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What in the world does center-left even mean?

Sometimes there is no middle. Are we only gonna allow gay marriages on Wednesdays?

Does "center-left pundit" mean anything now besides "traditionally raised" clout seeker? Someone described Ezra Klein as that. It's now my go-to for anyone who is more centrist that Bobo, Douthat, or Friedman, but basically useless. A dark line separates these folks and pundits worth our time.

I wonder, after today's NO KINGS protest, if you could write about how many on the right think the idea of Trump being king is a great idea, and maybe how right-wing pundits seek to delegitimize the passion of the protests because of how many older Americans participated. The left isn't the problem.

it’s the messenger having values and giving a damn.

Excellent piece!

Having worked for an accomplished left-wing politician, I appreciate and endorse the ideas of this piece. Leahy would tack center on tactics and timeline, never on values. You can make those known while still acknowledging not everyone agrees with you yet.

Exactly. I could name some names... 🤣

I would take their advice if they were frequently correct in their strategic counsel and their predictive insight. But basically, as Philip Bump observes, they're not. They're often wrong in both the particulars and the generalities and never held accountable for it.

That guy right there

100%

But you literally just said “last actual success the party had nationally was due to an individual and message not machine candidate.”

Thank you. People are fed up. They want our politicians to stand up and stand for something. And guess what? Positions taken by “the left” are actually both popular and good policy.

When did Trump "start" attacking our democracy? From my perspective the coup never ended. One of the problems with efforts to support democracy is that you have work within the confines of the institutions of democracy. I think the bigger problem is the media environment that fails to inform and

Who do you think the base is? Who are the most reliable voters in the party?

After the 2024 election, I saw what you're talking about now clearly than I ever did. It was never so clear they weren't exactly "with us", and it took the rest of the first year for them to begin to listen.

I'm 65. WHAT ACTUALLY MAKING SHIT WORK MATTERED? instead of programs defined by contorted & convoluted, exceptions & exemptions, gotchas & getchas?? Just cuz public sector senior managers aren't pillaging para$ite$ like private sector, that does NOT mean decades of fucking excuses are excusable.

I don't think it's out of touch to support the rule of law, our Constitution, and efforts to make it very clear how Trump and the Republican Party worked to subvert our democratic institutions. Though they could have done more to focus on the Republican Party.