Why should we spend time alone with God? Why is meeting with God in the secret place so important?

Paul knew following Jesus in a world full of temptations was going to be arduous‚ like running a long race. One that would require the right pacing. He knew we would fare better if we didn’t come out the gate ablaze and burn out too quickly. 

“They’re awful‚” one student lamented. Others fidgeted and some looked down while their fellow student shared her impressions of the Israelites’ antics in the Old Testament narratives I’d assigned the class to read. She went on to complain of dismemberment‚ distasteful lifestyles‚ and brutal sexual assault. My class forced many students to confront these shameful realities from Israel’s history for the first time. It was clear the whole class needed to process them together. Biblical Israel’s story is riddled with bad news. Until they get to my class‚ many of my evangelical Christian students have never read or heard about these hard stories in Scripture. But we need to own them. Part of what makes the good news of Jesus the Messiah good news is the bad news we find in the narratives of the Old Testament. Many modern Christians start with creation and the fall then jump directly to Calvary. There’s nothing wrong with the creation-fall-salvation model except that the habit of skipping the in-between part—Israel’s messy history—can lead us to think it insignificant. There’s nothing wrong with the creation-fall-salvation model except that the habit of skipping the in-between part—Israel’s messy history—can lead us to think it insignificant. The Bible doesn’t move directly from the promises of the Torah story to the four Gospels. The two are connected by the Israel story. The great merciful acts of Yahweh fill the pages of this rich history. Yet no biblical author shies away from human sinfulness. We read about rebellion from the land of promise to Mesopotamia and back. And we need to listen carefully because the bad news within redemptive history culminates in the teaching‚ death‚ and resurrection of the Messiah. Three examples make this clear. When Jonathan Was a Youth The non-chronological arrangement of the book of Judges sets up a shocker of an ending. After things get worse from one deliverer to the next‚ the book ends with a pair of horrific narratives too depraved to be described by the repeated characterization that “the Israelites did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh” (translation mine‚ Judg. 2:11; 3:7‚ 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). Instead‚ the narrator says‚ “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (17:6; 21:25). But when did things get so bad? At the conclusion of the Danite false-worship debacle and in the middle of the civil war sparked by the Benjamites’ crime against the Levite’s concubine‚ the narrator reveals these things took place in the days of the grandsons of Moses and Aaron (18:30; 20:28). To underline the point‚ the narrator says five times that Jonathan the grandson of Moses was still “young” (17:7‚ 11‚ 12; 18:3‚ 15). Anyone who looks back with longing to the days when Israel first entered the land of promise should reread the ending of Judges. There’s no such thing as the good old days—at least not in the highlands of Benjamin and Ephraim. Moses’s grandson is still young in the days when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” When Menahem Compromised If asked‚ Menahem the ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel might explain that political leaders sometimes need to make difficult decisions for the greater good. By this‚ Menahem would be referring to his decision to put Israel under vassalage to the Assyrian empire. How did Menahem pay excessive tribute to Assyria? With other people’s silver‚ of course. The book of Kings explains that Menahem made this decision to strengthen his own rule (2 Kings 15:19‒20). If this isn’t bad enough‚ the author includes a gruesome war crime of Menahem to show his evil character. The biblical text remembers Menahem for ripping open the pregnant women of Tiphsah as retaliation for them not surrendering immediately (v. 16). The ancient Assyrians of Menahem’s day weren’t shy about the brutalities they inflicted on their enemies. Sickening atrocities fill the royal inscriptions and the walls of Assyrian palaces. Yet the Assyrians don’t normally celebrate Menahem’s despicable act. Only one ancient Assyrian inscription and only one visual relief memorialize this behavior. These rare cases stand in sharp contrast to a long line of Assyrian kings who had their scribes and sculptors repeatedly memorialize the dismemberment‚ skinning alive‚ and torture of those they defeated. Menahem’s vile actions set him apart with the worst of the Assyrian kings. When Nehemiah Pummeled Rebels Nehemiah does what many leaders only dream about in secret. He physically rips out the beards and beats the rebellious men of Jerusalem who’d entered apostate marriages (Neh. 13:25). Nehemiah knows what’s at stake. Twelve years earlier‚ the returned exiles