Cliff Thomas
@cliffthomas.bsky.social
Here for policy, politics, paleontology, and memes. TTRPG and 40k enthusiast. NYJ fan. VP of Policy/Gov Affairs @RelayGSE. Maker of the 40k Meta Data Dashboard: https://www.stat-check.com/the-meta. Comments mine. I miss Vine.
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
there is actually a story in this revolting Nuzzi piece if you sandblast away the lies about a hot young woman being "in love" with a guy old enough to be her grandfather who looks like a catcher's mitt and sounds like an evil muppet
November 14, 2025 at 6:36 PM
there is actually a story in this revolting Nuzzi piece if you sandblast away the lies about a hot young woman being "in love" with a guy old enough to be her grandfather who looks like a catcher's mitt and sounds like an evil muppet
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
Sixty-five years ago today, four first-graders desegregated New Orleans's public schools: Ruby Bridges at William Frantz Elementary School, and Leona Tate, Tessie Provost, and Gail Etienne at McDonogh 19 Elementary School. They faced violent mobs and threats to their lives. They were 6 years old. 🗃
November 14, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Sixty-five years ago today, four first-graders desegregated New Orleans's public schools: Ruby Bridges at William Frantz Elementary School, and Leona Tate, Tessie Provost, and Gail Etienne at McDonogh 19 Elementary School. They faced violent mobs and threats to their lives. They were 6 years old. 🗃
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
This has gotten lost: Abigail Spanberger won big after vowing to RESCIND Glenn Youngkin's executive order directing local cooperation with ICE and voting AGAINST the anti-immigrant Laken Riley Act. Yet she gained bigly with working class.
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
November 12, 2025 at 6:49 PM
This has gotten lost: Abigail Spanberger won big after vowing to RESCIND Glenn Youngkin's executive order directing local cooperation with ICE and voting AGAINST the anti-immigrant Laken Riley Act. Yet she gained bigly with working class.
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
And very importantly to me—this is good food. Name brand cereal! Full-size peanut butter! Canned vegetables that aren’t expired!
My family sporadically depended on food aid when we were kids, and what we got was often total crap. Poor kids also deserve palatable food they actually want to eat.
My family sporadically depended on food aid when we were kids, and what we got was often total crap. Poor kids also deserve palatable food they actually want to eat.
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
And very importantly to me—this is good food. Name brand cereal! Full-size peanut butter! Canned vegetables that aren’t expired!
My family sporadically depended on food aid when we were kids, and what we got was often total crap. Poor kids also deserve palatable food they actually want to eat.
My family sporadically depended on food aid when we were kids, and what we got was often total crap. Poor kids also deserve palatable food they actually want to eat.
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
The caucus meeting was just to orchestrate who would fall on the sword but not be up for a vote in 2026.
so currently defectors are:
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
November 10, 2025 at 2:05 AM
The caucus meeting was just to orchestrate who would fall on the sword but not be up for a vote in 2026.
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
In the midst of all that we are facing, I want us to think about who we are being told to look to for understanding in this moment, who is being propped up as the voice of wisdom, and ask how right were they in predicting this, a year ago, 5, 8 years ago, and then ask why they are being centered now
November 9, 2025 at 5:08 PM
In the midst of all that we are facing, I want us to think about who we are being told to look to for understanding in this moment, who is being propped up as the voice of wisdom, and ask how right were they in predicting this, a year ago, 5, 8 years ago, and then ask why they are being centered now
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
“woke” is when you acknowledge that black people have contributed to the united states
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
November 8, 2025 at 9:01 PM
“woke” is when you acknowledge that black people have contributed to the united states
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
LEFT: It's a Democratic WAVE in Virginia.
RIGHT: The wave is NOT due to a surge in turnout (relative to previous gubernatorial election).
Source: VPAP www.vpap.org/electionresu...
RIGHT: The wave is NOT due to a surge in turnout (relative to previous gubernatorial election).
Source: VPAP www.vpap.org/electionresu...
November 5, 2025 at 3:53 AM
LEFT: It's a Democratic WAVE in Virginia.
RIGHT: The wave is NOT due to a surge in turnout (relative to previous gubernatorial election).
Source: VPAP www.vpap.org/electionresu...
RIGHT: The wave is NOT due to a surge in turnout (relative to previous gubernatorial election).
Source: VPAP www.vpap.org/electionresu...
