Recovering savior. This is how I use my Political Science degree. Feminist, Anti-Racist, Queer-Ally, white guy. Get money out of politics. Do your part.
Clifton Springs, NY
Joined March 2011
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UnbotheredModerate retweeted
My wife has taught high school in Tokyo for twenty years.
Every year, a few of her students spend a year living with a family in America. When they come home, she asks each of them one question.
"What do you miss?"
She expects hamburgers.
She almost never gets hamburgers.
And these aren't old stories. Most of these kids came home in the last two years.
"Every time I left the house, my host mom said, 'Text me when you get there.' In Japan, nobody needs to know where I am. In Ohio, somebody always did." (Mina, 17, Ohio)
"If you walk toward a door, an American will hold it open. Even if you are very far away. So you have to run. I ran to so many doors." (Itsuki, 16, Georgia)
"My host brother screamed on the floor of a grocery store. A stranger walked by and said to my host mom, 'You're doing great, Mama.' She almost cried. I didn't know strangers were allowed to say that." (Aoi, 17, Texas)
"We went away for the weekend and left our trash can at the curb. When we got back, it was by the garage. Nobody said who. My host dad said if it had been there one more day, the neighbor would have knocked." (Haruto, 16, Minnesota)
"A car got stuck in the snow in front of our house. Four men came out of four houses. Nobody called them. They pushed, the car drove away, and they went back inside without saying their names." (Ren, 17, Michigan)
"Every American has jumper cables. Maybe half of them know which clip goes where. The other half help anyway." (Shin, 16, Montana)
"In July, my host family put a cooler on the porch. Cold water, snacks, and a sign: 'For our delivery drivers. Thank you!' I asked if they knew the drivers. They said no." (Nanami, 16, Arizona)
"Downtown, there are banners on the lampposts. Photos of soldiers from the town. Some old, some very young. My host grandpa walked me down the street and told me every name." (Yuna, 16, Iowa)
"I got a C-plus on my first test. My host dad said, 'I'm proud of you,' and put it on the fridge. In Japan, nobody is proud of a C-plus." (Takeru, 17, Pennsylvania)
Then the quietest girl in the class raised her hand.
Sora. Seventeen. Missouri.
"Nobody asks me 'home safe?' anymore," she said.
She was wrong.
In September, there was a typhoon warning for Tokyo. At 2 a.m., Sora's phone lit up.
It was her host mom. In Missouri. Watching the weather in a country she had never been to.
"Saw the storm. You home safe?"
Sora told my wife she cried for a long time. Then she typed the answer she had typed a hundred times, from football games and friends' driveways.
"Home safe."
Her host mom wrote back one line.
"Good. That's all I needed."
My wife has asked that question for twenty years. Not one kid has ever said they missed how big America is.
They miss how America says goodbye. And how it checks that you got home.
So, America. You think you've lost something.
You haven't. It's on a porch in Arizona. It's pushing a car in Michigan. It's awake at 2 a.m. in Missouri, watching our weather.
You don't remember doing any of it.
A kid in Tokyo will never forget.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Yes, the Iran war is unpopular.
No, “changing our relationship to Israel” isn't among Republicans' top voting priorities. Not even close.
With respect to VP Vance, he and his pollster need to spend less time on X
One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was "composition"—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win. And despite polls that showed a Democrat blowout, the data kept on telling us the same story: in some states turnout was merely OK, in other states it was downright amazing, and in no state was it catastrophic. There was a genuine sense of optimism on our team: our people were showing up.
So, I asked the smartest data guy I know, does that mean we're going to shock the world? "No," he told me. "We might do better than the polls suggest. But the data is telling us that a lot of Trump/Vance 2024 voters are pissed and planning to vote for the other guys. Our voters are turning out, but they may not vote for us."
Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was 9 points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024. Undoubtedly there were places we could have done better on turnout. But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.
There will be a lot of infighting and arguing over what happened and why that is. One of the pollsters I really respect told me that our economic messaging wasn’t sharp enough down the stretch. I’m sure that’s true.
But the real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone.
