A certain pattern is emerging on the far left. Political figures spend years currying the favor of other extremists with outrageous commentary, proudly proclaiming their commitment to eliminating the Senate, opening the border, and other measures. Then, they delete all of the comments and declare themselves mainstream. The idea is to run in the center but govern from the far left, the so-called Spanberger strategy. The latest example is William Lawrence, who is running for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. However, Lawrence’s prior self reveals just how radical this movement could prove.
Like many professors, pundits, and politicians on the left, Lawrence has called for sweeping changes in our constitutional system. Lawrence reportedly has demanded a “fundamental overhaul” of the Constitution while calling for the elimination of the Senate, police, prisons, and borders.
He has even denounced the nuclear family as an “isolating, individualistic, violent way of organizing society.”
Notably, he is the latest radical to show that the “Big Tent” party has little room for moderates. While establishment figures like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries seek to use this mob, radicals have made clear that they will be next. Darializa Avila Chevalier is the latest Democratic Socialist to mock the establishment’s pitch of a Big Tent party: “A big tent doesn’t pay your rent, lower your grocery bill, or take on the corporations bleeding our country dry. Democratic socialism does.”
In Lawrence’s case, he even put this feelings to music, writing a song a few years ago that calls for the death of moderate former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, declaring, “Our generation says f**k you for everything…Hurry up and die so that we can get started.”
Lawrence was previously arrested for resisting police officers while protesting a pipeline.
As discussed earlier, candidates like James Talarico in Texas have scrubbed their social media accounts or dismissed their earlier radical claims, including attacks on capitalism. Supporters view these candidates as already proving their bona fides and understanding that they are just sanitizing their records for voters who want the illusion of a moderate. Accordingly, many applaud figures such as Socialist Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, dismissing her own extremist statements just a few years ago as “Woke 1” like some distant childhood stage.
These radical figures are learning that their views are distinctly unpopular with American voters so they are perfecting stealth socialist candidates who can run a type of Spanberger campaign while later pursuing a socialist agenda.
Lawrence’s past positions show little nuance and closely track the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America. Destroying the constitutional system, rejecting the nation-state, eliminating prisons, and other radical positions propelled these candidates through the primaries. The effort to now scrub the records shows the utter contempt that many have for average voters.
Lawrence shows the delusion of establishment figures such as Gavin Newsom that they can use a mob to gain power without being eventually devoured by it. In my book Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution, I discuss the French Revolution and its decline into what the Framers called a mobocracy. What became known as “The Terror” was started not by the working class, but by educated lawyers, journalists, and even aristocrats as part of the Jacobin movement.
These are hardcore revolutionaries with an agenda that would destroy the world’s oldest and most successful democratic system in history. Party leaders facilitate them because they can only think about the next election, not the next generation. Lawrence is a cautionary tale that Benjamin Franklin remains correct, this is our Republic but only if we can keep it.
From Turley’s above article: “…to run in the center but govern from the far [extreme wing of the party]…”
In other words, run on no more foreign wars, lowering prices and draining the swamp of corruption, but governing from the extremes (the opposite of your campaign pledges).
Then when in office: starting a war in Iran, inflating crude oil prices including diesel fuel for truck drivers (inflating prices on every product and service) and conflicts-of-interests to family members not seen in over 200 years of American history. On the Socialism front, seizing shares of the same companies your agencies regulate.
I’m confused are you talking about Democrats or Republicans? Sounds like two wings of the same bird!
Whatever your values, beliefs and religious faith, prior to the 1960’s you likely would have belonged to the opposite party. Back then Trump would have been a Democrat and Hillary Clinton was a Rockefeller Republican (Party of Abraham Lincoln). Hillary was originally a Republican before the federal Civil Rights Act.
The point is voters may not change their values, beliefs and religious faith. But political parties can actually change 180 degrees, supporting the exact opposite of their voters.
We may be in this transition right now. Ronald Reagan supported “Supply Side Economics” and “Trickle Down Economics”. Democrats generally supported “Demand Side Economics” – making sure workers had jobs and income to spend.
