In the Sunday Times, Phyllis Akalin profiles the extraordinary story of Kacper Surdy, a 20 year-old Durham University student who has unexpectedly become a go-to resource for Washington’s top policymakers, despite never having set foot in America. Here’s an excerpt:
In the past year senators, members of Congress, harried aides and political reporters have all turned to Surdy’s @Ringwiss Twitter/X account to help them through confusing legislative thickets. They use it because the account has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Congress’s arcane procedural rules, which can baffle even veteran politicos.
In the most powerful city on Earth, there is great advantage to be gained by those who are able to manipulate the complex rules of Capitol Hill. Yet as the account rose to prominence, Ringwiss’s true identity remained a mystery, its profile picture an image of Homer Simpson eating a doughnut.
Then, last weekend, it emerged that this guru was not a professor of politics, nor a fiendishly clever AI, but an economics student from Peterborough. An article on the Politico website revealed that Surdy was the brain behind Ringwiss.
Washington was stunned. “I don’t believe what I just read. I must still be asleep and dreaming,” said Eric Columbus, a congressional lawyer for Nancy Pelosi and counsel to President Biden on the Senate judiciary committee. …
Since being unmasked Surdy has been approached by political science professors from American universities, offering support in applying for master’s and PhDs, and his follower count has quadrupled to nearly 16,000. “I thought it would be quite funny to reveal who I am – and it was,” he says. “Since the article was published, I’ve had a few members of Congress follow me. It’s nice that they are taking an interest in these things – finally.” …
Surdy’s fascination with U.S. politics was sparked by the 2020 election. But while most of us were transfixed by Donald Trump’s verbal pyrotechnics, it was the procedural rules that got him hooked. “I just got so interested in all the technical stuff, I found it so fascinating,” he says. “I’ve never looked back since.”
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Remember all those NHS numpties who twattered about how horrified they were by the antilockdown demonstrators supposedly risking undoing all their noble hard work. All the vile insults they slung at dissenters?
Did we ever get an apology from any of them?
Doubt it. Presumably they’ve transitioned smoothly to scapegoating vaccine dissenters, fomenting hatred of them, and violence and discrimination against them.
Incredible isn’t it, all those unmasked, unsocially distanced mass protests in the uk, and not a single one linked to a “surge in cases”. Anyone would think there wasn’t a pandemic going on.
I can’t square the fact that the very people who are so obstinate in their misguided belief on what is right work in the provision of healthcare. Unbelievable.
All the “scientists” who do NOT practice the “scientific method.” All the “scientists” who are unwilling to state that the predicted results from their hypothesis did NOT happen.
I remember after the Super Bowl in February the MSM were all over the NFL after large crowds celebrated with headlines about how this or that will shame the NFL, untold thousands will die because of this, etc.- well, nothing happened, so now we wait for all the apologies and corrections…
He is a hero. It takes a brave person to pioneer the pre-pandemic way of thinking, but that is what needs to be done. Especially heroic given the barrage of abuse he must know is coming from the tantruming pro-lockdowners of the world, who will no doubt twist figures to show how these events are “super-spreaders”!
State the truth and be proven right when the truth becomes better known. It’s an easy political philosophy. I’m surprised more politicians don’t follow it. Anyway, this one easy stand will probably ensure that DeSantis is the next president of the USA. This said, the entire establishment is now gunning for him. They don’t like being proven wrong.
I’ve always said it doesn’t take much to stand out from the “crowd,” when everyone in the crowd is so obviously wrong. By simply refusing to believe a false narrative, this man is now considered a hero. Which is good. Now if more politicians will glean this important lesson.
The government just need to stop taking advice from SAGE. End of. By definition (the clue’s in the last letter of the acronym) their purpose is to advise in times of emergency / national crisis so as long as SAGE advice remains the predominant guidance for running the country, they will never green-light fully opening up again, for fear of being scapegoated for the inevitable winter resurgence of Covid.
“That figure is kind of meaningless as America is still growing.“
Funny that, because the US pop was growing (rather faster) back in 2008-12 as well, but Obama lost 4m votes whereas Trump gained 12m.
And Obama had the old style US media that was part biased for him and part against, and a less powerful and less arrogantly interventionist big tech that was unwilling to be too open in its politics.
“No other presidential candidate has ever got anywhere near that — apart from Biden.”
