"I believe we should support trans people on moral grounds. But even if you think that’s not worth the potential political cost (which I’m still not convinced exists) you have to admit Newsom’s current campaign to distance himself from the trans community is unlikely to work."
I think you really nailed it in the remainder of the paragraph, since no one cares about the timestamps. As someone who's much more moderate on this issue because I worry about the political costs (which, fair enough, are debatable), I am more than happy to see Newsom lose the nomination over this
Somewhere along the line a vocal minority of Democrats seem to have forgotten that human beings descend from chimpanzees. Few creatures that descend from chimpanzees are likely to see strength in politicians and activists who effectively celebrate shrinking the testicles of some biological males and/or removing their members.
This is the first I've heard of Slap Theory. I have said all during the 2024 campaign this is not a campaign this is a motherfucking war that Democrats damn well better not take lightly (Shortly after Biden passed the torch to Kamala I posted a rather long manifesto on Adam Kinzinger's Substack what the campaign should and shouldn't look like. I hoped Kinzinger would use his CNN platform and whatever connections in the Harris campaign but no avail). Again (and again) whoever decided to send Kamala out with strict instructions to be joyous and not piss anyone off is guilty of political malpractice. If the 2004 campaign was Slap Theory then 2016 was Slap Theory on steroids. Knowing that and they still sent Kamala out to be a joyous pom pom waving Barbie Doll who stood for nothing and fought for nothing is beyond political malpractice.
Let's be clear as to the "gender identity lobby" that is getting a lot of attention here on Substack and elsewhere. Sports, bathrooms, minors, prisons are fringe issues that Insane Clown and the Nazi Party have put front and center to obfuscate the main issue as laid out in Project 25, that being outright ban on transition. They counted on Democrats being too pussyshit to make Insane Clown take ownership of that. For that matter they allowed Insane Clown's outright denial of Project 25 in its entirety to stand. Democrats have to be clear that the right to transition for any adult must be protected. At the same time the fringe issues are debatable. Minors probably should require parental consent to transition as they do everything else. Federal funding of transition for prisoners should require a doctor to certify it as medically necessary just as any other medical procedure, and should be mindful that transition might be an attractive option for someone facing hard time in a men's prison vs. easy time in a women's prison. Sports and bathrooms are problematic and probably should be left to local governments to sort out. But clearly in any case a male transitioning to female who wants to hang onto his pee-pee is not really transitioning.
I think there's a little reverse engineering going on here. Gavin clearly sees an opportunity to be President, something he obviously wants, and has wanted since I was in high school and we were debating his 2004 mayoral gay-marriage-officiating in AP Government. Given that context, what is he supposed to do, *not* moderate his positions to more closely align with the electorate? It may not work, but not doing anything and letting his past statements remain his final word on these issues DEFINITELY won't work either. I know post-2016 Leftists refuse to admit this, but elections. are. won. in. the. center.
I don't think the median American voter hears capitulation to Trump at all; I think what they hear is capitulation to THE VOTERS, and what they feel is "finally."
In no way, shape, or form are elections 'won in the center.' Donald Trump is a hard-right politician. He beat Harris and Clinton, both staunch centrists. Personally, I think he would've won in 2020 if not for COVID. That's blatantly incorrect analysis.
Perhaps you misunderstood, or I failed to adequately communicate. Elections are won in the center *of the electorate*. Where the centrist, moderate, and independent voters (not the same things) overlap is where the electoral college is decided.
Also, FWIW, Trump is not a "hard right politician". He may be "alt" right, but many of his positions overlap with Kamala (baby bonuses, for one) Bernie (trade, including TPP opposition), and Hillary (border security). He's also pretty damn Left (as is historically understood) on war (anti-war, anti-intervensionism).
Apropos of nothing regarding Gavin Newsom, it annoys me to see people always pumping up the Left's "labor" bonafides while clearly never having done anything more than cosplay as a laborer. Most of the working class isn't employed at Ford or GM or Unionized Warehousing or Trades. Most of the working class isn't dreaming of unionizing against management and ownership; they're dreaming of BEING management or ownership, and *that's* why (as a class) they've turned rightward.
I think you're quite a talented writer, and I still count myself among the "independent Left"—even if you may not see me as such—but I do think that you have a consistent blindspot in understanding what motivates the median American voter, and what turns them off, either to apathy or to the other party.
This just also shows how full of shit Dems are and proves that they will weaponize identity politics to deflect criticism. Not a good look.
Republicans have mastered the art of identity politics
"I believe we should support trans people on moral grounds. But even if you think that’s not worth the potential political cost (which I’m still not convinced exists) you have to admit Newsom’s current campaign to distance himself from the trans community is unlikely to work."