had solemnly promised to obey God’s will. The Judeans had put their promise into writing‚ and they signed it (Neh. 10)‚ but now they no longer remember their oath. In Nehemiah’s second term as governor‚ he uses the people’s promise as a checklist to expose their sin (13:4‒31). They rebelled against everything they’d promised‚ so sinners filled the streets of Jerusalem once again. It’s as though the exile never happened. Yahweh’s mercy and love appear everywhere in the Old Testament. But the bad news of sinful rebellions also fills the pages of the Israel story. In narratives that take us from the garden to the Babylonian exile‚ we’re tempted to ask what could be worse. The answer is what happened at Golgotha. We All Need Bad News First Pastors‚ conference speakers‚ and bloggers have long bemoaned the biblical illiteracy of today’s Christians. But this isn’t merely a matter of inconvenience. It’s not just that we need to offer a remedial explanation of the biblical accounts former generations knew well. No‚ when younger generations skip Israel’s story‚ it impoverishes the gospel. We need these stories to strengthen our vision of the good news in at least two ways. In narratives that take us from the garden to the Babylonian exile‚ we’re tempted to ask what could be worse. The answer is what happened at Golgotha. First‚ when we read about rebellion in the Scriptures‚ we learn to recognize it in ourselves. The Old Testament doesn’t merely give us pictures of others’ sin; its historical narratives are mirrors to show us our sin (1 Cor. 10:6‚ 11; James 1:23‒25). Second‚ reading about this long history of rebellion shows us the lengths to which Yahweh goes in pursuit of his people. Again and again‚ Yahweh acted with redeeming grace. Jesus infers that the Old Testament bears sufficient witness to God’s redeeming purposes—enough to leave us without excuse if we reject Christ’s resurrection from the dead (Luke 16:31). For this reason‚ the students in my classes need to study Old Testament history even if Israel’s sinfulness leaves them slack-jawed. Only those who understand the depth of human sinfulness can see the need for repentance and the expansiveness of grace. Yahweh in his wisdom has been pleased to present ancient Israel in all its messiness. We need the bad news to recover the goodness of the good news. We need the Israel story that culminates in the teaching‚ death‚ and resurrection of our Lord.

I was once a four-foot-tall enforcer. I followed the rules‚ and I wanted to make sure other children did too. I told my parents one time that I could control the misbehaving boys in my class with just a look. Only later‚ when I was fully grown‚ did I recognize myself in the character of the older brother from the parable of the prodigal son. Like him‚ my problem wasn’t that I tried to do what was right. It was that I took pride in doing what was right. It made me feel like I deserved God’s approval. That’s why‚ when Ginger Blomberg’s manuscript about a preschool prodigal came across my desk‚ it made me squirm at first. It reminded me that no matter how well I keep the rules‚ I cannot earn God’s approval. But thanks be to God‚ that approval is freely offered to me—as well as to other “older brothers” and prodigals of all stripes—through Jesus Christ. Charlie and the Preschool Prodigal is the newest book in our TGC Kids series. It retells the parable of the prodigal son in a modern-day‚ fictional setting. Whether your kids are rule keepers or boundary pushers‚ this is a story they need. It’s never too early to start teaching your children about God’s grace. I interviewed Blomberg about why she wrote the book and the message she hopes will come through to kids (and parents). Where did the idea for Charlie and the Preschool Prodigal come from? Around the time I turned 30‚ I read The Prodigal God by Tim Keller. The book’s description of God’s grace changed my life‚ and it is still changing my life. Keller’s analysis of Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son‚ with its extended discussion on the older brother’s equal need for grace‚ reoriented my thinking on many things‚ including my relationships with my own siblings and my children. Eddie‚ the younger brother in the story‚ is an amalgamation of stories about my younger siblings and my own kids. My little brother really did crash down the stairs in a cardboard box (I’m pretty sure I pushed him; although‚ in my defense‚ he was enthusiastic about trying it). Once‚ one of my toddlers wandered out of our front yard—near a busy street— while I was putting away some toys in the carport. He hid under a neighbor’s bush for the longest four minutes of my life before I found him. A couple of Eddie’s antics are fabricated‚ but most of them have some basis in personal experience. I based the character of Charlie‚ the older brother‚ almost entirely on myself. What was the biggest challenge to adapting the parable of the prodigal son into a modern-day story for a young audience? The ending. The original parable’s ending is so countercultural for us. We don’t