GaryWMorehead
@garywmorehead.bsky.social
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Here's my piece for @lawfaremedia.org on my experience covering the Sandwich Guy trial. Warning: longer than 280 characters!
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
Sandwich Guy, Thrower of Hoagie–Or Hero?
The trial ended in an acquittal. But the proceedings felt like a strange sort of performance art—highly amusing and highly menacing at the same time.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 6, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Here's my piece for @lawfaremedia.org on my experience covering the Sandwich Guy trial. Warning: longer than 280 characters!
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
“If we’re to remain a free society, those committed to the American experiment are going to need to start expressing our civic national ideals as effectively and compellingly as the ethnonationalists articulate theirs.”
There’ still a shared American story, I write in @nytimes.com, and the data shows it isn’t Vance’s ethnonationalist one. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/o...
Opinion | There’s Still a Shared American Story, and JD Vance’s Blood-and-Soil Vision Isn’t It
www.nytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:19 PM
“If we’re to remain a free society, those committed to the American experiment are going to need to start expressing our civic national ideals as effectively and compellingly as the ethnonationalists articulate theirs.”
Harris said essentially the same thing in her Rachel Maddow interview on release of 107 Days - that she believed business would stand up for and save democracy if she lost the election because democracy has been good to business. youtu.be/p8OyMIen9d4?...
November 1, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Harris said essentially the same thing in her Rachel Maddow interview on release of 107 Days - that she believed business would stand up for and save democracy if she lost the election because democracy has been good to business. youtu.be/p8OyMIen9d4?...
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
The New York Times Argues “Moving to the Center Is the Way to Win.” But the Data Shows the Strategy Is Tapped Out.
Democrats already run moderates in nearly every swing district. It's not enough. A data-driven response to the case for centrism as a core electoral strategy.
data4democracy.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:17 PM
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
“For example, open list proportional representation can effectively combine the primary election with the general election …”
As American democracy faces a crisis of trust, a new report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
shows how proportional representation can reduce polarization, prevent gerrymandering, & ensure tens of millions of Americans finally feel represented.
Read it 🔗 www.amacad.org/ourcommonpur...
shows how proportional representation can reduce polarization, prevent gerrymandering, & ensure tens of millions of Americans finally feel represented.
Read it 🔗 www.amacad.org/ourcommonpur...
October 16, 2025 at 11:58 AM
“For example, open list proportional representation can effectively combine the primary election with the general election …”
This is the first video I’ve ever encountered on the positive value of political parties, and it’s fun and interesting ! 👍
The Weird Political System that Built a Better City
youtu.be/xpFpcEdrj3s?...
youtu.be/xpFpcEdrj3s?...
The Weird Political System That Built a Better City
YouTube video by Oh The Urbanity!
youtu.be
October 12, 2025 at 6:02 PM
This is the first video I’ve ever encountered on the positive value of political parties, and it’s fun and interesting ! 👍
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
“Parliament had turned over its constitutional authority to Hitler and thereby committed suicide, though its body lingered on in an embalmed state.”
Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (p. 331)
Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (p. 331)
“.. Inside the White House, top advisers joke that they are ruling Congress with an “iron fist,” according to people who have heard the comments. Steve Bannon, the influential Trump ally, likened Congress to the Duma, the Russian assembly that is largely ceremonial.”
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
October 11, 2025 at 2:22 AM
“Parliament had turned over its constitutional authority to Hitler and thereby committed suicide, though its body lingered on in an embalmed state.”
Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (p. 331)
Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (p. 331)
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
The teams have stopped play and have joined each other on the field to sing Christmas carols
October 11, 2025 at 5:02 AM
The teams have stopped play and have joined each other on the field to sing Christmas carols
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Please register and join us on Tuesday, October 14
Join Georgia SSN for the first webinar in their "Defending U.S. Democracy" webinar series with
@jennifermccoy.bsky.social, moderated by @bernardtamas.bsky.social!
📅 Tues, Oct. 14
🕓 4pm - 5:15pm
🔗 Register for the event now: scholars.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/d...
@jennifermccoy.bsky.social, moderated by @bernardtamas.bsky.social!
📅 Tues, Oct. 14
🕓 4pm - 5:15pm
🔗 Register for the event now: scholars.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/d...
October 9, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Please register and join us on Tuesday, October 14
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
"If we are concerned about America's slide into authoritarianism, as we well should be, the response isn't asking Democrats to fight harder or 'moderate.' The answer is to stop accepting Republican conflicts and create new ones."
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
How Democrats could win a shutdown fight, and why they won’t
Notes on a theory of strategic conflict (Or: why Democrats should stop rehearsing Bach fugues for a punk rock battle of the bands)
leedrutman.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:33 PM
"If we are concerned about America's slide into authoritarianism, as we well should be, the response isn't asking Democrats to fight harder or 'moderate.' The answer is to stop accepting Republican conflicts and create new ones."
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Portland is becoming a demonstration case for Los Angeles on matters of election reform. www.citywatchla.com/state-watch/...
Redistricting, Proportional Representation and LA Charter Reform
CityWatch is published 24/7 with special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evening.
www.citywatchla.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Portland is becoming a demonstration case for Los Angeles on matters of election reform. www.citywatchla.com/state-watch/...
Yes, and fold their upper house members (“senators” typically) into their lower houses, as a minimum, if not increasing representation to what’s normal in other democracies - the cube root of population - so government works for the people.
One thing Democrats *could* do unilaterally to depolarize the situation:
Implement proportional representation and parliamentarism in the states and cities they control!
