Jason

You want me to throw some neck for ketchup?

[Jason @FerranteJason]

"Omg I'm so sorry, I didn't see this until now!"

[JD Vance @JDVance]

One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was "composition"—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win. And despite polls that showed a Democrat blowout, the data kept on telling us the same story: in some states turnout was merely OK, in other states it was downright amazing, and in no state was it catastrophic. There was a genuine sense of optimism on our team: our people were showing up.

So, I asked the smartest data guy I know, does that mean we're going to shock the world? "No," he told me. "We might do better than the polls suggest. But the data is telling us that a lot of Trump/Vance 2024 voters are pissed and planning to vote for the other guys. Our voters are turning out, but they may not vote for us."

Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was 9 points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024. Undoubtedly there were places we could have done better on turnout. But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.

There will be a lot of infighting and arguing over what happened and why that is. One of the pollsters I really respect told me that our economic messaging wasn’t sharp enough down the stretch. I’m sure that’s true.

But the real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone.

Another pollster—one of the smartest people I know in politics, told me yesterday we’d lose the generic ballot by 13 points. I felt negative going into Tuesday, but even I was shocked by this. In his polling, he saw that a lot of Trump 2024 voters were angry and planning to vote for Democrats. He asked those voters who had abandoned us what would cause them to come back on our team. The top four answers, accounting for nearly all of the responses were:

1) End the war
2) Focus on cost of living/inflation
3) Put America First
4) Change our relationship to Israel

Our voters showed up. And the above four reasons are why many of them voted for Democrats. This is according to a pollster who nailed the results. While many spent Monday attacking Rachel Campos Duffy for calling for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, it turns out her political advice was sound. (She’s also a great person.)

In the next few months, there's going to be a lot of gaslighting. Expect to hear any number of establishment politicians say the solution to our woes is amnesty. I'm open to the idea that we should change enforcement—by focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labor, for instance. But anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you.

The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.

If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest.

But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.

I remain hopeful about our country. To the people who are pissed off and want to say, “I told you so”: you’re right, you did tell us so. Take that energy into electing Republicans who share your worldview. To the people who are just pissed at the results, you should be. Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country.

[Jason @FerranteJason]

and tomorrow we're making it illegal to put "moderate" in your Hinge profile

[Frances Patano @FrancesPatano]

“did you see this twee—“ let me stop you there. I have seen every tweet. if it is posted I have read it. I am refreshing and I am reading and I am refreshing and I am going to do this for nineteen hours straight because if I miss something it will have a direct electoral effect

[Jason @FerranteJason]

you gotta send these texts before the UK bans them

[Chris “Peptide” Ripmaster @chrisripmaster]

“Nooooo I didn’t mean to send that my bad I was cooked”

[TMZ @TMZ]

Chrishell Stause announces split from G Flip after 4 years 💔 https://t.co/pByDjczjzY

[Jason @FerranteJason]

Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! would be a beautiful name for a girl

[Jason @FerranteJason]

The one suit I own

[𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚕𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 @KLobstar]

dude hell yeah if you tell the https://t.co/rRhS2Q7Ys7 chatbot to play minecraft it enters into a hellscape of it's own design

[johnny @douchedemon]

unemployed life at 23

[Jason @FerranteJason]

Noah getting on his ark:

[uuill @uuill_]

It’s never gonna stop raining

[Jason @FerranteJason]

If you enjoy the works of Franz Kafka, you might also enjoy Xfinity customer support

[swinky @swinkying]

someone please help him He is deflating and losing air rapidly

[Jason @FerranteJason]

Why is Dolly Parton dead and the Liberty Biberty is alive

[Casual Thursday @CasualThursday]

Just shut down the whole karaoke bar with my version of the Skyrizi song. People with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were coming up to me with tears in their eyes wanting to shake my hand. The bartender added me on insta and let me hit her Skyrizi pen.

[Tom Smyth @Tom_Smyth_]

me after walking into the wrong theater

[Jason @FerranteJason]

We must end the pandemic of white socks and loafers. Y'all look like the Berries and Cream lad

[Jason @FerranteJason]

the average american when asked about any politician:

[Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 @PollTracker2024]

CNN/SSRS poll | 7/23-7/27 RV

Favorables (highest to lowest, net)

🟦Zohran Mamdani: −5
🟦Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: −10
🟥Mike Johnson: −14 (tie)
🟥John Thune: −14 (tie)
🟦Hakeem Jeffries: −16
🟦Democratic Socialists of America: −18
🟥Republican Party: −21 (tie)
🟦Democratic Party: −21 (tie)
🟦Chuck Schumer: −29
🟥Mitch McConnell: −42

[isaac @hairyhibiscus]

you’re a big girl.

i am

and you have big shoulders

i do

and a big kinda chest

yep

[pigeon @defaultpast]

the string inside a candle:

[marko ꕤ @nottherealmarko]

if you’re gay and italian you’re born spiritually evil