#The Message Box

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Pfeiffer at The Message Box (01.20.2025):

Today is a day so many of us have dreaded for so long. By lunchtime, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America. By dinner, he will undoubtedly have signed a series of scary executive orders targeting immigrants and others. Trump will then head off to be feted at a series of inaugural balls (including one paid for by Mark Zuckerberg). Eventually (after too many Diet Cokes and watching all the Fox shows on his DVR), Trump will go to bed and wake up to do it all over again. After today, the Trump presidency will last another 1,460 days. Somehow, as a country and as individuals, we must figure out how to survive all of them. It won’t be easy. Everything seems daunting, and the path back looks long and treacherous. I know many of you want to throw your phone into the nearest body of water.

1. Remember, Trump’s Win Was Not as Resounding as it Seems

Everyone is treating Donald Trump as if he just won in a Reagan-esque 49 state landslide. The Republican Party is so fully in his thrall that Senate Republicans appear willing to rubberstamp the nomination of a weekend news anchor with a reported drinking problem to run the Pentagon. CEOs and billionaires, many of whom formerly opposed Trump, are bending over backward to kiss Trump’s ass in the most debasing way possible. Even the media, which is supposed to hold Trump to account, is adopting an accommodationist stance to avoid angering our incoming tinpot dictator. But Trump’s win was not as resounding as he would have you believe. Yes, he made huge gains across the country. Yes, he became the second Republican since 1988 to win the popular vote. Yes, he made huge inroads in core parts of the Democratic coalition. But it’s also true that Trump only won by 100,000 votes across three battleground states. No, I don’t say that to try to convince you that Democrats don’t have a ton of work to do or to suggest that we did everything right during the campaign. Far from it. The Democratic Party needs to reevaluate how we do everything — our message, our strategy, our policy agenda, and our leadership. What we are doing is not working. However, it’s important to keep in mind that victory is closer than everyone wants you to believe. We can win if we do the work — and make the necessary changes. All is not lost. [...]

3. Channel Your Anxiety into Action

Sitting around your house doom-scrolling and fretting about all of the terrible thing that Trump and his MAGA minions are doing to America is a terrible way to spend the next four years. Maybe, it seems exhausting after the campaign we just went through, but when you are ready, I highly recommend channeling your anger and anxiety into action. There is no easy or obvious way to beat back the ascendant MAGA movement. But we also don’t need all the answers right now. We can do it in stages. The most impactful way to stop Trump is to take back the House in 2026. If we do that, Trump will never pass another law without Democratic support again. Speaker Jefferies will control what comes to the floor. We will have enormous leverage in budget negotiations and, as importantly, Democrats will have subpoena power to investigate the rampant corruption and criminality that will almost certainly be pulsating throughout the Trump Administration. Retaking the House is very much within our reach. The GOP currently has one of thee narrowest margins in history. If a mere 7000 votes across three districts had gone the other way, Hakeem Jeffries would be Speaker of the House right now. Because of the nature of our Trump-era coalition, Democrats tend to overperform in midterm elections, which have significantly lower turnout. With the notable exception of 2022, the first midterm for a new President is usually very good for the opposition. If 2026 seems like a long way off, you don’t have to wait that long. There are several important elections in 2025. Virginia and New Jersey has key gubernatorial and legislative elections. These races will be even more closely watched than usual because while these are traditionally Democratic states, Trump significantly improved his performance in both states compared to 2020. These races will be a major test fo whether the MAGA movement is ascendant or a flash in the pan that succeeded because of inflation and an unpopular Democratic incumbent. If Republicans win, they will be emboldened to be even more aggressive in pushing their extreme agenda. If we win, it will give vulnerable Republicans permission structure to be even more terrible. If November seems like a long way off, you don’t have to wait that long. There is a critical State Supreme Court race in Wisconsin taking place in April. [...]

4. Don’t Give Up Hope

The most important piece of advice I can give you is not to give up hope. I know things seem especially dark right now. I was around back in 2004 when Democrats lost a winnable election to a woefully underqualified candidate with little regard for people’s civil rights. Like Trump, George W. Bush made gains with core Democratic constituencies. Like now, pundits were talking about an emerging Republican majority that could dominate politics for decades on end. And just like in this moment, the Democratic Party seemed to enfeebled to mount the necessary comeback. But two years after that devastating election, Democrats retook the House and Senate. Four years afterward, Barack Obama won a huge landslide victory. Such an outcome is not a foregone conclusion. It will take real work and hard decisions. But none it will be possible, if we give up hope.

Dan Pfeiffer has a handy guide for surviving the four years of tumult that has begun today.

[radioxra]

aaaaaand post

we’re all on the same page that dess is thge knight right. i love dess i think she deserves this after surviving the horrors

i drew this while very sleep deprived i hope you like this tumblr teehee

[meltedmush]

Another dump of my weekly illustrations!

[keferon]

So. I went online and bought this Transformers generations Blurr toy and holy shit nothing prepared me for the lore on the back of it’s box o_o

Also every time Blurr gets to be a sniper my soul ascends a little bit~

+ Bonus doodles

[dollsinvogue]

Birthday Wishes Barbie 1999 » Nina Ricci spring 1987 haute couture

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the world of heavy metals, love is denser than hate!

