Good job, Gabe. One point -- when they say Harris went to Ukraine to negotiate peace and blew it, that's not accurate, as I understand it. She was sent to warn Ukraine of a Russian invasion and to share US intel, and to consult with NATO allies. Do I have that right?
That’s my understanding. Also part of the problem was Ukraine didn’t actually believe Russia would invade them since it made no sense. We should have encouraged them to “ask” NATO to bring in protective forces beforehand, that would have deterred Russia if they were going to be killing NATO troops if they invaded. Zelenskyy also should have “asked” for Ukraine’s nukes back and NATO should have said we will begin reinstalling them immediately (and pretend to). Several years ago, NATO started redefining its strategy and officially stated Russia was the primary threat so it would be consistent with that to give Ukraine its nuclear weapons back because that’s the classic Cold War strategy and that’s where we are now.
Thanks for this, Gabe. I'm wondering if you saw other reporters in the Spin Room pressing Trump and his acolytes in the same way. I have been rather concerned that mainstream media continues to underreport some of the deeply disturbing things Trump has been saying since the start of his political career.
Simple questions. Thanks for asking them! I believe the answer is full of nuance and complexity...BUT the simple answer should have been, YES (Ukraine and Israel are wanted to win)...and then discuss some of the complexities and qualifiers. Negotiation requires a clear understanding of position in order to move to the middle, and it is clear who started each conflict, therefor it should be clear who the USA wants to win.
Yes, I noticed he didn’t say yes to the Ukraine question; I wasn’t surprised, yet it was shocking nonetheless. That is the one thing that probably terrified most Europeans.
Gabe, thanks for providing this terrific insight from the spin room. I hope you know that your substack has some of the most astute reader comments I’ve seen anywhere. Quite a contrast to the world of X and most other social media sites and blog posts. It speaks well of you, the intelligence of your writing and the company you keep. Your parents knew what they were doing! 🤗
Just letting you know here, because I can't find any other way to reach out to you, Substack is not sending notifications of your posts in a timely manner. I didn't know about the live post-debate conversation until I got it in an email nearly 24 hours after the debate, way too late to participate. If Substack is a platform where I am supposed to proactively check for new content, then I misunderstood your communications when you moved here. If they are supposed to send notices of new content in a timely manner, they are failing.
Wow. This is a great view into the post-debate thought/spin process! Thanks for continuing to pursue the questions the way you did!
Well done, Gabe! Insightful, and informative. I appreciate the view of the spin room. I appreciate your tenacity! Keep up the good work!
Thank you Gabe for your excellent reporting!
Great article!! Always informative & interesting. Bravo to you for your persistence & insight. Thank you.
Good job, Gabe. One point -- when they say Harris went to Ukraine to negotiate peace and blew it, that's not accurate, as I understand it. She was sent to warn Ukraine of a Russian invasion and to share US intel, and to consult with NATO allies. Do I have that right?
That’s my understanding. Also part of the problem was Ukraine didn’t actually believe Russia would invade them since it made no sense. We should have encouraged them to “ask” NATO to bring in protective forces beforehand, that would have deterred Russia if they were going to be killing NATO troops if they invaded. Zelenskyy also should have “asked” for Ukraine’s nukes back and NATO should have said we will begin reinstalling them immediately (and pretend to). Several years ago, NATO started redefining its strategy and officially stated Russia was the primary threat so it would be consistent with that to give Ukraine its nuclear weapons back because that’s the classic Cold War strategy and that’s where we are now.
Wow, the spin room reporting was just as much a tell as Trump’s non-answer on Ukraine. Thanks for the insight Gabe!!
Thanks for this, Gabe. I'm wondering if you saw other reporters in the Spin Room pressing Trump and his acolytes in the same way. I have been rather concerned that mainstream media continues to underreport some of the deeply disturbing things Trump has been saying since the start of his political career.
Simple questions. Thanks for asking them! I believe the answer is full of nuance and complexity...BUT the simple answer should have been, YES (Ukraine and Israel are wanted to win)...and then discuss some of the complexities and qualifiers. Negotiation requires a clear understanding of position in order to move to the middle, and it is clear who started each conflict, therefor it should be clear who the USA wants to win.
Brilliant!
A suggestion. You need to update your Facebook Gabe Fleisher page to say that you graduated from Georgetown last year.
Enjoyed this article, thanks so much for all your hard work and thoughtful analysis. Very interesting to hear about the Spin Room.
Yes, I noticed he didn’t say yes to the Ukraine question; I wasn’t surprised, yet it was shocking nonetheless. That is the one thing that probably terrified most Europeans.
Gabe - Was your head spinning, after your time, in The Spin Room?😳
Gabe, thanks for providing this terrific insight from the spin room. I hope you know that your substack has some of the most astute reader comments I’ve seen anywhere. Quite a contrast to the world of X and most other social media sites and blog posts. It speaks well of you, the intelligence of your writing and the company you keep. Your parents knew what they were doing! 🤗
Is a future episode of Wake Up To Politics going to involve Harris and her dedication to either Israel or Ukraine, and how far it goes?
Thoroughly enjoyed your attempts at getting something solid from the Jello presented by Trump.
Just letting you know here, because I can't find any other way to reach out to you, Substack is not sending notifications of your posts in a timely manner. I didn't know about the live post-debate conversation until I got it in an email nearly 24 hours after the debate, way too late to participate. If Substack is a platform where I am supposed to proactively check for new content, then I misunderstood your communications when you moved here. If they are supposed to send notices of new content in a timely manner, they are failing.