Did the Far Left Hit a Wall?

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Or is it just Socialist growing pains?

Covering the Coverage

The media is split on how to read the tea leaves after a night of high-profile Democratic primary defeats for the progressive wing. Mainstream outlets are framing the losses of Francesca Hong in Wisconsin and Josh Elliott in Connecticut as a sigh of relief for establishment Democrats and a repudiation of far-left policies. However, some local and progressive coverage highlights the extremely tight margins in Wisconsin, arguing that the near-miss of a democratic socialist in a critical swing state actually signals undeniable momentum for the left, even in defeat. The absurdist reality? A loss is being simultaneously spun as a “wall” for progressives and a terrifying warning sign for moderates.

  • [Mainstream]: [Ongoing] David Crowley wins Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor over progressive Francesca Hong – Associated Press
  • [Local]: CT Gov. Ned Lamont defeats Josh Elliott in Democratic primary – CT Mirror
  • [Public Media]: Crowley and Hong locked in a tight race as results are reported – PBS Wisconsin
  • [Local]: CT Gov. Ned Lamont defeats Josh Elliott in Democratic primary – Connecticut Public
  • [Independent]: Wisconsin Democrats choose David Crowley over Francesca Hong’s progressive vision – The 19th
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81 thoughts on “Did the Far Left Hit a Wall?”

  1. My opinion: The progressive populist economic message remains strong, but keep away from cultural land mines like cancelling Thanksgiving, and STOP saying defund the police.

  3. Judge blocks Trump’s order aimed at using USPS to restrict mail-in voting
    Ruling expands on earlier order that prevented implementation in 23 mostly Democratic-led states

    A federal judge on Tuesday blocked ⁠the US Postal ⁠Service ​(USPS) from implementing part of Donald Trump’s executive order that aims ⁠to tighten rules for mail-in voting ahead of November midterm elections that ⁠will decide control of Congress.

    The ruling by ​US district ‌judge Indira ‌Talwani in Boston in effect expanded on an ‌earlier order she had issued in June that had prevented Trump’s administration from implementing it in 23 mostly Democratic-led states.

    Several voting rights groups had ‌urged her to go further and prevent USPS from implementing anywhere ​in the nation a proposed rule requiring states to provide lists of voters and adopt new balloting procedures before ⁠the mail agency would make deliveries.

  4. Before the Left’s bad night narrative goes too far, Peggy Flanagan beat centrist Angie Craig for the Democratic Senate nomination in Minnesota. Riding endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Flanagan campaigned heavily against corporate influence and successfully branded Craig as part of the establishment. Her commanding 59% to 40% win proved that the progressive movement can still rally the base to defeat well-funded, party-backed moderates in statewide races.

  6. NYT: Peggy Flanagan, a Progressive, Wins the Democratic Senate Primary in Minnesota

    The victory by Minnesota’s lieutenant governor was the latest for the left-wing movement in the Midwest. She could become the first Native woman in the Senate.
    — New York Times (Trailmix Free Link)

  8. Crowley only won by 10,000 points in a huge turnout. Hong’s speech was unifying and positive. Best remark I heard was “Be progressive, stay away from crazy”. The desire for the vision of Democratic Socialists is very strong. Stand up to greed, extreme wealth, and corporate control, but hold tight to the values of freedom and equality that made America great.

  11. Another way to look at Wisconsin: the man won, just like the man won in Michigan.

    If Dr. Abdul El-Sayed were a woman, do you think it would’ve been a win, same message and all?

    Also, it’s Abdul, not Abe because he’s not a Repug who has to change his name to appease white voters; Nikki Hayley and Bobby Jindal.
    We should remind folks he’s a Dr., though.

  13. Actually, both women lost because folks were afraid of things they said. Hayley/Israel and Hong/Thanksgiving. Hong’s was very misconstrued, but actually listening to a woman…nah.

  14. That we are talking about the Dems, middle center (traditionalists) and left of center/left, is important and somewhat exciting. We have not had these campaigns in a long time. What we are seeing are competitive candidates who are not listening to the Schumer dictates of who should run. That is what I see as important. Dems, and other voters, are looking for candidates who will not be traditionalist, which has calcified into something like republican light. That we talk about any campaign wins by Dems is great.