[randomcryptidencountertranslator]

"Wow. that is offensive, don't say it again. your friends must have lied to you.

hold on wait, my friends told me this word means hello and i wanna communicate with you. rkeq!

WOW. sgis ur addomruto, cam's rix us ifium. xaeq dquomcr lers gito kuoc sa xae.

[lasshoe]

POOR THINGS (2023) + Letterboxd Reviews

[chubbychiquita]

21 full size packages of milanos, it's like you guys are trying to fatten me up or something!!!

[yebyyhfushi]

I despise transchuu 😡😡 (do you got any of him pregnant or smth, just to make things worse for the real haters)

You are a genius HAHAHA😈😈😈

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Pfeiffer at The Message Box:

It is a tradition among Democrats in the Trump era. Around the first couple of weeks of October, we lose our minds and briefly forget everything we have learned about politics. Democratic electeds and operatives start panicking about the polls and dial up every reporter in their contacts to offload their anxiety in the least helpful ways possible.

[...] On one hand, I get it. The stakes could not be higher and the race could not be closer. It’s equal parts mystifying and enraging that someone as dumb and dangerous as Donald Trump could win the election. However, to quote a famous meme from this exact moment in the 2008 campaign: “Everyone needs to chill the fuck out.” I am not telling anyone to stop “bedwetting.” And I am certainly NOT telling people that Kamala Harris will definitely win. Trump may still win this race. By some measures, Trump is stronger than he was in 2020. But the whiplash between the Democratic elation of a few weeks ago and the full-on panic of the last few days is detached from reality. This has been a remarkably stable race. The vibes changed, but the race hasn’t.

A Steady State of the Race

With three weeks to go, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are in a dead-heat race nationally and in all seven battleground states. That’s where the race was before the Democratic convention, after the second debate, and after the second assassination attempt on Trump. For an election beset by a series of unprecedented events, the Harris-Trump race remains remarkably steady. [...] All seven battleground states are within two points — essentially statistical ties. If you squint, you can catch slight movement towards Trump over the last two weeks in the polling averages in the Blue Wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. While there has been also  some movement in Harris’s direction in some other states., Maybe that’s real. Maybe it’s just noise. Either way, remember that polls are not predictive. They are imprecise snapshots in time. I bring up this imprecision not to suggest that the polls are “wrong” or “biased” or that the averages are irrevocably screwed because of a flood of junk GOP polls. Polls are inherently imprecise. That’s why there’s a margin of error. A poll with Kamala Harris up two and a poll with her down two say the same thing. This race is a toss-up. These dramatic mood shifts based on polling movement within the margin of error are understandable given the stakes, but they do not reflect reality.

[...]

Kamala Harris’s Upside

Trump has structural advantages. He is better known. The Electoral College has a Republican bias. People are unhappy with the economy, and President Biden’s approval rating is underwater. These are tough political headwinds to overcome. However, Kamala Harris has some real advantages over these final three weeks. First, Kamala Harris has a higher ceiling. Trump never received more than 47% of the vote nationally and tends to cap out at about 48% in the battleground states. That’s enough to win, but only barely. As evidenced by Biden’s numbers in 2020 and Democratic performance in these battleground states, Harris has the greater potential to grow her vote total than Trump. Second, Harris is the better, more popular candidate. She isn’t perfect on the stump, but her appearances in the media and on the campaign trail benefit her. Trump's — not so much. Blueprint, a Democratic research firm, tested clips from Harris’s recent interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle and every clip was viewed positively by six in ten voters, and every clip made those who saw it more likely to vote for her. Next week, Harris is barnstorming six battleground states with at least 19 events. Finally, she has more money to spend over the last few weeks. In a close race, a better field operation makes the difference; and Harris has the better field operation.

Dan Pfeiffer writes in The Message Box today about why Democrats should stop doomering about the polls. The race is a close contest that either Kamala Harris (D) or Donald Trump (R) can realistically win.

It’s a close contest, but I think Harris has the narrow edge as of now.

[madame-fear]

Imagine lucerys being betrothed to sunshine!reader😭💕 her parents meet with Rhaenyra when she becomes queen to arrange a marriage between lucerys and their youngest daughter, she’s just curious about everything because her parents never let her experience what her older sisters did because they sheltered her at a young girl age but she loves talking and making new friends. She’s so bubbly when greeting everyone like the Targaryens, and she’s not even scared of them because she believes that every one has kindness. And she’s so fascinated by dragons, she immediately comes to look at them and Arrax and Syrax actually like her and Rhaenyra just loves her because she’s kinda like the daughter she’s never had!!

AHHSHHSHD NONNIE thank you for feeding my mind with this !! i literally CAN’T get over this !! 😭

okay but literally imagine, I think everyone would be delighted by how bubbly & endearing you are. First thought I had beforefinishing to read the message, is that Rhaenyra would absolutely ADORE you the very second you greet her in a most respectful manner, with a wide toothy grin growing on your lips— it would take Nyra no time for her to treat you as her own daughter,, she would basically have you under her wing from that very moment.

