What will be the October Surprise?

[Politesse]

Seriously, "empty-headed"? If duty or election should ever advance her to the White House, Kamala Harris would be one of the most academically qualified presidents in American history, and her statements on public policy are characteristically deliberate, precise, and well-informed. Perhaps a little bit too deliberate, but that is precisely because she prefers to study matters for a long period before making any official statement about them. You may not respect informed perspectives, but to call someone who is considerate and bookish to a fault "empty-headed" is completely absurd. Her amicus brief on Prop 8 is well worth a read, for any American citizen confused about why the federal government was not obliged to defend an unconstitutional state law, and closely preceded the language and logic that the Supreme Court ultimately used in ruling on the case that secured marriage rights for all Americans regardless of their sex.

 

[Toni]

My objections to Derec’s ‘criticisms’ of Harris are only that they are centered on her color and sex and not on her words or actions or actual job performance.

Christ, what utter nonsense.


Harris gets criticized because she’s an empty headed moron and an abject failure. Even her own party dislikes her.She was only picked as VP because she’s black and female.

Why do you think she’s an empty headed moron?

Because I have listened to her. She’s an idiot.

Is it because she’s black and female?

lol, you are as predictable as you are boring.

That’s your own reflection there.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Even her own party dislikes her.

You keep misunderstanding this, progressives largely are the ones who complain about her. The moderates don't give a shit.

 

[TSwizzle]

My objections to Derec’s ‘criticisms’ of Harris are only that they are centered on her color and sex and not on her words or actions or actual job performance.

Christ, what utter nonsense.


Harris gets criticized because she’s an empty headed moron and an abject failure. Even her own party dislikes her.She was only picked as VP because she’s black and female.

Why do you think she’s an empty headed moron?

Because I have listened to her. She’s an idiot.

Is it because she’s black and female?

lol, you are as predictable as you are boring.

That’s your own reflection there.

Ooooh, scathing come back, not!

Try harder love.

 

[TSwizzle]

Even her own party dislikes her.

You keep misunderstanding this, progressives largely are the ones who complain about her. The moderates don't give a shit.

The progressives are complaining because she’s not a lesbian probably. Not ticking all the boxes?

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Even her own party dislikes her.

You keep misunderstanding this, progressives largely are the ones who complain about her. The moderates don't give a shit.

The progressives are complaining because she’s not a lesbian probably. Not ticking all the boxes?

No, the progressives would be complaining about support from PACs and whatnot or that her stances on various issues aren't progressive enough. Particularly she has been criticized for being too sloppy with death penalty cases, which happens to be the type of incompetence your kind admires.

 

[Politesse]

Even her own party dislikes her.

You keep misunderstanding this, progressives largely are the ones who complain about her. The moderates don't give a shit.

The progressives are complaining because she’s not a lesbian probably. Not ticking all the boxes?

She was not Progressive's first choice, because she... isn't a Progressive. Fucking duh, of course she wasn't their first choice. They did, however, campaign for her and vote for Biden and Harris once it was clear that she was the choice.

 

[Derec]

Wow. One clip of what she said

That was my only reference to her in this thread. Why don't you and Toni talk about this rather than change the topic?

compared to numerous posts calling her "heels up"

I commented about her policies way more times than about "heels up". And even that is about her behavior, not race or gender.

and claiming she slept her way to the top.

I never claimed that. She most likely did sleep her way into some appointments early in her career though. But again, it is your Ilk who brought it up in this thread, not I.

 

[thebeave]

Seriously, "empty-headed"? If duty or election should ever advance her to the White House, Kamala Harris would be one of the most academically qualified presidents in American history, and her statements on public policy are characteristically deliberate, precise, and well-informed. Perhaps a little bit too deliberate, but that is precisely because she prefers to study matters for a long period before making any official statement about them. You may not respect informed perspectives, but to call someone who is considerate and bookish to a fault "empty-headed" is completely absurd. Her amicus brief on Prop 8 is well worth a read, for any American citizen confused about why the federal government was not obliged to defend an unconstitutional state law, and closely preceded the language and logic that the Supreme Court ultimately used in ruling on the case that secured marriage rights for all Americans regardless of their sex.

I would say her qualifications (education, political experience) actually look pretty decent on paper. She has a long history in government, starting at the city level (SF), through the state (CA) all the way up to federal level, which is how I think politicians with high asperations should do it. Much like Dianne Feinstein did, but the difference between the two is like night and day. Feinstein could talk intelligently, showed strong leadership and communication skills and was very knowledgeable. Somehow, Kamala seems to be the complete opposite. She speaks in weird word salads and has a rather embarrassing habit of cackling inappropriately. There is high turnover among her staff, as she is apparently somewhat of a bully and a diva. There is something that is just really off about her. If she is really as bright as it seems she should be, she doesn't really show it. She honestly comes off as just a big new-agey dope a lot of the time. Its really disappointing.

