"Indeed, much of the grousing about Democrats’ supposed lack of moderation around social issues was not because these social issues are inherently losing issues electorally, but because they are losing issues when nothing else is offered." Great piece from @ryanenos.bsky.social

Ryan Enos: "An overlooked fact about the 'toxicity' of the Democratic brand ... [is] that it is surprisingly toxic with would-be Democrats, people who would normally favor left-wing Democratic policies but who have given up on a party that seems captured by an out-of-touch oligarchic gerontocracy."

Here's my take on Mamdani. ryandenos.substack.com/p/mamdani-an...

This might be another reason to update your priors around the weakly supported claim that Trump's "they/them" commercials were decisive in 2024.

Obligatory Harvard Yard fall photo.

It is striking to me that so many of these arguments revolve around the President having inherent powers over foreign affairs, like it is just an established fact. It doesn't say that in the Constitution. Where did this idea come from? www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...

As a leftist, multicultural, Dodger fan it's been a pretty good run this past week.

Okay, that was actually lol.

Palate cleanser: I read this the other day & wasn't going to share it, but we were talking about sleep (sort of) last night, so here you go. I knew about biphasic sleep as a cultural phenomenon, but I always assumed it was entirely a cultural construction. Maybe not. www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Cambridge maintains a strong pro-housing and pro-bike majority on the city council. It's about the freedom to actually live and work in a city and the foresight to build now for a better tomorrow. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/04/m...

The question to sort out is how much of the impressive Dem sweep was a result of differential voter turnout that might not carry as strongly into 2026 and 2028 and how much of it signals a sustainable repudiation of Trump in the form of the mobilization of new voters and voters changing sides.

Paul Musgrave with a political science-centric obituary for Dick Cheney. musgrave.substack.com/p/dick-chene...

Remarkable to see how much Trump is obsessed with Mamdani. Despite Mamdani barely engaging with him. How much of it is because he is the anti-Trump: hopeful, cheerful, young, pluralistic, perhaps truly populist?

Think about this when you vote in Cambridge (MA) today and then support candidates endorsed by the Cambridge Bicycle Safety coalition. www.cambridgebikesafety.org

My politics were dramatically shaped by opposition to Dick Cheney's foreign policy and the invasion of Iraq came at great cost (some small part to me personally). But I can't help contrast him with the current President in that, even though profoundly misguided, he was trying to do the right thing.

Vote for me, or the authoritarian extortion will continue.

Here's my vote intention for Cambridge City Council. Remember that democracy starts locally & some of our most important issues, from climate resilience to social equality, are shaped by local policy: I vote for the candidates who are listed by BOTHA Better Cambridge & Cambridge Bicycle Safety. 1/

I love LA. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/u...

Imagine playing 162+ games, and the entire thing is decided by inches in a single play on the last game of the season. Both maddening and spectacular.

"Miguel Rojas has never won a Gold Glove, but he has made a baseball life for himself by playing brilliant defense... he was 16 years old because he was a defensive marvel. "

I could watch these @stephennelson.bsky.social and Rick Monday broadcast videos all day. I've always wondered what broadcasters look like in the booth when calling key plays. Turns out they are either as excited as the rest of us or completely deadpan.

As someone who became a Dodger fan by chance in 1988, I endured the longest success drought since the Great Depression, so I will never take this success for granted.

The Dodgers' success is overdetermined: yes, it is money, but that is related in an impossibly complex feedback loop to good longterm planning, organizational culture, coaching, fan support, location, team pedigree, etc. If it were just money, it'd be the Yankees and Mets every year too.

Hanging it up for the off-season. What an amazing finish.

Based on my timeline, I was mistaken in assuming that I was the only one living and dying with every pitch of that game.

Clayton Kershaw: former professional baseball player.

Best World Series ever. Dodgers played like Champions.

As I've said, I dont have a dog in this fight but I am skeptical of arguments that say "ignore the experts because it's just obvious" and, the fact remains that, despite their supposed terrible policies, Dems outperformed nearly all other incumbent parties globally. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/o...

The "let them eat cake" attitude of Trump is really on display. Three theories: 1) he has no idea what his policies are doing to millions of Americans; 2) as goes with authoritarians, nobody inside will tell him this is a bad look; 3) he has stopped caring because he rules as an authoritarian.

WEEKEND LISTEN This year, the Trump admin threw everything it had at the nation's oldest and richest university 3 Harvard profs tell the story of what they saw @naxerova.bsky.social @ryanenos.bsky.social & Kit Parker www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...

They should do Scherzer vs Kershaw tomorrow and require them both to pitch 9 innings

Trump is ruling as an authoritarian without legal limits in a number of ways but none are as concerning as his illegal use of the military. If the leader can kill without due process or authorization then we have lost all control.

Following your principles wherever they take you—& in particular being willing to break with the social groups with which they were once associated—is a rare thing worth lauding when the principles are good or even just defensible

I learned a lot from this @michellegoldberg.bsky.social article. Good insights on the tattoo and, more importantly, how Platner represents a potential transformation of the Democratic Party. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/o...

I don't know what to think of the claims that Trump is in cognitive decline, but remember what a fiasco it was when Democrats had to navigate that? Given the authoritarian and personalistic nature of the regime, it will be a gazillion times worse with the GOP.

Turns out that the Dodgers did not, in fact, ruin baseball.

Turns out that you can win games without a bullpen and without hitting the ball but not without both.

Appreciate this on so many levels, the main one being that it will reveal to a portion of America that there are cultures in which essentially every older family member or friend is an "auntie".

The authoritarian nightmare. A regime with a massive security apparatus used for political purposes, completely unconstrained by the rule of law.

I would be willing to bet a large sum of money that the American people would reject this in a free and fair election. But the fact that this notion isn't instantly and thoroughly rejected by leaders in his own party speaks to how we got into this mess.

Trump's entire world view is shaped by grievances from 1980s pop culture.

Harvard AAUP's Ryan Enos explains the importance of colleges working together to combat Trump’s attempts to shake down universities. #defendhighered @ryanenos.bsky.social

The thing is, the President can only impose tariffs in response to emergencies. If he isn't even pretending to do so anymore, it shows how much we have lost the rule of law.

Locke, Second Treatise of Government:

So far today we have news that private money is being used to pay the military and that the military may be used in an unauthorized war against a non-hostile nation. A madman driving us toward despotism and the death of innocent people.

Can't let this become normal. Only Congress can appropriate money. Nothing could be more clear. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Interesting notes about Harvard undergraduate admissions (that perhaps cut against certain narratives): applications were up 10%, international student yield was 90% (higher than the domestic yield of 83%), and first-generation students are 20% of the class. news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

These dynamics are definitely in play. BUT this wannabe dictator is also extremely unpopular and those of us with the courage to stand up have the American people on our side. It'll take courage and focus, but democracy can win.

Harvard’s Ryan Enos on East Wing Scandal and Democratic Erosion in America | Right Now With Perry Bacon open.substack.com/pub/newrepub...