Y’all the Republican party has been a freefall for a while. But this week? I really believe that this week will be looked back on as the tipping point — the point at which it officially went off the rails in a way that is unrecoverable. Why do I say that?
For these reasons (moving from the least impactful to the most impactful):
First, this week brought more evidence that the Roe V Wade issue is just getting worse for the Republicans
Republicans' self-inflicted IVF pain gets even worse
Republicans, federal and state, are facing attacks from their onetime allies for being insufficiently pro-frozen-embryo following Alabama’s state Supreme Court declaration that said embryos are people. After Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey then signed a law to protect IVF patients and providers, one anti-abortion group referred to the law as a “license to kill” for doctors, saying that it would result in “thousands of dead human beings.” Anti-abortion groups are even running attack ads against Alabama state lawmakers who quickly passed the legislation.
Meanwhile, public opinion is overwhelmingly on the side of legal protections for IVF
Republicans are in such a mess over this issue that the famously anti-regulation Heritage Foundation—which is dedicated to fighting “stifling government regulation of every aspect of our lives”—is now advising GOP lawmakers to solve the problem with . . . regulations. They are pushing for new laws to “establish clear legal framework for the industry that … limits the destruction of unborn human life.” (Also known as frozen embryos.)
While the GOP twists itself up in knots, Democrats are stepping in to maximize their pain, and that starts at the top.
Second, they can’t control their own members → Matt Gaetz campaigns against fellow House Republican, despite leadership pleas not to
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) campaigned with a primary challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) on Thursday, disregarding calls from party leadership for GOP unity.
He did so despite leadership pleas to avoid messy infighting.
Gaetz has long been a thorn in leadership’s side, leading the efforts to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Third, they keep having Reps leaving BEFORE THEIR TERMS END. Like just a few days ago, Rep Ken Buck (R) who stepped down and said “This place just keeps going downhill and I don’t need to spend my time here. We’ve taken impeachment and we’ve made it a social media issue as opposed to a constitutional concept.” when asked why he didn’t talk to Speaker Johnson before making his announcement he said “Mike Johnson’s ability to talk me into staying here is going to be about as successful as his ability to to talk me into unconstitutional impeachments.”
Fourth, those guys hate one another so much that THE MAJORITY of them didn’t even go to their retreat. That is completely nuts and unprecedented. A majority of House Republicans retreat from their retreat
Even before House Republicans embarked to West Virginia for their yearly gathering Wednesday, they retreated.
A lack of participation — not even half of the 219-member conference attended — contributed to the canceling of a second day of panels meant for lawmakers to discuss policy and how to expand their majority
more on that
One GOP member argued that moving their conference discussions from the Capitol to a resort with alcohol could exacerbate infighting between members.
- "I'd rather sit down with Hannibal Lecter and eat my own liver," the source said.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Fifth, the are facing the collapse of the GOP’s case against Joe Biden
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The economy is remarkably strong, not weak
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Inflation has come way down, not soaring
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Violent crime and murder rates are down across the US, not raging
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Domestic oil and renewable production is setting records, and US is more energy independent than in decades - there is no “war on energy” causing rising gas prices and loss of independence
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Democrats are for order at the border, they are for Trumpian chaos
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The “Biden crime family” narrative was a fake Russian info op, once again laundered by Republican useful idiots
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And now we see in the State of The Union Biden strong, smart and vigorous; and it turns out, of course, that Republican Special Counsel lied about Biden’s memory challenges
But the biggest reason that this week, in particular, may be the tipping point is something that was barely covered by most in the media — Trump took over the RNC.
My friends, that is a really big deal. Trump is an anvil on the party — pulling them down. We have seen that again and again. He has no coattails and cares about no election other than his own. With Trump, they lose. And now their MAIN organization, which is supposed to elect every last one of them, is ONLY going to focus on the biggest loser — the former guy himself. Everything Trump touches dies. God speed RNC. We won’t miss you.
