On Wednesday, VP JD Vance, Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth, and Deputy White House Quisling Stephen Miller made an impromptu appearance at Union Station in Washington, D.C. After being booed and jeered by commuters who shouted, “Free D.C.!,” Vance and Miller lashed out against the patriotic American citizens protesting the “federalization” of D.C.
Vance and Miller said,
Vance: It’s kind of bizarre that we have a bunch of old, primarily white people who are out there protesting the policies that keep people safe when they’ve never felt danger in their entire lives.
Miller: We’re going to ignore these stupid white hippies. They all need to go home and take a nap because they’re all over 90 years old, and we’re going to get back to business protecting the American people.
As they say, “There is no such thing as bad publicity!” The “not-so-secret” secret of the resistance is that it is powered by “older” Americans, the vast majority of whom are women. For eight years, the resistance has been ignored, dismissed, used, and co-opted by the Democratic Party, elected officials, consultants, and commentators alike.
But JD Vance and Stephen Miller have finally given members of the resistance the recognition they richly deserve by crediting them for the popular uprising in D.C. against Trump’s anti-democratic occupation of our nation’s capital.
Is the resistance powered by “old white hippies?” Guilty as charged—and proud of it! I am having t-shirts made that embrace the failed insult and turn it against Stephen Miller and JD Vance. My thoughts, so far:
Old White Hippie / Wide Awake and Fighting Fascism (again)
Old White Hippie / Old enough to remember when Nazis were the bad guys
Old White Hippie / Trump’s Worst Nightmare
Old White Hippie / Mad as hell / Not going to take it anymore!
Feel free to make your own contributions in the Comment section (or email me at rbhbubell@gmail.com).
[Let me pause here to forestall angry emails criticizing me for saying that “old white hippies rule.” I am mocking the comments of JD Vance and Stephen Miller, and am doing so from the perspective of someone who was insulted by them as being an old white hippie who should take a nap. Get it? I should also explain that in the 1960s, “to rule” meant to “be cool.” Today, we might say that hippies are “lit” or “dope.” ]
Of course, Miller and Vance didn’t just insult white (mostly female) activists; they insulted all older Americans by suggesting that their voices do not matter simply because they are old. Remember when insulting old people was considered impolite? And political suicide?
(In defense of Miller and Vance, their remarks may have been scripted, and may have sounded less harsh in the original German.)
And it is a lie that the only people opposing the federalization of D.C. are older white Americans who do not live in the District. See Politico, Supermajority of Washington residents oppose Trump’s police takeover, poll finds.
Per Politico,
The vast majority of Washington residents oppose President Donald Trump’s efforts to federalize the city’s police department and deploy the National Guard, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
The survey from The Washington Post/Schar School found that 79 percent of residents either somewhat or strongly oppose the efforts, compared to just 17 percent who backed it.
Of the 80% of D.C. residents who oppose the federal occupation, 40% are Black, 37% White, 12% Hispanic, and 4% Asian. The median age is 34.9 years, with only 12% of D.C. residents being older than 65. See Census Reporter, Washington, DC - Profile data. So the people leading the resistance in D.C. are young and diverse!
And to correct another lie by Miller and Vance, the hippies of the 1960s are now between 70 and 80 years old (not 90), and have plenty of vigor and disposable income to donate to Democratic candidates.
The danger of watching Fox News is that viewers begin to believe the lies that masquerade as news. If Stephen Miller and JD Vance want to believe that the older Americans who form the backbone of the resistance can be ignored, let them. It is a mistake they will live to regret—sooner rather than later!
See you in the streets, Hillbilly Hoax and Herr Miller! We will be easy to spot. We are the old white hippies who are on the front lines, leading the resistance (again). Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Texas Republicans advance partisan gerrymandering plan
The Texas House passed the partisan gerrymandering plan demanded by Trump to create five new Republican-leaning congressional districts. And in the new world where Republicans know no shame, Texas representatives brazenly celebrated the fact that they were using “political performance” to guide their redistricting. “Political performance” is a codeword for “partisan lean.” See New York Times, Texas House Approves Redistricting Maps, Just as Trump Wanted.
Kudos to the NYTimes for another headline and story that gets it right. I have run out of gift subscriptions, so I would appreciate it if someone could post one of their gift links to the story in the Comment section.
Per the Times,
“The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance,” Todd Hunter, a Republican state representative from Corpus Christi, said Wednesday in a speech introducing the map legislation, known as House Bill 4.