Another pollster—one of the smartest people I know in politics, told me yesterday we’d lose the generic ballot by 13 points. I felt negative going into Tuesday, but even I was shocked by this. In his polling, he saw that a lot of Trump 2024 voters were angry and planning to vote for Democrats. He asked those voters who had abandoned us what would cause them to come back on our team. The top four answers, accounting for nearly all of the responses were:
1) End the war
2) Focus on cost of living/inflation
3) Put America First
4) Change our relationship to Israel
Our voters showed up. And the above four reasons are why many of them voted for Democrats. This is according to a pollster who nailed the results. While many spent Monday attacking Rachel Campos Duffy for calling for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, it turns out her political advice was sound. (She’s also a great person.)
In the next few months, there's going to be a lot of gaslighting. Expect to hear any number of establishment politicians say the solution to our woes is amnesty. I'm open to the idea that we should change enforcement—by focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labor, for instance. But anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you.
The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.
If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest.
But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.
I remain hopeful about our country. To the people who are pissed off and want to say, “I told you so”: you’re right, you did tell us so. Take that energy into electing Republicans who share your worldview. To the people who are just pissed at the results, you should be. Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
This is an ABC News voter poll conducted from Oct 19 to Nov 3, 2026.
Don't fall for the psyop, people.
Breathe some fresh air. Touch grass.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Palestinian dissident Amin Abed (who was violently attacked by masked Hamas enforcers in 2024) discusses indoctrination camps in Gaza and how teachers, abetted by horrific schoolbooks, tried to raise an entire generation to "embrace death over life".
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
This is probably the worst result of the night.
Newly elected Democratic congressman Adam Hamawy was a close associate of Omar Abdel Rahman - the “Blind Sheikh” sentenced to life in prison for his role inspiring the 1993 Wold Trade Center bombing.
Abdel-Rahman issued a fatwa in the US that declared it lawful to rob banks and kill Jews in the US. His sermons condemned Americans as the "descendants of apes and pigs'' and called on Muslims to assail the West, ''kill them on the sea, air, or land.''
Adam Hamawy travelled with the Blind Sheikh to a conference in Detroit in 1991 titled "Towards a Global Islamic Economy.” He ultimately testified in court for the Blind Sheikh to try defend him.
A secret FBI informant said that Hamawy discussed making bombs with the Blind Sheikh and "conquering the land of the infidels.”
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Iranian-born Canadian activist Parishad Kavyani, who spent more than two years marching in support of Palestine, has publicly broken with the movement, accusing former allies of hypocrisy, discrimination and selectively defending human rights.
Kavyani said she had experienced more homophobia, racism and sexism from left-wing activists over the past nine months than ever before.
Kavyani, who grew up under Iran's Islamic Republic before moving to Canada at 14, criticized pro-Palestine activists for advocating women's rights while remaining silent about Iranian women fighting against compulsory hijab laws and other restrictions imposed by Tehran.
She also accused some activists of defending the Iranian regime and sharing material supportive of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Kavyani said Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was a turning point, explaining that she could not support the killing, rape, torture or hostage-taking of civilians simply because they were Israeli.
She argued that human rights should apply equally to everyone, regardless of nationality or political beliefs, and accused parts of the movement of prioritizing ideology over protecting innocent people.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Congratulations. You know you’ve fucked up when the Ayatollah is on your side.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Haley Stevens gets thrown out of the party and much worse. Meanwhile, Ro Khanna goes on Hasan Piker.
🚨 Ro Khanna Urges Democrats to Embrace Hasan Piker as He Calls for a Radical Transformation of the Democratic Party
During an election-night conversation with Hasan Piker, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna revealed that fellow House Democrats had questioned his decision to appear on the streamer's Twitch broadcast.
Khanna defended his appearance, arguing that Democrats should recognize Piker's enormous audience and influence among younger voters. He even expressed frustration that more of his colleagues have yet to recognize the political value of engaging with him.
The conversation then shifted to what the night's apparent blue wave could mean for the Democratic Party's ideological future.
Khanna argued that the Left's electoral performance demonstrated the political advantages of a strong progressive flank, while acknowledging that the party establishment would not simply concede the ideological battles ahead.
“When it comes to taxing billionaire wealth and Medicare for all and free college and zeroing out aid to Israel and stopping military sales, there's still gonna be a fight.”
Hasan took the discussion further, asking how Democrats could build a legislative agenda that would ensure Republicans never regain political power.
Khanna responded by calling for a sweeping expansion of government, including a wealth tax on billionaires, Medicare for All, free college, and free childcare.
