@jbarro

I write (at https://xitter.cf/t.co/ZoyMCO4ICD) & I co-host CENTRAL AIR, a major weekly politics podcast. https://xitter.cf/t.co/27H6dlohwT Email josh at joshbarro dot com

New York, New York
Joined September 2008
Josh Barro retweeted
I would sincerely love our Council to take a minute to imagine a person who lives in DC, has a job, is a net fiscal contributor, and doesn't commit crimes. What have you done over the past year to improve the life of someone like that? What will you do next year?
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Josh Barro retweeted
Very good explanation from one of the smartest French economists of why Mélenchon can cancel all French sovereign debt that was outstanding as of July 1st this year without any negative consequences, as long as he promises it’s a one-time default.
Replying to @gabriel_zucman
Let’s be clear: this is a highly inappropriate way to model the effect of Prop 40 on taxpayer behavior. For one, it’s a basic violation of rational expectations, a cornerstone of modern economics. In Jaros and @joshrauh world, the billionaires act irrationally: they respond to a policy that does not exist and will never exist. Economics students around the world are taught this is not an appropriate way to model behavior — but apparently in this context (fighting Prop 40) it’s OK.
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Josh Barro retweeted
IDK, it seems like certain pollsters are concerned their samples are too D, maybe for good reasons and maybe not, and are using their likely voter models to curb that.
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Not great!
NEW: Who is an example of a police chief that Nithya Raman really respects or admires? "I don't know...I don't know." Raman is now apologizing for her recent debate remarks that LAPD Chief Daryl Gates was a "gold standard" for his handling of immigration. Critics accuse Gates of racist policies. "It was a mistake to reference his name at all. I was trying to make a point and I fumbled that point. That point was not to praise Daryl Gates in any shape or form. I sincerely apologize for mentioning his name. I know it causes real pain for so many people across Los Angeles and I shouldn't have said it." Raman has said she wants to dismiss current LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell but has not floated any names of potential replacements. We'll have a lot more with Raman coming soon on @CNNTheStoryIs
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Josh Barro retweeted
Please, bro. Isn’t he weird, bro? You can’t vote for someone like that, bro, please.
There is something deeply wrong with Talarico
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Reading some of the coverage of Justice Kagan's interview at Catholic University yesterday, which I attended, and it seems to me to exaggerate how tough she was towared her conservative colleagues. 1/6
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Josh Barro retweeted
Half a million views, tons of right wing posters like this one going "when we talk about cultural compatibility it's not some hypothetical issue", and no one asked "is that letter entirely AI generated" (yes) and "is it in fact almost the exact letter you get if you say 'generate a fake HOA letter telling me to stop smoking brisket' (yes), "would a first class letter dated Saturday October 17 arrive in time to complain about it bright and early Monday morning" (no), "is the letter consistent with Arizona laws around notice periods" (no), "how many HOAs in Arizona have a nuisance provision 8.4" (5, according to ChatGPT), and "do any of them employ a Marjorie" (no). Now, of course, this isn't dispositive. It could be that the HOA used ChatGPT to make the letter, and wrote FIRST CLASS MAIL on it (which is what ChatGPT does by default when prompted to generate an HOA letter about smoking brisket) but then delivered it the normal way you would do so in an HOA, by hand. It could be that the HOA works on Saturdays. It could be that they just don't list their staff. But my present perspective is that, for all the excitement that Dr. Josh Simmons's letter has caused on X, cultural compatibility might still be a hypothetical issue. chatgpt.com/c/6ad8277b-9870-…
When we talk about cultural compatibility it’s not some hypothetical issue. What we can and cannot do in public, or even in private, is informed by our cultural upbringings. If you’re raised in a culture that views killing and eating cows as a sin, an evil, then having smoke from its cooking waft into your house is not only annoying and unpleasant, but deeply offensive. That culture is incompatible with one that enjoys grilling. There isn’t really a compromise here. One side will get what they want and the other won’t. It is a win-lose situation. The more you import different culture, the more of this conflict you create.
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Josh Barro retweeted
People who have been around politics a long time may be struck as I was by the sheriff's signature on this arrest warrant for Amy Acton's stepfather, who at the time was a fugitive. Does the name James Traficant ring a bell?
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Early Nathan Fielder. He got to interview his boss on the air and made it as awkward as possible.
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Josh Barro retweeted
The debate took a turn when the moderators asked about Free Silver and the Irish.
The two candidates for Missouri House of Representatives District 158 have something in common. Left: incumbent R - Scott Cupps Right: D - Chris Foster
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Josh Barro retweeted
Not laughing. Just seeing what we tried to tell everyone back then. He’s a bad guy. It’s a shame he continues to get away with it.
Nikki Haley and the Haley girls must be laughing their tits off tonight. LOL. OMG. Vivek FAIL.
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He makes Blake Masters look likable
Ramaswamy saying the ad is his, defending it after event (Via @wsyx6)
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nithya raman's colleagues on the city council don't like her because she has correctly counseled them to not oppose housing developments that will win in court anyway
#LosAngelesMayor Politico: Nithya Raman is facing “a full-on, multiple-person verbal assault” from her City Council colleagues, not one of whom has endorsed her. If Raman wins, her ambitious agenda may depend on her ability to persuade a council majority to go along. politico.com/news/2026/10/20…
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Is it legal to distribute an ad like this with no "paid for" disclaimer, simply because it's being done for "testing"? In theory, you could send a "poll" like this to the entire voter file.
I received the poll testing the ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a "liar." Comes from the polling firm Dynata. Before showing the ad, the poll asks whether it's true Acton was sexually abused and lived in a tent as a child. Then the ad plays twice.
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Josh Barro retweeted
Christie with a conspicuous RT
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Everyone knows who Vivek is, he’s the most annoying person on the planet
Chris Christie knew who Vivek Ramaswamy was from the jump.
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Josh Barro retweeted
"As bad as Trump is, there’s something almost more disturbing about the way that JD Vance and Marco Rubio both explained the mechanics of the Trump con perfectly before deciding to become the two leading succession options." "And the answer, to be clear, is not to say that the bad guys are so vicious and opportunistic that we need to beat them by any means necessary! It’s to try to rebuild an ethic of basic probity, honesty, and factual accuracy from the ground up." slowboring.com/p/our-culture…
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Josh Barro retweeted
This is sick stuff. Amy Acton's enemies are trotting out her estranged and allegedly abusive mother to malign her. If anything, I feel more sympathetic to Amy Acton after watching this. I suspect I'm not alone!
BOMBSHELL: Amy Acton’s own MOTHER just dropped a devastating ad warning Ohio NOT to elect her daughter. She calls Amy a habitual liar who “needs help” and is totally unfit for governor. When your own mother begs voters to stay away, it’s OVER. Must watch! 👇
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Acton’s stepfather abused her from age 9 to 12 and was criminally charged, and the family lived in a tent in winter. Her brother confirms they were removed from their mother’s custody. Acton’s stayed married to the stepfather until he died. sources: vindyarchives.com/news/2019/aug/… wkbn.com/news/elections… justthenews.com/politics-polic… mediaite.com/politics/vivek…
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Survey was conducted entirely on Bluesky
Gasps in the crowd as RFK jr reveals he’s just seen data that puts the autism rate near 20% @TMZ
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