Perry Bacon
@perrybaconjr.bsky.social
Government and policy writer. Views are my own. [email protected]
Abigail "Nobody elected him to be FDR" Spanberger is now an even more prominent figure in the party. And that is likely bad news for those wanting the Dems to change, as my colleague @alexshephard.bsky.social explains here. newrepublic.com/article/2029...
November 11, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Abigail "Nobody elected him to be FDR" Spanberger is now an even more prominent figure in the party. And that is likely bad news for those wanting the Dems to change, as my colleague @alexshephard.bsky.social explains here. newrepublic.com/article/2029...
Was last week about voters specifically hating Trump's presidency-or voters these days always backlashing against the president's party? I hope the former, but worry it's the latter. I explained a EHTP (Everyone Hates the president) view of politics here. newrepublic.com/article/2029...
November 11, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Was last week about voters specifically hating Trump's presidency-or voters these days always backlashing against the president's party? I hope the former, but worry it's the latter. I explained a EHTP (Everyone Hates the president) view of politics here. newrepublic.com/article/2029...
"People just want to know: Are you on the take? Are you taking this corporate money or not? Are you going to fight for me? Are you going to stand up against the status quo and the oligarchs? The people that are able to have one-word answers to those questions are able to command those crowds."
November 5, 2025 at 8:21 PM
"People just want to know: Are you on the take? Are you taking this corporate money or not? Are you going to fight for me? Are you going to stand up against the status quo and the oligarchs? The people that are able to have one-word answers to those questions are able to command those crowds."
"There is a hunger for a third space in American politics anchored to the interest of everyday people, labor unions, grassroots organizations, and activists coming from the grassroots," says @mauricewfp.bsky.social, explaining how Mamdani built his coalition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLyc...
November 5, 2025 at 8:14 PM
"There is a hunger for a third space in American politics anchored to the interest of everyday people, labor unions, grassroots organizations, and activists coming from the grassroots," says @mauricewfp.bsky.social, explaining how Mamdani built his coalition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLyc...
November 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Why the WashPost, WSJ, and NYT all hate Mamdani. Excellent piece from @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social. www.cjr.org/analysis/leg...
November 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Why the WashPost, WSJ, and NYT all hate Mamdani. Excellent piece from @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social. www.cjr.org/analysis/leg...
"This is so much bigger than one election campaign, one candidate in New York. There is something roiling the waters of the Democratic Party. People angry that we blew last year's election. My party has not heeded the pitchfork antipathy about the party itself," says Dem operative Patrick Gaspard.
October 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM
"This is so much bigger than one election campaign, one candidate in New York. There is something roiling the waters of the Democratic Party. People angry that we blew last year's election. My party has not heeded the pitchfork antipathy about the party itself," says Dem operative Patrick Gaspard.
"If not for his clarity on Gaza, for his condemnation of that collective punishment and the use of U.S. resources to punish Palestinians, he doesn't have thousands of young people turning to him, volunteering on his behalf," says longtime Dem operative Patrick Gaspard, who is advising Mamdani.
October 31, 2025 at 3:45 PM
"If not for his clarity on Gaza, for his condemnation of that collective punishment and the use of U.S. resources to punish Palestinians, he doesn't have thousands of young people turning to him, volunteering on his behalf," says longtime Dem operative Patrick Gaspard, who is advising Mamdani.
"Too many people think that they're the only one. That's a conceit that happens when you've been in the Senate for a long time. It's not just about age. It's about your willingness to challenge the conventional thinking and make systemic change," says @smith.senate.gov.
October 30, 2025 at 5:05 PM
"Too many people think that they're the only one. That's a conceit that happens when you've been in the Senate for a long time. It's not just about age. It's about your willingness to challenge the conventional thinking and make systemic change," says @smith.senate.gov.
"It isn't about age so much as it is about your willingness to challenge the status quo, not be part of the establishment. Neither Bernie nor Elizabeth are part of the establishment. The establishment protects itself. And that's not what they're about," says @smith.senate.gov.
