If I had a classically handsome, Minnesota-grown visage like yours, I could pull it off! As it stands... not so much. It would make a motivating bet, though. If I don't achieve X, I have to grow a man-bun!
...that is an exciting re-brand strategy...i might drop out of this content business all together and just start selling those...the 2025 sage & yogacon is gonna be lit...
Jeff, love your direction. When you run for office I would like to be your first donor! The way you described your political views deserves a podcast or a show - there a tens of millions of orphans like you, uh, us. We’d all tune in to give you momentum.
Haha thanks James! I appreciate the support! Yeah - I definitely have in mind a podcast for this topic, whether I officially rebrand or not. It lends itself well to discussion. Thanks again and happy Memorial Day Weekend.
I clicked through because I was immediately captured by and invested in the phrase post partisanship. It’s great branding, at least for me.
I don’t think I’ve heard that phrase before, but I immediately knew what it meant and it felt important.
I also love your take on what it isn’t. Not dropping out in politics, and not trying to find some middle of the road universally inoffensive solution, but including having a spicy take.
Also love “Beyond the divide”.
I would be thrilled to see more individuals and politicians self describing as post-partisan. Help make it happen!
This idea is excellent. As the long tails on the left and right get longer and crazier, it's leaving a big opportunity for folks in the sensible middle on all sides of the political spectrum. I love that you're thinking about approaching this in a positive and productive way. I would be keen to see where this goes and personally would be bullish on the concept. I certainly will be following along!
Go for it Jeff! We're on the same political journey. It is hard to lose one's life-long political identity. But the folks who hijacked that identity destroyed it. I really enjoy your postings/missives!
Bridging the divide is certainly a challenge when most of the circles we care to inhabit are deeply partisan. I’m looking forward to understanding more about the bridges that really connect.
Wayne Thiebaud is one of my favorite artists too. The Morgan Library had a great exhibition of his work a couple of years ago.
So much of what you write has real resonance for me. I think that many people hold no true emotional or intellectual identification with either party. Both parties are likely to pay the price this fall with very low levels of voter turnout.
However, I'm not sure that the term post partisanship captures what is really going on. Reading your essay, you make a number of specific statements on political issues and these issues will ultimately drive you (and all of us) to a binary political decision in the autumn. It's unavoidable. There is no escape velocity for partisanship.
William James early in the last century wrote about pragmatism as an American philosophy. And perhaps the restoration of this distinctly (even if formerly) American point of view can provide an alternative to ideology and identity. After all, on same basic level we all want the same things from government.
Excellent thoughts, Drake. Thank you for the feedback. I view pragmatism as a core principle of post-partisanship. But I also agree that post-partisanship, in a way, isn't a real thing. It feels like an intermediary step rather than a final destination. It is context-specific. Much to consider — thanks again.
There's no doubt your useful and refreshing take on politics and championing of post-partisanship is astute and desperately needed, but part of would also hate to see that take up all the room in your garden of expression. So I'm on the fence. Either way, you have a lot to offer Jeff, so I wouldn't stress over which way you choose and there's always time for the rebrand.
Thanks Rick, I appreciate the honest input. I'm on the fence too. I may keep my eponymous brand and just focus on post-partisanship as theme or as the focus of a podcast — not sure.
There is certainly a demand for this, and I for one applaud anyone who wants to "sanify" political discourse. This reminds me a bit of Zvi Mowshowitz's recently launched Balsa Research: https://thezvi.substack.com/p/announcing-balsa-research
Thanks for the kind feedback and also for pointing me Zvi, who I was not familiar with. Having looked at his site, we seem to be remarkably like-minded (including repealing the Jones Act). I really like this line in the piece you linked — "A few years ago I would have left such tasks to ‘the adults in the room.’ There are no such adults. Someone has to, and no one else will." Yep. It reminds me of my essay, "be the elite you wish to see." https://jeffgiesea.substack.com/p/be-the-elite-you-wish-to-see
Personally, I hope we all find a way to go all in on post-partisanship.... I believe it's the only way we begin to move the football forward in a meaningful way for the American people.
And, the beach sounds lovely! This girl is planting a couple thousand square feet of garden this weekend & hopefully doing a little fly fishing Monday.
Sounds like the way we should all be thinking, letting our values lead us as opposed to aesthetics, political party, or some other characteristic that doesn't serve our interests.
I wonder if you can't just go ahead and publish more pieces in this new direction without a full rebrand. The longer I'm on Substack the more it seems to me that readers are fine with pieces that are explorations outside the writer's norm. No reason you couldn't move in this direction for (quite) while without having to take on a full rebrand.
This hits deeply, Jeff. As you know I’ve lived mostly abroad as a US citizen, and I find in the last 10 years that every label has changed without conviction or consistency. They’re all vestigial. Left, right, even center—five people give me five different definitions.
