Exactly, Gordon. That Nobel...sits like a mirror he can’t look into without rage. It’s everything he craves...but can’t buy...fake...or bully his way into. And deep down? He knows it. That’s what breaks him. Over and over.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Spot on Jack! 🍊💩’s hatred for Obama is visceral! It eats away at it, as Obama lives rent free, in every part of its body. I couldn’t be happier!
Right?! It’s so obvious, Mo....Obama doesn’t just live rent-free in his head… he owns the whole damn building...utilities included. The bitterness...is almost poetic. And honestly... watching it gnaw away at him is pure satisfaction. Pure.
It is, indeed, a joyous feeling. Oh, how I miss BHO. He is, without question, the naturally better man. He has an ease of being in his own skin and confidence that the other one will never experience.
So satisfying, but only because he’s such a mean, vindictive, sorry excuse for a human.
I agree with you 100% here, my friend. Kryptonite. 💥
All true, but why does the Democratic Party make Obama front for them? Why make Obama the target? Why wait for Obama to save their image? The best thing they can do for Obama is back him up with a massive professional PR campaign with seasoned veteran PR people who know how to go on offense with a unifying message that pounds away on what Dems stand for and can do for people give. The chance. Why reduce Obama to the role of spokesperson when he is, in fact, the elder statesman of the party. Yes, what he says has command value and yes he is doing his damndest but he needs visible backup. People out there every day repeating his statements and talking to the mainstream media so that they at the very least give some coverage. Obama is a phenom and his magic is squandered. It’s not up to him to save us. It’s up to us to have his back. A Dem spokesperson and staff is the missing link.
I’ve thought that we need a Dem. “Shadow Government” like they have had in Britain. They should be holding news conferences every day, explaining the lies. And how things could be different. The Ds need to act like Citizens United is already gone and stop taking money from people who require them to shoot themselves in the foot by denying the younger candidates their endorsements. 👹
Yes, Rachel...this is exactly the kind of bold...strategic thinking we need. A daily “Shadow Government” press conference...straight from a unified Dem bench...exposing lies and laying out real alternatives? That would change the game.
And you’re dead on...about the money. Citizens United...poisoned the well...but Democrats don’t have to keep drinking from it. Stop letting donor fear silence rising stars. Start acting like we’re already in the post-corruption era...and lead like like it, damnit!
I really like the first part of what you said. In principle the second part is right on but you have to fight fire with fire. Any PR person worth anything shakes his/her head at the missed opportunities.
All the people do is react to Trump. Just the way he likes it. The Libs get owned by not taking ownership of the narrative.
Totally agree with you jumping in here, Laurel...especially on the PR side. You're right: reacting is exactly what Trump wants. It’s time Dems stop playing defense...and start owning the frame. That’s how you stop getting “owned”...you take the damn wheel.
We have a "Shadow Government" in Australia, too. Why doesn't the US try it? Democrats should just appoint a Senator or Congressman as a Shadow Attorney-General, a Shadow Speaker, a Shadow FBI Leader, etc and have those people flood the airwaves & media with Democratic messaging!
I've said the exact same thing Rachel! Get out there with daily news messages with the same message hammering it over and over again! Stop kow tow to donors who want the same old tired rhetoric. Read Nancy Pelosi is going to announce retirement at 85 years old! She was great in her time, but old aged or ineffective leaders must go! I shake my head daily at Democratic "leadership."
You nailed it...and I couldn’t agree more. Obama’s voice is powerful...but it shouldn’t be a one-man show. The fact that he has to keep stepping in to clean up messes says more about the party’s comms vacuum than anything else. Absolutely.
He’s the elder statesman...not the rescue squad. What’s missing isn’t Obama...it’s the full-throated...professional...relentless echo chamber behind him. The Dems need message discipline...battlefield-tested PR hitters...and daily reinforcement. Without that... his brilliance gets wasted in a void.
It’s not just about elevating Obama...it’s about amplifying him. With backup. With firepower. With strategy. That’s how you build momentum.
Amen to that, Amy. If Mamdani pulls it off...and proves his policies work on the ground...it’s going to shake the whole damn donor calculus. The old game won’t deliver the same results...and that realization...could open some long-locked doors. Fingers crossed!