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
Once more, for old times’ sake
November 5, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Once more, for old times’ sake
Turns out you can win elections by:
1. Listening to your constituents' concerns
2. Restating them publicly
3. Proposing solutions for those concerns
4. Relentlessly explaining how those solutions will address those concerns
That's probably too straightforward to land a Dem consulting gig though.
1. Listening to your constituents' concerns
2. Restating them publicly
3. Proposing solutions for those concerns
4. Relentlessly explaining how those solutions will address those concerns
That's probably too straightforward to land a Dem consulting gig though.
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
November 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Turns out you can win elections by:
1. Listening to your constituents' concerns
2. Restating them publicly
3. Proposing solutions for those concerns
4. Relentlessly explaining how those solutions will address those concerns
That's probably too straightforward to land a Dem consulting gig though.
1. Listening to your constituents' concerns
2. Restating them publicly
3. Proposing solutions for those concerns
4. Relentlessly explaining how those solutions will address those concerns
That's probably too straightforward to land a Dem consulting gig though.
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
November 4, 2025 at 1:37 PM
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 11:25 PM
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
"normies do not care about this thing and so it is no use raising a stink" is imho just an excuse for not doing politics, which is the job of making normies care about something
October 24, 2025 at 2:47 AM
"normies do not care about this thing and so it is no use raising a stink" is imho just an excuse for not doing politics, which is the job of making normies care about something
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
The Python Software Foundation--the charitable organization behind the Python programming language--withdrew their winning grant proposal for $1.5M in NSF funds rather than comply with the Trump admin's directive to eliminate all DEI programs.
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
The PSF has withdrawn a $1.5 million proposal to US government grant program
In January 2025, the PSF submitted a proposal to the US government National Science Foundation under the Safety, Security, and Privacy of Op...
pyfound.blogspot.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The Python Software Foundation--the charitable organization behind the Python programming language--withdrew their winning grant proposal for $1.5M in NSF funds rather than comply with the Trump admin's directive to eliminate all DEI programs.
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
If a democratic Speaker had refused to call the House into session for OVER A MONTH there would be wall to wall coverage on all networks.
What the fuck is wrong with our media
What the fuck is wrong with our media
October 25, 2025 at 11:42 PM
If a democratic Speaker had refused to call the House into session for OVER A MONTH there would be wall to wall coverage on all networks.
What the fuck is wrong with our media
What the fuck is wrong with our media
Unexpected Warhammer strikes again!
the hardest course i took in undergrad was a symbolic logic class that i registered for as a math credit. pretty much everyone got a C or worse on the midterm except for the guy who sat next to me, who spent 100% of every class reading Warhammer novels and aced both exams. mensch
October 25, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Unexpected Warhammer strikes again!
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
The New York Times Argues “Moving to the Center Is the Way to Win.” But the Data Shows the Strategy Is Tapped Out.
Democrats already run moderates in nearly every swing district. It's not enough. A data-driven response to the case for centrism as a core electoral strategy.
data4democracy.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:17 PM
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
This graph from a new AP-NORC poll out this week highlights a crucial point: The Democratic Party's favorability rating is so low today (when compared to the GOP's) because _Democrats_ are upset with the party, not because swing voters rate Ds more negatively than Rs. 1/3
October 17, 2025 at 4:18 PM
This graph from a new AP-NORC poll out this week highlights a crucial point: The Democratic Party's favorability rating is so low today (when compared to the GOP's) because _Democrats_ are upset with the party, not because swing voters rate Ds more negatively than Rs. 1/3
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
Extraordinary NEW story: We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days. @nicolefoy.bsky.social w/ photos by @sbmaneyphoto.bsky.social
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Extraordinary NEW story: We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days. @nicolefoy.bsky.social w/ photos by @sbmaneyphoto.bsky.social
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
Everyday in 2025 we get multiple examples of interest divergence.
@victorerikray.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
@victorerikray.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
October 15, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Everyday in 2025 we get multiple examples of interest divergence.
@victorerikray.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
@victorerikray.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
NASA unit JPL to lay off about 550 workers, citing restructure
NASA unit JPL to lay off about 550 workers, citing restructure
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a research and development lab funded by NASA — the federal space agency — and managed by the Caltech.
cnb.cx
October 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
NASA unit JPL to lay off about 550 workers, citing restructure
Reposted by Cliff Thomas
federal agents stealing children and sending them south. where have i heard about that before?
ICE kidnapped a 7th-grader with a pending asylum claim and spirited him out of state without notifying his parents, seemingly with the cooperation of the local police in Everett, MA.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...
October 12, 2025 at 11:36 PM
federal agents stealing children and sending them south. where have i heard about that before?