Debunking The “Democrats Suck” Narrative

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles posted this last week on Substack.  Click here to read the entire article.

It’s Time To Move On From The “Democrats Suck” Narrative – It’s Wrong, And We Have An Election To Win – by Simon Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles

My talk this week generated a spirited discussion in our chat yesterday about what I will call for today the “Democrats suck” narrative that ripples through/poisons our discourse every day. Fighting what I have believed to be false and overly negative narratives about the Democratic Party – and America more broadly – was a central reason I started Hopium back in 2023. Here is what I wrote in that very first Hopium post:

I am calling it Hopium Chronicles because I want this to be a journey guided by hope and optimism, of belief in ourselves, of love of country and a clear understanding of the nature of the conflict we are in. I have become convinced that part of Greater MAGA’s strategy is to intentionally poison our discourse with negative sentiment every day. They want us to feel bad about America, our democracy, our leaders, our institutions, our success, each other, ourselves. We cannot let them do that any more. While they talk American down every day, we need to talk it up. While they spread lies, we respond with truth and data. Hopium is a rejection of the darkness they are trying to spread. It is a way of standing up for our great country and its remarkable people. It is the key to how we win.

Throughout the 2024 election cycle each month I showed a presentation called With Democrats, Things Get Better (link) that shows, conclusively, how much better things get for the American people when Democrats are in charge. That the two parties are not the same. That when we are in power things get better for the America people, something that cannot be said when Republicans have been in the White House. The most recognizable bit of data from that presentation was cited by Bill Clinton at the Democratic Convention in 2024:

In With Dems I go through lots of data including that under Biden we had the lowest uninsured rate in American history, the lowest poverty rate in American history, the lowest unemployment rate in a peacetime American economy since WWII, and the most robust growth of new businesses ever recorded. The contrast to all that progress we made under Biden and Obama and Clinton and what is now happening under Trump could not be more stark.

I want to be clear that the goal of this kind of work is not to be pollyannish, but to forcefully challenge the facile, overly negative narratives about this great country and the Democratic Party itself. To create a more rounded, and more accurate in my mind, picture. So, let’s bring this sensibility to present day and this election.

Right now Democrats have one of our strongest Party ID advantage of the post-Cold War era, and our largest lead since 2008. This directly challenges the “we are only doing well because Trump is unpopular and Democrats suck” narrative that flows through our discourse right now.

Another direct challenge to that narrative is what’s happening in the Senate battlegrounds. Look at how many of our candidates have hit 50+% in recent polls – that is an affirmative vote for them. 6 of our candidates are running more than 10 points ahead of Harris in 2024 – extraordinary performances by our candidates right now. This is not data consistent with a “weak party.”

there is no reliable recent independent polling in Florida

Additionally, the anger and disappointment among Democrats towards the Party and its leaders is overstated. Look at this June YouGov data, favorable/unfavorable, among registered Democrats:

  • 84%-13% – Democrats in Congress
  • 86%-14% – The Democratic Party

Here’s their most recent data on Leaders Schumer and Jeffries among Democrats (adults), favorable/unfavorable:

  • 45%-36% – Leader Schumer
  • 56%-23% – Leader Jeffries

What this data tells us is that among Democrats right now the number of people with expressly negative or unfavorable views of the Party, Congressional Democrats, or our Congressional Leaders is a small minority. Small, but yes very vocal and very organized. And of course Trump aligned powers, foreign and domestic, are going to do everything they can to amplify these voices to make this sentiment appear far more pervasive than it really is, and weaken us as we head into the general election. I have already seen a significant uptick of this kind of inauthentic amplification on my YouTube channel.

And let’s be very clear about one thing – if you think the Democratic Party sucks, and you say so, you are giving people permission to not vote for us this November. For why should anyone vote for a party that sucks? Which is why this ongoing sustained attack on “Establishment Democrats” in this moment of opportunity for us is so reckless, and also I believe a misread of the broader trends in our politics right now.

“Establishment Democrats” have been winning elections and overperforming in hundreds of critical election since early 2025. Establishment Democrats had one of the strongest off year performances in 2025 of any party in recent memory. Establishment Democrats have one of the largest Party ID leads in the last 50 years of American politics; our Senate candidates are putting in some of the most remarkable battleground performances in recent memory; and are viewed favorably by 86% of Democratic voters. Establishment Democrats have nurtured a politics where an overwhelming majority of our campaign monies comes from every day people not wealthy people or corporations. Establishment Democrats won the 2018 mid-terms by 8.6 pts and flipped the House. Establishment Democrats took the Presidency away from Trump in 2020 and flipped the Senate; we had the best mid-term performance by a party in power in 2022 in almost 100 years; and in 2024 our Senate candidates outperformed Harris throughout the battleground and won, and we gained a seat in the House. Let us be very clear – absent a rancid North Carolina redistricting in 2023 Hakeem Jeffries would be Speaker right now. The SCOTUS/GOP alliance that has rigged the system is why we do not control the House, not our electoral performance in a tough year in 2024.

