And this is what makes you a true American. I don’t agree with a preferred candidate’s every stance, but I pick my battles. Thank you I really like your podcast.
I agree with this piece. As a lefty, pro Palestine, pro big government, Mamdani-Sanders-Warren-AOC dem, i do respect you because you didn’t just leave GOP to fight fascism, but you are willing to be respectful to people within dems who disagree with you. I disagree with you on a lot of things, and i strongly respect you. That is what is needed among people who oppose fascism.
Today's meltdown inspired me to become a paid member. Long time reader, you nailed it today. Be who you are. Expand the tent. Defeat today's Republican party. Save our Democracy. You go Joe!
Hi, Joe, I respect your honesty and your passion. But one thing to consider: Conway said he’s running in part because he feels the democrats/congress need lawyers with experience running complex investigations and interviewing witnesses. I think he would argue he’s expanding the tent by bringing those skills to the table and hopefully helping the country hold Trump and his thugs accountable if the majority in the house (and Senate?) changes. I think that’s worth considering.
Yes, the Democratic party needs to expand the tent. We have to stop voting on single issues. That singular issue voting and limited issue litmus tests have hurt us for many years now. Your are absolutely correct about were you should run. You speak to a different group of people than we who are very liberal Democrats. But, most importantly, we can all be Democrats.
I've long admired your writing and I'm happy you're on Team Democrat, fighting against MAGA autocracy. But as a lifelong centrist Democrat who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in the district George Conway is running in (NY-12), I assure you it's not the far left progressive district you think it is. Yes, of course it's blue and no Republican can win here. But the *truly* far far left progressive districts are in western Queens and northern Brooklyn, in places like Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope. My district, which includes the more centrist/conservative Upper East Side, largely did *not* vote for Mamdani. Huge swaths, including me, voted for the more centrist candidate, Cuomo. (Take a look at this map to see what I mean: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/04/us/elections/nyc-mayor-results-precinct-map.html)
I'm thrilled that Conway is running here. We need someone with his experience, skills, and drive. Here's the thing: I want a centrist Democrat to represent my district, not a progressive. Bottom line, we already have enough progressives running things here. I feel strongly that our country would be a better place if everyone on the far left and far right took two giant steps toward the middle. George Conway will help us do that here in NYC.
Joe, I enjoyed your article, especially the part about needing additional parties for competition. My sub stacks are on that topic. See the one published this morning: https://tommast.substack.com/p/congresss-quagmire-c?r=b29s7 Tom Mast
Except about taxes. If the wealthy just paid their share then we could have a decent society. You are ignoring the oligarchy that is taking over with their propaganda etc. coming to Trumps aid.
How can a country run on no taxes? Who pays for infrastructure, health care, etc..
You have outlined the only strategy that can actually stop the madness. Please continue to champion this route to other former Republicans who value the beauty of the American experiment.
I respect you and I respect what you are doing, not to mention your one of my favorite guitar players ever. Ever. And I can agree to disagree with a lot of things but, Israel ? Tens of thousands of women and children murdered with Israelis pulling the trigger and the US supplying the bullets? (Or murdering them simply by depriving them of food shelter and medicine). I'm sorry but I just don't understand it brother, and it saddens me.
I live in a deep read state and need someone like you to give the craven cowards that can't think for themselves, So come on down to Louisiana and help turn this state into, at least a purple state that respects the rule of law.
I hear the urgency in what Joe’s saying, and I don’t think it’s misplaced. So I’ll do what I tend to do when the temperature rises and the stakes feel absolute. I’ll ask a few questions and answer them as honestly as I can.
What moment are we actually in?
An emergency. Not a metaphorical one. A structural one. A moment where the rule of law, pluralism, and the basic mechanics of self government are under direct strain. In a moment like that, hesitation isn’t neutrality. It’s drift. Joe’s right about that.
Does choosing a side matter right now?
Yes. In a two party system, refusing to choose doesn’t keep your hands clean. It leaves power where it already sits. If one party is openly hostile to democratic restraint, then defending democracy requires alignment, even when that alignment feels uncomfortable or incomplete. I don’t see a serious argument around that anymore.
Is this about ideology?
Not primarily. That’s one of Joe’s clearest points, and I agree with it. This isn’t a season for refining policy preferences or winning internal arguments. It’s a season for keeping the floor from dropping out. Democracy is the precondition. Everything else notes its margins.
So what’s being asked of people like Joe, or George Conway, or others who crossed over?
Something harder than conversion. Credibility. They aren’t being asked to become different people. They’re being asked to stand where they can do the most work. In places where trust in institutions is already thin. In districts where authoritarianism wears a friendly face. That isn’t opportunism. That’s burden.
Is strategy enough?
No. And this is where I want to slow the frame without rejecting it. Strategy can win elections. It can’t, by itself, restore legitimacy. That comes from process, accountability, and restraint. A party that wins without guarding those things risks inheriting the very habits it set out to defeat.
Does that weaken the call to act?