have a good paradigm for what happens when we work really hard and things don’t turn out the way we wanted. We have been taught to expect and aspire to the kind of story where people who do right actions are rewarded. Jesus ends his parable with the older brother‚ the one who believes he has done everything right‚ feeling resentful and standing outside the feast. He thinks his younger brother has gotten away with some very bad behavior. The father comes outside to the older brother and invites him to join the feast‚ but Jesus does not tell us how the older brother responds. The older brother’s intentional separation from his father and brother here shows that he needs his father’s grace every bit as much as his reckless younger brother does. It was a difficult decision‚ but with the advice and blessing of my editor‚ I left the older brother’s final choice unknown in this story‚ just like Jesus does in the original parable. What does self-righteousness look like in a child’s world? A self-righteous child might look like Luisa in Encanto‚ cracking under the pressure (drip‚ drip‚ drip). Or like Edward in The Prince and the Pauper‚ swinging between the fear of letting people down and a desire to just run away from it all. Or like Elsa‚ the ice queen in Frozen‚ who would rather live in isolation than risk making a big mistake. It might look like Alice Wendleken‚ the “holy-looking” girl in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever‚ who keeps a list of every naughty thing the Herdman kids do‚ hoping to get them kicked out of the Christmas pageant and the church. Or Javert‚ who gave his life to pursuing Jean Valjean in Les Miserables because he could not stand the idea that someone‚ somewhere‚ may have gotten away with something. Of course‚ it might look like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son who cuts himself off from his brother and his father because of his own self-righteousness. Each of these manifestations has the same core error; each of those characters is thinking‚ Everything depends on me. It might be exhilarating‚ but it’s also a frightening burden to feel like you are in charge of the world. Self-righteousness is lonely because very few people can measure up to our exacting standards. In my experience‚ childhood self-righteousness feels like trying to do things right‚ not out of love but out of pride‚ fear‚ or hope of recognition. It was defined by a very small comprehension of God’s grace. It’s only when we are grasped by the astounding gift of God’s grace that we become able to extend grace to others. How would you‚ as a parent‚ talk with children who struggle with the way Eddie’s dad lets him off the hook? No one‚ including Eddie‚ ever really gets “off the hook.” The book does not detail the consequences Eddie might face later‚ but it implies that he will have some in addition to the natural consequences of fear and separation he experiences when he runs away. It is important that we teach our kids the law by providing them with consequences for their actions. The Bible is clear that sin always has consequences (Rom. 6:23). God’s law teaches us about goodness and justice‚ gives us wisdom for living well‚ and provides instructions for making this broken world a better place. More importantly‚ though‚ the law is a road to lead us to God through grace. Grace is the other vital part of this answer. All sin costs; the only question is who pays. Justice is when the sinner pays. Injustice is when the victim pays. Grace is when God fulfills justice by paying the cost himself. The Bible is clear that no matter how well we follow the law‚ none of us can follow it perfectly enough to actually save ourselves (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2). Salvation can only come through Jesus Christ‚ who lived and loved perfectly (2 Cor. 5:21). Because we are all broken‚ we all have a natural bent to try to either escape justice or pay everything ourselves rather than turning to God. Some of us try to save ourselves by just running away from the cost of the law‚ like the younger brother in Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son. Some of us‚ like the parable’s older brother‚ try to save ourselves by following the law‚ thinking if we can just do everything right‚ we can work hard enough to pay off all the costs somehow. In “older brother” thinking‚ God owes us something. Eddie needs there to be consequences‚ but even more than that—the whole point of the consequences and the reunion—he needs to be safe in his father’s love. His older brother needs exactly the same thing. Charlie thinks he has earned the right to tell his brother and father what to do‚ but his self-righteous‚ unloving attitude is evidence that he needs his father’s grace and love just as much as his brother does. We need a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. But as sinners‚ we don’t have a way to come to him. The only way is God’s grace. Without the law‚ grace is cheap. Without grace‚ the law is crushing. Praise God‚ Jesus has fulfilled the law and given us grace.