Knowing that Luke is a little bit shy, I can picture him helplessly smiling at how lovely you simply are. Initially, he would be overwhelmed... But in a good way, of course! Much like his mother — and basically the rest of his family —, Luke would immediatly be swooped off his feet at the sight of, simply, how much of a kind young girl you are, and incredibly respectful as well to each one of his family members, and to him.

I can definitely see Lucerys offering you his arm to walk you around King’s Landing, or the Red Keep, for you to know your way around as you both gleefully chat. In a way, your personality wouod match perfectly with Luke’s— being the one to take him out of his shell, and swiftly improving his mood at the sight of your presence in the same room as he is in.

And since you have a great curiousity for dragons, and they have grown fond of you, perhaps even booping their snouts against your face playfully, Lucerys would take you to the dragonpit to greet them rather often. The way your eyes are simply impressed by the sight of these huge beasts is a loving sight to behold— and he’s most definitely the type to take you on dragonrides on whichever opportunity he has to do so; adoring the way your warm body eagerly holds him as the air delicately hits on your face whilst riding Arrax.

You are just perfect to be the Lady of the Tides, and I’m certain he would be thanking the Seven for gifting him such a wonderful little sunshine as his betrothed.

NONNIE THIS IS NOT ENOUGH,, I LITERALLY NEED TO WRITE A ONE-SHOT ABOUT THIS, WITH YOUR PERMISSION. 🙇‍♀️

[l3v5ha]

#SEVERANCE: [ i'm a busy woman ... ]

[twinkskeletons]

🐑✨💙welcome.. he’s here :3 💙✨🐑

[yuukirita]

For the SecondBee au

In Earthspark, does Megatron and Optimus, as well as the Autobots and Decepticons, will they ever discover that the second Bee it’s actually the reincarnation of their Bee, same spark, same body but no memories whatsoever; if so how will they react?

Cliffjumper has... suspicions. Because sparkbrothers. But nah. At least for now. Maybe if it's what the people want I write em figuring it out :D

And SecondBee has way too much sass for Megs to think he's og Bee.

[georgescitadel]

2nd year of George's Citadel - a compilation of quotes from George R.R. Martin

House Targaryen

On the construction of Daenerys and the decision to include dragons in ASOIAF

On Daenerys’ thought process in Lhazarene

On Daenerys’ struggle with rule (1)

On future revelations about the house with the red door

On what led to Robert’s rebellion

On the difference between Daenerys and Aegon’s (I) approach to the throne

On Daenerys subverting gender roles

On the information provided about Rhaegar and Lyanna in ASOIAF

On the “White Saviour” complaints over Daenerys’ storyline

On Daenerys’ future return to Westeros

On Daenerys’ struggle with rule (2)

On dragons as the ASOIAF equivalent of nuclear weapons

On the connection between dragons and the resurgence of magic

On Viserys' misunderstanding of the Dothraki

House Stark

On Sansa’s manipulation at the hands of the Small Council

On Arya and Sansa’s desire to save Ned

On what led Sandor to seek out Sansa during the Battle of Blackwater

On his regret over not further developing Sansa and Arya’s relationships with Catelyn

On what character he’d want to be like

On Ned’s inadequacy in King’s Landing

On the direwolves as metaphors and the execution of Lady

On his interest in Arya's storyline in Braavos

On his decision to center ASOIAF around a family

On consulting with people to write about Bran and Sansa’s experiences

House Lannister

On Jaime, Tyrion and loss

On Jaime’s decision to kill Bran

On feeling conflicted over the writing of Tyrion in A Dance With Dragons

On Robert being unsuspicious of the paternity of Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen

On the key event that led Roose to align with the Lannisters

On his intention writing the Lannister POV’s

On similarities between Tywin Lannister and Walter White

House Greyjoy

On the character of Reek

On Theon as a multifaceted grey character

On the Ironborn and the words of House Greyjoy

A Game Of Thrones

On the title of A Game Of Thrones

On the process of creating A Game Of Thrones (1)

On the process of creating A Game Of Thrones (2)

On the process of creating A Game Of Thrones (3)

On the process of creating A Game Of Thrones (4)

Game Of Thrones

On GOT’s decision to kill off Silver

On GOT’s decision to pair Arya and Tywin up

On Renly and Loras' relationship and their portrayal in ASOIAF vs GOT

Miscellaneous

On writing outcasts

On nihilism in ASOIAF

On unfairly hated characters

On Epic Fantasy

On his favourite characters in ASOIAF

On the greyest characters in ASOIAF

On unlikable protagonists

On the historical figures that inspired the women of ASOIAF

On father issues in ASOIAF

On the religions in ASOIAF

On creating foils

On which characters he'd like to meet in real life

On power and Varys’ riddle

On the messages and the separation between authorial views and characters' beliefs in ASOIAF

On Littlefinger and Varys' rivalry

On introducing Brienne’s POV