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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 13/07/2024

Only cold takes from me for a while. And nothing that has not been and confirmed again by the mainstream news media.

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Reposted by Walter Shapiro

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 13/07/2024

amplify this not unverified reports until we know more

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 10/07/2024

Another brutally honest assessment in the subject line of a DNC fund-raising email: "You deserve an explanation." Boy, do I ever.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 09/07/2024

A small reminder that Thomas was appointed by the supposedly sainted GOP president, George H. W. Bush.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 09/07/2024

My Roll Call column: "For all the hyper-partisanship of the Reagan era, a GOP president was not a threat to democracy. This is not a moment to say — as the Democrats did in the 1980s — that Mondale and Dukakis are laudable public figures, and we cannot abandon them." rollcall.com/2024/07/09/t...

rollcall.com

The sad folly of Biden’s defiance - Roll Call

The most successful intervention in modern political history took place a half-century ago on Aug. 7, 1974. After the Supreme Court ordered the release of the Watergate “smoking gun” tape, three leadi...

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 06/07/2024

My mental health strategy for the rest of the weekend (if I can manage it) : Hidin from Biden.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 05/07/2024

Not sure this is the best subject line for the Biden campaign fund-raising efforts today: "Trump is closer than ever to retaking power." And why is that?

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 04/07/2024

I assume if Sunak loses, Tory supporters will storm the Parliament.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 04/07/2024

"After Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii, a physician, asked Mr. Biden questions about the status of his health, Mr. Biden replied that his health was fine. 'It’s just my brain,' he added." Joke or reality? You make the call. www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/u...

nytimes.com

Biden Tells Governors He Needs More Sleep and Less Work at Night

The president’s opening remark to a group of key Democratic leaders — that he was in the race to stay — chilled any talk of his withdrawal, participants said.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 03/07/2024

It says something about my mood over politics that my escape has been to belatedly binge watch "Babylon Berlin." When Berlin in 1929 looks good, boy, are we in trouble.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 03/07/2024

My latest in @tnr.bsky.social: "For years, party leaders mocked Republicans for sticking with Trump when it was clear he was unfit for office. Now that Joe Biden is unfit for office, they’re mostly silent." newrepublic.com/article/1834...

newrepublic.com

Democrats Are Panicking. Why Aren’t Their Leaders Doing Anything?

For years, party leaders mocked Republicans for sticking with Trump when it was clear he was unfit for office. Now that Joe Biden is unfit for office, they’re silent.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 01/07/2024

Another day in which I better stay away from sharp objects and open windows.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 28/06/2024

I have never been a panicked Democrat. But the Atlanta debacle changed the equation for me. Biden must withdraw to save the nation from Trump. Me in @tnr.bsky.social. newrepublic.com/article/1832...

newrepublic.com

Joe Biden Is Facing the Biggest Decision of His Political Career

Can he beat Trump and save American democracy? If not, he should step aside.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 27/06/2024

Medical mystery: I can't tell if my sense of mal de mer is caused by Covid bounce-back or debate fears.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 27/06/2024

Teddy White on JFK on debate day in 1960: "[He] lay on his bed in a white, open-necked T-shirt...and fired questions at his intimates. He held in his hand the fact cards that Goodwin and Feldman had prepared for him...and, as he finished each, he sent it spinning off the bed to the floor."

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 27/06/2024

I hope to hell that Joe Biden is happily sleeping right now and not staring at the ceiling thinking of debate one-liners.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 26/06/2024

Me in @tnr.bsky.social: "In keeping with the enduring principles of journalistic overkill, the only entities that have not yet weighed in with debate previews are two laggard preschools in Wichita, Kansas, and isolated pockets of Ukrainian soldiers in heavy combat." newrepublic.com/article/1831...

newrepublic.com

Joe Biden Should Be Boring in Thursday’s Debate

Voters don’t need zingers or put-downs. They need to be reminded that an adult is in charge.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 25/06/2024

Extra! Extra! Stunning news from the NY Times: "With less than five months to go, new poll averages from The New York Times, which debut today, show a very close race nationally and in the critical battleground states." www.nytimes.com/2024/06/25/u...

nytimes.com

Introducing Our 2024 Poll Tracker

It starts by showing a very close race nationally and in critical battleground states.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 25/06/2024

Next year I will live out my dream and go on the road as a rock star. It will be my Errors Tour.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 25/06/2024

I hate this headline formulation: "Why Do We Love ‘The Bear’ So Much?" I have never seen the show, so while I am sure it is great, I hate being lumped in with the "We." www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/d...

nytimes.com

Why Do We Love ‘The Bear’ So Much?