So what you said about approach vs ideology is the way. I’ve had this silly dream where all discourse is talking and arguing only over specific solutions, with a jar in the center to drop a dollar for anyone who loses composure and drops a label. Is that post-partisanship?
Might be me, but even the word “divide” acknowledges the idiocracy and subconsciously triggers it. I’d demand a dollar in the jar for saying it. But I can also see its power and purpose. If the divide is fluid, fleeting, and manufactured, then will you need a rebrand once you’ve exposed/quelled it?
I always liked JFK’s New Frontier because it immediately strikes vision in hearts. It’s heavily used, but I’m wondering what else can do that.
Funny, I would’ve described myself like you, maybe just left of center, but the only one I cling to today is geopolitical realism. Being an American abroad in the 90s and early aughts was enviable, and I’ve watched that invert. My view is we’re mostly on limbic autopilot because we’re a default unhealthy society, thus a lever I’m tackling. I just want us to be the cool soft power again.
Hey Jonny - thanks for the comment! I'm glad this resonates and appreciate your insights. Something opened up for me when you referenced New Frontier and Kennedy's speech on it. I like "New Frontier" better as a brand better than "Beyond the Divide." I will muse on it. Thank you.
Yes, please embrace post-partisanship and go deep. I come from the Liberal media bubble and regularly read Robert Reich, Joyce Vance, Mary L Trump, and Heather Cox Richardson (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/). I've been trying to balance this out with Conservatives and centrists such as Bret Stephens at the New York Times, Nate Silver (https://www.natesilver.net/), Robert Wright (https://substack.com/@nonzero), Rob Henderson (https://www.robkhenderson.com/), and Richard Hanania to broaden my perspective. I'm all for practical solutions and avoiding extremism and intransigence.
Also, I like "Beyond the Divide" better than "Bridge the Divide" because it suggests moving to a less divided political landscape rather than simply bridging the current one.
...down for this but only if you grow a man-bun...
If I had a classically handsome, Minnesota-grown visage like yours, I could pull it off! As it stands... not so much. It would make a motivating bet, though. If I don't achieve X, I have to grow a man-bun!
Not all of us have the hirsute amplitude for the man bun!
...this is what bad wigs are made for Drake!...
man-bun wig ftw
...that is an exciting re-brand strategy...i might drop out of this content business all together and just start selling those...the 2025 sage & yogacon is gonna be lit...
I could rebrand post-partisanship as man-bun nationalism!
...man-bun nation feels like a show we could pitch to either food network or logo...
Jeff, love your direction. When you run for office I would like to be your first donor! The way you described your political views deserves a podcast or a show - there a tens of millions of orphans like you, uh, us. We’d all tune in to give you momentum.
Haha thanks James! I appreciate the support! Yeah - I definitely have in mind a podcast for this topic, whether I officially rebrand or not. It lends itself well to discussion. Thanks again and happy Memorial Day Weekend.
I love this.
I clicked through because I was immediately captured by and invested in the phrase post partisanship. It’s great branding, at least for me.
I don’t think I’ve heard that phrase before, but I immediately knew what it meant and it felt important.
I also love your take on what it isn’t. Not dropping out in politics, and not trying to find some middle of the road universally inoffensive solution, but including having a spicy take.
Also love “Beyond the divide”.
I would be thrilled to see more individuals and politicians self describing as post-partisan. Help make it happen!
Hey thanks Brian! I appreciate the feedback and am glad post-partisanship and the broader concept resonates.
This idea is excellent. As the long tails on the left and right get longer and crazier, it's leaving a big opportunity for folks in the sensible middle on all sides of the political spectrum. I love that you're thinking about approaching this in a positive and productive way. I would be keen to see where this goes and personally would be bullish on the concept. I certainly will be following along!
Thanks Ari. Glad you like it and appreciate your support!
Go for it Jeff! We're on the same political journey. It is hard to lose one's life-long political identity. But the folks who hijacked that identity destroyed it. I really enjoy your postings/missives!
Best, Mark Robbins (D.C.)
Thanks Mark. I'll be in DC for much of the summer, beginning in two weeks, and hope we can catch up. Will look forward to that.
Bridging the divide is certainly a challenge when most of the circles we care to inhabit are deeply partisan. I’m looking forward to understanding more about the bridges that really connect.
Thanks Eric — that's a good inquiry about which bridges truly connect.
Wayne Thiebaud is one of my favorite artists too. The Morgan Library had a great exhibition of his work a couple of years ago.
So much of what you write has real resonance for me. I think that many people hold no true emotional or intellectual identification with either party. Both parties are likely to pay the price this fall with very low levels of voter turnout.
However, I'm not sure that the term post partisanship captures what is really going on. Reading your essay, you make a number of specific statements on political issues and these issues will ultimately drive you (and all of us) to a binary political decision in the autumn. It's unavoidable. There is no escape velocity for partisanship.
William James early in the last century wrote about pragmatism as an American philosophy. And perhaps the restoration of this distinctly (even if formerly) American point of view can provide an alternative to ideology and identity. After all, on same basic level we all want the same things from government.
