Danny Blinderman
@dannyblinderman.bsky.social
Post-doc at UVA: Program on Constitutionalism and Democracy. Ph.D. @ the University of Michigan. I study APD, constitutional change & democratization. Proud former member of GEO-3550. Semi-retired Jewish organizer. Thaddeus Stevens was right.
Pinned
I think the key source of tension for Trump's coalition, and one Democrats should try to exploit in a variety of ways, is that people voted for Trump to make it 2019 again, but he and his accomplices got elected to do all the evil stuff they couldn't do in 2019.
Trump admin might be the most fanatically ideological administration since, I don't even know when (W Bush with Iraq, maybe). So many stories of them coming in scorching hot with ideology and reality slowly intruding.
The Trump admin has started to realize batteries are an important general purpose technology. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...
December 23, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Trump admin might be the most fanatically ideological administration since, I don't even know when (W Bush with Iraq, maybe). So many stories of them coming in scorching hot with ideology and reality slowly intruding.
This >>>>> than cops as a mode of fare enforcement. Just make it harder to jump the turnstile!
New-design faregates at Broadway-Lafayette this morning
December 19, 2025 at 2:43 PM
This >>>>> than cops as a mode of fare enforcement. Just make it harder to jump the turnstile!
The city/state should probably outlaw this kind of lame-duck stacking of important city boards. This is peevish attempted wrecking from Adams, and frankly an undemocratic attempt to extend his influence past his term of office.
INBOX: Mayor Adams officially installs two new members to the Rent Guidelines Board and reappoints two others, a move that could seriously complicate Zohran Mamdani's effort to freeze rents for stabilized tenants next year.
December 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The city/state should probably outlaw this kind of lame-duck stacking of important city boards. This is peevish attempted wrecking from Adams, and frankly an undemocratic attempt to extend his influence past his term of office.
Upshot of this article is that the City Council is trying to undermine the housing ballot measures voters just passed and Zohran is trying to stop them from doing that. Zohran (again) confirmed progressive YIMBY.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/n...
Inside the Fight to Keep Mamdani’s Promise of 200,000 Affordable Homes
www.nytimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Upshot of this article is that the City Council is trying to undermine the housing ballot measures voters just passed and Zohran is trying to stop them from doing that. Zohran (again) confirmed progressive YIMBY.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/n...
Reading this column, my takeaway is that the main effect of overturning Humphries is transferring power away from mostly independent agency heads with subject matter expertise and towards hyper partisan, hyper ideological White House staffers.
my latest is on the odd confluence of unitary executive theory with a president who is mostly AWOL from the business of governance (gift link)
Opinion | The White House Is a Lost Cause
www.nytimes.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Reading this column, my takeaway is that the main effect of overturning Humphries is transferring power away from mostly independent agency heads with subject matter expertise and towards hyper partisan, hyper ideological White House staffers.
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
BREAKING: Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from immigration detention after a federal judge's order Thursday, his attorney's office says.
Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention
A federal judge in Maryland has ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia freed from immigration detention while his legal challenge against his deportation moves forward. U.S.
bit.ly
December 11, 2025 at 10:27 PM
BREAKING: Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from immigration detention after a federal judge's order Thursday, his attorney's office says.
Re-upping given the heartening news that Avilés is choosing to stay in the city council and not split the field.
The contrast between the egoism and disorganization of the Democratic primary for the Senate seat in Texas and the cooperation, strategic thinking and careful democratic accountability animating NYC-DSA's approach to congressional races in NYC is really striking.
December 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Re-upping given the heartening news that Avilés is choosing to stay in the city council and not split the field.
The contrast between the egoism and disorganization of the Democratic primary for the Senate seat in Texas and the cooperation, strategic thinking and careful democratic accountability animating NYC-DSA's approach to congressional races in NYC is really striking.
December 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
The contrast between the egoism and disorganization of the Democratic primary for the Senate seat in Texas and the cooperation, strategic thinking and careful democratic accountability animating NYC-DSA's approach to congressional races in NYC is really striking.
A few books I've read this year that I recommend:
December 8, 2025 at 6:03 PM
A few books I've read this year that I recommend:
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
It is notable that Bingham opened his speech by framing the 14th Amendment as a consequence of a war to throughly vanquish (and atone for) the system of slavery, and he includes in this the principle that “all persons born within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be citizens thereof.”
December 7, 2025 at 2:31 PM
It is notable that Bingham opened his speech by framing the 14th Amendment as a consequence of a war to throughly vanquish (and atone for) the system of slavery, and he includes in this the principle that “all persons born within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be citizens thereof.”
Netflix in 2005: So fun, you can get your favorite DVDs in the mail.
Netflix in 2025: Valued customer, you may not leave your home yet as you have not yet met your streaming quota.
Netflix in 2025: Valued customer, you may not leave your home yet as you have not yet met your streaming quota.
