Jonathan Bernstein
@jonathanbernstein.bsky.social
Good Politics/Bad Politics - Subscribe! https://goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/ Also I root for the Giants. The Making of the Presidential Candidates 2024.
5 concerts you've seen
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
XTC
The Ramones
Harry Chapin
Husker Du
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
XTC
The Ramones
Harry Chapin
Husker Du
The Fall
Pavement
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Suede
Mudhoney
Pavement
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Suede
Mudhoney
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen.
Pixies
Rolling Stones
Sade
John Otway
Cud
Pixies
Rolling Stones
Sade
John Otway
Cud
November 27, 2025 at 11:05 PM
5 concerts you've seen
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
XTC
The Ramones
Harry Chapin
Husker Du
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
XTC
The Ramones
Harry Chapin
Husker Du
Totally thrilled with the Macy's parade catering to the Olds with Jewel, Busta Rhymes, Kool & the Gang...could have done without Foreigner though.
November 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Totally thrilled with the Macy's parade catering to the Olds with Jewel, Busta Rhymes, Kool & the Gang...could have done without Foreigner though.
First album only (five, not "top" five)
Elvis - Welcome to the Working Week
Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's in Love
The Muffs - Lucky Guy
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
BAD - Medicine Show
Elvis - Welcome to the Working Week
Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's in Love
The Muffs - Lucky Guy
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
BAD - Medicine Show
November 26, 2025 at 8:53 PM
First album only (five, not "top" five)
Elvis - Welcome to the Working Week
Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's in Love
The Muffs - Lucky Guy
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
BAD - Medicine Show
Elvis - Welcome to the Working Week
Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's in Love
The Muffs - Lucky Guy
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
BAD - Medicine Show
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
The Senate Democratic primary in Massachusetts could feature three pols who got to Congress by refusing to wait their turn. That might fit voters’ mood this cycle. My new piece:
open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...
open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...
Three Rebels
Ed Markey, Seth Moulton, and (possibly) Ayanna Pressley are on a collision course. They all got to Washington by stepping on party toes.
open.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The Senate Democratic primary in Massachusetts could feature three pols who got to Congress by refusing to wait their turn. That might fit voters’ mood this cycle. My new piece:
open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...
open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
I have no idea what will happen in the Tennessee special, but if the Dem does win, we're gonna get a major Trump/GOP in trouble frenzy.
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
In our latest polling averages over at FiftyPlusOne, Trump has hit a new low of 39.6% in his second-term job approval (-17 on net), and Republicans just hit a new low of 41.3% in the 2026 House generic ballot (Dems +4.2 on margin).
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
November 26, 2025 at 4:24 PM
I have no idea what will happen in the Tennessee special, but if the Dem does win, we're gonna get a major Trump/GOP in trouble frenzy.
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
No time to read the transcripts of his special envoy selling him (and Ukraine) out to the Russians, but plenty of time for extra meetings on the golden ballroom... I guess Ms Leavitt did tell us that was his top priority.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees.
The president and James McCrery had argued in recent weeks over the project’s size, with Trump pushing him to expand the ballroom.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:37 PM
No time to read the transcripts of his special envoy selling him (and Ukraine) out to the Russians, but plenty of time for extra meetings on the golden ballroom... I guess Ms Leavitt did tell us that was his top priority.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
Another case of talented conservative policy wonks leaving conservative think tanks that take a hard right turn.
Professional news: After 8 years and 300 publications at the Manhattan Institute …
… I’m excited to join the Brookings Institution as a budget & tax fellow in its Tax Policy Center. New home, but same, center-right, fiscal hawk, free market economic analysis.
… I’m excited to join the Brookings Institution as a budget & tax fellow in its Tax Policy Center. New home, but same, center-right, fiscal hawk, free market economic analysis.
November 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Another case of talented conservative policy wonks leaving conservative think tanks that take a hard right turn.
Of course this is happening - not as a staff coup, but by Trump's orders. The entire administration has been set up to prevent Trump from ever having to deal with being contradicted by reality.
At this point, I wonder if he isn't lying when he says he has "my highest Poll Numbers, ever" since it's entirely possible that's what his aides are telling him. It's quite likely that there's an entire Potemkin village built around Trump right now.
