Patrick Gaspard

overwhelmingly driven by polling and the information they get from their consultants on these things. That's the first thing that I will say to you. We also had these moments where the Overton window gets blown open in a particular way as it did on criminal justice reform, for instance, in America following George Floyd and politicians and other civil society actors and the media itself.

then make a set of decisions about what they are going to invest in, cover, lift up based on that Overton window. That Overton window can blow shut in a hurry on you. And in American history, there's always the backlash to the backlash. And some politicians are nimble enough to be out in front of that and others aren't.

then make a set of decisions about what they are going to invest in, cover, lift up based on that Overton window. That Overton window can blow shut in a hurry on you. And in American history, there's always the backlash to the backlash. And some politicians are nimble enough to be out in front of that and others aren't.

then make a set of decisions about what they are going to invest in, cover, lift up based on that Overton window. That Overton window can blow shut in a hurry on you. And in American history, there's always the backlash to the backlash. And some politicians are nimble enough to be out in front of that and others aren't.

And given how little power and little authority the groups actually have in America and how most of them are like, under budgeted, they can barely like hold their staff together.

And given how little power and little authority the groups actually have in America and how most of them are like, under budgeted, they can barely like hold their staff together.

And given how little power and little authority the groups actually have in America and how most of them are like, under budgeted, they can barely like hold their staff together.

Uh, I am, I am challenged to accept a story, this overly simplified story that these powerful political actors who are usually dismissive of groups where they're in meetings with them, et cetera, or somehow like just completely surrendering their political fates to the groups. And that's why they're in the pickle that they're in.

Uh, I am, I am challenged to accept a story, this overly simplified story that these powerful political actors who are usually dismissive of groups where they're in meetings with them, et cetera, or somehow like just completely surrendering their political fates to the groups. And that's why they're in the pickle that they're in.

Uh, I am, I am challenged to accept a story, this overly simplified story that these powerful political actors who are usually dismissive of groups where they're in meetings with them, et cetera, or somehow like just completely surrendering their political fates to the groups. And that's why they're in the pickle that they're in.

Tim, the single most important election that's happened in America in the last 30 years outside of a presidential election was the 2014 midterm loss of Eric Cantor, who was the majority leader in the House, who was to the right of Attila the Hun, last I checked. But he was defeated. He was defeated by someone who was to the right of him, who had significantly less resources than he had.

Tim, the single most important election that's happened in America in the last 30 years outside of a presidential election was the 2014 midterm loss of Eric Cantor, who was the majority leader in the House, who was to the right of Attila the Hun, last I checked. But he was defeated. He was defeated by someone who was to the right of him, who had significantly less resources than he had.

Tim, the single most important election that's happened in America in the last 30 years outside of a presidential election was the 2014 midterm loss of Eric Cantor, who was the majority leader in the House, who was to the right of Attila the Hun, last I checked. But he was defeated. He was defeated by someone who was to the right of him, who had significantly less resources than he had.

And it was because of the attacks from right-wing groups. Right-wing group.

And it was because of the attacks from right-wing groups. Right-wing group.

And it was because of the attacks from right-wing groups. Right-wing group.

But let's be clear that Eric Cantor, and this is the punchline here, Eric Cantor was using his resources to move in the direction of of the group view, because that was the direction of the primary audience that he had in his state. That's the punchline there. It's the important thing.

But let's be clear that Eric Cantor, and this is the punchline here, Eric Cantor was using his resources to move in the direction of of the group view, because that was the direction of the primary audience that he had in his state. That's the punchline there. It's the important thing.

But let's be clear that Eric Cantor, and this is the punchline here, Eric Cantor was using his resources to move in the direction of of the group view, because that was the direction of the primary audience that he had in his state. That's the punchline there. It's the important thing.

That election is important because it conditioned a particular kind of behavior amongst institutional Republicans who then surrendered to the Frankenstein monster that they had built in their basement and let loose in the world. That's what leads to the Trump moment, et cetera, et cetera. But let's not forget that Eric Cantor was actually moving in the direction of his primary audience.