The Race For 2024

[Copernicus]

I think Kamala can beat Trump. I've never seen so much enthusiasm for a Democratic candidate in my lifetime and I was born when Truman was president. She's gathering more excitement and raising more money than Obama did. When a group of woman called, "Black women for Harris", another group called "White women for. Harris" quickly appeared. How about just "Women for Harris" or "Voters for Harris". She has far more charisma than I originally thought. She has a fantastic sense humor and can laugh at herself, unlike her toddler opponent. She's bright and experienced and assuming she picks a white male governor with lots of experience that should help bring in more independents. I want a diversity ticket, although I'll vote for her regardless of who becomes her VP.

And here's a little chuckle. Last night Mr. Sohy called his old boss, a guy who we both like and have gotten together with at times. Don is a Democrat who is thinking of taking a temporary consulting job in West Virginia. He told Mr. Sohy that a lot of people in WV aren't going to vote because they despise the way Vance has described and denigrated people in their area in his book.They won't vote for a Democrat, so they will just not vote, since they can't stomach the idea of voting for a ticket with JD Vance on it. We had a good laugh over that. Not saying the Dems can win WV, but maybe more Republicans will leave off the presidential vote due to Vance or I hope due to Trump.

My neighbor said she hopes the stress kills Trump. I said I hope he loses in a landslide because that would kill him, metaphorically speaking or maybe literally.

This is a welcome change from the pessimism that you've been expressing in previous posts about Harris's chances. I hope it lasts, because we still have a long way to go until November. Trump's criminal trials are essentially on hold and his sentencing for the fraud felonies will probably not make much of an impact in the public's mind. If Kamala can continue to push the theme of hope and optimism for the future, the polls should reflect that, especially after the Democratic Convention. Trump got a little "dead cat" bounce after his campaign, but Vance's weird baggage from the past has since spoiled their mood. There will be a lot of negative campaign memes coming from him for Democrats to exploit. The DNC convention is shaping up to be a love festival for Harris and whoever she picks for a running mate.

 

[laughing dog]

If Mr Trump is afraid to be in a stage with Ms Harris, how can anyone rationally think he had the requisite fortitude (let alone competence) to deal with a Putin or a Kim or a Xi?

 

[Politesse]

If Mr Trump is afraid to be in a stage with Ms Harris, how can anyone rationally think he had the requisite fortitude (let alone competence) to deal with a Putin or a Kim or a Xi?

Why would he be nervous to share a stage with his heroes and financiers? It's people who don't toadie up to him that he's afraid of.

 

[Copernicus]

If Mr Trump is afraid to be in a stage with Ms Harris, how can anyone rationally think he had the requisite fortitude (let alone competence) to deal with a Putin or a Kim or a Xi?

This kind of question sounds familiar. "How can anyone rationally think that Trump...?" The answer is always "They can't, but it doesn't matter."

 

[unapologetic]

I've been getting oversize postcards from the Rump campaign weekly for months.
The one I got yesterday is still bitching about Biden.
It claims Biden is going to cut my Social Security payments Which is what we've been saying about Rump all year. HA. And we know is part of Project 2025.
And the lies keep commin.

 

[Shadowy Man]

If Mr Trump is afraid to be in a stage with Ms Harris, how can anyone rationally think he had the requisite fortitude (let alone competence) to deal with a Putin or a Kim or a Xi?

Because his version of “dealing” with them is not in an adversarial sense.

 

[thebeave]

I've been getting oversize postcards from the Rump campaign weekly for months.
The one I got yesterday is still bitching about Biden.
It claims Biden is going to cut my Social Security payments Which is what we've been saying about Rump all year. HA. And we know is part of Project 2025.
And the lies keep commin.

Yeah, the lies keep commin, all right. Not just from Trump, but from Kamala Harris herself:

Fact check: Harris falsely claims Project 2025 blueprint calls for cutting Social Security

But contrary to Harris’ claim that “when you read” the Project 2025 document “you will see” that Trump intends to cut Social Security, the lengthy document includes no call to cut Social Security. In fact, the document uses the words “Social Security” just 10 times, mostly in passing. Vought said the document calls for “no changes to Social Security.”

 

[Elixir]

It is basically an extended interview by one or two moderators in which each participant is invited to expound upon a specific topic.

BS.
If the format is like the last one, it’s an invitation to Trump to use the time allowed to spew as many lies as possible about things entirely unrelated to whatever the moderator asks, and an invitation to Kami to counter as many of them as possible in the allotted time - OR - to launch into a soliloquy about Trump’s corruption and criminality.
I don’t see the event (whatever you call it) as likely to move the needle whatsoever.