December 6, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Netflix in 2005: So fun, you can get your favorite DVDs in the mail.
Netflix in 2025: Valued customer, you may not leave your home yet as you have not yet met your streaming quota.
Netflix in 2025: Valued customer, you may not leave your home yet as you have not yet met your streaming quota.
lots of talk (correctly, I think) about the low/high voter propensity shift that has caused Dems to over perform in lower turnout specials and off year elections. However, turnout in this special was at midterm rates, and still there was a huge Dem over performance.
Identical turnout to 2022, but a completely different universe
13% to the left of 2022/2024 despite midterm-level turnout
13% to the left of 2022/2024 despite midterm-level turnout
December 3, 2025 at 3:17 AM
lots of talk (correctly, I think) about the low/high voter propensity shift that has caused Dems to over perform in lower turnout specials and off year elections. However, turnout in this special was at midterm rates, and still there was a huge Dem over performance.
Improving service --> increased ridership.
Great to see the MBTA pulling itself out of its post pandemic death spiral.
Great to see the MBTA pulling itself out of its post pandemic death spiral.
“The MBTA’s investment in track upgrades is clearly paying off for Red and Orange Line riders,” Caitlin Allen-Connelly, TransitMatters executive director, noted.
www-bostonherald-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bost...
www-bostonherald-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bost...
MBTA sees strongest ridership numbers since pandemic
The MBTA is seeing its best ridership numbers since the pandemic, and its leadership is crediting increased service for the boost.
www-bostonherald-com.cdn.ampproject.org
December 1, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Improving service --> increased ridership.
Great to see the MBTA pulling itself out of its post pandemic death spiral.
Great to see the MBTA pulling itself out of its post pandemic death spiral.
One reason it's good for Chi Osse to stay in the council and be focused on city business is there is clearly a bloc of council dems who are anxious to --quietly--stifle Zohran's agenda. He'll need all the friends he can get.
New: In vying to become the City Council’s next speaker, Julie Menin has in private conversations floated bringing back use of the chamber’s subpoena power, a tool that could be a check on incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s admin, per sources. www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/25/n...
NYC Council speaker hopeful Julie Menin floats using subpoena power, a potential check on Mamdani
It’s not unusual for city agencies to refrain from providing all the information and documents requested by the Council — an issue that has become especially pitched under Mayor Adams, whose …
www.nydailynews.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:29 PM
One reason it's good for Chi Osse to stay in the council and be focused on city business is there is clearly a bloc of council dems who are anxious to --quietly--stifle Zohran's agenda. He'll need all the friends he can get.
10 season long historical epic tv show on the French Revolution and age of Napoleon.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 9:04 PM
10 season long historical epic tv show on the French Revolution and age of Napoleon.
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
If I'm the New York Republican Party, I'm incandescent. They were all set to run against Zohran next year and now they are going to have to answer non-stop questions to the effect of "but Trump thinks Mamdani is fine, why do you say otherwise"
November 21, 2025 at 9:44 PM
If I'm the New York Republican Party, I'm incandescent. They were all set to run against Zohran next year and now they are going to have to answer non-stop questions to the effect of "but Trump thinks Mamdani is fine, why do you say otherwise"
November 20, 2025 at 3:09 PM
This is primrose league erasure (Ziblatt 2017).
Badenoch describes Church of England as 'Labour party at prayer', as she says letting welfare spending soar 'not Christian' - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
November 18, 2025 at 8:03 PM
This is primrose league erasure (Ziblatt 2017).
Ridership on Paris region transit systems is now generally at or higher than pre-pandemic levels. Bike use is much higher than pre-pandemic.
At the same time, car traffic in Paris and on its ring highway is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic. www.institutparisregion.fr/mobilite-et-...
At the same time, car traffic in Paris and on its ring highway is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic. www.institutparisregion.fr/mobilite-et-...
November 18, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
Harrell says that he “spoke with Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson to congratulate her.”
November 13, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Harrell says that he “spoke with Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson to congratulate her.”
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
seems to me that those democrats inclined not to fight perceive themselves as living through a somewhat ordinary cycle of presidential overreach and backlash and not something much more significant and dangerous
November 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
seems to me that those democrats inclined not to fight perceive themselves as living through a somewhat ordinary cycle of presidential overreach and backlash and not something much more significant and dangerous
Reposted by Danny Blinderman
Once you get past the throat-clearing nonsense blaming Democrats, the actual argument is good. Shutdowns are stupid and we shouldn't have them. Appropriations should continue at current levels until they are replaced, not periodically destroy the government.
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 5:14 PM
Once you get past the throat-clearing nonsense blaming Democrats, the actual argument is good. Shutdowns are stupid and we shouldn't have them. Appropriations should continue at current levels until they are replaced, not periodically destroy the government.