Poll Dem VP Pic: your choice?

[TomC]

If Kamala did actually get ahead by sleeping with someone then yes it was wrong.

She certainly did get ahead by sleeping with "Slick" Willie Brown. But it is anathema even to mention it on here.

Because you have no actual proof of it.

So what if Harris banged a powerful dude? And got ahead because she did so?

It's like Trump explaining that he doesn't pay income tax because "I'm smart". Kamala Harris, 30 years later, is kicking Trump's butt.
Who's smart?

And I can't help but wonder. What are Trumpistas like MTG, Gaetz, and Abbott thinking right about now? Prolly, "How do I throw that idiot Trump under the bus?"
He's no longer useful.
Tom

 

[bilby]

You said nothing about the mother's citizenship.

The question "Was Shyamala an Indian or an American?" depends on citizenship status.

No, it doesn't.

If not on the citizenship status, then what?

Heritage, ancestry, bloodlines, etc..

In America, if someone asks, “are you German” or “Is your mom Indian” it is a question of the cultural values and rituals that you hold and practice in your family, as well as further past ancestry. It is rarely a question about citizenship.

People may ask me “Are you scottish,” and my answer would be, “yes, partly,” even though my Scottish ancestors arrived here almost 400 years ago.

Yeah, real Irish people find the insistence by Americans (such as the current President) that they are Irish, to be hillarious and/or embarrasing. I have no doubt whatsoever that you would get a similar cringe if you were to tell a true Scotsman that you were "partly scottish".

Indeed, the habit of describing ones heritage in this way is incredibly and absolutely American.

No true Scotsman would describe himself as a Scotsman, if he was an American.

 

[Copernicus]

But that would not be true of Kamala Harris, whose mother gave her cultural groundings in Indian food and clothing. Perhaps she even speaks Hindi or another Indian language.

I doubt she speaks Hindi or Tamil, but Tamil is the language of her mother. Hindi is an Indo-European language, which means that it is in the same language family as most European languages, including English. Tamil is in the Dravidian language family--spoken primarily in the south of the Indian subcontinent. Kamala Harris's mother is from Chennai (formerly Madras) in the extreme south of the subcontinent. When I visited there around 2005, nobody I met admitted to speaking Hindi or was interested in speaking it. Although Kamala's family is Hindu, most of the people I interacted with were local Christians. Kamala's given name means "lotus flower" in Sanskrit (Indo-European language contemporary with classical Greek and Latin). The Hindi press spells it with a final long 'aa': Kamalaa (कमला).

 

[blastula]

I heard a story about Walz this morning on the radio. He was busted for going like 90+ mph in a 50 mph zone. When pulled over he told the cop he was deaf, like that was a valid excuse. This was when he was about 30 years old.

That strikes me as really weird. Not RFK and dead baby bear weird, but it's up there.

It's weird that you believe that happened.

 

[Rhea]

The question "Was Shyamala an Indian or an American?" depends on citizenship status.
If not on the citizenship status, then what?

In America, if someone asks, “are you German” or “Is your mom Indian” it is a question of the cultural values and rituals that you hold and practice in your family, as well as further past ancestry. It is rarely a question about citizenship.

People may ask me “Are you scottish,” and my answer would be, “yes, partly,” even though my Scottish ancestors arrived here almost 400 years ago.

Yeah, real Irish people find the insistence by Americans (such as the current President) that they are Irish, to be hillarious and/or embarrasing. I have no doubt whatsoever that you would get a similar cringe if you were to tell a true Scotsman that you were "partly scottish".

Indeed, the habit of describing ones heritage in this way is incredibly and absolutely American.

No true Scotsman would describe himself as a Scotsman, if he was an American.

LOL. As weird as it is, it is indeed very American to want to know (demand to know!) “where are your people from” and also to try to hang onto the original “ways,” which can be a huge source of pleasure for folks. There are Polish Day festivals in some towns, I went to a “Greek Days” festival in Salt Lake City when I was traveling through there, once, there’s an India Day in my area every year, as well as a Junteenth festival celebrating Black culture and a Native Powwow. It’s all very fun and enriching, but it depends on it mattering that cultures are both different and preserved, no matter how long you’ve been here.

And again there are people like me whose families are so mixed and our ancestral culture so watered down and removed that it is indeed accurate to label my culture as “White Northeastern American,” in terms of what “ways” I maintain, and yet people will still be expected to ask, “what are you?”

So going back to Kamala’s mother, it is absolutely true that the first generation immigrants are absolutely considered “Indian” or “German” or “Jamaican” or “Chinese” in America. Right or wrong, that’s what the words mean here.

