Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Cole, when it comes to calico cats, restraint is overrated.

đŸŽ¶ Those boots were made for mockin’ đŸŽ”

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

It looks like winning debates is a black job!

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

So many bastards, so little time.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Let’s finish the job.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

It’s a doggy dog world.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

There is one struggling party in US right now, and it’s not the Democrats.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

I also would like a pony to improve my balloon juice experience.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Kamala Harris Campaign Event in Wisconsin

Reader Interactions

235Comments

  1. 1.

    KatKapCC

    I love her joyousness. Among many many other traits, joy is something that separates her from Trump by a mile. By a lightyear.

  2. 2.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I watched the whole thing earlier. Might watch the whole thing again. The energy, excitement, and enthusiasm are palpable. Listen to the crowd.

  4. 4.

    HumboldtBlue

    @KatKapCC: ​ 

    joy is something that separates her from Trump by a mile. By a lightyear.

    The contrast between the two could not be more stark, and it really stands out because Joe was just another old white guy like Trump, not a beautiful, energetic absurdly accomplished woman.

  6. 6.

    Mike in NC

    The exuberance she’ll bring to the campaign will be quite the contrast with 78 year old Fat Bastard’s ugly, cringeworthy hate rallies.

  7. 7.

    KatKapCC

    @HumboldtBlue: I gotta say, I don’t want to sound shallow, and of course there are 1000 things more important about her…but she is gorgeous, and I look forward to Trump’s nasty orange face and urine-colored Brillo pad hair being put in a side-by-side on TV next to her.

  10. 10.

    Splitting Image

    The paper of record has its finger on the pulse of the nation:

    In fairness to Ms. Harris, it would be challenging for any Democrat today to advance a clear agenda for the future. Mr. Biden struggled to do so in his re-election campaign. The party has held power for almost 12 of the last 16 years, and it has exhausted much of its agenda; there aren’t many popular, liberal policies left in the cupboard. As long as voters remain dissatisfied with the status quo and the Democratic nominee, a campaign to defend the system might not be the slam dunk Democrats once thought it was.

    Silly little women worrying about whether they’ll have access to medical care or be able to cross state lines come November. Your betters are here to tell you that the Democrats have been in power long enough and it’s time to give the other guys a chance.

    This is Nate Cohn, by the way, not Ross Douthat.

  13. 13.

    Trivia Man

    @BR: Mine also, I am grateful every time I try and sneak over to peek – I am reminded that it probably isn’t worth it.

  14. 14.

    West of the Rockies

    @HumboldtBlue:

    Right on!

    And again, the GOP Irefest ’24 (the convention) is over and done.  “Excitement” over.  It was a poorly rated dirge of rage and bigotry.

    Trump has Project 2025 and Dobbs draped around his neck like a bacon necklace on a piglet in a pack of wolves.

    The Dems are just getting started.  I am jazzed!

  15. 15.

    Steve LaBonne

    Damn that’s a good speech. Bill Clinton is the last presidential candidate I can remember who radiated such pure enjoyment at working a crowd. I guess I didn’t quite realize she had that quality. Trump is not going to know what hit him.

  16. 16.

    Beagleowned

    I very seldom post. Today is different. I am tickled pink to watch the incredible swell and expansion of the Kamalanami!

    Catch a wave!

     

    (Yes, I posted in previous thread but it was buried and I’m ecstatic!)

  17. 17.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Splitting Image:

    Reason 1,594.59 why anybody with a FTFNYT subscription should contact them and cancel.

    I know he’s an opinion writer but that’s always the excuse outlets like them and the Wa(com)Post use to justify their entire editorial approach to reporting.

  18. 18.

    J. Arthur Crank

    @Splitting Image:      It almost seems that stupidity is lucrative instead of painful.  How can we make stupidity painful again?  My fleet of groin-kicking robots* won’t be ready for some time, so we need a stopgap measure in the mean time.

     

    *Once deployed, if someone says/writes stupid shit, the nearest robot comes and gives a knee to the groin, followed by an explanation why the knee-to-the-groin sanction was administered.

  19. 19.

    HumboldtBlue

    The chyrons from Newsmax abut Kamala’s agenda are fucking hilarious!

    SUPPORTS MASSIVE CORPORATE TAX HIKE!

    WANTED TO CAP RENT AND UTILITY PAYMENTS!

    BACKED TAX-PAYER FUNDED MEDICARE FOR ALL!!!!!!!

    INVESTIGATED FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES!!!!!!!

  20. 20.

    BR

    It’s blowing my mind — both Mark Kelly and Tim Walz are 60, yet they both look a generation older than Harris who is 59.

  23. 23.

    Harrison Wesley

    @West of the Rockies: Yes, the excitement is over.  Back to excrement.  Which is what Our Liberal Media will be focused on until they cook up a new recipe for Democrats in Disarray.  Anything except having to spend any amount of time actually reporting on King Swino the Diapered.

  25. 25.