I found this funny little sketch about her from The Daily Show. Pretty spot on IMHO.

 

[thebeave]

Even her own party dislikes her.

You keep misunderstanding this, progressives largely are the ones who complain about her. The moderates don't give a shit.

The progressives are complaining because she’s not a lesbian probably. Not ticking all the boxes?

Did you mean to say not licking all the boxes?

 

[Derec]

How does age make one susceptible to being dragged to the left? Biden is not some doddering old fool nor is he some vainglorious idiot.

People get more susceptible to being manipulated in old age. That's why scams targeting seniors are so common.
In any case, I do not think Biden would have been so receptive to the likes Alexandria Wormtongue whispering in his ear.

Trump’s age has not made him susceptible to being influenced by far right wingers and foreign dictators. His lack of character, fear of being rightfully prosecuted for his many crimes, and his love of adulation, however artificial. Oh, and he’s developed a love of power.

Not a fan of Trump in the least. That does not mean I have to accept anything Biden does unquestioningly.

The thing is, the US has shifted right since the Reagan era so that Biden’s middle of the road seems far left to you.

No. Biden definitely swerved left since he won nomination in 2020. There is no question about it.

 

[Derec]

Can I see the official IIDB list of who can be made fun of and who can't, and the reasons why? You have created a whole thread in the Humor section about "Derogatory Names for Trump", yet you're complaining if someone makes up a derogatory name for a public figure of their choice? I get that its Trump and he is worthy of a lot of the shit and hate that comes his way, but I find the double standards to be pretty annoying. If someone wanted to create a thread in the humor section called "Derogatory Names for Kamala" would that be OK?

That's a good question. I did not even use a derogatory name for KH in this thread. It was dragged from an old thread (where I used it as an example of just this kind of rank hypocrisy) to distract from the points I was making.

 

[Derec]

My objections to Derec’s ‘criticisms’ of Harris are only that they are centered on her color and sex and not on her words or actions or actual job performance.

Bullshit. Take my comment about her in this thread. It was all about her political positions.
Even criticism of her sexual relationship with Willie "she was half my age" Brown is about her behavior, not her being female.
And when did I center my criticism on the color of her skin? I criticized her for her tactics in the 2020 primary season when she went on a racial attack against Biden for no good reason. Criticizing campaign tactics is different than criticizing her skin color.
I did make a point that her mixed race heritage, as well as her interracial marriage, placed her in a good position to highlight her family as an example of unity in diversity. Instead, she went for a tactic of racial division. Do you think that criticism is illegitimate?

This is an unfortunate pattern in many of Derec’s posts regarding anyone who is female or not white or horror of horrors: neither male nor white.

Nope. I criticize her for what she said and did. You think that because she is a non-white woman that any criticism leveled at her must be sexist and racist. That's bullshit!

It’s a shame. I often disagree with Derec’s positions but where he backs them up with relevant observations of a person’s actions or words, they are worth reading, whether I agree or not. I respect even where I disagree but I can find no respect for racism or sexism.

I did not bring up KH's race and gender into this thread. I criticized her support for banning fracking and offshore drilling. It is your Ilk who is trying to make it all about race and gender in order to distract from the point I was making. Indeed, it's a shame!

 

[Derec]

Harris gets criticized because she’s an empty headed moron and an abject failure. Even her own party dislikes her.

I think calling her "an empty headed moron". She is not stupid, she just lacks judgment.
You are right that she was not successful as Veep and that she is unpopular even among her fellow Democrats. I do not think she could win a contested primary for example.

She was only picked as VP because she’s black and female.

That is indeed true. Biden pledged to appoint a female Veep. He also pledged to appoint a black female SCOTUS justice in his Corrupt Bargain with Jim Clyburn. After the 2020 race riots, he decided only a black female would work for Veep as well, to appease the rioters.

 

[Derec]

Is it because she’s black and female?

Why do you always think that?

In fact, Harris is highly educated and has an impressive resume of positions she’s held and succeeded at.

It's a pretty average resume for a Veep to be fair.
I disagree that she is a moron, but she has also shown pretty bad judgment in her run for president. She had early support of many Hillary donors, and had the advantage of California going earlier than usual.
Then came the missteps.

• She positioned herself in the outside left lane, competing against heavyweights Warren and Sanders, and taking up some stupid policy positions, like banning fracking and offshore drilling.
• She badly mismanaged her campaign, erasing her early fundraising advantage. That led to her campaign going broke before Iowa.
• Instead of being a uniter, she decided that divisiveness on race was the way to go with her bussing attacks on Biden.

I am certain that Biden did include her sex and race when choosing her, just as previous choices for VP have almost always been chosen because of their white race and male gender. And family wealth, etc.

Do you think it was right for Biden to limit himself this much by deciding to only consider black women for the slot? I think it was foolish, and led to a suboptimal choice of running mate.

 

[Derec]

"Of course I don't dislike her because she's black, female and in power, I'm just mad a fan because the only thing I really know about her is that she is black, female, and in power."

