Top 5 Down the Hall Posts of 2025
What do my readers really want?
I am constantly asking myself what readers want, and then throwing more Veep stuff at them. In that light, I thought I’d join the Substack herd and do a year-end rundown of the most read stories on Down the Hall, both so you can revisit them and I can analyze them for a sense of what my readers want. So here is the countdown of the top 5 posts of 2025.
5. Who will be the Democratic running mate in 2028?
My fifth most read article was an early look at the Democratic 2028 Veepstakes. It has some nice tables as I explain that Democratic running mates tend to be more conservative than the nominee and overwhelmingly come from the Senate. I conclude by giving readers what I know they want:
You’ve read all this way, you want a name. Ruben Gallego, Senator from Arizona. He’s a perfect VP. His time in the Senate is short, but he’s been in Congress for a decade. He’s young, a Veteran, Latino, and strong on border security. Of course, Gallego is looking at the top office himself.
I’m not saying it will be Gallego. But if someone offers you 1000 to 1 odds on Ruben Gallego as VP, take it.
Gallego has had a bit of scandal recently, some leaked texts have a very “manosphere” vibe. Not sure what this does to his prospects, it could play several different ways. I’d still take the 1000 to 1 odds.
4. Reviewing the Harris Campaign Memoir
My fourth most read article was 107 Days: Harris Re-Hashes 2024, my review of her campaign memoir. I think my opening really says it all:
In her campaign diary 107 Days, Kamala Harris succeeds in explaining her 2024 election loss, but not in the way she had hoped. Her argument was that 107 days, the time she had to campaign for president after President Biden dropped out of the race, was not enough time for a winning campaign. The strength of the book are the intimate details of running for president, but this focus on minutiae illustrates her campaign’s strategic failure.
It pained me to write this a bit since I’m a fan of Harris and very much wanted her to win. But I have to call it as I see it. It also gave me an excuse to post a pic of Harris in her fantastic rainbow jacket.
3. Has JD Vance been Anointed?
My third most read article was Vance Advance and Impeachment Archived. This was the only Veeply Round-up to make the top five. It covers a discussion of Vance’s anointment as Trump’s successor and updates on the governor’s race in California (because the Lt. Gov. dropped out) and the end of the impeachment saga of Sara Duterte, the VP of the Philippines. I thought the most significant note was about the Army Corps of Engineers changing the waters levels of the Little Miami River where Vance and his family went kayaking. I wrote:
Whether Vance, like an Egyptian Pharaoh, issued the command: “Raise the waters” or it was the result of the vast machinery that accompanies every vice-presidential move, each of these scenarios speaks to an Imperial Presidency. The presidency is so special, powerful, and holy that even the president’s successor must be protected and never suffer any inconvenience, whatever the cost. The U.S. cannot afford to be rudderless at any moment, therefore absolutely no risks to our precious leaders can be tolerated. What if Donald Trump has a fatal heart attack and at nearly the same instant a surprise strong current overturns Vance’s kayak and he drowns? The U.S. would be completely vulnerable to a surprise attack!
I like doing deep historical analysis of the vice presidency and what it says about politics and society. But I suspect this post had lots of readers because it talked about political inside baseball of Vance’s not quite anointment as Trump’s successor and had this cool pic inspired by The Lion King.
2. SignalGate and a Glimpse into the Trump Administration
Speaking of inside baseball, my second most read post was What the Leaks Reveal about the VP about SignalGate (remember that… it was only nine months ago.) The National Security Advisor accidentally included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, on a group chat discussing a planned attack on the Houthis in Yemen. Others debated the security implications of the leak, I looked at it for insight into the administration process and particularly Vance’s role. I concluded:
First, it is [Stephen] Miller who can speak authoritatively on behalf of the president. Second, vice presidents usually ask to be the last person in the room when a major decision is made by the president in order to give confidential advice. This conversation indicates that the decision was already made and Vance was not able to play that role. The vice president is left to bitch about the decision in the group chat and considering whether or not to make a direct appeal. Miller forecloses that possibility, and Vance does not protest. I wrote that Vance might be the eminence grise of the administration, but that role has been taken by Miller.
Since then, through loyalty, skill, and alliances within the White House, Vance’s standing has improved.
1. A Message of Hope!
My most read post of 2025 was It’s going to be ok, I think. This was about why Trump’s efforts to turn the U.S. into a dictatorship will likely fail. I was inspired by the fantastic Henry Farrell to write this. First, Trump’s own transactional and inconstant approach actually organizes opposition against him. Secondly, we have a number of national institutions like our state governments, our professional military, and our innate Americanness that will in the end block Trump’s full dictatorial ambitions. I concluded:
Trump’s many weaknesses does not mean his fall is a done deal. He should never have become president and his re-emergence after his 2020 defeat and J6 is astonishing. Give the devil his due. But a smart campaign against him will use his weaknesses.
Where Trump drives potential allies away, welcome them—no litmus tests, no “I told you so” to disaffected Trump supporters. Acknowledge and work to address the failings in our system that drove this huckster to power.
Where Trump is disorganized, be organized.
Where Trump is fickle, be constant.
Where Trump promises darkness, speak of light.
Where Trump is deceitful, be worthy of trust. Because ultimately, the coordination to thwart his project relies on trust.
Looking Ahead
Studying this list, my audience seems to want nuts and bolts political punditry about campaigns, who’s up and who’s down, and who to keep an eye on. I’ll try to oblige. Even though posts on foreign VPs and deeper historical and political analysis didn’t get as much love, I’ll keep writing them. Overall, I have pretty consistent levels of readership—I just need a lot more readers.
My top post of 2025, the one on how Trump will probably fail in his grandest ambitions, indicates what my readers really want the most: hope.
Here’s hoping for a peaceful and prosperous 2026 for the United States and the whole world. See you next year.