“According to the U.S. Supreme Court, we can use political performance” in drawing congressional districts, he said. “And that is what we’ve done.”
If Texas Republicans succeed in redrawing the congressional map in Texas, they must still compete to win those districts. As I noted in yesterday’s newsletter, we should not presume that Democrats will lose. Creating those new “safe” districts may make other districts competitive for Democrats in a wave election.
So, the “net” difference may not be five seats; indeed, Democrats should target decreasing the number of Republicans in the Texas delegation in light of the strong turnaround in support for Trump among Independent and Latino voters following the 2024 election. (See discussion in yesterday’s newsletter, The Epstein Scandal isn’t going away.)
While it is reprehensible that Republicans have resorted to mid-decade redistricting and gerrymandering to advantage the most corrupt, anti-democratic president in the history of the US, we must not assume that gerrymandering means defeat for Democrats.
Rebecca Solnit published a remarkable essay on Wednesday that discusses the defeatist reaction to an earlier post by her that explained why Trump cannot ban mail-in ballots. See Rebecca Solnit, On Not Surrendering in Advance Or At Any Point Thereafter.
I urge everyone to read Rebecca Solnit’s essay in its entirety. It will renew your fighting spirit—even if you didn’t know you needed a jolt of inspiration.
Solnit responds to the cynics who disputed her earlier post, explaining that Trump cannot limit mail ballots. She writes:
[P]retending you know what will happen is a worn-out excuse for not participating in determining what will happen. And we have power to do so. Not just in forestalling authoritarianism, because even if you think it’s too late for that, we have countless examples of people who were amazing under authoritarianism, some of whom did win. Sometimes in big ways by toppling regimes, often in small ways by living with integrity, by protecting a person or a book or an idea or a principle.
Ah, the sting of truth! Most of the pundits and cynics who make their living by explaining that democracy is bound to fail have never held a protest sign, knocked on a door, sent a text, or tried to rally people to the defense of democracy. Cynicism is, indeed, a “worn-out excuse” for not participating in shaping the future.
We can defeat Texas’s partisan gerrymandering if we do the hard work necessary to achieve that result. A few weeks ago, a reader posted a comment saying that my optimistic outlook was “wearing thin”—as in, “I don’t want to hear it anymore.”
The criticism said more about the reader’s mental state than my message. Someone needs to counter the doomsaying that passes for political commentary. We need hopeful voices like those of Rebecca Solnit, HCR, Marc Elias, Jessica Craven, Joyce Vance, Jay Kuo, Robert Reich, Dan Rather, me, and others to counter the doomsayers.
Again, Rebecca Solnit reduces the tension to its essence:
There’s a reason why sports teams don’t chant “I believe that we will lose” before a game, a reason so obvious that I’m pretty sure it needs no explanation in that context.
Words have power. They not only describe but shape reality; we take vows – spiritual vows, marital vows, oaths of office, become accountable for our words when we testify under oath in court or in Congress or just make a verbal commitment.
Our words shape reality when we tell someone they’re worthless or valuable, beautiful or ugly, beloved or unloveable, which is a bit like chanting “I believe that you will win.” Or lose.
So, let’s acknowledge that the Texas partisan gerrymander is unsettling, even maddening. But don’t let anyone tell you that changing congressional lines will determine the future. We have the ability to shape reality, but only if we make the effort. We won’t always win, but surrendering in advance ensures that we will lose.
[Late Breaking Update: The California Supreme Court has denied a petition by California Republicans to stop the Election Rigging Response Act. See The Hill, California Supreme Court rejects GOP effort to halt Newsom’s redistricting push. The California Supreme Court’s order may not be the end of litigation over the matter, but it is a hopeful sign that Californians will be able to vote on the proposed redistricting.]
A few quick notes:
I am running short on time due to family commitments, but the following are worth noting for future reference:
According to government statistics released last week, the wholesale price of vegetables spiked 40% in July. See ABC News, Are tariffs to blame for nearly 40% spike in wholesale vegetable prices? Experts weigh in, and Santa Barbara News Channel 3-12, Locals Weigh in on Rising Cost of Vegetables.
Law firms that capitulated to Trump earlier in the year are performing pro bono work for the federal government, as they agreed to do in their settlements with Trump. See New York Times, Two Big Law Firms Said to Be Doing Free Work for Trump Administration. (Again, if someone could post a gift link in the Comment section, that would allow other readers to view the original article.)
