We discussed what’s behind what is shaping up to be the longest government shutdown in history. And we talked about how it might end. (And we discussed a little baseball too!)

We’re planning to do these conversations on a regular basis — so please let us know what you think!

What Makes This Shutdown Different?

Public opinion on the government shutdown has now calcified along party lines — and that’s the real story.

Neither side is paying a political price anymore.

What used to be a dangerous gamble for both parties has become a reliable, if cynical, rallying tool.

Each base is dug in, convinced its side is right, and the costs of compromise now seem greater than the costs of paralysis.

That’s why the standoff feels different this time. When both sides believe they’re winning, no one has much incentive to end it.

What we’re witnessing is something new in American politics: the collision of two historic forces — extreme polarization and a sprawling administrative state.

Earlier generations had one or the other, but not both.

The modern presidency was built during an era of low partisanship; now it operates in the most divided political climate in more than a century.

This post ran for Political Wire members only earlier this week.

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In 2008, Barack Obama harnessed the “netroots” to piece together a winning coalition of voters to win the presidency.

In 2012, Obama utilized Facebook to dramatically increase turnout of young voters — against all odds — and win re-election.

Fast forward to 2024 and it seems like all the excitement about using digital media shifted to the Republicans.

There’s no doubt that Donald Trump’s use of podcasts and videos to attract low propensity voters helped him win a second term.

Tara Palmeri, the proprietor of the excellent newsletter, The Red Letter, joined me to discuss this and other topics in a live conversation.

The latest from Political Wire:

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I talked to the great Jessica Yellin, the proprietor of the must-read News Not Noise newsletter, about all of these topics this afternoon.

You can watch the video recording above.

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

I’d also encourage you to subscribe to Jessica’s fantastic newsletter, News Not Noise! It’s definitely worth your time.

And if you’re not yet a Political Wire subscriber, use this link to get 20% an annual subscription. You’ll get exclusive analysis from me, a 24/7 trending news page, bonus newsletters and no advertising on the site.

Thank you Carll Tucker, Barry Schaffner, Emily Coulter, Ellen, and many others for tuning into my live video with Jessica Yellin!

Join me for my next live video in the app.

We also discussed what Elon Musk is really trying to do with all that government data. And we chatted about a decade of Donald Trump as the most dominant political figure in the country.

It was a really fun conversation and my first Substack Live (so apologies for the camera angle at times. I’m still learning.)

If you’re interested in seeing more of these, please let me know.

Thank you Anne Smith, Blue Thoughts From a Red State, Fritzi, Steve Schuhbdoo, Robert J Donnelly, and many others for tuning in!