Rick Perlstein
@rickperlstein.bsky.social
"O, let America be America again—
The land that never has been yet..."
The land that never has been yet..."
Washington Post.
February 15, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Washington Post.
Strongly disagree with this great writer. Creative, brilliant people interact with the world in many ways, via many media. Some people are not word-focused, and one of the abiding mistakes--political mistakes--those who are make is a narcissism that renders moral judgment on those who don't.
You will not find better advice on Bluesky today.
If you walk into a man’s apartment and you don’t see ANY books, pick up your pussy and LEAVE!!! Go back outside!!!
February 15, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Strongly disagree with this great writer. Creative, brilliant people interact with the world in many ways, via many media. Some people are not word-focused, and one of the abiding mistakes--political mistakes--those who are make is a narcissism that renders moral judgment on those who don't.
The New York Times, so far, finding it Not Fit To Print, read up on a general strike involving three hundred million people.
peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/3...
peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/3...
300 million on the streets in a historic national strike in India : Peoples Dispatch
The strike was called jointly by the worker unions and farmers groups to demand the withdrawal of the anti-people policies, such as the four new labor codes and the recently signed trade deals with th...
peoplesdispatch.org
February 15, 2026 at 4:43 PM
The New York Times, so far, finding it Not Fit To Print, read up on a general strike involving three hundred million people.
peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/3...
peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/12/3...
Come for the atmospheric scandijazz, stay for the fuzzed-out Hammond B-3 breakout that picks up from where Deep Purple's Jon Lord left off. Extremely gummy-worthy.
youtu.be/TH43CdBds2c?...
youtu.be/TH43CdBds2c?...
Terje Rypdal & The Roadrunners: Per Ulv Goes Electric (for Chuck Jones, 2011)
YouTube video by Lasse Postmyr
youtu.be
February 15, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Come for the atmospheric scandijazz, stay for the fuzzed-out Hammond B-3 breakout that picks up from where Deep Purple's Jon Lord left off. Extremely gummy-worthy.
youtu.be/TH43CdBds2c?...
youtu.be/TH43CdBds2c?...
"Fascism Experts Hear Dangerous Parallels in Rubio Speech" would have been a better headline, in an actual newspaper of record.
February 15, 2026 at 2:19 AM
"Fascism Experts Hear Dangerous Parallels in Rubio Speech" would have been a better headline, in an actual newspaper of record.
"It’s time to get aggressive and get the f**k out because they’re trying to box us in." Key word: "they." They ever feverishly imagine they're facing coordinated group attack, even when there is no "they"--just a single individual avoiding conflict by getting out of their way.
Marimar Martinez was shot by Border Patrol five times.
DHS accused her of being a domestic terrorist.
She went to court to get the body cam footage released.
It shows Agent Charles Exum driving with his gun drawn.
Saying “do something b*tch”.
Ramming her car.
Shooting her.
It shows DHS lied.
DHS accused her of being a domestic terrorist.
She went to court to get the body cam footage released.
It shows Agent Charles Exum driving with his gun drawn.
Saying “do something b*tch”.
Ramming her car.
Shooting her.
It shows DHS lied.
February 12, 2026 at 11:43 PM
"It’s time to get aggressive and get the f**k out because they’re trying to box us in." Key word: "they." They ever feverishly imagine they're facing coordinated group attack, even when there is no "they"--just a single individual avoiding conflict by getting out of their way.
Reposted by Rick Perlstein
Gift link to article.
February 12, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Gift link to article.
A rare model of reporting on right-wing political strategy from the New York Times, because it begins with the ineluctable fact that the GOP works by seeding panics that are purely instrumental, with no necessary connection to reality.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Without a Border ‘Invasion,’ Texas G.O.P. Turns to an Old Enemy, Islam
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:22 PM
A rare model of reporting on right-wing political strategy from the New York Times, because it begins with the ineluctable fact that the GOP works by seeding panics that are purely instrumental, with no necessary connection to reality.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Reposted by Rick Perlstein
I'm enjoying Breakdown: 1975 very much. I was 8 that year.
Thanks to @rickperlstein.bsky.social for the tip.
Thanks to @rickperlstein.bsky.social for the tip.
February 10, 2026 at 2:58 AM
I'm enjoying Breakdown: 1975 very much. I was 8 that year.
Thanks to @rickperlstein.bsky.social for the tip.
Thanks to @rickperlstein.bsky.social for the tip.
Episode 1: Rick Perlstein on bipartisan politics and media.
YouTube video by Rewoundpolitics
youtu.be
February 9, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Raping 18-year-olds is a matter of indifference to this presidential administration. They even rub our faces in it.
February 9, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Raping 18-year-olds is a matter of indifference to this presidential administration. They even rub our faces in it.
People seem to forget that Tyson is a convicted rapist. On-brand for this administration, I guess.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
A Super Bowl Message From MAHA and Mike Tyson: ‘Processed Food Kills’
www.nytimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:38 AM
People seem to forget that Tyson is a convicted rapist. On-brand for this administration, I guess.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
Wise little reflection suggesting that Crypto's Trump boom was the "Serious Money" betting that Trump's attempt to turn the U.S. into a mafia state would succeed, and that its present crash is their new prediction that it will fail.
seeingtheforest.com/crypto-crash...
seeingtheforest.com/crypto-crash...
Crypto Crash - The Serious Money Is Betting Trump Will Fail
This post first appeared at Government Cheese - Chronicling the collapse of democracy
The crypto crash means the "serious money people" are betting that Trump will fail.