Ronald Reagan’s economic advisor, David Stockman, reminded MAGA Republicans that the American economy needs both “Supply Side” and “Demand Side” for the economy to function properly. America’s most genius investor Warren Buffett also understands this. Buffett was one of the few investors that never got fooled by the Enron scandal.
Today, since Congress no longer performs its Article One duties, the Executive Branch has violated both “Supply Side” and “Demand Side” principles. The anti-Reagan position, the anti-Hillary position and the anti-Warren Buffet position.
The Executive Branch reduced the “supply” of light/sweet crude oil through illegal tariffs and illegal war making, but then also reduced the “supply” of non-fossil fuel energy as well.
Consumers (Demand Side) fueling their cars, diesel cargo trucks and home heating oil are essentially being highly taxed for light/sweet crude oil. But then the Executive Branch is interfering with the free market choices of consumers. The consumer being charged more for fossil fuels, is being hamstrung from purchasing all-electric automobiles, wind energy and cheaper forms of energy. This Executive Branch is gaming the free market on the Demand Side also. The net result is high prices and inflation.
If Congress would start doing it’s Article One duties of governing tariff-taxes and governing war making, we would have same economic policies that reduce prices. Since they won’t do their duty, maybe the great Warren Buffett can save us!
MAGA pundits like Turley are SO predictable— they can’t defend Trump, who is failing badly, so they attack Democrats, trying to paint them as radicals. Turley attacks some Democrats for previous statements that no longer represents their positions, forgetting that Trump used to be a Democrat and donated money to Democrats. There are plenty of statements and conduct by Republicans that they should be ashamed of, too, and several Republican candidates are badly flawed—like Ken Paxton.
Trump has always been a chronic, habitual liar, he earned a well-deserved reputation as a cheater in business, he lied to get into office by promising no new wars and lower cost for groceries and energy, and unless he is stopped by people voting Democratic, we’re in another forever war. After blowing billions and running up the national debt, we’ll be lucky to get something like the JCPOA that Obama’s team brokered, but Trump will keep on lying and claiming that his deal is better. Iran is not likely to ever give up control of the Strait of Hormuz. His tariffs will continue making prices go higher, and will ultimately be struck down again, but the alienation of Canada and our other trading partners and allies will continue and will hurt our economy. It will take decades to rebuild the good will Trump has destroyed. It will take years and billions to restore Washington from the damage Trump has inflicted,
Trump will continue to raid the Treasury to build monuments and honorifics for his ego and will continue to do everything possible to line his pockets with money and profit from the presidency, including contracts awarded to companies in which his useless sons have a financial interest.
Since as a MAGA pundit, Turley will keep up attacks on Democratic candidates and trying to portray them as radicals, and because all MAGA has is to attack Democrats, I’ll keep reminding readers that: the the DSA is NOT representative of the Democratic Party, which has never adopted any rhetoric or positions of the DSA. A few outlier statements made by a Democratic candidate from long ago, and which they are disavowing, do NOT reflect the views and values of the Democratic Party. MAGA pundits do not speak for the Democratic Party.
I got literally one word into this rant – MAGA – and knew it was not worth reading.
Gigi comes on here every night and launches into the exact same diatribe – MAGA MAGA MAGA blah blah blah blah blah.
She is the most boring, predictable person in the world. She’s soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring. Just like all the other TDS-afflicted trolls.
Go ahead— instead of attacking people who point out Trump’s many failures, you attack the writers and call them “Gigi”.
Go ahead— defend the tariffs, defend the war with Iran, defend the number of times Trump claimed victory or that the Strait of Hormuz was open and under US control. Defend tearing down the East Wing, the lie that the ballroom would be paid for by donors (and the generous government contracts those donors have received), defend the Trump children receiving government contracts for businesses in which they have an interest. Defend the crypto currency that Trump made $2 Billion off of last year alone and trying to get control of mail voting without any evidence of widespread fraud.
Defend the arch and threatening to tear down the JFK Center for Performing Arts unless Trump can put his name on it to overshadow JFK. I want a substantive response instead of name calling.
Please get some psychiatric help. You have a serious problem and need mental health counseling or psychiatric care. You don’t want an argument, you just want to denigrate our President.
