Disclaimer: Harris/Walz are not the Beatles. That isn’t what I mean. Don’t rage comment on this. I wasn’t even alive for the Beatles.
But I, like almost everyone else alive, love and appreciate them and grew up with their music and images of the “Beatlemania” they inspired. Screaming girls (and boys!). Filled stadiums. Endless excitement.
And sure, the Beatles became what they were because they were extremely talented and fun and new and attractive and hard working and well managed. Sure. They brought amazing music and energy to the people. No doubt.
But they also became who they were because they came about at the exact right moment when young people in America were exactly ready for something just like them. It was a perfect storm.
Here is the amazing Billy Joel talking about it:
I’m part of the world also, aside from being a musician, I’m affected by events. If you think about it, right before The Beatles hit, which was on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 4th, 1964, what major event happened right prior to that? The assassination of John F. Kennedy, who was the young, vital, vigorous man who was the president, and kind of represented youth and the future. He was taken away from us. The country had the blues, big time. Everybody was depressed over the Kennedy assassination, and it lasted for a long time. Who took us out of that depression? The Beatles.
They represented youth, the future. They represented vitality. Something new, something which was of us, our age group, the baby boomers, and they took off like superstars.
The Beatles showed up to the US after Kennedy was assassinated. They showed up when the oldest boomers were turning 18 and, thus, when a massive wave of teenagers were searching for meaning and joy and depressed by the death of someone who gave them hope.
There was also a push growing, slowly but forcefully, against the traditional America of the 50s that valued conformity and authority and a focus on high social class.
And here came four working class lads from Liverpool. They were everyday people — the authentic voice of the proletariat.
They were young and they has no interest in trying to conform to the adults. Their press conferences after they landed in the States were a masterclass in impish humor and brazen defiance.
So, yes, the Beatles became the Beatles because of talent and hard work.
But they also arrived at just the right moment. America needed them. Americans (in particular young Americans) felt depressed and despondent by recent political events. The time was ripe for the Beatles. They filled a void and filled it perfectly.
This is our Beatles moment. In this analogy, Harris and Walz are the Beatles.
Not literally, of course.
But they arrived at a moment when we all needed them most. They arrived when young people, in particular, needed to feel excited about politics. They arrived when all of us were at our lowest. We were worried sick about Trump getting re-elected. We were worried about Biden’s campaign. We felt low energy and stuck and panicked and worried.
And into our world came JOY and ENERGY and FUN. Yes, they bring competence and the good policies and the experience, but also they also bring a mood and a tone that we need right now.
The Beatles showing up when they did was a perfect storm. Harris and Walz leading our ticket right now is a perfect storm.
That wonderful, wonderful feeling you have right now? It is a function of just the right thing coming at just the right time.
Enjoy it.
Hiccups will come in the next three months. Don’t sweat them. Keep your eyes on the prize. Do all you can to help us win.
And enjoy being a part of this magical moment. One day they will write books about just the right thing happening at just the right time, and you will be able to say that you were here and you were a part of it and you made a difference.
what can you do?
DONATE! DONATE! DONATE!
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now let’s enjoy some good news!
Democrats in array!
