the attitude with arnie arnesen the Monday edition noon to 1pm EST Nov 10

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Nov 9, 2025, 5:54:25 PMNov 9
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The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen
opening thoughts: Bill Curry shares his thoughts the morning after the election...
 producers: Dave Scott and Stephanie Collins
Chloé LaCasse (the best of the attitude)
streaming live at wnhnfm.org noon&7pm EST on the dial-94.7FM Concord NH
opening thoughts
How refreshing to wake up the morning after an election feeling better, not worse. A five to ten point shift to Democrats occurred in every state, city and town, and in every kind of race: governor, legislator, mayor, judge, utility regulator, county commissioner and, where elected, dog catcher.
Normally I'd worry about complacency, but we're past that. The sheer size of the win gives millions of people hope to get up off the mat and back in a game they once again believe we can win.
Media coverage will slightly improve, even in places lately absorbed by the emerging right wing media monopoly, though differences there will be even slighter. Stories about feckless Democrats in hopeless disarray will subside a bit. A pundit or two may even ask what's wrong with the Republican message, or start to notice Trump's fierce psychological and cognitive decline. The next No King's rally may get something more like the coverage due the biggest political rally in American history.
The reason is simple. All American political reporting is about the gain or loss of personal political power. No scandal gets attention until it threatens someone's hold on power. No challenger gets attention until the horse race is already neck and neck. Last night, the sharks got their first, faint whiff of Republican blood in the water. For now at least, they'll write differently on account of it.
Democrats must still engage in public soul searching of the kind they've studiously avoided for a solid year now. The entire debate over the party's identity and direction has been whether to go with Zohran Mamdani's fiery populism or Mikie Sherrill's and Abigail Spanberger bland centrism. Do we energize the base or try to persuade the undecideds?
Someone should tell them no one ever won a competitive election without doing both. Mamdani, Sherrill and Spanberger all spent the general election borrowing liberally from one another's playbooks. All three talked about keeping down costs for middle class families, though Mamdani was the only one to propose anything concrete or specific. All three hammered Trump mercilessly. All three were aided in their effort by a Democratic wave of floodtide proportion.
The usual suspects spout that only bland centrists win purple House seats. I don't doubt Sherril's and Spanberger's caution helped them, but I sincerely doubt the corporate centrism to which they're so doggedly devoted helped at all.
Being so close to corporate donors makes it less likely you'll have anything useful to say about raising wages, fighting corruption or lowering costs of energy, health care, or homes. All of those require some level of systemic change, which is of course the thing people who profit the most from the system hate the most.
You know economic populism works if only because Trump and the Democratic centrists try so hard to impersonate it. But as Mamdani is already learning, it must come with an assurance the leader will keep an eye on the public purse and not rush into things without really knowing how they work.
For too long, Democrats chased after Washington's illusory, lobbyist crafted center. They must now search for America's center. You know it when you see it. It prizes fiscal responsibility and honest, competent governance. It responds to cultural leadership that is bold, but also humble and respectful. It absolutely includes fighting climate change and opposing reckless militarism, though you wouldn't know it to listen to current top Democrats.
If we're to defeat fascism, we must have this conversation now; not about who we're for but what we're for. I expect Trump to continue on a path of self harm but we'd be fools to rely too much on it. If, for a brief while, we can dispense with mere tactics, if we can focus on policy rather than mere message, we can meld the best of these campaigns into a platform and strategy on which we can win in 2026 and 2028 and govern, for a long time, free of the fear of tyrants.
rethink the week
talkers:
Stephen Pimpare is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Master in Public Policy program at Vermont Law and Graduate School. He is the author of four books, numerous articles, and the Host of the New Books Network's public policy channel. 
Aaron Rosenthal is the research director for North Star Policy Action and the author of The State You See: How Government Visibility Creates Political Distrust and Racial Inequality.
Lincoln Mitchell teaches political science and public policy at Columbia University. He is the author of nine books and his writings have appeared at CNN, Reuters, the New York Times, NBC, the San Francisco Examiner and numerous other media platforms. For more of Lincoln’s work you can subscribe to his Substack “Kibitzing with Lincoln” at /lincolnmitchell.substack.com/.”
Lawrence “Larry” Hamm is a lifelong activist who has been involved in grassroots movements for more than 55 years. He is the founder and current chairman of the New Jersey based People’s Organization For Progress (POP), established more than four decades ago to work for racial, social, and economic justice. Much of his work is chronicled in his recent book Lawrence Hamm: A Life In The Struggle, co-authored with Annette Alston. 
topics:
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points FROM BLUESKY