I’m totally cool with tarrifs, but I’d prefer they would be made permanant. That way businesses will be more comfortable investing in US production rather than having tarrifs dropped under a future presidency. Arch isn’t a big deal to me, but I’d prefer something commerating the iraq/afgan wars. The JFK arts center has legitimate water damage, broken HVAC and water pumps confirmed by its prior director. Trump threatening to tear it down is wierd, but there are legit things that need repair. War in Iran just exposes who has influence over US policy and both parties, now its obvious for all to see. I’m cool with a permanant ballroom rather than the temp ones, even if its not the right procedure.
Eye roll. The left is sooooo predictable.
I’m not gonna read some TDS screed. get help. You’re broken inside.
Since when can a leopard change its spots. If the positions of these DS candidates are truly different from their previous writings and public comments, let them come out and condemn those positions and all who currently hold those ideas. I thought not.
That’s a lot of words to say, “Orange man bad.”
“Orange man bad” is speaking the truth.
No, Trump does not speak for the Democratic Party. Biden, Pelosi, Mamdani, Kamala Harris, Piker, Sayed, Cortez, Jeffries, Clinton and a bunch of other grifting deviant obtuse phony Communist and politicians speak for the Democratic Party. That’s why they are in deep poo poo!
Get help if you can find a shrink who prescribes lobotomies for patients with terminal TDS.
I saw a report that Trump has cured cancer and saved a child from burning to death in a building. That’ll teach the Democrats to be doubters of His imperial majesty and control of Heaven and Earth! Trump is truly the Almighty and the returned Savior, the Messiah. Let us build a Temple of Gold and prostrate ourselves before Trump, God made Flesh! Hallelujah, Hallelujah!
Sam
If only it were terminal….
I am coming out of the closet to let everybody know: esto femina = I am woman
Svelaz
Bizarre
Is it true that government officials jamming radio and signals is a felony crime under federal law? My next door neighbor works for the FBI but doubt FBI officials commit federal crimes.
I’m an American. My ancestors first arrived here in 1607. I want my country invaded, conquered, and taken over by people who are not Americans, people who were denied admission to obtain citizenship, and various and sundry other foreigners and illegal aliens, past and present. I want foreigners and illegal aliens to vote in my country. I want to give all my money and private property to parasitic foreign invaders as “free stuff,” “free status,” welfare, affirmative action, and governmental taxpayer charity. I want to give my country away. Those are my deepest longings and greatest desires as an unhyphenated and patriotic, actual American.
Surname?
Brilliantly Said, Prof. Turley!!! The Spamberger Strategy is a Leading Example in the Example Books.. an example of a Campaign so flagrantly DECEITFUL and so abhoringly DISHONEST that many of us in VA are still blinking with Disbelief at her Gall.. https://x.com/i/status/2035964771233628533
With so many negative articles and posts about Democratic officials, candidates and their campaigns this election cycle, Professor Turley has essentially become a Republican political columnist and commentator and the Professor’s background at the end of an article should reflect that (in addition to the existing professor of law and book author).
Bro, these ‘negative articles’ present facts. Get your head out of your arse.
Hey Bro-you one of the ones who plan to destroy our country? Thanks for letting us know and thank God for Jonathan Turley warning us about you.
CC – the MSM run negative stories about Trump and the GOP 24/7. They’ve been the propaganda arm of the DNC for 50 years, long before this blog existed. Americans are inundated with such slanted reporting all day long. A small minority of media outlets provide a little balance, including this blog. If what you say about PT is true, then in fairness the 95% of media outlets on the other side should also display disclaimers that they are propagandists for the Dems.
#WeAreEstovir
oldman, they aren’t negative stories; they are truthful reporting of the damage Trump is doing.
Fox News had to pay nearly $1Billion for being a 24/7 propaganda outlet for Trump’s stolen election hoax, and that was in fear of a trial. How about Bartiromo getting fired for tipping off Trump?
Concerned (?) Citizen,
Actually, Turley has mentioned in MULTIPLE posts that he is Democrat, was raised in a Democrat household, and that his mother was somewhat of an activist. Maybe he can see better than you can. Are you a Democrat because your parents were?
