Josh LedermanVerified account

Nope. The 2020 candidates have not been talking about #Russia or impeachment on the campaign trail. They talk about The Issues. It’s all policy and personality contrast to Trump.

Yea uhuh ok

2018 electoral results + new sets of voter turnout + existing bad policies + 39 previous indictments = don’t need anything else to make Trump look bad. Russia stuff has never resonated in the field. Collusion has been a natsec and Beltway concern.

And a valid one! But if you've been watching any of the 2020 candidates (and I know you have) think really really hard about the last time you heard them talk about Mueller. It's Medicare for All, climate change, inclusivity, and economic injustice.

I agree they haven’t been talking about it — precisely because report hadn’t come out; it was risky to be out on record without knowing which way this was going. Today proves why. But literally no Dem I talk to privately has said “don’t worry, we’re gonna win this on The Issues”

We’ve been saying that the entire time

Like, over and over for the last several years.

All across the country, staffers on Democratic primary campaigns are panicking, sharing messages with one another like, “what should we grab for dinner?” and “did you check the e-mail I forwarded you from the local county chair about the meet-and-greet next week?”

It's fair to assume you haven't actually been watching the Democratic primary campaigns then.

Seriously — almost none of the candidates have been focused on this.

It’s a date and a diversion. I always refer to George Lakoff.

@Adrienne_DNC @XochitlHinojosa - you gals panicked? I’m not. Quite the opposite, actually.

Oh, Josh. Let me remind you: Democrats flipped the House on Health Care and the economy. That's how we'll beat Trump.

This is my favorite clapback post ever!

Last I checked, best journalistic practices did not include "assume"

What a weird assumption too -- I mean maybe Tom Steyer might have an issue? But if you've actually been following the campaigns of 2018 and 2020 there is very little in them about this issue. What probably *does* freak them out a bit is how easily the press is still played?

It's so embarrassing and makes my job harder

I gotta get off this website today b/c for half the tweets I see from journalists I want to just retweet with a "How are you so bad at this?" take.

I have complex feelings about our continuing policy of no consequences for the powerful without a degree of proof required nowhere else. But if your Harris or Warren or Inslee less time talking about impeachment allows more promotion of your platform/strengths.

Plus, we need to focus on shit that's happening NOW. Not everything needs to be about 2020. Kids are still in detention camps and getting shot and killed in schools. Nazis are still roaming the streets with impunity. Our legal and justice systems are overwhelmed. Disinfo reigns