Brian Beutler
@brianbeutler.bsky.social
Off Message, Politix.fm;
Formerly: Crooked Media, TNR, TPM; www.offmessage.net/subscribe
Formerly: Crooked Media, TNR, TPM; www.offmessage.net/subscribe
Yup, and the damage isn’t so much in the story as in the proof of weakness. Trump now knows he has new torture tools to make Dems do what he wants. It’s why at least one of the 7 capitulators oughta be run out of office now, mid session. Get that number down to 6. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
November 10, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Yup, and the damage isn’t so much in the story as in the proof of weakness. Trump now knows he has new torture tools to make Dems do what he wants. It’s why at least one of the 7 capitulators oughta be run out of office now, mid session. Get that number down to 6. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
Idea: Tell Durbin to retire early. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
November 10, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Idea: Tell Durbin to retire early. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
This is why we subscribe to Off Message! www.offmessage.net/p/exploit-th...
November 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This is why we subscribe to Off Message! www.offmessage.net/p/exploit-th...
If you’re gonna cave, cave strong. www.offmessage.net/p/are-we-hea...
November 7, 2025 at 10:24 PM
If you’re gonna cave, cave strong. www.offmessage.net/p/are-we-hea...
Visiting the scene of the crime in honor of acquittal.
November 6, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Visiting the scene of the crime in honor of acquittal.
This week's mailbag owes a lot to @mschmitt9.bsky.social, who goes unnamed here. www.offmessage.net/p/are-we-hea...
November 6, 2025 at 5:25 PM
This week's mailbag owes a lot to @mschmitt9.bsky.social, who goes unnamed here. www.offmessage.net/p/are-we-hea...
Indeed. With somewhat speculative but important implications. www.offmessage.net/p/25-thought...
November 6, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Indeed. With somewhat speculative but important implications. www.offmessage.net/p/25-thought...
Twenty-five thoughts on the 2025 elections. One of them is that @schumer.senate.gov should give John Bel Edwards another call, because… www.offmessage.net/p/25-thought...
November 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Twenty-five thoughts on the 2025 elections. One of them is that @schumer.senate.gov should give John Bel Edwards another call, because… www.offmessage.net/p/25-thought...
This doesn’t mean Dems never need to pander to public opinion, but the how of it is very important. www.offmessage.net/p/the-scourg...
November 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
This doesn’t mean Dems never need to pander to public opinion, but the how of it is very important. www.offmessage.net/p/the-scourg...
The Dems who ducked questions about Mamdani embody the former. If Dems pick a fight with Paramount and CBS News, they’ll embody the latter. www.offmessage.net/p/the-scourg...
November 4, 2025 at 5:56 PM
The Dems who ducked questions about Mamdani embody the former. If Dems pick a fight with Paramount and CBS News, they’ll embody the latter. www.offmessage.net/p/the-scourg...
Backstab the blue. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/t...
November 3, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Backstab the blue. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/t...
Dems obviously need a broad coalition. They obviously should not sweat “socialism” scare mongering so long as Trump is doing actual crony communism, and, yes, the GOP is the only truly extreme major party. www.offmessage.net/p/exploit-th...
November 3, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Dems obviously need a broad coalition. They obviously should not sweat “socialism” scare mongering so long as Trump is doing actual crony communism, and, yes, the GOP is the only truly extreme major party. www.offmessage.net/p/exploit-th...
I ask because I suspect there will be a lot of tedious discourse about how Dems lost by winning. www.offmessage.net/p/exploit-th...
November 3, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I ask because I suspect there will be a lot of tedious discourse about how Dems lost by winning. www.offmessage.net/p/exploit-th...
There are prophets in the Democratic coalition, but their priorities tend to be a bit orthogonal to this one, which is more small-c conservative than revolutionary. But that's what will give it broad appeal, the same way opposing the Iraq war had broad appeal. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
October 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM
There are prophets in the Democratic coalition, but their priorities tend to be a bit orthogonal to this one, which is more small-c conservative than revolutionary. But that's what will give it broad appeal, the same way opposing the Iraq war had broad appeal. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
But Barack Obama's early opposition to the invasion of Iraq is the big exception. Being right, early, about a major issue dividing society, can be very powerful. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
October 31, 2025 at 5:09 PM
But Barack Obama's early opposition to the invasion of Iraq is the big exception. Being right, early, about a major issue dividing society, can be very powerful. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
This has happened a few times in my adult life, and usually it goes nowhere—or at least not anywhere close to the presidency. E.g. Sally Yates and Adam Schiff. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
October 31, 2025 at 5:08 PM
This has happened a few times in my adult life, and usually it goes nowhere—or at least not anywhere close to the presidency. E.g. Sally Yates and Adam Schiff. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
Macron's insights weren't original, but they're pretty out of fashion in mainstream Democratic circles these days. They're also chilling in both text and context. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
October 31, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Macron's insights weren't original, but they're pretty out of fashion in mainstream Democratic circles these days. They're also chilling in both text and context. www.offmessage.net/p/defiant-re...
If you want your national party to be perceived as moderate, you really oughtn't fixate on candidate-by-candidate issue positioning while the other party seizes the means of media production. That’s different from the question of how candidates win close races. www.offmessage.net/p/two-party-...
October 30, 2025 at 5:08 PM
If you want your national party to be perceived as moderate, you really oughtn't fixate on candidate-by-candidate issue positioning while the other party seizes the means of media production. That’s different from the question of how candidates win close races. www.offmessage.net/p/two-party-...
Trump constantly telegraphs that he thinks control of information is essential to his project. Vance boasts that he makes up stories to get people to care about what’s useful to him. Dems respond with infighting and by shelving *true stories* about MAGA depravity. www.offmessage.net/p/you-dont-u...
October 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Trump constantly telegraphs that he thinks control of information is essential to his project. Vance boasts that he makes up stories to get people to care about what’s useful to him. Dems respond with infighting and by shelving *true stories* about MAGA depravity. www.offmessage.net/p/you-dont-u...
If they want milk this, they have to maintain this posture until Republicans fracture, even if that means standing firm into the holidays. www.offmessage.net/p/make-trump...
October 28, 2025 at 3:36 PM
If they want milk this, they have to maintain this posture until Republicans fracture, even if that means standing firm into the holidays. www.offmessage.net/p/make-trump...
This hang up of theirs had particularly bad effects in 2018 and 2019, when everyone loved the economy and he failed to kick millions off their health care. But now the self dealing falls against the backdrop of health care cuts, tariffs, bailouts, etc. www.offmessage.net/p/make-trump...
October 28, 2025 at 3:35 PM
This hang up of theirs had particularly bad effects in 2018 and 2019, when everyone loved the economy and he failed to kick millions off their health care. But now the self dealing falls against the backdrop of health care cuts, tariffs, bailouts, etc. www.offmessage.net/p/make-trump...
Issue differences are important, but they can be addressed by adults with deft political touch. In practice what often happens is they lash out at one another in ways they’d never dream of if a sympathetic stakeholder pressed them on live TV. www.offmessage.net/p/how-to-inh...
October 27, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Issue differences are important, but they can be addressed by adults with deft political touch. In practice what often happens is they lash out at one another in ways they’d never dream of if a sympathetic stakeholder pressed them on live TV. www.offmessage.net/p/how-to-inh...
October 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM