I think the tariff aspect is fascinating. Clearly he actually believes in it, but I think he also thought - not crazily - that this is also an issue that would play well in his district, and I bet if you polled the district the tariffs are way way underwater. They are really a political disaster.

Let’s just say it definitely does NOT pass for itself as this juncture

Bukele is (unironically) a popularist king

wait did they withdraw the appeal?

sadly, he was pretty consistent on this through most of his life

The idea that all this stuff is both fixed and obvious strikes me as…not rigorous.

So in this hypo back in 2003 you’d be calling people and yelling at them for opposing the Iraq war, and then at some point you’d have to switch to calls to yell at people for being too pro war and the inflection point would be so obvious that only blinkered incentives would be getting in the way?

A candidate comes along with great popularist/mod cred, runs way ahead of national Dems and you’re going after him!