Joel Wertheimer
@wertwhile.bsky.social
Civil rights attorney. COYS.
The level of audience capture posting I’ve noticed recently is reaching epidemic levels. Fortunately couldn’t be me, my worst cognitive bias is overly negatively polarizing against perceived groupthink.
Weird how at some point the ACA subsidies went from meaningless technocrat babble that it was obviously incredibly stupid for Democrats to try protecting to being incredibly important for helping people avoid suffering.
And Democrats managed to get it wrong both times!! What were the odds?
And Democrats managed to get it wrong both times!! What were the odds?
November 11, 2025 at 11:25 PM
The level of audience capture posting I’ve noticed recently is reaching epidemic levels. Fortunately couldn’t be me, my worst cognitive bias is overly negatively polarizing against perceived groupthink.
Reposted by Joel Wertheimer
Weird how at some point the ACA subsidies went from meaningless technocrat babble that it was obviously incredibly stupid for Democrats to try protecting to being incredibly important for helping people avoid suffering.
And Democrats managed to get it wrong both times!! What were the odds?
And Democrats managed to get it wrong both times!! What were the odds?
November 11, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Weird how at some point the ACA subsidies went from meaningless technocrat babble that it was obviously incredibly stupid for Democrats to try protecting to being incredibly important for helping people avoid suffering.
And Democrats managed to get it wrong both times!! What were the odds?
And Democrats managed to get it wrong both times!! What were the odds?
Just incredible stuff from a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
November 11, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Just incredible stuff from a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
Reposted by Joel Wertheimer
An engineer wanted to make a quiet high-speed train. “The question then occurred to me — is there some living thing that manages sudden changes in air resistance as a part of daily life?” The answer: the kingfisher. See my story today for more tales of bioinspiration. Gift link: nyti.ms/4otNQyl
November 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
An engineer wanted to make a quiet high-speed train. “The question then occurred to me — is there some living thing that manages sudden changes in air resistance as a part of daily life?” The answer: the kingfisher. See my story today for more tales of bioinspiration. Gift link: nyti.ms/4otNQyl
My just so story for Spurs this season: Frank saw how bad it looked when they gave up the ball last year under Ange that he's spent 4 months beating movement out of the players so Spurs have structure when they lose the ball. But it's led to the opposite problem. Nobody moves!
November 11, 2025 at 2:44 AM
My just so story for Spurs this season: Frank saw how bad it looked when they gave up the ball last year under Ange that he's spent 4 months beating movement out of the players so Spurs have structure when they lose the ball. But it's led to the opposite problem. Nobody moves!
Trump really seems to have caught conservative granny killer brainworms this term.
Trump claims that food stamps "puts the country in jeopardy. People that are able-bodied can do a job, they leave their job because they figure they can pick this up, it's easier."
November 11, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Trump really seems to have caught conservative granny killer brainworms this term.
Wasn’t this basically consensus opinion here before the shutdown? That Democrats demanding ACA extension to keep government open were just handing Trump a win if he said yes?
November 10, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Wasn’t this basically consensus opinion here before the shutdown? That Democrats demanding ACA extension to keep government open were just handing Trump a win if he said yes?
The negativity bias of the media is the reason that Americans think the economy is awful and have a low approval of Trump on the economy even though inflation and unemployment are historically low and the stock market is booming, right?
November 10, 2025 at 7:34 PM
The negativity bias of the media is the reason that Americans think the economy is awful and have a low approval of Trump on the economy even though inflation and unemployment are historically low and the stock market is booming, right?
This is exactly how I feel. And frankly when Trump started talking about the filibuster the Schatz types could have started working on it. Another option was the Lankford getting rid of shutdowns idea I think.
If Dems were going to lose by giving votes to Rs, it should have been to give votes to a Senate Rules change to end the filibuster on appropriations bills, since that would resolve the conflict, not give GOP cover on the ACA subsidies by making them own it, and improve rules for a future D majority
November 10, 2025 at 12:34 PM
This is exactly how I feel. And frankly when Trump started talking about the filibuster the Schatz types could have started working on it. Another option was the Lankford getting rid of shutdowns idea I think.
Yes if you want to doom this is the reason to me more than the cave. We should have been begging them to kill the filibuster and had a bunch of Dems willing to say if they want to kill your healthcare with 50 votes it’s their prerogative.
i suspect there’s some truth to this and also why we should be EXTREMELY skeptical that senate dems as currently constituted would ditch the filibuster should they ever have a trifecta again
November 10, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Yes if you want to doom this is the reason to me more than the cave. We should have been begging them to kill the filibuster and had a bunch of Dems willing to say if they want to kill your healthcare with 50 votes it’s their prerogative.
I do not assume this and don’t think that’s how this works
Assume all the yes and no votes from Dem senators are strategic and not sincere votes. The party caucus made a decision. No way to know how many were in favor. Then the caucus decided who would vote yes and no based on what would protect each of them politically the most. That’s how this works.
November 10, 2025 at 2:15 AM
I do not assume this and don’t think that’s how this works
Reposted by Joel Wertheimer
Two things I'll say (while reiterating what I said all the way up top that I don't like Schumer and don't think he should be majority leader): 1) we do not have the same Senate that LBJ operated in and should quit thinking that way 2) given this gang was going to defect, Schumer had no way to win.