as we wax about Nancy Pelosi's retirement read this: One of the Greatest Wall Street Investors of All Time Announces Retirement Nancy Pelosi’s trades over the years have been so good that a startup was created to allow investors to directly mirror her portfolio. 

Newsom holding a rally in Texas after redistricting win in California https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5594463-newsom-texas-rally-redistricting/

Layoffs hit highest point in over two decades: report October was the worst month for layoffs in 22 years https://www.salon.com/2025/11/06/layoffs-hit-highest-point-in-over-two-decades-report/

US factories rocked by ‘unprecedented’ rise in unsold stock https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-factories-rocked-unprecedented-rise-181751859.htmld



What’s Happening With SNAP Is Already a Catastrophe Trump still doesn’t appear to understand a likely reason for Tuesday’s election results: the unnecessary, cruelly forced mass hunger unique to the shutdown. https://slate.com/business/2025/11/snap-benefits-donald-trump-government-shutdown.html


Vance calls court order to fully fund SNAP ‘absurd ruling’ https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5594443-vance-pushes-back-snap/?tbref=hp

‘As Ugly and Cruel As It Gets’: Trump Fights Order to Fully Fund November SNAP Benefits Common Dreams

Food pantries see record demand, as government shutdown becomes longest on record WSWS

Gavin Newsom Just Proved It: Voters Want Democrats to Fight Fire With Fire https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/11/gavin-newsom-democrats-fight-back-trump.html

The Supreme Court’s Tariffs Arguments Were a Bloodbath for Trump. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/11/supreme-courts-tariffs-trump-fail-kavanaugh.html

Let’s Check In on How the Right Is Handling Mamdani’s Big Win. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/11/mamdani-win-maga-reaction.html

Supreme Court revives Trump admin ban on transgender, nonbinary passport identification https://www.salon.com/2025/11/06/supreme-court-revives-trump-admin-ban-on-transgender-nonbinary-passport-identification/

Zohran Mamdani’s child care plan could transform New York and beyondThe mayor-elect's plan to provide child care to NYC parents could be a model for a nationwide system https://www.salon.com/2025/11/06/zohran-mamdanis-child-care-plan-could-transform-new-york-and-beyond_partner/


Chuck Schumer Is Not Fit to Lead the Democratic Party https://prospect.org/2025/11/06/chuck-schumer-not-fit-to-lead-democratic-party/

Trump Lost the Politics of the Shutdown
But he may win the policy anyway, as a gang of Democrats prepares to squander their leverage based on a vague assurance. https://prospect.org/2025/11/04/trump-lost-politics-of-shutdown/
Democrats’ confidence in shutdown strategy soars after election sweep https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5592094-democrats-shutdown-strategy-election/
Mamdani’s win proves that Racism is a losing ploy for Republicans https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5591128-cuomo-loss-nyc-mayor/
Household debt hits record $18.6T as delinquencies remain elevated https://thehill.com/business/5592278-household-debt-high-record-delinquencies/

--
KEEPING THE POT STIRRED SO SCUM DOESN'T RISE TO THE TOP -  Anonymous 

D. ARNIE ARNESEN
15 Rumford Street
Concord NH 03301
nha...@gmail.com
(C) 603-321-7654

Host of "The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen"
Award Winning Public Affairs Show (NHAB 2018)
airs noon to 1pm and 7pm EST M-F at 94.7FM (concord nh)
Home Station - wnhnfm.org
Part of the Pacifica Network
go to wnhnfm.org for streaming live 

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