NOTUS Perspectives
@notusperspectives.bsky.social
@notus.com platform for analysis, ideas and narratives notus.org/perspectives
“The resurgence of the R-word, I have come to believe, is fueled by a foundational American contradiction,” writes @sadieding.bsky.social
Why the R-Word Is the Defining Slur of the Trump Era
Last Thanksgiving, while the rest of us were trying not to start a fight at the dinner table, President Trump started one on the internet. He took to Truth Social to call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “seri...
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This isn’t really about Trump or Blanche, who are, let’s be honest, behaving in predictable ways. The more telling thing to watch here are the impotent Republican senators who naively believe they have actually done their jobs, writes @mattklewis.bsky.social
What Is Wrong With the Republicans Who Said Yes to Blanche?
It might be about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, but acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally rescinded the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” which was a prerequisite for wi...
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For better or worse, Abdul El-Sayed unquestionably gives voters the fighting spirit they want, writes @danamilbank.bsky.social.
Dana Milbank: I Was Prepared to Dislike Abdul El-Sayed. Then I Came to Michigan and Spoke to Him.
He isn’t as scary as the party establishment thinks.
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“Having watched hundreds of hours of ‘King of the Hill’ over the years, I am convinced that it has something profound to say about conservatism,” argues @mattklewis.bsky.social
‘King of the Hill’ Is a Roadmap to a Better Conservatism
He’s the hero America needs, but not the one we deserve. I’m talking, of course, about Hank Hill. If politics really is downstream from culture, then America took one small step in the right direction...
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“It’s worth asking what it says about our media landscape that CBS is turning its lonely eyes to … Ross Douthat?” @mattklewis.bsky.social examines the hiring of conservative media personality Ross Douthat for CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
All Hail the Thoughtful Conservative Pundit Who Gives MAGA Ideas a Respectable Face
The shake-ups at “60 Minutes” took a surprise turn this week when CBS announced that New York Times columnist Ross Douthat would be joining the show. It's worth asking what it says about our media landscape that CBS is turning its lonely eyes to ... Ros...
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No matter how the Michigan primary turns out, Abdul El-Sayed has identified an approach that Democrats should be using up and down the ballot in November, argues @danamilbank.bsky.social.
Dana Milbank: I Was Prepared to Dislike Abdul El-Sayed. Then I Came to Michigan and Spoke to Him.
He isn't as scary as the party establishment thinks.
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Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” isn’t about the future of democracy. Unless you want to hear it that way. https://www.notus.org/perspectives/this-hugely-popular-country-song-has-surprising-parallels-to-the-texas-senate-race
This Hugely Popular Country Song Has Surprising Parallels to the Texas Senate Race
“Choosin’ Texas” isn't about the future of democracy. Unless you want to hear it that way.
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He’s the hero America needs, but not the one we deserve. I’m talking, of course, about Hank Hill. @mattklewis.bsky.social argues “King of the Hill” is a roadmap to a better conservatism than the one we currently have.
‘King of the Hill' Is a Roadmap to a Better Conservatism
He's the hero America needs, but not the one we deserve. I'm talking, of course, about Hank Hill. If politics really is downstream from culture, then America took one small step in the right direction last week, when Hulu dropped Season 15 of “King of t...
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What are under-the-radar ideas to improve American energy policy that could pass Congress this year? Help Americans weatherize their homes, writes Sen. @coons.senate.gov Enact permitting reform, says Sen. Alan Armstrong. Presented by the American Petroleum Institute www.notus.org/perspectives...
Under-the-Radar Ideas to Improve American Energy Policy that Could Pass Congress this Year
Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Alan Armstrong, Rep. Scott Peters, Holly Bender, Kate Gordon, Mike Sommers, Meg Slattery, Heather Boushey, James Coleman, Lynn Abramson
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The Nixon Foundation deserves praise for its social media acumen, but I’m convinced there’s more to this renaissance — the term of art is “Nixonmaxxing” — than slick marketing, writes @mattklewis.bsky.social
In Defense of Nixonmaxxing
Thanks to a savvy social-media campaign, Richard Nixon is cool again. Good!
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Under-the-radar ideas to improve American energy policy that could pass Congress this year Presented by the American Petroleum Institute
Under-the-Radar Ideas to Improve American Energy Policy that Could Pass Congress this Year
Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Alan Armstrong, Rep. Scott Peters, Holly Bender, Kate Gordon, Mike Sommers, Meg Slattery, Heather Boushey, James Coleman, Lynn Abramson
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Hegseth’s poor form isn’t limited to his bench press, writes @danamilbank.bsky.social
Dana Milbank: Maybe Pete Hegseth Is the One With a Testosterone Problem
Hegseth's poor form isn't limited to his bench press.
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If you look a bit closer at Nixon’s life and legacy, I’m not sure it’s a comparison that Trump should actually want to invite, argues @mattklewis.bsky.social
In Defense of Nixonmaxxing
Thanks to a savvy social-media campaign, Richard Nixon is cool again. Good!
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I can’t help wondering whether the problem isn’t that our troops have too little testosterone but that our secretary of “war” (as he insists on being called) has too much, writes @danamilbank.bsky.social.
Dana Milbank: Maybe Pete Hegseth Is the One With a Testosterone Problem
Hegseth's poor form isn't limited to his bench press.
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“My question is: What should putting America first really mean?” @mattklewis.bsky.social argues many of Trump’s most loyal supporters are prioritizing “something other than conserving America’s tradition of liberal democracy.”
Matt K. Lewis: Let’s Reclaim ‘America First’ From the Bigots and Sycophants
It’s a good slogan — if you think about what it actually means.