I don’t think so. I think it strengthens it. Action rooted only in fear burns hot and fast. Action anchored in law, in limits, and in a refusal to become what we oppose tends to last. We don’t just need people willing to fight. We need people willing to govern when the fight subsides.
What does putting the team first actually require?
Honesty about motives. Willingness to lose in the short term for stability in the long one. And a shared understanding that winning isn’t the same thing as ruling well. Joe’s right to demand clarity. He’s also right that expanding the tent means going where it’s hardest, not where it’s safest.
So where do I land?
I’m with him on the necessity. On the urgency. On the reality that this isn’t a normal political moment. And I want us to remember that what we’re defending isn’t just a party or a cycle. It’s a set of practices that only survive if we keep using them, especially when it’s inconvenient.
Choosing a side may be required right now. Keeping that side worthy of the choice is the work that follows.
The caution when some Republicans change affiliation and become a Democrat just to run for an office taints the trust. Not of you, but from my voter experience. I've lived in a district where that happened and, as soon as the legislative gavel dropped, every vote was whatever the GOP wanted. Every vote. That person did not represent his constituents, but rather enriched himself. I'm more on the left in many instances, but I also have conservative ideas and the support the rule of law and the Constitution. I don't believe in the 'blue all the way down the ballot', unless I've also taken the time and effort to research the candidates - their background, their ideology and their current views - and I wish other voters would do the same. Case in point: John Fetterman, a candidate I supported but who I believe is not representing his constituents, much to their disappointment and frustration. Glad you're a Democrat who's in it for the fight and hope you stay in the battle for a bigger tent
Trump is acting just like Roy Cohn taught him to act. Attack anyone who gets in your way. And do not let up until they give in. That is what he does. And now he has people around him who have axes to grind against various parts of society and the world and they are taking full advantage of it. They captured the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court and right wing media to carry out their vendettas and that is exactly what they are doing. And the law and rights and freedoms and all the rest mean NOTHING to them. As we have seen they just do whatever they want, make up a BS reason for it, and dare anyone to stop them. Everyone who refuses to submit to this tyranny must continue to band together to stop them. In reality MORE people oppose what they are doing than support them. And that gap will only continue to grow as they do more damage to more people. So everyone needs to keep up the fight, Keep the receipts, build the cases against them, and not quit until they are ALL defeated and are stopped. And hold Nuremberg type trials to hold them accountable for ALL their unlawful actions.
And this is what makes you a true American. I don’t agree with a preferred candidate’s every stance, but I pick my battles. Thank you I really like your podcast.
I agree with this piece. As a lefty, pro Palestine, pro big government, Mamdani-Sanders-Warren-AOC dem, i do respect you because you didn’t just leave GOP to fight fascism, but you are willing to be respectful to people within dems who disagree with you. I disagree with you on a lot of things, and i strongly respect you. That is what is needed among people who oppose fascism.
Today's meltdown inspired me to become a paid member. Long time reader, you nailed it today. Be who you are. Expand the tent. Defeat today's Republican party. Save our Democracy. You go Joe!
Hi, Joe, I respect your honesty and your passion. But one thing to consider: Conway said he’s running in part because he feels the democrats/congress need lawyers with experience running complex investigations and interviewing witnesses. I think he would argue he’s expanding the tent by bringing those skills to the table and hopefully helping the country hold Trump and his thugs accountable if the majority in the house (and Senate?) changes. I think that’s worth considering.
Yes, the Democratic party needs to expand the tent. We have to stop voting on single issues. That singular issue voting and limited issue litmus tests have hurt us for many years now. Your are absolutely correct about were you should run. You speak to a different group of people than we who are very liberal Democrats. But, most importantly, we can all be Democrats.
I've long admired your writing and I'm happy you're on Team Democrat, fighting against MAGA autocracy. But as a lifelong centrist Democrat who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in the district George Conway is running in (NY-12), I assure you it's not the far left progressive district you think it is. Yes, of course it's blue and no Republican can win here. But the *truly* far far left progressive districts are in western Queens and northern Brooklyn, in places like Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope. My district, which includes the more centrist/conservative Upper East Side, largely did *not* vote for Mamdani. Huge swaths, including me, voted for the more centrist candidate, Cuomo. (Take a look at this map to see what I mean: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/04/us/elections/nyc-mayor-results-precinct-map.html)
I'm thrilled that Conway is running here. We need someone with his experience, skills, and drive. Here's the thing: I want a centrist Democrat to represent my district, not a progressive. Bottom line, we already have enough progressives running things here. I feel strongly that our country would be a better place if everyone on the far left and far right took two giant steps toward the middle. George Conway will help us do that here in NYC.
Joe, I enjoyed your article, especially the part about needing additional parties for competition. My sub stacks are on that topic. See the one published this morning: https://tommast.substack.com/p/congresss-quagmire-c?r=b29s7 Tom Mast
I agree with you wholeheartedly Joe.
Except about taxes. If the wealthy just paid their share then we could have a decent society. You are ignoring the oligarchy that is taking over with their propaganda etc. coming to Trumps aid.
