Thank you for the informative and positive piece. I find it incredibly annoying when total negativity shows up in a number of posts. I am not a Pollyanna but it is so important to maintain objectivity and seeing the positive as well as addressing the negative. History has many instances of people looking at what a disruption or bad situation can be turned around if only people would keep hope and be creative in fixing the imbalance.
I posted basically this on Bluesky a couple of hours ago. We’ve had some major wins this week. (The collective action against Disney for the Kimmel situation, as an example) But it feels like so many people that have been in the fight are oddly negative today for some reason, and I don’t see what they’re seeing.
I know this won’t be easy, but it feels like the ship is finally turning against Trumpism. Am I missing something?
You aren’t wrong but many people are probably angry over the Comey indictment. I still harbor enormous animosity towards Comey over his last minute move in 2016 hurting Clinton. That being said, it is another undeniable sign that we are sliding towards authoritarianism and fascism. It’s difficult not to be angry.
Yes I see your point. We have to accept the truth, but the truth is more than just "the negative". Unfortunately, a lot of Americans aren't even accepting what is clear as day--for one reason or another. We are in the thick of it, and must keep awake and keep fighting because our very Republic is on the line--that's no hyperbole.
thank you, Matthew, for this bracing analysis. given the endless invoking of how unpopular the Democratic Party is, it's good to sort out what's really going on. btw, just filled out an MSNBC survey and told them how wrong they were to fire you, how they've not only lost your excellent commentary but showed Trump how easily they're owned, and how we need them more than ever and hope they'll stand up and stop appeasing, bc it has not worked once.
I agree with you Matthew, and I think that is precisely why they are doing everything in their power to disenfranchise voters who they don't think will vote for them. We have been seeing that here in GA, if you remove people from the rolls, and they don't know about it until Election Day, they don't get to vote. If you reduce the polling stations, again it becomes harder to vote. That's the plan, and they are implementing it in all of the red states. If they had to win a plurality based on their ideas, they would have to offer a whole different set of ideas. and they know that.
Trump is really stinking up the place, literally and figuratively. Watch him continue to lash out and become more dangerous, but don’t mistake it for strength and hold the line.
People are fed up and will take action again as they did when Jimmy Kimmel was fired. A majority of Americans are decent people. I think an area to home in on would be the current state of America. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 71% of respondents said they agreed with a statement that 'American society is broken.' Roughly two out of three Americans believe that rhetoric used in talking about politics is encouraging violence. Trump said on Sept. 11 that 'we have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them.' Then he shamed America with his speech to the United Nations. Anti-American!
Matthew, do you really think there will be a mid-term election? GOPers see the same numbers as you, Trump will do anything and everything to "postpone" the election. He has already told his supporters that 2024 was the last election that they will have to vote in.
Seven Days in May is [a 1964] novel by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II about a military-political cabal's planned takeover of the United States government in reaction to the president's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. The US military’s top brass were furious, having warned that the treaty endangered national security. But the president had signed it anyway. To the generals, that amounted to treason. They assembled a secret combat unit to topple the president. A coup d’état was coming; the American Republic would fall. Surprisingly, [the novel] was endorsed by [then President JFK], who recognised its power as a cautionary tale.
During filming, … life imitated fiction. In July 1963 JFK announced that, like the fictional president in Seven Days in May, he had struck a nuclear deal with the Soviet Union. The Test Ban Treaty – the first arms control agreement of the Cold War era – outlawed most nuclear testing. ... Although it was ratified by the US Senate in September 1963, Kennedy’s treaty was initially opposed by most of the military. Seven Days in May was released in February 1964. [JFK] never saw it; he had been assassinated three months earlier.
Lists Of Political Enemies: Parallel Roads Sadly Traveled Before And Now Again
Trump Answers Question on Who’s ‘Next’ on His ‘List’ After Comey, Newsweek, Sep26 2025 https://tinyurl.com/32yk4nxe President Donald Trump suggested Friday that additional legal actions might be forthcoming against other political figures, in an exchange following the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. When asked outside the White House who the next person on his "list" is following the indictment of Comey, Trump said: “It’s not a list, but I think there’ll be others." He also characterized "others" as “corrupt radical left Democrats.”