Michigan are the national champions

Jewish members could be seen flipping what appears to be table

Damn‚ Ja ... damn

If President Joe Biden was expecting his campaign speech at Mother Emanuel AME Church to garner positive reviews‚ he sure didn’t get any during the 7PM hour on MSNBC. Joy Reid and panelist Jason Johnson panned the speech as not enough‚ and a throwback to “90s‚ 80s politics.” The Lincoln Grift’s Tara Setmayer was reduced to almost literally repeating the Biden line asking not to be compared to the Almighty‚ but the alternative. Watch as Reid and Johnson take turns citing their objections to the speech‚ its timing‚ and the broader politics of Joe Biden and his level of engagement with the younger black community (click “expand”): JASON JOHNSON: If I were Joe Biden- I'm not trying to be glib when I say this Joy‚ but if I were Joe Biden‚ he is two or three months behind in talking to Charlamagne again. He is two or three months behind between‚ you know‚ knocking on doors and getting into communities in ways he should be. Putting out Vice President Kamala Harris. Quite frankly‚ right now‚ if I were in Joe Biden's office‚ I would be calling Shannon Sharpe‚ right? Lke‚ literally. He should be speaking to a wider array of black people than just going to Mother Emanuel. We all know that he's on the right side of that history‚ but he also needs to be a part of the future.  REID: You know‚ Tara‚ that’s such a great point. Because I think one of the issues‚ you know‚ when they say Biden is “old”‚ his age- it's not just his numerical age and the sort of gambit- the way he walks and talks and sounds. It's also his politics are old. Like‚ he still is sort of doing '90s‚ '80s politics‚ including on the Middle East. Let me play a moment that happened in that church and get your comment on it. Here is the protest that happened.  BIDEN: Without the truth‚ there's no light. Without light‚ there's no path from this darkness.  PROTESTERS: If you really care about the lives lost here‚ then you should honor the lives lost‚ and call for a cease-fire in Palestine.  CEASE FIRE NOW! CEASE FIRE NOW! CEASE FIRE NOW! BIDEN: That's all right.  CHURCH ATTENDEES: FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! BIDEN: I understand the passion. Look‚ folks‚ after the Civil --  PARISHIONER: You're an understanding person. You’re an understanding person. BIDEN: Thank you. PARISHIONER: They don't realize that. You're a good man.  BIDEN: Thank you.  REID: Tara‚ that to me says the complete dichotomy with Joe Biden. For black voters of a certain age‚ he's their guy. They're the ones who delivered him the nomination and they're still with him. Then you go under 50‚ under 40‚ under 30‚ you start to see a different story‚ and then you see some other communities who don't necessarily feel the love.  You just knew that Biden was in deep‚ deep trouble here when Reid opened with a clip of former President Barack Obama singing “Amazing Grace” during his eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney‚ in the aftermath of the 2015 racist massacre at Mother Emanuel. THIS is how Reid introduced President Biden’s speech today. The segment went downhill fast for Biden‚ in what represented a microcosm of his own fraying electoral coalition.  Reid goes to Johnson‚ who pretty much buried the speech‚ saying that it does nothing to move younger voters. Interestingly enough‚ Johnson recommends that Biden get in front of such hosts as Shannon Sharpe and Charlemagne. The imagination trembles at the notion of two hours of Biden and Sharpe‚ or of the potential for “You Ain’t Black‚ Part Two” with Charlemagne‚ who told Politico that he feels “burned” from his endorsement of Biden in 2020. Either way‚ pure content gold. Reid used the clip of the checkers to illustrate Biden’s deep disconnect with younger voters. It is here that Setmayer comes to Biden’s rescue with lamentations of the timing of the Israel-Hamas war vis-a-vis the campaign (as always‚ the purest‚ truest victim of any such unfortunate event is Joe Biden’s reelection prospects) and coming dangerously close to telling Reid and Johnson to fall in line. Since the segment can’t all be about dumping on Biden’s speech‚ Reid closes by slamming Nikki Haley’s explanation of the meaning of the Confederate flag on the Glenn Beck radio show. But not before pointedly mentioning that the Obamas are very concerned‚ SCARED even‚ of what is happening within the Biden reelection campaign. Tough crowd‚ indeed.  Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on MSNBC’s The ReidOut on Monday‚ January 8th‚ 2024: BARACK OBAMA: ♪♪ Amazing grace ♪♪ ♪♪ how sweet the sound ♪♪ ♪♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪♪  JOY REID: That was a moment. President Barack Obama back in 2015‚ delivering the eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney‚ the pastor of the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston‚ South Carolina. Reverend Pinckney‚ along with eight black churchgoers who were attending Bible study‚ were murdered by a white supremacist who selected the church because of its history as one of the South's oldest black churches. The killer wanted to trigger a race war. Today‚ Joe Biden‚ who was Obama's vice president at that time‚ visited the church as president. He also spent the day in South Carolina meeting with voters‚ laying out his case for re-election. And highlighting his accomplishments while underscoring the dangers that Trump and his pro-authoritarian right wing Republican party pose.  JOE BIDEN: The lies that led to January 6th are part of a broader attack on the truth in America today that we all have seen before. The same movement that throughout the mob on the U.S. Capitol isn’t just trying to rewrite history of January 6th‚ they're trying to determine to erase history. And your future. Banning books‚ denying your right to vote and have it counted. Destroying diversity‚ equality‚ inclusion‚ all across America. Harboring hate and replacing hope with anger and resentment and a dangerous view of America.  REID: The speech comes amid growing concern that Biden's support among African American voters is softening. Back with me‚ Jason Johnson and Tara Setmayer. I’m going to start with you‚ Jason. I know that you knew Reverend Pinckney. What's the significance in your view of Joe Biden- President Biden being in that church today and what did you make of what he said- had to say?  JASON JOHNSON: You know‚ Joy‚ every time we go back to Mother Emanuel‚ it's difficult for me. I was there when Obama spoke in 2015. As has been talked about before‚ I knew Clem‚ I’d known Clem for years. It's a sacred place. And it's the place of an assassination and a massacre‚ and so I don't take it lightly when politicians go there. I am glad that Joe Biden decided to go. I'm glad that Joe Biden decided to speak but the truth of the matter is‚ he's speaking to the choir‚ literally and figuratively. The speech that he gives at Mother Emanuel is not going to move the needle if the larger way we're looking at this is his soft support amongst African Americans. It's not soft support because black people don't like Joe Biden per se‚ it's that black voters who are the backbone of the Democratic Party don't necessarily feel that he's been an active fighter on black voters' behalf‚ especially in the face of the sort of white supremacy and white nationalism on the other side. So‚ again. Nice speech‚ very moving‚ very emotional. I don't know that it's doing enough. If I were Joe Biden‚ I'm not trying to be glib when I say this Joy-‚ but if I were Joe Biden‚ he is two or three months behind in talking to Charlamagne again. He is two or three months behind between‚ you know‚ knocking on doors and getting into communities in ways he should be. Putting out Vice President Kamala Harris. Quite frankly‚ right now‚ if I were in Joe Biden's office‚ I would be calling Shannon Sharpe‚ right? Lke‚ literally. He should be speaking to a wider array of black people than just going to Mother Emanuel. We all know that he's on the right side of that history‚ but he also needs to be a part of the future.  REID: You know‚ Tara‚ that’s such a great point. Because I think one of the issues‚ you know‚ when they say Biden is “old”‚ his age- it's not just his numerical age and the sort of gambit- the way he walks and talks and sounds. It's also his politics are old. Like‚ he still is sort of doing '90s‚ '80s politics‚ including on the Middle East. Let me play a moment that happened in that church and get your comment on it. Here is the protest that happened.  BIDEN: Without the truth‚ there's no light. Without light‚ there's no path from this darkness.  PROTESTERS: If you really care about the lives lost here‚ then you should honor the lives lost‚ and call for a cease-fire in Palestine.  CEASE FIRE NOW! CEASE FIRE NOW! CEASE FIRE NOW! BIDEN: That's all right.  CHURCH ATTENDEES: FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! BIDEN: I understand the passion. Look‚ folks‚ after the Civil --  PARISHIONER: You're an understanding person. You’re an understanding person. BIDEN: Thank you. PARISHIONER: They don't realize that. You're a good man.  BIDEN: Thank you.  REID: Tara‚ that to me says the complete dichotomy with Joe Biden. For black voters of a certain age‚ he's their guy. They're the ones who delivered him the nomination and they're still with him. Then you go under 50‚ under 40‚ under 30‚ you start to see a different story‚ and then you see some other communities who don't necessarily feel the love.  