Dem Post Mortem

[steve_bank]

Interesting thread, wondering why someone as wonderful as Kamala Harris lost. So ponder.

If she is so awesome, why'd she lose the 2020 primary even before voting started?

Could it be she actually lacked appeal within her own party?

Could it possibly be she did not address the concerns that the majority of the people have?

Trump flipped blue states, that should tell us something. Lkee maybe the democrats are out of touch with the people, certainty true of Biden who continues to speak his tired old democrat cliche;'s.

When he spoke to a blck college audience he pleaded for blacks to vote for hm. Some in the audience turned their chairs around showing him their backs.

In response to being asked why she voted for Trump and not Harris a woman said 'Beyonce does not pay my bills; referring to Harris trotting out all those entertainment figures.

 

[Ford]

In response to being asked why she voted for Trump and not Harris a woman said 'Beyonce does not pay my bills; referring to Harris trotting out all those entertainment figures.

It is worth noting that most Americans knew Trump from his time hosting a "reality" show. He was famous for being a rich entertainment figure, and his aura as a "successful businessman" was as flimsy as a soap bubble.

He was not and never has been a guy who was on the side of the everyday American, let alone the working class. He shits in a golden toilet, flies in a private jet everywhere, and the last time he sat in the driver's seat of any vehicle is for a photo op "driving" a garbage truck. His stint "working" at McDonald's lasted no longer than some McDonald's employees' bus ride to their job.

The truth is that his "hero of the working man" persona is a sham, and the fact that so many people fell for it is more of a commentary on the ability of the American people to be easily manipulated.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

I've ranted enough about other things, so I'll talk about something else: Kamal Harris.

I understand that what I'm about to say is highly speculative. There's no guarantee that some other candidate would've won. IMO, Gavin Newsom would've been the far better choice.

Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat. What minority is small enough and despised anough to safely deflect guilt for the loss of a national election onto? Someone who stayed home is more guilty than someone who actively voted in a dictator, apparently.

Well, yeah as a matter of fact. Trump's vote turnout was less than his vote in 2020. Elections are always about turnout. Granted she didn't inspire people. But seriously, what the fuck is wrong with people who sit out elections? They are indeed fucked up people.

You really can't see what's wrong with accepting white bigotry as a given while screaming your hatred toward a refugee people who've been subjected to genocide?

Sticking up for a religious group that oppresses women to the point where if it were white Christians were doing it you'd be spitting blood. They voted for Trump because he is indeed such a misogynistic turd. But by all means, keep supporting an absurd religion and it's ass backwards culture.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

I found this interesting. I've been ranting about it, so I figured I should post some sources. So here ya' go.

Ignore and insult one of the largest voting demographics, and well, this is what you get.

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-11-06/how-5-key-demographic-groups-helped-trump-win-the-2024-election

White and Suburban Men​

The Pew Research Center found that Trump had a 30-point advantage among white men who reported voting for him over Clinton in 2016. While Trump still had a sizable advantage in that demographic in 2020, Biden did make some gains and shrunk the margin to 17 points.
So far, Harris appears to have lost some of that ground in 2024, according to the AP. White men who supported Trump made up 59% of those surveyed as of Wednesday afternoon, compared to 39% for Harris – a margin that was smaller than Clinton’s eight years ago.
The vice president, however, also lost some ground with suburban men. Biden narrowly won support from that demographic group (49% to 48%) in 2020, while this year, Trump had a 6-point advantage over Harris as of publication (52% to 46%).

 

[trillian]

Waffled on gender affirmation/surgery stances, especially for minors

No, they didn't.

Republicans, much like with election/voter fraud, claimed something was happening which was not.

Nobody supports surgery for minors (except, ironically, republicans).

Didn't course correct on males in females sports.

No, they didn't jump into gender essentialism and legislating private competition. This is a very dishonest way of discussing whether science or politics is the primary vehicle for discussing competitive advantage.

Played both sides irt Israel/Iran proxies.

No, the whole situation is a mess. Anyone who cannot see that the situation in the middle east is not compounded heavily with "religious posturing" is a fool.

The american political climate puts so much leverage on the middle east because of dominionist/evangelical beliefs. How a 2000 year old myth ended up being a basis for political posture today is less important than the fact that it IS such a basis.

