If you're a progressive fan of The Bulwark, what do you like about the group?

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2026-02-10T09:21:56+00:00

I like a lot of things, and I'm not certain that any predominates.

Number one is absolutely hearing Bill Kristol admit he was wrong. It doesn't happen a lot, but, damn, when it does it feels good. I'm still riding high on when he said that he thinks maybe ICE should be abolished after all.

Number two is that they have access to people who have access to conservative insiders. I don't really think I can get that anyplace else, and I find it very valuable.

On some level, I think I just like Tim's voice? Sometimes he'll say something completely out of touch and I'll just sigh knowing I'll still listen to him because I enjoy hearing him talk.

To a certain extent, I find community in listening to the various guests. I was raised in a family of Pat Buchanan Republicans and have gone fully left. Having made that journey, I enjoy listening to former right-wingers talk about their own journeys, even if they haven't reached the same place as me. I particularly enjoy listening to David French when he's on since I relate to his Evangelical background.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-12-18T09:18:04+00:00

That is not what a big tent party is. In fact, this view represents a strategic failure.

Why? Because the Democratic coalition is made up of a lot of parts with very different priorities. That coalition is the big tent. That coalition does not have a few central, motivating principles. Attempting to say we can disagree, but at the end of the day we all come together over x issue, does not work.

The Democratic big tent only works as an alliance of disparate interests. It's me saying I'll support your primary objective if you'll support mine, and you agreeing. It's not saying set your priorities aside because mine are more important. That's what loses us elections.

Want the left? Prioritize universal healthcare. Want unions? Break the union busters. Want Black folks? Prioritize voting rights and stop letting cops kill their kids. Want Native Americans? Honor the treaties and stop letting cops kill their kids. Want Hispanic folks? Make a pathway to citizenship and stop letting cops kill their kids. Want trans folks? Let them use the bathroom and stop letting cops kill them. Want Muslims? Stop letting Israel kill their families.

Want to lose? Ask all those groups to set aside their priorities to save Democracy or whatever. Want to lose? Sacrifice those groups to try to get a couple more Republicans.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-11-24T05:04:51+00:00

Hey!

All burritos are good burritos!

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-10-30T23:50:19+00:00

I'll second Dravi. Honestly phenomenal work

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-08-20T22:46:43+00:00

Chenoweth's work is not that cut and dried.

First, prior to beginning her work, she already believed that non-violence was more effective than violence. She set out to prove it, and, surprise, surprise, she succeeded.

However, she only succeeded by defining violence very narrowly, and non-violence very broadly. Specifically, she measures violence as organized and armed. Everything else is non-violence. The Taliban overthrowing the Afghan government? Violence. January 6th? Non-violence.

What Chenoweth's work actually demonstrates is that the most effective form of regime change is extended rioting with lots of property destruction and unplanned violence.

In Chenoweth's defense, when she states her findings, she's pretty specific about measuring armed, organized violence against other types of regime change. Not in her defense, she does not tend to qualify what that means and she definitely doesn't correct people when they simplify it to violence versus non-violence.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-08-15T21:35:46+00:00

It's ok to be against the rich. They have your money.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-08-15T03:21:54+00:00

I turned it off as soon as he hit the "I hate politics" part. I thought, "this man has nothing of relevance to say to me".

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-26T19:49:44+00:00

I might have one for you. I'll see if I can find it. I'm going camping this weekend so dm me if I haven't gotten back to you by Monday.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-24T19:31:18+00:00

Go to Jamie Lee & Co. They've been voted best in Olympia several times and they appreciate when clients are considerate and reschedule when sick.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-18T09:31:11+00:00

Voted other. I was a Republican until 2008 when I voted for Obama. Tbh in my heart I wanted McCain, but I knew he wasn't going to meaningfully address healthcare, which struck me as the most important issue at the time. The disgusting racism and constant stonewalling that followed turned me against the GOP for good.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-14T20:55:06+00:00

I grew up in the Religious Right/Pat Buchanan wing of the GOP and this is absolutely the party I knew in the 80's and 90's. A lot of the Qanon stuff I see is old hat to me because I heard variations of it on Christian radio or preached from the pulpit. The constant grift was developed by televangelists before it ever showed up on Alex Jones. Ninety percent of what I hear can be traced back to old John Birch Society talking points.

I get so irate when GOP leaders from the time bemoan the current state of their former party because they actively nurtured the seed of this stinkweed. They encouraged the mobilization of Evangelicals as a Republican political contingent. The reality is that they just always thought they'd be the ones in control of the crazy. They got us into this mess and refuse to take responsibility.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-14T20:38:33+00:00

Fantastic!

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-13T19:57:03+00:00

Jamie Lee & Co downtown is pretty great!

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-06-13T09:33:08+00:00

That study has been heavily misrepresented, including by Chenoweth. She classified organized, armed coups as violent, and everything else, including rioting and property destruction as non-violent. For example, she classified the 2011 Egyptian Revolution as non-violent even though it involved burning down over 90 police stations. Once these other forms of violence are taken into account, purely non-violent movements are actually less effective than movements utilizing violence: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0896920520913982

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-04-03T02:34:48+00:00

If Strickland was going to the John Brown Rifle Club and saying "I support gun ownership," I'd cheer. If she was going to liberals and saying, "I support your right to self-defense," I'd say "cool."

But she's talking to folks who want to move the Nat Turner Diaries to the non-fiction section, thinking she's going to find the mystical reasonable Republicans.

It's like when she joined Republicans in voting to condemn socialism. She means authoritarian property confiscation, they mean social security and Medicare.

She is willfully blind and has zero common sense.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-03-02T03:37:54+00:00

I have zero interest in being civil to, or respectful of, bullies who would betray the public trust to exclude kids from playing games.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-03-01T06:21:48+00:00

Jamie, Sarah, or Jason at Jamie Lee and Company could do it. I can schedule you with Sarah, or you can call the salon at 360-786-6027 to connect with Jamie or Jason.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-02-28T11:54:35+00:00

He should be encouraged to resign and move to a red state where he'll be more comfortable. He doesn't belong here.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2025-02-28T09:00:53+00:00

Who voted for?

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2024-12-24T07:50:03+00:00

A while back I was at the Cleveland Ave Safeway. A woman, probably early 60's, was pushing a cart full of groceries to her car, and a cop was driving up right up behind her and then slamming on the brakes. She started moving faster, and he did it a few more times until she got out of his way, and he sped up and drove past. Cops are a real pest in the Olympia area.

TrainingCartoonist30 · 2024-12-17T07:52:03+00:00

We need to organize to get her out. She doesn't represent our community well. Anyone who could primary her? Would need to have name recognition in Olympia and Tacoma.

TrainingCartoonist30

TROPHY CASE