Wannabephd
@wannabe-phd.bsky.social
Burner account because I work for a red state university, Poli Sci PhD Candidate moving into the private sector, mostly hot takes, sometimes well thought out empirical analysis
Reposted by Wannabephd
You gotta admit, their names sure are a cosmic coincidence.
January 25, 2026 at 11:36 PM
You gotta admit, their names sure are a cosmic coincidence.
I do want to point out that I agree with and endorse this, my criticism of elected Dems not withstanding.
Welcoming people to the resistance is different than criticizing the incompetence of people supposedly leading it and demanding better.
Welcoming people to the resistance is different than criticizing the incompetence of people supposedly leading it and demanding better.
If people are speaking out who haven’t spoken out before, do not berate them for *finally getting it*. Thank them for adding their voice to the choir. Different people have different internal lines for the bravery of standing up. Whenever they do make them feel welcome.
January 25, 2026 at 4:52 PM
I do want to point out that I agree with and endorse this, my criticism of elected Dems not withstanding.
Welcoming people to the resistance is different than criticizing the incompetence of people supposedly leading it and demanding better.
Welcoming people to the resistance is different than criticizing the incompetence of people supposedly leading it and demanding better.
He’ll get a promise for a vote on addressing this stuff in two weeks and say “well that’s better than we had two weeks ago.”
Angus King showed us months ago that he’s a deeply unserious politician who isn’t prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to this administration.
Angus King showed us months ago that he’s a deeply unserious politician who isn’t prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to this administration.
Sen. Angus King: "I can't vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances"
January 25, 2026 at 4:29 PM
He’ll get a promise for a vote on addressing this stuff in two weeks and say “well that’s better than we had two weeks ago.”
Angus King showed us months ago that he’s a deeply unserious politician who isn’t prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to this administration.
Angus King showed us months ago that he’s a deeply unserious politician who isn’t prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to this administration.
Reposted by Wannabephd
strange to me that a lot of people on this website simultaneously agree that the administration is run by incompetents who struggle to carry out their agenda without major political blowback AND that they’ll pull off a complex and sophisticated effort to rig elections and prevent defeat in November
January 25, 2026 at 3:49 PM
strange to me that a lot of people on this website simultaneously agree that the administration is run by incompetents who struggle to carry out their agenda without major political blowback AND that they’ll pull off a complex and sophisticated effort to rig elections and prevent defeat in November
Walz is trying his best not to give into what so many are asking him for right now (which I understand his reluctance, because it’s exactly what Trump wants).
Right now the thing I’m constantly wondering is if state or local police got an order to shut down ICE activity would they obey it…
Right now the thing I’m constantly wondering is if state or local police got an order to shut down ICE activity would they obey it…
Walz: "I call on all Americans to see the decency this state is exhibiting, and the horrific cruelty, unprofessional, absolute abomination that is passing for what these f--- ICE agents are doing on our streets."
January 25, 2026 at 4:43 AM
Walz is trying his best not to give into what so many are asking him for right now (which I understand his reluctance, because it’s exactly what Trump wants).
Right now the thing I’m constantly wondering is if state or local police got an order to shut down ICE activity would they obey it…
Right now the thing I’m constantly wondering is if state or local police got an order to shut down ICE activity would they obey it…
Part of me wonders if they’re actually acting like people who think they will be out of power soon.
Like they know the end is coming, so they’ll burn everything down and leech all the money they can, then they leave like a bunch of drunk college kids who trashed their AirBnB.
Like they know the end is coming, so they’ll burn everything down and leech all the money they can, then they leave like a bunch of drunk college kids who trashed their AirBnB.
Republicans act like they will never be out of power. Like they will rule this country forever. Like they will never have consequences for their actions and screw the constitution. Change is coming, it always does. We have learned being complacent, and taking our country for granted got us here
January 25, 2026 at 3:54 AM
Part of me wonders if they’re actually acting like people who think they will be out of power soon.
Like they know the end is coming, so they’ll burn everything down and leech all the money they can, then they leave like a bunch of drunk college kids who trashed their AirBnB.
Like they know the end is coming, so they’ll burn everything down and leech all the money they can, then they leave like a bunch of drunk college kids who trashed their AirBnB.
Nonviolence builds popular support, but it doesn’t ever do a whole lot to change policy or stop things from happening.
Do not slow yourself to be drawn into a discussion on pacifism at this time. You will never be passive and compliant enough to not be a threat in the face of state violence.
January 25, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Nonviolence builds popular support, but it doesn’t ever do a whole lot to change policy or stop things from happening.
Related to my last post, on that random, unseasonably warm day that led to the fall of the last Czar, it was women who led the charge.
I'm not sure Democrats in D.C. are aware that their base's rage against ICE has reached a level of blinding white-hot intensity.
They're worried about "looking weak" for voting "against law enforcement" when they should be worried a mob of housewives is going to come beat them to death if they do.
They're worried about "looking weak" for voting "against law enforcement" when they should be worried a mob of housewives is going to come beat them to death if they do.