The reality here is that "support Israel even if they're being shitty, or else the religious whack jobs in the US will call you the antichrist and you lose." The ONLY option is to play both sides or to take Israel's side in a genocide.

Didn't force Joe out in spring of 2023.

"Didn't kneecap their own political power"

Let Kamala take the mantle and run when she is woefully incapable for the role.

Ah, there's the misogyny.

If they had not ousted Tulsi, I bet she could have been elected right now.

Who?

Michelle,Obama would have won for sure. It wasn't a woman bias.

A yes, elect someone with literally 0 time spent in office herself to office....

It was the choice to put a 3rd string player on the ballot.

Everyone democrats ousted from the party for not towing the line, became their downfall in the end. Cancel culture eats itself.

Toeing. "Toeing" is to pick up and carry.

This phrase comes from "to toe the line" as I "to line up one's toes with those of other soldiers as the form up at a line on the floor".

The problem is exactly calls like yours demanding that democrats force people to toe a line YOU define, namely misogyny and rejection of science in favor of your politics.

As the Dutch say "Rot Op".

Just spitting my facts as I see them. I dont claim humans are rational. It is what it is. The game of democratic politics isn't a math equation. Appreciate the spelling correction, as most people do. I do hope you find peace in the next 4 years.
Love from Fryslan

 

[TSwizzle]

I understand that what I'm about to say is highly speculative. There's no guarantee that some other candidate would've won. IMO, Gavin Newsom would've been the far better choice.

Newsom will be finding it difficult to suppress his joy that Harris lost. Now he can look forward to taking a run at the nomination in 2028 whereas if Harris had won, he’d likely never get a chance. I very much doubt he would have beaten Trump but it would have been funny to watch him try.

 

[Jarhyn]

Waffled on gender affirmation/surgery stances, especially for minors

No, they didn't.

Republicans, much like with election/voter fraud, claimed something was happening which was not.

Nobody supports surgery for minors (except, ironically, republicans).

Didn't course correct on males in females sports.

No, they didn't jump into gender essentialism and legislating private competition. This is a very dishonest way of discussing whether science or politics is the primary vehicle for discussing competitive advantage.

Played both sides irt Israel/Iran proxies.

No, the whole situation is a mess. Anyone who cannot see that the situation in the middle east is not compounded heavily with "religious posturing" is a fool.

The american political climate puts so much leverage on the middle east because of dominionist/evangelical beliefs. How a 2000 year old myth ended up being a basis for political posture today is less important than the fact that it IS such a basis.

The reality here is that "support Israel even if they're being shitty, or else the religious whack jobs in the US will call you the antichrist and you lose." The ONLY option is to play both sides or to take Israel's side in a genocide.

Didn't force Joe out in spring of 2023.

"Didn't kneecap their own political power"

Let Kamala take the mantle and run when she is woefully incapable for the role.

Ah, there's the misogyny.

If they had not ousted Tulsi, I bet she could have been elected right now.

Who?

Michelle,Obama would have won for sure. It wasn't a woman bias.

A yes, elect someone with literally 0 time spent in office herself to office....

It was the choice to put a 3rd string player on the ballot.

Everyone democrats ousted from the party for not towing the line, became their downfall in the end. Cancel culture eats itself.

Toeing. "Toeing" is to pick up and carry.

This phrase comes from "to toe the line" as I "to line up one's toes with those of other soldiers as the form up at a line on the floor".

The problem is exactly calls like yours demanding that democrats force people to toe a line YOU define, namely misogyny and rejection of science in favor of your politics.

As the Dutch say "Rot Op".

Just spitting my facts as I see them.

No, they are opinions, not facts, and they are false. "Factoids", like facts but not. People are not entitled to "their own facts", and what people really say when they say "my facts" so as to defend them is "my delusions".

I dont claim humans are rational.

Especially not the one in your mirror.

It is what it is.

Yes: bullshit.

The game of democratic politics isn't a math equation.

Actually, it is. It is rather grand math equation about the set of rules that enables that maximal amount of different but compatible behavior vs rules that reduce the ability engage in such behavior in lieu of "versus" behaviors.