Something to do with the fact that no other candidate has ever had the kind of massive media and big tech social media manipulation to protect his own campaign and smear and demonise his opponent….
No other way such an obviously senile and corrupt man could get elected. A less systematically biased media and social media would have torn his campaign to shreds.
Tears of joy from me, how uplifting. Remembering the human spirit and how we belong together.
donald
3 years ago
The NHL play offs are well attended in the US – a recent match was attended by 19,000 people. The number of people wearing masks was pretty small, and ‘social distancing’ (I call it anti-social distancing) is impossible. The situation in Canada is quite different, where the play offs are still being carried out in virtually empty arenas.
American reading. I’ve donated to DeSantis’ gubernatorial campaign, and I don’t even live in Florida. This Democrat-for-50-years will leap at the chance to vote DeSantis for President in 2024.
Freedom over Faucism (Drostenism, Whittyism etc.)- love it!
Imagine Doris taking the stage, but then, the likely still muzzled British sheep will probably applaud him or rattle with their jewelry…
We can only hope that he is much better protected than equally beloved and dangerous to the deep state and to our current real rulers JFK, RFK and Magufuli.
Attaboy
3 years ago
rowing across the pond as we speak in a a small boat
Eumaeus
3 years ago
American here (South Carolina). We just cancelled a two-week hike in Switzerland (with an air transfer at Heathrow). Instead, we’re doing three weeks in Georgia, Florida, and Texas, hiking, paddling, fine-dining, and gun-shooting. We’re trying to accept this new reality where the free world is a hell of a lot smaller than we thought. Hang tough, UK cousins!
BillRiceJr
3 years ago
If you read the story, you’ll see the last quote predicts X number of concert-goers will die because DeSantis allowed an outdoor concert. Nobody will die. In fact, albeit little reported, Americans have been attending outdoor events with no resulting “super spreader” even since the end of last August. These events were high school football games. True, capacity at some of these local games was limited, but I can report that many of these stadiums were at least 50 percent full. And the fans at these games were not “socially distancing” – before the games, during the games or after the games. Student sections were jam-packed at many of them. For some reason, the press never ran stories on the outbreaks that NEVER occurred in these communities. This would be “evidence” that did NOT support the narrative.
Last edited 3 years ago by BillRiceJr
QuickDrawMcGraw
3 years ago
This man is a f**king hero in my opinion. When I saw this yesterday, it really gave me hope for the first time in ages.
peyrole
3 years ago
Flights booked 9 months ago, due there on 6 October. NOTHING will stop this, even if it means going via Mexico or Bulgaria. Beat the bastards!!!
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Remember all those NHS numpties who twattered about how horrified they were by the antilockdown demonstrators supposedly risking undoing all their noble hard work. All the vile insults they slung at dissenters?
Did we ever get an apology from any of them?
Doubt it. Presumably they’ve transitioned smoothly to scapegoating vaccine dissenters, fomenting hatred of them, and violence and discrimination against them.
Incredible isn’t it, all those unmasked, unsocially distanced mass protests in the uk, and not a single one linked to a “surge in cases”. Anyone would think there wasn’t a pandemic going on.
That’s the thing – there isn’t.
Guess I should have put (sarc) after my comment
I can’t square the fact that the very people who are so obstinate in their misguided belief on what is right work in the provision of healthcare. Unbelievable.
All the “scientists” who do NOT practice the “scientific method.” All the “scientists” who are unwilling to state that the predicted results from their hypothesis did NOT happen.
Not at all unbelievable; they’ve all bought in to the ‘NHS is the envy of the world’ fantasy.
I remember after the Super Bowl in February the MSM were all over the NFL after large crowds celebrated with headlines about how this or that will shame the NFL, untold thousands will die because of this, etc.- well, nothing happened, so now we wait for all the apologies and corrections…
DeSantis – what a hero! (And I don’t use that term lightly)
He is a hero. It takes a brave person to pioneer the pre-pandemic way of thinking, but that is what needs to be done. Especially heroic given the barrage of abuse he must know is coming from the tantruming pro-lockdowners of the world, who will no doubt twist figures to show how these events are “super-spreaders”!
State the truth and be proven right when the truth becomes better known. It’s an easy political philosophy. I’m surprised more politicians don’t follow it. Anyway, this one easy stand will probably ensure that DeSantis is the next president of the USA. This said, the entire establishment is now gunning for him. They don’t like being proven wrong.