I know that Professor Turley was a Democrat and about the family Democrat history, but when has Professor Turley said in a post that he is still a Democrat or currently a Democrat (or something similar)?
well maybe your concern should go to all disingenous crap the leftys are coming up with lately.
You must be a lefty. If you don’t like the columns, LEAVE! Same with America, don’t like it? go somewhere else.
It is not our fault if the facts reflect so called “negative” articles and posts about the Democrat party.
The Democrat party did it to themselves.
Dont blame PT or us for pointing out the facts.
If the Dem party wasn’t so broken, Turley and the few remaining dem moderates wouldn’t look like mouthpiece for the GOP.
In a two party system, Professor T has had to watch his old party, known commonly now as “the Crooked Party,” field scores of socialists, communists, NAZIs, racists, anti-semites, grifters, Muslim extremists, and assorted loons to run for local, state, and national political positions. In order to back constitutional common sense candidates, his only rational move is to vote for Rs. Very smart professor.
OFF TOPIC ~ Re UPDATE
Who owns the beach? A heated battle plays out in the Florida Panhandle
SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. — Walton County boasts 26 miles of shoreline and is home to the tony beach towns of Seaside, WaterColor and Alys Beach, along state Scenic Highway 30A. It’s known for emerald clear waters and white sand so soft and fine it squeaks underfoot.
It has also become ground zero in a protracted battle over where personal property lines end and the public’s right to set up a chair and umbrella begin. …
By: Debbie Elliott – NPR | All Things Considered ~ September 4, 2026
https://www.npr.org/2026/09/04/nx-s1-5935575/beach-access-battle-florida-panhandle
Audio:
[Link] ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2026/09/20260904_atc_judge_in_clancy_trial_declares_mistrial_thanks_jury.mp3
Jonathan previously posted on this issue:
The Eleventh Circuit Finds that COVID Beach Closures Constituted Unconstitutional Taking ~ November 22, 2025
https://jonathanturley.org/2025/11/22/the-eleventh-circuit-finds-that-covid-beach-closures-constituted-unconstitutional-takings/
My Mistake! – Link to Audio: NPR Who owns the beach? A heated battle plays out in the Florida Panhandle
https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2026/09/20260904_atc_who_owns_the_beach.mp3
Mean high tide unless it’s a Kings grant goes to State Sovereign Submerged Lands.
Scrubbing their past comments? Is that because they were insincere then? or are they insincere now? I’m so confused.
The dumbocrats have put themselves in a place where voters are asking themselves questions about democrats sincerity. How’s that working out for them?
And will sombody just tell me what the “democrats’ stand for today? and is their leader really Hasan Piker??
My guess is they were sincere the first time……the old line of “believe them the first time” applies.
Of course they are. Radials know to camouflage themselves.
Are they Steel belted with Whitewalls?
#. Shocking! An unprincipled bunch…
Happy labor day!
By “labor,” you mean COMMUNISM DAY!
The day for the “hired help.”
What would it be like to celebrate the producers in America like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Larry Page, Michael Dell, et al.?
I wonder if those guys, those beautiful billionaires, exerted any “labor” to acquire all that money the old fashioned way, they EARNED IT!
I don’t concern myself with Elon Musk and people of enormous wealth and talent. They have their own reward.
“Not worth it. Hundreds of my friends…that gave their lives for what?”
– Alec Penstone
___________________
Just imagine, every American soldier who died for his country—the United States of America—since 1776 actually died for MexAfricAsiArabia without even knowing it.
That video is about the UK. And I’ll admit, London has fallen. But don’t you think things in the US are nit as bad?
The American Revolutionaries fought for Americans and America. President Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with Senator Abdul El-Sayed. Gloria Steinem compelling American women to stop making Americans and lowering the fertility rate below the replacement level. Americans used to be able to watch Americans play American baseball, football, and basketball. Can you do that? What in the world was the point of going around the world fighting all those wars only to give the country away to foreigners? America didn’t need to fight foreign wars to give the country to foreigners. All we had to do was open the borders and let them all flood in. America and American culture are gone. Imagine all those men dying in foreign countries for the benefit of foreigners. They didn’t even know.