How can a country run on no taxes? Who pays for infrastructure, health care, etc..
Help me understand your point of view.
You have outlined the only strategy that can actually stop the madness. Please continue to champion this route to other former Republicans who value the beauty of the American experiment.
I respect you and I respect what you are doing, not to mention your one of my favorite guitar players ever. Ever. And I can agree to disagree with a lot of things but, Israel ? Tens of thousands of women and children murdered with Israelis pulling the trigger and the US supplying the bullets? (Or murdering them simply by depriving them of food shelter and medicine). I'm sorry but I just don't understand it brother, and it saddens me.
Different Joe Walsh🙂
Joe Walsh, guitarist, on left
Joe Walsh, former Congressman, on right
I live in a deep read state and need someone like you to give the craven cowards that can't think for themselves, So come on down to Louisiana and help turn this state into, at least a purple state that respects the rule of law.
I hear the urgency in what Joe’s saying, and I don’t think it’s misplaced. So I’ll do what I tend to do when the temperature rises and the stakes feel absolute. I’ll ask a few questions and answer them as honestly as I can.
What moment are we actually in?
An emergency. Not a metaphorical one. A structural one. A moment where the rule of law, pluralism, and the basic mechanics of self government are under direct strain. In a moment like that, hesitation isn’t neutrality. It’s drift. Joe’s right about that.
Does choosing a side matter right now?
Yes. In a two party system, refusing to choose doesn’t keep your hands clean. It leaves power where it already sits. If one party is openly hostile to democratic restraint, then defending democracy requires alignment, even when that alignment feels uncomfortable or incomplete. I don’t see a serious argument around that anymore.
Is this about ideology?
Not primarily. That’s one of Joe’s clearest points, and I agree with it. This isn’t a season for refining policy preferences or winning internal arguments. It’s a season for keeping the floor from dropping out. Democracy is the precondition. Everything else notes its margins.
So what’s being asked of people like Joe, or George Conway, or others who crossed over?
Something harder than conversion. Credibility. They aren’t being asked to become different people. They’re being asked to stand where they can do the most work. In places where trust in institutions is already thin. In districts where authoritarianism wears a friendly face. That isn’t opportunism. That’s burden.
Is strategy enough?
No. And this is where I want to slow the frame without rejecting it. Strategy can win elections. It can’t, by itself, restore legitimacy. That comes from process, accountability, and restraint. A party that wins without guarding those things risks inheriting the very habits it set out to defeat.
Does that weaken the call to act?
I don’t think so. I think it strengthens it. Action rooted only in fear burns hot and fast. Action anchored in law, in limits, and in a refusal to become what we oppose tends to last. We don’t just need people willing to fight. We need people willing to govern when the fight subsides.
What does putting the team first actually require?
Honesty about motives. Willingness to lose in the short term for stability in the long one. And a shared understanding that winning isn’t the same thing as ruling well. Joe’s right to demand clarity. He’s also right that expanding the tent means going where it’s hardest, not where it’s safest.
So where do I land?
I’m with him on the necessity. On the urgency. On the reality that this isn’t a normal political moment. And I want us to remember that what we’re defending isn’t just a party or a cycle. It’s a set of practices that only survive if we keep using them, especially when it’s inconvenient.
Choosing a side may be required right now. Keeping that side worthy of the choice is the work that follows.
George Conway says if he were to win, he'd serve only two terms. HaHaHaHaHaHa.
Thank you Joe. You’re a good, honest man. We need more people like you.
The caution when some Republicans change affiliation and become a Democrat just to run for an office taints the trust. Not of you, but from my voter experience. I've lived in a district where that happened and, as soon as the legislative gavel dropped, every vote was whatever the GOP wanted. Every vote. That person did not represent his constituents, but rather enriched himself. I'm more on the left in many instances, but I also have conservative ideas and the support the rule of law and the Constitution. I don't believe in the 'blue all the way down the ballot', unless I've also taken the time and effort to research the candidates - their background, their ideology and their current views - and I wish other voters would do the same. Case in point: John Fetterman, a candidate I supported but who I believe is not representing his constituents, much to their disappointment and frustration. Glad you're a Democrat who's in it for the fight and hope you stay in the battle for a bigger tent
Trump is acting just like Roy Cohn taught him to act. Attack anyone who gets in your way. And do not let up until they give in. That is what he does. And now he has people around him who have axes to grind against various parts of society and the world and they are taking full advantage of it. They captured the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court and right wing media to carry out their vendettas and that is exactly what they are doing. And the law and rights and freedoms and all the rest mean NOTHING to them. As we have seen they just do whatever they want, make up a BS reason for it, and dare anyone to stop them. Everyone who refuses to submit to this tyranny must continue to band together to stop them. In reality MORE people oppose what they are doing than support them. And that gap will only continue to grow as they do more damage to more people. So everyone needs to keep up the fight, Keep the receipts, build the cases against them, and not quit until they are ALL defeated and are stopped. And hold Nuremberg type trials to hold them accountable for ALL their unlawful actions.