I think you really nailed it in the remainder of the paragraph, since no one cares about the timestamps. As someone who's much more moderate on this issue because I worry about the political costs (which, fair enough, are debatable), I am more than happy to see Newsom lose the nomination over this
His treatment of homeless people along should cost him his entire political career.
Somewhere along the line a vocal minority of Democrats seem to have forgotten that human beings descend from chimpanzees. Few creatures that descend from chimpanzees are likely to see strength in politicians and activists who effectively celebrate shrinking the testicles of some biological males and/or removing their members.
California is funding the genocide. The Democrats are dead to me.
https://ca.cair.com/updates/every-year-610-million-in-california-taxpayer-dollars-goes-to-funding-israels-genocide-in-gaza/
And the Republicans are (proudly) doubling down on the genocide.
So? You really think the Democrats wouldn't have? 🤣 Fuck off🤡
https://substack.com/@delacoju/note/c-122820933?r=9xfzg&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
This is the first I've heard of Slap Theory. I have said all during the 2024 campaign this is not a campaign this is a motherfucking war that Democrats damn well better not take lightly (Shortly after Biden passed the torch to Kamala I posted a rather long manifesto on Adam Kinzinger's Substack what the campaign should and shouldn't look like. I hoped Kinzinger would use his CNN platform and whatever connections in the Harris campaign but no avail). Again (and again) whoever decided to send Kamala out with strict instructions to be joyous and not piss anyone off is guilty of political malpractice. If the 2004 campaign was Slap Theory then 2016 was Slap Theory on steroids. Knowing that and they still sent Kamala out to be a joyous pom pom waving Barbie Doll who stood for nothing and fought for nothing is beyond political malpractice.
Let's be clear as to the "gender identity lobby" that is getting a lot of attention here on Substack and elsewhere. Sports, bathrooms, minors, prisons are fringe issues that Insane Clown and the Nazi Party have put front and center to obfuscate the main issue as laid out in Project 25, that being outright ban on transition. They counted on Democrats being too pussyshit to make Insane Clown take ownership of that. For that matter they allowed Insane Clown's outright denial of Project 25 in its entirety to stand. Democrats have to be clear that the right to transition for any adult must be protected. At the same time the fringe issues are debatable. Minors probably should require parental consent to transition as they do everything else. Federal funding of transition for prisoners should require a doctor to certify it as medically necessary just as any other medical procedure, and should be mindful that transition might be an attractive option for someone facing hard time in a men's prison vs. easy time in a women's prison. Sports and bathrooms are problematic and probably should be left to local governments to sort out. But clearly in any case a male transitioning to female who wants to hang onto his pee-pee is not really transitioning.
I think there's a little reverse engineering going on here. Gavin clearly sees an opportunity to be President, something he obviously wants, and has wanted since I was in high school and we were debating his 2004 mayoral gay-marriage-officiating in AP Government. Given that context, what is he supposed to do, *not* moderate his positions to more closely align with the electorate? It may not work, but not doing anything and letting his past statements remain his final word on these issues DEFINITELY won't work either. I know post-2016 Leftists refuse to admit this, but elections. are. won. in. the. center.
I don't think the median American voter hears capitulation to Trump at all; I think what they hear is capitulation to THE VOTERS, and what they feel is "finally."
In no way, shape, or form are elections 'won in the center.' Donald Trump is a hard-right politician. He beat Harris and Clinton, both staunch centrists. Personally, I think he would've won in 2020 if not for COVID. That's blatantly incorrect analysis.
Perhaps you misunderstood, or I failed to adequately communicate. Elections are won in the center *of the electorate*. Where the centrist, moderate, and independent voters (not the same things) overlap is where the electoral college is decided.
Also, FWIW, Trump is not a "hard right politician". He may be "alt" right, but many of his positions overlap with Kamala (baby bonuses, for one) Bernie (trade, including TPP opposition), and Hillary (border security). He's also pretty damn Left (as is historically understood) on war (anti-war, anti-intervensionism).
Apropos of nothing regarding Gavin Newsom, it annoys me to see people always pumping up the Left's "labor" bonafides while clearly never having done anything more than cosplay as a laborer. Most of the working class isn't employed at Ford or GM or Unionized Warehousing or Trades. Most of the working class isn't dreaming of unionizing against management and ownership; they're dreaming of BEING management or ownership, and *that's* why (as a class) they've turned rightward.
I think you're quite a talented writer, and I still count myself among the "independent Left"—even if you may not see me as such—but I do think that you have a consistent blindspot in understanding what motivates the median American voter, and what turns them off, either to apathy or to the other party.