikes ⚾ — because politics needs referees, not cheerleaders.

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(Image via ChatGPT)

Happy Friday.

We made it.

Below I answered real questions from real paid subscribers to this newsletter. Not one yet? Become one today:

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Q: I understand that Senate Confirmation Hearings have basically become more “performance art” to garner video opps and, no doubt, campaign contributions, but can you explain why an opposition party does not put forth a truly coordinated effort in questioning a particular nominee—i.e. here’s what you will ask about, here’s what I will ask about, etc.—rather than the buckshot approach of questioner after questioner with seemingly no connection to the one before them or the one after them? It always seems like a missed opportunity.

A: I don’t know for sure that there is NO coordination of the sort you are talking about. But I would say as someone who watches a lot of these hearings it does appear to be a series of individual actors trying to build their personal #brand — I just barfed — rather than be team players.

Which, of course, is indicative of this moment in politics and culture. My younger son, who is really into basketball, loves to watch some guy dunking on someone else. He’s far less interested in a) whose team actually won the game or b) my dad-ly assertion that the dunk only counted for two points — just like a layup or an elbow jumper.

We live in a world in which everyone is trying to go viral. Kids look up YouTube streamers. Or people with big Instagram followings. Very rarely are they into a team’s success. (Kids love the Golden State Warriors because of Steph Curry — and they couldn’t care less who else is on the team.)

Would the opposition party be better served to coordinate their questions of a controversial nominee? Absolutely. But to do so would require some members of the committee to play more prominent roles and others to adopt more supportive roles.

That doesn’t gibe with our politics — where everyone thinks they are (or should be) the star of every show.

Q: I’m disinclined to join in the theory that Mitch McConnell is actually dead, and the “proof of life” is AI generated, or even photoshopped. And, I held that position before various experts found no evidence of AI manipulation. But, here’s my question. What do you think are the odds that Mitch is actually NOT healthy enough to fulfill the obligations of his office, but he and his entourage are avoiding making that public (and thereby being pressured to resign now), until August 3 (or whatever the relevant deadline in Kentucky is)?

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