So we will die here with them then. An American patriot will arise only when they see the enemy directly upon them. We are here, we are lawful and we are peaceful. Only when there is no other option will we sacrifice our freedom and lives to defend what we believe our country is.
Go enjoy the holiday, escape the world for a little while.
The UK fell because of the US. It’s a global effort and the rise of what is inferior. Feel lucky?
Worth noting.
Everyone should remember the eyes of God run to and fro over the entire earth keeping watch on the evil and the good. I can’t think of anything worse than wishing for someone’s demise, who simply is in their way. We will all either stand before God the Father (for the non-believers) or Christ (the ones who believe in Him) to answer for how we have lived our lives. Scary thought!!!
Good reminder.
I don’t believe it works like that anymore.
There is good and there is evil.
Goodness is selflessness for the betterment for others whereas Evil is selfishness, greed and corruption, self serving.
It is up to good men to vanquish evil for liberty and freedom to prevail for society . Man does it in the name of God to rationalize their actions but in the end, we all want something to serve ourselves.
We are one step up from animals.
Idk, my dog is loyal and well trained. I’m part of his family. ☺
Yeah but he licks his butt, chases cars and has worms, what’s that say for his family. 🙀
Psalm 23:5
“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”
He anoints my head with oil
My cup runneth over
Surely his goodness and his blessings shall follow me for all the days of my life
For I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever…
* goodness and mercy
Man requires mercy, pity
Mercy for his sins, pity for his compulsion to sin
“Holy Roll the videotape!!, Batman “
You can hit delete and erase part on your speech contrail. But not all of it. What remains is a prior inconsistent statement. Brought forward to a jury of the whole at voter election time. It can really screw up what a politician wants the jury to to see. And it will in attack ads. As impeachment. And this is true for any party’s seeking of votes. Sometimes that politician comes with new speech like “that was Woke 1.0”. Or “that’s not what l think now”.The election danger is how many votes turn on a voter deciding that what they’ve heard is Mark Fuhrman’s answer to F. Lee Bailey’s questions in cross examination in the O.J. Simpson trial whether he had ever spoken the N word. Answer “No”. Fuhrman was subsequently convicted of perjury. On a plea of guilty. The voting booth is our jury room. Diffusion of knowledge like here on Res Ipsa is truly indispensable.
Seriously frightening person, the football player.
“… He (Rep. William Lawrence Mich.) has even denounced the nuclear family as an “isolating, individualistic, violent way of organizing society.” …” -JT
“The Nuclear Family” – What Nuclear Family [?], Families today on the majority are so completely separatist wrapped up on their Smart Phones and Internet devices that to say there is any semblance of Family cohesion is a completely preposterous notion.
There is no Nuclear Family in 2026! (sparing the Amish).
The Parties (the powers to be) have Us right where they want Us to be. Divided, Separated, and Conquered.
# an Anon that THINKS (right-on oldmanfromkansas)
Au contraire, there are many nuclear families, and their numbers are increasing as a direct defense against the Lindsey Clancy types of transmogrified feminist type who are so antithetical to human nature as to be both tragic yet poisonously funny in the dark humor sort of way. Men, not affected by this egregious ideology of feminism are turning to other nations and cultures to find suitable wives and mothers since their notion of human existence hasn’t been tainted by this sick and unnatural concept of feminism.
Whimsical, they don’t need to go abroad for a broad. Compared to liberal women MAGA women such as my wife are awesome and much better looking to boot. This is not some trad wife fetish, just conservative women who value family formation.
#WeAreEstovir
It’s an inborn trait of some women. It isn’t artificial because they’ve always dreamed of having babies.
Clancy was a feminist?
Iran had nuclear families, they were going ballistic so we destroyed them 🤣
Voters and leaders of both parties are guilty of this. Americans of all parties benefit from a government restrained by the U.S. Constitution.
In real practice many of us view the “supreme law of the United States” as optional-when-convenient instead of the actual supreme law (Article VI of the U.S. Constitution).
The Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution were primarily designed to “restrain” the authority of presidents, governors, mayors, Congress, state lawmakers and even judges. It’s authority no government official has ever had in the USA.