January 25, 2026 at 3:46 AM
Related to my last post, on that random, unseasonably warm day that led to the fall of the last Czar, it was women who led the charge.
The last Czar fell partly because it was unseasonably warm one random day after months of freezing temperatures.
The thing is, mass movements tend to fizzle out without elite backing. But that elite backing doesn’t have to be people at the top of the food chain right now.
The thing is, mass movements tend to fizzle out without elite backing. But that elite backing doesn’t have to be people at the top of the food chain right now.
My message to Durbin and Duckworth today was simple: if this isn't stopped now, before it escalates into warm weather and more places, nothing else is going to matter. This is the whole ball game.
January 25, 2026 at 3:43 AM
The last Czar fell partly because it was unseasonably warm one random day after months of freezing temperatures.
The thing is, mass movements tend to fizzle out without elite backing. But that elite backing doesn’t have to be people at the top of the food chain right now.
The thing is, mass movements tend to fizzle out without elite backing. But that elite backing doesn’t have to be people at the top of the food chain right now.
Seriously though, why doesn’t anyone ask him why he is so perpetually uninformed of what the president is saying or doing?
Like, how is he the Speaker of the House and never seems to know what the president has done or said?
Like, how is he the Speaker of the House and never seems to know what the president has done or said?
Surprise! Mike Johnson says he hasn't seen any of Trump's (bonkers) speech in Davos
January 21, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Seriously though, why doesn’t anyone ask him why he is so perpetually uninformed of what the president is saying or doing?
Like, how is he the Speaker of the House and never seems to know what the president has done or said?
Like, how is he the Speaker of the House and never seems to know what the president has done or said?
IF (and that’s a very big if) there is a red line for Reps, it’s this. At this point it’s about the only thing I could see happening that would actually end with him being removed.
@allenanalysis.bsky.social
Your post on the hellsite is very interesting indeed.
Will they use their influence to support impeachment proceedings?
Your post on the hellsite is very interesting indeed.
Will they use their influence to support impeachment proceedings?
January 18, 2026 at 6:53 AM
IF (and that’s a very big if) there is a red line for Reps, it’s this. At this point it’s about the only thing I could see happening that would actually end with him being removed.
Our country is burning, our politicians are enablers or inept, and we’re sleepwalking towards an eruption.
Democracies are stable because they have valves built in to relieve political pressure.
Right now the pressure is really high and the next pressure release is a year away. That’s scary…
Democracies are stable because they have valves built in to relieve political pressure.
Right now the pressure is really high and the next pressure release is a year away. That’s scary…
January 15, 2026 at 8:25 AM
Our country is burning, our politicians are enablers or inept, and we’re sleepwalking towards an eruption.
Democracies are stable because they have valves built in to relieve political pressure.
Right now the pressure is really high and the next pressure release is a year away. That’s scary…
Democracies are stable because they have valves built in to relieve political pressure.
Right now the pressure is really high and the next pressure release is a year away. That’s scary…
There is no war in Ba Sing Se…
US ENVOY TO UN - THERE IS NO WAR AGAINST VENEZUELA OR ITS PEOPLE, WE ARE NOT OCCUPYING A COUNTRY
January 5, 2026 at 5:01 PM
There is no war in Ba Sing Se…
Trump actually brought him back to US soil?
This is going to absolutely blow up in his face. You kind of need every judge up and down the line to be compliant for a show trial, and last I checked Aileen Cannon wasn’t a judge in New York.
This is going to absolutely blow up in his face. You kind of need every judge up and down the line to be compliant for a show trial, and last I checked Aileen Cannon wasn’t a judge in New York.
⚡️Update: Venezuelan President Maduro lands in New York following US capture.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro landed at a military base in New York around 5 p.m. local time following his capture by U.S. special operations units earlier on Jan. 3.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro landed at a military base in New York around 5 p.m. local time following his capture by U.S. special operations units earlier on Jan. 3.
Venezuela will be governed by US until 'safe, proper, and judicious transition,' Trump says
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of...
kyivindependent.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Trump actually brought him back to US soil?
This is going to absolutely blow up in his face. You kind of need every judge up and down the line to be compliant for a show trial, and last I checked Aileen Cannon wasn’t a judge in New York.
This is going to absolutely blow up in his face. You kind of need every judge up and down the line to be compliant for a show trial, and last I checked Aileen Cannon wasn’t a judge in New York.
He really said … like actually … history is definitely being written by a third grader at this point. The Donroe Doctrine… really?
Trump: "All the way back it dated to the Monroe Doctrines. And the Monroe Doctrine is a big deal. But we've superseded it by a lot. By a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Document. I don't know. It's Monroe Doctrine. We sort of forgot about it."
January 3, 2026 at 7:36 PM
He really said … like actually … history is definitely being written by a third grader at this point. The Donroe Doctrine… really?