When crypto started to becom...
seeingtheforest.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:43 AM
Wise little reflection suggesting that Crypto's Trump boom was the "Serious Money" betting that Trump's attempt to turn the U.S. into a mafia state would succeed, and that its present crash is their new prediction that it will fail.
seeingtheforest.com/crypto-crash...
seeingtheforest.com/crypto-crash...
This is very cool. Serious leadership. Mahmdani chose to lead the city's antisemitism office (I hope they have an Islamophobia office) a woman to led an organization advocating for kids done wrong by non-educations in Hasidic schools (which are tax-supported). www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/n...
Mamdani Chooses a Liberal Jewish Leader to Run Antisemitism Office
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:44 AM
This is very cool. Serious leadership. Mahmdani chose to lead the city's antisemitism office (I hope they have an Islamophobia office) a woman to led an organization advocating for kids done wrong by non-educations in Hasidic schools (which are tax-supported). www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/n...
Best part of this, by the great @dankaufman70.bsky.social, transcends its specific, and also crucial, subject matter: how timorous institutionalist in the anti-Trump coalition get challenged by young people (here, a caucus called "FUN"!) itching for a fight.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/m...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/m...
‘The Biggest Act of Union-Busting in U.S. History’: Trump’s War on Federal Workers
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Best part of this, by the great @dankaufman70.bsky.social, transcends its specific, and also crucial, subject matter: how timorous institutionalist in the anti-Trump coalition get challenged by young people (here, a caucus called "FUN"!) itching for a fight.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/m...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/m...
"Lush Life," with nods to Richie. photos.app.goo.gl/Pwow2FANn9dG...
New video · Monday, Jun 14, 2021 🎬
Tap to view!
photos.app.goo.gl
February 5, 2026 at 5:33 PM
"Lush Life," with nods to Richie. photos.app.goo.gl/Pwow2FANn9dG...
Settling in to the work of mourning an artistic hero. Only a handful of geniuses in every generation, fewer all the time, manage to make the ancient and honorable instrument, and its toolkit the circle of fifths, sound DIFFERENT. Sad that this one never got his due.
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Hubris - YouTube
youtube.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Settling in to the work of mourning an artistic hero. Only a handful of geniuses in every generation, fewer all the time, manage to make the ancient and honorable instrument, and its toolkit the circle of fifths, sound DIFFERENT. Sad that this one never got his due.
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Moving elegy for the Washington Post from an old friend (of me, and of the Post).
www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...
www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...
Breaking up is hard to do, but I've now broken up with The Washington Post
People have been telling me that we should have broken up long ago, but this was not just any relationship. You see, I am a native Washingtonian, my career was in journalism, and The Washington Post h...
www.dailykos.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Moving elegy for the Washington Post from an old friend (of me, and of the Post).
www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...
www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...
Crazy. It appears the secret police had a secret boss. (Someone with no law enforcement experience.) And that Bovino baldly lied about it under oath.
abc7chicago.com/amp/post/ope...
abc7chicago.com/amp/post/ope...
Operation Midway Blitz: Emails reveal CBP Commander Bovino's possible boss, command structure for Chicago immigration enforcement | abc7chicago.com
Emails%20have%20revealed%20CBP%20Commander%20Greg%20Bovino's%20possible%20boss%20and%20a%20command%20structure%20for%20immigration%20enforcement%20Operation%20Midway%20Blitz%20in%20Chicago.
abc7chicago.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:54 AM
Crazy. It appears the secret police had a secret boss. (Someone with no law enforcement experience.) And that Bovino baldly lied about it under oath.
abc7chicago.com/amp/post/ope...
abc7chicago.com/amp/post/ope...
Reposted by Rick Perlstein
This month sixty years ago, Goldwater '64 supporter Raymond Massey became the first Los Angeles resident to receive a Medicare card. cc: @rickperlstein.bsky.social
February 5, 2026 at 12:33 AM
This month sixty years ago, Goldwater '64 supporter Raymond Massey became the first Los Angeles resident to receive a Medicare card. cc: @rickperlstein.bsky.social
Reposted by Rick Perlstein
Highlighting the speaker who stood in front of the Surprise mayor and told him to consider what the Mayor of Ohrdruf must’ve thought before he died by suicide: “He might have thought ‘how is this my fault I had no jurisdiction over this’ maybe he said ‘this site was not subject to local zoning.’”
February 4, 2026 at 6:43 AM
Highlighting the speaker who stood in front of the Surprise mayor and told him to consider what the Mayor of Ohrdruf must’ve thought before he died by suicide: “He might have thought ‘how is this my fault I had no jurisdiction over this’ maybe he said ‘this site was not subject to local zoning.’”
Reposted by Rick Perlstein
February 4, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Here's the tragedy: Timothy Crouse made exactly the same argument, for similar reasons, in 1972.
The entire press corps should walk out, not come back, & we simply shouldn’t tolerate this.
Months of “Joe Biden won’t do a press conference.” A nonstop national story. Same with Harris in Aug/Sep 2024 & interviews. Trump does this stuff & everyone shrugs. It’s appalling.
Months of “Joe Biden won’t do a press conference.” A nonstop national story. Same with Harris in Aug/Sep 2024 & interviews. Trump does this stuff & everyone shrugs. It’s appalling.
KAITLAN COLLINS: What would say to Epstein survivo---
TRUMP: You are so bad. You are the worst report. No wonder CNN has no ratings. She's a young woman. I don't think I've ever seen you smile. They should be ashamed of you.
TRUMP: You are so bad. You are the worst report. No wonder CNN has no ratings. She's a young woman. I don't think I've ever seen you smile. They should be ashamed of you.
February 4, 2026 at 3:22 AM
Here's the tragedy: Timothy Crouse made exactly the same argument, for similar reasons, in 1972.