In the early 2000’s you might remember government officials exceeding that authority with things like “Driving While Black” or “Non-Whites playing Paint Ball” were terrorism suspects. Republicans had absolutely problem with the rear right Bush Republicans. Or the Trump Republicans trying to subvert the 14th Amendment, bypassing the constitutional-amendment process altogether.
The premise of a constitutional rule of law system is that the “ends” never justify “unconstitutional-means”. Constitutional due process is how we reach the ends, not the other way around.
Both sides do it, but no mention of that? So Republicans play by one set of rules then expect Democrats not to.
Your both-sidesism doesn’t ring true, and it depends on a false premise. Suggesting that setting up a test case to get a ruling on an ambiguous facet of the Constitution amounts to “trying to subvert the 14th Amendment” is pure partisan spin. Once the Court rules, Trump (unlike Biden) does not say he’s going to disobey the ruling. There is a huge difference between the parties when it comes to whether they think the Constitution is good and should in practice be treated as the supreme law of the land. Name a single Republican who has said the Constitution is outdated or a threat to democracy. You can’t.
#WeAreEstovir
OldManFromKS,
” Name a single Republican who has said the Constitution is outdated or a threat to democracy.”
And that is the difference.
Multiple annonys have claimed of Republicans being guilty of what far illiberal leftists of doing.
Far illiberal leftists are declaring the Constitution of being outdated. Needing replaced. Done away with. They are also declaring when back in power, they should pass laws to ensure the Democrat party never loses an election again. And to ensure their total power, they have stated they want to pack the SC with illiberals.
And now, the far illiberals leftists are demanding not only doing away with the Constitution, but the presidency, the Senate, and packing the court to ensure their one party rule.
Kinda like the failed state of CA, IL and NY
Remember, Fidel Castro claimed that the revolution was staged to restore democracy to Cuba, and Lenin touted “Soviet Democracy”, where political power was dispersed to local “soviets” of concerned working class citizens. That worked until Stalin hijacked them and made the soviets subservient to the Party. Well, those that are not willfully blind can see how the Cuban Revolution and the USSR turned out.
It’s not a fringe anymore. A majority of Democrats now favor socialism over a market economy. The party itself is opposed to the US Constitution. Meaning the party itself is now anti-American. To them the Bill of Rights is an outdated document from a bygone era.
#WeAreEstovir
Of course the Democratic Party is not opposed to the Constitution and is not anti-American.
Isn’t that the party whose members want to eliminate the senate, the president, pack the supreme court with ideologues and eliminate police/the rule of law? And just how does that support the constitution and how is it not so anti-American as to be repugnant and dangerous?
It’s the party that is, literally, running candidates who say such things as this:
Confiscate wealth.
Defund the police.
No prisons.
Abolish the Senate.
No more republic.
Pack the Supreme Court with liberals.
Nationalize businesses.
Free medical care.
Free college.
Government-built housing for all.
That depends on which Democrats you are asking.
Sane and normal ones, like Bill Maher and the good professor, they are not opposed to the Constitution and are not anti-American.
But the far illiberal leftists whom have highjacked the Democrat party, they are opposed to the Constitution and are anti-American.
We know so by their words and actions.
I find it funny in an ironic way that I have to keep pointing this out to you.
Perhaps this “majority” is just the total number of ignorant, willfully ignorant, and totally indoctrinated persons who, for whatever reason. ignore facts and historical records and want, so deparately to believe that they can find a meaningful life through an ideology that promises them that elusive utopia. Even if they win control, it will, eventually as always, destroy the nation, its own supporters and create the same foreseen tragedy. They cannot win in the end, they only play at games that end tragically
A majority of Republicans favor the oligarchy where markets are manipulated in order to maintain the vast majority of Americans as desperate minions.
Dumb
Your statement is absurd on its face. You just said that the majority of Republicans want to be poor and desperate. I believe you don’t even think about what you’re saying to see if it even makes any sense.
What a stupid thing to say. Harris had more billionaire support than Trump! What do you think those oligarchs saw in her and the Democrats they back?
They see CONTROL. Leftists like to control the people so they can create their socialist dystopia. Conservatives just want stability and rule of law and then for stupid leftists to just leave them alone.
commie says what