Please enlighten us about the political impact of Trump's insistence that he is more popular and has more committed fans than Taylor Swift. Coincidentally (?) his fanboys on social media and Trump media acoloytes accuse Biden who they constantly label cognitively-challenged of running a psyop manipulating Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to fake a romance to manipulate her 274 million Instagram followers and the NFL's football teams to rig their games and brainwash their 50 million+ TV followers to vote for Biden. Will any of this weirdness break through to NFL and Swift fans and influence their voting behaviors? Will it cause the scales to fall from the eyes of any Trump or Trump-leaning voters?
I agree. I couldn't even name one of her songs (I'm way out of her demographic) but I'm watching in amazement as the MAGAs are totally losing it over her.
Same here. I know who she is. In reading about her, I know she is a very talented performer and song-writer, as well as being very savvy in the business side of the music industry.
While I was reading about this whole psyop thing, it struck me as being so far off-the-wall that a character loosely based on her would be a great villainess in the next James Bond movie (if they ever get around to making a new one). The squeaky-clean world-famous pop-star with a global business empire who's also an evil mastermind that wants global domination!!!
Chris, do you think that the House Republicans who are trying to kill the Border Bill (plus Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan), including the new Speaker, will ever pay a price even for their actions? Does hypocrisy, unpatriotic behavior, and stupidity have any downside, or is it just another day in the Capital?
#1 - It looks like a 2024 debate between Trump and Biden is unlikely. Does it matter anymore and who benefits the most from not debating?
#2 - How big an impact do you think people choosing not to vote for president will be this year? Between the never-Trumpers and the progressives angry that Biden hasn't done enough, there could be a significant number of people only voting down ballot or not voting at all.
#1 interesting question! I say Trump because his worldview doesn’t stand up to broad, objective observation. If the Biden team is on the ball and if it’s allowed, they’ll show up alone to the debate sites and talk to an empty chair
One thing I am curious about: Is it ever awkward or has it ever been awkward when you have to write a critical piece about someone you may have a professional or personal relationship with?
Will Donald Trump be liable for income tax on the legal fees that his PACs have paid on his behalf? All of the cases are the result of his personal behavior and not as a candidate or officeholder.
For those of us a LITTLE tired of the constant Trump-Biden-DeSantis-Haley-Stefanik-Newsom-etc shtick from ALL news sources (important as those people are), would you have the time and motivation to analyze interesting political stories from under the radar in the thousands of state and local jurisdictions…via a once-only or occasional or regular column?
Chris, I'm curious, does a red line exist for Trump? Do you think there is *anything* Trump could say or do that would turn the majority of his supporters away from him? Anything that even for Trump would be going too far? What if, for argument's sake, he came out consistently in speech after speech at his rallies *explicitly* praising Hitler, the Nazis, and anti-Semitism? Or what if he started *explicitly* calling for violence and assassinations of political enemies, etc.? To be clear, I don't think Trump *would* do either of these things, but just for argument's sake. Does there exist an "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?" breaking point for Trump's supporters?
Chris, I saw the recent Quinnipiac poll suggesting Biden has a 6-point lead on Trump in the general election. Setting aside whether polling this early is meaningful, isn't the polling done in swing states the only stuff that really matters? National polls are interesting, but in terms of predictive results for the general election, isn't relying on those what made 2016 such a "shock"?
A Trump-Biden rematch is one that most Americans don’t want and pits two flawed candidates against one another. What was the last presidential election that you think had the opposite dynamic which is to say it had two strong candidates running against one another? It seems like it has been a while. Thanks!
I saw a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll this morning that indicates just how out of touch with Trump's indictments most Republicans (again who responded to the poll) really are. What can those who are aware of the indictments do to make sure all Americans, and especially all voters, understand how these indictments need to play a role in who we elect as President in November?
I'd love to hear your take on Casey Newton's decision to leave Substack over it's policies (or lack thereof) about extremist content, specifically Naziism and fascism (yes, it's 2024 and somehow that's still a thing). I think he had a very nuanced take on his Hard Fork podcast and explanation on Platformer, and I'm wondering if some of the other Substacks I follow are considering the same thing. No judgement here - I'd just like to see your perspective.
Hi Chris, I’m thinking about ditching Twitter but I’m concerned the people I follow (like yourself) will not be other places. Besides Twitter, where else can we find you on social media? (Sorry if this has been covered before and I missed it).
I am not asking whom you voted for, but are you a regular voter , including primaries and “0ff year “ elections.? If yes, how close to Election Day do you usually decide on your choices. If not, can you explain why. Thanks
My information horizon is so controlled by what social media, google, and others that I wonder if I have any hope of getting accurate information. How do you know that some bot is not controlling the news being presented to you? Any tips on getting a unbiased view of the world?
Please enlighten us about the political impact of Trump's insistence that he is more popular and has more committed fans than Taylor Swift. Coincidentally (?) his fanboys on social media and Trump media acoloytes accuse Biden who they constantly label cognitively-challenged of running a psyop manipulating Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to fake a romance to manipulate her 274 million Instagram followers and the NFL's football teams to rig their games and brainwash their 50 million+ TV followers to vote for Biden. Will any of this weirdness break through to NFL and Swift fans and influence their voting behaviors? Will it cause the scales to fall from the eyes of any Trump or Trump-leaning voters?
