New 'On Democracy with FPWellman' podcast

Democratic Victories, Trump Circus Clowns, and Real War In The State Houses

New show alert

I was solo this week and found there is hope to be found in Democratic victories this week in Wisconsin and local elections but the Trump Circus in New York is getting a lot of attention. That shell game is hiding the real ball in play across the country as Republican led states take what some want to call ‘culture wars’ to dangerous levels that will have real world casualties.  

The hope

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race and local elections in Missouri showed that when Democrats organize and are motivated they can win key races. The numbers are showing record turnout among young voters who voted overwhelmingly for the progressive candidate. Republicans are already trying to spin it and it’s going predictably as you’d expect with Scott Walker blaming “liberal indoctrination” instead of hateful GOP policies.

Missouri local elections saw some important wins at the grassroots level. Last school board elections saw a slew of far right extremists backed by Moms for Liberty take over school boards across the state. This cycle the NEA and local groups fought back by organizing common sense candidates in slates and supporting their campaigns. It paid off as many of the cities elected people who will put kids first and not mythical fights with CRT and transgender sports.

The Trump Circus

Trump’s arraignment was the circus we all expected with the head clown, Marjorie Taylor Greene, showing up in New York with her boyfriend Brian Glenn. The political punditry is trying to spin these charges as nothing or weak. The fact is that 34 felony charges are a lot and the average person is just going to hear that. That’s precisely how I would message it as a Democrat. Trump needs ‘normie’ Republicans to vote for him to win a general election. He lost 4-6% of them in 2020. They aren’t coming back to a man charged with 34 felonies and possibly more later. That’s not who they are. I’m going to disagree that this strengthens him in the general election but as far gone as the GOP is it probably will in the primary.

The GOP authoritarian movement is in the states

The events in Tennessee showed the entire nation in stark relief what is happening in red state capitals across the country. The GOP legislatures and governors are becoming bolder and more aggressive in their attacks on everyone they oppose. You saw how openly they were with their seething hatred for two young black men who dared to question their power. Take that disdain and multiply it across the litany of states and issues I list in the show. That’s the fight we are in. From attacks on abortion care, transgender Americans, education, diversity, and on and on. The authoritarianism is real and it’s growing

Culture War vs. Real War

So many leaders on the Democratic side seem to want to simply avoid engaging in what they call the Republican and far right “culture wars” and focus on pocketbook issues. You know, the old “kitchen table” approach. The problem is that American’s are actually becoming casualties of these fights. Transgender kids are being denied the right to get the healthcare they need, go to the bathroom safely, or play sports which data shows will drive depression and suicide. Women can’t get proper maternal care and are losing their lives and ability to have safe pregnancies. Teachers are under assault for doing their jobs. Kids are being shot in schools. These are real casualties. I was a soldier for 22-years and went to war four times. When a culture war produces actual casualties then its now a real fucking war. We need to act like it and fight appropriately.

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