The Biden campaign expects record levels of sexism and, likely, racism when Joe announces his Vice Presidential candidate. Biden’s campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, in a recent campaign phonecall, called on everyone on the campaign to defend the candidate.
That means Balloon Juice, too, although I think nobody here was on that phonecall. Get ready.
The announcement of the candidate is coming this week or next. And then the “fun” begins.
Kelsey Suter, a disinformation researcher with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a Democratic firm, is helping women’s groups identify sexist memes that begin in private or semiprivate social media groups, so they can point to the origins if they become mainstream.
When Biden makes his announcement, Suter said, she expects “a flood of content playing on common sexist tropes: portraying her as crazy, untrustworthy, unqualified, dumb, or sexual — claiming she is angry, or extreme, or perhaps that she ‘slept her way to the top.’ ”
Suter said if past patterns hold, social media users will be bombarded with content saying the nominee is a liar or will say anything to get ahead. Images will be manipulated, showing her with crazy-looking eyes or in sexualized poses, said Suter, who added she has already seen such content in difficult-to-access corners of the Internet.
What can we do about it? A lot.
I intend to post and tweet as I see necessary. That is not simply quote-tweeting the attacks with or without comment. The pushback has to be more substantive, and it should avoid repeating the words of the attack, because repeating them reinforces them, even if you don’t intend to.
For all of us: get informed. Margaret Sullivan has a very good column about how the media should respond. There are ideas there for all of us to think about in our communications.
Get informed about the candidate’s record and virtues. Then broadcast them far and wide when an attack comes, whether it’s from a relative or on social media. Again, avoid referencing the attack if you can.
Contact media executives and object to poor coverage. From Sullivan,
But as we cringe, we also can get better at identifying and calling out the problem. A group of influential women including former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, who call themselves “We Have Her Back,” sent a letter to top news executives last week demanding a new approach — and more thoughtful preparation, starting now.
We can do that too.
And let’s talk about it here. I’ll be posting as I think necessary, and if you’ve got something you want featured, send it to me via the standard contact.
MattF
Note that if it’s Harris, she’s already been through some of this as a candidate in the primaries. I don’t think she has a TrumpLand nickname, though.
randy khan
This is really important. Whoever Biden picks will be well-qualified, smart, and right on the key issues. We all need to amplify those facts.
sdhays
It’s good to see the Biden campaign girding its loins for this. And it’s a good reminder that no matter how overdue it is, it was a bold decision for Biden to take men off the table months ago. He didn’t know where we’d be right now, and there are always people who are going to be wringing their hands over “having this fight now”, instead of when the stakes aren’t so high (when they actually are always high).
Litlebritdifrnt
“Slept her way to the top” makes me think that it is Harris, so far that is the main attack they have had on her, baseless as it is.
The Moar You Know
I’d like to add: same rules as contacting Congress: DO NOT EMAIL, THEY DON’T READ IT. If you’re going to email or social media post, it might be better if you just did nothing at all.
CALL. Or write snail mail if you’re down for that. Swamped phone lines and mailrooms that can’t function because they’re packed with missives from pissed-off people get attention. Ten million emails just go right in the bitbucket with one click, unread and unnoticed.
Nicole
@Litlebritdifrnt: Me too! That jumped out at me as being very specific. I remember that attack on Harris from the primaries.
Oooh! Did that give the game away? (Note: I’m happy with whomever Biden picks)
Fourten
Someone drop a line down a sewer and warn the Bernie Bros, not that it will make a difference
dmsilev
@Litlebritdifrnt: Well, there was also she’s-a-cop. Marginally less stupid, but that’s a low bar to clear.
coin operated
I was hacking away at a response but saw that Fourten got there first.
Somebody make sure Wilmer is on board. Some of his misogynist surrogates were worse than the wingnuts.
MisterForkbeard
@Litlebritdifrnt: That’s the attack from the Right on Harris. The Left thinks she’s an evil cop who hates trans people, among other things.
I’ve also started hearing the “She hasn’t accomplished anything in 4 years in the Senate!”, which is pretty ridiculous.
ruemara
@MisterForkbeard: Ask them if they actually looked at her record. Her 4 years are more productive than Wilmer’s 40 years in office.
gwangung
@Litlebritdifrnt: Takes a look at where she is NOW. Takes a look at where her peers are NOW.
Huh. Being far above where the guys made it means an awfully low top.