    CaseyL

    @Splitting Image: ​

    The party has held power for almost 12 of the last 16 years, and it has exhausted much of its agenda; there aren’t many popular, liberal policies left in the cupboard.

    What the Almighty Fuck?

    Who the hell is this cotton-candy-brained numbnuts?

  28. 28.

    BR

    @Splitting Image:

    I love that NYT has exposed itself this year to be what DougJ had been showing everyone it always was. Lots of folks are not going to take them seriously anymore, for good reason.

  29. 29.

    HumboldtBlue

    DougJ, nail. hit. head.

    Opinion | If Kamala Harris is elected president, here is what I think she should be impeached for.

    by Jonathan Turley

  31. 31.

    dc

    @Splitting Image: ​
     Yes, NYT, we have solved climate change, reproductive rights, voting rights, economic justice, racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc. We live in Utopia, yawn.

  33. 33.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @HumboldtBlue:

    Another good one from DougJ today:

    Is it too early for Republicans to impeach Kamala Harris? This George Washington University law professor doesn’t think so.

  34. 34.

    Matt McIrvin

    @HumboldtBlue: I recall that during the 2016 cycle, there was talk of a Republican House preemptively impeaching Hillary Clinton during the lame-duck period if she won, so she’d take office already impeached. (They could do that because she was a former federal officer.)

  36. 36.

    Elizabelle

    @KatKapCC:  Joy is going to win us this election.  And intelligence, and an incredible GOTV operation.

    Which America would you rather live in?

  37. 37.

    BR

    @Elizabelle:

    The GOP is really dour, and I guess it took Harris stepping into the spotlight for it to be visible. Trump is so spiteful and grouchy and makes so little sense anymore I doubt his followers even get a buzz from it.

    Vance has please-clap Jeb-mentum energy, like a boring frat boy who thinks he’s going to nail it at the local stand up comedy open mic night.

  40. 40.

    Trollhattan

    Trump making himself available to debate Harris?

    His ego and the free teevee time say yes.
    His considerable risk of being brained to a pulp on free teevee has me making it 3:2 odds.
    My likelihood of actually watching for once should it happen, approach 99%.
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  41. 41.

    HumboldtBlue

    Now all we need is for Taylor Swift and Beyoncé to play a set together at the DNC convention!

  42. 42.

    Splitting Image

    @CaseyL:

    Who the hell is this cotton-candy-brained numbnuts?

    Basically, he’s the numbers guy the NYT hired to replace Nate Silver when he left some years back. He has the same problems Silver does when committing punditry on things that are not numbers.

  46. 46.

    clay

    @Trollhattan: Trump has made noises about dropping out of every debate for three election cycles* and he hasn’t yet. I’d guess he takes part.

    *Good Lord, why won’t he just go away?!?

  48. 48.

    MisterForkbeard

    I watched the event – it was fantastic. Tons of energy. Kamala’s speech was very good too – lots of energy and the crowd loved her.

    In particular, she was visibly (momentarily) emotional when she thanked Joe Biden and she spent the first few minutes praising his presidency. Then the already famous “I know Donald Trump’s type” was delivered, and it was the right mix of professionalism and viciousness – and the crowd really responded.

    The rest of the speech is also excellent, but I’ve always liked Harris and it’s really good to see her get attention, publicity, and enthusiasm.

  50. 50.

    danielx

    @Splitting Image: ​
     
    The New York Times has achieved something almost impossible in American politics: cordially hated by liberals and conservatives alike.

  55. 55.

    Princess

    Thanks for posting this Water Girl. Harris sounds great, full of joy, and entirely comfortable up there, having fun with the audience.

  58. 58.

    Jay

    Rumours are that many in TIFG’s Campaign are saying that JD Vance was the wrong choice for a VP and that he should be dumped from the campaign.

    Sorry SFB, you can’t abort JD Vance, you are going to have to carry him to term.

  60. 60.

    WereBear

    They are stuck with Trump. But another contender can step up with the quatloos and Trump will give their failson a test drive for veep.

  61. 61.

    Martin

    @CaseyL: I’m getting some strong veep vibes from a pretty broad swath.

    I still think Democrats should be bold here. They’ve already done one thing to shed the risk adverse stigma by dropping their nominee in the 11th hour. And the unavoidable conclusion around that is that Democrats have given themselves an opening to make this election about the future, about change, like they did in 2008. We haven’t had an election without a Biden, Clinton, or Bush in 36 years. Just fucking go for it. Stop trying to do the safe thing.

    Edit: Actually it’s been 48 years.

  63. 63.

    Elizabelle

    @danielx:  I can’t wait to see their income and page click metrics since they began their Dump Biden campaign.  I suspect they lost a significant number of subscribers.

  64. 64.

    Regnad Kcin

    @MisterForkbeard: Make no mistake: the use of ‘type’ is an essential rhetorical gambit, here. If he is one of a ‘type,’ he is not sui generis. Just one of many. And I hope that had him eating his liver.