The Democratic Party Is Strong
Consider:
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We’ve won more votes in 7 of the past 8 Presidential elections. It’s the best popular vote run by an American political party in US history
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In the last 4 Presidential elections we’ve averaged 51% of the vote to the GOP’s 46.5%. It is the best run over 4 Presidential elections since FDR’s 4 elections from 1932 to 1944. We are a center-left country today
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Since Dobbs in the spring of 2022 Democrats have dramatically outperformed the typical American party in power dynamic, gaining ground across the country in elections of all kinds, not losing it
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The last 3 Democratic Presidents brought strong growth, rising wages and lower deficits. The last 3 Republican Presidents brought recessions, higher deficits and decline. Of the 52m jobs created in America since 1989, 50m, 96% have come under Democratic Presidents
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As the generational wheels turns in the Democratic Party, our rising generation - Harris, Whitmer, Newsom, Jeffries, Shapiro, Kelly, Polis, Padilla, Warnock, Buttigieg, Raimondo, Polis, Walz, Wes Moore, AOC, Ben Wikler, Anderson Clayton, etc - is experienced, inspiring, capable and ready to lead
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The Democratic grassroots has given us a new superpower, helping us raise more money than ever before, and giving us the most powerful campaigns we’ve ever seen. A central reason we’ve kept performing at the upper end of what was possible since Dobbs has been the unceasing work of so many of you and millions of your brothers and sisters across the country
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On Sunday the Harris campaign launched its Republicans for Harris effort, something that if is successful could enlarge our coalition and help us win (as it did in 2022). It is a reminder that Trump faces unprecedented opposition to his candidacy from inside his own party - two former VPs including his own, former Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees, a former party chair, many former Senator and House Members, dozens of officials who worked for him
No disarray here: Democrats unite in support of Harris-Walz ticket
The news that Vice President Kamala Harris tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate created a strange disturbance in a dominant political narrative, first noticed and tweeted by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Dems in disconcerting levels of array.”
This came after her total agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin—yes, the Manchin who officially gave up on being a Democrat this year and registered as an independent—that Walz is a fantastic choice for vice president. Ocasio-Cortez tweeted it was “an excellent decision,” and in a separate statement, Manchin said, “My friend Governor Tim Walz will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen.”
Harris, Walz and Democrats’ Joyful Campaign
On Tuesday, during Tim Walz’s debut speech as Kamala Harris’s running mate, he thanked Harris for “bringing back the joy.”
It wasn’t until then that I fully realized just how much joy has been generating the electricity behind Harris’s presidential candidacy. Not because of some specific stance that Harris has taken — she isn’t articulating policy positions that differ substantially from President Biden’s. She is, however, allowing herself to be the vessel for pent-up liberal energy.
I underestimated how much soul damage Democratic voters had suffered over the past three and a half years — not in the main because of the Biden administration, but because of the seemingly endless culture wars — and how that damage had jelled into a form of electoral depression.
Enthusiasm is infectious. Now there is enthusiasm throughout the Democratic electorate, and that is only buttressed with Walz as the party’s vice-presidential nominee.
He’s the epitome of a happy warrior; he’s the dad figure, the soldier, the coach and the plain-spoken Everyman.
The Biden-Harris and Harris-Walz tickets were and are bridges carrying us willingly and cheerfully to a more inclusive future. And for the moment, at least, the relentless positivity of the Harris-Walz campaign has discombobulated Trump and Republicans.
Harris campaign with a lengthy response to Trump’s “very good, very normal press conference.”
Harris has upended years of Democratic dogma. That’s good.
Harris’s strategy is different. First of all, she laughs on the campaign trail more than four times as often as Biden did, as measured by C-SPAN transcripts. Talking about serious issues doesn’t require constant seriousness.
She has spoken more about abortion and border security, mentioning these issues more than twice as frequently as Biden did. This, too, is smart politics. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade has been an electoral boon for Democrats, and Harris has been the administration’s unofficial messenger on abortion. The vice president’s immigration focus is the boldest choice, because voters trust Republicans far more on the issue. But Harris is right to try to neutralize one of her — and her party’s — biggest weaknesses.
Harris’s campaign emails also emphasize the border and de-emphasize democracy. They mention Republicans being “weird” twice as much as they do the events of Jan. 6.
But the main distinction between the Biden and Harris campaigns lies in two F’s: freedom and the future. Harris utters these words more than four times as often as Biden did. She is positioning herself simultaneously as the incumbent defending hard-won freedoms and the anti-incumbent promising to usher in a different future.
