We’re going on offense. If we’re smart enough to choose Ben Wikler as Chair of the DNC.
If we’re going to take on Trump, Republican extremists, and move our country forward, the Democratic Party needs to be stronger. I’m running for Chair of the Democratic National Committee to unite the party, fight everywhere, and win. Join me. 🧵
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler.bsky.social) December 1, 2024 at 8:14 AM
.
Let’s show up where Dems have been missing.
Fox News. Local conservative radio. And new platforms and podcasts—from Joe Rogan to shows you’ve never heard of. And let’s build progressive media at the same time.
If I’m DNC Chair, we’re going on offense.
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler.bsky.social) January 3, 2025 at 3:08 PM
;
I am getting so tired of all the sharp elbows on Balloon Juice. Our coping skills are being tested, for sure. If I were going to write a story about what Balloon Juice has been like these past few months, I would call it Grieving, with Sharp Elbows. I may write that story yet!
But for today, I am heartened by seeing this from Ben Wikler. So far, he’s the only BlueSky tab I keep open.
We’re going on offense. I like the sound of that.
wonkie
I’m ready to fight and I am ready to support Democrats who fight.
Baud
My elbows are rounded.
wenchacha
Thanks.
Ramalama
Thanks for the pep tweet. I listened to an interview with AOC today about her losing the leadership battle and she came off as being determined and strong that she’d gotten as many votes as she did. Ben Wickler makes me as excited as AOC does.
Belafon
And when Rogan turns down a Democratic appearance, Democrats need to take to everywhere and call him out.
Suzanne
I really liked this message from Wikler:
I think it’s important strategically to maintain a strong presence in the conservative media platforms, as well as the ones that are not expressly political, but offer more “lifestyle” content.
narya
@Baud: how about your heels?
Old School
UncleEbeneezer
@Baud: I’m filing mine down with sandpaper, right now.
Almost Retired
@Suzanne: Totally agree. God, it would great if Wikler is selected, Rupert departs for whatever circle of hell he qualifies for, and Lachlan loses his unholy war with the other Succession offspring.
WaterGirl
@Suzanne: That’s the one I thought I was embedding. I somehow grabbed the post above that which is pinned.
Added up top now.
West of the Rockies
Is there anyone else viable who wants the position? Marianne Williamson doesn’t count.
Baud
@West of the Rockies:
Some guy from Minnesota.
Some guy from NY.
Martin O’Malley
comrade scotts agenda of rage
A thoughtful piece from back in 2019 on the entire should Dems go on Faux “News”:
https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/elizabeth_warren_fox_news.php
The author’s takeaway:
One thing pointed out back then by of all people Nate Fucking Silver:
He made that comment in response to Liz Warren’s wonderful blisterscreed:
WaterGirl
@Old School: That’s sweet.
WaterGirl
@West of the Rockies:
To build on what Baud wrote.
Some guy from Minnesota. (Ken Martin) I was not impressed.
Some guy from NY. (James Skoufis) I was really not impressed.
Martin O’Malley (same old, same old)
I did a post about the 4 primary folks running, including video.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
We need people on Fox to tell the viewers stuff that Fox isn’t reporting, like women dying of miscarriages because they can’t get care. Despite the fact most Dems avoid going on the platform, Fox isn’t hurting for advertising dollars.
Mostly, though, we need a presence in new media.
KatKapCC
Sounds like a Hozier song.
Wikler sounds like a good choice to me. I’m not as sanguine about the benefit of Dems going on Fox. Mayor Pete does a good job but others don’t seem to know how to handle it, and then when they’re off screen, the hosts just basically go back to lying to the audience and countering everything the Dem said. But who knows, maybe it might turn a few minds out there, and that would be worth it.
WaterGirl
ENDORSEMENTS
Baud
@WaterGirl:
Lots of home cooking.
ETA: Not a lot of people yet.
hrprogressive
Look, I like the idea of “going on offense”, I really do. Wikler seems like the only guy for the job.
But how many appearances of Mayor Pete on Fox News – home of the brainwashed cult masses – have actually netted anything positive for Democrats?
Going on offense needs to be smart, targeted, and have a chance to work at “winning hearts and minds”.