  65. 65.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I heard the speech while working. My wife and MIL were watching it on the main level but I could hear it in my upstairs office. What a stem winder! Lover the energy and content of that speech.

  66. 66.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Steve in the ATL:

    LOL.  GMTA.

    Another glibertarian-captured school or “school of” within the school.  I’ve learned just how bad that’s gotten nationally on the Reaganomics-for-housing “market urbanism” bullshit.  Very Big Tobacco in setup and execution.

  68. 68.

    Captain C

    @MisterForkbeard: I like the use of “Donald’s type” as it emphasizes that he’s not unique, but rather just another sleazy criminal and cheat.

  69. 69.

    Captain C

    @danielx: In their case, they’re getting flack from both sides because they’re gleefully bombing an orphanage.

  70. 70.

    Eolirin

    I just want everyone to know I’m still around and will still be posting, but I’m hitting an uptick in chronic fatigue symptoms and it’ll probably be a lot less until that goes away.

  74. 74.

    CaseyL

    @Jay: ..to only approve comments that agree with their columns?  Good lord.

    Speaking again about tone, and joy: the GOP is captured completely by people selling ugly, rancid, toxic, shit.  It shows.  It shows in how they talk, how they interact with people (including one another!), in everything.  It’s all anger, fear, return to the past, destroy everything, from national parks to individual freedom.

    The Dems are all about community, joy, preservation of freedom, singing and dancing.

    I hope that comes across in the advertising, at the Convention, and all along the campaign trail.  Because people – not pundits, not commentators, and not newscasters, but people – may notice.

  75. 75.

    eclare

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Very much.  This is dangerous, I’m starting to have hope.  But the media had decades to tear Hillary down, only fifteen weeks here.  I like our chances.

  78. 78.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Splitting Image: ​
     
    From the quoted FTFNYT:

    The party has held power for almost 12 of the last 16 years, and it has exhausted much of its agenda; there aren’t many popular, liberal policies left in the cupboard.

    Good Lord, what alternate universe are they living in?

    First of all, the Democrats have controlled the White House and both houses of Congress for just four of the past 16 years, and even then their ability to pass their agenda was limited by the filibuster and (in 2021-22) by a 50+MVP Senate ‘majority’ that gave Manchin and Sinema a veto over everything.

    Second, the right to vote? Women’s bodily autonomy? The minimum wage? Climate change?? Ensuring equal rights for LGBTQ persons in every corner of our Union? Taxing the rich at a level that leaves them less money to control our politics with? Ending wage theft? Banning assault weapons? The list goes on.

    Empty cupboard, my ass. These people really do live in an alternate reality.

  82. 82.

    lamh47

    Saw a tweet that a national call went out to Howard University alums supporting Kamala Harris for President.

    Watch this space guys.  Ya’ll thought ya’ll saw the ground game behind Obama was something to see.  Unlike Obama…Kamala Harris came up through HBCU spaces.  So while Obama had HBCU backing, that’s a whole ‘nother thing than being an actual HBCU alum and not only that, but a member of the Black greek college organizations.  The contrast between the Black greek orgs and the rest is about to be seen by folks that are NOT ready.

    LFG!!!

  84. 84.

    Rusty

    Harris is giving people something to vote for, not just getting people to vote against Trump.  That is much more powerful message, particularly when the Republicans are selling some dystopian vision of a country in free fall (which is bizarre if you drive through 90%+ of the country).  No thanks on the LGM link, I regularly read them and even sometimes commented,  but they really showed themselves to be unredeemed assholes, along with pushing a discredited Parkinson’s conspiracy against Biden.  Cheryl is great and I was sorry when she left here and went there, but even she isn’t enough to get me to go back.

  86. 86.

    lamh47

    Also too Nicki Haley tried to put out a “cease and desist” against her supporter group that endorsed Harris…and they said AHT…AHT…ATH Nicki and they doubled down!!!!

    @NikkiHaley
    We enthusiastically supported former President Trump in the primaries. Our rights to engage with likeminded voters and encourage them to vote for
    @KamalaHarris
    – the clear better choice for the country – will not be suppressed. Statement below:

    https://x.com/HaleyVte4Harris/status/1815862099912057178

  90. 90.

    YetAnotherLurkingJackal

    @CaseyL: The “12 out of 16 years” framing by Cohn is crap.    Republicans controlled the House for 10 of those 16 years, and the Senate for eight.

    Aside from having a brief trifecta for a small portion of the 111th Congress at the very beginning of that period, it’s been constant firefighting against outright arson which has occurred whenever the Republicans have held one or both chambers.

  91. 91.

    Elizabelle

    @ Omnes:

    just learned that July 23 is Smoked Beer Day in Germany.  Bamberg!

  93. 93.

    Almost Retired

    @lamh47: Looks like the current BJ fundraiser for the organization that turns out student voters at North Carolina HBCUs and other colleges in the state was well timed!