Who Is on Kash Patel 'Enemies List'? Newsweek Jan 16 2025 https://tinyurl.com/47h6k78h Many, including: James Baker – Former FBI General Counsel and Twitter Deputy General Counsel; Bill Barr – Former Attorney General under Trump; John Bolton – Former National Security Adviser under Trump; Joe Biden – President of the United States; John Brennan – Former CIA Director under Obama; James Clapper – Former Director of National Intelligence under Obama; Hillary Clinton – Former Secretary of State and presidential candidate; James Comey – Former FBI Director; Mark Esper – Former Secretary of Defense under Trump; Merrick Garland – Attorney General under Biden; Kamala Harris – Vice President under Biden; Eric Holder – Former Attorney General under Obama; Robert Hur – Special Counsel for Biden classified documents investigation; Gen. Mark Milley – Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; John Podesta – Former Counselor to Obama and Biden Climate Adviser; Samantha Power – Former Ambassador to the U.N. under Obama; Bill Priestap – Former FBI Counterintelligence Official; Susan Rice – Former National Security Adviser under Obama; Rod Rosenstein – Former Deputy Attorney General under Trump; Jake Sullivan – National Security Adviser under Biden; Andrew Weissmann – Former Mueller Investigation Deputy; Christopher Wray – FBI Director under Trump and Biden; Sally Yates – Former Acting Attorney General
Richard Nixon's enemies list refers to a compilation of major political opponents to Richard Nixon. The list was part of a campaign officially known as "Opponents List" and "Political Enemies Project". The official purpose, as described by the White House Counsel's Office, was to "screw" Nixon's political enemies, by means of tax audits from the Internal Revenue Service, and by manipulating "grant availability, federal contracts, litigation, prosecution, etc."[5] In a memorandum from John Dean to Lawrence Higby (August 16, 1971), Dean explained the purpose of the list:
This memorandum addresses the matter of how we can maximize the fact of our incumbency in dealing with persons known to be active in their opposition to our Administration; stated a bit more bluntly—how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies. Wiki https://tinyurl.com/yce6mvj4 Nixon's First Enemies (20 Names) and Political Opponents (207 Names) Lists, (1971) https://www.enemieslist.info/list1.php; Nixon's Second Enemies (576) Names) List, (1973) https://www.enemieslist.info/list2.php
I feel they need to really be proactive and HONEST when reimagining our institutions.’ I respect Biden, but he & his appointees failed to go far enough. They left accountability aside, & managed over the status quo.
Thank you for the informative and positive piece. I find it incredibly annoying when total negativity shows up in a number of posts. I am not a Pollyanna but it is so important to maintain objectivity and seeing the positive as well as addressing the negative. History has many instances of people looking at what a disruption or bad situation can be turned around if only people would keep hope and be creative in fixing the imbalance.
I posted basically this on Bluesky a couple of hours ago. We’ve had some major wins this week. (The collective action against Disney for the Kimmel situation, as an example) But it feels like so many people that have been in the fight are oddly negative today for some reason, and I don’t see what they’re seeing.
I know this won’t be easy, but it feels like the ship is finally turning against Trumpism. Am I missing something?
You aren’t wrong but many people are probably angry over the Comey indictment. I still harbor enormous animosity towards Comey over his last minute move in 2016 hurting Clinton. That being said, it is another undeniable sign that we are sliding towards authoritarianism and fascism. It’s difficult not to be angry.
A lot of it is inorganic. Not all, but a lot.
Yes I see your point. We have to accept the truth, but the truth is more than just "the negative". Unfortunately, a lot of Americans aren't even accepting what is clear as day--for one reason or another. We are in the thick of it, and must keep awake and keep fighting because our very Republic is on the line--that's no hyperbole.
This gives me some hope
thank you, Matthew, for this bracing analysis. given the endless invoking of how unpopular the Democratic Party is, it's good to sort out what's really going on. btw, just filled out an MSNBC survey and told them how wrong they were to fire you, how they've not only lost your excellent commentary but showed Trump how easily they're owned, and how we need them more than ever and hope they'll stand up and stop appeasing, bc it has not worked once.
I agree with you Matthew, and I think that is precisely why they are doing everything in their power to disenfranchise voters who they don't think will vote for them. We have been seeing that here in GA, if you remove people from the rolls, and they don't know about it until Election Day, they don't get to vote. If you reduce the polling stations, again it becomes harder to vote. That's the plan, and they are implementing it in all of the red states. If they had to win a plurality based on their ideas, they would have to offer a whole different set of ideas. and they know that.
Trump is really stinking up the place, literally and figuratively. Watch him continue to lash out and become more dangerous, but don’t mistake it for strength and hold the line.
People are fed up and will take action again as they did when Jimmy Kimmel was fired. A majority of Americans are decent people. I think an area to home in on would be the current state of America. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 71% of respondents said they agreed with a statement that 'American society is broken.' Roughly two out of three Americans believe that rhetoric used in talking about politics is encouraging violence. Trump said on Sept. 11 that 'we have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them.' Then he shamed America with his speech to the United Nations. Anti-American!
Thank you for this piece, you always can put a hopeful spin on it
Methinks it’s straight talk rather than spin.