TARA SETMAYER: You know‚ I think that Joe Biden handled that moment brilliantly‚ because this is a very complicated issue. And you know‚ he's been trying to balance doing the right thing from a foreign policy level‚ what's in the best interest of the U.S. and in the region with domestic politics. And the timing of this issue couldn't be worse from a domestic policy perspective‚ because of what you're saying here with certain voting demographics particularly in the black community‚ younger black Americans‚ and Arab Americans in this country and places like Michigan‚ which is a really important state‚ key swing state. This is a challenge because this election is going to be very‚ very‚ very close again. So we can't afford to lose -- Biden can't afford to lose any of his coalition. But I also think it's important for people to remember that President Joe Biden‚ regardless of his age‚ regardless of what his position on the war in Israel and what's happening there in the Middle East‚ this is a person who has the best interest of all Americans at the forefront. He understands that. And by staying home or thinking that they're punishing Joe Biden somehow for his position on Israel and Hamas‚ is going to move the needle for them‚ it's not. So instead‚ they’d rather have Donald Trump‚ who wants to have a Muslim ban again‚ who thinks that immigrants are vermin‚ who wants to be a dictator on day one‚ who wants to tear up the Constitution‚ who‚ you know‚ any black folks who think that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are somehow morally equivalent‚ they need to take a step back and take a look at what Donald Trump has said‚ what he has done‚ versus what president Biden is trying to do. Yes‚ he's been around a long time and his record has been very clear in his support for civil rights in this country and for minorities in this country and for equality in this country. So I just think that this idea of staying home or throwing a temper tantrum because you're not getting everything you want from President Biden‚ people need to really reconsider what the alternative is‚ because the alternative is the unthinkable. And they won't have any opportunity to protest. Do they not remember what happened in Lafayette Square in the George Floyd protests in 2020? That's just a taste of what Donald Trump would do again if he were in office. So I think folks really need to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture here and what's actually at stake before throwing a temper tantrum over certain issues concerning president Biden.  REID: The other -- well‚ some of the people who are concerned‚ Jason‚ apparently are the Obamas. We’ve had now headlines about both President Obama‚ former President Obama and Michelle Obama saying she's really scared of what's happened. But when Tara talks about the alternatives‚ one of the alternatives is set to be Nikki Haley. Let me play Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley‚ before- she was for the Confederate flag before she was agin’ it. Here she is saying who actually ruined the Confederate flag.  NIKKI HALEY: This is one of the oldest African American churches. These 12 people were amazing people. They loved their church‚ they loved their family. They loved their community. And here is this guy that comes out with his manifesto holding the Confederate flag‚ and had just hijacked everything that people thought of. We don't have hateful people in South Carolina. There's always a small minority that’s always going to be there.  REID: Jason‚ I am today old when I discovered there was nothing wrong with the Confederate flag and its meaning until‚ oh‚ Dylann Roof came along and changed its meaning away from its original one to a bad one. Your thoughts.  JOHNSON: Yeah‚ I just thought if I saw a Confederate flag before Dylann Roof‚ it's like‚ oh‚ that's a place I should go trick-or-treating‚ right? Everybody just thought it was perfectly fine. Look‚ Nikki Haley is never going to be the alternative to Donald Trump. She's not even Trump Light. She can't be honest about her own history. And if you can't tell me your own history‚ why should I give my future to you? But I think it speaks to a larger problem‚ Joy. Look. The ability for people going all the way back to the beginning with Elisa Stanik(sic)- we can’t allow people to just tell us whatever kind of fake history that they have. And whether that has to do with foreign policy or domestic policy‚ can’t let people lie. REID: Yeah. Yeah. At least just say the honest history. Jason Johnson. Tara Setmayer. Thank you both very much.    