Going on the equivalent of Fascist State TV doesn’t seem like the right move there, just sayin.
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: Ken Martin has all the Minnesota peeps.
Ken Martin more of a an establishment guy, so he came in with 100 DNC members endorsing him.
I wonder if any of them are rethinking their votes because of Ben Wikler.
West of the Rockies
@WaterGirl:
Thanks, WG. I misses that post. Here’s hoping it’s Ben.
KatKapCC
@WaterGirl: Seems like Wikler’s the favorite!
WaterGirl
@hrprogressive: Maybe you missed the rest of Ben Wikler’s statement?
Fox News. Local conservative radio. And new platforms and podcasts—from Joe Rogan to shows you’ve never heard of. And let’s build progressive media at the same time.
If I’m DNC Chair, we’re going on offense.
Baud
@KatKapCC:
Ken Martin has more endorsements with the DNC people.
Old School
@WaterGirl: Nobody endorsed Some Guy from NY?
Baud
@WaterGirl:
Why is he just going to go on Fox?
different-church-lady
Since we’re in such an ornery mood make sense to channel it somewhere helpful.
WaterGirl
@Baud: @KatKapCC:
Ken Martin walked in the door with the 100 DNC endorsements. He’s an establishment guy. I am not assuming that all those endorsements will hold this time around. We’ll find out.
KatKapCC
@Baud: True, but I wonder if having powerful names like Schumer might end up swaying any of them if it seems like he’s preferred by voters.
hrprogressive
@WaterGirl:
Fox News was the only outlet I cited as being problematic.
The rest of them, and the creation of progressive media, sounds smart enough.
KatKapCC
@Baud: Why do you think it’s only Fox when there are other things listed?
A Ghost to Most
Talk, talk.
WaterGirl
@hrprogressive: I know. But you seem like kind of a glass half empty guy, so I thought I would point out the rest of what’s in the glass. :-)
KatKapCC
@WaterGirl: I like that phrasing!
different-church-lady
@Baud: Elbows are usually the pointy ones. You’re sure that’s not your ass?
WaterGirl
@Old School: I guess not?
None were listed on the Wikipedia page.
karen marie
Really? The new DNC chair is going to further legitimize fucking Joe Rogan?
Give me a fucking break here.
karen marie
@Belafon: Why? He’s a complete fucking floating turd in a bowl of turds.
I just do not understand why anyone thinks attempting to appeal to a bunch of braindead losers who cannot find their way out of a paper bag that’s been torn open and laid flat on the floor is beyond me.
Baud
@karen marie:
We need turds to create a majority.
different-church-lady
@karen marie: turds float, and they vote.
Suzanne
@hrprogressive: For me, going on Fox, or Rogan, or Theo Von, or whatever, falls into the category of “can’t hurt, might help”. What does it cost? Very little. And it can help raise the profile of rising stars, like Secretary Pete. And, especially on the not-expressly-political venues, it helps with that all-important “permission structure”.
I have never seen any convincing argument that avoiding media platforms is effective or persuasive. It just perpetuates that vacuum.
karen marie
@Baud: No, we don’t.
different-church-lady
@Baud: Or, we need non-turds to outvote them.
Didn’t really get that done this go, did we.
karen marie
@different-church-lady: They’re never going to vote for a Democrat. It’s a pointless exercise.
When you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty, and the pig likes it. Fuck that noise.
Baud
@different-church-lady:
Nope.
gene108
Grieving, with Sharp Elbows is a very succinct description, WaterGirl.
different-church-lady
@karen marie: Well unfortunately the pigs run everything now. So we have to wrestle them.
banditqueen
If our media were to go on the offensive (or even attempt to be balanced), they’d report this: (Jim McGovern has not been at all afraid to go on the offensive.) Well, the bluesky post didn’t embed so here’s a summary via Acyn-
WaterGirl
Trump lied to everyone, including people who watch FOX and Joe *Rogan.
*I remember years ago getting Joe Rogen and Joe Rogan confused. Then I had my little trick that RogAn was the Asshole and RogEn was (I forget). But the first part helps me remember which is which. :-)
We need to talk about the lies and the corruption everywhere.