Go ahead and ask Charles I, or The Girondins, or Charles X, or Nicholas II how their “quick and easy” wars worked out for them…
January 3, 2026 at 9:17 AM
Go ahead and ask Charles I, or The Girondins, or Charles X, or Nicholas II how their “quick and easy” wars worked out for them…
The most devastating criticism I’ve received on a paper is “I see the beginnings of an argument here...”
This gives the same vibes…
This gives the same vibes…
⚡️ G20 leaders say Trump's Ukraine peace deal has 'important elements' but needs 'additional work.'
"We welcome the continued US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine," a statement read.
"We welcome the continued US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine," a statement read.
G20 leaders say Trump's Ukraine peace deal has 'important elements' but needs 'additional work'
"We welcome the continued US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine," the leaders of the European Union, the U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Japan, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Norway, and Finland...
kyivindependent.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:59 AM
The most devastating criticism I’ve received on a paper is “I see the beginnings of an argument here...”
This gives the same vibes…
This gives the same vibes…
There’s way too much weird shit going on right now.
Trump is best friends with Mamdani, MTG resigns, and both of these things come a few weeks after Dems cave on the shutdown.
Idk what it all could mean, but like it’s weird…
Trump is best friends with Mamdani, MTG resigns, and both of these things come a few weeks after Dems cave on the shutdown.
Idk what it all could mean, but like it’s weird…
November 22, 2025 at 4:01 AM
There’s way too much weird shit going on right now.
Trump is best friends with Mamdani, MTG resigns, and both of these things come a few weeks after Dems cave on the shutdown.
Idk what it all could mean, but like it’s weird…
Trump is best friends with Mamdani, MTG resigns, and both of these things come a few weeks after Dems cave on the shutdown.
Idk what it all could mean, but like it’s weird…
I’ve thought about where the parties move after Trump leaves and I’ve low key settled on a populist vs establishment/business split
The thing I can’t figure out is if we end up having less polarized parties because each party has a populist and establishment wing, or the populists bolt to one party
The thing I can’t figure out is if we end up having less polarized parties because each party has a populist and establishment wing, or the populists bolt to one party
this is your brain when your entire politics is just a set of aesthetics
just bleak, man
November 22, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I’ve thought about where the parties move after Trump leaves and I’ve low key settled on a populist vs establishment/business split
The thing I can’t figure out is if we end up having less polarized parties because each party has a populist and establishment wing, or the populists bolt to one party
The thing I can’t figure out is if we end up having less polarized parties because each party has a populist and establishment wing, or the populists bolt to one party
Cue the surprised pikachu faces and the “I’m very disappointed they didn’t negotiate in good faith.”
In the most predictable development ever, Mike Johnson is not committing to hold a House vote on ACA subsidies
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Cue the surprised pikachu faces and the “I’m very disappointed they didn’t negotiate in good faith.”
Narrator: They did not, in fact, have a guaranteed vote.
Angus King: "This initial strategy didn't work. And now we have one. We're gonna have a guaranteed vote on the ACA, and it may not succeed. I grant that. But a reasonable chance -- 10, 20, 30% -- is a lot better than 0% which is where we were."
November 10, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Narrator: They did not, in fact, have a guaranteed vote.
Narrator: They were not, in fact, ready to work with them…
Shaheen: "We've heard from a number of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that they're willing to come to the table, they're willing to work with us once the govt is open to get this done. We've heard the same thing from the White House. So now we'll see if they're really gonna work w/us"
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Narrator: They were not, in fact, ready to work with them…
This aged poorly…
Newsom: 'Democratic Party of old' is no more
Newsom: 'Democratic Party of old' is no more
California's governor said Democrats proved they would just not accept President Donald Trump's actions lying down.
dlvr.it
November 10, 2025 at 4:57 AM
This aged poorly…
Reposted by Wannabephd
when you've rallied enough votes in favor of eliminating access to healthcare for millions of americans that you can vote against without messing up the plan
November 10, 2025 at 2:32 AM
when you've rallied enough votes in favor of eliminating access to healthcare for millions of americans that you can vote against without messing up the plan
In today’s bit of extremely, ridiculously obvious news.
Yet, despite this, instead of doubling down on their leverage to get literally any kind of concession, they use this knowledge to cave knowing full well they won’t face electoral consequences.
Yet, despite this, instead of doubling down on their leverage to get literally any kind of concession, they use this knowledge to cave knowing full well they won’t face electoral consequences.
Jeffries: Democrats will ‘definitely’ win back House in 2026
Jeffries: Democrats will ‘definitely’ win back House in 2026
The House minority leader was less certain (but still hopeful) about Democrats' chances in the Senate.
dlvr.it
November 10, 2025 at 4:41 AM
In today’s bit of extremely, ridiculously obvious news.
Yet, despite this, instead of doubling down on their leverage to get literally any kind of concession, they use this knowledge to cave knowing full well they won’t face electoral consequences.
Yet, despite this, instead of doubling down on their leverage to get literally any kind of concession, they use this knowledge to cave knowing full well they won’t face electoral consequences.