Look what he is already doing
Trump Aides, Taking Over R.N.C., Order Mass Layoffs
Days after allies took over the Republican National Committee, Donald J. Trump’s advisers are imposing mass layoffs on the party, with more than 60 officials, including senior staff members, laid off or asked to resign and then reapply for their jobs, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The swift changes amount to a gutting of the party apparatus eight months before the November election, with one person familiar with the operations estimating that the R.N.C. had only about 200 people on payroll at the end of February, and about 120 at its headquarters near Capitol Hill. The heads of the communications, data and political departments were among those let go.
that doesn’t seem smart so close to an election? and where are they moving towards?
One person with direct knowledge of the changes said the party’s full finance and digital teams were now planned to be moved to Palm Beach, Fla., where the Trump campaign is based. Another person described the party and Trump operations as being functionally fused into one.
wonder what their priorities will be?
Some Republicans worry that the former president will use committee money to pay his legal bills. Ms. Trump has previously said she would be open to the idea, saying that the move would be popular among Republican voters and “a big interest to people.”
Where will the money go?
If there were any questions about whose interest the new RNC leaders will serve, Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law and an RNC co-chair along with North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley, put them to rest.
“Every single penny will go to the No. 1 and the only job of the RNC — that is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country,” she told Newsmax in February. This prospect may not be music to the ears of congressional, state and local Republicans.
and where won’t it go? ‘Make the RNC White Again’: GOP Ends Minority Outreach Program
After years of accusations of financial mismanagement, the Republican National Committee is overhauling its 2024 election operations—a full-on MAGA makeover that the RNC claims will curb excessive spending and steer as much money as possible to supporting Donald Trump’s campaign.
But it appears that one of those strategic spending moves may have a profound effect on a successful minority outreach program, which two people with knowledge of the plans characterized as self-defeating, potentially erasing gains with groups of gettable new voters who have cooled on the Democratic Party.
As one of the sources put it to The Daily Beast, the tagline might as well be “Make the RNC White Again.”
The program at issue is an initiative from the 2022 midterms where RNC field staff engaged voters through gatherings and events held at community centers in areas with heavy minority populations, most specifically Latino communities.
In January, The Messenger reported that the RNC had already shuttered most of the nearly two dozen Hispanic Community Centers that served as the base for the program, leaving just five open.
two people with knowledge of the plans told The Daily Beast that the RNC has decided to scrap that effort. Instead, the people said, the community center program now appears to be another casualty of the RNC’s recent restructuring—a bloodbath that has already claimed several dozen jobs, including senior leadership posts, along with the apparent decimation of field operations and other strategic realignments that could come at the cost of Republican candidates across the country not fortunate enough to be named Trump.
Instead of going after minority voters, the RNC apparently plans to remake itself even more in Trump’s image.
What is it also getting rid of?
oh just the GOP's mail-in voter effort
In a victory for the extremist wing of the Republican Party, it looks like Donald Trump’s hand-picked leadership team at the Republican National Committee has officially scrapped the GOP’s plan to encourage early voting this election cycle.
As part of the layoffs and budget cuts carried out this week by the newly installed leadership team, they are shuttering a program dedicated to mail-in voting, according to The Washington Post.
Nonetheless, the Post reported that the “Bank Your Vote” program, which was designed to encourage Republicans to vote early is gone.
and history tells us that the GOP Should Be Very Worried About Trump’s RNC Purge
A capricious, self-centered GOP president decides he wants to dump the national party chair and install an even more reliable loyalist.
It sounds a lot like former President Donald J. Trump’s ouster of Ronna McDaniel as chair of the Republican National Committee. But it’s also a rough approximation of President Richard Nixon’s RNC housecleaning more than a half-century ago.
But both Trump and Nixon were motivated by the same desire — to remove anything resembling a guardrail and establish absolute and total dominion over the GOP infrastructure and its purse strings.
In Nixon’s case, it was a purge that ended up with disastrous consequences for the Republican Party — so ruinous and far-reaching that they’re worth remembering today.
Republican fortunes declined immediately after Bliss’ departure. In the 1970 congressional elections, Democrats held the Senate and gained 12 seats in the House.
Trump is out for only Trump. Everything he touches dies. The RNC has been on life support. This week the death watch started.
Of course, we will still need to work really hard to win! What can you do? How about
Your donation will come bundled with others from our Good News community and will show the Biden team that there are many of us who support him and combine hard work with optimism in our battles for a better America!