I’ve always said it doesn’t take much to stand out from the “crowd,” when everyone in the crowd is so obviously wrong. By simply refusing to believe a false narrative, this man is now considered a hero. Which is good. Now if more politicians will glean this important lesson.
The government just need to stop taking advice from SAGE. End of. By definition (the clue’s in the last letter of the acronym) their purpose is to advise in times of emergency / national crisis so as long as SAGE advice remains the predominant guidance for running the country, they will never green-light fully opening up again, for fear of being scapegoated for the inevitable winter resurgence of Covid.
Well done Florida! I will continue to buy your orange juice!
DeSantis deserves the presidency next election. Sad thing is, too many Republicans cant get over Trump, even though he’s not very electable.
75 million people voted for Trump. No other presidential candidate has ever got anywhere near that — apart from Biden.
That figure is kind of meaningless as America is still growing.
“That figure is kind of meaningless as America is still growing.“
Funny that, because the US pop was growing (rather faster) back in 2008-12 as well, but Obama lost 4m votes whereas Trump gained 12m.
And Obama had the old style US media that was part biased for him and part against, and a less powerful and less arrogantly interventionist big tech that was unwilling to be too open in its politics.
“No other presidential candidate has ever got anywhere near that — apart from Biden.”
Something to do with the fact that no other candidate has ever had the kind of massive media and big tech social media manipulation to protect his own campaign and smear and demonise his opponent….
No other way such an obviously senile and corrupt man could get elected. A less systematically biased media and social media would have torn his campaign to shreds.
-apart from Biden, helped to that by post office and election workers and supervisors, and by a certain vote count machine company and its executives.
Hallelujah Freedom
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dXkv-mNTAq4
Tears of joy from me, how uplifting. Remembering the human spirit and how we belong together.
The NHL play offs are well attended in the US – a recent match was attended by 19,000 people. The number of people wearing masks was pretty small, and ‘social distancing’ (I call it anti-social distancing) is impossible. The situation in Canada is quite different, where the play offs are still being carried out in virtually empty arenas.
Trudeau is the problem there
Any Americans reading this. You can either win convingly with DeSantis or repeat 2020 witb Trump, your choice.
DeSantis or Kristi Noem.
President Captain Underpants is a huge loser.
DeSantis Noem is the ideal ticket for me.
Are you comparing Trump to Captain Underpants? I’m intrigued to know why.
No, I am saying Trump actually is Captain Underpants, right down to the ridiculous toupee.
American reading. I’ve donated to DeSantis’ gubernatorial campaign, and I don’t even live in Florida. This Democrat-for-50-years will leap at the chance to vote DeSantis for President in 2024.
Awesome.
What – you think the demo-rats wouldn’t steal votes from DeSantis?
Freedom over Faucism (Drostenism, Whittyism etc.)- love it!
Imagine Doris taking the stage, but then, the likely still muzzled British sheep will probably applaud him or rattle with their jewelry…
We can only hope that he is much better protected than equally beloved and dangerous to the deep state and to our current real rulers JFK, RFK and Magufuli.
rowing across the pond as we speak in a a small boat
American here (South Carolina). We just cancelled a two-week hike in Switzerland (with an air transfer at Heathrow). Instead, we’re doing three weeks in Georgia, Florida, and Texas, hiking, paddling, fine-dining, and gun-shooting. We’re trying to accept this new reality where the free world is a hell of a lot smaller than we thought. Hang tough, UK cousins!
If you read the story, you’ll see the last quote predicts X number of concert-goers will die because DeSantis allowed an outdoor concert. Nobody will die. In fact, albeit little reported, Americans have been attending outdoor events with no resulting “super spreader” even since the end of last August. These events were high school football games. True, capacity at some of these local games was limited, but I can report that many of these stadiums were at least 50 percent full. And the fans at these games were not “socially distancing” – before the games, during the games or after the games. Student sections were jam-packed at many of them. For some reason, the press never ran stories on the outbreaks that NEVER occurred in these communities. This would be “evidence” that did NOT support the narrative.
This man is a f**king hero in my opinion. When I saw this yesterday, it really gave me hope for the first time in ages.
Flights booked 9 months ago, due there on 6 October. NOTHING will stop this, even if it means going via Mexico or Bulgaria. Beat the bastards!!!
Clever Ron, ‘Faucism’ not ‘fascism’ , but we all know what you mean!
Can we claim asylum in Florida?