  94. 94.

    eclare

    @lamh47:

    I was Greek when I was in college, and my sorority’s discipline was nothing compared to the Black Greek sororities.

  95. 95.

    lamh47

    This to me is saying them folks just DO NOT WANT Chump and his Project 2025 folks back in charge!

    https://x.com/onestpress/status/1815838894707073478

    ACTUAL NEWS: On Tuesday, 350 leading foreign policy and national security experts endorsed VP #Harris’ candidacy for President of the United States, calling her “the best qualified person to lead our nation as Commander in Chief.” The endorsement came in a letter signed by former national security advisers, secretaries of state, secretaries of defense, ambassadors, and top intelligence officials.

  97. 97.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WereBear:

    “We’re keeping a very small prophet, a profit

    Who brings us unbounded returns!”

    — W. S. Gilbert, The Sorcerer

  100. 100.

    lowtechcyclist

    @HumboldtBlue:

    The chyrons from Newsmax abut Kamala’s agenda are fucking hilarious!

    SUPPORTS MASSIVE CORPORATE TAX HIKE!

    WANTED TO CAP RENT AND UTILITY PAYMENTS!

    BACKED TAX-PAYER FUNDED MEDICARE FOR ALL!!!!!!!

    INVESTIGATED FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES!!!!!!!

    I bet even a lot of their viewers are scratching their heads here.  Since Newsmax is saying these things about her, they know they’re supposed to be against these things, but I can just see them struggling to figure out why.

  102. 102.

    lamh47

    And..while we are at it…expect the GOP and media to go after Kamala’s husband as well.

    But guess they forget, Doug is also a lawyer, an entertainment litigator at that…he should know how to handle media and PR.

    https://x.com/HerbieZiskend/status/1815799861910044694

    @DouglasEmhoff
    : “We are going to PROSECUTE the case against Donald Trump – his lies, his gaslighting, his dereliction of duty during COVID, his inciting an insurrection.”

  103. 103.

    Elizabelle

    WaPost:  Breaking news headline: Secret Service asks Trump to stop holding outdoor rallies.

    LOL.  Which he is probably doing because he’s so damn cheap.

  104. 104.

    Matt McIrvin

    You know, I never got an impression of Kamala Harris being that good a public speaker before, but she’s fired up here and it’s great. Maybe not at the Barack Obama level but it’s a better speech than we’ve gotten out of any party presidential candidate since him.

  107. 107.

    Lochnessmom

    @danielx: It’s like Elno shitting on liberals non-stop. Who does he think buys EVs? There are only so many tech bros and they are all one batch of super ketamine away from not being a problem anymore.

  110. 110.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @Rusty: Harris is giving people something to vote for

    A bright future for our country. For my kids.

    For my teens, who lived through the past 8 years of chaos, disruption, hatred, and disaster, who now have some real hope for the future. When we watched Kamala’s speech yesterday, their world changed.

    I am so grateful for our current President’s wisdom and grace, and for our next President’s clarity and inspiration. Let’s make our country joyful again!

  114. 114.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Lochnessmom: Most tech company employees are liberals too. It’s like he thinks the Masters of the Universe are the only ones who matter, which I guess should not be a surprise.

  115. 115.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Matt McIrvin: Absolutely. She has a couple of awkward moments, but they’re small. And she has a lot of moments where she nails the delivery and fires up the crowd.

    I think she does particularly well when she’s being conversational, and she also does fantastically when she needs to deliver an attack or indictment. I noticed the parts where she expresses sympathy or emotion are also typically excellent.

    She goes back down to “pretty good’ when she’s reeling off a list

  120. 120.

    eclare

    @lamh47:

    Good point.  The two of them together, both attorneys, her with the prosecutor background, him with a PR background, make quite a team.

    And he is so supportive of her!  We all should have someone to look at us the way that Doug looks at Kamala.

  122. 122.

    Jay

    @Lochnessmom:

    It’s one of the reasons that a bunch of Brokerages have either downgraded Tesla stock, or pushed it to a “sell” position, this month.

  123. 123.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon:

    @lowtechcyclist: Don’t forget child care. And bringing back the enhanced child tax credit (let’s cut child poverty in half again!)

    Hell yeah! I just had to stop somewhere, that’s all, but yeah, these belong on the list!

    I still can’t believe anyone in their right mind woulda said that FTFNYT crap.

  124. 124.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    Kamala mania is running wild in the streets

  125. 125.

    Kay

    @lamh47:

    Thanks. The BRAT thing was bewildering to me. I lost them when they went insane over the shade of green on Harris’ website.

  129. 129.

    Kay

    Josh Rultenberg

    @JoshRultNews

    When asked about @KamalaHarris candidacy, @HagemanforWY calls @VP a “DEI hire.” “Intellectually, just really kind of the bottom of the barrel…I think she was a DEI hire. And I think that that’s what we’re seeing, and I just don’

    GOP House leadership literally just told their members to stop saying racist things publicly.
    It’s not sinking in.