Reasons to Be Hopeful About November
The data say we are winning - even though the media say we are not.
1. The data is clear — we are winning.
There is no evidence — outside of polling — that Trump is doing dramatically better with low propensity voters which is why he is supposedly winning and Biden is supposedly losing. We’ve had multiple elections since 2020 and Dems have improved our numbers with HIspanic voters and working class non white voters. We won in 2022 (in Arizona) because we outperformed with the Hispanic vote. We won in NY 3 in 2024 because we outperformed with the Asian American (AAPI) vote.
And there is evidence — from exit polls of actual voters in the primaries — that Biden is going to get a significant share of disaffected 2020 Trump voters (who voted for Haley). Remember, these are polls of actual voters. There is no better model for the voting day electorate.
2. The assertion that the 2022, 2023 and 2024 elections are not predictive for what will happen in November but the polls are predictive is statistically stupid
The experts in the media dismiss the salience of Democrats winning almost every election since 2020 for what will happen in the general, they say, the general election will be different because shy Trump voters will somehow emerge. This is just stupid and wrong.
Special elections are, particularly in large states, a sample of the likely electorate in the general. Yes, more committed voters — like college educated suburban voters — tend to turn out more in off year elections but the Hispanic voters and working class non white voters also turn up and vote. In fact, Dem performance with those voters is why we won in VA in 2023 (not because of white college voters from NOVA). It is incredibly dumb to hand wave over these results and ignore this data if you are trying to predict outcomes in November.
3. Polling is broken and getting worse (and sloppier)
People don’t answer their phones, emails, texts or their doors anymore. It is very hard and expensive to reach and accurately model voters because you have to make a lot of contacts to get the necessary number of respondents. As a result, polling is getting less accurate and less robust. This is why the red wave was missed. The battleground, state polls, were inaccurate. The polls have been off by 4 to 8 points in the recent off year elections. Suozzi won by four more points than he was supposed to — according to the polling average. Trump’s actual vote total has underperformed the final polling average in almost every primary state by 6 to 20 points.
In addition, polling is getting sloppier and much less rigorous. Back when I was more involved with the stuff, we were not allowed to analyze cross tabs with a low number of respondents because the margin of error in doing this is so high. Now, Nate Cohn and others are writing headlines for voter segments predicating national outcomes for voting groups based on the answers of a few hundred respondents (just 205 non white no college age votes in the poll that has driven so much coverage). It is mind blowing to me that the pollster, Siena College, is allowing this to happen.
5. Trump winning is predicated on him still being an “outsider” to voters when he is, in actuality, a former President.
The theory that Trump can win is predicated on the idea that he is suddenly — even more than in 2016 and 2020 — a beacon for disaffected voters mad at the whole system. It is not a logical argument. Trump is well known to voters and is a former, infamous President. He is not new or interesting to anyone outside of his core base. He is an incumbent. His turnout — with his base — will be strong again. But, it’s not clear how or why he will suddenly attract new or previous Biden voters to exceed his 2020 numbers (which he needs to do). There is no evidence of this new electorate which is why the experts who want to sell this narrative are quick to jump on small poll crosstabs with high margin of error that support this point. And, again, in contrast there is evidence that Trump’s base is eroding not expanding.
This endorsement from the largest political groups representing AAPI, Black, and Latino communities
Democrats should recognize their very real advantages
First, Biden has self-awareness. He knows he is old and can joke about it. He and his team understand just how underestimated he is, making it easy to defy expectations. His opening ad was a tour de force in self-deprecation. A little self-awareness and a sense of humor go a long way, as evidenced by the edgier Biden media operation (e.g. Dark Brandon, the “presidential advice” video).
Second, Biden has concrete advantages in resources. He landed a mammoth fundraising haul after the State of the Union, and none of his reserves need to be diverted toward astronomical legal bills. He has cohesive and functioning state parties, unlike Trump, and an impressive state-by-state operation to turn out the vote and marshal volunteers, something Trump also lacks so far. Biden hit the airwaves with a $30 million ad buy and has already staffed personnel in key states. Biden’s ability to travel anywhere as frequently as he wants (and hence run a more, not less, vigorous campaign than Trump) and tout popular projects will also bolster him as the election draws near.