Trump responds to a detailed report about his waning energy and propensity to sleep through on-camera events by calling the New York Times's Katie Rogers ugly
November 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Of course this is happening - not as a staff coup, but by Trump's orders. The entire administration has been set up to prevent Trump from ever having to deal with being contradicted by reality.
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
good piece by jonathan bernstein about the chaos in the house. basically things were already a mess and now they are somehow falling apart even more. kind of impossible to know what happens next. goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/johnsons-c...
Johnson's Chaotic House
What's next? Could be anything, with this group.
goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:05 AM
good piece by jonathan bernstein about the chaos in the house. basically things were already a mess and now they are somehow falling apart even more. kind of impossible to know what happens next. goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/johnsons-c...
And who is supposed to make sure that it's all working smoothly? That would be the White House Chief of Staff. Some presidents have tried doing without one (entirely or de facto), only to discover that it produced chaos. Fortunately that argument was settled for good by the 1990s. Until Trump.
The national security adviser is supposed to oversee policy coordination. The secretary of State is supposed to lead on diplomatic negotiations. In theory, neither would be the clean-up crew, because they’re supposed to prevent the mess from happening in the first place.
November 26, 2025 at 5:08 AM
And who is supposed to make sure that it's all working smoothly? That would be the White House Chief of Staff. Some presidents have tried doing without one (entirely or de facto), only to discover that it produced chaos. Fortunately that argument was settled for good by the 1990s. Until Trump.
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
💯
The national security adviser is supposed to oversee policy coordination. The secretary of State is supposed to lead on diplomatic negotiations. In theory, neither would be the clean-up crew, because they’re supposed to prevent the mess from happening in the first place.
November 26, 2025 at 12:35 AM
💯
Exactly. As with everything else, the law come first and control of the military is a shared power, not at all exclusive to the president. That's what any fair reading of the Constitution says, and that's how it's been for >200 years.
It's important to remember why this is true. The president's command of the armed forces comes only from the Constitution. He has no magical authority beyond it. And the Constitution also says that Congress has the power to "make rules for the government and regulation" of those armed forces. 1/1
November 26, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Exactly. As with everything else, the law come first and control of the military is a shared power, not at all exclusive to the president. That's what any fair reading of the Constitution says, and that's how it's been for >200 years.
Don't especially want to see it tested, but I am very curious what happens the next time Trump sends up a wildly inappropriate exec branch nominee. I suspect the Senate rejects it, but not putting a lot of money on that.
Don’t rejoice unless you know he won’t be replaced by Laura Loomer or Andrew Tate.
MS NOW EXCLUSIVE: “President Trump is considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months, as he and his top aides have grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated.”
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Don't especially want to see it tested, but I am very curious what happens the next time Trump sends up a wildly inappropriate exec branch nominee. I suspect the Senate rejects it, but not putting a lot of money on that.
Patel is the 9th FBI director; if fired he will be the 3th one fired, 2 of them by Trump, plus a third who resigned ahead of being fired by Trump.
Or: Trump will have fired/ousted 3 in (almost) 5 years; the other presidents fired/ousted 1 in 85 years. And 2 of the 3 will be ones he nominated.
Or: Trump will have fired/ousted 3 in (almost) 5 years; the other presidents fired/ousted 1 in 85 years. And 2 of the 3 will be ones he nominated.
MS NOW EXCLUSIVE: “President Trump is considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months, as he and his top aides have grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated.”
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
President Trump may have had enough of Kash Patel, according to sources
The president is weighing whether to oust the FBI director after scrutiny of Patel's stewardship of bureau resources, including his girlfriend’s security detail and use of a government jet.
www.ms.now
November 25, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Patel is the 9th FBI director; if fired he will be the 3th one fired, 2 of them by Trump, plus a third who resigned ahead of being fired by Trump.
Or: Trump will have fired/ousted 3 in (almost) 5 years; the other presidents fired/ousted 1 in 85 years. And 2 of the 3 will be ones he nominated.
Or: Trump will have fired/ousted 3 in (almost) 5 years; the other presidents fired/ousted 1 in 85 years. And 2 of the 3 will be ones he nominated.
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
It doesn't matter how you think the Ukraine war should end. This is not normal. (also, a bit too soon to call Gaza ceasefire a 'triumph')
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg
November 25, 2025 at 8:10 PM
It doesn't matter how you think the Ukraine war should end. This is not normal. (also, a bit too soon to call Gaza ceasefire a 'triumph')
Anyway what the world really wants is a Peter Jackson ~12 hour cut of Get Back plus a proper Let It Be super-deluxe.