Per the Times,
At least two large law firms that struck deals with President Trump to avoid punitive executive orders have committed to doing free legal work for the Commerce Department, according to two people briefed on the matter.
The firms — Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Kirkland & Ellis — are working on a range of matters for the Commerce Department, according to one of the people briefed on the matter.
What a disgrace to the legal profession and American democracy!
Opportunities for reader engagement
Cartoons for Democracy
Cartoons for Democracy is a new nonprofit that uses political cartoons to deliver messages directly to voters of all political stripes. They have several timely campaigns, including their “Poke the QAnon Bear” campaign, to ensure the GOP can’t hide from their indefensible Epstein Files vote.
You can use postcards to fan the flames of Trump’s dumpster fire by sending postcards **directly to QAnon supporters** in Virginia, reminding them of the GOP’s broken promises and asking THEM to demand town halls so it is not just Democrats making the requests. By creating a “pincer” effect with the base also demanding town halls, it’s a win-win for Democrats. They also have a “Virginia is for Voters” campaign, which encourages middle-of-the-road voters to ask for town halls in the upcoming Governor’s race for the same reason.
Mailing postcards is also a way to reach this audience without having to wade through the trolls and bots online and penetrate the right-wing media bubbles. Cartoons for Democracy has also launched a line of “Protect Pennsylvania” cartoon postcards specifically for the PA State Supreme Court race.
You can read about Cartoons for Democracy on their website and get cards at the C4D Shopify Site. The cost of the cards is used to offset the costs of the artwork, printing, and shipping, though they also accept additional donations at checkout.
Help grow the resistance through personal outreach
Wow! Indivisible Marin is taking the bull by the horns by creating a guide to grow the resistance through personal outreach. See Personal Outreach — Indivisible Marin.
The introduction to the guide explains the effort:
Democracy is under attack by the very people who are sworn to protect it. The solution? Experts on authoritarianism say that 3.5% of citizens are needed to successfully replace an authoritarian government. That means we need 12 million Americans to be actively engaged in this fight. YOU can help by doing personal outreach and encouraging active engagement with friends, family, neighbors, and other people you encounter in your daily life. It will take all of us to expand the movement to levels needed to stop Trumpism in America.
Since broad recruitment is crucial to the success of the Resistance, Indivisible Marin, has developed a toolkit outlining a range of ideas and tips for personal outreach. The content of the toolkit is also below.
Indivisible Marin has also prepared an explanatory video, here: Help us get to 3.5% through personal outreach.
The guide by Indivisible Marin should be valuable to everyone—grassroots leaders and individual activists alike!
Concluding Thoughts
I often write about hope and optimism in this newsletter. For reasons that are unclear to me, that message makes some people angry. They tell me, literally, that it is counterproductive to suggest that we must remain hopeful and optimistic in the face of daunting challenges.
I disagree with the criticism and often wonder why people who believe that forecasting doom is an effective rallying cry are reading this newsletter.
But I digress. My point is this: Remaining hopeful and optimistic does not mean that we should delude ourselves or live in a fantasy world. We must remain rooted in reality if we hope to change it.
Remaining hopeful and optimistic does not presume victory; it presumes that we will not quit merely because we face daunting challenges. Travel back in time and give counsel to the young John Lewis as he stood at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. What would you say? “Give up because the chances of success are nearly non-existent,” or “Continue your march because quitting today ensures defeat.”
In the article by Rebecca Solnit linked above, she quotes the playwright and poet who later became the first president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, who said that hope is not a prediction about the future or a belief in ultimate victory. Havel wrote,
Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart; it transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.
Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is . . . an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.
We are living through challenging times. We are called to meet the moment through personal sacrifice and courageous action outside of our comfort zone. We fight because there is no other option, but also because we are fighting to preserve something good: American democracy.
We have reason to be hopeful and optimistic—if only because we chose to persist and endure. So long as we do that, we keep hope alive.
Stay strong! Talk to you tomorrow!
Daily Dose of Perspective
The Hooker 100” Telescope atop Mount Wilson, CA., saw first light on November 22, 2017. It was built of glass and steel and was transported to the top of Mount Wilson by mule teams.
Twelve years after it was first put into operation, astronomer Edwin Hubble published a paper based on observations from the Hooker 100” telescope. Edwin Hubble’s observations showed that all distant galaxies were moving away from the Milky Way—establishing that we live in an expanding universe.
Our perspective was forever changed by the Hooker Telescope—and by the men and women who had the vision to build it, and the astronomers who had the dedication to the truth to publish results that contradicted the predictions of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
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