How the SCOTUS confirmation process plays out in Congress and in the campaign is TBD. Based on some recent polling, I have some thoughts on how we can make Republicans pay a political price for rigging the court. messagebox.substack.com/p/a-supreme-co…
1. Make it about the issues, not GOP hypocrisy or process fouls. The best message about the GOP rushing to confirmation to get a Justice that will help them overturn the ACA in the middle of a pandemic. messagebox.substack.com/p/a-supreme-co…
2. Keep the Fight Big. The person Trump nominates is beside the point. We know that person will overturn Roe V. Wade, the ACA, and a new Voting Rights bill. Keep the focus on the policy implications not the specifics of the nominee. messagebox.substack.com/p/a-supreme-co…
3. Remind people that Trump and the Republicans are rushing this nomination out of weakness, not strength. The believe Trump is losing and they know their agenda is too unpopular to enact through the democratic process. messagebox.substack.com/p/a-supreme-co…
4. Talk about court expansion (NOT PACKING!)in terms of restoring balance to the courts, not retribution for McConnell's misdeeds. If Trump succeeds, 5 of 9 justices will have been appointed by Presidents that ascended to office despite getting fewer votes messagebox.substack.com/p/a-supreme-co…
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Today, the @KamalaHarris campaign challenged Trump to another debate on CNN in late October. This is the right strategic move, and it shows that the Harris-Walz campaign is being appropriately aggressive in trying to close out the race. Here's why: messageboxnews.com/p/why-kamala-h…
1. Harris won the first debate handily. Her favorability rating improved, but the horserace moved only a couple of points. There is more work to do, and another high-profile encounter that will break through the noise is smart. messageboxnews.com/p/why-kamala-h…
2. Even though the first 2 Qs were about the economy, the focus of the debate was on abortion, immigration, and Trump acting like a declining dunderhead. The economy is the most important issue to the voters and seeking another clash on the econ is wise messageboxnews.com/p/why-kamala-h…
Trump regularly appears on podcasts, YouTube shows, and with TikTok influencers as part of his campaign to target young men. Even though these appearances get millions of views, the press largely ignores them.
The most recent New York Times/Siena poll of the battleground states shows that women under 30 support Kamala Harris by a margin of 39 points while men of the same age support Trump by 13 points.
When Biden dropped out and Harris took over, support among young women went up 10 points, but support among young men dropped by 2. There is work to do here. messageboxnews.com/p/how-and-why-…
On very little sleep and with a pit in my stomach, I wrote up my thoughts on last night's debate, Biden's performance, and what it might all mean in the coming days and weeks. messageboxnews.com/p/thoughts-on-…
There is no point in sugarcoating it. If you believe the polls, Trump is on a trajectory to win. President Biden missed his biggest and best opportunity to change that dynamic by assuaging voters' concerns about his age. messageboxnews.com/p/thoughts-on-…
Trump was not good. He was incoherent. He defended unpopular policies. He lied incessantly and refused to answer basic questions. Trump’s antics and rhetoric were a huge turn-off for persuadable voters. This debate should have been an easy win messageboxnews.com/p/thoughts-on-…
1. Last night, I wrote about HOW Dems (not named Joe Biden) should talk about Trump's conviction. I didn't realize there was a debate about IF Dems should talk about it. That's nuts. Here's why Dems should aggressively frame the verdict: messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-sho…
2. Just ask yourself, how would Republicans handle it if Joe Biden were convicted of a misdemeanor? Would they turn the other cheek and tell people to respect the verdict before pivoting to inflation or another issue? messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-sho…
3. The media will move on in a matter of days. Other news will intrude. In a world where the traditional press has a fraction of its previous reach—is that if you want people to know something, you have to tell them and then tell them again and again. messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-sho…
Alito flying a flag to support the insurrection while making decisions about the election is why so many Americans have lost trust in the court. It's also an opportunity to reunite the anti-MAGA coalition. Here's why Dems should run against the Court messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-sho…
In 2016, focusing on the vacant Supreme Court seat helped convince just enough Republicans who didn't like Trump to vote for him. The same could be true in 2024 a.s Biden tries to rebuild the coalition that helped him win messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-sho…
Biden's path to victory is pretty clear. Win over the folks in the @nytimes poll who are voting for a Democratic Senate candidate and Trump or a 3rd party candidate for President. Raising the stakes and making the race about something bigger can do that. messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-sho…
1. It was bizarrely something I wrote that led Joe Kahn, the editor of the NYT, to anger many people with his defense of the NYT's coverage of Trump. He misunderstood and mischaracterized what I (and many other critics) think. Here's my actual take: messageboxnews.com/p/more-thought…
2. What annoyed me was the suggestion that I (and others) want the NYT to turn into the"Xinhua News Agency or Pravda and put out a stream of stuff that’s very, very favorable to them." No one is suggesting that. It's defensive and dismissive. messageboxnews.com/p/more-thought…
3. Kahn's take is useful. After Trump started attacking the press, supporting and subscribing to the targets of Trump’s derision became an act of “resistance.” In the us vs. them politics of the Trump era, we viewed the press as “us.” messageboxnews.com/p/more-thought…