Hey, friend. Thank you for this. It echoes both my response to these particular politicians and eludes to something I've been thinking about ever since the lead up to No Kings last weekend, which is contempt. In many of the critiques of No Kings that I read over the last week, the overwhelming emotional tone is a sort of world weary, more radical than thou, scolding contempt- for new participants to activism and for more liberal activists. In Gavin and Rahm and their ilk of politically uber-ambitious candidates, what I also sense is an overwhelming contempt. In their case, for both the voters of their own party and the voters and candidates of the party they're hoping to decimate with their performative, tough guy faux-realism. All of these contemptuous folks are arguing that only they know what's really going on here. Only they know what the right path is. All the rest of you dummies just need to sit down and listen up, dammit.
You know who else is super contemptuous of everybody (unless they're currently complementing him and he needs something)? Donald Trump. And I don't know about anybody else, but as a woman I've had to learn to avoid men (and women, too, but so many of these contemptuous finger-waggers seem to be men) who lead with contempt. They're not safe for me, and they're frequently unsafe in community. Feh, I say. Just feh to all of that.
I love your substack and thank you for it. But please, PLEASE do not dwell on these fellows. Life is too short. (I'm 78 years old!) I understand they make excellent targets, but please, PLEASE, spare us. Thanks for all your great work, my friend! Keep it up. Everyone has a down morning.
Linda, I appreciate this note so much. I promise not to spend too much of my life on these fellas, and apologize sincerely for bringing them into your inbox today. I do so not because of them, necessarily, but because unfortunately they are representative of a broader undercurrent in anti-Trump politics that just isn't going away (the concept of fighting meanness with meanness) and I do find value in naming the ridiculousness of that whole framing. I wish we weren't about to hear more of it but my hunch is we will! And occasionally, in the midst of focusing on more life giving things, I think there's some value in saying no thank you to that
Agreed, Garrett. I can take it! Bring 'em on...Some mornings, I just think of denial as a life skill; generally I know that's no true. Keep up the good work. This IS THE CRAZY world we live in, and we're all lucky to have you directing your analysis (even sardonically) to them. With you, I say, "No, thank you. No, thank you." Press on! The struggle continues.
It's so disheartening to me that, in a world in which we actually have real, successful other examples of how to do "Man Winning Politically", by being essentially a generally kind-seeming not aggressive dude who wants to solve real problems for real people (and even like, that picture of Drumph beaming at his bff Zohran...like we have a man *not doing aggression* actually outflanking the orange demon)... that is is still the unimaginative template for 2028.
Hear, hear! It's fully possible to fight without fighting dirty. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of Republicans, MAGA Republicans, and whoever else...there is absolutely no need to resort to name-calling and bigoted insinuation when you can just stick to the facts. Sheesh.
P.S. Write about whatever you want, Garrett! It's your blog. We can spare ourselves if we don't wanna read a particular column.
Thank you for this perfect writeup and YES - NO THANK YOU to these two! Especially for the gem of "malevolence light" which finally captures what has been screaming in the back of my mind (behind all the other more urgent screaming) about Newsom in particular as I viscerally physically react everytime I see his picture or hear him mentioned. And looking at you Vogue for doing a whole writeup on him. Thank you profoundly for the antidote! Also, I thought i had already upgraded to paid but apparently hadn't so that is taken care of right now to support you and so I could express my appreciation for this!
I am HERE for feisty Garrett. These dudes suck so hard - they represent the last dying gasps of neoliberalism, where the consulting class has absolutely no idea what Americans actually want because none of them are interested in actually talking to Americans. Also would like to note the air of dismissive contemptuous misogyny in Emanuel's Lululemon jab. He's a Manhattan highrise Dem, but he's a dude so it's okay? People want someone who actually understands their needs and wants, ESPECIALLY those of our most vulnerable. Someone who supports a functioning government that represents us all. Someone who, I don't know, LIKES people, and believes in the promise of our democracy more than they crave power.
I have some personal knowledge of both of these dudes because I live in California and my brother has spent his entire adult life in Chicago. I don't know anyone in CA who is truly excited about the idea of a Gavin Newsom candidacy. Those of us who live in the Bay Area have been stuck with this guy for decades and I sadly don't think he's been very effective. He's vetoed some good progressive bills. The one good thing he did was lead on gay marriage, but now that he's constantly throwing trans people under the bus, I don't think that's going to help his standing with the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. And Rahm's support in Chicago was at rock bottom toward the end of his term; there are plenty of old scandals to dig up there.
I saw that "aggressively shaken salad" article, and I rolled my eyes so hard I saw the back of my head. Thanks for giving it the good shaking it deserved.
And I know you're on spring break and sick, but I think you might have meant bighorn sheep head-butting act. (I usually only offer correction suggestions when I'm getting paid, but sometimes my inner copy editor can't keep her mouth shut.) Hope you're feeling better soon!