November 10, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Two things I'll say (while reiterating what I said all the way up top that I don't like Schumer and don't think he should be majority leader): 1) we do not have the same Senate that LBJ operated in and should quit thinking that way 2) given this gang was going to defect, Schumer had no way to win.
This is horrible. This is also what prisons in New York State are like.
Our reporters interviewed 40 of the men the Trump administration sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador: They described being beaten, sexually assaulted by guards and driven to the brink of suicide. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:55 AM
This is horrible. This is also what prisons in New York State are like.
Yes it’s totally implausible that facing a primary influenced whether a guy would keep running and we should 100% take his word on it that he just wanted to spend more time with his family.
November 9, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Yes it’s totally implausible that facing a primary influenced whether a guy would keep running and we should 100% take his word on it that he just wanted to spend more time with his family.
He’s been helped by just how awful republicans are, but turning a shutdown which really is typically unpopular to the senate party withhold votes for cloture, into a fight on our best issues has been very impressive work from Schumer.
Schumer responded on the Senate floor today:“For this administration to go all the way to the Supreme Court just to get out of having to pay SNAP benefits for hungry kids is pathological levels of vindictiveness. This crisis is in the administration’s hands. It’s all them, not anyone else.” C-SPAN
November 8, 2025 at 11:51 PM
He’s been helped by just how awful republicans are, but turning a shutdown which really is typically unpopular to the senate party withhold votes for cloture, into a fight on our best issues has been very impressive work from Schumer.
Going to choose violence on Bluesky today I guess but Kathy Hochul continues her winning streak by approving the natural gas pipeline in New York, it's good on the merits *for bringing down emissions* and it's good for affordability and politics. gothamist.com/news/gov-hoc...
Gov. Hochul OKs key permit for Trump-favored gas pipeline in NYC, North Jersey
The move reverses an environmental policy victory won by the Cuomo administration.
gothamist.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Going to choose violence on Bluesky today I guess but Kathy Hochul continues her winning streak by approving the natural gas pipeline in New York, it's good on the merits *for bringing down emissions* and it's good for affordability and politics. gothamist.com/news/gov-hoc...
1) Yes Young and/or non-white voters were and are the swingiest voters right now and largely based on the economy no disagreement there. 2) I really don't think the relevant comparison is 2024 in terms of persistence but say 2017 or 2021 both because of margin and electorate type. (1/x)
Dem gains in this week's elections erased the inroads Trump made with non-white, young, and low-income voters in 2024. In fact, the R-to-D shift from 24 to 25 is double Trump's gains from 20-24. Claims of a GOP political realignment have been highly exaggerated
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-win...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-win...
Trump's winning 2024 coalition has evaporated
Claims of a conservative realignment of non-whites, the working class, and young voters have been highly exaggerated
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
1) Yes Young and/or non-white voters were and are the swingiest voters right now and largely based on the economy no disagreement there. 2) I really don't think the relevant comparison is 2024 in terms of persistence but say 2017 or 2021 both because of margin and electorate type. (1/x)
Via Will Jordan on Twitter, Navigator polling showing Trump negatives being driven by East Wing
November 7, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Via Will Jordan on Twitter, Navigator polling showing Trump negatives being driven by East Wing
Fun question, in 5 years which country will have higher emissions per capita?
November 7, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Fun question, in 5 years which country will have higher emissions per capita?
Reposted by Joel Wertheimer
(in case you want to play around with any NYC elections data: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...)
NYC Election Analysis (from Michael Caley)
docs.google.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:20 PM
(in case you want to play around with any NYC elections data: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...)
I think Democrats should vote for a bill that did this.
The American people expect Congress to get the hard work done.
It’s time we end shutdowns once and for all and get back to the real debate over the things that matter. | Sen. Lankford
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/11/it-is-time-to-be-done-with-shutdowns/
It’s time we end shutdowns once and for all and get back to the real debate over the things that matter. | Sen. Lankford
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/11/it-is-time-to-be-done-with-shutdowns/
It Is Time to Be Done with Shutdowns | National Review
We’re five weeks into a government shutdown. It should be the last one.
www.nationalreview.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I think Democrats should vote for a bill that did this.
Nobody wants to cut spending, nobody wants to raise taxes beyond the wealthiest, and nobody wants high interest rates. So uhhh we're left with the other thing.
November 6, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Nobody wants to cut spending, nobody wants to raise taxes beyond the wealthiest, and nobody wants high interest rates. So uhhh we're left with the other thing.
This is a really excellent piece from Jeff who is essential reading on crime.
I have a piece in The Argument this AM! Big cities lost a ton of officers and are struggling to replace them. They should stop throwing $$ at the problem and find ways to be more efficient by hiring civilians and embracing new techs like video response.
www.theargumentmag.com/p/cities-can...
www.theargumentmag.com/p/cities-can...
Cities can't find enough cops. Here's what to do about it.
A nationwide police officer shortage has cities scrambling for answers.
www.theargumentmag.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This is a really excellent piece from Jeff who is essential reading on crime.
Reposted by Joel Wertheimer
guys I’m sorry but have you looked through Getty images for yesterday 💀
November 6, 2025 at 2:21 AM
guys I’m sorry but have you looked through Getty images for yesterday 💀
Congratulations to Paul LePage!
@wertwhile.bsky.social about to be jokerfied www.bangordailynews.com/2025/11/05/o...
Jared Golden: I won’t seek reelection. Here’s why.
"What I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son."
www.bangordailynews.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Congratulations to Paul LePage!