October 30, 2025 at 4:59 PM
"It isn't about age so much as it is about your willingness to challenge the status quo, not be part of the establishment. Neither Bernie nor Elizabeth are part of the establishment. The establishment protects itself. And that's not what they're about," says @smith.senate.gov.
"People come up to me, and say, 'You know, thank you for deciding not to run. I really appreciate it.' They like me. They appreciate the step that I'm taking. We have talented, young, progressive leaders that are more than ready. I love to think about making space for them," says @smith.senate.gov.
October 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM
"People come up to me, and say, 'You know, thank you for deciding not to run. I really appreciate it.' They like me. They appreciate the step that I'm taking. We have talented, young, progressive leaders that are more than ready. I love to think about making space for them," says @smith.senate.gov.
"You could say, 'Paid family and medical leave for everybody.' Or you could say, 'You shouldn't pay more than 7% of your income for childcare, and we're going to pass a law that establishes a sliding scale for childcare," says @smith.senate.gov, contrasting Mamdani's messaging with the party's.
October 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"You could say, 'Paid family and medical leave for everybody.' Or you could say, 'You shouldn't pay more than 7% of your income for childcare, and we're going to pass a law that establishes a sliding scale for childcare," says @smith.senate.gov, contrasting Mamdani's messaging with the party's.
"I'm a senator from Minnesota and I don't usually endorse in mayor's races, but I'm super-enthusiastic about Mamdani. The way that he has mobilized voters, the way that he is unafraid to propose big ideas and big solutions ...There's a lot for us to learn from that," says @smith.senate.gov.
October 30, 2025 at 4:38 PM
"I'm a senator from Minnesota and I don't usually endorse in mayor's races, but I'm super-enthusiastic about Mamdani. The way that he has mobilized voters, the way that he is unafraid to propose big ideas and big solutions ...There's a lot for us to learn from that," says @smith.senate.gov.
All politics is identity politics on some level. But the kind of identity politics we really want is identity politics advancing freedom and thriving across races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations. Not invoking your identities to defend bad policies. newrepublic.com/article/2023...
October 30, 2025 at 3:53 PM
All politics is identity politics on some level. But the kind of identity politics we really want is identity politics advancing freedom and thriving across races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations. Not invoking your identities to defend bad policies. newrepublic.com/article/2023...
On Platner's crowds, Maine journalist @aseitzwald.bsky.social says, "I talked to state senators and reps who’ve been around for a long time. They said that the closest they could think of is Bernie Sanders or Obama ...presidential level."
October 14, 2025 at 1:46 PM
On Platner's crowds, Maine journalist @aseitzwald.bsky.social says, "I talked to state senators and reps who’ve been around for a long time. They said that the closest they could think of is Bernie Sanders or Obama ...presidential level."
"Underestimate Susan Collins at your own risk. She's this tiny lady with a voice that sounds like it's going to give out at any minute. But people feel like they know her, Maine is like a big small town, so that goes a long way," says @aseitzwald.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2017...
October 14, 2025 at 1:42 PM
"Underestimate Susan Collins at your own risk. She's this tiny lady with a voice that sounds like it's going to give out at any minute. But people feel like they know her, Maine is like a big small town, so that goes a long way," says @aseitzwald.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2017...
"The other big thing that Mills is contending with is the hangover from 2020, where the DSCC and Schumer
came in heavy for Sara Gideon. She lost by 9 points and ended up being an easily mockable candidate," says @aseitzwald.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2017...
came in heavy for Sara Gideon. She lost by 9 points and ended up being an easily mockable candidate," says @aseitzwald.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2017...
October 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM
"The other big thing that Mills is contending with is the hangover from 2020, where the DSCC and Schumer
came in heavy for Sara Gideon. She lost by 9 points and ended up being an easily mockable candidate," says @aseitzwald.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2017...
came in heavy for Sara Gideon. She lost by 9 points and ended up being an easily mockable candidate," says @aseitzwald.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2017...
