Dan Sally
dansally.bsky.social
Dan Sally
@dansally.bsky.social
Electoral Reform Nerd. Internet Bigmouth. All Opinions my own. Podcast, newsletter, and other sundry content can be found here: https://linktr.ee/middleweightpolitics
Why isn’t Moody’s downgrading the US credit rating front page news?

Reminder: if we cut all discretionary federal spending, the US would still run a deficit of $200B.

There’s no way out of this hole that doesn’t involve entitlement reforms and raising taxes

ratings.moodys.com/ratings-news...
Ratings.Moodys.com
ratings.moodys.com
May 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Dan Sally
LISTEN: @dansally.bsky.social and I unpack how Brian Kemp’s decision not to run for Senate reflects how the GOP’s biggest opponent in 2026 might not be the Democrats, but a primary system that seems to favor an increasingly extreme breed of Republican.
The GOP's Biggest Opponent In 2026 -- Itself
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has announced he won’t run for Senate in 2026 - a surprising move given his strong statewide appeal and proven ability to win over independents.
ivn.us
May 14, 2025 at 9:09 PM
What if the new pope is Biden?
May 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Anyone interested in turning Congress into a governing body again should check this out: independentnationalcoalition.com/home

I had a conversation with the org's founder, Austen Campbell (links in reply), but here's the gist:
Independent National Coalition
Deny the Duopoly, Empower the People. A Fulcrum Caucus Campaign to elect a slate of independents to the House of Representatives and deny both parties a majority.
independentnationalcoalition.com
May 6, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Democrats have long feared a left-wing candidate would scare away moderate voters. Is this fear misguided?

@thatshawng.bsky.social and I discuss. Links below and details in thread for your reading types....

Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/4jfOkFP
Spotify: bit.ly/42CFLxB
YouTube: bit.ly/4jIH458
Are Democrats Having a MAGA Moment?
With only 562 days until the 2026 midterm elections, pundits have begun making predictions, and the Democrats' progressive wing has been very publicly asserting itself. In recent weeks, AOC and Bernie Sanders have held a series of high-profile rallies across the country, and activists have threatened primary challenges against centrist incumbents. Some see this as the bold shift the party needs to reconnect with young and working-class voters. Others worry it could push moderates away at a critical moment. In this episode, Dan and Shawn discuss how a progressive shift could help Democrats reclaim working-class voters lost to Trump, but also widen the ideological gulf between the two parties, fueling even greater polarization. (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)
bit.ly
April 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The events of this week have solidified my belief that the best way to find out how much people hate you is to launch yourself into space.
April 16, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party seems more eager to primary their more center-left leadership, which could result in an even further ideological distance between the MAGA-dominated GOP.

www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
Generational change could be coming fast for Senate Democrats
The ascendance of several young senators — and one big potential retirement — is reshaping power within the caucus.
www.politico.com
April 15, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Trump's tariff policy is universally regarded as bad economically, but it may not be as terrible politically among the voters that matter to him.

@thatshawng.bsky.social of Independent Voter News
& I discussed this (links in reply) but here's the gist if you'd prefer it in 300 characters 🧵
April 14, 2025 at 5:24 PM
For those worried about the future of American Democracy, Ted Cruz's recent break with the Trump administration over tariffs shows how presidential ambition and political competition can help safeguard democratic institutions. 🧵

www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
Ted Cruz breaks ranks with Trump to advance his own agenda
The Texas Republican's rebuke of the president's tariff strategy was only the latest example of how the lawmaker is seeking to strike out on his own.
www.politico.com
April 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Since Trump’s arrival, the Democratic brand has mostly been about defending political norms—betting voters would see Trump as too extreme.

That strategy has now lost twice. Some in the party are starting to question it.

www.politico.com/news/magazin...
A Rising Democratic Star Is Ready for New Leadership — Without Chuck Schumer
Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow says it’s time for a new generation to take on Trump.
www.politico.com
March 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM
In the 1990's Bill Clinton co-opted the GOP's small government strategy. Is there evidence Democrats could benefit from the same approach now?

@thatshawng.bsky.social at IVN and I discussed this in our most recent conversation. Links in reply...
March 24, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A n number of people who build the atom bomb held ideologies viewed as treasonous at the time & some fled religious persecution to get here.

America's edge has always been its ability to attract foreign brainpower & the current ideological purity tests being imposed on academia works against that.
March 21, 2025 at 2:48 PM
The press would better serve the public if they focused less on the horse race between the 2 major parties and more on the fact a growing number of voters don't like either horse.

Case in point - this headline: bit.ly/3DTaBd8

I double clicked on the survey, and here's what I found..

(1/5)
CNN Poll: Democratic Party’s favorability drops to a record low | CNN Politics
The Democratic Party’s favorability rating among Americans stands at a record low, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, fueled in part by dimming views from its own frustrated supporters.
bit.ly
March 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Dan Sally
I’m wondering this too
Why is Kinzinger more vocal and active than 98% of Democrats in office?
March 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Fusion Voting, a system that allows a candidate to be nominated by multiple parties, was banned in most states in the early 1900s after major parties feared it would undermine their power by helping smaller parties gain influence. One prominent Republican wants it back.
March 17, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Journalists should be careful not to label what's going on as a "global trade war".

The 1930s saw a global trade war, where all nations engaged in protectionism to prop up domestic industry.

Currently, the US is the sole combatant, with everyone else trading as normal with each other.
March 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM
AK's open nonpartisan primary system means their GOP senator doesn't have to worry about being ousted by more extreme members of her own party when she speaks out against the Trump administration's apparent warming to Russia at the expense of our allies.
March 4, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Before Zelenskyy signs any deal that gives the US a role in reconstructing Ukraine, he should look at what Trump did to Atlantic City.

That zinger out of the way, beyond Trump's open derision of Zelenskyy, there are reasons Ukraine should be suspicious of any US-brokered deal.
February 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
The flurry of executive orders in Trump's first 3 weeks have many concerned about executive overreach.

In my latest conversation with @thatshawng.bsky.social
of IVN (link in thread), we explore how this might be less about an overly muscular executive & more about a weak Congress.
February 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This might be naive, but would the Democrats be better off launching counter-proposals to address kitchen table issues than protesting Trump's executive overreach?

The 1st draws a clear contrast, showing which party is addressing voters' concerns. The 2nd is a debate over Constitutional Law.
February 8, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Dan Sally
👀
February 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
In 1943, the US government used Donald Duck to convince Americans to pay their income tax.

In the 1970s, the GOP used Santa Claus to convince them not to.

I shall explain the history and how electoral incentives set the stage for America's fiscal dilemma in this thread...
February 5, 2025 at 5:29 PM
I'm not an economist, but it seems to me that inflation is a tax on the majority of Americans after a decade of easy money policies capped off by COVID stimulus. It also seems like a small group of folks with investable assets benefitted disproportionately from these policies (1/x)
February 4, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Last week's "surprise" announcement from the OMB freezing federal funding was part of a longer battle the GOP has been waging to lower government debt by lowering spending. But, there's some evidence this could be offset by economic growth. (1/6)
February 3, 2025 at 6:56 PM