Jeffro
@sdhays: Bold and smart. Took you-know-who right out of the running.
sdhays
@The Moar You Know: They seem to pay attention to Twitter if enough people retweet.
Jeffro
I will be a little surprised if it’s Harris, but as with all other BJers, Democrats, progressives, and every sentient form of life on this planet, I’ll be voting for Biden whether it’s her or one of the other candidates up for consideration.
I don’t think the GOP will be capable of sticking to attacks based solely on performance/record. And by “GOP” I mean all of them from the midwestern diner-dwellers all the way up (down?) to the Ill Douche.
Alison Rose
My favorite thing will be the PMS jokes. Aside from the basic stupidity of “Uh oh, she has cramps, she’s gonna nuke someone,” there’s also the fact that just as with Clinton, it makes you wonder if these troglodytes lack even the simplest understanding of biology, such that they think a woman in her 60s still gets her fucking period. Granted, a few of the contenders are younger than that, but even by early to mid 50s, most people who menstruate have at least entered menopause. Of course, I’m sure these assholes have the same beliefs about menopause as they do about PMS. Also, I’m sure it never crosses their minds that not every woman menstruates.
JPL
Boris on CNN is explaining why trump was escorted off stage quickly. What did Russia do now?
Quinerly
@JPL: I’m watching. Really curious as to what is up. Briefing Room on lockdown.
Mike in NC
Whoever is chosen to run with Joe, she’ll be slagged by Fat Bastard as a “nasty woman”.
Quinerly
@JPL: shooting outside WH. Person shot by Secret Service, per Trump.
JPL
@Quinerly: He’s back.. At least my local NBC station is not carrying his bullshit.
JPL
@Quinerly: lol It was a ploy to get my local NBC station to carry him.
Quinerly
@JPL: I was suspicious as to whether something has been staged. Plus, he’s very low energy. Eyes look like he is heavily medicated.
Ken
Oh, are the Republicans not using LAWNORDER any more?
cain
Someone noted on twitter that all of Harris’s social media accounts stopped following Biden. Of course that could mean anything – but I personally hope it is Kamala simply becuase if it is Susan Rice – then it’s going to be all about Clinton – yet again – and you can imagine how much misogyny is going to come from that. Any association with Clinton at this point will create a massive advantage to Republicans where their people will throw money at them like they are in vegas.
Cacti
@Litlebritdifrnt:
If it’s Harris, the attack from the right will be that she’s a childless harridan who slept with Willie Brown to get a start in politics.
The attack from the left will be that she was a willing accomplice of the police state against black and brown people until it wasn’t helpful to her career.
Will it make a difference? Who knows.
Yutsano
@Quinerly: I just saw a clip. He was more called off rather than escorted. And he didn’t seem to hear the SS agent at first. I don’t think staged but it seemed awful leisurely. Then again the fat bastard can’t run so I shouldn’t be too surprised.
cain
So Secret Service shot someone? Would be very sad if it was a Trump supporter. Most likely some dude that was trying to bring the President food from McDonalds.
Mousebumples
On topic – i posted something to this effect on Facebook this morning . I suppor Biden/VP, even if he picks Tulsi… Or a dumpster. I also pledged to call out sexism and misogyny and challenged others to do the same.
Cacti
It is kind of funny that with all of the “Kamala is a cop” propaganda earlier in the campaign, it would probably be to her advantage now with centrist and center left types.
Emma from FL
@cain: I don’t think so. I think most votes are locked in. The swaying middle waits until much closer to the election to make up its mind, and they are shrinking daily.
JPL
@Cacti: haha My first thought was since I live alone during a pandemic, she slept with someone..second thought no doesn’t matter.
Sab
@Quinerly: Where is the ear-beagle?
Barbara
@Emma from FL: The issue is turnout. Nothing else.
Ruckus
@ruemara:
Blasphemy! Wilmer has been a guiding light for 40 yrs! OK it’s not a strong light, not a bright light, but still, he’s been somewhere for decades, doing the nothing job one should expect out of person that expects a government to actually do nothing.
It’s absolutely true for sure, but you know saying that will get one attacked.
Mousebumples
(https://twitter.com/adamwren/status/1292932633966649346?s=03)
No clue what that means , if anything, but … Just thought I’d share …
dmsilev
@Cacti:
Barring a complete dumpster fire like Sarah Palin, the VP choice typically sways very few votes one way or the other. So, probably not.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Litlebritdifrnt: That was my thought also. I first remember hearing about her when she dated Willie Brown, the powerful CA legislator, in the 1990s. But she has certainly proven herself worthy since then. Dating Willie Brown really only indicates she has been smart and political for a long time.