Great piece by @brianbeutler.bsky.social on what the ideal resistance from Dem/liberal/progressive leaders would look like. www.offmessage.net/p/how-to-rev...
October 13, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Great piece by @brianbeutler.bsky.social on what the ideal resistance from Dem/liberal/progressive leaders would look like. www.offmessage.net/p/how-to-rev...
"FDR knew there are sides. When you replace that and have no villains because you want neoliberalism and a rising tide lifts all boats, you render people susceptible to the right. Neoliberalism is the handmaiden to authoritarianism," says @anatosaurus.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2015...
October 13, 2025 at 1:54 PM
"FDR knew there are sides. When you replace that and have no villains because you want neoliberalism and a rising tide lifts all boats, you render people susceptible to the right. Neoliberalism is the handmaiden to authoritarianism," says @anatosaurus.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2015...
"The purpose of politics is to enact an agenda to actually improve people's lives. It isn't merely to get Democrats elected for the sake of doing so. Which Democrats we elect and how we get them elected matters," says @anatosaurus.bsky.social.
newrepublic.com/article/2015...
newrepublic.com/article/2015...
October 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
"The purpose of politics is to enact an agenda to actually improve people's lives. It isn't merely to get Democrats elected for the sake of doing so. Which Democrats we elect and how we get them elected matters," says @anatosaurus.bsky.social.
newrepublic.com/article/2015...
newrepublic.com/article/2015...
"The job of politics is actually agenda setting, both because you want to make people's lives better with public policy and also you want to agenda-set because you want people to be talking about your thing," says @anatosaurus.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2015...
October 13, 2025 at 1:29 PM
"The job of politics is actually agenda setting, both because you want to make people's lives better with public policy and also you want to agenda-set because you want people to be talking about your thing," says @anatosaurus.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/2015...
"The metaphor that I’ve thought about the most is sort of a cold civil war, a cold war, something like the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. There are moments of actual, violent conflict, but it’s really about two opposing ideologies." newrepublic.com/article/2014...
October 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM
"The metaphor that I’ve thought about the most is sort of a cold civil war, a cold war, something like the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. There are moments of actual, violent conflict, but it’s really about two opposing ideologies." newrepublic.com/article/2014...
"Pritzker and Newsom said to the NGA, 'Hey, if you’re not going to say something about National Guard troops coming into our states without our request, we’re going to drop out of this organization.' That’s a healthy response to something that’s not working anymore." newrepublic.com/article/2014...
October 8, 2025 at 1:48 PM
"Pritzker and Newsom said to the NGA, 'Hey, if you’re not going to say something about National Guard troops coming into our states without our request, we’re going to drop out of this organization.' That’s a healthy response to something that’s not working anymore." newrepublic.com/article/2014...
"Part of the reason we’ve been more focused on governors and attorneys general is that they have a lot more they can do to successfully obstruct" Trump, says Dem strategist Arkadi Gerney, arguing Hill Dems have limited tools against Trump. newrepublic.com/article/2014...
October 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
"Part of the reason we’ve been more focused on governors and attorneys general is that they have a lot more they can do to successfully obstruct" Trump, says Dem strategist Arkadi Gerney, arguing Hill Dems have limited tools against Trump. newrepublic.com/article/2014...
"I don’t think the Democratic Party is at its best when it tries to compete with the Republican Party for the bottom of the barrel. I have yet to talk to a black person who has said to me, “You know what I want the Democratic Party to do—abandon issues of race,” says @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social.
October 2, 2025 at 9:45 PM
"I don’t think the Democratic Party is at its best when it tries to compete with the Republican Party for the bottom of the barrel. I have yet to talk to a black person who has said to me, “You know what I want the Democratic Party to do—abandon issues of race,” says @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social.