  130. 130.

    brantl

    @lowtechcyclist: “Democrats have controlled the White House and both houses of Congress for just four of the past 16 years,”

    No, Sparky we have had 12 of the last 16 years, 8 of Obama, 4 of Stumpy and 4 of Biden, so that would be 12 of the past 16 years. And all people notice (normies) is who is in the White House.

     

    Math, how does it work?

  132. 132.

    Suzanne

    @lamh47: The BRAT thing is hilarious. This campaign is, like, fun.

    Mr. Suzanne says that “the side that’s more excited wins”. I love the energy.

  133. 133.

    Kay

    30m

    #New General Election Poll – Georgia Trump 48 (+1) Harris 47%

    We’re back GA! I was hoping that would happen.

  134. 134.

    bluefoot

    @HumboldtBlue: Sign me up now!  Wait, what about TACO TRUCKS ON EVERY CORNER?   I need taco trucks!​
     

    ETA: I see dm beat me to it. :)

  137. 137.

    Dave

    @BR: A wise ad blocker indeed.

    I find Melon perversely fascinating and incredibly boring at the same time.

    He could do anything and nothing but because he can’t self regulate his neuroses, bigotries, general schmuckiness, and can’t earn people’s respect (though he could certainly pay people to self regulate for him) he is nothing but a particularly dangerous version of every schlubs that falls down the anti-woke manosphere shit slide.

    It’s breathtaking in it’s banality.

    Also I really hope that the contrast between Kamala and the malignant mango (an insult to a decent fruit) fully worms it’s way into as many people’s consciousness as possible.

  140. 140.

    japa21

    Okay, something is wrong with this thread. Nobody has attacked anybody. I think I’ll go after OO, just give me time to figure out what about. After all, I’m not Steve in the ATL.

  141. 141.

    TBone

    Rep. Andy Ogles (R-ussia) resolves to impeach VP Harris for shit he made up out of thin air. This smells of desperation and flop sweat đŸ€Ł (document at link and it’s a doozy):

    https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1815842851395121292

    Acyn
    @Acyn
    McGovern: She was never appointed as border czar. She was never called that. Where is that coming from? Is it made up? Why is it in the resolution? Show me where President Biden said that.
    Guest: I didn’t draft the resolution
 I don’t have the information

    McGovern: The reason you don’t have the information is because he didn’t.

  142. 142.

    lamh47

    @politico

    House GOP leaders urge members: Stop making race comments about Harris

    Yeah…good luck with that.

  143. 143.

    Kay

    @TBone:

    Johnson asked them this AM to stop with impeachments and stop with crazy racist public statements but it seems none of them are listening to him.

  144. 144.

    Matt McIrvin

    @lamh47: I didn’t see the website thing until now, but [insert Captain America .gif] I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT REFERENCE

    (because dad)

  146. 146.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Her, Warren and Sec Pete were standouts during the primary debates.

    She’s always had those kinds of chops.

  147. 147.

    KatKapCC

    @Kay: The very notion of them trying to say someone else is intellectually lacking when their guy has the brainpower of a hamster coming out of anesthesia…

  151. 151.

    UncleEbeneezer

    I always thought the notion that Harris doesn’t give rousing speeches was wrong.  I think she’s a great orator.  Maybe not Obama-level (very few are) but this is a great and passionate speech.  And hits most of the important points for the issues she’s running on, perfectly.

  152. 152.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Kay: I figured Georgia was a guaranteed loss this time but I guess not any more–if we can hold it, that’s a huge advantage.

  153. 153.

    Anyway

    Impressive timing by Pres JoeyB — a week before the Olympics start — time to get max buzz for the newly minted nominee. Put the fear into the GQP

  155. 155.

    KatKapCC

    @Matt McIrvin:

    You know, I never got an impression of Kamala Harris being that good a public speaker before, but she’s fired up here and it’s great. Maybe not at the Barack Obama level but it’s a better speech than we’ve gotten out of any party presidential candidate since him.

    Not ragging on you at all, FYI. But this gets at something I’ve seen as a consistent problem on the left ever since Obama showed up on the national scene. In 2016, I remember people being bummed or annoyed or frustrated that Clinton wasn’t the greatest orator, same with Biden in 2020. And others have gotten it, too — Harris indeed, Warren, O’Malley, etc. We on the left really really want someone who can speechify our socks off, even though, let’s be honest, that doesn’t mean shit as far as their ability to do the job.

    But I think it’s that we got spoiled. Look at the last two Democratic presidents before Biden. Obama, obviously, was one of the best public speakers we’ve ever had in politics in this country. And before him, Clinton — for all of his, you know…ISSUES — could give a speech like nobody’s business, to any audience, on any topic. So I think we got spoiled by them, and now it’s become some sort of given that being silver-tongued is a necessity, when all it’s ever been is a nice bonus.