That’s why he scares the Chuck and Hakeem crowd. He’s going to topple the whole damn house of cards if his ideas catch on. And they will, cuz we ain’t stupid
Good work on this playbook, Jack! You reminded readers that the biggest differences between Obama and Trump is that Obama is a very good man who cares about others, no matter how skinny their wallets are. Thanks!
That means a lot, Robert...thank you. I think it’s easy to forget...in all the noise...that character still matters. Obama’s decency isn’t performative...it’s rooted. And yeah… that kind of integrity...especially toward those with “skinny wallets,” is the whole damn point.
Love me some Obama! I remember when he was campaigning for his first term and how refreshing and intelligent he sounded after 8 years of George W. Bush. It was wonderful!
I feel that deep in my bones, Michele. After eight years of Bush...hearing Obama speak felt like opening a window in a sealed room...clear...thoughtful...human. That sense of hope and intelligence? Still powerful. Still needed. Love that you remember it too.
Well done, this is awesome. The way the word used to be used. But at the core, invaluable and made me realize I had not been imagining these things when I watched Obama speaking recently. And yes, we can hope. A more cynical individual could say “too little too late” but believe me, after so many years of being ground down daily, I can’t express how much I share your feelings and would like to think this is how it will get done. (Well, one way. Shameless plug at the bottom.)
I had a hard time cherry-picking a favorite line, “pudding-cup intellect” was in the running, but I’ll go with “the person who sends Donald Trump skidding across a psychological washboard at 180 m.p.h.”. Yeah, that ‘bout sums it up.
Oh, right- (if this is not cool, or inappropriate, please let me know.): I just saw another encouraging video, Jess Craven talking about a general strike. I started believing this should happen in 2016, but as usual people thought I was overreacting and basically nuts. Not so much anymore, although I’m never sure about that last one. Anyway. The recording is out, I don’t have a link, but the gist: We were asked to share the info at https://generalstrikeus.com/ with our friends. I don’t really have any, but I like to think of Substack readers as such, especially Jack and our crew here. And beyond.
This was such a rich...heartfelt message, Randy; I felt every word of it. And yes…that psychological washboard line...hit me too...when I wrote it. The truth behind it is what gives it power.
Also...thank you for the link. You sharing that here is exactly what this space is for. No apologies needed. We’re building something bigger than commentary...we’re building connective tissue. And...you’re part of that. Always.
I’m all in for Obama to take Trump to the mattresses. It really doesn’t take much to speak coherently and en capture truth, confidence, and hope. Being all the things that irritate Don Old PLUS a Nobel Peace Prize recipient is grace. Let President Obama speak for the next 3.5 years please!
Yes...let him speak, Jo. Every word is a reminder of what leadership can be. Calm. Clear. Grounded in reality. And the contrast with Don Old? It’s enough to make the walls shake. I’m with you....hand him the mic for the next 3.5 years. Let’s go!
Right, JP? If we’re tossing the Constitution out the window...then let’s bring back our two-term president with actual leadership skills and global respect. Fair’s fair...right?
Right, Toni? That one...never gets old. You can feel the moment Trump’s ego took a hit... he’d never recover from. It was precision. And poetic. "Tee hee," indeed.
I'm so glad to hear that, NK. That’s exactly what I hope to offer with every issue...a little clarity...a little oxygen...and a reminder that you're not alone in this. Deep breath. We keep going...together.
I just rewatched Obama’s 2011 speech. If that’s what set off Trump, his skin is a lot thinner than we thought. He’s just a crybaby who thinks he’s a bully.
Il Dunce is further broken by the Truth that Pres. Obama has a Nobel Peace Prize.
Exactly, Gordon. That Nobel...sits like a mirror he can’t look into without rage. It’s everything he craves...but can’t buy...fake...or bully his way into. And deep down? He knows it. That’s what breaks him. Over and over.
-Jack
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Spot on Jack! 🍊💩’s hatred for Obama is visceral! It eats away at it, as Obama lives rent free, in every part of its body. I couldn’t be happier!
Right?! It’s so obvious, Mo....Obama doesn’t just live rent-free in his head… he owns the whole damn building...utilities included. The bitterness...is almost poetic. And honestly... watching it gnaw away at him is pure satisfaction. Pure.