The grit, the merch, the biceps. Charting the cultural phenomenon that sparked new interest in the people behind the scenes at restaurants — or at least, in their stuff.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 24/06/2024

This afternoon—a century ago—the Democrats began their 1924 convention that lasted 103 exhausting ballots and climaxed with a battle over denouncing the KKK by name. In two parts for the New Republic, I bring the chaos to life with the help of a fellow named Mencken. newrepublic.com/article/1830...

newrepublic.com

The Craziest Convention in American History

Think this year’s Democratic convention is going to be nuts? One hundred years ago, Democrats took 103 ballots—and more than two weeks—to choose a candidate.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 23/06/2024

No one should be enough of a martyr to rewatch a Trump 2020 super-spreader debate. www.wsj.com/politics/ele...

wsj.com

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 19/06/2024

The Guardian on Will Lewis with a bit about the effort "codenamed Operation Save Big Dog – that tried but ultimately failed to salvage Johnson’s premiership. Lewis was awarded a knighthood in 2023 for his political service to the conservative prime minister." www.theguardian.com/media/articl...

theguardian.com

Washington Post publisher alleged to have advised Boris Johnson to ‘clean up’ phone during Partygate Covid scandal

Sources’ claim suggests advice by Will Lewis, an informal adviser to then prime minister, contradicted instructions to staff

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 19/06/2024

Throw into the mix the issue of whether tv ads five months before the election have much interest for meh voters who won't be paying attention for months.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 19/06/2024

In a prescient column, @jilldlawrence.bsky.social highlights a key factor hurting Trump plus his GOP enablers and sycophants: "The Supreme Court’s rulings mean that politically inconvenient and sometimes traumatic reminders keep surfacing." And we're not done yet. www.thebulwark.com/p/if-trump-l...

thebulwark.com

If Trump Loses, We Might Owe the Supreme Court

They keep handing Biden all the arguments he needs to win.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 19/06/2024

Sadly, the steroid-scarred Barry Bonds is now unequivocally the best living baseball player.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 19/06/2024

About a year ago,I got a call my my best friend in the third grade. We had a dinner -- and, mostly relevantly, I got to apologize. For all the 8-year-old debates in which I so wrongly claimed that Mantle was better than Mays. Say hey. www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...

washingtonpost.com

Willie Mays, baseball star of prodigious power and grace, dies at 93

Willie Mays, the “Say Hey Kid,” dazzled for most of a generation with the New York and San Francisco Giants and was arguably the greatest player in major league history.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

Can't Nvidia (which sounds like an artificial sweetener just banned by the FDA) use some of its new-found wealth to find a new name in which the second letter is maybe a vowel. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

washingtonpost.com

Nvidia pushes out Apple, Microsoft to become world’s most valuable company

The computer chipmaker’s stock market value rose to $3.3 trillion, surpassing Apple and Microsoft.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 16/06/2024

I woke up this morning. Checked to see if my name was Will Lewis. When I realized that wasn't me, I went back to sleep with a smile on my face.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 13/06/2024

Wouldn't it be more ethical if Harlan Crow simply took Thomas' seat on the Court? No scandal since Crow would just be flying himself around.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 11/06/2024

Everything I know about the 2024 election, I tried to squeeze into a single Roll Call column. No, I don't have the temerity to predict who's going to win. But I do have some strong recommendations about how to navigate the next five months. rollcall.com/2024/06/11/t...

rollcall.com

Ten rules for understanding the 2024 elections - Roll Call

With summer approaching, along with the first debate ever between a president and a convicted felon, this seems like a good time for some ground rules.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 08/06/2024

Please read this harrowing report from the mostly ignored civil war in Sudan by Declan Walsh. Walsh's brave and compelling reporting represents the NY Times at its best. www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/w...

nytimes.com

A War on the Nile Pushes Sudan Toward the Abyss

A year of fighting has turned the once proud capital, Khartoum, into a charred battleground. Millions have fled. Now a famine threatens in one of Africa’s biggest countries.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 07/06/2024

Me in New Republic on Democrats over-hyping Trump as a convicted felon: "A close election, with the future of democracy on the line, is not the moment to follow the 1960s mantra 'If it feels good, do it.' A consistent danger in politics is preaching to the choir." newrepublic.com/article/1823...