I agree. I couldn't even name one of her songs (I'm way out of her demographic) but I'm watching in amazement as the MAGAs are totally losing it over her.
Same here. I know who she is. In reading about her, I know she is a very talented performer and song-writer, as well as being very savvy in the business side of the music industry.
While I was reading about this whole psyop thing, it struck me as being so far off-the-wall that a character loosely based on her would be a great villainess in the next James Bond movie (if they ever get around to making a new one). The squeaky-clean world-famous pop-star with a global business empire who's also an evil mastermind that wants global domination!!!
Chris, do you think that the House Republicans who are trying to kill the Border Bill (plus Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan), including the new Speaker, will ever pay a price even for their actions? Does hypocrisy, unpatriotic behavior, and stupidity have any downside, or is it just another day in the Capital?
Just another day. But IF they succeed and Trump wins (finger in throat), senate Democrats homely will be just as uncooperative in 2025
Hopefully
#1 - It looks like a 2024 debate between Trump and Biden is unlikely. Does it matter anymore and who benefits the most from not debating?
#2 - How big an impact do you think people choosing not to vote for president will be this year? Between the never-Trumpers and the progressives angry that Biden hasn't done enough, there could be a significant number of people only voting down ballot or not voting at all.
#1 interesting question! I say Trump because his worldview doesn’t stand up to broad, objective observation. If the Biden team is on the ball and if it’s allowed, they’ll show up alone to the debate sites and talk to an empty chair
Love being a paid subscriber!
One thing I am curious about: Is it ever awkward or has it ever been awkward when you have to write a critical piece about someone you may have a professional or personal relationship with?
Will Donald Trump be liable for income tax on the legal fees that his PACs have paid on his behalf? All of the cases are the result of his personal behavior and not as a candidate or officeholder.
For those of us a LITTLE tired of the constant Trump-Biden-DeSantis-Haley-Stefanik-Newsom-etc shtick from ALL news sources (important as those people are), would you have the time and motivation to analyze interesting political stories from under the radar in the thousands of state and local jurisdictions…via a once-only or occasional or regular column?
Chris, do you think Eagle Pass could turn into a violent confrontation between the Texas Army and the Frds?
Chris, I'm curious, does a red line exist for Trump? Do you think there is *anything* Trump could say or do that would turn the majority of his supporters away from him? Anything that even for Trump would be going too far? What if, for argument's sake, he came out consistently in speech after speech at his rallies *explicitly* praising Hitler, the Nazis, and anti-Semitism? Or what if he started *explicitly* calling for violence and assassinations of political enemies, etc.? To be clear, I don't think Trump *would* do either of these things, but just for argument's sake. Does there exist an "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?" breaking point for Trump's supporters?
Chris, I saw the recent Quinnipiac poll suggesting Biden has a 6-point lead on Trump in the general election. Setting aside whether polling this early is meaningful, isn't the polling done in swing states the only stuff that really matters? National polls are interesting, but in terms of predictive results for the general election, isn't relying on those what made 2016 such a "shock"?
Hi Chris,
A Trump-Biden rematch is one that most Americans don’t want and pits two flawed candidates against one another. What was the last presidential election that you think had the opposite dynamic which is to say it had two strong candidates running against one another? It seems like it has been a while. Thanks!
I saw a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll this morning that indicates just how out of touch with Trump's indictments most Republicans (again who responded to the poll) really are. What can those who are aware of the indictments do to make sure all Americans, and especially all voters, understand how these indictments need to play a role in who we elect as President in November?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/yahoo-newsyougov-poll-most-voters-say-convicting-trump-of-a-serious-crime-would-be-a-fair-outcome-100022394.html (link to the article mentioned above).
I'd love to hear your take on Casey Newton's decision to leave Substack over it's policies (or lack thereof) about extremist content, specifically Naziism and fascism (yes, it's 2024 and somehow that's still a thing). I think he had a very nuanced take on his Hard Fork podcast and explanation on Platformer, and I'm wondering if some of the other Substacks I follow are considering the same thing. No judgement here - I'd just like to see your perspective.
https://www.platformer.news/why-platformer-is-leaving-substack/
Hi Chris, I’m thinking about ditching Twitter but I’m concerned the people I follow (like yourself) will not be other places. Besides Twitter, where else can we find you on social media? (Sorry if this has been covered before and I missed it).
I am not asking whom you voted for, but are you a regular voter , including primaries and “0ff year “ elections.? If yes, how close to Election Day do you usually decide on your choices. If not, can you explain why. Thanks
What do you make of the Republican/right wing freakout over Taylor Swift?
My information horizon is so controlled by what social media, google, and others that I wonder if I have any hope of getting accurate information. How do you know that some bot is not controlling the news being presented to you? Any tips on getting a unbiased view of the world?