Implement proportional representation and parliamentarism in the states and cities they control!
Being generous for a second, I think in Ezra’s ideal world neither party is particularly ideological, and you just have Grown Ups making Important Decisions. But obviously Republicans aren’t going to do that, so I guess Democrats should unilaterally depolarize the situation by … ???
September 27, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Yes, and fold their upper house members (“senators” typically) into their lower houses, as a minimum, if not increasing representation to what’s normal in other democracies - the cube root of population - so government works for the people.
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
The @nytimes.com and @natecohn.bsky.social shared their readers' ideas for how to stop gerrymandering. The most popular proposal? Proportional representation.
"Proportional representation would make gerrymandering irrelevant. But it would do a lot more than that." t.co/1nLM8D02E8
"Proportional representation would make gerrymandering irrelevant. But it would do a lot more than that." t.co/1nLM8D02E8
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/upshot/redistricting-gerrymandering-alternatives.html
t.co
September 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
The @nytimes.com and @natecohn.bsky.social shared their readers' ideas for how to stop gerrymandering. The most popular proposal? Proportional representation.
"Proportional representation would make gerrymandering irrelevant. But it would do a lot more than that." t.co/1nLM8D02E8
"Proportional representation would make gerrymandering irrelevant. But it would do a lot more than that." t.co/1nLM8D02E8
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
I’m starting to notice a trend in the polling data…
—Top Public Worry: Corruption
—Biggest problem in Fed Gov: Corruption
—Top fear: Corruption
—What one word would you use to describe American government?: “Corrupt”
It’s almost like voters are trying to tell us something.
—Top Public Worry: Corruption
—Biggest problem in Fed Gov: Corruption
—Top fear: Corruption
—What one word would you use to describe American government?: “Corrupt”
It’s almost like voters are trying to tell us something.
September 25, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I’m starting to notice a trend in the polling data…
—Top Public Worry: Corruption
—Biggest problem in Fed Gov: Corruption
—Top fear: Corruption
—What one word would you use to describe American government?: “Corrupt”
It’s almost like voters are trying to tell us something.
—Top Public Worry: Corruption
—Biggest problem in Fed Gov: Corruption
—Top fear: Corruption
—What one word would you use to describe American government?: “Corrupt”
It’s almost like voters are trying to tell us something.
Her ostensible rationale is “so that our votes are not diluted in November” 2026. What she means is “so that none of the 1st preferences for the 9 Republicans who won’t make the final round can leak to the Democratic candidate as At least some voters will prefer.”
More strategic withdrawal alaskawatchman.com/2025/09/24/l...
Leading GOP candidate vows to exit Alaska governor’s race if she’s not the top GOP vote getter in 2026 primary
One of Alaska’s top GOP gubernatorial candidates, Bernadette Wilson, announced that she vows to drop out of the race for governor if she does not receive the most votes among Republicans in next year’...
alaskawatchman.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Her ostensible rationale is “so that our votes are not diluted in November” 2026. What she means is “so that none of the 1st preferences for the 9 Republicans who won’t make the final round can leak to the Democratic candidate as At least some voters will prefer.”
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Henry Olsen and Tasha Philpot argue that primaries are harmful. Lee Drutman argues that they would not be necessary in a multi-party, proportional system. (2021)
blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2021/1...
blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2021/1...
Power and (Lack of) Control in the American Party System | Insights
On November 18, the Kluge Center, in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution, held its fifth event in the Pillars of Democracy series. After the previous event...
blogs.loc.gov
September 23, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Henry Olsen and Tasha Philpot argue that primaries are harmful. Lee Drutman argues that they would not be necessary in a multi-party, proportional system. (2021)
blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2021/1...
blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2021/1...
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
It is 2025. America is falling into authoritarianism. And the Democratic Party does not have a strategic theory of political conflict.
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
September 21, 2025 at 4:34 PM
It is 2025. America is falling into authoritarianism. And the Democratic Party does not have a strategic theory of political conflict.
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
leedrutman.substack.com/p/how-democr...
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
"Either Democrats lead the fight to clean up the system or they will be remembered as complicit in its collapse."
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Democrats' Path Forward: Become the Anti-Corruption Party
But to reform the system they first need to reform the Democratic Party.
substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
"Either Democrats lead the fight to clean up the system or they will be remembered as complicit in its collapse."
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Reposted by GaryWMorehead
Single member legislative districts are just such a bad system, especially when parties are polarized (i.e., in any modern political system)
Forthcoming APSR shows firms, not just voters, are gerrymandered into/out of districts for partisan gain
ungated SSRN version papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Forthcoming APSR shows firms, not just voters, are gerrymandered into/out of districts for partisan gain
ungated SSRN version papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
September 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Single member legislative districts are just such a bad system, especially when parties are polarized (i.e., in any modern political system)
Forthcoming APSR shows firms, not just voters, are gerrymandered into/out of districts for partisan gain
ungated SSRN version papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Forthcoming APSR shows firms, not just voters, are gerrymandered into/out of districts for partisan gain
ungated SSRN version papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Nationally, other than purple states, US is trending toward to two 1-party systems, side by side, separate and prob unequal. In purple states, the trend is similar but by region/county/town and under a statewide stalemate, producing escalating contestation and declining representativeness of Reps.
September 2, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Nationally, other than purple states, US is trending toward to two 1-party systems, side by side, separate and prob unequal. In purple states, the trend is similar but by region/county/town and under a statewide stalemate, producing escalating contestation and declining representativeness of Reps.