-Jack
It is, indeed, a joyous feeling. Oh, how I miss BHO. He is, without question, the naturally better man. He has an ease of being in his own skin and confidence that the other one will never experience.
So satisfying, but only because he’s such a mean, vindictive, sorry excuse for a human.
I agree with you 100% here, my friend. Kryptonite. 💥
You’re a man after my own heart Jack! 🤣
All true, but why does the Democratic Party make Obama front for them? Why make Obama the target? Why wait for Obama to save their image? The best thing they can do for Obama is back him up with a massive professional PR campaign with seasoned veteran PR people who know how to go on offense with a unifying message that pounds away on what Dems stand for and can do for people give. The chance. Why reduce Obama to the role of spokesperson when he is, in fact, the elder statesman of the party. Yes, what he says has command value and yes he is doing his damndest but he needs visible backup. People out there every day repeating his statements and talking to the mainstream media so that they at the very least give some coverage. Obama is a phenom and his magic is squandered. It’s not up to him to save us. It’s up to us to have his back. A Dem spokesperson and staff is the missing link.
I’ve thought that we need a Dem. “Shadow Government” like they have had in Britain. They should be holding news conferences every day, explaining the lies. And how things could be different. The Ds need to act like Citizens United is already gone and stop taking money from people who require them to shoot themselves in the foot by denying the younger candidates their endorsements. 👹
Yes, Rachel...this is exactly the kind of bold...strategic thinking we need. A daily “Shadow Government” press conference...straight from a unified Dem bench...exposing lies and laying out real alternatives? That would change the game.
And you’re dead on...about the money. Citizens United...poisoned the well...but Democrats don’t have to keep drinking from it. Stop letting donor fear silence rising stars. Start acting like we’re already in the post-corruption era...and lead like like it, damnit!
-Jack
Like in Australia, too! What's stopping the Democrats??? What do they have to lose??? Especially now, with the House in permanent recess!
I really like the first part of what you said. In principle the second part is right on but you have to fight fire with fire. Any PR person worth anything shakes his/her head at the missed opportunities.
All the people do is react to Trump. Just the way he likes it. The Libs get owned by not taking ownership of the narrative.
Totally agree with you jumping in here, Laurel...especially on the PR side. You're right: reacting is exactly what Trump wants. It’s time Dems stop playing defense...and start owning the frame. That’s how you stop getting “owned”...you take the damn wheel.
-Jack
Hopefully they’ve just been handed the wheel. 🤞🏽
We have a "Shadow Government" in Australia, too. Why doesn't the US try it? Democrats should just appoint a Senator or Congressman as a Shadow Attorney-General, a Shadow Speaker, a Shadow FBI Leader, etc and have those people flood the airwaves & media with Democratic messaging!
I've said the exact same thing Rachel! Get out there with daily news messages with the same message hammering it over and over again! Stop kow tow to donors who want the same old tired rhetoric. Read Nancy Pelosi is going to announce retirement at 85 years old! She was great in her time, but old aged or ineffective leaders must go! I shake my head daily at Democratic "leadership."
Yes. Yes. Yes, Laurel.
You nailed it...and I couldn’t agree more. Obama’s voice is powerful...but it shouldn’t be a one-man show. The fact that he has to keep stepping in to clean up messes says more about the party’s comms vacuum than anything else. Absolutely.
He’s the elder statesman...not the rescue squad. What’s missing isn’t Obama...it’s the full-throated...professional...relentless echo chamber behind him. The Dems need message discipline...battlefield-tested PR hitters...and daily reinforcement. Without that... his brilliance gets wasted in a void.
It’s not just about elevating Obama...it’s about amplifying him. With backup. With firepower. With strategy. That’s how you build momentum.
-Jack
President Obama is Kryptonite to the humpster dumpster.🤸
I like that visual, Nancy.
-Jack
Dems will figure out corporate money won’t get them what it used to if Mamdani wins 🙏🏼 and his policies work
Amen to that, Amy. If Mamdani pulls it off...and proves his policies work on the ground...it’s going to shake the whole damn donor calculus. The old game won’t deliver the same results...and that realization...could open some long-locked doors. Fingers crossed!
-Jack
And all other appendages, as well.