WaterGirl
@gene108: I’ll take that as a compliment!
different-church-lady
@WaterGirl:
…the Elbow! Gotta know which is which!
Gretchen
Great news if Ben Wikler is elected.
Chris Hayes has an interesting theory. He points out that the talent that has made him successful is remembering that people hate to be bored so he works on being entertaining. He thinks that’s a big part of Trump’s appeal: he’s always doing/saying entertaining things, and Americans hate to be bored. Competent governance is boring and hard for journalists to write about. Trump is always giving an easy story. Now how do we figure out how to make Democrats entertaining?
Baud
@Gretchen:
Chris Hayes is many weeks behind BJ.
ETA
Random evidence of this phenomenon from Blue sky.
lowtechcyclist
@narya:
I saw that! :D
Old Man Shadow
Were we not on the offensive?
Baud
@Old Man Shadow:
Since we lost, we were retroactively not on offense.
Jeffro
the best defense is a good offense
also, all I really want to do is go on offense until these cretins are driven back under their rocks
count me IN
Aurona
These are all interesting for white men running for DNC chair. I love representation, and those who can go on Fox like Pete can, but there’s not that many and more will look like morons who get their behind whupped. So only the bright bulbs, please. But there’s this BS (blue sky) Ben Wikler (and staffers here), who unfortunately, run to BS & have a board of directors, Jack left back in May, and I see no redeeming social value in going there. Just as Threads and all the other left behinds dwindled away. I’m sticking with Spoutible, black ownership, watching it grow, and they clean up shit immediately if there’s a bad seed. If Bouzy is called a n****r after posting on BS, it’s no place for me. That’s what the South African derelict nazi does, so why jump to that ship when its in need of repairs in that leaky sky? Also: MUST we think the repair to dems is white guys? Please. No. They’re the least viable for our transformative multi-cultural party. I on the other hand, can stop reading stuff I don’t believe in but will continue to be a democrat as I have been since 1968 when I voted for my first democratic candidate for President. Peace to all.
KatKapCC
@Gretchen: “Entertaining” is not the word I would use to describe Trump’s schtick.
gene108
@Belafon:
Whining isn’t a good look. Winning his mostly male audience with “boo hoo, Joe’s not letting us on” won’t work.
His show is not inherently political. My problem with him is he gives a big platform to conspiracy theorists in the name of hearing all sides of a debate.
@karen marie:
The Joe Rogan fans I’ve worked with were not brain dead losers.
They’re normies who have interests that line up with Rogan, like MMA fandom, and lives to lead.
I do not know how many Rogan fans are politically engaged and are voters. From my small sample of his fans, they were not very political and like most people have a distrust of the “system”.
Omnes Omnibus
@Old Man Shadow: Having lost, we could go into a defensive crouch or fight. Wikler advocates fighting.
AWOL
@Suzanne: I think this is a positive move.
When I was young, when Reagan was a joke, and when the Dems generally held Congress (including Segregationist scum), the fascists often appeared on the Evil Communist/Liberal-controlled Sunday talk shows. In fact, their pasty presence dominated, and “Tax and Spend Democrats” or “another wasteful Democrat project” or “godless UnAmerican Democrats” were always-hurled memes, often fit into each segment multiple times.
It worked for those bastards.
tobie
@KatKapCC: I’m sorry Wikler gave in to the talking point that Dems don’t go on rightwing media. That is patently untrue. The problem is the game is rigged.
A unified party that wasn’t so hellbent on criticizing itself and downplaying its own achievements would make a huge difference. Good luck to Wikler in creating that environment.
Baud
@KatKapCC:
Same. We’re in the minority.
KatKapCC
@Baud: Like, is Trump ever genuinely funny? No. Does he tell good stories? Lord no. The fact that there are still liberals who refuse to accept that his audience likes him because of his stupidity and bigotry is aggravating.
Baud
@KatKapCC:
Those things are inherently subjective and culturally coded.
zhena gogolia
@Old School: Can she do that for me now?
zhena gogolia
Kamala told me to transfer my monthly donation to the DNC, so I did, in hopes of Wikler.
Another Scott
@hrprogressive: Before anyone can agree with what we want to do, they have to think about our proposed policies. Before anyone can think about our proposed policies, they have to actually be exposed to them.
