Home of the next realignment. We think big, embrace heterodoxy, and chart the future of public policy and action.
Washington, DC
Joined March 2025
- Tweets1.4K
- Following25
- Followers3.8K
- Likes2.5K
Pinned Tweet
It's a beautiful day in the political neighborhood — all nine of them.
From the Liberal Arts Left to Cul-de-Sac Conservatives, Lawn Sign Liberals to the Center Square.
What kind of neighbor are you? Take the quiz!
searchlightinstitute.org/pol…
Searchlight Institute retweeted
It's also worth noting that many of @RoKhanna's economic patriotism goals: reshoring advanced manufacturing, turbocharging the green industrial revolution, etc, are downstream of expanding energy supply— and BAAJA is Dems best and really only chance to create the conditions for a future Dem president to make progress on that agenda once they take office in 2029.
On data centers specifically, even stricter regs can still be imposed in the future, including Khanna's own Data Center Bill of Right's plan.
I have a lot of respect for @RoKhanna , but I want to make two points: First, why the line of attack he’s pushing here is wrong on the merits, and second, why it would be a big strategic blunder for Democrats to validate it. 🧵
Searchlight Institute retweeted
I have a lot of respect for @RoKhanna , but I want to make two points: First, why the line of attack he’s pushing here is wrong on the merits, and second, why it would be a big strategic blunder for Democrats to validate it. 🧵
POLITICO asked @charlotteeffect and three other leading pollsters what the polling really shows ahead of the midterms.
Here's what they all had to say.
politico.com/news/magazine/2…
Fake polling is a serious concern for 2028.
"It would be really difficult, especially in a primary, to tell people that what they’re seeing about their preferred candidate isn’t real."
politico.com/news/magazine/2…
Searchlight's @charlotteeffect on how polling has become a "playground for grifters, liars, and frauds."
Searchlight Institute retweeted
Important context here via @BenKrauss5: the campaign to tar BAAJA as a handout to data centers is completely astroturfed, spawned by fringe groups who fear that Democrats might end their business model - litigating against energy projects - to build more clean energy.
"The truth is that BAAJA isn’t just critical to decarbonizing our economy and meeting future energy demand; it’s also the only realistic legislation we have that will hold data centers accountable and protect ratepayers from future price increases."
wordsinsearchlight.org/p/con…
Searchlight Institute retweeted
The idea that BAAJA helps data centers is bullshit. To the contrary, it contains aggressive accountability measures *against* data centers.
Judge the merits of the data center attack for yourself—this screenshot is the entire basis.
But I want to make a larger point here.
The effort to manufacture this attack out of thin air is being led by left-wing groups, against Democrats. With the midterms a few weeks away, this is how they choose to spend their time and energy.
This is a perfect example of how the left-wing advocacy community has curdled and turned in on itself.
And this is all over a bill negotiated by fierce climate champions @SenWhitehouse and @SenatorHeinrich—a bill which even critics acknowledge will reduce carbon emissions and supercharge the green energy buildout.
With Democrats poised to take power in few weeks, candidates and lawmakers should take note: these folks are not your allies.
In an Orwellian turn, critics of BAAJA are trying to misrepresent the bill by saying its strong accountability measures are somehow "pro-data center."
@BenKrauss5 on why it makes zero sense. wordsinsearchlight.org/p/con…
Why are critics of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act pretending that the deal is "pro-data center?"
@BenKrauss5 explains that its a strategy being deployed by groups trying to stop much-needed reforms that will make it easier for America to build the clean energy and transmission capacity we need:
Members of Congress likely aren’t hearing from their constituents about the danger of fossil fuel infrastructure, but they are more concerned about being associated with the politically toxic issue of data centers.
That’s why, while the argument is weak, it needs to be thoroughly and vocally debunked.
This strategy was first hinted at in a leaked organizing call that occurred among several high-profile environmental organizations shortly after the bill was announced.
When brainstorming ways to stop the bill, a senior advisor at the Environmental Protection Network raised the prospect of framing their argument around data centers: “You know, something that we really need to lean into, and I think it brings in data centers. I mean, he [Trump] could be issuing permits to Elon Musk to build a coal plant, you know, and build a data center in the Grand Canyon.”
Of course, this is an absurd exaggeration, but it’s the sort of fear mongering that is being used to distract from the fact that this bill contains robust ratepayer protections that are quite popular when voters hear about them.
In a recent message test from Inclusive Abundance, the message about making “data centers pay for their upgrades” performed the best, even compared to the one about lowering energy bills.
wordsinsearchlight.org/p/con…
FACT CHECK: BAAJA will reduce emissions, put the strongest checks on data centers to date, and reign in utilities who wastefully spend.
We are grateful to clean energy champions @SenatorHeinrich and @SenWhitehouse for negotiating this critical deal.
huffpost.com/entry/permittin…
🚨 Clean energy champions in Congress negotiated a permitting reform deal called BAAJA that'll force data centers to pay for their own energy.
It would be the strongest-possible check on data centers passed until at least 2029.
So why are critics calling it "pro-data center?"
"The truth is that BAAJA isn’t just critical to decarbonizing our economy and meeting future energy demand; it’s also the only realistic legislation we have that will hold data centers accountable and protect ratepayers from future price increases."
wordsinsearchlight.org/p/con…
In an Orwellian turn, critics of BAAJA are trying to misrepresent the bill by saying its strong accountability measures are somehow "pro-data center."
@BenKrauss5 on why it makes zero sense. wordsinsearchlight.org/p/con…
🚨 HAPPENING NOW: Searchlight's @treeaston joins the DCCC for a conversation on the state of the midterms and what to look for ahead of Election Day.
xitter.cf/i/spaces/1yxBePgMvDnJN…
In a new ad for Jon Ossoff's reelection campaign, Richard — a big-rig-driving three-time Trump voter — endorses Ossoff because he wants someone in office “who will stand up for us.”
Persuading voters is how you expand your coalition, @treeaston writes.
wordsinsearchlight.org/p/thi…
"There’s no secret coalition of ultra-ideological voters just waiting for the right candidate; persuasion is the key."
wordsinsearchlight.org/p/thi…
This big-rig driving Trump supporter is voting for who?
Jon Ossoff is persuading Georgians of all political stripes. @treeaston thinks Democrats should take a page from his playbook.