Biden also benefits from the enormously effective surrogates such as Jill Biden and the more combative, confident Vice President Harris, who connects with key parts of the Democrats’ base. That’s not to mention polished members of the administration and other elected Democrats (from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to California Gov. Gavin Newsom). Some even go on Fox News (!) to reach members of Trump’s audience, giving them news they would never hear.
Third, there is something to be said for optimism and good cheer. Trump paints America as a hellscape; his view of a racial invasion and rampant crime (that is statistically nonexistent) is meant to keep his followers in a state of frenzy and despair. But the exhausting drama and aura of foreboding that hangs over Trump might not wear well. It surely didn’t while he was president and campaigning in 2020. Pundits sometimes portray Biden as offering “normalcy.” While it is not exactly “hope and change,” he does convey unalloyed faith in America and the promise of progress that Americans historically embrace.
Trump can’t break 80% of the primary vote even with NO ONE ELSE ON THE TICKET
Of course, we will still need to work really hard to win! What can you do? How about
Your donation will come bundled with others from our Good News community and will show the Biden team that there are many of us who support him and combine hard work with optimism in our battles for a better America!
Other Good News
Many coral reefs are dying. This one is exploding with life.
Scientists recently observed a rare phenomenon on a reef in Cambodia that left them in awe — and filled them with hope.
The reefs in Cambodia and in the broader East Asian region, however, appear to be bucking this trend. Surveys indicate that they haven’t declined in recent decades, perhaps because they’re more resilient to warming. Their secret to survival may ultimately help safeguard ailing reefs elsewhere.
“If these corals are indeed unusually tolerant in whatever manner, the fact that they are actively producing larvae provides the direct possibility for those larvae to disperse to adjacent reef areas,” said Margaret Miller, one of the top coral experts in the US and research director at the conservation group Secore International. (She was not part of the team that observed the spawning.) In other words, all of that new spawn may help seed the ocean with more resilient corals.
“It feels really great to be part of this,” Glue said, of observing spawning with his team. “And hopeful — hopeful for the future of reefs in the Gulf of Thailand.”
First aid ship reaches Gaza amid new efforts to step up relief to besieged enclave
The first aid ship carrying much-needed food has reached the shoreline of central Gaza as part of new efforts to ease a humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
Workers have been unpacking the 200 tons of food aid on smaller boats off the shore of the Gaza City neighborhood of Sheikh Ajleen, according to a journalist on the scene who works for CNN.
The initiative is led by the non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK) and the ship is run the Spanish charity Open Arms.
North Carolina Court Strikes Down New Election Law That Would Strip Power From Democratic Governor
A unanimous panel of three North Carolina judges this morning sided with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), striking down a new Republican-sponsored “power grab” law that would have removed the governor’s authority to make appointments to the state board of elections and instead granted it to the GOP-controlled Legislature.
On The Lighter Side
What can you do to save democracy
Take action. Nothing makes you feel better than action.
Your donation will come bundled with others from our Good News community and will show the Biden team that there are many of us who support him and combine hard work with optimism in our battles for a better America!
You can also Educate other people about what Biden has done and we can win!
To help, I’ve been writing a Boosting Biden post every weekday of this year and plan to continue to the election. You can share these every day (or some days) with Facebook groups or other groups via email with friends on other social media… anywhere!
You can use these to educate other people about what Biden has done and we can win!