Promising Poll News
The presidential race shifts — modestly, so far — toward Harris
the CBS poll does suggest that a wider Harris lead is quite possible. CBS has published three polls evaluating the presidential contest over the past month. The first asked respondents to choose between Trump and President Biden, his opponent at the time. The second asked for a choice between both Biden and Harris. The third, released this weekend, had only Harris. This lets us see both how the Trump-Harris race compares with the Trump-Biden one — and how Harris’s position has changed since she became the presumptive nominee.
The biggest changes are among independents and Black respondents. In the CBS poll released in the middle of last month, Trump led Harris among independents by 11 points; they're now tied. Among Black respondents, Harris led by 55 points. Now she leads by 63 — much closer to the Biden-Trump split shown in 2020 exit polls, though still less heavily Democratic.
New Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds Harris leading Trump and outperforming Biden against Trump; enthusiasm to vote among Democrats having risen substantially
A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds Vice President Kamala Harris is the choice for president of 52% of registered voters and former President Donald Trump is the choice of 48%. Among likely voters, Harris receives 53% and Trump 47%. These results include voters who initially did not choose Harris or Trump but who were then asked whom they would vote for if they had to choose.
In a May 6-15, 2024, Marquette Law School Poll national survey, Trump was the choice of 50% and President Joe Biden was the pick of 50% Among registered voters, while Trump took 51% of likely voters and Biden 49%.
When the ballot question explicitly includes independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and independent candidate Cornel West, Harris receives 47% and Trump 41%
Presidential Campaign Reset: Arizona, Georgia and Nevada Move From Lean Republican to Toss Up
Three weeks ago, Donald Trump was leading President Joe Biden in the Cook Political Report national vote tracker by about 2.5%. Today, Kamala Harris leads Trump by less than one point, a shift of more than three points in Harris’ direction. Battleground state polls are showing similar results, with Harris cutting into Trump’s lead by anywhere from two to five points.
The FiveThirtyEight state polling averages from July 21, the last day that Biden was the Democratic nominee, found the president trailing in the Sun Belt states of Georgia, Nevada and Arizona by more than five points. Today, Trump’s lead is well within the margin of error in Arizona and Georgia. There weren’t enough polls for a Nevada average, but recent CBS and Bloomberg surveys have Harris with a two point lead. In the “Blue Wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where Trump was leading by anywhere from two to four points, Harris now has a margin of error lead in those states of anywhere from 0.7 to 1.6%.
It’s getting worse for JD Vance
Two weeks ago, I noted that the early signs for JD Vance as Donald Trump’s vice-presidential nominee were not encouraging. He was a historically unpopular running mate. The polls seemed to confirm what was already evident: He wasn’t a particularly voter-friendly pick, dating back to an underperforming 2022 Ohio Senate campaign in which every other Republican running for statewide office did better in their races.
The signs since then have only gotten worse.
A half-dozen polls have now tested views of Vance more than once in the last few weeks. In each of them, his already-underwhelming image ratings have deteriorated — sometimes significantly.
New polling suggests that Harris is bringing younger voters home
In Marquette’s poll, the biggest difference between support for Biden and support for Harris was among younger respondents and demographic categories into which younger voters fall. Among those under 30, Harris does 11 points better than Biden and Trump does five points worse, a 16-point shift. Harris narrows the gap among those ages 30 to 44 by 11 points. Among independents, Harris does 10 points better; among independents who lean Democratic — a group into which many younger voters fall — she does 13 points better.
Schumer: Democrats will keep control of Senate with Harris atop ticket
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is predicting that Democrats will keep control of the Senate in the November election and he feels “exhilarated and gratified” by the surge of enthusiasm with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the party's ticket.
Schumer, who played a pivotal role in talking privately with President Joe Biden before the incumbent's decision to end his reelection bid, appears more optimistic than Democrats have been in confronting a tough Senate map this election defending seats in states where Republican nominee Donald Trump is popular.
“We are so enthusiastic about the prospects of winning the presidency, keeping the Senate and winning the House,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said in an interview with The Associated Press.
He said the contrast with Republicans, especially in the aftermath of Trump questioning Harris' racial identity and his running mate JD Vance criticizing women without children, has been glaring.