 

[southernhybrid]

I think it was Janice R, who described. herself as a Euromutt. I liked that because I am an American Euromutt too. My background is Irish, British, German and Polish, maybe more but I don't know. My husband's heritage is Lebanese, and Syrian, perhaps with a little Italian in the mix if his brother's Ancestry test was accurate. All of his grandparents were Arabic immigrants. His family usually made traditional Arabic dishes and at weddings there was often some Arabic dancing. I don't celebrate any of my background, but I do remember going to my greatgrandmother's funeral as a young child. It was a traditional Polish funeral, where afterwards, people got up and danced to celebrate life. She was a Polish immigrant as were many of my neighbors where I lived as a child, along with Italian and German immigrants too. We are Americans but we are also have diverse cultural and genetic backgrounds that we often identify with.

I wish I knew more of my cultural background. My maternal grandmother was fluent in German, but she never taught it to my mom. I think she was actually Swiss German if I remember correctly. We are a nation of immigrants, and a good percentage of us are proud of the cultural diversity that we have the US, as a result of that. Sadly, others hate immigrants. My maternal grandfather was the son of an Irish immigrant and he proudly marched in the New York City Irish parade every year to celebrate his heritage.

And, btw, nobody ever said that Harris was a Hindu. She identifies as Baptist, most likely the liberal version, based on the fact that she is a strong believer in the SCS and doesn't wear her religion on her sleeve, like so many conservative Baptists do these days. She just has both Indian and Jamaican in her background, not that it should be important regarding her candidacy. Cultural diversity is one of the things that I love about my country and Interacting with people from different backgrounds can be an interesting and happy experience.

 

[Copernicus]

I heard a story about Walz this morning on the radio. He was busted for going like 90+ mph in a 50 mph zone. When pulled over he told the cop he was deaf, like that was a valid excuse. This was when he was about 30 years old.

That strikes me as really weird. Not RFK and dead baby bear weird, but it's up there.

It's weird that you believe that happened.

No, it really did happen, and Walz has been open about it. See:

Pictured: Tim Walz's Mugshot From 1995 DUI Arrest​

Walz claims to be a teetotaler now because of, and going back to, this incident. At the time, he offered his resignation from his high school teaching job, but it was refused.

 

[blastula]

I heard a story about Walz this morning on the radio. He was busted for going like 90+ mph in a 50 mph zone. When pulled over he told the cop he was deaf, like that was a valid excuse. This was when he was about 30 years old.

That strikes me as really weird. Not RFK and dead baby bear weird, but it's up there.

It's weird that you believe that happened.

No, it really did happen, and Walz has been open about it. See:

Pictured: Tim Walz's Mugshot From 1995 DUI Arrest​

Walz claims to be a teetotaler now because of, and going back to, this incident. At the time, he offered his resignation from his high school teaching job, but it was refused.

The DUI happened but not the part where he says he's deaf as an excuse to the police.

It's weird that you didn't get that.

 

[Elixir]

A thousand words can't better describe the current state of affairs.

 

[Copernicus]

I heard a story about Walz this morning on the radio. He was busted for going like 90+ mph in a 50 mph zone. When pulled over he told the cop he was deaf, like that was a valid excuse. This was when he was about 30 years old.

That strikes me as really weird. Not RFK and dead baby bear weird, but it's up there.

It's weird that you believe that happened.

No, it really did happen, and Walz has been open about it. See:

Pictured: Tim Walz's Mugshot From 1995 DUI Arrest​

Walz claims to be a teetotaler now because of, and going back to, this incident. At the time, he offered his resignation from his high school teaching job, but it was refused.

The DUI happened but not the part where he says he's deaf as an excuse to the police.

It's weird that you didn't get that.

No, that is actually what the trooper claimed Walz said--that he was partially deaf. I don't think that Walz denies it. The fact is that he does have that hearing problem, so he probably did say it. Before he retired from the military, they tried to give him a forced medical discharge because of it. He resisted the discharge and was allowed to stay in after undergoing surgery for the problem. Walz isn't proud of his behavior during that incident. It had a profound effect on his life.

How Howizter rockets left Tim Walz with hearing problems​

 

[blastula]

No, that is actually what the trooper claimed Walz said--that he was partially deaf.

Citation needed.

 

[Copernicus]

No, that is actually what the trooper claimed Walz said--that he was partially deaf.

Citation needed.

You could have found it easily enough, but here:

Walz’s Decades-Old Drunken Driving Arrest Draws New Attention​

 

[blastula]

No, that is actually what the trooper claimed Walz said--that he was partially deaf.

Citation needed.

You could have found it easily enough, but here:

Walz’s Decades-Old Drunken Driving Arrest Draws New Attention​

Still not it, try again.

To save both our time, why don't you try quoting from your supposed citation next time?

 

[laughing dog]

I am defending Walz. I think a 30 year DUI/reckless driving with no recurrences is s nothing burger. Whatever Mr Walz said is a nothing burger. If I gave a rats ass about this, I would wonder if what prompted him to mention his hearing issue at all was a question from the trooper like “Didn’t you hear my siren and see my lights?”