Here are the posts so far. Not too late to read and SHARE:
Dark Brandon Saved us From a Recession: Boosting Biden Day 1
Dark Brandon Destroyed Crime: Boosting Biden Day 2
Dark Brandon Reduced Inflation: Boosting Biden Day 3
Dark Brandon Put the First Black Woman on the Supreme Court: Boosting Biden Day 4
Dark Brandon Cleaned up the Great Lakes: Boosting Biden Day 5
Dark Brandon's Stimulus Saved the Economy: Boosting Biden Day 6
Dark Brandon Created Workforce Hubs to Retrain Workers for Modern Jobs: Boosting Biden Day 7
Dark Brandon Expanded ACA so 10 States have (almost) universal health care! Boosting Biden Day 8
Dark Brandon went after cheating 1%ers AND WON: Boosting Biden Day 9
Dark Brandon Protected People with Disabilities: Boosting Biden Day 10
Dark Brandon Pardoned Thousands Convicted of Marijuana Use: Boosting Biden Day 11
Dark Brandon Created Jobs: Boosting Biden Day 12
Dark Brandon protected our soldiers from sexual harassment and assault: Boosting Biden Day 13
Dark Brandon Cancelled Billions in Student Loans: Boosting Biden Day 14
Dark Brandon OWNED the republicans at the State of the Union: Boosting Biden Day 15
Dark Brandon Caused a Black Small Business Boom! Boosting Biden Day 16
Dark Brandon Protected Veterans Health Care with over nine different Bills: Boosting Biden Day 17
Dark Brandon Saved The State of Virginia! Boosting Biden Day 18
Dark Brandon is Destroying Methane Emissions: Boosting Biden Day 19
Dark Brandon protects victims of sexual harassment and assault: Boosting Biden Day 20
The Dark Brandon Economy Is Remarkably Strong. Stop the Malarky!!! Boosting Biden Day 21
Dark Brandon Is a Snarky MFer: Boosting Biden Day 22
Dark Brandon Is Old. Get Over It. Boosting Biden Day 23
Dark Brandon is halting the biggest fossil fuel expansion on earth: Boosting Biden Day 24
Dark Brandon has done more for unions than any president ever: Boosting Biden Day 25
Dark Brandon made heat pumps and solar panels a national security issue: Boosting Biden Day 26
Dark Brandon Stopped 500 Illegal Gun Purchases: Boosting Biden Day 27
Dark Brandon Saved the State of Pennsylvania! Boosting Biden Day 28
Dark Brandon Made Lynching a Federal Crime: Boosting Biden Day 29
Dark Brandon Caused a BOOM in Small Businesses! Boosting Biden Day 30
Dark Brandon is saving the planet by plugging old oil and gas wells: Boosting Biden Day 31
Dark Brandon Feeds Hungry Kids! Boosting Biden Day 32
Dark Brandon is going to make your kids smarter! Boosting Biden Day 33
Dark Brandon Can Create Chains With His Bare Hands!!! Boosting Biden Day 34
Dark Brandon Is Fostering More Resilient Foods Systems Across the World: Boosting Biden Day 35
Dark Brandon Is Slashing Bank Overdraft Fees! Boosting Biden Day 36
Dark Brandon Ushered In a New Era of Tribal Self-Determination! Boosting Biden Day 37
Eight Ways Dark Brandon Has Lowered Health Care Costs: Boosting Biden Day 38
Dark Brandon Is Helping States Reduce Gun Violence: Boosting Biden Day 39
Dark Brandon Is Boosting Electric Cars: Boosting Biden Day 40
Dark Brandon Is Saving Salmon: Boosting Biden Day 41
Dark Brandon Brought Diversity to the Judicial Branch: Boosting Biden Day 42
Dark Brandon is increasing access to birth control: Boosting Biden Day 43
Biden Is Giving Farmers Big Bucks to Go "Climate Smart": Boosting Biden Day 44
President Biden is moving microchip production home! Boosting Biden Day 45
President Biden made it much cheaper to buy hearing aids: Boosting Biden Day 46
President Biden Helped Small Meat Producers Fight Against Giants! Boosting Biden Day 47
President Biden is making light bulbs more efficient: Boosting Biden Day 48
President Biden is modernizing airports: Boosting Biden Day 49
President Biden Reduced Climate Emissions from Cars: Boosting Biden Day 50
President Biden's Secret Plan to Get Better Judges: Boosting Biden Day 51
President Biden made the largest investment ever in indigenous communities: Boosting Biden Day 52
President Biden Saved Michigan! Boosting Biden Day 53
President Biden Put Putin in His Place: Boosting Biden Day 54
President Biden was the first president to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day: Boosting Biden Day 55
Looking for something else? GREAT! Here are some other ideas:
I am so lucky and so proud to be in this with all of you 💓💚💛🧡✊🏻✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿✊❤️🧡💛💚