The Pod Save America guys hosted an event last Saturday. Their company is called Crooked Media, so the event was called Crooked Con. With all due respect to the former Obama aides behind the podcast, that sounds more like something Team Trump would host. The administration is full of crooks and grifters as well as fascists.
Elaine Godfrey attended the badly named event and wrote about it for The Atlantic. This quote from Jamie O’s nemesis Matt Yglesias caught my eye:
But on which issues will Democrats accept disagreement—and on which will they stand firm? No speaker at Friday’s convention offered any real specifics. Meanwhile, the no-shows were notable. “John Bel Edwards is not here. Mary Peltola is not here. Jared Golden is not here,” the panelist and Substack author Matt Yglesias told me about the past Louisiana governor, former representative from Alaska, and current Maine congressman, all of whom have won in red areas. Those lawmakers don’t have a secret sauce—they simply “have more conservative voting records,” Yglesias said. “And people just don’t like that answer.”
As a Louisiana resident, I’ve forgotten more about John Bel’s record than Yglesias ever knew, he’s just an Ezra Klein type know-it-all with a smaller megaphone. Edwards cloaked a liberal record in moderate rhetoric. My only major disagreement with Edwards is on abortion rights. John Bel is a good Catholic: opposed to both abortion and the death penalty. Does that make him a bad Democrat? No. In his case, it’s a deeply held conviction that he happens to be deeply wrong about.
As Governor, Edwards was supportive of gay marriage and vetoed anti-trans legislation. Does that sound conservative to you? Hell no, it’s something any Democrat would have done. While I’m on the subject, I still think that there *are* genuine conservatives, but they oppose MAGA because of its radical nihilism.
Repeat after me: Don’t call Trumpers conservatives.
John Bel Edwards ended his second term as Governor with an attempt to empty death row and effectively abolish the death penalty. Does that sound conservative to you? This effort was foiled by capital punishment enthusiast and then Gret Stet AG, Jeff Landry. We’re playing by the Clownfish’s rules now. Oy, just oy.
As a red state liberal, I have a better handle of how candidates can run and win statewide than the Matts and Ezras of the world. A center-left Democrat *can* win in Louisiana. Mary Landrieu won 3 terms as a pro-choice center-left Democrat who prided herself on bringing home the bacon. Her run ended in 2014 as senate races became nationalized, and Louisiana moved from purple to red state. Other than JBE, Dems haven’t elected a statewide official since Mary’s kid brother Mitch left the Lt. Governorship and became mayor of New Orleans. That’s as much the result of Gret Stet party ineptitude as the zeitgeist.
The only major difference between John Bel and the Landrieus is on abortion rights. It’s a significant issue but one on which I was willing to affix a clothespin and vote for Edwards twice. I’ve come to appreciate his reign more now that a MAGA maggot lives in the governor’s mansion. The Clownfish ain’t clowning around about his execution blood lust.
Our electoral system distorts results. Democrats routinely win the Congressional popular vote but fall short on seats because of GOP gerrymandering. The 2024 presidential election was another squeaker, but MAGA Republicans won the trifecta and pretend that they won the election in a landslide. It’s another lie.
Repeat after me: This is still a Fifty-Fifty nation.
I’m not certain that I’m pitching a big tent, but I believe in one. Democrats have had more awkward coalitions in the past. FDR’s coalition included urban leftists, minorities, labor unions, and Southern segregationists. There aren’t any Richard Russells in today’s Democratic party, but moderates still have a place under the big top.
Don’t listen to those who insist that the Democratic and Republican parties are indistinguishable. It’s a stale argument that’s never been true. Democrats believe in the rule of law, the peaceful transition of power, and the social safety net. MAGA Republicans believe in none of those things. Their nihilism knows no bounds, which is why they’ve become the freak show party. Give me the big top over the sideshow any day.
Finally, one thing that Democrats must get over is the reluctance to accept converts. Republicans welcome Democratic defectors with open arms: both Reagan and Trump were former Dems. It’s the only way GOPers are more open minded. The big tent must include renegade Republicans or it’s more of a pup tent than a big top.
I hate to spoil that swell ending. This post was written before the cave by 8 Democratic senators. I’m inclined to agree with Josh Marshall: It’s not great but not as bad as the March cave.
The big tent remains open.
The last word goes to Jimmy Buffett:
