The Tenth Man
Deep, surprising analysis and commentary on US and world affairs with the goal to "think outside the box". Original, and different, with no ads or filler.
Once a week we'll do a deep dive into a current topic, pointing out the facts which are hidden in plain sight. The mainstream media repeat misinformation, we'll show you the obvious truth, and the little-known facts which the experts all know, but have been keeping to themselves.
Is there an epidemic of violence? No, crime is going down.
Should we accept all the asylum seekers? We already accept more than any other country.
Topics may be up-to-the-minute, or may be timeless.
All people may be good, but some are misinformed so we'll shine a light on climate change, feminism, vegetarianism, gun control, reverse-discrimination, illegal migration and the radical left.
Witty, jarring, but always kind.
The Tenth Man
S4 E07 - Elissa Slotkin: Next In Line of the Democrat Machine
This script discusses the transformation of the Democratic Party's political machine from old-style, city-based power structures to a modern, media-driven network. It highlights key mechanisms of the current machine, including media grooming, activist support, big donor networks, and party control. The narrative critiques the trend of promoting inexperienced junior senators who lack real-world governance experience, citing examples like Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Pete Buttigieg. The script also introduces Elissa Slotkin as the next potential product of this system. It argues that such candidates, while polished and media-friendly, often act as figureheads with real power wielded by unelected elites and the party's entrenched operatives.
Commentary on trending issues brought to you with a moderate perspective.
Harry Truman and JFK were products of the old Democrat machine with party bosses and political insiders. So where did Obama and Kamala Harris come from? And who are we in for next today on The Tenth Man, I. Once upon a time, political power was built in smoky back rooms where party bosses controlled city governments handed out favors and made sure elections went the right way. Machines like Tammany Hall in New York and the Daly machine in Chicago perfected the art of consolidating power through patronage influence and brute electoral force. These machines were often corrupt, but at least they produced politicians who understood governance. Mayors, city bosses and party operatives who had to actually run things before being handed higher office. These old school political bosses produced figures like Frank Hague of Jersey City, who ran his city like a personal fiefdom, but kept the trains running on time. Richard J Daly, despite his strong arm tactics, made Chicago a powerhouse of economic growth. F men like Ed Rendell in Philadelphia and Huey Long in Louisiana had real executive experience before becoming governor. These men, however corrupt, knew how to govern because they had actually managed governments before ascending to higher office. Fast forward to today and the Democratic party still operates a machine. Only now it's sleeker, media-driven, and driven by identity politics rather than backroom deals. The Modern Democrat machine is a network of media allies, activist organizations, think tanks, big money donors and tech elites who push forward candidates, not based on competence, but on narrative branding and symbolic value. The result, a pipeline of inexperienced junior senators who get fast tracked to the national stage. With little to show for it. Unlike the old machines that relied on ward bosses and union votes, today's Democrat machine operates through four key mechanisms. Media grooming, legacy outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and the New York Times. Decide who gets the spotlight and who gets ignored. If you're a rising Democrat who checks the right boxes, you'll get glowing profiles and primetime interviews before you've even accomplished anything. Activist support groups like Justice Democrats, Emily's List and moveon.org help recruit and fund candidates who align with their ideological goals. Justice Democrats, for example, was instrumental in launching the political career of AOC, a former bartender with no prior political experience who unseated a longtime democratic incumbent in a heavily blue district. Similarly, Ayanna Pressly, another part of"The Squad" was another Justice Democrats backed candidate who successfully defeated a more established Democrat. These groups focus on finding candidates who fit their ideological vision, funding their campaigns. And using social media and grassroots networks to elevate their profiles to national prominence often before they have any meaningful experience in governance, Big Donor Networks Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and the Financial Elite pour money into candidates who they know will stay loyal to the machine Party Control the DNC and entrenched political operatives ensure that the right candidates receive endorsements, funding and institutional backing. And what kind of candidates does this system produce? Polished media-friendly junior senators with little real-world experience. These are people who may have spent time in academia, government bureaucracies, or brief legal careers, but they haven't run businesses, governed states, or had to make executive decisions under pressure. The 2008 election set the template for this trend. Barack Obama, a first-term senator with no executive experience. No significant legislative accomplishments and no background in business or military leadership. Defeated John McCain, another senator with no executive experience. Before being elected to the Senate in 2004, Obama's only political experience was as an Illinois state Senator from 1997 to 2004, where he largely toed the party line and was best known for voting"Present" rather than taking firm stances. He had no record of governing running a major enterprise or spearheading significant bipartisan in legislation. His meteoric rise was almost entirely a product of media promotion, a well-crafted narrative, and the democratic machines backing rather than any substantive leadership experience. Meanwhile, the one candidate on the 2008 ballot with actual governing experience, Sarah Palin, a sitting governor, was relentlessly mocked by the media for supposed inexperience, even though she had more executive experience than John McCain, Joe Biden and Barack Obama combined. Yet Obama, despite his lack of governing credentials, a carefully crafted narrative, media driven appeal and party backing propelled him to victory. This marked the beginning of a trend where media influence and machine support became more important than actual leadership ability. Since then, the machine has continued churning out junior senators as presidential hopefuls, including one of the most famous Hillary Clinton. Despite her high profile. Clinton had only served one full term in the Senate before launching her first presidential bid. Her experience was primarily in legal and advisory roles, and her most significant political asset was her association with Bill Clinton. Her 2008 loss to Obama and her 2016 loss to Trump demonstrated that media backing and party support alone were not enough to overcome voter skepticism. Other examples are Kamala Harris. She was a senator for just two years before launching her presidential bid. She failed spectacularly in the 2020 primary, despite media support had to be installed as VP because she couldn't win on her own. Cory Booker, a Senator since 2013 with a carefully curated media presence. He flamed out in 2020 after failing to gain traction. Booker is more sizzle than steak. Lots of rhetoric, little substance. Then there's Pete Buttigieg, not even a senator, just a small town mayor with no national experience, but elevated to transportation. Secretary as a stepping stone to higher office. A classic example of a machine groomed candidate with no qualifications. Many more like Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar who tried to break through but couldn't. The common themes, little to no executive experience over-reliance on media buzz rather than real accomplishments, being positioned as fresh faces, but lacking any compelling leadership record. The Democratic party's reliance on junior senators isn't working and it's costing them elections. Here's why. Voters want leaders, not talkers, senators, debate and grandstand, but governors actually run things. Compare the Senate-heavy 2020 field to Republican nominees like Trump, a businessman and DeSantis a governor. Swing. Voters don't care about media narratives. Once upon a time, politicians wrote books with actual substance. Teddy Roosevelt authored scholarly works on history and policy. He was considered an expert on the war of 1812, and John F. Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for Profiles in Courage, though it was later revealed that his book was largely ghost written and the value of authorship began to slip. Fast forward to today and every Democrat machine candidate is expected to release a memoir as a rite of passage. Barack Obama, Kamala Harris: all follow this playbook using their books to craft a carefully controlled story about their backgrounds and policy positions, despite their lack of substantial governing experience. Some even receive questionable literary awards to bolster their credibility, but voters want results, not well-packaged autobiographies filled with buzzwords. The identity politics trap, the party keeps prioritizing symbolism over substance picking candidates based on diversity optics rather than competence. This worked for Obama, but it backfired with Harris and Buttigieg. The machine refuses to adapt. And instead of recalibrating, it's simply preparing the next junior senator for the pipeline. Enter Elissa Slotkin, the next product of the Democratic machine. Slotkin has no real world experience going straight from the CIA and Pentagon into politics. she barely won Michigan's Senate seat in 2024 after defeating Mike Rogers a former congressman with far more experience. Slotkin is perfectly packaged as a moderate Democrat while actually voting in lockstep with the party. Slotkin represents the next iteration of the Democratic machines formula. A polished media-friendly figure with government experience, but not in governance itself. With no executive leadership background, her rise has been carefully curated by the same networks of donors, media elites, and political strategists that have elevated previous machine candidates. And if history is any indicator, she'll be expected to follow the modern playbook, a book deal, a memoir to shape her narrative, glowing media profiles, and the positioning as the centrist who can win. If she hasn't already started writing that book, she might want to get moving And right on cue, slotkin has been chosen to deliver the democratic rebuttal to Trump's address to the joint session of Congress in March, 2025 after having given one of the speeches at the DNC convention in 2024. These are classic machine moves elevating a carefully groomed figure into the national spotlight as a serious leader, before they've actually had to lead anything. It's the same strategy used with Obama, Harris, and Hillary, giving the party a chance to test how she handles the pressure while reinforcing her brand as a rising star. The stage is set. Slotkin will be marketed as the pragmatic centrist for 2028. she'll be sold as an experienced foreign policy expert. Even though her background is entirely in intelligence administration, not actual governance. The Democratic machine keeps churning, keeps running the same playbook and keeps failing, but instead of adjusting course, they're doubling down on the junior Senator strategy. And Slotkin is just the next name on the list. The Democratic Party had a deep bench of experienced leaders in the past, governors, mayors, even business leaders. Now, they rely on the same manufactured media groomed senators, and the results speak for themselves. But when one of these inexperienced candidates wins, who is actually in charge? With no executive leadership background these presidents are often figureheads, while real power is wielded by donors, longtime bureaucrats, party strategists, and deep state operatives. Obama had Valerie Jarrett biden was managed by former Obama era officials, and Harris was propped up by handlers shielding her from scrutiny. These senators do not enter the White House with strong leadership skills. They enter as part of a system that ensures policy decisions remain in the hands of unelected elites. If Elissa Slotkin is the next chosen one, expect the same results. A highly polished, well-funded, media-promoted, candidate with no actual leadership experience and a growing disconnect between the party and the voters they need to win, but as long as the machine keeps running, so does the cycle. The only question is, will voters keep electing figureheads while the real power remains in the shadows? Tell a friend about The Tenth Man, and thank you for listening.