ETA: I’ve thought Harris was the best and most obvious running mate since the beginning. My heart will always belong to Elizabeth Warren, but I’ll be very glad if Biden chooses Harris. She’s a fighter too.
dmsilev
@Mousebumples: Mayor Pete is back, rested and ready!
(yes, yes, I know, he fails the ‘woman’ criteria. Work with me here.)
Edit: And from the “other related Tweets” below your link:
More brow-furrowing incoming!
Kattails
@The Moar You Know: Very good point. When I call my congresswoman/senators, someone always picks up or calls back. I try hard to stick to my point, and to thank them for their hard work. If I were to send a letter, it would be in a nice envelope with careful handwriting (elegant calligraphy in my case :) so that it stood out and looked like it might be coherent. I’ve actually asked if it would be better to send an email and got a negative.
Totally agree that this needs to be called out instantly and furiously.
I am voting FOR Joe Biden and whoever he picks as his running mate unless she’s named Palin. As an aside, another issue that got gorged out on a right wing website recently is that Biden is too “handsy” i.e. creepy. My take is that the man has lost his first wife and daughter in a car accident; and later one of his sons to cancer. I’ve seen videos of him hugging people who needed comfort, and they looked like real, solid, human-touch comfort to the afflicted. I believe he touches as a way to feel the reality and aliveness of a person.
Unlike Trump, who hugs a flag like a dog humping a leg… (shudders)
Ruviana
@Mousebumples: We assume it’s not Pete so I think maybe it’s…Satby!
Lum’s Better Half
It’s Tulsi. She is all upside and no downside.
Brachiator
Yep.
And sadly, a lot of the attacks will come from women, and will come from white women if the candidate is a woman of color.
During the 2016 campaign I noted how often a female co-host would take a personal dig at Hillary Clinton, as though this was her designated role. Comments especially about her voice or clothes or personal appearance.
It was odd that none of these women seemed to understand that they were undermining themselves as well.
Barbara
@dmsilev: That is good news. I keep hearing that Collins is doing better than Trump but I have never had a clear idea just how much better. An incumbent below 50% is always in trouble, if politicos are to be believed.
Mousebumples
My thinking was South Bend isn’t too far from Chicago, so maybe Duckworth? *shrugs* I’m on board with satby for VP though! XD
JoyceH
I saw the bit on tv when Trump returned to the podium, and call me shallow, but I couldn’t help noticing how thin his hair looks. Swirl and floof it all you want, there’s not much left anymore.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Mr DAW is watching Trump drone. I had to go into my office and shut the door. I don’t know how he stands it.
South Bend, eh? I suppose Duckworth is the closest but who knows who else may have flown in.
topclimber
Yeah, just please oh brer GOP, don’t throw us into the briar patch!
In an electoral contest where suburban women (many white) are the key, why am I not upset at the prospect of Republicans going all out misogynist on the presumably female Dem choice for VP?
Please proceed, aholes.
H.E.Wolf
Cheryl’s recommendation in the post is spot-on:
I notice that many of the commenters in this thread have done exactly what Cheryl recommended we avoid.
It’s difficult, isn’t it? We are all so accustomed to repeating the words of the attacks that we do it ourselves, without noticing.
Thank you to Cheryl for reminding us of the negative impact of that habit.
Barbara
@Mousebumples: It’s possible that more people than the VP candidate will be on board for the announcement. As I recall, Joe made sure that Mayor Pete was at one of his rallies shortly after he dropped out of the race.
Fair Economist
I’ve noticed with twitter trolls that posting a strong definitive link to a refutation, with minimal references to their trolling, tends to shut them up.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Mr DAW shut the TV off after Trump said, “You know who’s meddling in our elections? The Democrats.”
TS (the original)
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
I would hope the democrats are “meddling” in the election – like encouraging people to vote, telling the truth about trump, having candidates in all (well most) districts – etc etc etc
Kattails
Meant to say thank you to Cheryl for another really valuable post, which needs to be shared. Good thoughts. will follow up on links.
tokyokie
DAW, And what could seem more dastardly to Republicans than trying to win elections fairly?