(Also if they have the tech to duplicate Questlove so he can keep making music and also keep churning out docs.)
(Also if they have the tech to duplicate Questlove so he can keep making music and also keep churning out docs.)
what stale hollywood franchise should the next dem president bring back
November 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Anyway what the world really wants is a Peter Jackson ~12 hour cut of Get Back plus a proper Let It Be super-deluxe.
(Also if they have the tech to duplicate Questlove so he can keep making music and also keep churning out docs.)
(Also if they have the tech to duplicate Questlove so he can keep making music and also keep churning out docs.)
All we want is the mutual "You worked at the White House???!?!?!?" when Omarosa shows up in Harold & Kumar IV.
what stale hollywood franchise should the next dem president bring back
November 25, 2025 at 5:43 PM
All we want is the mutual "You worked at the White House???!?!?!?" when Omarosa shows up in Harold & Kumar IV.
Very similar to the Trump Afghanistan "plan"; once he decides he wants something done, he doesn't care at all how it's done - no consideration of US interests or long-term consequences.
The question I get asked most often is how to understand Trump's push-me-pull-me Ukraine policy. To me there are a few constants that don't change:
1) He really wants to end the war fast. Results over process.
2) He respects Putin and wants a good relationship with Russia. 👉
1) He really wants to end the war fast. Results over process.
2) He respects Putin and wants a good relationship with Russia. 👉
November 25, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Very similar to the Trump Afghanistan "plan"; once he decides he wants something done, he doesn't care at all how it's done - no consideration of US interests or long-term consequences.
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
🧵 Grim watch for sell-out of Ukraine and/or bombing of Venezuela show we are in a new era. Welcome to the unconstrained future of world order. 1/
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The Unconstrained Future of World Order: The Assault on Democratic Constraint and Implications for US Global Leadership | International Organization | Cambridge Core
The Unconstrained Future of World Order: The Assault on Democratic Constraint and Implications for US Global Leadership - Volume 79 Issue S1
www.cambridge.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
🧵 Grim watch for sell-out of Ukraine and/or bombing of Venezuela show we are in a new era. Welcome to the unconstrained future of world order. 1/
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The (apparently false) brown M&Ms as signals of carelessness are, like the misinterpretation of Lando's "deal" with Vader and the (not) boiled frogs, probably too useful to stop using despite being false.
nothing is real
* You know how Van Halen had a contract rider demanding bowls of M&Ms with the brown ones removed?
They later claimed that was all a test to make sure venues were reading their contracts. Clever!
BUT WAIT, that claim itself is actually false. I fact-checked it.
Snack Stack exclusive:
They later claimed that was all a test to make sure venues were reading their contracts. Clever!
BUT WAIT, that claim itself is actually false. I fact-checked it.
Snack Stack exclusive:
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The (apparently false) brown M&Ms as signals of carelessness are, like the misinterpretation of Lando's "deal" with Vader and the (not) boiled frogs, probably too useful to stop using despite being false.
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
Use of the term "middle class" in official congressional e-newsletters, by party, over time
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Use of the term "middle class" in official congressional e-newsletters, by party, over time
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
LOL. lmao even.
Billionaire Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, pardoned by Donald Trump, has been accused of facilitating millions of dollars’ worth of payments to Hamas in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023. Zhao also financed the Trump family's entrance into the cryptocurrency market.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao accused of facilitating payments to Hamas
Crypto tycoon pardoned by Donald Trump faces US court complaint from families of victims of October 7 attack
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 AM
LOL. lmao even.
I shall start throwing things at my TV now in anticipation of these.
I figure Ken Burns has one, maybe two big documentary series in him before he fully retires. What do you think they should be? My votes include Football, Hip-Hop, World War 1, Reconstruction (though Skip Gates did this one well), Iraq/Afghanistan, 19th Century Expansionism.
November 25, 2025 at 3:15 AM
I shall start throwing things at my TV now in anticipation of these.
Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein
… Notch another piece of evidence for GOP electeds bucking Trump, for those touting that trend. Call it lame duck, sinking DJT approval, whatever.
November 24, 2025 at 11:03 PM
… Notch another piece of evidence for GOP electeds bucking Trump, for those touting that trend. Call it lame duck, sinking DJT approval, whatever.