Adam Jentleson and Pablo Torre: This Country Is Being Scammed

Trump's midterm convention is a massive mistake that gives Democrats an enormous gift by making the election about him. Republican enthusiasm is way down and Trump's approval among Republicans is in the 80s, not the 90s. Trump fatigue is setting in across the country among Democrats, independents, and his supporters.

We should be open to the possibility that the bottom is finally dropping out for Trump, though it could also be another instance where his supporters show up in mass.

Gallup party ID shows Democrats up ten points, which might be a canary in the coal mine similar to 2014.

The Gallup numbers indicate the start of a trend pointing in the right direction for Democrats, tracking with increased Democratic registration in key swing states. The Democratic brand is recovering as the MAGA brand wears off and people become exhausted by Trump.

Narrow majorities are insufficient to enact big change or undo conservative structural advantages; Democrats must win supermajorities to dominate for a generation. Democrats in 2010 expected to be rewarded for passing the ACA but failed to meet voters where they were regarding the financial crisis, leading to massive losses. Democrats should maximize gains in good cycles and minimize losses in bad cycles, learning from both 2010 and the 2012 rebound.

Democrats are putting states like Kansas, Iowa, Texas, and Mississippi in play by running candidates who embrace local industries and take hardline stances on issues like immigration. Breaking away from rigid left-wing purity tests allows candidates to win working-class voters in red states.

This cycle is the prime time for a Democratic wave, but candidates like John Ossoff aren't clearly differentiating themselves from the national party brand.

Candidates like John Ossoff refused to take left-wing positions on Medicare for All and open borders, which is the right approach to win those states.

Internet culture and donor class pressure create social pressure for Democrats to conform, making it hard for candidates to stake out independent brands.

Breaking from party orthodoxy generates massive, free media attention that helps candidates define themselves as independent thinkers.

Democrats often overestimate the backlash from taking heterodox positions because private correspondence shows more support than public social media pile-ons suggest.

Internet culture is not real life, and candidates should be honest about where they disagree with the party rather than taking inauthentic positions out of fear.

Voters on the left feel pushed out because the party doesn't go far enough on corporate oversight, anti-war stances, or Israel, and some view issues like Gaza as litmus tests.

The party should welcome criticism from the left and center but reject purity tests to avoid 'everything bagel liberalism' where everyone has a different non-negotiable issue. Voters who treat a single issue like Israel as a litmus test should consider the broader package of Democratic policies that improve millions of lives.

A Democratic trifecta must operate on two tracks: advancing policies like universal healthcare and pursuing structural reforms like ending the filibuster and court reform. Eliminating the filibuster is critical to passing structural reforms with a simple majority and making policy changes stick against future Republican reversals.

Wrangling a supermajority for structural reforms is extremely difficult, as seen in the Obamacare debates, and requires significant horse-trading.

Winning larger margins is necessary to have the room to maneuver for big policies and structural reforms, as every Senate vote will be needed.

The honorable way to criticize a colleague is to do it on the record so voters can decide, rather than leaking anonymously. John Fetterman let the desire to fight consume his identity and decision-making, which is sad and disappointing.

Recent heterodox candidates like Fetterman, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kyrsten Sinema have tended to flame out or exhibit psychological issues, raising questions about the viability of anti-establishment figures.

There is no inherent contradiction between ideological heterodoxy and being a good colleague, as demonstrated by past senators like Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson.

Candidates who lack a track record of working well with others and rely on hype and branding should be viewed with skepticism.

The LA Clippers operated four concurrent financial schemes funneling money to Kawhi Leonard through partners like Dactronics and Aspiration, resulting in the largest punishment in NBA history.

Accountability for billionaires is scarce, making this story resonate as a rare instance where consequences were levied against the richest people.

The SEC is now probing Dactronics and Aspiration in connection with the Clippers' schemes. An ESPN story suggesting the Clippers were in the clear was actually a publication of the Clippers' legal defense, not neutral findings.

Mark Walter used undisclosed borrowing from insurance companies to fund the acquisitions of the Dodgers and Lakers, risking policyholders' nest eggs. Mark Walter visited the White House and gave Donald Trump a World Series ring while under concurrent SEC and DOJ investigations. Leagues and owners failed to conduct due diligence on Walter's funding because they were excited about the rising valuations he generated.

The lack of due diligence and accountability for elites mirrors broader societal failures to question suspicious wealth and connections.

Conservative politicians and the NCAA are seeking an antitrust exemption to control player pay without bargaining, which is anti-capitalist.

The NCAA is seeking an antitrust exemption because it keeps losing in court and wants a legal defense to operate as a cartel. College sports are a mess because schools avoid contracts to prevent unionization, leaving them to lobby politicians for help. The current market system has been good for athletes, especially female athletes who are now able to secure NIL deals previously impossible.

Critics claiming to protect women's sports are engaging in absurd behavior like throwing dildos at games and using trans athletes to score culture war points.

The WNBA is benefiting from the controversy with record ratings and an improved product, suggesting a coming golden era for women's sports.

Attempts to attack the WNBA are creating free PR and the product is better than ever, with stars driving audience growth.