Mousebumples
@Barbara: true. It’s also possible a different contender had a “connection in Chicago” and then proceeded to leave the airport and drive to South Bend. May mean the announcement is imminent though? And, yes, that may be wishful thinking since I just want to *know* already!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
the cornerstone of his campaign is the idea that Biden is losing it
‘all the soldiers were sick’
Poe Larity
If he picks Rice, it will be all-Benghazi on Fox and all-neoliberal-courtesy-bomber-Bolton-fangirl on whatever forums the Berners hang out.
NS
I couldn’t figure out why Biden was delaying his pick and the announcement, but now I do: take 2 weeks to anticipate all the BS about to come your way — don’t let the other side start their campaign of negativity without getting a head start.
It’s going to be an ugly campaign. Tuning it out for a few days at a time is highly recommended.
Robert Sneddon
@H.E.Wolf:
I’ve noticed a number of folks complaining they got their Twitter or Facebook posts taken down for the simple act of pointing out something wrong President Trump or other people had said about COVID-19. The fact they had quoted them verbatim didn’t seem to sink in, they were sure social media organisations were censoring them unfairly when the brainless algorithm that triggered the takedown just saw the words in their post and recognised them as matching false statements it had been programmed with.
Chyron HR
@Poe Larity:
I’m sorry, were you still holding out for Nina Turner after she literally called Biden a “bowl of shit”?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
if you read Three Corinthians, it says Jesus said the sick are on their own
ETA: also, reporters, when trump says this or that proposal has “terrible things”, “if you look at the things..” ask him ‘what things?”
dmsilev
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I was foolish enough to listen to the video clip Josh put in that Tweet, and it’s obvious that Trump couldn’t come up with any actual examples of Biden ‘being against God’; it’s all just vague generalities. No ‘he’s in favor of killing babies’, for instance, to choose the right wing’s favorite supposed example.
Chyron HR
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
“We’ve got a playbook for running against Bernie and by god we’re going to use it.”
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I swear I had a link in that post…
trump says 1917 pandemic probably ended WWII because all the soldiers were sick.
Frankensteinbeck
@Alison Rose:
I remember people here on Balloon Juice saying Hillary would start a war with Iran just to prove she had balls as big as any man. That was how they phrased it.
Whoever Biden picks will be a woman, so we’re going to see her constantly criticized. Remember Tim Kaine? He was ignored. Vice Presidential candidates usually are. But women are always viewed as targets, and Biden is damn near indestructible, so the media is going to be taking shots at whoever his VP candidate is nonstop. Everyone who is not a die-hard Biden fan will be.
It’s probably moot. This election is a referendum on Trump. Nothing else.
RedDirtGirl
@JoyceH: I’ve noticed that too.
Mike in NC
There’s only one Trump television ad getting heavy play in our area this week, with some sad looking Latina woman sitting down shuffling a bunch of cue cards with banal shit like, “Biden will raise your taxes”. No dialog, just slow piano music. Production costs appear to be about $12 tops. Maybe Kushner or Miller think it’s brilliant stuff.
Eljai
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Everyone knows that Hitler was killed by a time-traveling pandemic.
Benw
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: hey the pros aren’t gonna jection themselves
sgrAstar
@The Moar You Know: it’s just not true that legislators (ie, staff) don’t read emails. Some do, some don’t. I write emails to my senators, and I get emails in return.
?
marklar
When I was an assistant professor (back in the olden days) going through my mid-tenure review, a couple of older department members critiqued me as being too informal with my students, which they felt was unprofessional and undermined my ‘professorial’ authority. Instead of rebutting them, I altered my personal statement to highlight the kinds of informal interactions I had with students, noting my ‘student-faculty interaction’ scores on my course evaluations, and including a couple of references to how an occasionally improvisational and informal classroom (and out of classroom) environment can help learning for many students. I took the criticism, and presented it as one of my strengths.
At the end of Kung Fu Panda, Tai Lung tells Po “You can’t defeat me…you’re just a big, fat Panda.” Po’s response? “I’m not a big fat Panda…I’m THE big fat Panda.” This is exactly what the Biden campaign needs to do when the attacks come. Take what makes the Trump campaign uncomfortable, and own it.
germy
Trump ended a press conference abruptly.
Shots fired near white house.
germy
Delk
@Mousebumples: It could the massive storm in the Midwest that grounded everything.
Elizabelle
@germy: WaPost just now:
President Trump suddenly exited his coronavirus briefing Monday evening amid reports that the Secret Service shot a person outside the White House grounds.
