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Darin Self

@darinself.com

21K followers 490 following 8.4K posts

Assistant Professor of Political Science -- Researching democratization, autocracies, the military, and political parties. Chair of Utah County Democratic Party -- working to make democracy work locally: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/utcountydems

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Darin Self @darinself.com · Sep 10

This year I became the chair of the Democratic Party in Utah's second largest county.

I'm working to build a real party from the neighborhood up, but we don't get support from the national party.

If you want to help, you can donate here:

secure.actblue.com/donate/utcou...

Donate to Utah County Democratic Party (UT)

Show your support with a contribution.

secure.actblue.com

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 14h

Marxists on the Mall is a great punk band name

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Mike Johnson on CNBC: "I think it has a lot to do with the 'Hate America Rally' that's gonna be on the Mall on Saturday. You're gonna have all the antifa and BLM and pro-Hamas people, all the Marxists will be on the Mall."

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 14h

People do not want more bloatware and it seems this is something MS has never learned.

Darin Self @darinself.com · 14h

I'm now seeing Tricolor pop up over again and again which is...not great

www.reuters.com/business/us-...

www.reuters.com

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Reposted by Darin Self

Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 15h

"No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”
-Article 1, Section 8, US Constitution

Not a "norm" violation. A legal and constitutional violation.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Leavitt: "President Trump had to tap into tariff revenue to get WIC money out the door for vulnerable women, infants, and children/"

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 15h

My word that's scary. Glad to hear he is ok.

Reposted by Darin Self

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 15h

Just received from a colleague: looks like Penn is going to join the universities refusing the extortionary Trump "compact". I do not regret to inform you that we are going to win

screenshot of an email saying:

"To the Penn Community:

For 285 years, Penn has been anchored and guided by continuous self-improvement, using education as a ladder for opportunity, and advancing discoveries that serve our community, our nation, and the world.

Since receiving the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education on October 1, I have sought input from faculty, alumni, trustees, students, staff and others who care deeply about Penn. The goal was to ensure that our response reflected our values and the perspectives of our broad community.

Earlier today, I informed the U.S. Department of Education that Penn respectfully declines to sign the proposed Compact. As requested, we also provided focused feedback highlighting areas of existing alignment as well as substantive concerns.

At Penn, we are committed to merit-based achievement and accountability. The long-standing partnership between American higher education and the federal government has greatly benefited society and our nation. Shared goals and investment in talent and ideas will turn possibility into progress.

I am grateful to the Penn community for your thoughtful input and for what you bring to our University and our missions every day.

Sincerely,

J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
President
University of Pennsylvania"

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 15h

This is blatantly unconstitutional and why no Democrat should ever hedge on "well tariffs..."

The President does not have the authority to impose taxes nor does he have the authority to distribute unconstitutionally collected revenue from those taxes.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Leavitt: "President Trump had to tap into tariff revenue to get WIC money out the door for vulnerable women, infants, and children/"

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 15h

"I was married but I'm not married anymore. Women don't like the vehicle."

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Reposted by Darin Self

Tony Yates @t0nyyates.bsky.social · 16h

Prediction: MS and Apple pushing their OS' into AI is going to create a market opportunity for Linux as an AI-clean alternative, which most people will use via intermediaries pre-packaging it up to help normies avoid impromptu computer science studies involved in installation and maintenance.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 16h

Even they know that its going to be problematic!

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 16h

I honestly don't get this. The power of a computer is that it computes based on direct commands.

An LLM responds based on probability so now we're going to get computers that regularly mess up on computing -- the very thing its supposed to be?

Tom Warren @tomwarren.co.uk · 19h

This is the future of Windows. Microsoft wants to rewrite Windows to turn computers into AI PCs that you talk to. It's now bringing AI features to all Windows 11 PCs today, in a bid to convince you to talk to your PC and let AI control it. Full details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/799768/...

Microsoft wants you to talk to your PC and let AI control it

Copilot Voice and Vision are now rolling out.

www.theverge.com

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 16h

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 16h

Burn it all down

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 19h

www.wsj.com/tech/persona...

Say what, now?

A family member sent me an image of a baby dressed in an elf outfit. My baby. It was adorable—and unnerving.
My cousin took a photo from our group chat and uploaded it to Meta AI. While his heart was in the right place, my mind was spinning. What could Meta do with my son’s face? The privacy policy of Meta Platforms says the company can use these images to “improve AIs and related technology.”
In the age of AI, I can’t control where my—or my son’s—face ends up. Our likenesses are no longer our own.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 16h

100% we should cheer this on. He is saying Congress should control the money which is upholding the Constitution.

Schnorkles O'Bork @schnorkles.bsky.social · 17h

I understand the justifiable criticism here, but Thune doing a 1:1 with MSNBC and not blindly slobbering Trump is actually more than people are giving it credit for.

This is the sort of "cracks appearing in the party"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

THUNE: Fund the government the old fashioned way -- I don't think you need rescissions

VITALI: Have you said to the WH, maybe don't do another rescissions package? Feels like it's poisoned the well

THUNE: It's in everybody's best interest, including the WH, to do a normal appropriations process

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 17h

This AI stuff is so good we have to force it onto your in every way shape or form and make it difficult to remove.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 17h

Nope, not doing this!

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 17h

This is what they are. Its not "we disagree with what they want" its "Opposition to us means they hate America"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Daines on No Kings: "This is a 'We Hate America' rally"

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 17h

This should be a far bigger story than it is.

Mike Johnson is refusing the basic constitutional right of representation to hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 18h

It's been 23 days since Adelita Grijalva was elected by the people of Arizona's seventh congressional district to represent them in Congress.

Mike Johnson still refuses to swear her in.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

The national party organization is weak because it has historically delegated everything to states

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

You are literally highlighting a elementary collective action problem that scores of parties around the world have solved

Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

I'm going to have to pull my expertise card here. Im literally an expert on the internal organization and capacity of political parties around the world.

I know the problem when I see it.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

No, this is an issue stemming from the structure of a weak and inept party.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

They shouldn't, but DNC leadership is completely appear oblivious to a massive coordination dilemma that is exacerbated by the party's use of Act Blue and consultation firms.

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

Hi, county chair of a Democratic Party here.

This is a sign of a weak party. I am in a county of 750k and we're lucky to get a few hundred dollars a month.

The DNC and state party shift costs and burdens to us.

Donate to your local party, not just candidates.

Ben McAdams Memorial Act. but on BlueSky @purrtah.bsky.social · 1d

Meanwhile the Dem taking on Boebert in CO04

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Darin Self @darinself.com · 1d

This is authoritarianism.

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 1d

"A senior IRS official involved in the effort has drawn up a list of potential targets that includes major Democratic donors, some of the people said."

Exclusive | Trump Team Plans IRS Overhaul to Enable Pursuit of Left-Leaning Groups

The effort would install a Trump ally at the IRS’s criminal unit who has drawn up a list of investigative targets.

www.wsj.com

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