    And we should all be candid and admit that most of us couldn’t get up there in front of a room of thousands, on live TV, and give a speech that they’d already start adding to the history textbooks. Not everyone can be Obama or Bill, and that’s fine. Besides — literally anything is better than listening to Trump speak. I’d rather be followed around by someone running a dentist’s drill everywhere I go than hear one word from that man.

  156. 156.

    Geminid

    @eclare: I remember an incident during the 2020 campaign. Senator Harris was addressing a conference when this big, man-bunned animal rights activist walked up and grabbed the microphone from her hands. Moderator Karine Jean-Pierre put herself between Harris and the interloper as he started ranting about some farm.

    He didnt rant long. Doug Emhoff was there within seconds and with another man wrested the microphone away and more or less shoved the guy offstage.

    Emhoff demonstrated fierce loyalty then, and admirable restraint as well. Emhoff’s face was red as a beet, and I could tell he wanted to fuck that guy up but knew better.

  160. 160.

    Kay

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Isn’t it crazy? It came back. This is probably a fun campaign to work on if you’re young and ambitious. It’s completely unprecedented to switch like this – they have so little time. And, obviously if we win it’s historic and amazing. Would be a real challenge.

  161. 161.

    Matt McIrvin

    @KatKapCC: Partly it’s that Trump actually IS a charismatic opponent–not to us, he seems loathsome to us, but he’s got some undefinable it that electrifies his asshole fans. That may be to some extent a creation of his status as a TV celebrity. But having a good public speaker up against him helps neutralize that.

  163. 163.

    SatanicPanic

    I was listening to the Brat this morning just to see what the hype is about. Pretty good. Charlie XCX on the team is cool.

  164. 164.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Kay: Is North Carolina thinkable maybe? Maybe a reason to run Roy Cooper? They’ve hit the Jim Crow sauce so hard to crush Democratic power there, but in statewide elections it’s less of a thing.

  166. 166.

    BR

    Harris is also free to be a bit more free in speaking her mind on Gaza (to the extent that reports are correct that she wants to come down hard on the Israeli far right) — her husband inoculates her against the usual media and GOP claims of anti-semitism that would inevitably come.

  167. 167.

    Dave

    @Matt McIrvin: He has mirror universe charisma. It’s weird doesn’t appeal to me but I can understand it in a sort of descent to madness way.

    Difference between disliking, tolerating, and liking the drunk loudmouth at the end of the bar.

  168. 168.

    Matt McIrvin

    @BR: I was thinking, there was no way Joe Biden would actually go there in a stump speech on Trump being a goddamn rapist, but Harris just did.

  169. 169.

    Geminid

    @Matt McIrvin: I think Harris can carry North Carolina with or without Roy Cooper on the ticket. That’s not to say Cooper wouldn’t be a good choice anyway.

    Hilary Clinton lost North Carolina by ~160,000 votes in 2016. Joe Biden lost the state by ~80,000 in 2020 but that was with a minimal investment in the state. This cycle, Democrats started ramping up an organization last Fall. They are in it to win it.

  171. 171.

    Suzanne

    @KatKapCC:

    We on the left really really want someone who can speechify our socks off, even though, let’s be honest, that doesn’t mean shit as far as their ability to do the job. 

    This is a thing that some people think, and I don’t relate to it at all. Why would anyone think that communicating with the American people, inspiring them, empathizing with them, laying out a vision of shared destiny
.. that those skills aren’t a critical part of the job?

  173. 173.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I think that anything viewed as a woman’s issue, like violence against women, abortion rights, etc., Harris is gonna pull no punches.  She’s been the Administration’s point person on abortion post-Dobbs and has shown she’ll bring the proverbial fire and brimstone on those issues.

    She has the speechifying chops, is a woman so is a far better deliverer of “We’re mad as hell and not taking this shit any more” than Biden, god loveya Joe, could do.  Plus, that wasn’t his public delivery style.

  176. 176.

    MomSense

    @Suzanne:

    Exactly.  Communication is part of the gig!  In election years it’s a big part.  You don’t get to govern if you don’t win the election.

  180. 180.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @TBone:

    Rep. Andy Ogles (R-ussia) resolves to impeach VP Harris for shit he made up out of thin air.

    He musta read DougJ’s post saying that the House would do exactly that and that they’d talk to a GWU law prof about it.
    Good lord, when a satirist can predict hours before it happens, we’re in a sorry state.

  181. 181.

    tam1MI

    @zhena gogolia:Yeah, that “Donald Trump’s type” line is great!

    Also, the fact that she went out of her way to reach out to Joe Biden supporters did a lot to bring me around.

  182. 182.

    MomSense

    @Beagleowned: Baying in joy about how this is going!  One of the lyrics in a song my kid’s band wrote “don’t it feel good to feel good”.  Yes it does.

  183. 183.

    japa21

    @Omnes Omnibus:  Wow, that stings.  Now my feelings are really hurt.  Anybody that has to resort to Latin for his nym can do better than that.  Oh wait, that’s what lawyers do to make them seem important.

     

    BTW, will the Packers meet Love’s demands?

