The Supreme Court of the U.S. - not the Supreme Court of Virginia - is the reason the state of democracy’s race to the bottom is as dire as it is.

My thoughts tonight on Virginia. Inclusive of clips. TLDR: The ruling is state-specific and defensible. The broader assault on representative democracy is not. Please consider sharing and subscribing (100% free always) to “Who Decides Who Decides?” (my substack). open.substack.com/pub/jamessam...

It's Dark Money Week on my SiriusXM show as we make the case to get big money out of politics. A great line up of elected officials and experts all week on ways we can save our democracy from the oligarchs!

19. The ruling, according to Hofstra Law Professor James Sample, "is a diametrical shift in voting rights practices, a diametrical shift in the areas of race and racial discrimination and the remedies for racial discrimination."

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4 days. 3 branches. 1 brutal week for democracy. jamessample.substack.com/p/four-days-...

"...The Court effectively constitutionalized a 'colorblindness' principle that forbids race-conscious solutions--even when addressing proven racial discrimination in voting." abcnews.com/Politics/5-t... via @jamessample.bsky.social

"The message here is that Todd Blanche has an audience of one." - James Sample Hofstra law professor

Discussing the themes in this piece today with Katy Tur on @MSNOW_Reports at 3:40pm ET today. open.substack.com/pub/jamessam...

The Golden Age of Legal Bribery open.substack.com/pub/jamessam...

This case about late mail in ballots should be only about statutory interpretation: did Congress forbid this, yes or no (answer is no) so the MAGA Justices are using it to rewrite election law in their own image. Incredible. All values no law.

The case today is so easy against the MAGA position that the MAGA Justices are inventing hypos about crazy and imaginary laws not at all at issue in this case or any case.

@jamessample.bsky.social: "If the Save America Act were to pass, and I do not believe it will, that would be catastrophic... it is a 'show your papers to register to vote' bill."

After the Cameras Leave…

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Dear BlueSky Friends, I am soft-launching a Substack focused on rigorous, accessible discussions of democracy. The first article "The Imperial Presidency," will be published late tonight. Subscribing (link in welcome post below) is free! Please join me! jamessample.substack.com

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Please join me @velshimsnow.bsky.social 10a-1p w/ Darrin Porcher @jamessample.bsky.social @vanhollen.senate.gov @aishagomez.bsky.social @janetmillsforme.bsky.social @radleybalko.bsky.social @allenorr.bsky.social @repangiecraig.bsky.social @raskin.house.gov John Sandweg @markey.senate.gov

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@jamessample.bsky.social doesn’t mince words when discussing ICE agents asking people to show their papers to prove their immigration status.

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Let's simplify: the government is arguing that once the money is spent, it can't be unspent (and that would be horrible). But the hungry can't eat tomorrow (and that's not as bad). That is the contention. abcnews.go.com/US/snap-appe...

Mine for ABC tonight. What's at stake in high-profile Supreme Court case on tariffs: ANALYSIS abcnews.go.com/US/stake-hig...

James Sample, a constitutional law expert at Hofstra University, said said that Trump's playbook appears to be straight out of Project 2025 ... [and that] "the purpose of a blitzkrieg is to overwhelm the opposition."

No. Not an opinion; not a debate; just a clear fact. No.

Thank you @jamessample.bsky.social for sharing your expertise and speaking up about what our Constitution requires.

A snippet reacting live to Governor Hochul’s speech. This clip focuses on Hochul’s dramatic characterization of a “grave threat from Washington.”

“When - ever - has Donald Trump given gifts without expecting a return on investment? What’s the return on that investment in terms of what Mayor Adams is going to give him?”

My rather banal thoughts on Bondi, Gaetz, and the tension of representing the nation, the law, and an often lawless President-elect. youtube.com/watch?v=_RTm...

www.salon.com/2024/11/19/a... “[A] delay in sentencing is not, nor should it be perceived to be, a prelude to a dismissal,” Sample told Salon. Sample noted that winning an election “should not mean disrespecting another important part of our democracy — the jury trial.”

I really don't get how Democrats can be handed the easy layup of "Republicans are uniting to suppress the underage sex trafficking report about an unliked and unqualified nominee" and decide the best thing to do is minimize its importance.