In every joke‚ they say‚ is a grain of truth. I couldn’t help but think about that as I saw the former Biden White House Press Secretary giggle through her casual attempt to recruit President Obama’s campaign manager to come in and rescue the Biden campaign. Watch as Psaki sets up the interview‚ and multiple attempts to draft Plouffe (mock or otherwise)‚ with The Washington Post’s article on Obama’s concerns regarding the Biden campaign. JEN PSAKI: So apparently‚ there was a big meeting recently between two of my former bosses‚ President Obama and President Biden. And in that meeting‚ which was first reported by The Washington Post‚ the two discussed concerns President Obama has about the strategy and operations of the Biden campaign. One source told the Post‚ quote‚ Obama grew animated in discussing the 2024 election and former President Donald Trump's potential return to power. The Post reports that Obama has told Biden aides that the campaign needs to move more aggressively‚ and he suggested that the campaign needs more top-level decision makers at its headquarters. According to the Post‚ he mentioned David Plouffe‚ his 2008 campaign manager‚ my former boss‚ as the type of senior strategist needed at the Biden campaign. Joining me now is of course David Plouffe‚ former campaign manager for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential race. Okay‚ Plouffe. I know‚ I know you've been telling people‚ probably including me‚ for a very long time that you are retired from active campaign work. But I think we can all agree we’re kind of in an existential moment here. So two presidents‚ hypothetically‚ ask you to return to campaign work‚ just for a little while‚ given how existential this is. Would you consider it?  DAVID PLOUFFE: Well- good try‚ Jen. No. Uh‚ first of all‚ I… PSAKI: No‚ you would not!  There was over five and half minutes of this stuff‚ two Obama operatives just shooting the breeze‚ nerding out about campaign process‚ and reminiscing on the good old days of 2012. And people apparently watch this! Resist the urge to feel sympathy for me for watching the unwatchable: as Hyman Roth told Don Michael Corleone‚ this is the business we’ve chosen. What you saw in the video clip was Paski’s first pass at drafting Plouffe. There was another‚ a variant of the old “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” plea. A not slamming the door on an advisory role. And a mention of “Plouffe stans”. Again‚ I can’t believe people watch this stuff. Some might be quick to dismiss the “draft Plouffe” banter as Psaki trying to make light of both the reporting about Obama’s concerns with the campaign and Biden’s difficulty in maintaining his 2020 coalition. Nonetheless‚ it is jarring to see Psaki publicly undermine her old boss‚ especially after leveraging her prior service to her old boss into MSNBC airtime. Whether in jest or not. There is always a kernel of truth in every joke. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on MSNBC’s Inside With Jen Psaki on Monday‚ January 8th‚ 2024: JEN PSAKI: So apparently‚ there was a big meeting recently between two of my former bosses‚ President Obama and President Biden. And in that meeting‚ which was first reported by The Washington Post‚ the two discussed concerns President Obama has about the strategy and operations of the Biden campaign. One source told the Post‚ quote‚ Obama grew animated in discussing the 2024 election and former President Donald Trump's potential return to power. The Post reports that Obama has told Biden aides that the campaign needs to move more aggressively‚ and he suggested that the campaign needs more top-level decision makers at its headquarters. According to the Post‚ he mentioned David Plouffe‚ his 2008 campaign manager‚ my former boss‚ as the type of senior strategist needed at the Biden campaign. Joining me now is of course David Plouffe‚ former campaign manager for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential race. Okay‚ Plouffe. I know‚ I know you've been telling people‚ probably including me‚ for a very long time that you are retired from active campaign work. But I think we can all agree we’re kind of in an existential moment here. So two presidents‚ hypothetically‚ ask you to return to campaign work‚ just for a little while‚ given how existential this is. Would you consider it?  DAVID PLOUFFE: Well- good try‚ Jen. No. Uh‚ first of all‚ I… PSAKI: No‚ you would not!  