Brandon Turner
@bparsonst.bsky.social
Political Science, Clemson University
looks like I'm canceling my NYT sub after all
October 2, 2026 at 2:42 AM
looks like I'm canceling my NYT sub after all
Reposted by Brandon Turner
"It's really easy to think—especially when we [political coalition members] have been working together for a long time—we work together because we agree. And, I don't think that's actually true."
— @janetbufton.ca
Listen to the full episode: www.liberalism.org/podcast/s/li...
— @janetbufton.ca
Listen to the full episode: www.liberalism.org/podcast/s/li...
October 1, 2026 at 4:01 PM
"It's really easy to think—especially when we [political coalition members] have been working together for a long time—we work together because we agree. And, I don't think that's actually true."
— @janetbufton.ca
Listen to the full episode: www.liberalism.org/podcast/s/li...
— @janetbufton.ca
Listen to the full episode: www.liberalism.org/podcast/s/li...
we've done a lot of dunking on libertarians on here and I have wanted to point out for a long time that while very many *libertarians* revealed themselves to be authoritarians or useful idiots, libertarianism has been *extremely vindicated* in a number of key ways
September 29, 2026 at 2:50 PM
we've done a lot of dunking on libertarians on here and I have wanted to point out for a long time that while very many *libertarians* revealed themselves to be authoritarians or useful idiots, libertarianism has been *extremely vindicated* in a number of key ways
sorry to be that guy, but i cannot fucking believe how much TV a lot of you watch
September 25, 2026 at 7:58 PM
sorry to be that guy, but i cannot fucking believe how much TV a lot of you watch
i think expanding the court is a bad idea; altering a court whose legitimacy rests on its perceived stability and neutrality bc you think it unduly or unjustly hinders your preferred political program is, i think, both wrong and bad
that said, i hope the dems pack the court (or at least reform it)
that said, i hope the dems pack the court (or at least reform it)
September 24, 2026 at 7:50 PM
i think expanding the court is a bad idea; altering a court whose legitimacy rests on its perceived stability and neutrality bc you think it unduly or unjustly hinders your preferred political program is, i think, both wrong and bad
that said, i hope the dems pack the court (or at least reform it)
that said, i hope the dems pack the court (or at least reform it)
Reposted by Brandon Turner
inching ever closer to the view that the anti-Pangram crowd is basically telling on itself
September 22, 2026 at 3:12 PM
inching ever closer to the view that the anti-Pangram crowd is basically telling on itself
saw a *lot* of demands for news agencies to suspend white house coverage in light of trump's banning CNN etc from the press pool
well, they did it
well, they did it
September 21, 2026 at 8:33 PM
saw a *lot* of demands for news agencies to suspend white house coverage in light of trump's banning CNN etc from the press pool
well, they did it
well, they did it
it is worth stepping back occasionally and remarking upon the extent to which deans and administrators of all sorts have turned the job of an academic into **finding and spending** money
September 16, 2026 at 7:56 PM
it is worth stepping back occasionally and remarking upon the extent to which deans and administrators of all sorts have turned the job of an academic into **finding and spending** money
genuine question: let us agree that departments and, if necessary, faculty senate should be in position to evaluate cases re: what is/isn't germane to course material; speech that seems inappropriate within the university.
how do they enforce these evaluations on a faculty member?
how do they enforce these evaluations on a faculty member?
September 15, 2026 at 2:51 PM
genuine question: let us agree that departments and, if necessary, faculty senate should be in position to evaluate cases re: what is/isn't germane to course material; speech that seems inappropriate within the university.
how do they enforce these evaluations on a faculty member?
how do they enforce these evaluations on a faculty member?
while i am happy to hear that the administration's latest crackdown on international students will not go into effect today,
i do just want to note that, beyond its stupidity and cruelty,
it wasted a truly massive amount of time for anyone dealing with international students.
i do just want to note that, beyond its stupidity and cruelty,
it wasted a truly massive amount of time for anyone dealing with international students.