The D.C. fire department was dispatched to outside the White House at 5:55 p.m. Monday after a call from the Secret Service reporting that they had shot a person in the upper body, D.C. fire spokesman Doug Buchanan said.
President Trump said that the person was taken to the hospital after the shooting, but that he did not know the person’s condition. He added that he understands the person was armed.
Secret Service confirmed on Twitter just after 6:30 p.m. Monday that a shooting involving a U.S. Secret Service officer occurred at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The FBI referred questions to the Secret Service.
A Secret Service checkpoint for vehicles is at the intersection in question. It is about one block from the northwest gate to the White House grounds
Pedestrians can approach the gate on the sidewalk, but vehicles are not permitted past the checkpoint.
In May 2016, a man was shot by Secret Service about one block south on 17th Street. The man approached a guard booth near E Street NW and refused repeated orders to drop a pistol, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the gunfire Monday evening.
germy
Elizabelle
@H.E.Wolf: Yes.
It’s Margaret Sullivan’s advice, WaPost ombudsman extraordinaire.
Maybe we should catch folks when they do that.
And, FWIW, I am very happy that neither Chris Matthews nor Mark Halperin nor Matt Lauer is covering anything about our Democratic ticket this year. Gone gone.
geg6
@Mike in NC:
Yeah, we’re seeing that here in PA, too. Plus one with some guy named Shawn who looks like a Bikers for Trump guy (husky, bald, facial hair, deep voice) claiming to be a Dem but who can’t vote for Biden because he’s going to ban fracking and never did anything for working people in his career and Donald Trump thinks of nothing but helping working people all day. He’s quite menacing. Somehow, I don’t think this ad campaign they came up with after suspending all ads for a week or two will work out as they hope. It’s really weird, dark stuff.
germy
@Elizabelle:
Ryan Lizza is back
lowtechcyclist
@Mousebumples: South Bend, huh? I had no idea my sister was on the short list…
moops
@Mike in NC: I’m guessing most of the campaign consultants and ad people are just pocketing all the campaign money. There is no ad that will help or hurt Trump in the campaign. No point making fine ads.
dnfree
@Poe Larity: not to mention that Rice’s son is a right-wing college student. He may mature, but I don’t like the idea of focus on him because in a way he already seems to be emphasizing his beliefs in a young-assholish fashion.
zhena gogolia
@Quinerly:
He looks HORRIBLE! Plus in the clip I saw, he was bragging about the stock market. WTF?
zhena gogolia
@Mousebumples:
Yeah, I’m at the point where I don’t care if it’s Tulsi. Fine. Let’s do this thing.
zhena gogolia
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
He hasn’t even watched Downton Abbey, has he?
zhena gogolia
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Nobody ever notices my J.-L. Cauvin links, but WATCH THIS TRUMP BIBLE STUDY. It is brilliant. He’s doing one each day this week at 3:16 ET.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA1G-x2Zse4
Ken
If that were the case, Trump would have come back in with some ketchup on his sleeve and claimed he was injured disarming the perp.
janesays
It will be this week. The convention starts Monday, and I can’t possibly imagine the VP announcement not happening before it starts. Probably will be this Friday or Saturday.
And I really, really believe that the candidate needs to be an African-American woman. Whitmer, Duckworth, and Warren are all great, but the moment calls for representation from the most reliable voting bloc the Democrats have had for the last 40+ years.
Elizabelle
Interesting. “Republicans Against Trump” concocted an ad, using Lindsey Graham’s comments against Trump (“demagogue”) and praising Joe Biden (“as good a man as God ever made”).
On youtube.
First you have some commentary, and then the ad itself, which is very effective.
Lindsey Graham has no one but himself to blame for kowtowing so completely to Trump, but this reminds that there’s a person inside that weathervane Senator too.
Villago Delenda Est
I’ve been expecting a shitstorm over the VP announcement, mainly from shaky “Never Trumpers” who are looking for excuses. Sippy Cupp, looking at you, beeyotch.
jc
For VP I like Susan Rice, because she’s reassuring. She projects professionalism, maturity, she’s not inclined to alienate people. I think that’s the best thing to show contrast with the current administration: stability, calm competence, non-antagonizing strength. Harris would make a great AG. Warren would make a great cabinet Sec. – State, Treasury. Abrams would make a great Dem. party chair, or Governor.