He also warned Democrats against allowing the party's political consultants to impose an incrementalist approach to governing, arguing that electoral victories mean little without radical change.
“I want a Democratic Party that's actually gonna transform the political economic system and our foreign policy.”
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
WOAH 🚨 House Judiciary Committee report just released reveals Democrat District Attorneys in New York are training prosecutors on how to CONCEAL CRIMES of illegals so they can’t be prosecuted
“The chief prosecutors for New York City's 5 boroughs treats illegal aliens differently than similarly situated American citizens. District Attorneys Melinda Katz, Darcel Clark, Alvin Bragg, Eric Gonzalez, and Michael McMahon ensure prosecutors in their offices give preferential treatment to foreign nationals based solely on their immigration status, all so that criminal aliens can avoid deportation and remain in the United States indefinitely.
The Bronx District Attorney, Darcelle Clarke, trains prosecutors in her office to conceal certain facts from the record of conviction and pursue alternative charges so that aliens remain eligible to stay in the United States. Clarke's office allows and even encourages the consideration of immigration consequences in cases involving aggravated felonies, crimes against children, domestic violence, strangulation, and firearms offenses.
Clarke's office encourages its prosecutors to concoct nonexistent, legally impossible charges for foreign national defendants so they may avoid immigration consequences for their crimes.
Documents provided to the committee and subcommittee show that the Bronx District Attorney's Office instructs its prosecutors to arrange plea deals for crimes that are legally impossible or hypothetical, which it describes as crimes that cannot be factually accomplished.
Legal fictions, these made-up crimes would include, for example, attempted reckless assault, which is a legal impossibility because it would require the defendant to hold 2 contradictory mental states simultaneously. That is, a defendant cannot intend to be reckless. In other words, Clarke's office trains its prosecutors on how to create legally impossible, nonexistent crimes that do not carry immigration consequences, all so that foreign nationals can stay in New York City.”
This is 100% real and from a 22 page congressional report that was published
The report is titled “New York City: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies.”
The report shows all 5 Democratic elected prosecutors in New York City collaborate to downgrade criminal charges against immigrants so that way they can avoid deportation
Again, this is what’s happening
The District Attorney offices are training prosecutors on “immigration-conscious plea bargaining,” that includes concealing facts like firearms, victim ages, relationships from conviction records, considering immigration consequences even in aggravated felonies, crimes against children, domestic violence, strangulation and firearms cases
They are training prosecutors on how to use “legally impossible” or hypothetical charges that do not trigger immigration consequences
Every one of the people involved should have their law licenses revoked and they should all be thrown in prison
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
🚨 Inside the Largest Government Funded Human Trafficking Ring in History: Your tax dollars trafficked over 300,000 children across the United States while NGOs enriched themselves with millions of dollars.
One NGO received $895 million to traffic children across the US. Others got $100+ million, and NGOs in areas like Tucson, Arizona pocketed millions but now receive nothing since the border shut down.
In this video we break down the contracts, speak with former Border Patrol, and confront the NGOs. It’s a must watch, like it and share it. Make sure no one forgets the hundreds of children lost in the government’s hands.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Democrat City Councilwomen encourages Detroiters to split their ticket, calls El-Sayed 'very headstrong'
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Update on Temulun Togochog, the crazy lady arrested at the University of Michigan:
Her parents fled Chinese Communist Party persecution so any children they had could grow up free in America. Both were living in the U.S. as political asylees for years before she was born.
In December 2024, at age 17, she testified before Congress about her privilege of living here and spoke out for Southern Mongolians whose language, culture, and rights are being erased under the CCP.
What changed you say - she went to college. Got a septum piercing among others, and was arrested for violently assaulting a Jewish woman at a University of Michigan event while saying she should have killed her.
From escaping the enforcers to becoming one. The irony writes itself.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
COUNTRY OVER PARTY. We at The DCA would also like to take this moment to endorse Mike Rodgers.
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Venezuela is ready for change.
Maria Corina Machado is home.
¡Hasta el final!
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Black Voters in Michigan: “Hold My Henny” #MichiganSenate
UnbotheredModerate retweeted
Listen to what lifelong Democrats have to say. They’re voting for Mike Rogers, not Abdual citizen. They know Mike Rogers is for Michigan and Abdual citizen is more concerned about the Middle East.
