Columnist for MSNOW, Public Notice. Formerly: Washington Post, The Week, American Prospect. Subscribe to my newsletter! The Cross Section: paulwaldman.substack.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mze5qxpjjk2wA reminder that it's good to be nice to people, if for no other reason than if you suddenly get famous, people from your prior life are going to emerge and say "You want to know what an asshole this guy is? Well let me tell you." Like Ted Cruz's college roommate, the all time classic. [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Nov 2026 20:24 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mze5qxpjjk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzdno5n3gc2vWho knew Gary Peters was such an inspiring firebrand? [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Nov 2026 15:36 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzdno5n3gc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzdnj2nd4s2vChris Christie weeping quietly as once again he goes through his collection of pictures and ticket stubs from a hundred Meadowlands Springsteen shows [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Nov 2026 15:33 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzdnj2nd4s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzdl5gzpjs2iThe Haley Stevens kerfuffle is yet more evidence for something far too few people understand: The internal problem Democrats face doesn't come from the lefties, it comes from the centrists. More here: https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/haley-stevens-proves-it-again-centrists02 Nov 2026 14:51 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzdl5gzpjs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzcfvtyxks2w [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Nov 2026 03:44 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzcfvtyxks2whttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzcdqa66us2cMy take is that this was ALL about personal bitterness - the primary loss, the internet mockery, getting booed at the MI Dem party convention - and it just boiled over when she and her fiancé went on a media tour trashing AES and his response was to tell her he didn't want her campaigning with him. [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Nov 2026 03:05 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzcdqa66us2chttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzc6x4uccc2iBrilliant strategy sir, please give everyone a vivid reminder on the eve of the election of how focused you've been on important issues that affect their lives https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/president-trump-closing-remarks-midterms-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool02 Nov 2026 01:40 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzc6x4uccc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzb5d6kij22iThe Times is trying to "But Her Sullivans" Peltola, taking what's basically a political (not legal) misdemeanor that both parties, including Republicans in Alaska this very year, do all the time and pretending it's the crime of the century that justifies wall-to-wall coverage up until election day [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Nov 2026 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzb5d6kij22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mzb4vbtgxc2ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek3OUay2uWw [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Nov 2026 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzb4vbtgxc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz7rxads4k2yThe teenagers who come to the door on Halloween for free candy and don't even bother to put on a costume is one of my pet peeves. A couple of them came tonight and I sneered "What are you dressed up as?" One of them said "A hooligan," and I was like, okay, points for candor01 Nov 2026 02:42 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz7rxads4k2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz74inuuck26Well that certainly had a twist at the end [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Oct 2026 20:18 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz74inuuck26https://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz6srritlk2cThe issue of health care affordability is about to absolutely rocket to the top of the policy agenda. Which is an opportunity for Democrats to actually make worthwhile policy change, if they don't screw it up. [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Oct 2026 17:24 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz6srritlk2chttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz6rtcq6kc2cAre they doing the Rainbow Fentanyl at Rainbow Parties or are those two different imaginary things for parents to freak out about [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Oct 2026 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz6rtcq6kc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz5dsakghc2xJamo's point about the bylines is the critical indicator here. When the Times decides they really want to juice a story, they assign multiple reporters to it - in this case, NINE - which produces a torrent of articles, which then convinces everyone else in the media that this is a Really Big Deal [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Oct 2026 03:23 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz5dsakghc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz5de7pvuk2iA good segment on Jen Psaki's show tonight: There's a state where this year Republicans funded a fake Green candidate and multiple fake Dem candidates, none of whom live in the state (one is in prison in NY) to pull votes from Democrats in Senate and House races. Want to guess the state? Alaska!31 Oct 2026 03:15 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz5de7pvuk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz5cjhphbk2iAnother great thread teaching you stuff you never knew about men's clothes. On this, my guess is that in the last year or so Ossoff has spent a lot of time in the gym and he is now seriously jacked, but he's still wearing clothes he bought before which is why they now struggle to contain him. [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Oct 2026 03:00 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz5cjhphbk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz57di4t322cAs election day approaches, Republicans are going all-in on naked, unambiguous anti-Muslim bigotry. It's a test for the American electorate. My latest at MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/opinion/republicans-anti-muslim-attacks-abdul-el-sayed-2026-midterms31 Oct 2026 02:03 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz57di4t322chttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz4htcy7ec2xNew PN pod with me and @atrupar.com - last one before the election! https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/phoning-it-in-midterm-q-and-a30 Oct 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz4htcy7ec2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz47xputdc2hBut really, wouldn't winning a huge victory only prove that Americans hate Democrats and everything they stand for? https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/30/democrats-message-voters-2026-0114150830 Oct 2026 16:42 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz47xputdc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mz2syka4r22zThese guys just hate America, and I mean that in a literal sense, not in their "You must hate America if you criticize a Republican president" sense. Whenever they encounter the diverse, chaotic, dynamic nation America has ALWAYS BEEN they burn with loathing b/c it isn't just white and Christian. [contains quote post or other embedded content]30 Oct 2026 03:17 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz2syka4r22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3myzmy44gxk23Stand back, the Washington Post just discovered this guy named Hasan Piker and they are gonna tell you all about him https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/29/meet-hasan-piker-twitch-streamer-dividing-democrats-midterms/29 Oct 2026 15:57 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3myzmy44gxk23https://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3myzlwjlpgs23Google co-founder Sergey Brin has spent over $100 million to oppose a California initiative that would levy a 5% wealth tax on billionaires. So he just lost twice that in a single day. I assume that now he will say "Oh yeah? Then I'm leaving!" and withdraw from the stock market. Right? [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 Oct 2026 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3myzlwjlpgs23https://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3myzl4cyhvk22Mayor Pete may or may not be your preferred candidate for president, but damn the guy is a terrific communicator [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 Oct 2026 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3myzl4cyhvk22