 

[Elixir]

14.3 is toothless.

Like every other law and constitutional provision. Doesn’t apply to Dolt45.
He has special immunity, but don’t fret; it only applies to whatever Cheato has done or is going to do.

 

[southernhybrid]

I said I hope he loses in a landslide because that would kill him, metaphorically speaking or maybe literally.

I'm pretty sure his people have a backup plan in place, if the election results don't agree with their beliefs about what the American people want and need.

Sure they do, but I doubt it's going to get very far this time. I think even most Republicans in Congress are sick of that shit, with the exception of a few like MTG and her ilk. Trump supporters don't want to end up in prison, like so many did after the Jan. 6th crap and Trump is so senile, that he's losing it. If he loses in states like mine, our Republican leaders aren't going to overthrow the results of the election. In fact, some of the swing states have Democrats as governors. There may be a small percentage of nut jobs who try something, but I know quite a few Trump supporters and while I don't understand why they are members of the cult, they are otherwise decent people who aren't going to do anything crazy if Trump loses. They might be suspicious of the results, maybe, but that's all it will be.

Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but it's time for most people to unite. We have too much hate and division in the country and I think even a good number of Trumpers feel t hat way. We need to do what we can to get out the vote. Georgia is almost 50% ethnic minority and over 30% Black. We have a lot of Southeast Asian people here who seem excited about Harris and younger people are move energized than I've seen them before. If most of those voters see that Trump is a huge problem and join us old black, mixed race or white Democrats, we could win in Georgia again. ( Maybe )

 

[bilby]

It is basically an extended interview by one or two moderators in which each participant is invited to expound upon a specific topic.

BS.
If the format is like the last one, it’s an invitation to Trump to use the time allowed to spew as many lies as possible about things entirely unrelated to whatever the moderator asks, and an invitation to Kami to counter as many of them as possible in the allotted time - OR - to launch into a soliloquy about Trump’s corruption and criminality.
I don’t see the event (whatever you call it) as likely to move the needle whatsoever.

Sure; But the fault lies with the electorate.

It used to be received wisdom that a candidate who didn't even make the slightest effort to actually engage in debate in a debate, would be seen by the voters as incompetent at best.

If the position being sought were not President, but instead a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the candidates would not show up with a plan to answer every question with a longwinded speech about their football prowess and accomplishments.

Certainly to do so should not be a winning strategy, because the voting panel should be not only unimpressed, but actively opposed to the idea of electing someone to the position, when the candidate has effectively declared himself unqualified.

So if dodging the questions and instead discussing something else doesn't immediately cause most of your likely voters to rule you out as their choice on polling day, the fault lies not with the candidate, but with his voters.

FFS, a president needs to be able to stay focussed and on-topic, regardless of the subject at hand, and no matter how little time they have had to prepare.

Do the voters really want to elect a president who, when the phone rings from SAC Headquarters, responds with, "I hear you asking how we should respond to the massive nuclear strike that has just been detected, and I will come to that in just a moment, but when it comes to matters of national security, what voters really need from my administration is more funding for the construction of a wall on the Mexican border, which has been sadly neglected by my political opponents. Illegal immigration from south of the border is taking jobs and housing from honest, hard-working Americans, and to eliminate this threat to our great nation, I am announcing a trillion dollar investment in more border patrols, physical barrier construction, and a force of reconnaisance drones that will ..." <Oval Office disappears in a blinding white flash>

 

[thebeave]

I said I hope he loses in a landslide because that would kill him, metaphorically speaking or maybe literally.

I'm pretty sure his people have a backup plan in place, if the election results don't agree with their beliefs about what the American people want and need.

Sure they do, but I doubt it's going to get very far this time. I think even most Republicans in Congress are sick of that shit, with the exception of a few like MTG and her ilk. Trump supporters don't want to end up in prison, like so many did after the Jan. 6th crap and Trump is so senile, that he's losing it. If he loses in states like mine, our Republican leaders aren't going to overthrow the results of the election. In fact, some of the swing states have Democrats as governors. There may be a small percentage of nut jobs who try something, but I know quite a few Trump supporters and while I don't understand why they are members of the cult, they are otherwise decent people who aren't going to do anything crazy if Trump loses. They might be suspicious of the results, maybe, but that's all it will be.

Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but it's time for most people to unite. We have too much hate and division in the country and I think even a good number of Trumpers feel t hat way. We need to do what we can to get out the vote. Georgia is almost 50% ethnic minority and over 30% Black. We have a lot of Southeast Asian people here who seem excited about Harris and younger people are move energized than I've seen them before. If most of those voters see that Trump is a huge problem and join us old black, mixed race or white Democrats, we could win in Georgia again. ( Maybe )

Well, if KH had refrained from calling young people stupid, she would have a much better chance.

 

[southernhybrid]

I think Kamala can beat Trump. I've never seen so much enthusiasm for a Democratic candidate in my lifetime and I was born when Truman was president. She's gathering more excitement and raising more money than Obama did. When a group of woman called, "Black women for Harris", another group called "White women for. Harris" quickly appeared. How about just "Women for Harris" or "Voters for Harris". She has far more charisma than I originally thought. She has a fantastic sense humor and can laugh at herself, unlike her toddler opponent. She's bright and experienced and assuming she picks a white male governor with lots of experience that should help bring in more independents. I want a diversity ticket, although I'll vote for her regardless of who becomes her VP.

And here's a little chuckle. Last night Mr. Sohy called his old boss, a guy who we both like and have gotten together with at times. Don is a Democrat who is thinking of taking a temporary consulting job in West Virginia. He told Mr. Sohy that a lot of people in WV aren't going to vote because they despise the way Vance has described and denigrated people in their area in his book.They won't vote for a Democrat, so they will just not vote, since they can't stomach the idea of voting for a ticket with JD Vance on it. We had a good laugh over that. Not saying the Dems can win WV, but maybe more Republicans will leave off the presidential vote due to Vance or I hope due to Trump.

My neighbor said she hopes the stress kills Trump. I said I hope he loses in a landslide because that would kill him, metaphorically speaking or maybe literally.

This is a welcome change from the pessimism that you've been expressing in previous posts about Harris's chances. I hope it lasts, because we still have a long way to go until November. Trump's criminal trials are essentially on hold and his sentencing for the fraud felonies will probably not make much of an impact in the public's mind. If Kamala can continue to push the theme of hope and optimism for the future, the polls should reflect that, especially after the Democratic Convention. Trump got a little "dead cat" bounce after his campaign, but Vance's weird baggage from the past has since spoiled their mood. There will be a lot of negative campaign memes coming from him for Democrats to exploit. The DNC convention is shaping up to be a love festival for Harris and whoever she picks for a running mate.

I'm not the only one. Every one of my friends, regardless if they are Black or white was pessimistic about Harris until we saw what she could do. One who is about 20 years younger than I am, texted me yesterday and said she was wrong about Harris and is now excited to see what she can do. In fact, there was an editorial in today's NYTImes, written by a woman of both African and South Asian heritage who said the same thing. The majority of comments to her article, regardless if they were male or female etc. also said they were skeptical about Harris but they have changed their minds. We fell out of the coconut tree. Politicians who can laugh at themselves is an important quality for me, and she had proven she can do that. I would have voted for her anyway, but it's good to see so much enthusiasm coming from people of different ages and genders. Let's hope it keeps on going. We only have about 100 days until the election. She has promised to choose her VP by t he 7th at the latest. Perhaps having so little time will benefit her because it will give the opposition less time to bash her and exaggerate about her past mistakes.

 

[southernhybrid]

I said I hope he loses in a landslide because that would kill him, metaphorically speaking or maybe literally.

I'm pretty sure his people have a backup plan in place, if the election results don't agree with their beliefs about what the American people want and need.

Sure they do, but I doubt it's going to get very far this time. I think even most Republicans in Congress are sick of that shit, with the exception of a few like MTG and her ilk. Trump supporters don't want to end up in prison, like so many did after the Jan. 6th crap and Trump is so senile, that he's losing it. If he loses in states like mine, our Republican leaders aren't going to overthrow the results of the election. In fact, some of the swing states have Democrats as governors. There may be a small percentage of nut jobs who try something, but I know quite a few Trump supporters and while I don't understand why they are members of the cult, they are otherwise decent people who aren't going to do anything crazy if Trump loses. They might be suspicious of the results, maybe, but that's all it will be.

Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but it's time for most people to unite. We have too much hate and division in the country and I think even a good number of Trumpers feel t hat way. We need to do what we can to get out the vote. Georgia is almost 50% ethnic minority and over 30% Black. We have a lot of Southeast Asian people here who seem excited about Harris and younger people are move energized than I've seen them before. If most of those voters see that Trump is a huge problem and join us old black, mixed race or white Democrats, we could win in Georgia again. ( Maybe )

Well, if KH had refrained from calling young people stupid, she would have a much better chance.

