Poli sci prof at St. Mary's College. Author. Independent. Co-author of 3 books on the Trump Presidency, 1 on polarization, and another popular discontent & its impact on politics. Search Amazon! If you find me offensive, may I suggest you stop finding me.https://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3li6q6s56tk25There’s no historical or Constitutional basis for a President being entitled to the Cabinet of their choice. More than anything the Framers feared a powerful executive surrounded by sycophants & “yes men.” So they made presidential appointments subject to the advice AND consent of the Senate. /115 Feb 2025 03:03 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3li6q6s56tk25https://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lh3hclfj2c24At this point, I’m convinced that Trump has signed an Executive Order instructing the librarian of the National Archives to record that his hands are bigger than those of every other President.01 Feb 2025 02:21 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh3hclfj2c24https://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3levc3wnjhk2cI got a blueberry muffin from Panera. It was yummy… except for the small pieces of wood that were in it. Were they trying to add fiber?04 Jan 2025 04:41 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3levc3wnjhk2chttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3leuyddo2rk2nMaryland hasn't had a budget problem this bad since the O'Malley Administration. https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/12/five-year-state-budget-projection-foresees-enormous-gap-not-seen-in-two-decades/04 Jan 2025 01:47 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3leuyddo2rk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3leugrugeoc2mIn my book, American Government and Popular Discontent, I recount a 2007 vote on an appropriations bill where Republicans appeared to defeat the bill. But majority Democrats held the vote open well after the time allotted had expired & convinced 3 Dems to switch their votes - securing victory. /103 Jan 2025 20:33 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3leugrugeoc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3leudiorxlk2aWhat did Johnson have to do to get Self and Norman to change their votes?03 Jan 2025 19:34 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3leudiorxlk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3leuau7zkok2a3 Republican voted against Johnson & 6 withheld their vote... initially. Why does that matter? Under House rules, it takes 9 members to make a motion to vacate the Speaker. This was a shot across the bow to let Johnson know that if he becomes Speaker, the votes are there to oust him.03 Jan 2025 18:47 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3leuau7zkok2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3leua3hhbvs2aThey cannot resist the need to lean into racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric. It's just who they are. [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Jan 2025 18:33 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3leua3hhbvs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3leneydaqy227Things that I don’t understand. I have a close family member who is diabetic & was paying $400 a month on insulin. There were months they could barely afford it. Under Biden, the cost dropped to $35 a month. They voted for Trump because Biden “ignored people like them.” I don’t get it.01 Jan 2025 01:12 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3leneydaqy227https://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3ldwtjg2ois2eThe US tested a basic income program under Nixon in 7 US cities & found that although it made people better off w/o “making them lazy”, it appeared to result in higher divorce rates in 2 of the test cities. That killed Nixon’s support. Spoiler: Subsequent analysis found no effect on divorce. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Dec 2024 02:01 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldwtjg2ois2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3ldtqmjms5c2b“Democrats should take some time to ponder the implications of this loss, but they should spend far more time preparing for their likely comeback in 2026.” https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/12/21/democrats-in-disarray-not-so-fast-guest-commentary/21 Dec 2024 20:31 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldtqmjms5c2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3ld5qajw5ak26It’s amazing how less agitated or angry I feel now that I’ve dropped Twitter from my life. The number of my angry political posts on Facebook has dropped as well. It’s as if the Twitter algorithm was designed to keep me angry and agitated. I’d then vent on Facebook.13 Dec 2024 02:25 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3ld5qajw5ak26https://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3ld2inaxihs2fGive that man a second term!!! Gov. Moore supports beer and wine sales in Maryland grocery stores. https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/state-government/wes-moore-beer-wine-grocery-3OZ7SXSR3VCLRH5Z7JGVEHYSWQ/?schk=YES&rchk=YES&utm_source=The+Baltimore+Banner&utm_campaign=5cbff77b35-NL_ALRT_20241211_1427&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fed75856d2-5cbff77b35-599716380&mc_cid=5cbff77b35&mc_eid=182b8d080011 Dec 2024 19:31 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3ld2inaxihs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lcw2ylhqic2qMy wife is a citizen because of birthright citizenship. And yet my family members can’t grasp why it should matter to me that they voted for Trump. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj30er1d6mxo10 Dec 2024 01:17 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcw2ylhqic2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lcvztc7iy22qI’m closing in on 1,000 followers. Please recommend me to folks who you think might be interested in the random, ramblings of a professor of American (and Maryland) politics and policy!10 Dec 2024 00:56 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcvztc7iy22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lcvzqm2fgs2qI may never take this shirt off.10 Dec 2024 00:54 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcvzqm2fgs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lcoxs7vpcs2uTrump trued to overturn an election, incited s violent insurrection, skipoed Biden’s inauguration, and has never acknowledged his loss. He’s put forward a list of nominees unfit for office. But sure, Biden has credibility problems. Utter nonsense. https://rollcall.com/2024/12/05/after-pardoning-son-biden-returns-home-to-a-credibility-problem/07 Dec 2024 05:31 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcoxs7vpcs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lcgrnq7crc2kSorry Mitch, but after refusing hearings for Garland and rushing the hearings for Coney Barrett (and holding up nominees at the end of Obama's term), you have no leg to stand on here. [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Dec 2024 23:19 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcgrnq7crc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lc75yckaqc2tWas chatting w/ my 90 year old father in law last night when he suddenly brings up transgenderism & asks about the parents who are giving there kids sex change operations. He votes Democrat & only watches CNN, but this crap reached him as well. I had to explain to him that this is not happening.30 Nov 2024 22:39 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lc75yckaqc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lbiwlcv2vs2oJust remember, incompetence and chaos works in our favor for the next 2-4 years. Be glad that nobody serious or qualified will be leading/directing DOGE. [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Nov 2024 02:28 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbiwlcv2vs2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lbipkxs5b22oMy Road to the White House students gave presentations of past elections this week. Today they covered the 1988 election. I was 17 & very into that election. It was funny watching a group of 18 year olds talk about the 1988 election like it was ancient history that they just learned about./122 Nov 2024 00:22 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbipkxs5b22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lbi25gmff22fGaetz didn't even last a full Scaramucci.21 Nov 2024 17:59 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbi25gmff22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lbfaxr4m422bMy number of followers has quintupled since election day. I'm thankful for the new follows now that I've left X. Please recommend me to anyone who might be interested in American (or Maryland) politics. I've co-authored 3 books on the Trump Presidency & 2 others on American politics in general.20 Nov 2024 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbfaxr4m422bhttps://bsky.app/profile/toddeberly.bsky.social/post/3lbdmogwicc2rJust after the election, I had 370 followers on Threads and about 100 on Bluesky. Today, I have 375 on Threads and over 700 on Bluesky. But what’s weird is that my identical posts get more interactions on Threads than on Bluesky.19 Nov 2024 23:47 +0000at://did:plc:bskfc2q4jrn6nl3d4bc6huct/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbdmogwicc2r