  15. https://abcnews.com/US/wednesday-bring-3-cosmic-spectacles-stargazers-expect/story

    Wednesday to bring 3 cosmic spectacles including total solar eclipse, meteor shower

    On the East Coast, you’ll be able to see the partial eclipse from just after 1 p.m. ET to mid-afternoon, with the peak moment between 1:53 p.m. and 1:55 p.m., based on which city you are in.

    *Don’t be like Dumbass. Put on your solar eclipse glasses from 2024, or make a pinhole box, or just like at the sidewalk under a leafy area…the shadows will be shaped like crescents.

  16. Just some light authoritarian comedy? First he says we never have to vote again, now he wants to declare a national election emergency. The punchline is suspending democracy.

  17. Congress needs to reign in Dumbass and his fascist support monkeys.

    ps -That was always the plan, although if it doesn’t work he can blame Repugz for the losses; the candidates and the voters. Dumbass won’t take any responsibility, so that me be the saving grace; he can still blame others if he can not shut down midterms.

    Oh, and Turkey isn’t buying the whole “Cater Force One” shenanigan.

  18. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-suspects-israel-fabricated-trump-air-force-one-assassination-plot-derail-us-iran-deal

    Turkey suspects Israel fabricated Trump Air Force One assassination plot to derail US-Iran deal

    Israeli intelligence had warned that Iranian operatives could target Trump’s plane with shoulder-fired missiles during the Nato summit in Ankara amid tense negotiations with Tehran

    Yet the Israeli intelligence report arrived at a sensitive moment. Trump was negotiating a deal with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

    During his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump repeatedly said that the war with Iran had ended and expressed hope about the negotiations, a source who attended the meeting told MEE.

    That position sharply contradicted the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was pushing for a resumption of hostilities, including heavier strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure and a new assassination campaign targeting Iranian leaders.

    “Of course, we took the report very seriously and tried to assist our American counterparts as much as possible,” one person familiar with the matter told MEE. “Yet it was very clear to us that there was no way this report was true.”

    Although Iranian cells have previously kidnapped or assassinated Iranian dissidents in Turkey, Tehran has never dared to carry out a sophisticated operation there involving anything beyond a simple firearm.

  19. Men ask Muslim women why they cover their hair.

    Men ask non-Muslim women why they don’t smile more.

    Death to the patriarchy; not everything is for or about men.

  20. Black-owned business loses Blue Angels contract after more than four decades serving the Navy

    Anyone want to bet Hegseth had a hand in doubling the amount of the contract and giving it to another company?

    After dressing the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels for more than four decades, Pensacola’s Black-owned Sewing Box has lost its contract to a Virginia-based government contractor. The decision has fueled criticism online, with supporters questioning the Navy’s procurement process.

  21. Congress needs to reign in Dumbass

    If we can get everyone who believes that to vote for Democrats in 82 days that can actually happen! Just giving Jamie Raskin control of his committee investigations again will go a long way.

  22. Don’t you think Dumbass would concoct a reason to have US Marshals arrest any dissenting aka disloyalty to Orange Adolf members of Congress?

    Also, how are Dem reps gonna get sworn in?

  23. Today in the Diner…
    Donald Trump Election Threat & Josh Hawley

    Donald Trump proposes a national emergency to cancel elections, while Josh Hawley campaigns in Missouri to become the next king of MAGA.

    We kick things off with Donald Trump floating the idea of declaring a national security emergency to cancel future elections, right before running to hide in a catering truck to escape a supposed threat from Iran. Meanwhile, Senator Josh Hawley is quietly touring evangelical churches across Missouri and the rest of the country, trying to secure his spot as the undisputed king of MAGA without getting any Trump stain on his record.

    Out in Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan secured a massive primary victory for progressives, while Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is going after Mike Rogers by appealing directly to the middle class on local issues like fixing the damn roads. Plus, we look at the bizarre news of Josh Kushner and Bob Iger dropping a fortune on the Los Angeles Lakers, check in on Dr. Annie Andrews in South Carolina, and wrap up with Texas Governor Greg Abbott completely panicking and reversing course on data centers as the ERCOT power grid faces a catastrophic breaking point.