PLOUFFE: Sometimes… Well‚ I obviously‚ you know‚ no surprise‚ I talked to a lot of my former colleagues who are involved in the effort and give whatever advice I can‚ however little that’s worth. You know‚ I think at the end of the day‚ listen‚ President Obama‚ who I can offer informed perspective on this‚ I think‚ has complete confidence in the team around Joe Biden because that team won the White House in 2020. And so my sense is‚ I think probably what’s driving‚ you know‚ some of the urgency is just that the stakes‚ obviously‚ are enormous. But‚ you know‚ the Republican primary could be wrapped up very soon‚ you know‚ within a couple of weeks. Maybe Nikki Haley will extend it if she wins New Hampshire. So the general election is gonna begin and you just gotta make sure everyone is in the right places. We went through this‚ as you know‚ heading into the re-elect in 2012. And studied the Bush reelect‚ the Clinton reelect‚ the Reagan reelect‚ George H.W. Bush’s reelect which I don’t think handled it well‚ which is I think there's a lesson there which is you want the campaign to be as fully empowered as possible. Obviously there needs to be coordination with the White House. But to move quickly‚ to make decisions‚ and politics is a lot different even now than it was four years ago. Platforms like TikTok‚ obviously‚ are a place where a lot of younger people but not just younger people get information. The tools available have changed a lot. So at the end of the day I think Joe Biden’s got the people around him who won the White House once. I think they can win it twice. But they just have to get everybody in the right seats.  PSAKI: For the Plouffe stans out there‚ which there are many‚ I’m not- I’m just gonna mark that as not a total door slam of you helping them‚ but maybe not in a formal role at this moment. But we’ll see. OK. So you’re still a pundit out there on the outside and you just outlined a lot of what they are doing. You are right‚ a lot of things have changed since you were traveling on the plane and I was traveling on the plane back in 2012 when President Obama was running for reelection. There have been some of these concerns expressed about the lack of senior decision-makers in Delaware and the lack of urgency around setting up national structures around that campaign. There is tons of time to go here‚ for anybody who is bed-wetting. But do you share those concerns? I mean‚ you said you are confident how they're going. But would you like to be faster? Would you like there to be more decision-makers‚ or different means of communicating on the campaign?  PLOUFFE: Well‚ you know‚ my sense‚ and obviously‚ I'm not in these rooms every day‚ right? But my sense is you see the schedules picking up. You know‚ they've got new advertising out. I think they are beginning to place people in the states. So that's all great. And I would remind everybody‚ and sometimes those of us who work in campaigns are afraid to say this. You know‚ campaigns matter around the margins. They are kind of a field goal unit‚ as our friend David Axelrod‚ Jen‚ used to say. Which is‚ they're not gonna turn 45% of the vote into 52% of the vote. But a great campaign may be able to get you a point or two. And this is likely to be a close race. So the campaign is not gonna change big things‚ how they handle things like‚ you know‚ age‚ the state of the economy‚ foreign policy crises‚ you know‚ does Donald Trump‚ you know‚ try to appeal to the middle‚ or does he continue to double down on the crazy? But I think the campaign is making strides. And what- it's important to remind everyone what is the campaign in a presidential race? Well‚ in this particular presidential race in 2024‚ it’s six‚ maybe seven states‚ probably a couple of million total between swing voters and people that you are concerned about either not turning out or perhaps voting third-party‚ which I think could be a factor in this race. So those are where the campaign really matters and can make a big difference. But the big things‚ how you handle those debates‚ you know‚ does Joe Biden convince people‚ you know‚ he's up to this job‚ which I think he clearly is. But there’s people that need convincing. Can you make Donald Trump pay the full price for things like abortion‚ for his desire to be an autocrat‚ or his economic policies that are all about helping the rich and screwing the workers. A campaign can help there. But some of those big pieces I think‚ you know‚ are gonna be subject‚ particularly things like foreign policy and the economy‚ they're not in control of‚ the campaign. But as you know‚ in ‘12 we did a very good job of determining what the economic debate we were gonna have with Mitt Romney was. And we really focused on who was best for the middle class. And by the way‚ that's a debate I think Joe Biden is really well positioned‚ as you know well‚ to win.  PSAKI: Yeah. The “who you are fighting for” debate‚ which is less about data and more about how people feel and the president gave two big speeches on democracy. So a lot for people to work with. David Plouffe‚ thank you as always.