Something for us Democrats to work towards. We have to change the direction our country is going in (it's going downhill.).
Thanks for the article. I need a glimmer of hope in this dismal political climate...
Matthew, you were wrongly dismissed from fom your employment at MSNBC! I really feel for you!
Thank You for being on Substack. Your Knowledge is on point
Matthew, do you really think there will be a mid-term election? GOPers see the same numbers as you, Trump will do anything and everything to "postpone" the election. He has already told his supporters that 2024 was the last election that they will have to vote in.
Seven Days in May is [a 1964] novel by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II about a military-political cabal's planned takeover of the United States government in reaction to the president's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. The US military’s top brass were furious, having warned that the treaty endangered national security. But the president had signed it anyway. To the generals, that amounted to treason. They assembled a secret combat unit to topple the president. A coup d’état was coming; the American Republic would fall. Surprisingly, [the novel] was endorsed by [then President JFK], who recognised its power as a cautionary tale.
During filming, … life imitated fiction. In July 1963 JFK announced that, like the fictional president in Seven Days in May, he had struck a nuclear deal with the Soviet Union. The Test Ban Treaty – the first arms control agreement of the Cold War era – outlawed most nuclear testing. ... Although it was ratified by the US Senate in September 1963, Kennedy’s treaty was initially opposed by most of the military. Seven Days in May was released in February 1964. [JFK] never saw it; he had been assassinated three months earlier.
Sources: History Today: https://tinyurl.com/4fpfpkuw and Wiki novel: https://tinyurl.com/5e9hsz7u and film: https://tinyurl.com/36r8th8e
Lists Of Political Enemies: Parallel Roads Sadly Traveled Before And Now Again
Trump Answers Question on Who’s ‘Next’ on His ‘List’ After Comey, Newsweek, Sep26 2025 https://tinyurl.com/32yk4nxe President Donald Trump suggested Friday that additional legal actions might be forthcoming against other political figures, in an exchange following the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. When asked outside the White House who the next person on his "list" is following the indictment of Comey, Trump said: “It’s not a list, but I think there’ll be others." He also characterized "others" as “corrupt radical left Democrats.”
Who Is on Kash Patel 'Enemies List'? Newsweek Jan 16 2025 https://tinyurl.com/47h6k78h Many, including: James Baker – Former FBI General Counsel and Twitter Deputy General Counsel; Bill Barr – Former Attorney General under Trump; John Bolton – Former National Security Adviser under Trump; Joe Biden – President of the United States; John Brennan – Former CIA Director under Obama; James Clapper – Former Director of National Intelligence under Obama; Hillary Clinton – Former Secretary of State and presidential candidate; James Comey – Former FBI Director; Mark Esper – Former Secretary of Defense under Trump; Merrick Garland – Attorney General under Biden; Kamala Harris – Vice President under Biden; Eric Holder – Former Attorney General under Obama; Robert Hur – Special Counsel for Biden classified documents investigation; Gen. Mark Milley – Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; John Podesta – Former Counselor to Obama and Biden Climate Adviser; Samantha Power – Former Ambassador to the U.N. under Obama; Bill Priestap – Former FBI Counterintelligence Official; Susan Rice – Former National Security Adviser under Obama; Rod Rosenstein – Former Deputy Attorney General under Trump; Jake Sullivan – National Security Adviser under Biden; Andrew Weissmann – Former Mueller Investigation Deputy; Christopher Wray – FBI Director under Trump and Biden; Sally Yates – Former Acting Attorney General
Richard Nixon's enemies list refers to a compilation of major political opponents to Richard Nixon. The list was part of a campaign officially known as "Opponents List" and "Political Enemies Project". The official purpose, as described by the White House Counsel's Office, was to "screw" Nixon's political enemies, by means of tax audits from the Internal Revenue Service, and by manipulating "grant availability, federal contracts, litigation, prosecution, etc."[5] In a memorandum from John Dean to Lawrence Higby (August 16, 1971), Dean explained the purpose of the list:
This memorandum addresses the matter of how we can maximize the fact of our incumbency in dealing with persons known to be active in their opposition to our Administration; stated a bit more bluntly—how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies. Wiki https://tinyurl.com/yce6mvj4 Nixon's First Enemies (20 Names) and Political Opponents (207 Names) Lists, (1971) https://www.enemieslist.info/list1.php; Nixon's Second Enemies (576) Names) List, (1973) https://www.enemieslist.info/list2.php
Thank you Matt. You spoke the truth! Thanks for this information.
I feel they need to really be proactive and HONEST when reimagining our institutions.’ I respect Biden, but he & his appointees failed to go far enough. They left accountability aside, & managed over the status quo.
I feel they need to really be proactive and HONEST when reimagining our institutions’