Hey, friend. Thank you for this. It echoes both my response to these particular politicians and eludes to something I've been thinking about ever since the lead up to No Kings last weekend, which is contempt. In many of the critiques of No Kings that I read over the last week, the overwhelming emotional tone is a sort of world weary, more radical than thou, scolding contempt- for new participants to activism and for more liberal activists. In Gavin and Rahm and their ilk of politically uber-ambitious candidates, what I also sense is an overwhelming contempt. In their case, for both the voters of their own party and the voters and candidates of the party they're hoping to decimate with their performative, tough guy faux-realism. All of these contemptuous folks are arguing that only they know what's really going on here. Only they know what the right path is. All the rest of you dummies just need to sit down and listen up, dammit.
You know who else is super contemptuous of everybody (unless they're currently complementing him and he needs something)? Donald Trump. And I don't know about anybody else, but as a woman I've had to learn to avoid men (and women, too, but so many of these contemptuous finger-waggers seem to be men) who lead with contempt. They're not safe for me, and they're frequently unsafe in community. Feh, I say. Just feh to all of that.
Hi, Garrett,
I love your substack and thank you for it. But please, PLEASE do not dwell on these fellows. Life is too short. (I'm 78 years old!) I understand they make excellent targets, but please, PLEASE, spare us. Thanks for all your great work, my friend! Keep it up. Everyone has a down morning.
Linda, I appreciate this note so much. I promise not to spend too much of my life on these fellas, and apologize sincerely for bringing them into your inbox today. I do so not because of them, necessarily, but because unfortunately they are representative of a broader undercurrent in anti-Trump politics that just isn't going away (the concept of fighting meanness with meanness) and I do find value in naming the ridiculousness of that whole framing. I wish we weren't about to hear more of it but my hunch is we will! And occasionally, in the midst of focusing on more life giving things, I think there's some value in saying no thank you to that
Agreed, Garrett. I can take it! Bring 'em on...Some mornings, I just think of denial as a life skill; generally I know that's no true. Keep up the good work. This IS THE CRAZY world we live in, and we're all lucky to have you directing your analysis (even sardonically) to them. With you, I say, "No, thank you. No, thank you." Press on! The struggle continues.
It's so disheartening to me that, in a world in which we actually have real, successful other examples of how to do "Man Winning Politically", by being essentially a generally kind-seeming not aggressive dude who wants to solve real problems for real people (and even like, that picture of Drumph beaming at his bff Zohran...like we have a man *not doing aggression* actually outflanking the orange demon)... that is is still the unimaginative template for 2028.
Hear, hear! It's fully possible to fight without fighting dirty. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of Republicans, MAGA Republicans, and whoever else...there is absolutely no need to resort to name-calling and bigoted insinuation when you can just stick to the facts. Sheesh.
P.S. Write about whatever you want, Garrett! It's your blog. We can spare ourselves if we don't wanna read a particular column.
Thank you for this perfect writeup and YES - NO THANK YOU to these two! Especially for the gem of "malevolence light" which finally captures what has been screaming in the back of my mind (behind all the other more urgent screaming) about Newsom in particular as I viscerally physically react everytime I see his picture or hear him mentioned. And looking at you Vogue for doing a whole writeup on him. Thank you profoundly for the antidote! Also, I thought i had already upgraded to paid but apparently hadn't so that is taken care of right now to support you and so I could express my appreciation for this!
I am HERE for feisty Garrett. These dudes suck so hard - they represent the last dying gasps of neoliberalism, where the consulting class has absolutely no idea what Americans actually want because none of them are interested in actually talking to Americans. Also would like to note the air of dismissive contemptuous misogyny in Emanuel's Lululemon jab. He's a Manhattan highrise Dem, but he's a dude so it's okay? People want someone who actually understands their needs and wants, ESPECIALLY those of our most vulnerable. Someone who supports a functioning government that represents us all. Someone who, I don't know, LIKES people, and believes in the promise of our democracy more than they crave power.
I have some personal knowledge of both of these dudes because I live in California and my brother has spent his entire adult life in Chicago. I don't know anyone in CA who is truly excited about the idea of a Gavin Newsom candidacy. Those of us who live in the Bay Area have been stuck with this guy for decades and I sadly don't think he's been very effective. He's vetoed some good progressive bills. The one good thing he did was lead on gay marriage, but now that he's constantly throwing trans people under the bus, I don't think that's going to help his standing with the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. And Rahm's support in Chicago was at rock bottom toward the end of his term; there are plenty of old scandals to dig up there.
Thank you for this and for your excellent use of the word jabroni (very common in Pittsburghese). Very grateful for your work.
Temu populists 😂 no notes. These two both give me the ick, thanks for helping me put words to why that might be.
I saw that "aggressively shaken salad" article, and I rolled my eyes so hard I saw the back of my head. Thanks for giving it the good shaking it deserved.
And I know you're on spring break and sick, but I think you might have meant bighorn sheep head-butting act. (I usually only offer correction suggestions when I'm getting paid, but sometimes my inner copy editor can't keep her mouth shut.) Hope you're feeling better soon!
Right? I don't want to elect anyone a reporter analogizes as violating the Geneva Convention in any respects!