RFK Jr. and the third-party effect are now hurting Trump
Today, Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t just risen in the polls; she has shifted that third-party dynamic. She now does better when you include other candidates.
And there’s increasing evidence that independent candidate Kennedy, in particular — a candidate once elevated by Donald Trump’s allies when he was challenging President Joe Biden in the Democratic primaries — is pulling significantly more votes from Trump than Harris.
Things looking bleak for the failed game show host
Trump complains about campaign as advisers try to focus on attacking Harris
Trump now finds himself back in a dead-even contest and with new signs of strain in his orbit. In the face of new Democratic momentum, he has grown increasingly upset about Harris’s surging poll numbers and media coverage since replacing Biden on the ticket, complaining relentlessly and asking friends about how his campaign is performing, according to five people close to the campaign who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
But for the first time since Trump established his dominance in the Republican nomination fight, his campaign has found itself publicly struggling to manage the daily news cycle as excitement around Harris has swelled along with her campaign activity. It has left people close to the campaign wondering why Trump and his team seemed ill-prepared, given that they had privately speculated for weeks after Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate performance that Harris was going to be the nominee.
While Trump has repeatedly said Republican Party officials only needed to focus on election integrity, he has begun hearing from outside allies that he does not have a significant ground game in key battleground states. He has grown annoyed with some of the media focus on his campaign staff, suggesting to others that his advisers get too much credit. Some advisers have urged him to spend more on digital advertising, saying he is being pummeled online.
The GOP Is a Messy Soap Opera Right Now
The Democratic ticket has now taken shape, and Donald Trump is not handling it well. Meanwhile, his running mate and the rest of his party are stumbling.
Trump White House Aides Desert Donald for Kamala in ‘Republicans for Harris’ Drive
Dozens of well-known Republicans including a couple of former Trump White House staffers have switched allegiance to endorse Kamala Harris in the latest blow for Donald Trump.
The Harris presidential campaign on Sunday launched a “Republicans for Harris” drive, which it says already has the public endorsement of almost 30 Republican moderates who reject “the chaos, division and violence of Donald Trump and his Project 2025 Agenda.”
They include former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye, who advised Vice President Mike Pence on national security matters.
“I might not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on everything, but I know that she will fight for our freedom, protect our democracy and represent America with honor and dignity on the world stage,” Grisham said in a statement.
“I encourage other Trump administration officials who saw the tyrant we worked for in office to speak out and stand with Kamala Harris this November to keep integrity in the White House and ensure democracy for our country.”
As Trump fumes, Republicans wince at ‘public nervous breakdown’
Republicans on Monday reeled from Trump’s undisciplined approach to the opening stages of his new general election matchup with Harris — following a weekend that saw him praise Russian leader Vladimir Putin while smearing Harris as “low IQ,” and “dumb” and attacking a popular swing-state GOP governor whose turnout operation he may need in November.
“This is what you would call a public nervous breakdown,” said Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and former Trump administration appointee. “This is a guy who cut through the Republican primary like a knife through butter. This is a guy who pummeled a semi-conscious president in a debate and literally out of a race. And now this is a guy who cannot come to grips with a competitive presidential race that would require discipline and effective messaging. And we’re seeing a candidate and a campaign absolutely melt down.”
Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis agrees to cooperate in Arizona 'fake elector' case
Donald Trump's former attorney Jenna Ellis has reached a cooperation agreement with officials in Arizona as part of the state's "fake elector" case, the Arizona attorney general's office announced Monday.
The state is dropping the charges against Ellis in exchange for her cooperation, officials said.
Ellis was facing nine felonies as part of the case.
As part of her cooperation deal, Ellis has agreed to provide information and materials to law enforcement officials as well as to testify "at any time and place," according to a copy of her cooperation agreement that was released by officials.
Ellis also sat for a recorded proffer session with the attorney general's office on June 17, according to the agreement.
