Fetterman tells the NYT that doing committee work and casting floor votes is “performative” and that he is resentful to have been “shamed” into returning to the Senate to do these things after routinely skipping them all year.
I don’t think age is the only problem at play here (as we’ve talked about here a bit)… Here’s the thing… there is no “one weird trick” for unborking what’s been borked for a while. It’s gonna take careful thought, consideration, and good policy that’ll help us to unbork shit.
also, it strikes me that one of our problems is anti-institutionalism, and if young people are more anti-institutional, without really having anything to replace it, other than the “free market” or WTF-ever, then I don’t want to vote those people in just because they are “young”… we’ve had a 40 year experiment with tearing down our institutions, and this is part of how we got here! Tearing down yet more institutions without having a workable alternative that isn’t about making some rich asshole money isn’t a solution… it’s simply more arson on an already burning building (planet)…
“ Democratic troubles revive debate over left-wing buzzwords
From “intersectionality” to “equity,” many say jargon is alienating key voters. But progressives say inclusive language is vital.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/27/democrats-language-elite-politically-correct/
Sometimes language needs to be more specific and accurate.
“It makes Democrats or candidates using this speech sounding like they’re not normal,” Beshear said. “It sounds simple, but what the Democratic Party needs to do is be normal and sound normal.”
I hate that definition of normal, especially as more and more of my colleagues are falling out of the economic middle class. WTF do they mean is “normal”? 
Also, fuck normal. It assumes that some of us are deviants, and not “real” Americans or whatever. Who the fuck got to decide that some of us aren’t “normal”?
“Honestly, Democrats trip over themselves in an attempt to say exactly the right thing,” said Allison Prasch, who teaches rhetoric, politics and culture at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “Republicans maybe aren’t so concerned about saying exactly the right thing, so it may appear more authentic to some voters.”
For some people, authentic means being bigoted and using bigoted language, though. Hence, Trump.
On the discussion on Slotkin…
She recalled speaking to a roomful of skeptical Teamsters before the November election. “I just said, ‘Hey, you motherf—ers, I don’t want to hear another godd–n word about all Donald Trump has done for you,’” she said, adding, “They love it. … To me that is a different way to enter the room.”
You know, it strikes me that this approach is problematic, too. Like, it can be seen as inauthentic, if you’re not seen as being of that culture, and that you’re just putting on a costume to appeal to them. It seems far better to me to be yourself, even if that is someone who likes to use precise language to describe something and be as inclusive as possible, then that’s what one should do… If someone like Tim Walz uses language like that, he can get away with it, because that’s obviously authentic to who he is… But someone like my senators… that wouldn’t fly. He’d come off as completely fake, and people would see right through that! Slotkin is missing the forest for the trees here… they go on to mention her criticism of Bernie using Oligarchy, but he’s been doing that for probably longer than she’s been alive! It’s Bernie, and how he normally speaks!
Slotkin downplays the dispute, although she stands by her contention that “oligarchy” is not a user-friendly word. More important, she said, is the Democrats’ need to confront Trump with “alpha energy,” which she described as a sort of plainspoken toughness leavened with compassion.
Jesus, fuck, this dipshit! That’s just straight up man-o-sphere terms!!! FFS…
Many Democrats privately admire Trump’s ability to talk in a way that connects with voters on a visceral level.
I find this discussion hella-frustrating!
Ooh… genius. Why don’t they have Kanye write their speeches!?
I want more democrats like this.
For real, tho!
Normal means the ordinary folk in diners the papers keep finding to interview about why the voted for Trump, of course. As opposed to people who actually support the Democrats, who are all just coastal elites that need to learn to change. Just one more way the “centrists” insist the party should do everything it can to abandon anything that makes it different from the other one. 
Also, fascist. Mostly fascist.
Come on, Cali commies, do a recall!!!
Doing my Gavin Newsom not so deep dive. He has long been associated with the Getty family- going into business with one of them early in life and making his fortune.His father was the administrator of the Getty Family Trust.
Gavin is the godfather of Nat Getty; who came out as trans in 2021. Trans masculine.
I guess he’ll sell anyone out for higher office.
Edit:
Nat is married to trans woman:
Gigi Loren Lazzarato Getty ,[1] known professionally as Gigi Gorgeous ,[2] is a Canadian YouTuber, socialite, actress, and model.
Is he selling out his friends? They seem to be people of privilege, who generally end up exempt from anti-xxxx legislation. At least for awhile.
Yes, he is.
Never assume that familial relations result in love or sympathy either! Familiarity breeds contempt.
True. But I’ll bet he still craves those Getty dollars. Like an addict needs a fix.
Is that a reference to his first wife? Those two totally deserve each other.
For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about John Frobisher from Torchwood… (spoilers at link for 16 year old British Doctor Who spinoff).
Gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Torchwood. Maybe it’s time for a rewatch.
That first season is half and half, but man Children of Earth is just great and very fucking dark. Like, the darkest Doctor Who ever got, and sometimes Doctor Who can get dark.
Also, Nana Visitor shows up in the 3rd season!
Holy nuts, it’s Capaldi in another pre-Doctor, Doctor Who role? Man, someone needs to get him into the director chair and just let him live his dreams.