American Optimism Slumps to Record Low The share of Americans who anticipate having high-quality lives in five years is at the lowest level since measurement began nearly two decades ago.

We break delusions by inducing self-reflection, not by reasoning and pleading with someone. Can we convert enough Republicans to save the country by inducing self-reflection on a large scale? Yes. Here’s a three-tier approach. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/how-to-dep...

Democrats: "How could you possibly vote for a pathological liar like Donald Trump?" Republican voter: "Don't look at me like I'm stupid. Of course, I know he's a pathological liar. But he said he'll support people like me."

“Tell your children who the cowards were.”

Spot on!

If Democrats make some exaggerated claims, they will capture voters’ attention while inserting favorable assumptions into their minds and achieving the lesser goal they’re really aiming at. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/make-extre...

If Donald Trump said the sky is blue. I'd go outside and double check.

"In the past, you paid lip service to individual liberty while going along with the Republican herd. Now honor requires you act like a free individual. For the good of the country, summon the courage admit what you already know: you’re wrong." epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/letter-to-...

In the #humanities, research isn't for discovering the truth about artists and their work but to eliminate the truth so that we can see their imagination.

I believe the #BuffaloBills made a mistake in firing McDermott rather than Beane though the point is arguable. But one point is inarguable: Pegula should have made a move at least three years ago. The team stalled 2 or 3 steps short of a Super Bowl win 6 years in a row!

Trump: Not going to seek peaceful solution to the crisis I created to obtain what we already have because I didn't get Peace Prize not under the control of a government that doesn't control Greenland. Republicans: Wow, that totally makes sense. What a strong leader!

This episode reveals two lessons Democrats should take to heart. First of all, they have to be clear what winning means. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/what-does-...

Two people you should never trust; A religious leader who tells you how to vote, and a polition who tells you how to pray.

Almost all Democratic leaders and commenters share this rationalistic perspective on Republicans. And it’s dead wrong. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/dems-wont-...

Should we be civil to Republican voters? Would we be civil to someone who makes a habit of handing car keys to drunks?

This is a great piece, which shows how far short mainstream news organizations are from accurately conveying the truth to the public.

This is what I like to see--people pounding on the Republicans who support Trump.

I've never been happier to be proved wrong.

Democrats are tireless in correcting false Republican beliefs, but Democrats have never challenged the Republican mindset that offers such fertile ground for false beliefs.

Should ordinary Republican voters and officeholders be let off the hook for supporting Trump just because people always tend to support their party's leaders? The Democratic Party thinks, yes, they should be let off the hook. Otherwise it would be speaking out against ordinary Republicans.

Prediction: #Jaguars jump to big 1H lead, #Bills mount furious 2H comeback that falls short, Bills fans say "So close!" just like they said the last five years. As before, "so close" will be an excuse not to make the big changes needed to win a Super Bowl.

Only a Republican administration would distract from its domestic bungling by bungling foreign policy.

If you address Republicans in an emotional register that appeals to them, some of them will be persuaded. Or you can keep talking at them like Democrats and keep watching them ignore you.

OK, so what should Democrats do if they want to win championships like the UConn women's basketball team? epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/basketball...

I want to live in a country where there's a broad range of opinions. I don't want to live in a country where the opinions of the right side of the political spectrum are based on fantasies that have been disproved many times.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it.

Yesterday I watched two programs about countries falling into fascism. One was The Sound of Music. The other was the news.

The #BuffaloBills came back from 21-0 to beat NE. Does that show how awesome they are or that they're hanging on by their fingernails? Which version will show up against Cleveland?

It's mid-December, and the #BuffaloSabres still have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. #Christmas miracle?

We have popular consensus on many gun safety measures but a democracy problem preventing passage. So long as one party (insulated by gerrymandering) remains in the thrall of a paranoid anti-government cult allergic to social responsibility, we will be stuck in the endless loop of death and paralysis

I speak for millions of frustrated Democratic voters who wonder why their party always seems to be on the losing side of decisive issues when the Republican Party campaigns on lies and fantasies and proves to be incompetent when it wins power. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/my-christm...

“I WILL be next if I allow this to happen to other people. That’s what brings me out here, man.” (From @statuscoupnews.bsky.social )

My hypothesis is that the Greeks and Romans felt a deep psychological connection with land that disappeared in the Middle Ages and was rediscovered by Europeans suffering the shock of encountering what we typically call “nature” in America. ericpurchase.substack.com/p/four-persp...

On 9/11 people destroyed two buildings, and we turned the world upside down. In 2016, #Russia attacked our #democracy, and we still haven't responded.

@mrjamesob.bsky.social scary times. Seems accurate 🤔 ❌️ 🇺🇲 @lbc.co.uk #LBC

Reminds me of Lenin (via Ezra Pound): Capitalists will sell us the guns with which we will defeat them. www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/s...

Even if you’re a good candidate and run a good campaign and there’s an historic blue wave, you’re still going to lose in deep red districts. Look that reality in the face and ask yourself two questions. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/dems-runni...

“Some evangelicals believe Donald Trump was sent by God to do His work in the world. I agree. Donald Trump was sent by God to test the Republican Party. The Republican Party has failed God’s test." epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/how-to-exp...

I am thankful for this community.

👇👇

"Democrats should propose a benchmark for what Republicans must do to return to normal democratic politics. What conditions must Republicans meet before people consider it safe to vote for them again? Here are five." epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/5-conditio...

Voters in 2024: I guess I'll give Trump another try. Dems: It's obvious he's lying about everything. Voters: You guys think you're smarter than everyone else. Well, I'm entitled to my opinion. Dems: [Sigh] Voters in 2025: He lied to us! I'm shocked and angry.

Dems: Everything you like about modern life for the last 10 generations, including capitalism, was advocated by liberals and opposed by conservatives who said they were going too far. Reps: We know that, but liberals today are going too far.

No negotiation is possible with nazi!

Effective sound bites are simple, striking, and assertive. They crystallize perceptions that are vaguely forming in the public mind, or they offer a resolution to people’s worries. Here are eight sound bites for Democrats. epurchaseattack.substack.com/p/democrats-...

Still, the U.S. trade deficit is up so far in 2025, coming in at $713.6 billion through August, compared to $571.1 billion in January-August 2024. https://to.pbs.org/47O8mnE

contrarian.substack.com/p/trump-is-i... Admitting you got it wrong would be confession that you’r a patsy, a liar, or both, but it would also that you’ve hurt many Americans. No wonder MAGA Republicans would prefer the security of nonsensical lies to the gnawing discomfort that facts provoke.