Will Bunnett
@willbunnett.bsky.social
120 followers 67 following 300 posts
Democratic Content meets Audience www.willbunnett.com
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willbunnett.bsky.social
Hell yah, I did it the moment I received it. Fellow Californians: step up now! #yeson50 #stopelectionrigging #protectourdemocracy
California ballot showing a Yes vote on Prop 50 A hand puts a completed California ballot into a mailbox
willbunnett.bsky.social
Indeed, if you're not confronting the out of control corruption of SCOTUS, then what even are you rebuilding?
willbunnett.bsky.social
I've argued for years we need to use intention checks instead of fact checks.
jacobmontgomery.bsky.social
What people cannot seem to get through their heads is that the justifications the Trump administration uses to attack higher education is a *pretext* not the actual reason. There is no reasonable permanent compromise available, because their actual goal is control.
brendannyhan.bsky.social
Danielle Allen fails the Lando test / lives out the Arrested Development meme: "A deal on the core principles in a compact could then become a framework for negotiating on legislation." Come ON. With this administration and this Congress?
therenovator.substack.com/p/why-im-exc...
willbunnett.bsky.social
Note: this does not mean they pay attention when you hammer healthcare, either. Something much more trivial/gossipy often works better.
willbunnett.bsky.social
This is normatively true, and yet...in my #politicalpsychology work I've seen that at least a key slice of lo-info voters put up mental barricades when confronted w hi-stakes/hi-salience political issues. That's *how they got to be* lo-info.
whstancil.bsky.social
The idea that talking about the collapse of America is a “high-info” message is so absurd, and so condescending
robinsonmeyer.bsky.social
To stake out a very un-Bluesky position: I basically understand the argument that Murphy is paraphrasing, and I think it is defensible for the party to have messengers like Murphy talk about democracy to high-info high-edu audiences while Bernie, AOC, and congressional leadership hammer healthcare.
Reposted by Will Bunnett
dieworkwear.bsky.social
"no more superficial individual expression"
Pete Hegseth in "fun socks" Pete Hegseth wearing USA flag pocket square, USA lining, contrast stitching, and "America First" embroidery. Pete Hegseth wearing a USA belt buckle. monogrammed shirt cuff, contrast buttonhole, contrast buttons, and USA flag lining. Pete Hegseth in tailored clothing. They are full of cheap "personalization" options common in low-end made-to-measure tailoring.
Reposted by Will Bunnett
thetraecrowder.bsky.social
Here’s my cliff notes summary of Pete Hegseth’s big military address today
willbunnett.bsky.social
Neat illustration of the difference between messaging and positioning.

"If you're explaining, you're losing."
whstancil.bsky.social
That’s better, but I still think the frame of “explaining” is just completely wrong. Don’t explain, attack, and invite the watching public to join you
daninkc.bsky.social
I’m not talking about “Joe Six Pack Regular American Speak” I’m talking fundamental American ideas like why it’s important to have a functioning separation of powers. It’s not even policy, it’s basic civics. People don’t understand that and it’s empowering for people when they do.
willbunnett.bsky.social
So weird that the guy who made COVID worse on purpose is also raising prices on purpose 🤷
scottwiener.bsky.social
The guy who promised to lower the cost of prescription drugs is instead doubling their cost.

Same guy who’s kicking tens of millions off health care.
willbunnett.bsky.social
The absolute right connection to draw here 👇 Basically every recalled progressive of recent years would've done better talking about safety than justice.
thefarce.org
Another thing Mamdani is doing right, and there really are too many to count, is focusing on "safety," which is what people want and not "crime," which is a racist dog whistle that has been screwing off Americans' brains since Nixon '68.
New Yorkers Deserve Safe Streets
YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Will Bunnett
matthew.flux.community
This philosophy, exemplified in the US by Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias, foolishly thinks that people vote on issues.

No, they vote on values. The issue is never the issue. People vote based on psychological orientation and moral values. plus.flux.community/p/americas-p...
America’s political divide is psychological, not ideological
Political scientist J. Eric Oliver on how ‘intuitionism’ is rebelling against ‘rationalism’
plus.flux.community
willbunnett.bsky.social
My testing has shown there’s a significant slice of persuadable voters who want to hear about punishing people—and there are plenty of good ways like this for Dems to do it without becoming what they hate about Trump.
blakeprof.bsky.social
I feel like “immigration is crime but bribes are not” is not a winning “law and order” message.

This is my own bias but I think Dems need to make “the rule of law” one of their planks, and it will matter to a decent slice of electorate.
willbunnett.bsky.social
This is what I don't get about Trump suing NYT (in addition to not having the incentives to cave legally that a CBS/ABC has): the NYT is already so cowed/sympathetic! They're already basically the organ the smart authoritarian would want to keep around so he could say, "See, we allow independence!"
gregsargent.bsky.social
Oh. My. God. Profoundly twisted framing from @nytimes.com The casual reader of this hed and subhed would have exactly zero inkling that this is likely corrupt or even illegal or unconstitutional. Euphemistic to the point of absurdity.
Reposted by Will Bunnett
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
Acts of political violence aren’t acceptable. Non-political school shootings aren’t acceptable. Sacking the legislature isn’t acceptable. Military occupation of peaceful American cities isn’t acceptable. Abductions conducted in courthouse hallways by masked agents of the state aren’t acceptable.
willbunnett.bsky.social
Plus, getting them to howl about it is good, actually. 'When you hear the piggie squeal, that means you've got him by the tail.'
willbunnett.bsky.social
Any Democrat who runs on anything other than a platform of “full accountability under the law for this crime spree” has basically already lost my vote.
timdickinson.bsky.social
This is real, somehow
JD Vance says he doesn't "give a shit" about being accused of a war crime
Reposted by Will Bunnett
maxberger.bsky.social
The last 100 years of US politics
willbunnett.bsky.social
Indeed, there’s still time for the trajectory to change, and hopefully it will
Reposted by Will Bunnett
volts.wtf
"Nearly all of the Democratic voters described their party as adrift without a figure who can rally support or lead their campaign against Trump."

I know politicians are cowards but there is such a lane open here.
Can Democrats rebound? These voters aren’t so sure.
In Philadelphia and Doylestown, Democratic voters are dreaming of a 2028 rebound. But with no clear leader and plenty of frustration, they wonder if the party can deliver.
www.washingtonpost.com
willbunnett.bsky.social
And if that lane doesn't get filled by someone operating in good faith, it will get filled by someone operating in bad faith. Bc today's open Dem lane is equivalent to the one the GOP had circa 2015.
willbunnett.bsky.social
Reminder: Trump made the pandemic worse *on purpose*
volts.wtf
But the entire Dem professional establishment was desperately *trying* to do the right thing & be responsible.

Contrast: immediately upon the arrival of the virus, the right started spreading insane conspiracy theories, attacking public health officials, & refusing to act in solidarity.
willbunnett.bsky.social
Rare moment of potential common ground between Dems who want to Fight and Dems who just want to talk about health care.
gregsargent.bsky.social
This is good: With Trump/RFK destroying CDC, JB Pritzker's officials are exploring the possibility of buying Covid vaccines from manufacturers and distributing them in-state themselves, source tells me.

Dem govs must step up and fill the void.

New piece from me:
newrepublic.com/article/1998...
Trump’s Decapitation of CDC Takes Darker Turn—and Hands Dems a Weapon
Illinois’s J.B. Pritzker is leading a charge other Democratic governors should take up: In our America, we’ll make sure public health systems remain strong.
newrepublic.com