September 15, 2026 at 1:53 PM
while i am happy to hear that the administration's latest crackdown on international students will not go into effect today,
i do just want to note that, beyond its stupidity and cruelty,
it wasted a truly massive amount of time for anyone dealing with international students.
i do just want to note that, beyond its stupidity and cruelty,
it wasted a truly massive amount of time for anyone dealing with international students.
the NYT opinion page has platformed another person with an opinion i don't like
September 14, 2026 at 4:31 PM
the NYT opinion page has platformed another person with an opinion i don't like
"trust is difficult to build and comparatively easy to destroy" used to be a conservative axiom
Bottom line: We need better messaging, but we can't message our way out of this. We need a political system that incentivizes elites to support the democratic process and penalizes those who seek to undermine it.
Extremely impressive field experiment by @nmalhotra.bsky.social et al. had few effects on election attitudes among conservatives in TX despite being "exposed to an average of 20 online videos, 18.5 cable TV videos, 23.9 display ads, 3 text messages, and 3 postcards" www.science.org/doi/full/10....
September 10, 2026 at 1:59 PM
"trust is difficult to build and comparatively easy to destroy" used to be a conservative axiom
Reposted by Brandon Turner
You know who actually did show up at Ground Zero? Canadian emergency rescue crews.
September 8, 2026 at 11:12 PM
You know who actually did show up at Ground Zero? Canadian emergency rescue crews.
before you do a "why isn't the NYT covering this thing" post, go to www_google_com and type in the thing and the letters NYT and see what comes up
September 7, 2026 at 7:21 PM
before you do a "why isn't the NYT covering this thing" post, go to www_google_com and type in the thing and the letters NYT and see what comes up
If you live anywhere near a uni/college: admission to NCAA women's volleyball is probably free and the vibes are immaculate
September 6, 2026 at 10:55 PM
If you live anywhere near a uni/college: admission to NCAA women's volleyball is probably free and the vibes are immaculate
if you (a) care a lot about hasan piker
OR
if you (b) think other people care a lot about hasan piker and in fact are ignoring other things happening the world to focus exclusively on him
then
you are too online
OR
if you (b) think other people care a lot about hasan piker and in fact are ignoring other things happening the world to focus exclusively on him
then
you are too online
August 30, 2026 at 4:59 PM
if you (a) care a lot about hasan piker
OR
if you (b) think other people care a lot about hasan piker and in fact are ignoring other things happening the world to focus exclusively on him
then
you are too online
OR
if you (b) think other people care a lot about hasan piker and in fact are ignoring other things happening the world to focus exclusively on him
then
you are too online
reading a 2010 NYT review of a McEwan book
"sharp review," i think
byline reveal: Walter Kirn
2010 was one million years ago
"sharp review," i think
byline reveal: Walter Kirn
2010 was one million years ago
August 26, 2026 at 12:17 PM
reading a 2010 NYT review of a McEwan book
"sharp review," i think
byline reveal: Walter Kirn
2010 was one million years ago
"sharp review," i think
byline reveal: Walter Kirn
2010 was one million years ago
It was easy to forget, given her many talents and overwhelming charisma, that she was simply an incredible vocalist. This is not my favorite song of hers, but this might be my single most favorite vocal performance from anyone, anywhere:
youtu.be/orfuTrKsYyM?...
youtu.be/orfuTrKsYyM?...