Fox News is one outlet where people who haven’t been exposed to our proposed policies hang out.
“Where you stand depends on where you sit.” You spread ideas by hanging out with people who haven’t been exposed to them before. You go to them.
FWIW.
Best wishes,
Scott.
gene108
@WaterGirl:
It is very much a compliment.
Suzanne
@KatKapCC: Back in 2016, during the primaries, I actually went to a Trump rally with SuzMom, and we heckled and started shit and tried to get kicked out. I actually live-commented the experience here on BJ.
I found it boring as fuck — there was, no exaggerating, forty-five minutes of him talking about people booking events at his properties, then backing out, and then he shouted, “And I kept THEIR DEPOSIT! And then it happened again, and I kept THEIR DEPOSIT!” But the crowd there ate that shit up. It was, like, rock-concert-level cheers.
The schmuck hosted a hit TV show. He knows how to be entertaining.
We did not get kicked out, but I did offend one lady so bad that I heard her talking on her phone, “There’s this crazy bitch here, and she likes Al Sharpton!“
gene108
@tobie:
Without a media megaphone, who’s going to notice Democratic unity or achievements?
twbrandt
Speaking of fighting, Hakeem Jeffries brings the heat in this clip. You can see Mike Johnson in the background looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
tobie
@gene108: I’m in rural Maryland and most of my neighbors adore Joe Rogan. They love his contrariness and believe everything he says about vaccines, gold, herbal remedies, Bitcoin, etc. I wouldn’t say they’re stupid but they’re also not bright. What they are is smug: convinced that they’re the only ones pulling their weight in this country. Trump, the builder, is their idea of success. Fauci, the eminent infectious disease expert, is corrupt and dumb. I limit my conversations with them to local birds. Anything else would be too upsetting.
Gretchen
@hrprogressive: They hear the same lies over and over that they don’t know are lies. Having Pete calmly debunk at least lets them know their facts may not be correct. Even the hosts sometimes seems surprised, like they hadn’t heard that fact before.
I really wanted Harris and Walz to go on Hot Ones, where the interviewer gives increasingly hot wings while asking questions.
tobie
@gene108: Unity is a megaphone of its own kind. Imagine if Dems could actually hold a party line on anything. Their appearances on podcasts, broadcasts and on social media would be so much more effective if they didn’t feel like they had to distance themselves from the party on one issue or another. Think of Buttigieg who had no problem touting Dem achievements even when in the lion’s den.
RevRick
@narya: Ouch
RevRick
@Old Man Shadow: I strive to be not inoffensive.
cain
@Baud:
hot
cain
@WaterGirl: So Nancy will pick Martin oMalley then eh?
WaterGirl
@gene108: Then thank you!
Elizabelle
@tobie: A neighborhood full of Dunning-Kruger types. My sympathies.
RevRick
@KatKapCC: Trump speaks to them in stories. His endless whining about shower water pressure? See what pointy-headed bureaucrats and do-gooder liberals do! The shark versus battery choice? Those Green New Dealers want to take all your fun away, and for what? Hannibal Lechter? Democrats will devour your freedom.
We need to learn how to create simple, clear stories that work metaphorically.
Suzanne
@KatKapCC:
I think Trump makes being racist and sexist and offensive really fucken fun and entertaining to his base. Pointing out that he is exceedingly skilled at the dark arts of entertainment and manipulation is by no means any implication that he is not racist, sexist, ableist, a complete moron at everything else, etc.
More like….. the shit sandwich has an array of flavor notes.
Glory b
@Gretchen: He thinks Trump is entertaining? Really?
Wasn’t there a book called “Entertaining Ourselves to Death?” Isn’t that what we’re doing?
I’d like to take this time to mention Roman’s recently-ended liberal use of the “n word?” Is confrontational and insulting attitude towards black women?
Has anyone thought of how to explain the newly found Democratic affection for him? Have the Pod Save My Trust Fund guys thought of that?
Aussie Sheila
@tobie:
This exactly. Focus and unity are the best force multipliers in war and politics. They will over come a disorganised larger force every time.