    Live Chat: https://trailmix.cc/chat
    Website: https://trailmix.cc
    Alerts: https://trailmix.cc/alerts

    00:00 Intro: Donald Trump Election Threat
    08:52 Peggy Flanagan Minnesota Victory
    13:33 ICE Tests Electric Shock Gloves
    15:33 Josh Hawley Missouri Church Tour
    27:54 Mike Lindell Minnesota Loss
    32:32 Abdul El-Sayed vs Mike Rogers
    38:42 Josh Kushner Buys LA Lakers
    58:01 Dr. Annie Andrews South Carolina
    01:02:40 Greg Abbott Texas Data Center Panic
    — Human Prompted and Edited. Machine Drafted. (Gemini Pro)

  24. My opinion: The progressive populist economic message remains strong, but keep away from cultural land mines like cancelling Thanksgiving, and STOP saying defund the police.

    Sound suggestion, Craig.

  25. Many people are saying Mike Lindell is doing this to help Trump say elections in Minnesota are fraudulent. Minnesota has the highest voter turn out and we vote blue most of the time.

  27. Also, how are Dem reps gonna get sworn in?

    this is the current chatter, and Mike Johnson has a history of refusing to seat reps

    trumpco can’t afford to be held accountable

  41. Leavitt – as if trying to mother an infant isn’t exhausting enough, trying to spew the lies of Trumpco WHILE trying to deal with a baby could damn near kill you. Wonder who the new head spokesliar will be…?

  46. I am beginning to think our server company, Network Solutions, is in some sort of meltdown. I’ve never known them to be unable to resolve issues for four days running. They migrated to a new cloud service, which has always created problems for a few hours, but never for several days.

    I am looking into a new server company, WP Engine, which specializes in WordPress sites. I had hoped to avoid this until after the midterms in case the migration is a nightmare, which it will certainly be. Still, if this persistent sluggishness and occasional blockage doesn’t get fixed I might have no choice.

  48. *The intel about Iran came from Israel during negotiations. ABC Nightly News left that out.
    Shams, shame, shame.

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-suspects-israel-fabricated-trump-air-force-one-assassination-plot-derail-us-iran-deal

    A Turkish official confirmed to MEE that US officials had sought additional landing permits for the C-32 as part of the plan and pushed for last-minute changes, leaving Ankara with the impression that something was amiss.

    Yet the Israeli intelligence report arrived at a sensitive moment. Trump was negotiating a deal with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

    During his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump repeatedly said that the war with Iran had ended and expressed hope about the negotiations, a source who attended the meeting told MEE.

    That position sharply contradicted the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was pushing for a resumption of hostilities, including heavier strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure and a new assassination campaign targeting Iranian leaders.

    ‘No way this report was true’
    Turkish officials now say they believe the Israeli intelligence report was probably a ruse by Netanyahu’s government to portray itself as protecting Trump, derail negotiations with Iran and undermine Trump’s apparently close relationship with Erdogan.

  49. https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/12/us/ice-electrical-shock-gloves-agents-hnk

    *May they forget they have them on when they go to have a wee.

    ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on electrical shock gloves for agents

    The devices would be delivered by March 31, 2027, according to the contract previewed on DHS’ portal for forecasting contract opportunities. It’s unclear how many DHS intends to purchase, the cost per glove and when officers would begin using them.

    Compliant Technologies markets the G.L.O.V.E as a “wearable de-escalation device” that can be shifted into electrical mode. According to a user manual for the CTG4 and 5 models on Compliant Technologies’ website, the gloves can deliver a maximum voltage of up to 380V that “inhibits/ distracts the subject from performing coordinated muscle movement.”

    The manual says no more than two gloves should be applied to a subject at one time and they should not be used for more than 15 seconds in many instances. If an incident occurs in which “the officer(s) or the public has become endangered,” it is suggested the gloves are used as necessary until “control and compliance” is gained, or to use a higher level of force.

    The company warns the gloves should not be used as a “punishment” or on high-risk individuals including those who are pregnant, elderly people, small children and severely disabled individuals. The company also warns against deploying for “verbal defiance or belligerence.”