 

[southernhybrid]

I am defending Walz. I think a 30 year DUI/reckless driving with no recurrences is s nothing burger. Whatever Mr Walz said is a nothing burger. If I gave a rats ass about this, I would wonder if what prompted him to mention his hearing issue at all was a question from the trooper like “Didn’t you hear my siren and see my lights?”

I totally agree. I was reading some comments on a right wing site where idiots were acting appalled about his one mistake. His test showed the result of .128. When I was a child and up to around the 1980s, the legal limit was .15, so in previous times, Walz wouldn't have even been found to be too intoxicated to drive I'm sure there were times when my late grandfather exceeded that limit, but he never was stopped for DUI. On the other hand, people never used to drive as fast as they do these days.

https://corbridgelaw.com/history-blood-alcohol-level-regulations/

With the repeal of prohibition, an Indiana University professor of toxicology and biochemistry created a device in 1936 that could determine blood-alcohol concentration, using a balloon filled with a chemical solution. When a person inflated the balloon, the air within would change color if alcohol was present. By 1938, the legal blood-alcohol limit was set at 0.15 in most places, supported by research from the American Medical Association and the National Safety Council.

I'm not saying that the level should still be .15, but it was the Mother's against Drunk Driving who influenced the level to be lowered to .08. Walz was very repentant and upset over what he did, so he stopped drinking entirely after that arrest. How many people would have learned their lesson from one mistake? Is there one politician who is perfect? I don't think so, but people are grasping at straws to try and demonize Walz and Harris, while not seemingly bothered by a felon who is rapidly mentally deteriorating.

 

[pood]

Anyone who is exercised over a 30-year-old DUI while supporting a convicted felon and a rapist is … I don’t even have the words. And I’m usually pretty good at words. The best words!

 

[Copernicus]

No, that is actually what the trooper claimed Walz said--that he was partially deaf.

Citation needed.

You could have found it easily enough, but here:

Walz’s Decades-Old Drunken Driving Arrest Draws New Attention​

Still not it, try again.

To save both our time, why don't you try quoting from your supposed citation next time?

I don't actually subscribe to the NYT, but I got that from a one-time link. Hence, I can't access the content a second time until next week. However, I did check the article to verify that "partial deafness" was reported as the excuse offered. In fact, that would have been part of Walz's defense against the DUI, if the charge had gone to trial. He failed the breath test after failing the balance test, but he had the medical record to substantiate the hearing problem. Balance issues can be linked to a problem with the inner ear. What happened was that he was allowed to plead guilty to reckless driving, and the DUI charge was dropped.

Here' another article, but from the Washington Post:

The arrest has come up from time to time as he has pursued elected office, but it hasn’t been a primary line of attack for his opponents. In 2006, when he first ran for Congress, Walz’s campaign manager at the time offered an account of the arrest that contradicted court records.

The campaign manager, Kerry Greeley, told the Post Bulletin, a newspaper in Rochester, Minn., that Walz was speeding but not drunk and that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding caused by Walz’s partial deafness. Walz suffered hearing loss during his time in a field artillery regiment in the National Guard, a condition for which he underwent surgery in 2005.

That was a position offered from Walz's campaign, so it is reasonable to assume he told the officer and/or court that his partial deafness was part of his defense for his behavior. It certainly would have been used in a defense against a DUI charge, and that may have been a factor in getting the charges reduced to just reckless driving.

Look, I really don't care if he should have been convicted of DUI, although I suspect he was guilty. Why else would he have become a teetotaler after the incident? We have all done stupid things in our lives. Walz seems to have suffered genuine remorse for what he did, and he changed his behavior to match that remorse. So it is just a blemish on the record of a pretty exemplary life. Donald Trump still denies he is guilty of the crimes he has already been convicted for and still faces trial for. I see no remorse at all on that side of political contest.

 

[Elixir]

But was he held liable for rape?
That would cost the election.
Found guilty of fraud?
That would cost the election.
Stole and shared classified documents?
That would cost the election.
Promised oil execs tax breaks if they donate?
That would cost the election.
Try to overthrow an election?
That would cost the election.

Only Republicans can do that shit because they fucking OWN the room temperature IQ demographic.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

DEi “schemes,” as you put it, don’t discriminate against white men. They end discrimination against those who are not straight, white, cisgendered men. Try to get your facts straight.

That's what they are supposed to do. Unfortunately, the outcome is disparate outcomes are treated as discrimination that must be fixed.

Example please? DEI does not discriminate against white men. The "I" is inclusion, which means ALL PEOPLE, period. It aims to stop the discrimination against the majority (which is typically straight, white, cisgendered, xtian, male).

University admissions are a pretty good illustration of the problem. They're participating in the discrimination, not trying to stop it.

 

[aupmanyav]

“But where are you really from?”

Oh, Kamala's mother was from India and an migrant to US. But Kamala's father was a Jamaican of African ancestry (at least a part), who also a migrant to US. Kamala was born, brought up, studied, worked in US only. Does being an American depend exclusively on someone's mother's ethnicity?