FIFY. Toni et al only ever bring up her race and gender, never any actual positions or accomplishments that set her apart and would indicate she would make a good president.

 

[Derec]

She was not Progressive's first choice, because she... isn't a Progressive. Fucking duh, of course she wasn't their first choice.

True. I remember some people wanting Karen Bass, Barbara Lee or even Elizabeth Warren (also a minority, supposedly) to be Biden's running mate. Kamala Harris was a far better choice than any of those, I will give her that.

 

[Toni]

Is it because she’s black and female?

Why do you always think that?

In fact, Harris is highly educated and has an impressive resume of positions she’s held and succeeded at.

It's a pretty average resume for a Veep to be fair.
I disagree that she is a moron, but she has also shown pretty bad judgment in her run for president. She had early support of many Hillary donors, and had the advantage of California going earlier than usual.
Then came the missteps.

• She positioned herself in the outside left lane, competing against heavyweights Warren and Sanders, and taking up some stupid policy positions, like banning fracking and offshore drilling.
• She badly mismanaged her campaign, erasing her early fundraising advantage. That led to her campaign going broke before Iowa.
• Instead of being a uniter, she decided that divisiveness on race was the way to go with her bussing attacks on Biden.

I am certain that Biden did include her sex and race when choosing her, just as previous choices for VP have almost always been chosen because of their white race and male gender. And family wealth, etc.

Do you think it was right for Biden to limit himself this much by deciding to only consider black women for the slot? I think it was foolish, and led to a suboptimal choice of running mate.

I think that the choice was very strategic. Biden has not lasted this long without being very savvy. He knows how old he is and he knows he has some baggage. Choosing a black woman showed his willingness to transcend the ‘it’s a white man’s world’ paradigm and to demonstrate some progressive modernity. In an ideal world, none of this would be an issue: race, gender, sex. But we are not there yet—It will take another generation or two.

Harris needed to distinguish herself from Warren and Sanders as most would assume that a black female candidate was very progressive. She’s not. But Warren and Sanders were both too old to be considered.

 

[Derec]

Seriously, "empty-headed"?

Again, I would not go that far. Her issue is judgment, not intelligence.

If duty or election should ever advance her to the White House, Kamala Harris would be one of the most academically qualified presidents in American history,

I guess it's starting, the Hillaryfication of Kamala. Hillary was claimed to be the "most qualified presidential candidate ever", now Kamala is one of the "most academically qualified"? What's so exceptional about her academic credentials? BA from Howard, a JD from UC Hastings. Ho hum. Law degrees are very common among politicians. What makes her "one of the most academically qualified" in your opinion?

and her statements on public policy are characteristically deliberate, precise, and well-informed.

What is "deliberate, precise, and well-informed" about this?

What was "deliberate, precise, and well-informed" about using the failed 70s policy of forced bussing as a cudgel with which to beat up Biden?
What was "deliberate, precise, and well-informed" about claiming that Michael Brown was "murdered" even though, as a prosecutor, she knew very well that he wasn't?

Democratic Candidates Are Misrepresenting Michael Brown’s Death
And that's Slate, not National Review!

Perhaps a little bit too deliberate, but that is precisely because she prefers to study matters for a long period before making any official statement about them.

I wish she would have studies US energy landscape even a little bit before making that stupid statement about fracking and offshore drilling.

 

[Toni]

My objections to Derec’s ‘criticisms’ of Harris are only that they are centered on her color and sex and not on her words or actions or actual job performance.

Bullshit. Take my comment about her in this thread. It was all about her political positions.
Even criticism of her sexual relationship with Willie "she was half my age" Brown is about her behavior, not her being female.
And when did I center my criticism on the color of her skin? I criticized her for her tactics in the 2020 primary season when she went on a racial attack against Biden for no good reason. Criticizing campaign tactics is different than criticizing her skin color.
I did make a point that her mixed race heritage, as well as her interracial marriage, placed her in a good position to highlight her family as an example of unity in diversity. Instead, she went for a tactic of racial division. Do you think that criticism is illegitimate?

This is an unfortunate pattern in many of Derec’s posts regarding anyone who is female or not white or horror of horrors: neither male nor white.

Nope. I criticize her for what she said and did. You think that because she is a non-white woman that any criticism leveled at her must be sexist and racist. That's bullshit!

It’s a shame. I often disagree with Derec’s positions but where he backs them up with relevant observations of a person’s actions or words, they are worth reading, whether I agree or not. I respect even where I disagree but I can find no respect for racism or sexism.

I did not bring up KH's race and gender into this thread. I criticized her support for banning fracking and offshore drilling. It is your Ilk who is trying to make it all about race and gender in order to distract from the point I was making. Indeed, it's a shame!

You assume that Harris only was with Brown for political advantage for her career—an assumption I’ve never seen you make about a someone white or male. You’ve never criticized her husband for riding her coat tails, for instance.