Columnist. Crazy typo.

Also in his desire to build a Mainline Lib coalition, Buckle tends to conflate his quadrant’s Black and white members and conflates people who blame homegrown racism with people who blame Putin and therefore aren’t actually giving the right much agency at all. 9/

I've tried to stay out of these arguments for the most part because while I get where they're coming from I'm tired of them. Would Harris, for all her probable faults, have been a better president? Yes. Do I personally view arguing about that as the best use of my time? No.

As another note, I also reject Buckle’s characteristically group 1 notion that the people in group 2 who voted for Harris have to start demanding the ones who didn’t vote for her apologize. We need to build movements that move forward not ones that wallow in the past. 8/

Also Buckle’s x axis doesn’t seem to include FOREIGN policy, which I’ll get to later. However he’s right that on domestic policy these two groups have more in common than either does with the other two groups I’m about to mention. Which will mean a lot for coalition building going forward. 7/

If we were to continue left on the x axis we’d get to 2010s Antifa and several Black and indigenous radical groups and individuals on top and several Marxist and anarchist factions on bottom outside those orbits Buckle analyzed. 6/

Note: Many people seeing this are probably thinking “that’s neither all that antiestablishment nor all that left.“ But Buckle was trying to map only the most influential factions and also people in both these factions are trapped by pragmatism. 5/

2. Bottom left: “antiestablishment left”: DSA/Bernie Bros roughly. Similar spectrum on policy but blame economic inequality, war and genocide along with the 1% of both parties for Trump’s rise. Media: Hasan Piker, Jacobin and much of what people think of as the “online left.” 4/

1. Top left: his own faction, the Mainline Libs, “in this house we believe”/Resist types. Generally open to progressive policies but tend not to the Dem Party establishment as the enemy. Often view it as their team. Media: New Republic, Meidas Touch, MS Now. 3/

This allows him to describe 4 major US anti-Trump factions, each with its own corresponding media bubble. 2/

In brief: he creates a chart with policy from left to right on the x axis and the level of agency assigned to the right, meaning the extent they’re blamed for their votes and actions on the y axis. 2/

Since I have and will probably continue to reference New Republic columbist Toby Buckle’s compass of anti-Trump factions I should probably explain what it is, why I find it helpful despite rejecting many of Buckle’s conclusions, answers to others’ likely objections and other observations on it. 1/

I feel like this might be where this discussion gets interesting. What types of outreach do you think have been or will be effective?

90% of political posts are just people who want to scream screaming in the way that most makes sense to them but trying to come off as clever while doing so.

90% of political posts are just people who want to scream screaming in the way that most makes sense to them but trying to come off as clever while doing so.

It’s the equivalent of “eat the rich“ memes, just for a different political subculture. It serves the same purpose.

I feel like this might be where this discussion gets interesting. What types of outreach do you think have been or will be effective?

The Free Press (website) is for people who want Fox News in the style of NPR. Go put that on a billboard.

What would work better?

Like, yeah, women demand a lot of attention and interrupt and say insensitive things sometimes and men also do that but they get head pets, Netflix specials, and the presidency.

I've tried to stay out of these arguments for the most part because while I get where they're coming from I'm tired of them. Would Harris, for all her probable faults, have been a better president? Yes. Do I personally view arguing about that as the best use of my time? No.

Most successful US political movements have started outside of presidential campaigns or parties anyway, even if they reach success when politicians go along with them. I encourage everyone frustrated with the last election to switch gears and brainstorm other ways to fight for what they want.

I find the "everyone who didn't vote in the last presidential race needs to apologize" talk to be boring. Not wrong, just repetitive. It's an understandable emotion but not leading to any interesting paths forward in terms of what to do in between presidential elections or on a local level.

Honestly maybe we should let people tell us not to use words we’re already not using.

The Housing Reform That Could Become Law (It already has passed both chambers, it still needs to be reconciled...but might just die a quiet death).

What are your thoughts on this #housing bill and the discussion surrounding it?
dcinboxinsights.substack.com/p/the-huge-h...

Some of my frustration is that out of the major US factions, the Resist Libs seem have the most potential to change society for the better. They’re good defense against the Weiss orbit for instance. I just have trouble approaching things on their terms entirely. I suppose that‘s not necessary. 3/

Ukraine is the big current exception. 2/2

To some people here it really is just about getting rid of and then punishing Trump and everything else is secondary. I’m still not sure what to make of that. Not that I oppose it. Just that I dream of something more. What more than that though is what I’m still trying to find. 2/2

I’ve viewed the #resist movement as the beginning of other probably smaller movements with more specific demands. I’ve still been trying to figure out what my role is in helping that as a small town reporter, but I’m realizing I’m looking at it backwards from how true #resist believers see it. 1/

Side view illustration of a large dragonfly with bright yellow and black markings. One of North America's largest dragonflies, specializes in hunting other dragonflies.

The Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus). From my STREAMS: An Illustrated Guide book, coming in Sept. 2026. a.co/d/gAgXe4q?ta...
🧪🌿🌎🐡 #wildlife #medart #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #dragonflies #odos