newrepublic.com

Joe Biden Shouldn’t Say Anything About Trump’s Conviction

Many Democrats want the party’s leaders to shout “convicted felon” from the rooftops. But the best way to win over swing voters is to let others press the case.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 07/06/2024

As a New Yorker, I would have had to pay the congestion pricing tax every time I got into a cab or Uber. That said, I am appalled at Hochul's decision and it makes me much less likely to ever vote for her again.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 05/06/2024

I cannot read anything about D-Day without tearing up.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 04/06/2024

In honor of Janis Paige who died at 101, this is my musical accompaniment for the day: the 1954 original cast album of "The Pajama Game" in which Paige starred opposite John Raitt. www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/the-pa...

masterworksbroadway.com

The Pajama Game – Original Broadway Cast Recording 1954 - The Official Masterworks Broadway Site

Based on Richard Bissell’s novel, 7½ Cents, the unlikely plot for The Pajama Game, which had a long […]

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 03/06/2024

Least surprising news of the week. After embracing gambling, major league baseball has a new betting scandal. I can't wait until the A's move to Las Vegas. www.wsj.com/sports/baseb...

wsj.com

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 02/06/2024

Times headline: "Netanyahu May Face a Choice Between a Truce and His Government’s Survival." What a conundrum. I have no idea what the selfless Israeli prime minister will pick. www.nytimes.com/2024/06/02/w...

nytimes.com

Netanyahu May Face a Choice Between a Truce and His Government’s Survival

The Israeli prime minister has been put on the spot by President Biden’s announcement outlining a proposal for a truce.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 01/06/2024

Tonight's example of "They would say that, wouldn't they?" comes from the WPost's top headline: "Trump and his allies believe that criminal convictions will work in his favor." www.washingtonpost.com/elections/20...

washingtonpost.com

Trump and his allies believe that criminal convictions will work in his favor

The former president plans to use the New York hush money case to drive up support and portray himself as the victim of politically motivated charges.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 30/05/2024

You can hear the cry of desperation echoing off the Manhattan skyscrapers: "Where is my Roy Cohn?"

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 30/05/2024

A masterful piece by @jilldlawrence.bsky.social on political journalism: "The news business is a nonstop series of judgment calls, all day, every day. There are few if any concrete rules, and while some decisions are easy, many only seem that way in hindsight." www.thebulwark.com/p/journalism...

thebulwark.com

Angry at the Press for Not Covering Alito’s Flag Sooner? Don’t Be.

Save your outrage for those who really deserve it.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 30/05/2024

I assume my iPhone will release little puffs of white smoke when there is a Trump verdict.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 29/05/2024

Predicting a wave of carpal tunnel cases from compulsively checking every four minutes for jury updates.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 28/05/2024

In one of the strangest political caroms in memory, the obstinance of Ohio Republicans has guaranteed that Biden cannot be dumped at the Chicago convention. Reason: Democrats will be forced to nominate Biden virtually by August 7 to comply with a silly Ohio law. www.politico.com/news/2024/05...

politico.com

Biden to be nominated virtually before the convention in order to get on Ohio’s ballot

The move ensures that, for the second cycle in a row, there will be no in-person nomination.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 28/05/2024

I'm so frustrated with seeing this as a normal election. ByJuly 4, we will have had a presidential debate and maybe one candidate wearing an ankle bracelet. Me in the New Republic: "The problem with unprecedented political situations is they are, well, unprecedented." newrepublic.com/article/1819...

newrepublic.com

The Two Events That Could Save Biden

Polls this far out from the election are notoriously unreliable. But the outcome of Trump’s hush money trial and the first presidential debate could help shift public opinion.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 19/05/2024

I squandered my first vote in 1968 with a foolish protest against Hubert Humphrey. Looking back on my folly, I now realize that "I stacked flawed premises on top of each other in the hopes that the entire edifice didn’t topple from the weight of its own illogic." newrepublic.com/article/1816...

newrepublic.com

The Protest Vote That Still Haunts Me 50 Years Later

In 1968, as a college student, I didn’t vote for Hubert Humphrey. I regretted the decision almost immediately—and still do.

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Walter Shapiro @mrwaltershapiro.bsky.social · 18/05/2024

Just got my hotel assignment for the GOP convention in Milwaukee. The hotel is a water park in Lake Geneva, WI, about 60 miles away. Somehow I suspect that I will be watching the convention on TV.

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