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Amid all the lame, garish, outre plans, there is one that actually holds some promise: Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes, writes Ben Jacobs. https://www.notus.org/perspectives/trumps-garden-of-american-heroes-is-a-great-idea
Trump’s Garden of American Heroes Is a Great Idea
In theory.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is hyper-articulate. He’s great on TV. But his record as governor contains plenty of setbacks. www.notus.org/perspectives...
Is Josh Shapiro Actually Good at Governing?
He’s hyper-articulate. He’s great on TV. But his record as governor contains plenty of setbacks. Two Pennsylvania reporters dive deep.
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“Thanks to VDOT, I’m sleeping with the windows closed, and spending more of my time in the city — where I can find some peace and quiet.” @danamilbank.bsky.social makes the case against a rumble strip in the Virginia countryside.
Dana Milbank: Noise Pollution Threatens the Countryside. I Fought Back — Loudly
I hope to be considered for the Pulitzer in Self-Interested Reporting.
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"There are multiple moral complications inherent in this image. And in photojournalism itself." Helena Andrews-Dyer examines the difficult question behind the viral image of Bernita Bowlding.
The Photo of the Woman on the Metro Was Powerful. Was It Also Exploitative?
There are multiple moral complications inherent in this image. And in photojournalism itself.
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“Rumble strips are but one part of the cacophony that is increasingly plaguing rural residents — both human and beast.” @danamilbank.bsky.social fights back against noise pollution from a rumble strip in the Virginia countryside.
Dana Milbank: Noise Pollution Threatens the Countryside. I Fought Back -- Loudly
I hope to be considered for the Pulitzer in Self-Interested Reporting.
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"There are always repercussions for the very real people we photograph, write about, opine about. Shouldn’t they have some say over whether or not they become historical symbols?" Helena Andrews-Dyer examines the moral complications in the viral photo of Bernita Bowlding.
The Photo of the Woman on the Metro Was Powerful. Was It Also Exploitative?
There are multiple moral complications inherent in this image. And in photojournalism itself.
notus.org
If Platner could skate thanks to the new political climate and precedent fostered by Trump, it means that we live in a time and place where other political leaders can disregard norms of decency, writes @mattklewis.bsky.social.
The Lesson of Platner's Exit: Trump Didn't Change the Rules for Anyone Except Himself.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know by now that Graham Platner -- the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine -- has dropped out of the race, having been accused of sexual assault. (He denies the allegation.) That outcome has seemed...
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Apparently, because I am Jewish — and because Platner has criticized Israel, calling the Gaza war a genocide — then everything I say about him must have a secret agenda, writes Lauren Leader. Sadly, I’m not the only person who was smeared with antisemitic garbage in connection with this topic.
Being Jewish Doesn't Mean I Have a Secret Agenda
This should be obvious, but not everything is about Israel — and there were actually plenty of other reasons to oppose Graham Platner.
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Accusing a politician of being communist will do little to persuade the guy who says, “Yeah, so what?” @mattklewis.bsky.social urges conservatives to avoid conflating socialism with communism.
Dear Fellow Conservatives: Stop Conflating Socialism with Communism.
Matt K. Lewis on why calling Bernie, AOC and company communists isn’t just incorrect. It also distracts conservatives from the real problem.
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“It’s fundamentally good news that Platner won’t get away with alleged sexual assault, just because Trump gets away with doing horrible things,” writes @mattklewis.bsky.social.
The Lesson of Platner's Exit: Trump Didn't Change the Rules for Anyone Except Himself.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know by now that Graham Platner -- the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine -- has dropped out of the race, having been accused of sexual assault. (He denies the allegation.) That outcome has seemed...
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"Apparently, because I am Jewish — and because Platner has criticized Israel, calling the Gaza war a genocide — then everything I say about him must have a secret agenda. If that’s not antisemitism, I don’t know what is," writes Lauren Leader.
Not Everything Is About Israel. Including Graham Platner.
In an Uber to New York City from my suburban home one morning a few weeks ago, I read and reread bombshell reporting from The New York Times that was both familiar and shocking: yet another man in pol...
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There’s a huge difference between political movements that want to use democratic means to expand the welfare state and truly authoritarian ideologies that reject liberal democracy altogether. This distinction matters. A lot, writes @mattklewis.bsky.social
Dear Fellow Conservatives: Stop Conflating Socialism with Communism.
Matt K. Lewis on why calling Bernie, AOC and company communists isn’t just incorrect. It also distracts conservatives from the real problem.
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Columnist @danamilbank.bsky.social recounts his trip to the Great American State Fair. “The nation’s 250th birthday should be a moment of national unity. Instead, Trump made it all about himself.”
Dana Milbank: Trump’s Nutty State Fair Hijacked the Fourth of July. And My Pen.
I went through the magnetometer to enter the National Mall for President Trump’s Great American State Fair this week, putting my pens, notebook, phone and wallet on the table for inspection. “You have...
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Columnist @mattklewis.bsky.social encourages readers to celebrate the America that existed before our current president — and can exist again. https://www.notus.org/perspectives/matt-k-lewis-dont-let-trump-ruin-your-fourth-of-july
Matt K. Lewis: Don’t Let Trump Ruin Your Fourth of July
Celebrate the America that existed before our current president — and can exist again.
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Author John B. Judis offers words of warning for Democrats ahead of the midterms. https://www.notus.org/perspectives/democrats-shouldnt-get-too-optimistic-about-the-midterms
Sorry, Democrats: Your Midterm Hopes Are Probably Overblown
Republicans still hold major advantages in American politics — this year and beyond.
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