General Discussion

I'll call it the Bernie -> AOC -> Newsom -> Mamdani -> Platner effect. These (and a few others) are the ones who faced the enemy and did not wilt, even when forces in their own party tried to shut them down.

What these pioneers showed is that Americans are really pissed off, and highly disappointed that Dems have too often decided to stand aside, hoping that the Republicans would beat themselves. Waiting for the fascists to commit so many crimes that the public would revolt was never a good strategy. I am thrilled to see Ossoff, Talarico, Whitehouse, and a growing number of others come out and engage publicly, defiantly, and forcefully. There are still far too many who are far too docile for the moment. But this is real progress. We need to give Ossoff his sprinkles, and encourage all the others to get on this bus.

P.S. This is not intended in any way as a criticism of Sen. Warnock. He is also terrific with his own oratorical style. and there are others who are stepping up. We should make sure we praise them all when they show the courage we need.