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The Message Box is a political newsletter focusing on strategy and messaging for Democratic audiences. It analyzes current political events, disinformation, media biases, and the strategic implications of political actions. It aims to improve Democratic communication strategies and engage with over 50,000 community members on future plans and advice.

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The hottest Substack posts of The Message Box

And their main takeaways

Thoughts on the Partisan Attack on Biden's Memory

2948 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Investigation Political Impact
  1. The Special Counsel report attacking Biden's memory will keep his age and competence in the spotlight for some time, potentially affecting his reelection campaign.
  2. The report is seen as a partisan hit job, with attacks on Biden's memory being used for political damage rather than legal consequences.
  3. The media coverage and public response to this report will contribute to shaping public opinion on Biden's age and fitness for office.
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Why the 2024 Polls are So Confusing Right Now

2162 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Polls Election Third-Party
  1. Polls are not predictions, but snapshots of the current situation based on educated guesses about voter turnout.
  2. The 2024 election is unique with unpredictable variables like a former president running again and a high interest in third-party candidates.
  3. Polls are showing inconsistencies due to varying treatment of third-party candidates, and targeting hard-to-reach groups like Independents and young voters.

Why Trump is So Afraid of the Bipartisan Border Deal

2122 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Parties Border Security Foreign Aid Bipartisanship
  1. House Republicans killed a bipartisan border deal quickly to prevent Biden from having a victory.
  2. The Senate deal on border security, Ukraine, and Israel is contentious, with Democrats not fully supporting it.
  3. Donald Trump and House Republicans worked hard to stop the Senate bill from passing, showing their fear of the political implications.

Israel Attacked: Pushing Back on Right Wing Disinfo

3793 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Disinformation Terrorism International relations Media Social media
  1. Fast-moving events are fertile ground for disinformation, especially when shared without context or confirmation.
  2. The claim that the U.S. funded the attack in Iran is false; the unfrozen funds were for humanitarian assistance only.
  3. Claims circulating that U.S. weapons were used in the attack are also false; the photo shared is from 2021 in Afghanistan, not Israel.

Why Threads Won't Solve the News Crisis

3557 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
📰 News Social media Current Events Media platforms
  1. Threads, a new app from Meta, may not be the solution to the news crisis.
  2. There is no longer a central place for people to get their news, leading to a fragmented media landscape.
  3. Social media platforms like Meta/Facebook have contributed to the problem by prioritizing engagement over accuracy and news content.

Debt Limit Update: The GOP Admits to Extortion

3262 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation GOP Media Bipartisanship
  1. The GOP's approach to the debt limit is seen as extortion instead of negotiation, using threats to get policy concessions.
  2. President Biden offered solutions to avoid a catastrophe, but faced incompetence and unwillingness to compromise from the Republicans.
  3. The media portrays the debt limit issue as a normal negotiation, overlooking the extreme nature of the GOP's demands.