To then sell people up the river (especially trans people) with the intent to create us versus? That is directly against the whole goddamn point of the equation (to maximize our ability to act as we please without external consequence).

The problem is that the power to act as we please without external consequence erodes people's power to control how others may achieve great things. Namely to hoard all accomplishment and accolades and resulting power over the future by those monied interests.

Appreciate the spelling correction, as most people do. I do hope you find peace in the next 4 years.
Love from Fryslan

Maybe. I left the country. Good luck! You're gonna need it.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

She lost because of generations of successful, progressive, liberal legislation. She lost because enough of the electorate are no longer living in desperation, because they are more free than ever and free of much of life's vicissitudes, able to cast a vote based on emotional satisfaction and not physical need. So long as she or someone else keeps losing for those reasons I'm okay with losing.

People are just comfortable enough that they can be convinced that some boogieman is coming to take it away.

And that's an understatement. How many people who use the ACA, are on Medicare or Medicaid or Social Security do you think voted for Orange Hitler? Even people on public pensions? None of these people should even think of voting that way but obviously did,

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

If Trump is a poor campaigner he was/is miles ahead of Harris.

You fail to appreciate the level of scientific illiteracy in the U.S.

 

[Swammerdami]

Hope we're all aware we're going to blow past 2.5 degrees celsius of global warming and polio is going to come back. Sorry to be extra depressing. By the way I have all the deniers of these issues on ignore, can't see your stupid shit.

Nitpick: IIUC, projections are for only a 2°C additional rise over the next century. (Projections of a 2.5°C rise or more include the 1°C rise already experienced over the past 140 years.) OTOH I read of increased carbon burning planned to meet the needs of giant "AI" data-centers. (I'm not sure why we need so much "AI." I suppose one of the main applications is that AI is a much better tool than Photoshop for creating fake propaganda photos.)

And "polio is going to come back"?? Really? IIUC there are zero cases in either North or South America. Polio persists only in some of the "shit-hole" countries that the fascist regime supposedly plans to prohibit from entering U.S.A.

But please don't put me on Ignore! I'm with you in spirit. The next dangerous coronavirus to come along will be mismanaged, of course. And plans are to appoint Robert F. "G.A.M.A." Kennedy, Jr. as the Health Czar. ("GAMA," which stands for "Give Americans Measles Again", is a variety within the "MAGA" family of diseases.)

 

[Swammerdami]

With all the shit that has happened since 2020 (most notably all the fucked SC rulings), I'm never going to understand how so many Americans could be so unmotivated this election. It will forever baffle me.

Do you really think "unmotivated Americans" even know what an "SC ruling" is? Many of the Trump voters and stay-at-homes exhibit no more awareness or intelligence than a turnip or cabbage-plant.

And some commentators told us that many Trump supporters voted for him because his behavior is "fun": they expect to enjoy a Trump Presidency as they would enjoy a thrilling TV series. Such votes make sense, sort of, if the voter doesn't expect his vote to be decisive.

 

[Swammerdami]

Rahma said he was then told the vice president was going to argue against taking off shoes on airplanes — and only learned when the two sat down that Harris was instead going to deliver the take that “bacon is a spice.”

“I don’t know,” Rahma — who is Muslim and doesn’t eat pork as part of his faith observance — responded to Harris in their video interview, according to the Times.

“Think about it, it’s pure flavor,” she prodded.

I mean, WTF? Does she not even know that pork is a big no-no in Islam? Or is she deliberately trying to antagonize him? What is going on here?

I would agree with the WTF . . . IF the story were true. But this is a story from the N.Y. Post; in the absence of corroboration it seems safe to assume that that Bullshit Machine took whatever Harris actually said out of context.

 

[Swammerdami]

Everyone democrats ousted from the party for not towing the line, became their downfall in the end. Cancel culture eats itself.

Toeing. "Toeing"[sic] is to pick up and carry.

This is turning into a FWE (Frequent Written Error):

Did any of us think all that grift money was going to pay lawyers that would help witnesses tow the line and not disclose important information?

Toe.

Obedient people toe the line.