    Anyone who uses the gloves must be certified and recertified every other year to continue using them, according to the user manual.

    The DHS notice said the solicitation for a no-bid contract could be published as early as Friday.

  50. just heard Washington Post is about to report that Israel was behind the Iranian assassination scare, and our intelligence folks did not put much faith in it, but Trump did

  55. Anon – Bacon is retiring & has nothing to gain from bootlicking & isn’t a punk-ass b/tch like Cornyn & Tillis.

  56. he’s pretty punk-ass

    does degree matter at this point

    he was a Trump stooge months ago and is no longer, called himself a Reagan republican

    you can tell your MAGA’s that even their own representatives think he sucks and say so as soon as they can

  58. Can This City Banish Single-Use Coffee Cups?

    Can This City Banish Single-Use Coffee Cups?

    Thanks to “reverse vending machines” and environmentally conscious youth, an effort to reduce plastic waste in Aarhus has taken off.

    “Danes in general are very trustful towards each other and towards the authorities,” says Anders Branth Pedersen, environmental policy expert and senior researcher at AU.

    Denmark also already has a bottle and can recycling system in place at most grocery stores.

    “We have one of the world’s best bottle recycling systems in Denmark. More than nine in 10 bottles are returned. Danes are preconditioned to adapt well [to something like REUSEABLE],” says Pedersen.

    For optimal success, Rognhaug estimates that each cup needs to average at least six rotations, with return rates hitting 90 percent. Even though return rates are currently at 87 to 89 percent, and the most-returned cups have reached 40 rotations, more people need to opt for REUSEABLE cups over the alternative for the system to be truly viable.

    Though REUSEABLE cups are the default at the university and at major festivals, “the majority of outlets serving consumers in takeaway packaging in Aarhus are still using single-use or disposable alternatives,” says Rognhaug. “When given a choice the majority of consumers are not deviating from the default of disposable cups.”

  59. *Talarico’s latest email:

    “When I was 28 years old, I almost died.

    I was running in my first race for the Texas House. I decided to walk the entire length of my district — 25 miles in one day — holding town halls along the way. I wasn’t worried — I hike Big Bend every year!

    But about halfway through, I started feeling nauseous and fatigued. I threw up a couple of times on the way, but figured I was just dehydrated. Somehow, I finished.

    When I got home, I slept for 36 hours. My family rushed me to the ER, where nurses checked my blood sugar. I was immediately diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was in diabetic ketoacidosis, which ends in coma and death without insulin.

    When I got out of the ICU, I went to Walgreens to pick up my first 30-day supply of insulin. It cost me $684 for a necessary medicine that costs Big Pharma $10 to produce. I didn’t have that kind of money (most Texans don’t, either) — so I put it on my credit card.

    This is why so many people with diabetes ration or skip doses. Some of them die because of it.

    So when I got elected, I passed bills to cap the price of insulin at $25 a month.“

  60. Hong up 38 a week ago was “just a snapshot” 😃

    or pollsters are bad

    If you made an effort to deliberately devise in an inaccurate poll, you still wouldn’t be that off, 38…

    if bad faith actors are deliberately trying to manipulate polls without the pollsters knowledge, they need to be able to pick up on that or change jobs

    or the bankrupt casual political media could stop reporting them as if they are news

  61. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/uss-abraham-lincoln-overboard-extended-deployment

    USS Abraham Lincoln sailors tried to jump overboard amid extended deployment – reports

    Aircraft carrier’s crew in ninth month at sea and has spent record 250 days consecutively without making land

    Two leading specialist military papers, the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes, are reporting that there have been multiple attempts by sailors to jump overboard as poor conditions and mental stresses on the Lincoln reach the breaking point.

    The Navy Times gave details of thwarted suicide attempts onboard the aircraft carrier during the current deployment. Annabelle Loma told the outlet that her husband had tried to jump overboard after his spell at sea kept being extended.

    “He’s scared. He thinks he’ll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out his 13-year career is ruined, just like that,” she said.

    The paper quoted another sailor’s wife whose husband was involved in a separate incident onboard the Lincoln in which he prevented a fellow crew member from jumping, grabbing them and bringing them back on deck.

