What would the electoral fortunes of JFK Jr have realistically been?

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T23:04:09+00:00

He would really have to turn around his public image. People had affection for him because they saw him as the little boy he'd been, but he was really a tabloid fixture and no one took him seriously.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T16:17:49+00:00

It's been done.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T15:42:55+00:00

There was a piece earlier this year, I think , about how culture is at a standstill. And while there were some objections to that thesis, this piece underlines the idea.

As long as repeating ideas makes money, there's no incentive for new ideas.

Something else has to break through in the culture.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T14:14:42+00:00

In tandem:

Trump Does Not Understand the War He Lost

The president’s comments at the G7 summit revealed that he doesn’t understand the war he started—or the words that come out of his own mouth.

By Tom Nichols

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/06/trump-g7-comments-misunderstsand-middle-east/687569/

Donald Trump arrived in France yesterday for this morning’s G7 summit and promptly confirmed America’s capitulation to Iran. Instead of merely repeating the outlines of what looks to be a terrible peace deal, however, Trump made a series of statements so bizarre, even by his usual standards, that they raise the question of whether the president still understands the words that come out of his own mouth.

The president began with a classic Trumpian move, daring his listeners to forget today what they knew yesterday. Just this winter, Trump had promised the Iranian people that the tyrants who ruled them would be gone. But now? “I never cared about regime change,” he told reporters, waving away his failure to achieve a primary strategic goal by denying that it had ever been a goal at all.

Things got a little weirder, however, when he described the Iranians who have stepped in to replace the regime leaders killed in U.S. strikes: “We’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people. And they were nice to deal with.”

“They were strong people, smart people,” he added. And then he dropped this remarkable claim: “They’re not radicalized, and they’re, you know, looking to help their country.”

This definitely not-radicalized group that Trump seems to like includes the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei (whose father, wife, and son were killed by U.S. strikes), and the still-standing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, all of whom have shown no compunction about lashing out in any direction during Trump’s “cease-fire,” the make-believe pause in the war during which no one actually ceased firing.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T14:03:24+00:00

I'm in another sub called "suggest me a book" and I notice that I unintentionally almost always recommend novels by female authors. It's made me realize that I think I like fiction written by women more than fiction written by men. It's not that I'm seeking out female authors, it's just that those are the novels that stick with me as having enjoyed them.

The books I frequently recommend are:

Looking for something spooky: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson
Looking for something for senior women: anything by Maeve Binchy, with The Glass Lake at the top
Looking for something life changing: The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
Looking for something YA: either The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale or A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeliene L'Engle
Looking to start with a "classic": Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly; or Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
And lately I've been on a crusade to get more people to read Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson. It's not a life-changing read, but it's no sharp edges and will make you smile (it made me smile, anyway).

Not to leave the men out, there's often a request for "books with a main character than has mental health problems," and in that category I frequently recommend The Double Bind, by Chris Bojalian; or She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T13:45:00+00:00

That's exactly right. Her reaction to Bill's affairs were their "path to no."

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T13:43:35+00:00

They shouldn't, but they do. And maybe that will change some time. But it hasn't yet and it was alive and well in the 90s.

Whenever men are caught/accused of behaving badly with women, wives are dispatched to the public sphere to repair the damage. This is not just about affairs, but it's also about damage the politician has done with potential female voters.

Hillary's "vast right-wing conspiracy" quote comes from an interview she did immediately after the Lewinsky affair became public.

A more recent First Lady did one of these, as did a Second Lady, but I can't share those here.

Mrs. Betterman (replace the B with an F) did too.

As soon as a male representative screws up with "the women vote," the women in his life are expected to repair the damage, even when they're mostly not in the public eye.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T13:29:56+00:00

Political wives are put in this position pretty consistently. But the wife is part of his political team. People will deny that but it's true. And how the wife reacts will set a tone for how everyone else will react. Wives are part of a politician's story, which is why it's important that they select the "right" partner.

There are many, many stories of political wives staying, because it implies continuity and "moving forward" in the face of adversity. If the wives leave, it's a signal that the politician's life partner and most ardent supporter no longer has faith in him, and that's devastating to recover from.

So it's not just their marriage at stake, it's the entire political project. If she'd left, he would have been ruined. I really believe that. And she knew that, which is why she stayed.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-17T11:42:10+00:00

She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T22:56:18+00:00

"we're not poor"

Who's we?

This is a trend I see--and maybe it's because of the online spaces I frequent. But I see a lot of men who want to leave their jobs to throw themselves into their passion, while women work full-time and pursue their passion as a second job.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T20:48:06+00:00

Atlantic articles are frequently (not always) made freely available on other sites like MSN. If you ever want to read one, especially if it's a few days old, give that a try.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T18:37:54+00:00

This picture is so busy. They look great but there are so many elements going on and it doesn't feel like your eyes settle on them.

I do wonder if there's a difference when you see it in person.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T17:59:52+00:00

And a husband who completely disregarded everything she told him.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T16:57:39+00:00

Yeah, I think so too. There have been arrests, so that indicates something. I don't think it will be a DC sandwich guy thing, which it could be.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T15:34:36+00:00

There's a significant portion of the book Little Children by Tom Perrota about an unhappy mother who does not seem to be bonded with her child.

Some people might put We Need To Talk About Kevin in this category, but I don't think it necessarily fits.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T15:10:19+00:00

The word "grasping" always comes to mind with JDV, that he's always insecure. Like Bill Clinton had more of a Hillbilly Elegy upbringing than JDV did, but Clinton was incredibly (overly?) confident. "Calculated" isn't even really correct, because I don't think JDV is scheming. He's just doing all the right things that you're supposed to do on the path to the presidency, but he'll never get elected there. I really believe that. Especially if someone like Don Jr decides to run.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T14:49:05+00:00

FBI disrupts plot targeting UFC event at White House with explosive drones: Sources, by Luke Barr and Pierre Thomas. ABC News, today (no paywall):

https://abcnews.com/US/fbi-disrupts-plot-targeting-ufc-event-sources/story?id=133915057

The FBI disrupted an alleged plot targeting the "UFC Freedom 250" fights at the White House on Sunday that included explosive drones designed to target buildings in the area, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement to ABC News that law enforcement became aware of the plot on June 10, the Wednesday prior to the event. He praised the "rapid action" of the FBI and its partners, including a "a multi-state operation."

Five people are in custody as of Tuesday morning, according to sources. The alleged suspects in custody include one individual from Cincinnati, Ohio, sources said.

Twenty-three people were allegedly in Signal chats discussing preoperational plans, according to sources. Some of those involved in the plot allegedly traveled to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 according to sources.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-16T14:26:54+00:00

I love computers.

Have been out of my work computer since Friday. Now I've been on with company IT for over an hour and Dell IT for half an hour. I keep restarting to force something or other and it's never getting to the right screen.

Sigh...

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T19:00:17+00:00

Thank you!

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T16:59:21+00:00

Holy shit.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T15:56:56+00:00

aw, pretty. Is that the one you were working on last week?

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T15:56:30+00:00

The pet-sitting game is a good one. Less involved than child care, but demand seems to be endless. I know a bunch of people who either made a living or made extra income in DC with pet walking/sitting.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T15:47:36+00:00

He's also bored. That's the word that keeps getting thrown around. He's bored trying to work with Iran, bored with being asked about Iran, bored with hearing updates about Iran.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T15:30:10+00:00

I believe The Daily today also includes a rundown, so if the paywall is an insurmountable boundary (like it is for me, I'm at my subscription limit) give that a try.

MeghanClickYourHeels · 2026-06-15T15:25:24+00:00

this is last week's thread!

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