It’s originally a naval expression; Sailors who mustered smartly and obediently would make perfect ranks by ensuring that their toes were on the line marked on the deck. A sloppy crew would have ragged looking ranks, because they didn’t toe the line.

Perhaps Mr. Moogly [and now trillian] was thinking of Captain Queeg. He towed the line, but failed to toe the tow-line properly.

 

[thebeave]

Rahma said he was then told the vice president was going to argue against taking off shoes on airplanes — and only learned when the two sat down that Harris was instead going to deliver the take that “bacon is a spice.”

“I don’t know,” Rahma — who is Muslim and doesn’t eat pork as part of his faith observance — responded to Harris in their video interview, according to the Times.

“Think about it, it’s pure flavor,” she prodded.

I mean, WTF? Does she not even know that pork is a big no-no in Islam? Or is she deliberately trying to antagonize him? What is going on here?

I would agree with the WTF . . . IF the story were true. But this is a story from the N.Y. Post; in the absence of corroboration it seems safe to assume that that Bullshit Machine took whatever Harris actually said out of context.

No, its from the New York Times originally, not the New York Post. Re-read my original post. I would have linked to the NYT directly but without a subscription, I can't. Although, on the other hand, the NYT is not exactly the last word on true facts these days and is often part of the Bullshit Machine as you call it.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I found this interesting. I've been ranting about it, so I figured I should post some sources. So here ya' go.

Ignore and insult one of the largest voting demographics, and well, this is what you get.

Ignore and insult? Government is built around people like, white men. I still haven't endured this "insulting". I think what is meant is some white people are insulted when they aren't the only people considered when developing policy.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Hope we're all aware we're going to blow past 2.5 degrees celsius of global warming and polio is going to come back. Sorry to be extra depressing. By the way I have all the deniers of these issues on ignore, can't see your stupid shit.

Nitpick: IIUC, projections are for only a 2°C additional rise over the next century. (Projections of a 2.5°C rise or more include the 1°C rise already experienced over the past 140 years.) OTOH I read of increased carbon burning planned to meet the needs of giant "AI" data-centers. (I'm not sure why we need so much "AI."

Not according to this new report.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/climate-track-warm-by-nearly-3c-without-greater-ambition-un-report-2023-11-20/

Secondly Trump wants to maximize drilling so that means the most possible oil is going to be used, and he's certainly not going to care about decreasing other greenhouse gases like methane. Thirdly there will be nothing to stop permafrost thaw now. So yes I expect the climate along with everything else to get way, way worse. Don't forget increased coal burning, the idiots love coal too.

 

[Elixir]

I expect the climate along with everything else to get way, way worse.

That will take until well after Cheato has wrecked the economy, fomented nationwide riots and destroyed our international standing. Just in time to blame it on the Democrats.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

I found this interesting. I've been ranting about it, so I figured I should post some sources. So here ya' go.

Ignore and insult one of the largest voting demographics, and well, this is what you get.

Ignore and insult? Government is built around people like, white men. I still haven't endured this "insulting". I think what is meant is some white people are insulted when they aren't the only people considered when developing policy.

Consider that Gen Z males voted for Trump in much larger numbers than for Harris.

Why do you think that is?

 

[pood]

Scapegoat, scapegoat, scapegoat. What minority is small enough and despised anough to safely deflect guilt for the loss of a national election onto? Someone who stayed home is more guilty than someone who actively voted in a dictator, apparently.

Well, yeah as a matter of fact. Trump's vote turnout was less than his vote in 2020. Elections are always about turnout. Granted she didn't inspire people. But seriously, what the fuck is wrong with people who sit out elections? They are indeed fucked up people.

You really can't see what's wrong with accepting white bigotry as a given while screaming your hatred toward a refugee people who've been subjected to genocide?

You really can’t see what’s wrong with your sanctimonious, holier-than-thou posts? But you do make so many of them, so I guess you make up in volume what you lack in accuracy.

 

[Emily Lake]

Conservative reporter Salena Zito said about Trump “The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.” I think that was very astute.

It's certainly astute, but incomplete

I know several people who don't take him seriously and also don't take him literally - basically, he's a windbag that's full of shit.
Then there are people who take him both seriously and literally... and those are the ones I worry about.