Baud
More trolling
JCJ
@karen marie: While I largely agree I am curious what our Blogmaster thinks. After all, he was once the prime audience for the Joe Rogan/hate radio types and look where he is now.
LAC
@Aurona: well, if the solution to our “problem” is the human equivalents of yacht music going out to these wingnut and wingnut adjacent outlets to reassure “floating voting turds” that the party is not a blackity black/gay hellscape, people seem to onboard with it. I dunno…we shall see. Sigh….
Kay
@gene108:
Rogan IS political though. I have listened to him with my two sons and even the non -political themes have a really misogynist swagger. There’s an edge. I would suggest that people don’t think he’s political because he’s in the group that is the norm everyone else is measured by.
WaterGirl
@Glory b: Does Roman = Rogan?
If not, who the heck is Roman?
Dan B
@RevRick: I worked with liberal religious leaders trying to persuade them to repeat simple narratives. Unfortunately nearly all of the liberals had academic training where you’re rewarded for the biggest number of complex words and concepts
I finally gave up. They did nit seem to hear the word simple.
Kay
@gene108:
I’ll accept Dems going on Rogan as long as we’re clear that Joe Rogan puts forth a cultural and political identity – it’s absolutely identity politics. That’s what his listeners are responding to – no one listens to four solid hours of a moron discussing mushrooms. A whole other thing is going on at the same time and THATS what men are responding to.
Glory b
@WaterGirl: Yes, it’s Rogan.
Glory b
@Dan B: Martin Luther King used big words and big concepts.
Once again, how is it that black people figured this out and white people can’t?
WTFGhost
Hee. I don’t know if I ever helped sharp elbows (other than increasing them) but I’ve been down for the count since Christmas Eve.
I do feel it’s past time to get over bitter disappointments and anger within, and put the anger outwards, where it belongs, on the people actually doing the evil. I know it’s hard, but, it’s part of being a real adult, rather than a physically mature human. (Or whatever species you happen to be – I’m not automatically judgmental.)
WaterGirl
@Glory b: He has actually been saying the n-word? I knew there was speculation that he wan’t far from that, but that’s disgusting.
Kay
I don’t care if Democrats go on Rogan but no one should kid themselves about whether the show is “political” or on the Right.
His non political guests may be liberals or Democrats, I don’t know and either will anyone else since they don’t talk about politics, but nearly all his political guests are far Right.
jowriter
@UncleEbeneezer: Right there with ya. And mine have always been sharp when necessary. Can’t think of a better time to sharpen them.
Professor Bigfoot
@Glory b: Watch out; I get yelled at when I point out things like that.
RevRick
@Dan B: I ran into this problem early on in my first parish. It was a working class congregation, and I was told I gave a “nice talk.” Not a compliment. Anyway, a retired school teacher in the church hauled my butt into the church library after worship, and explained to me that my big words and complex sentences were losing people. I took the hint and used my thesaurus to reverse engineer my language to simple, straightforward words. After several Sundays, she pronounced my sermons were much better.
Another Scott
Wikler has been reading some of us here on this nearly top 10,000 blog??
Greg Sergent at TNR:
(Repost) – PewResearch.org:
2/3 of non-voters either thought their vote didn’t matter or they simply don’t like politics. This is a big (but, of course, nonuniform) block of people that aren’t MAGA or whathaveyou. They’re probably cynical, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t persuadable.
We can’t give up.
Best wishes,
Scott.
Bill Arnold
@Another Scott:
That’s a large number of voters. Hmm.
Starfish (she/her)
We had a great time at the meet up, and so many people showed up! Someone who is not me admitted to not having pets, but I wanted to get pet credit for helping care for the neighbor’s guinea pigs for almost two weeks.
Jinchi
We spend a lot of time telling people that their vote doesn’t matter if they don’t live in one of 6 states. Of course that isn’t even true for the down ballot races, like Congress and the Senate.
We should probably stop doing that.
Melancholy Jaques
@Jinchi:
I don’t know who you mean by “we” but I never said anything like that and I never heard any Democrat say anything like that.
People who do not want to vote have never been short of grief & excuses to explain why they don’t. The fact is they are not persuadable by the means available to campaigns. If any of them do decide to become voters, it will be because of some random event in their lives that causes the change.