I am not saying we should be content with where we are. I understand the disappointment, the frustration, the legitimate fear we all have about what Trump is doing to the country and our future. Everyday here at Hopium I am calling for us to be stronger, to fight harder, to make No Kings the very heart of our offering to voters and not just kitchen table issues. For there is one bit of data from the 2024 Exit Polls that should be informing everything we do as a Party:

Voters must believe that we are strong enough to “bring needed change.” It simply isn’t enough for our hearts to be in the right place, or have a good agenda. We must be seen as being strong enough to deliver for the American people when in power; to overcome the oligarchs, the inertia, the corruption, doomerism, to truly deliver for them. And the only way that happens is by taking on tough battles, fighting, and winning again and again and again, starting with winning this election this November. We must not only be right we must also be strong and willing to fight.

And the fight that matters most right now is for us to beat Republicans in the battlegrounds and take back control of Congress.

All the focus now has to be on beating Republicans, not beating up on and defeating other Democrats. The general election is here. Ads are flying. Early voting begins in eleven weeks. We are going to be outspent. Trump is going to do whatever it takes to keep Republicans in power. This is not going to be easy, and we need to get on with it now…..

Click here to read the entire article.

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Simon’s latest interview with Sarah Trone Garriott for congress in IA-03.

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Join The Conversation – Rural Urban Bridge and Leaving MAGA CEO

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Trish Nelson

https://ruralurbanbridge.org/events

June Briefing – Leaving MAGA and Connecting Across the Divide: A Conversation with Rich Logis

Wednesday, July 8, 2026
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (ET)

Join RUBI on July 8 for a powerful conversation with Rich Logis, CEO and founder of Leaving MAGA, an organization dedicated to providing a safe, nonjudgmental space for anyone who has stepped away from the MAGA movement or is considering doing so.

Rich brings a deeply personal perspective to this briefing. For years, he was a committed MAGA activist: volunteering, campaigning, and writing in support of the movement. But beginning in 2022, a series of events shook his convictions. The handling of COVID-19, the response to January 6, and ultimately the tragedy in Uvalde became incidents he could not defend, no matter how deeply committed he was to the MAGA community. By August 2022, he made the difficult decision to leave the movement he once believed in wholeheartedly.

Rich describes that departure as an internal struggle tied to identity, belonging, and community. Today, his work focuses on helping others who are questioning where they stand, and on teaching how to reach people across political divides without writing them off. He believes the American people are frustrated, the system is rigged, and Democrats and the left have an opportunity to bring those frustrated by the status quo into the fold through empathy, understanding, and keeping the door open for those who may be ready to rethink their path.

Join us as Rich shares his personal journey in and out of the MAGA movement, what he’s learned about belief and belonging, and how to bring people together rather than push them further apart.

Register here  ruralurbanbridge.org/events

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Tell Senators And Reps Say No To NDAA Section 219

Posted on July 6, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Ed Flaherty of Veterans For Peace addressing about 75 people gathered to protest the military action in Venezuela

Our friend and peace activist Ed Flaherty’s letter to the editor was published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette Sunday, July 5.

Israel gets unprecedented privileges in draft defense bill

Congress is preparing to give Israel unprecedented privileges via the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Section 219 of the draft NDAA directs the secretary of defense to expand integration of the U.S. and Israeli military sectors. If Section 219 becomes law, U.S. and Israeli militaries will be joined at the hip. The measure directs the Department of Defense to appoint a senior “executive agent” to integrate Israeli defense technology directly into sensitive U.S. weapons systems, including artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, autonomous systems and quantum computing.

Nothing like this has ever been done in U.S. history. No other nation has ever been given the access to U.S. military resources that Section 219 proposes to give to Israel. It is an affront to U.S. sovereignty, and is frankly absurd.

The U.S. and Israel are allies, but it has been a contentious relationship, with that contentiousness amplified right now.

There are so many reasons to oppose the draft 2027 NDAA effort (e.g., an over 40% increase in an already bloated, unaudited military budget), but the inclusion of Section 219 is uniquely egregious. Please study this for yourself, and make your opinion known to your employees in D.C. The Armed Services Committees of both the House and Senate have approved the NDAA draft, including Section 219.

The House was expected to begin voting on the NDAA before the Fourth of July. The Senate will be taking a twoweek vacation, so no action there before July 13.

