I just posted this yesterday for Political Wire members, but I wanted to share it.
If you want more like this — and many other benefits — I invite you to join us. There’s also a special offer below.
From our partner
Unknown Number Calling? It’s Not Random
The BBC caught scam call center workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking.
The BBC caught scam call center workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking. One worker bragged about making $250k from victims. The disturbing truth? Scammers don’t pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers.
Once your data is out there, it’s not just calls. It’s phishing, impersonation, and identity theft. That’s why I recommend Incogi: They delete your info from the web, monitor and follow up automatically, and continue to erase data as new risks appear. Try Incogni here and get 55% off your subscription with code POLITICALWIRE.
The NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show has turned what objectively looked like a good business decision into the latest battleground in America’s endless culture war.
Conservative commentators erupted in outrage, denouncing the Puerto Rican megastar as “anti-American” and “ICE-hating,” while right-wing outlets like Newsmax described his appearance as a “humiliation ritual” for “real Americans.”
The anger wasn’t really about the music.
It was about what Bad Bunny represents: inclusion, multiculturalism, and the fact that a Spanish-language performance now stands at the center of one of the few truly national moments left in American life.
The Super Bowl is one of the last shared cultural experiences in a fragmented media landscape.
And for conservatives, it’s a symbolic stage that must reflect their vision of the country — one rooted in nostalgia for an America that no longer exists.
But the backlash also illustrates something deeper about the modern right. Grievance is its organizing principle.
Whether the trigger is a holiday greeting, a corporate logo, or a Netflix show, outrage is the fuel that keeps the movement unified and its media ecosystem thriving.
From “Happy Holidays” controversies to performative fury over Cracker Barrel and Mr. Potato Head, the pattern is always the same: turn trivial cultural shifts into existential threats, then claim victimhood.
Yet even as the outrage machine churns, the broader reality of America moves in the opposite direction — a nation where cultures mix, languages blend, and artists like Bad Bunny thrive.
No political movement, no matter how loud, can change that.
If you’re not already a Political Wire member, get 20% off your first year using the coupon code “shutdown.”
Here’s a quick reminder of everything you’ll get with a Political Wire membership:
Exclusive political analysis from me and trusted experts.
A real-time trending news page updated 24/7.
A clean, ad-free browsing experience of the main news feed.
The Weekly News Quiz.
The members-only Trial Balloon podcast.
Two premium newsletters: Inside Elections and Ballot Access News -- a $267 value.
The Political Calendar, which is fully syncable with your personal calendar.
Thank you for reading — and supporting independent media!
Those who don't like it can skip the halftime show, as I almost always do, or better yet--stuff it. He's a good choice.
Didn't Bad Bunny skip the US on his last tour as a political statement? Which is a perfectly reasonable choice considering everything happening but I am certain the organizers were aware of this.