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11 Nov, 4 tweets, 1 min read
I’m getting tweets about Susan Rice from the same people who were certain that Elizabeth Warren should be nominated for president because she would totally give Trump a raft of shit during the debates and that Joe Biden wasn’t tough enough to win. /1
Even if I agreed that Susan Rice was a great pick for anything, and I’m not sure I really agree with that, this is a time to move forward, bring in new people, not lightning-rod revenge picks. What might be emotionally satisfying to you is not the best choice for the country. /2
But in the end, these are Biden‘s decisions to make. I am allowed to disagree with all of you about who would be the best choices. Calling me a sexist or implying I’m a racist isn’t really an argument; it’s just the usual performative twitter emoting. /3
What strikes me more than anything about whether she is a good pick for anything or not is the degree to which media are trying to make her happen. Which implies that no one has learned anything yet about this election. /4x

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Tom Nichols Profile picture
8 Nov
Progressives, I know you're working through the stages of grief. But I'm happy that Biden won. I wish you'd stopped the "defund the police" and "pack the courts" stuff that spooked a lot of voters into ticket-splitting, but whatever, there's still time to improve in 2022. /1
I'm not a member of the Democratic caucus and never will be, so you don't need to argue here with me all day. Look at the data from 2020, think unemotionally - it can be done - and think about helping Joe fix the joint for the next few years. That's what we should all do. /2
Biden managed to put together a large coalition. If it fractures in 2022, or sooner, the GOP will be waiting for you to make this mistake. Don't fall for it. But at least consolidate the anti-Trump win. Shouldn't be that hard./3
Read 4 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
8 Nov
The most centrist possible candidate was the only guy who could beat Trump; meanwhile, progressives get beat as Dems fail to exploit Biden's coattails; millions of people engaged in anti-Trump, pro-GOP ticket splitting.

And this is the conclusion AOC draws.
*golf clap*
/1
Let's leave aside the fact that Joe Biden, not AOC, is now the head of the Democratic Party. It tells you something that she couldn't even wait for the election to be called, much less for Biden to be sworn in, before opening fire on other Democrats. That's politically stupid. /2
But you can see why Spanberger and Lamb - who did not win a seat in a tiny-turnout primary in a totally safe D district - would be pissed. AOC is signaling that if there have to be Dem losses, so be it. Because one of them will not have to be her. /3
Read 6 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
3 Nov
So, this is a thread not about polling, but about experts, and being wrong. I have no idea if this guy is right, but I've seen this kind of expert stance before, and this is why "expertise" is more than a parlor game of prediction. /1
Guessing and betting on outcomes is not the same thing as getting something right for the right reason. If you're playing blackjack, and you hit a 15 against a 5, and you pull a 6, you still stink at gambling even if you get away with it. Even more than once. (I've seen it.) /2
And if you don't reveal methods while predicting stuff, no one knows if you're good or just lucky. There's a political scientist at Stanford (I mention him in the book) who claims to have a top world events prediction algorithm - but only sells it to his clients. 🤷‍♀️ /3
Read 10 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
31 Oct
If the 1-in-10 shot happens on Tuesday and Trump legitimately wins - and it is possible - taking to the streets that day will be dumb. Save that for when all court challenges and the second impeachment fails, and Trump is making his real run at the Constitution. I'll join you. /1
I say this because if he wins, it will be because - again - not enough people took seriously the threat of authoritarianism. And protesting in 2016 was part of how people got conditioned to ignore that threat. When everything is a protest, the public gets worn out. /2
The math says it is unlikely. But if it happens, we will all need more courage and more perseverance - and an army of dedicated lawyers and legislators - more than we've needed them at any time in our modern history. THAT will be a test of courage. But hold a good thought. /3
Read 6 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
30 Oct
I wrote the two pieces that appeared today at different times. (Placement was up to the editors, and unlike Glenn Greenwald, I like my editors and I count on them to protect me from myself.) So I'm sorry to impose. /1
This is my closing argument for Joe Biden. I have a written a lot of things about a lot of subjects for @USATODAY - Indian food! - but thanks @JillDLawrence for insisting my election stuff stay sane (or as sane as anyone with my TDS can be in 2020):

usatoday.com/story/opinion/…

/2
And this is my look back at being #NeverTrump: How it started, what it means, where we're going after whatever happens on Tuesday. Thanks @whitdangerfield for keeping me on track, although I still think I should have used that word we didn't use :D

theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

/3
Read 4 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
28 Oct
I have had this convo with Trump supporters a hundred times over the past 4 years, and it always ends with confused cognitive dissonance, or just anger.
Makes them even more confused when I say I'm a conservative, but I just them to be *consistent* in what they say they want. /1
They'll say: "You used to agree with me," or "But you want what I want!" And I say: Sometimes. But I've changed my mind on the ACA: people depend on it and it's here to stay - just like Medicaid. It helps people like *you* and your family, right?
/2
Eventually, they'll concede that they are mostly getting what they want, and they mostly just want other people not to have what they have, and then they say: "Yeah, you make some good points, but... things have to change. You just don't get it."
And I say: Okay, explain it. /3
Read 7 tweets

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