Dolly Parton - Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8) (Audio)
YouTube video by DollyPartonVEVO
youtu.be
August 25, 2026 at 9:23 PM
It was easy to forget, given her many talents and overwhelming charisma, that she was simply an incredible vocalist. This is not my favorite song of hers, but this might be my single most favorite vocal performance from anyone, anywhere:
youtu.be/orfuTrKsYyM?...
youtu.be/orfuTrKsYyM?...
the latest round of bluesky-behaving-just-like-twitter (set aside that this has always been the case) reminds one that the single best way to cut out social media toxicity would be developing anti-anonymity norms, moderated or otherwise
August 24, 2026 at 6:16 PM
the latest round of bluesky-behaving-just-like-twitter (set aside that this has always been the case) reminds one that the single best way to cut out social media toxicity would be developing anti-anonymity norms, moderated or otherwise
Remember, if you have a Twitter account, you are complicit in fascism and your brain is being turned to fashy mush
If you literally run as the member of a party whose official position on eg Castro is illiberal and awful, then you're probably normal and it's just unfortunate
If you literally run as the member of a party whose official position on eg Castro is illiberal and awful, then you're probably normal and it's just unfortunate
August 23, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Remember, if you have a Twitter account, you are complicit in fascism and your brain is being turned to fashy mush
If you literally run as the member of a party whose official position on eg Castro is illiberal and awful, then you're probably normal and it's just unfortunate
If you literally run as the member of a party whose official position on eg Castro is illiberal and awful, then you're probably normal and it's just unfortunate
Reposted by Brandon Turner
I forget, is this a "the DSA obviously has nothing to do with actual communism and it's McCarthyist red-baiting to suggest such a thing; DSA is just social democracy which is just left-liberalism" week, or an "in this DSA house we stan Fidel Castro" week?
www.dsausa.org/statements/d...
www.dsausa.org/statements/d...
DSA Commemorates 100 Years of Fidel and Denounces Rubio’s Genocide Against the Cuban People - Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Today is the centenary of Fidel Castro, and the Democratic Socialists of America recognize the historic significance of both this day and the man. Fidel was an organizer, a fighter, and endures as a s...
www.dsausa.org
August 21, 2026 at 12:36 AM
I forget, is this a "the DSA obviously has nothing to do with actual communism and it's McCarthyist red-baiting to suggest such a thing; DSA is just social democracy which is just left-liberalism" week, or an "in this DSA house we stan Fidel Castro" week?
www.dsausa.org/statements/d...
www.dsausa.org/statements/d...
Reposted by Brandon Turner
I am sorry, but I think this is a very bad take for several reasons.
I find it extremely odd that people have decided to rehabilitate Arday, instead of say, pointing to the case of Claudine Gay, who is an excellent political scientist and who *was* unfairly smeared. A couple thoughts (1/n)
I find it extremely odd that people have decided to rehabilitate Arday, instead of say, pointing to the case of Claudine Gay, who is an excellent political scientist and who *was* unfairly smeared. A couple thoughts (1/n)
Jason Stanley makes the case that the stuff that was most obviously in fact a lie in Arday's case was also not stuff which academic institutions care about when employing someone, whereas by the metrics academics care about Arday was doing well.
jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/it-sure-lo...
jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/it-sure-lo...
It sure looks like Jason Arday was horrifically wronged
The media’s profound ignorance of academia is a deadly problem
jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com
August 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM
I am sorry, but I think this is a very bad take for several reasons.
I find it extremely odd that people have decided to rehabilitate Arday, instead of say, pointing to the case of Claudine Gay, who is an excellent political scientist and who *was* unfairly smeared. A couple thoughts (1/n)
I find it extremely odd that people have decided to rehabilitate Arday, instead of say, pointing to the case of Claudine Gay, who is an excellent political scientist and who *was* unfairly smeared. A couple thoughts (1/n)
the whole thing is a masterclass from stanley. manages to be wrong about *literally everything* AND to shit all over Durham and Ohio State in the process.
Jason Stanley makes the case that the stuff that was most obviously in fact a lie in Arday's case was also not stuff which academic institutions care about when employing someone, whereas by the metrics academics care about Arday was doing well.
jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/it-sure-lo...
jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/it-sure-lo...
It sure looks like Jason Arday was horrifically wronged
The media’s profound ignorance of academia is a deadly problem
jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com
August 20, 2026 at 3:19 PM
the whole thing is a masterclass from stanley. manages to be wrong about *literally everything* AND to shit all over Durham and Ohio State in the process.