That’s why he scares the Chuck and Hakeem crowd. He’s going to topple the whole damn house of cards if his ideas catch on. And they will, cuz we ain’t stupid
Good work on this playbook, Jack! You reminded readers that the biggest differences between Obama and Trump is that Obama is a very good man who cares about others, no matter how skinny their wallets are. Thanks!
That means a lot, Robert...thank you. I think it’s easy to forget...in all the noise...that character still matters. Obama’s decency isn’t performative...it’s rooted. And yeah… that kind of integrity...especially toward those with “skinny wallets,” is the whole damn point.
-Jack
Love me some Obama! I remember when he was campaigning for his first term and how refreshing and intelligent he sounded after 8 years of George W. Bush. It was wonderful!
I feel that deep in my bones, Michele. After eight years of Bush...hearing Obama speak felt like opening a window in a sealed room...clear...thoughtful...human. That sense of hope and intelligence? Still powerful. Still needed. Love that you remember it too.
-Jack
After Bush, the eloquent and urbane Obama was worlds better. Of course, little did we suspect that Drumpf would make W look like a brainiac
Fact.
Truth, Jack. President Obama is everything drumpf is not. And drumpf knows it, too.
Oh...know it, he does. He damn sure does.
Well done, this is awesome. The way the word used to be used. But at the core, invaluable and made me realize I had not been imagining these things when I watched Obama speaking recently. And yes, we can hope. A more cynical individual could say “too little too late” but believe me, after so many years of being ground down daily, I can’t express how much I share your feelings and would like to think this is how it will get done. (Well, one way. Shameless plug at the bottom.)
I had a hard time cherry-picking a favorite line, “pudding-cup intellect” was in the running, but I’ll go with “the person who sends Donald Trump skidding across a psychological washboard at 180 m.p.h.”. Yeah, that ‘bout sums it up.
Oh, right- (if this is not cool, or inappropriate, please let me know.): I just saw another encouraging video, Jess Craven talking about a general strike. I started believing this should happen in 2016, but as usual people thought I was overreacting and basically nuts. Not so much anymore, although I’m never sure about that last one. Anyway. The recording is out, I don’t have a link, but the gist: We were asked to share the info at https://generalstrikeus.com/ with our friends. I don’t really have any, but I like to think of Substack readers as such, especially Jack and our crew here. And beyond.
This was such a rich...heartfelt message, Randy; I felt every word of it. And yes…that psychological washboard line...hit me too...when I wrote it. The truth behind it is what gives it power.
Also...thank you for the link. You sharing that here is exactly what this space is for. No apologies needed. We’re building something bigger than commentary...we’re building connective tissue. And...you’re part of that. Always.
-Jack
I’m all in for Obama to take Trump to the mattresses. It really doesn’t take much to speak coherently and en capture truth, confidence, and hope. Being all the things that irritate Don Old PLUS a Nobel Peace Prize recipient is grace. Let President Obama speak for the next 3.5 years please!
Yes...let him speak, Jo. Every word is a reminder of what leadership can be. Calm. Clear. Grounded in reality. And the contrast with Don Old? It’s enough to make the walls shake. I’m with you....hand him the mic for the next 3.5 years. Let’s go!
-Jack
Perfect!
If Drumph gets to run for a 3rd term then Obama gets to.
Right, JP? If we’re tossing the Constitution out the window...then let’s bring back our two-term president with actual leadership skills and global respect. Fair’s fair...right?
-Jack
I just watched the 2011 W H Correspondents dinner. Just as good as the first time. Cleaned his clock. Tee hee
Right, Toni? That one...never gets old. You can feel the moment Trump’s ego took a hit... he’d never recover from. It was precision. And poetic. "Tee hee," indeed.
-Jack
Thank you ! 💕Jack.
Lovely. Sigh....
Feel like I can breathe again.🌼🦋🌸🦅🗽🇺🇲🇺🇦
I'm so glad to hear that, NK. That’s exactly what I hope to offer with every issue...a little clarity...a little oxygen...and a reminder that you're not alone in this. Deep breath. We keep going...together.
-Jack
A virtuoso breakdown Jack. Mic drop. Appreciate the inspiration and call to continuing civic action!
I just rewatched Obama’s 2011 speech. If that’s what set off Trump, his skin is a lot thinner than we thought. He’s just a crybaby who thinks he’s a bully.
Great article.,as always well articulated, very much like Obama!