  184. 184.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Yeah, all through that speech I was just waiting as she was clearly waiting to get to Abortion!  I’m guessing that will (and should) be the closer at every appearance.  No man can hit that note anywhere near the same.  That’s definitely a big plus of having Harris as the nominee.

  185. 185.

    Matt McIrvin

    Now that it’s no longer so depressing I’m looking back over old polls. It’s striking to me that when Biden was the presumptive nominee, when they did hypothetical matchups of other candidates against Trump (including Harris), they didn’t do any better than him. In fact there was usually basically no difference between Biden and Harris in this regard.

    (well, there was one that showed Whitmer beating Trump in Michigan.)

    But actually having Harris as the lead candidate seems to make a difference.

  186. 186.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @tam1MI: She had no need to bring me around. None of this is on her.  And she brings different things to the table as the head of the ticket than Biden did.  We need to lean into them.  She’ll be great.

  192. 192.

    Suzanne

    LMAO. A friend of mine just sent me a meme of a “Let’s Go Brandon” flag at half-staff. #schadenfreude

  193. 193.

    TBone

    @Suzanne: there’s a (true?) story online about a maker of Let’s Go Brandon merchandise going bankrupt today đŸ€ŁđŸ’™

    Everything he touches dies!

    â€ȘAudrey‬ â€Ș@parickards.bsky.social‬
    ·
    40m
    True to form, another business associated with the Madman of Mar-a-Lago has filed for bankruptcy.
    -Society’s Child

  194. 194.

    Kay

    Elon Musk got Donald Trump to pick JD Vance by telling Trump Musk would give him 45 million a month

    Musk has now reneged.

  195. 195.

    Suzanne

    @TBone: There’s a house a few streets over that has been, like, bedazzled with TFG flags. They have a Let’s Go Brandon one, too. I kinda want to go take a middle-finger selfie over there,

  200. 200.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Kay:

    Elon Musk got Donald Trump to pick JD Vance by telling Trump Musk would give him 45 million a month

    Musk has now reneged.

    What? No fucking way lmao

  203. 203.

    tam1MI

    @Omnes Omnibus:   She had no need to bring me around. None of this is on her.  And she brings different things to the table as the head of the ticket than Biden did.  We need to lean into them.  She’ll be great.

    Let me clarify.  I understand that she had nothing to do with the disgraceful display of the last 4 weeks, and handled being in a truly shitty position while remarkable grace.  What I mean is I feared she wouldn’t mention Joe Biden at all (given that he is supposed to be such a horrific drag on the ticket) and that he would be effectively un-personed in the party.  So it was very consoling to hear her, not only mention his name, but then proceed to give him what was obviously heartfelt praise.

  204. 204.

    Glory b

    @eclare: They ALL have them. Full disclosure, I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha & went to an HBCU (Tuskegee)!

     

    For those on Instagram, if you’d like a look at black Greek life, go to watchtheyard. I get huuuge waves of nostalgia there.

  205. 205.

    MomSense

    @MisterForkbeard:

    If you haven’t watched her interview in the Drew Barrymore show, go see it!

    She explains why she laughs and has Drew and the audience absolutely spellbound.

    She is the real deal and I’m so happy that people are going to get to see the magic.

  208. 208.

    lowtechcyclist

    @brantl: ​
     

    @lowtechcyclist: “Democrats have controlled the White House and both houses of Congress for just four of the past 16 years,”

    No, Sparky we have had 12 of the last 16 years, 8 of Obama, 4 of Stumpy and 4 of Biden, so that would be 12 of the past 16 years. And all people notice (normies) is who is in the White House.

    Math, how does it work?

    It works like this:

    In 2009 and 2010, the Dems had the White House and both houses of Congress. That’s 2 years they controlled all three.

    In November 2010, they lost the House and didn’t regain it until November 2018. So in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, the Dems did NOT control the White House and both houses of Congress. So that’s 6 years they didn’t.

    (Side note: in November 2014, they lost the Senate as well, and didn’t regain it until January 20, 2021. That doesn’t really figure in.)

    Trump was President in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. That’s 4 more years the Dems did NOT control the White House and both houses of Congress. So we’re up to 10 of those now.

    In 2021 and 2022, the Dems controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. That’s 2 more years they controlled all three, for a total of 4 so far.

    In November 2022, the Dems lost control of the House. So in 2023 and 2024, the Dems did NOT control the White House and both houses of Congress. That’s 2 more years like that for a total of 12.

    So in the sixteen years from 2009 through 2024, the Dems had control of the White House and both houses of Congress for 4 years, and lacked control of at least one of those for the other 12.

    Math, that’s how it works.

  209. 209.

    KatKapCC

    @Suzanne: I’m not saying it means nothing. But “communicating” and “empathizing” and “laying out a vision” do not REQUIRE being an orator on Obama’s level, and that’s what people get hung up on. There was nothing wrong at all with Hillary Clinton’s public speaking, but because she was a little more forced, a little more rehearsed, people acted like it was terrible and then also acted like it meant she would not be a good president. Wrong. Being good at the massive, complex, multilayered job of president does not require being able to give the greatest speeches ever.