'Momentum is crashing': Top MAGA influencer hits panic button on Trump campaign's progress
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, whose reputation is so toxic that even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) believes she's "mentally unstable," is sounding the alarm about former President Donald Trump's campaign.
Writing on X, Loomer demanded that Trump make drastic changes to his operation, which in recent weeks has seen him fall behind Vice President Kamala Harris in the polls.
"President Trump needs to make some serious changes in his campaign ASAP," she declared. "The ground game is not sufficient. The offense is lacking. The communication is dismal. The momentum is crashing. Why are people who want to assist being pushed away instead of being embraced? 89 days left. You need a lot more than just 'Vibes.' God only knows how many opportunities have been missed. Sad to see talent go to waste."
MAGA Turns on Joe Rogan as He Endorses RFK Jr. and Not Trump
Podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan told listeners he supports longshot presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his show Thursday afternoon.
“He’s the only one that makes sense to me,” Rogan said during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Spotify’s most popular podcast.
Rogan sees Kennedy as a “legitimate guy,” and an ally who has also been criticized for their vaccine skepticism and for spreading baseless conspiracy theories.
MAGA diehards turned on the popular podcaster, with many calling him “politically dumb”.
and finally, on another note, this is from June of 2023, but I think it is good news for today because it is about our future VP!
‘The best state for workers’: what are Minnesota’s new labor laws?
Minnesota’s Democratic governor and legislature has enacted one of the most pro-worker packages of legislation that any US state has passed in decades which includes paid family and medical leave, prohibits non-compete clauses, bars employers from holding anti-union captive audience meetings, and strengthens protections for meatpacking workers and Amazon warehouse employees.
Minnesota’s new legislation mandates paid sick days, allows teachers’ unions to bargain over educator-to-student ratios and creates a statewide council to improve conditions for nursing home workers
Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, a Democrat, signed the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act as well as an omnibus labor bill that contains a raft of pro-worker provisions. In signing the paid leave legislation, Walz said: “We’re ensuring Minnesotans no longer have to make the choice between a paycheck and taking time off to care for a new baby or a sick family member.”
The law allows Minnesota workers to take up to 12 weeks a year with partial pay to care for a newborn or sick family member and also allows workers 12 weeks to recover from a serious illness or health problem. The law places a cap of 20 weeks a year for employees who use both provisions.
To help workers take care of themselves or a family member, the new legislation also allows employees to earn one hour of sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked. The law allows accrual of up to 48 hours of sick time each year.
The law calls for creating a nursing home workforce standards board with an equal number of worker and employer representatives that will set statewide minimum standards for nursing-home employees, while seeking to improve working conditions and care.
Under the new legislation, non-compete provisions are void and unenforceable. Walz’s office said the law, by prohibiting a practice that bars workers from taking jobs with competing employers, gives workers “the freedom to seek better working conditions and higher wages without restrictions”. The ban doesn’t invalidate non-compete clauses entered into before 1 July 2023.
t also requires Amazon and other warehouses to tell employees about every work quota they are required to meet, how their work speed is measured and what happens if they fail to meet their quota. The law also allows employees to see work speed data and prohibits employers from retaliating against workers who seek such data.
Under the new legislation, Minnesota employers also cannot require workers to attend anti-union propaganda sessions, often called “captive audience” meetings. The law makes it illegal for an employer to retaliate against a worker for refusing to attend a political or religious meeting, and under the law an anti-union meeting is considered a political meeting.
The state labor department will appoint a meatpacking industry worker-rights coordinator to submit an annual report recommending ways to improve conditions for meat and poultry processing workers. The law also calls for enhanced workplace safety standards for meatpacking plants with 100 or more workers.
Finally, the new legislation tackles wage theft by ensuring a contractor entering into a construction contract assumes liability for any unpaid wages, fringe benefits or damages that a subcontractor owes to its workers.
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On The Lighter Side (Tim Walz Edition!)
What Can You Do To Save Democracy?
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I am so proud and so lucky to be in this with all of you ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 💙❤️💛💚✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
