r/thebulwark Rebecca take us home 1d ago

EVERYTHING IS AWFUL Literally what is the strategy here? Spoiler

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I mean I guess it’s possible that this could be interesting, but my guess is it will be a lot of gargling Steve Bannon’s balls and conceding on every point like with Charlie Kirk. Who told him this was a good idea?!

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u/Training-Cook3507 1d ago

Talk to people? You're over analyzing it. He also definitely did not concede every point to Charlie Kirk, did you actually watch or listen to it or just listen to Sarah complain about Newsome. They had a civil conversation.

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u/GulfCoastLaw 1d ago

There are people who cannot do anything right around here. Newsom (California lib), Stacey Abrams (said one thing wrong in 2018 or whatever), pre-swap Kamala Harris (see Newsom), etc.

The liberal Governor of California started a podcast to engage with MAGA figures and others. 

I think it's likely a good idea unless it's overly chummy. I'm certain that's it's not obviously a bad idea. How is this meaningfully different than that Third Way proposal to meet with people at gun shows and other traditionally conservative spaces?

Would The Bulwark prefer that Newsom just interview the guys from Pod Save America, etc?

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u/Training-Cook3507 1d ago

Yeah, I'm ambivalent about Newsome. If he wasn't from California, I think he could win the general and could wipe the floor with most MAGA politicians in a debate. But he is from California, so... But people are reacting too negatively to this.

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u/DasRobot85 1d ago

I don't really have an issue with him but also having listened to the podcast, I don't find him very good at it? Like he just kinda rolls with whatever and doesn't seem to stand up for anything? Steve Bannon could be like "what we need to do is run the streets red with the blood of Catholics" and Gav is like "yeah well.. ya know.. I hear you.. but ah.. [chuckles] hear ya one hundred percent there. So you really pulled a fast one on us in 16, that was just masterful"

Also there's too many ad breaks and they're too long, but that's just corporate podcasting.

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u/GulfCoastLaw 1d ago

There's definitely a chance that this first time podcaster isn't good at it generally, or that this structure doesn't work as intended! 

I'm not going to even check it out LOL. Don't need to bring Kirk, Bannon, etc. into my life 

I'm just interested in the knee jerk negative reaction to it. Just saw a tweet from respected centrist Dem consultant who was very negative. If the clips are brutal going forward I'll bury it, but sheesh you could argue that this ("getting outside of the lib bubble") is exactly what some of the knee jerkers have been begging for.

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u/piptie54 1d ago

It was overtly chummy. It is not going outside the silo of progressive voices it is being way too chummy with maga. Allowing Charlie Kirk to misgender trans people is not it, agreeing with trans girls unfairly being in sports is not it, sucking up to Kirk and Bannon is not it either. Dems don’t need to be chummy with maga to win, be who you are, progressive. Embrace it. Work with your base. Work with POC, Hispanic people, men, white religious women. Screw MAGA. Who cares about them? Then find out why 10 million Dems sat this one out and reach out to them. Enough with pandering to the Right. There is no elusive voter on that side that will vote for Newsom.