Excellent thoughts, Drake. Thank you for the feedback. I view pragmatism as a core principle of post-partisanship. But I also agree that post-partisanship, in a way, isn't a real thing. It feels like an intermediary step rather than a final destination. It is context-specific. Much to consider — thanks again.
There's no doubt your useful and refreshing take on politics and championing of post-partisanship is astute and desperately needed, but part of would also hate to see that take up all the room in your garden of expression. So I'm on the fence. Either way, you have a lot to offer Jeff, so I wouldn't stress over which way you choose and there's always time for the rebrand.
Thanks Rick, I appreciate the honest input. I'm on the fence too. I may keep my eponymous brand and just focus on post-partisanship as theme or as the focus of a podcast — not sure.
There is certainly a demand for this, and I for one applaud anyone who wants to "sanify" political discourse. This reminds me a bit of Zvi Mowshowitz's recently launched Balsa Research: https://thezvi.substack.com/p/announcing-balsa-research
Thanks for the kind feedback and also for pointing me Zvi, who I was not familiar with. Having looked at his site, we seem to be remarkably like-minded (including repealing the Jones Act). I really like this line in the piece you linked — "A few years ago I would have left such tasks to ‘the adults in the room.’ There are no such adults. Someone has to, and no one else will." Yep. It reminds me of my essay, "be the elite you wish to see." https://jeffgiesea.substack.com/p/be-the-elite-you-wish-to-see
“do the slow-boring work of addressing meaning problems”
Think that is supposed to read “meaningful problems”
Fixed — thank you
Personally, I hope we all find a way to go all in on post-partisanship.... I believe it's the only way we begin to move the football forward in a meaningful way for the American people.
And, the beach sounds lovely! This girl is planting a couple thousand square feet of garden this weekend & hopefully doing a little fly fishing Monday.
Thanks Jewelz and well said. Happy gardening and fly fishing — sounds like the perfect outdoors weekend!
Sounds like the way we should all be thinking, letting our values lead us as opposed to aesthetics, political party, or some other characteristic that doesn't serve our interests.
Happy Memorial Day!
Yes, and thank you Romell. Happy Memorial Day back at you!
I wonder if you can't just go ahead and publish more pieces in this new direction without a full rebrand. The longer I'm on Substack the more it seems to me that readers are fine with pieces that are explorations outside the writer's norm. No reason you couldn't move in this direction for (quite) while without having to take on a full rebrand.
That’s what I’m thinking. Thanks Matt.
This hits deeply, Jeff. As you know I’ve lived mostly abroad as a US citizen, and I find in the last 10 years that every label has changed without conviction or consistency. They’re all vestigial. Left, right, even center—five people give me five different definitions.
So what you said about approach vs ideology is the way. I’ve had this silly dream where all discourse is talking and arguing only over specific solutions, with a jar in the center to drop a dollar for anyone who loses composure and drops a label. Is that post-partisanship?
Might be me, but even the word “divide” acknowledges the idiocracy and subconsciously triggers it. I’d demand a dollar in the jar for saying it. But I can also see its power and purpose. If the divide is fluid, fleeting, and manufactured, then will you need a rebrand once you’ve exposed/quelled it?
I always liked JFK’s New Frontier because it immediately strikes vision in hearts. It’s heavily used, but I’m wondering what else can do that.
Funny, I would’ve described myself like you, maybe just left of center, but the only one I cling to today is geopolitical realism. Being an American abroad in the 90s and early aughts was enviable, and I’ve watched that invert. My view is we’re mostly on limbic autopilot because we’re a default unhealthy society, thus a lever I’m tackling. I just want us to be the cool soft power again.
Hey Jonny - thanks for the comment! I'm glad this resonates and appreciate your insights. Something opened up for me when you referenced New Frontier and Kennedy's speech on it. I like "New Frontier" better as a brand better than "Beyond the Divide." I will muse on it. Thank you.
Also, I enjoyed this and their content: https://www.wetheblacksheep.com/p/centered-not-centrist-the-middle
Yes, please embrace post-partisanship and go deep. I come from the Liberal media bubble and regularly read Robert Reich, Joyce Vance, Mary L Trump, and Heather Cox Richardson (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/). I've been trying to balance this out with Conservatives and centrists such as Bret Stephens at the New York Times, Nate Silver (https://www.natesilver.net/), Robert Wright (https://substack.com/@nonzero), Rob Henderson (https://www.robkhenderson.com/), and Richard Hanania to broaden my perspective. I'm all for practical solutions and avoiding extremism and intransigence.
I vote for the "Beyond the Divide" rebrand.
I appreciate your advice, especially given your vantage point and familiarity with the space. Thank you for your feedback.
Also, I like "Beyond the Divide" better than "Bridge the Divide" because it suggests moving to a less divided political landscape rather than simply bridging the current one.
The diversified portfolio earns the highest expected return.