While I don't recall that, if she did say that, the young people aren't holding it against her. Think of all the ageism that we older adults deal with, but most of us try to use humor to deal with it. Still we know that ageism is the last acceptable form of bigotry in our culture.

 

[Elixir]

Well, if KH had refrained from calling young people stupid, she would have a much better chance.

While I don't recall that, if she did say that, the young people aren't holding it against her.

I hadn’t heard it. And I’d think that at the tender age of 74 I’d feel it if I was being targeted as stupid.
Sure, us youngsters are stupid, but I want to see the context and exactly how she said it. If it was directed at me, I’m gonna call RFK and volunteer for his campaign!
Source?

 

[thebeave]

Well, if KH had refrained from calling young people stupid, she would have a much better chance.

While I don't recall that, if she did say that, the young people aren't holding it against her.

I hadn’t heard it. And I’d think that at the tender age of 74 I’d feel it if I was being targeted as stupid.
Sure, us youngsters are stupid, but I want to see the context and exactly how she said it. If it was directed at me, I’m gonna call RFK and volunteer for his campaign!
Source?

I'll see if I can find the clip. I've posted it here before. There is some context behind it, which sorta softens it a bit though.

ETA: Here's the short version, out of context:



Here's the detailed explanation from Snopes"

Did Kamala Harris Say Young Voters Are 'Stupid'?

The Snopes explanation doesn't quite make sense, though. They claim she's referring to young criminals, but she uses words suggesting she's talking about college students (dormitories, resident assistants). Are there dorms and RA's in prison? Go figure.

 

[Elixir]

Well, if KH had refrained from calling young people stupid, she would have a much better chance.

While I don't recall that, if she did say that, the young people aren't holding it against her.

I hadn’t heard it. And I’d think that at the tender age of 74 I’d feel it if I was being targeted as stupid.
Sure, us youngsters are stupid, but I want to see the context and exactly how she said it. If it was directed at me, I’m gonna call RFK and volunteer for his campaign!
Source?

I'll see if I can find the clip. I've posted it here before. There is some context behind it, which sorta softens it a bit though.

If I was, say, 19 years old and heard her say something that came across as ageist and anti-youth, I’d be offended. What I would NOT be likely to do would be to throw in my lot with a 78 yr old felonious rapist/fraudster. In this situation I don’t think Harris is at much risk from correctly calling young people stupid.

 

[bilby]

The problem with young people is that they have been bombarded, for about a year, with a tsunami of vitriol against voting for a president who is too old and senile to possibly be re-elected.

It has now become the number one priority of the GOP to stop those young people from agreeing with that well crafted campaign of lies, because all of a suden, the oldest and most clearly senile guy standing for re-election is their old senile guy standing for re-election.

It would shock me if they were not seeking to imply that Harris is disdainful of youth. They have to find a straw to clutch at.

Because right now, their whole campaign is spectacularly blowing up in their faces.

It's fucking hilarious.

 

[Elixir]

Well, if KH had refrained from calling young people stupid, she would have a much better chance.

While I don't recall that, if she did say that, the young people aren't holding it against her.

I hadn’t heard it. And I’d think that at the tender age of 74 I’d feel it if I was being targeted as stupid.
Sure, us youngsters are stupid, but I want to see the context and exactly how she said it. If it was directed at me, I’m gonna call RFK and volunteer for his campaign!
Source?

I'll see if I can find the clip. I've posted it here before. There is some context behind it, which sorta softens it a bit though.

ETA: Here's the short version, out of context:



Here's the detailed explanation from Snopes"

Did Kamala Harris Say Young Voters Are 'Stupid'?

The Snopes explanation doesn't quite make sense, though. They claim she's referring to young criminals, but she uses words suggesting she's talking about college students (dormitories, resident assistants). Are there dorms and RA's in prison? Go figure.

From the clip it sounded pretty well received actually. Young Dems give a lot more leeway when it comes to self deprecation than they are credited for.

I believe they take themselves somewhat less seriously than young Republicans do.

 

[pood]

That decision is left up to congress

What decision? Congress already decided when they passed 14.3.
There was never a conviction or even a charged case against Jefferson Davis.

That is not correct. The traitor racist Davis was charged with treason, and his trial was scheduled to begin on Feb. 15, 1869. The previous year, the odious President Andrew Johnson had pardoned a whole mass of Confederates, and after that, the federal government stupidly declined to prosecute the traitor racist Davis and also the traitor racist Robert E. Lee and 36 other prominent traitors and racists besides.