Ed Flaherty

Iowa City

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Never Out Of Style!

Posted on July 5, 2026 by Dave Bradley
 

Some good old protest songs that helped change the country:

 

Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-changing” (3:15)

 

 

Woody Guthrie “This land Is Your Land” (2:20)

You have to love what is on his guitar


 

Joan Baez sang many a song, but we all recognize this one (3:50)

 
 
Finally, here is a memory from the time when our president ignored the country and worked hard to divide the country (3:00)
 
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Sunday Funday: Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

Posted on July 5, 2026 by Dave Bradley

At this point I hope most of you can still sit up and make a fist. You have 6 months to get back in shape by the Christmas / New Years bout with reality.

Maybe next years we can quit shooting off the fireworks and instead have our cities purchase drones that can be charged up and then sent into the sky to create lovely images. After the drone has spent, charge it back up, pack it up and store it away to be used again next year. Or for that matter, maybe use them during the winter holidays.

Here is a quick example. No bangs, no booms, no fires, no scared veterans, no scared pets. Stored, repacked and then brought out and used again next year.

 

I may be wrong but it feels like we are getting overrun with authoritarians again!

 

A) Wow, what an upside down week in the US. Our current president spent much effort trying to prove crowds were going to what despite all sorts of visual proof that they were poorly attended?

 

B) The current president took a side trip Friday to South Dakota where he is quietly lobbying to get his head a place in what monument?

 

C) The current president took a spin on his new ride Wednesday. Where did he get his new ride?

 

D) It’s a holiday – let’s have some fun. Many folks know what happened in the Revolution and in the Civil War, but not much in between. What was our country’s first attempt at a constitution?

 

E) And who was our first leader (president) under that constitution?

 

F) Bucking the trend that is doubling down on AI, what car company hired back a slew of engineers recently?

 

G) Your income may be stagnant or sliding, but Trump’s isn’t. How much did Trump make last year outside of his day job as president?

 

H) Who were the first father – son presidents?

 

I) What foreign country invaded Washington, DC and burnt much of it to the ground?

 

J) It was quite a week for the SCOTUS. What issue did they agree is constitutional by a vote of 6-3, because the words are literally in the constitution?

 

K) You would think somebody would take notice. Lockheed-Martin has been delivering new F-35s without what usually vital system?

 

L) Here we go again – What state has once again mandated Bible reading in their public schools?

 

M) The Trump Administration is looking to end our trade pact with Canada and Mexico called the USMCA pact. Who negotiated that pact for the US

 

N) The USDOJ and 17 states reached a settlement with three producers of what food staple over allegations of price collusion over several years to raise prices?

 

O) Who was the first president not born in Virginia or Massachusetts?

 

P) New jobs in the US economy came in at 57,000. Is that considered a good or bad number?

 

Q) The FBI has unleashed their full power to investigate what in Georgia?

 

R) As the US lurched to the Civil War, what SCOTUS decision exacerbated the break between free and slave states and territories?

 

S) Hey! What Republican showed up for work after missing since March 5th?

 

T) People were able to march in the gay pride parade in Budapest again after the ouster of what authoritarian last May?

Kyle Kulinski on America 250: “What the f–k is there to celebrate? They are looting this country. They are protecting Epstein pedophiles. Am I supposed to celebrate ICE rounding up innocent people and destroying their lives and sending them to concentration camps? We didn’t make it 250 years. This is a f–king funeral for this country”

How about this sample  from Philadelphia Thursday?

Answers:

A) his Great American State Fair

 

B) Mount Rushmore

 

C) It was a grift – mean gift – It was a bribe from Qatar

 

D) The Articles of Confederation

 

E) John Hanson of Maryland

 

F) Ford hired back 350 human engineers

 

G) over $2 Billion

 

H) the Adamses John and John Quincy

 

I) Britain invaded Washington in August of 1814 burning much of the city including the White House

 

J) Birthright citizenship.

 

K) Radar. Says they are on backorder

 

L)  Texas

 

M) It was done at the insistance of Trump in 2020

 

N) Eggs

 

O) Andrew Jackson

 

P) lousy

 

Q) the 2020 election and ridiculos stories of vote fraud

 

R) The Dred Scott decision

 

S) Tom Kean from New Jersey. If you are in New Jersey, he is running again

 

T) Victor Orban. Freedom – it is good.

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America’s Top Crook

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Dave Bradley

Just a small reminder as we celebrate our existence as a democracy that such existence is seriously threatened by leadership that is totally focused on robbing us blind while at the same time suppressing our rights and impoverishing all but the very elite while turning us into an autocracy. In this mission they are being aided by extreme right wing congress members and extremists on the nation’s supreme court.