  210. 210.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @zhena gogolia:

    That “no coronation” thing is bullshit anyway imo. She’s the sitting, elected VP and was selected by primary voters back in the spring as part of the reelection campaign. Who else, at this point, could it be, besides her?

  216. 216.

    Matt McIrvin

    @lowtechcyclist: Basically we get 2 years to fix shit every time the roof collapses (with heavy drag from the filibuster supermajority requirement in the Senate). When everything’s not completely fixed, the people get pissed off, the Republicans release 2 years of outrage and we lose at least one house of Congress (though last time it wasn’t by that much). Eventually the wrecking crew gets back in control and the roof collapses again.

  218. 218.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @KatKapCC:

    Being good at the massive, complex, multilayered job of president does not require being able to give the greatest speeches ever.

    Thank you for bringing that up.  Compare Biden and Obama’s term(s).  Night and day.  Compare their speechifying.  Night and day.  I’ll take Biden’s 4 years of Obama’s 8.

    If Harris’s well-known if under-appreciated speaking chops helps get her elected, fantastic.  Whether or not that’ll make her a great president, yeah, wtf knows.

  219. 219.

    WaterGirl

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Is North Carolina thinkable maybe?

    Do you think we are raising money like this for North Carolina because we think it’s unwindable?????

    Do you think the Biden campaign has been putting a ton of money into folks on the ground in NC because they think it’s unwindable?  They announced that a couple of weeks after we put up our first NC fundraiser.

  220. 220.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    I think it’s time for the filibuster to go.

    It’s waaaaaay past time for that relic to go.  It’s another reason we need the electoral trifecta in November.  I’m sure we’ll still have a razor-thin margin in the Senate but getting rid of craptastic “Dems” like Mansion and Sinema will help make that a possibility.

  221. 221.

    phdesmond

    @BR:

    good point.  i was able to recite a Palestinian protest poem, as part of the entertainment at my 55th college reunion, because i preceded it with a poem about the Holocaust.  the latter is actually posted right here at Balloon Juice.

  222. 222.

    EarthWindFire

    @Omnes Omnibus: My thoughts exactly. Kamala Harris never had to earn my vote. Liked her in 2020, like her now. Even if that weren’t true, it’s Kamala vs fascism.

    But after that speech, I wished I smoked.

  224. 224.

    EarthWindFire

    @Dave: It’s always killed me that Trump’s a teetotaler. How can someone have that much drunk loudmouth energy and touch no alcohol? It’s just bizarre.

  225. 225.

    Ruckus

    @CaseyL:

    Repubs only have one sale left in the building. It’s an old, failure of a man, who has stepped on his thing about 3 dozen times – with golf spikes on and is still coning them into endorsing hisownself to hire him to do a job that he’s already proven that he’s incapable of being within 100,000 miles of actually doing. And why? Because his bull and shit benefits the monied that support the NYT, who can buy whatever they need while most of us barely can if at all.

  226. 226.

    Ruckus

    @HumboldtBlue:

    I really do not understand. Taxation is a cost of business and if it gets more expensive to do whatever a corp wants to do or does, they hike the price. So why the hell are they complaining other than to hear their own bullshit. And BTW I owned a manufacturing corporation and so I get how this works. OK I do understand that large corps are owned by share holders but there is one or a few major share holders and everyone else is by far a sub holder that really makes no decisions about how the company is run. Sure they can vote as a shareholder but in a company with 5 million or more shares outstanding, 1 or 2, or even 20 shares is not worth a whole lot.

  229. 229.

    eclare

    @Glory b:

    I watched a few reels, fun!  But like I said, my sorority did not have that discipline.  It’s like my college’s marching band vs. The Sonic Boom of the South.

    I’m sure Kamala’s campaign is busy organizing right now.

  232. 232.

    Jackie

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: TCFG is filing charges to the FEC trying to prevent Biden’s campaign funds being transferred to Harris.

    The Trump campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday, accusing Vice President Harris’s campaign of improperly taking over President Biden’s campaign funds when he left the race Monday.

    The complaint, reported by The New York Times, came after the Biden campaign account changed its name to “Harris for President” on Monday following the president’s announcement that he would not seek reelection.

    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4789180-donald-trump-fec-complaint-transfer-joe-biden-kamala-harris/amp/

  233. 233.

    Ruckus

    @Steve LaBonne:

    Trump is not going to know what hit him.

    OK yes he likely won’t have a clue. However if she is as good as I think she is, he’ll know, unless he actually has gone round the bend, over the falls, down the hill and straight into a 100 yr old oak tree at the speed of a black limo. But even then his shitty brain will likely hear her speech and get way overly pissed off. She won’t have to say his name or actually turn him into pure crap, but if he has more than 2 brain cells to rub together he’ll know. So quite possibly he won’t have a clue.

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