Jamelle Bouie believes Trump is bad at governing and managing, which is evident from his haphazard and somewhat disastrous cabinet picks that have cost him political capital. Despite his intentions, Trump's incompetence in these areas hinders his ability to achieve his goals.
Jamelle Bouie finds comfort in Frederick Douglass's speech because it reminds him that the story of the country's history is not one of ceaseless progress but of long reversals. It inspires him to continue fighting and to recognize the importance of political engagement even in dark times.
Jamelle Bouie is concerned about the constitutional order and the courts because he fears the courts may adopt a neutral stance that defers to state legislatures, potentially leading to the domination of vulnerable groups. He worries that this could undermine the protection of rights and the integrity of the constitutional system.
Jamelle Bouie believes the left should be more serious about constitutional arguments because it is politically powerful to make a public case for what the Constitution should be and how it should be interpreted. He argues that the left has often been embarrassed about serious constitutional debate, which has left them at a disadvantage.
Jamelle Bouie thinks the Democratic Party needs to rebuild its connection to voters at the local level by establishing a presence similar to the NRA's with gun owners. This involves creating local party clubs and engaging directly with voters to reshape the information environment and improve the party's image.
Jamelle Bouie believes race and gender played a role in Kamala Harris's loss because she was running as the first Black and first woman on a major party ticket, which likely triggered racial and gender biases. He argues that dismissing these factors is unrealistic given the country's history and the presence of anti-Black attitudes.
Jamelle Bouie thinks TikTok can be a useful platform for political discourse because it allows him to engage with a large, diverse audience and correct misinformation. He finds it a valuable space to have conversations and share ideas, despite the concerns about the platform's data privacy issues.
Trump may have authoritarian aspirations, but he's very bad at governing and managing—four weeks into the transition, he's had two major "L"s. Meanwhile, Democrats have to rebuild their connection to voters with local party clubs, and not wait until an election year. Plus, a reverse cancel culture is silencing any conversation about the role that gender and race played in Kamala's loss. And finding solace in the words of Frederick Douglass.
**Jamelle Bouie **joins Tim Miller.
*show notes: *Jamelle's column about one of Frederick Douglass's final speeches) Tim's playlist )