The list of crimes and breaches by the administration and the president is long. Senator Chris Murphy detailed a list earlier this month that Trish Nelson posted on this site. I shall repost it here to emphasize how bad it is:

This past week America was assaulted with more bribery and scandal as more and more “emoluments” to the president were revealed. Here is MSNOW’s Ali Velshi discussing some of the recent grift that is making the president vastly wealthy with our money:

That plane should be dubbed “The Flying Bribe.”

Manipulating stock markets; soliciting and accepting bribes; cutting government aid to the poor; cutting health care. Folks, the number one issue in the in this campaign must be the corruption of the president, the executive branch and the Supreme Court that is carving out avenues for the prsident to rob us blind.

This may be our last chance to vote in a free election, if it is. Expect Trump to do all he can to sabotage this election. So when you vote this year, vote as if YOU are the one whose vote will save the Republic. You may not get another chance.

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Happy Independence Day!

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Dave Bradley

The holiday wherein we celebrate our independence from what was seen as an oppressive government that suppressed the rights of those living in the American colonies. Yet, even as Americans opposed tyranny for themselves, they in turn imposed tyranny on others through slavery.

An even more celebration of liberty for all should be held on Juneteenth. On that day even the most remote of slaves learned that they had been freed from the shackles of slavery. But this declaration of universal freedom would also be illusory for people of color in the US as Jim Crow laws limited freedom for them.

While great strides were made in the 1950s to the early 2000s we have never seen the full equality that the Declaration of Independence promised. Now with avowed supemacists holding power in our nations capitol and in many states we see a retrenchment of liberties not only for people of color but also for women and immigrants.

With that beief synopsis, let us once again view the Fourth of July speech by Frederick Douglass in 1852 to the Rochester, New York Ladies anti-Slavery society. 1852 was nearly a decade before the Civil War to help give some context to Douglass’ speech. This version is introduced by Amy Goodman and Howard Zinn:

As an added bit for July Fourth here is a short visit to Frederick Douglass’ home in Washington DC. (7.5 minutes)
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Fireworks Blues

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Trish Nelson

We all jumped last night when an explosion went off somewhere nearby in our neighorhood.  Oh joy, 4th of July celebratory blasts right outside our front door! Or so it seemed.  We couldn’t tell where it came from but it was close. I wouldn’t mind so much for myself,  but the suffering  these high grade fireworks cause many dogs and veterans with PTSD seems senseless, even cruel.  And for what?

Blowing things up in neighborhoods at any hour of the day disturbing everyone in a 1-mile radius just so you personally can enjoy making something go boom? And why should everyone’s holiday  have to be ruined by the desire of some to shoot off random explosions. Even if I knew where it was coming from I can’t ask them to stop. They apparently have more rights than I do.

In 2017 I wrote this in a post here on BFIA:

All you have to do is go on Facebook for the horror stories. Next door neighbors launching fireworks that sound like cannons, terrified, shaking dogs hiding in closets, people leaving town to get away from the noise, families unable to put the kids to bed, pillows stuffed in windows, “duds” and debris from explosives on sidewalks, in parks, on your roof. Shut the doors and windows, close yourself in the house, don’t take your dog for a walk. 4th of July week has changed in Iowa from a pleasant family holiday with a few fireworks, to a pseudo-war zone..”

It seems like everyone has forgotten how to enjoy a nice, quiet day of fun on the 4th of July. Really, wouldn’t most of us be content enjoying the holiday without all of that?  Wasn’t  it fun enough before all of this? What was wrong with attending the community municipal fireworks show to celebrate?  You at least know when the booms are going to start and when they are going to stop. Have you ever stayed up late waiting for the noise to stop and just when you give a sigh of relief because you haven’t heard one in the last 15-20 minutes, and you think it’s over, it starts up again and that happens over and over until 3 am?

I don’t think most people were begging and pleading for the situation we have now.  I don’t think anyone was suffering because they had no personal fireworks or because they had to drive to Missouri to get them. And what about the annual reports of kids with fireworks injuries?

As a nation, we seem to have lost our ability to say no to stupid.

How about we put this one on the un-do list for when Democrats have some say in what happens.

As long as we’re on the topic of Be Kind to Animals, here is some happy news. A good thing came out of the Iowa legislature.  If you get a chance, thank Rep. Dave Jacoby for this.

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Private Equity Firms Taking Over Local Veterinary Practices

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Trish Nelson

This recently happened to our vet where we have taken our pets for years.

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Meet Nate Willems Candidate For Iowa Attorney General

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Click on the image to donate to Nate Willems natewillems.com/

“I’m a labor lawyer in Cedar Rapids and I’m running for Attorney General to defeat Brenna Bird.” – Nate Willems

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