    The warship left San Diego on 21 November and was originally intended for the Pacific but was redirected to the Middle East once the US-Israel war with Iran began.

    Since then, MS Now revealed, the 5,000-plus crew has had only two days on land, in Guam in December and Oman in July. The deployment was scheduled to end in May but has been extended a couple of times amid the ongoing war.

    In April, there was a flurry of public criticism about dire conditions onboard the carrier. Photos emerged of poor-quality and rationed food, and there were reports of water shortages, moldy showers and broken laundry machines.

    Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, dismissed the accounts as “more fake news”.

    *Prediction: He will get fragged by his own men if he isn’t removed from his position soon.

  64. do you realize how angry Trump is now that they manipulated him and made him crawl into a truck?

    stock up on canned goods

  65. Oof, my family on the West coast called. Evangelicals at a scandal-ridden church, well-educated but don’t understand the difference between socialism and communism (neither of which we have in this country), specifically asked about that guy in NYC, railed against all of the docs need for one of them to get a real ID & then petitioned loudly for showing ID at polling places (which we do here & in TX), went off on someone going to the ER without insurance (because like a good evangelical they would prefer they just suffer and die), waiting for the rapture (would be funny if it were actually a thing and not some cockamamie invention & they got left behind because they didn’t want someone to have medical care), and I’m not sure I will answer the phone next time they call.

    In other news, squash bugs have entered the chat.

  68. Told ya so. Really ticks me off when the evening news doesn’t report it right & the part where it was a ploy by Israel, well, it’ll be a blip tomorrow night.

  69. I’ve been reading about “trap crops.” Next year, more garlic, more dill, more straw, more soil preparation. We are burning it at the end of the season and turning the soil under & renting a tiller in the spring.

  73. Dumbass might be furious, but BuBi has those Epstein files because, FFS there are too many Mossad connections to ignore, starting with Ghislaine’s dad. Dumbass has no way to extract the US from this mess, or from anything else he wants him to do, or the chichens will finally come home to roost…which is old-timey talk for karma will get him.

    Now, all of the traitors in Congress who vote to tie our military & intelligence agencies to Israel like an anchor, I guess they aren’t compromised but are just whores selling themselves for money.

  74. Trump’s not lying when he says Israel has no greater ally than himself

    And they just made a fucking fool out of him

  75. all the dc politicos defend pollsters the same way craig does

    must go to the same parties

    this pollster/media relationship is incestuous as fuck

  77. so if I were you and I’m not, I’d say hey patriarchy put all the garden brush in a pile

    Then make the effort to compost it all winter at the biggest scale you can handle physically

    Then beg for like a 10 x 20 space to do pots in a grid in contact with ground for yourself, let the Earth-rapers do what they do in their spot

    your organic diversity will improve their garden remotely

  78. https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/treasury-ends-ownership-reporting-rules-for-us-companies-163159131.html

    Treasury ends ownership reporting rules for U.S. companies

    Foreign companies and pooled investment vehicles (such as mutual funds or hedge funds) must still report information about foreign owners. But they will no longer have to identify Americans who help them register to do business in the U.S., according to a Treasury Department advisory. And Treasury will delete any information it has already collected about U.S. business owners, the advisory said.

    *So, no more unraveling shell companies. THE EFFING MOB IS RUNNING THE US!

    Richard Nephew, who led anti-corruption efforts at the State Department during the Biden administration, called the move “a terrible decision that opens up the U.S. to financial crime, money laundering and corruption.”

    The reporting requirements were implemented in January 2024 during the Biden administration as part of an effort to curb illicit finance. It stemmed from the Corporate Transparency Act, which was included in the National Defense Authorization Act and enacted into law in 2021 after Congress overrode President Donald Trump’s veto. It required U.S. and foreign companies doing business in the country to report information about “beneficial owners” – people who have “substantial control” over the company or own at least 25 percent of it – to Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

  80. city composters would die for all of that organic material that gets burned just sayin (it’s like 100x kitchen scraps)

    it is real work to compost it quickly

    or none if you just wait 2 years

  81. “I am beginning to think our server company, Network Solutions, is in some sort of meltdown.”
    Craig, you can say that again! can’t bring up, edit nor publish my draft of this morning’s thread.

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