To my supporters, it is with deep regret—but also with deep gratitude—that I am suspending my campaign today.
But I want to be clear with you: I will keep fighting every day for what this campaign has been about. Justice for the People. All the people.https://t.co/92Hk7DHHbR
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2019
It has been the honor of my life to be your candidate. We will keep up the fight. pic.twitter.com/RpZhx3PENl
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2019
Really bummed Harris is dropping out. But on the bright side, I look forward to her being back in the Senate dismantling administration witnesses who show up before her committees.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) December 3, 2019
C(ash) R(ules) E(vrything) A(round) M(e):
Was talking to a big time liberal Dem donor last night & he was lamenting the state of the Dem field of candidates. I asked him what he thought we needed in the race, what the ideal candidate would look like & he said, "Well, between us, I really think it should be a white male."
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) December 3, 2019
To all the candidates, staff, and volunteers who have worked their hearts out for presidential campaigns that have ended—remember that fighting for what you believe in is always worth it.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 3, 2019
Thank you @KamalaHarris for your commitment to fighting for the people, for justice, and to holding Donald Trump accountable.
Kamala is right—our system is deeply broken when billionaires can buy their way in. I'll fight with you to make sure our government works for all of us. https://t.co/EU0Esl2oBN
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) December 3, 2019
VIDEO: @JulianCastro commends the campaign @KamalaHarris ran and says the media’s coverage of her campaign has been “something else.”
Says she was held to a double standard and it was “grossly unfair and unfortunate.” pic.twitter.com/jbgyOVXrGf
— Tim Perry (@tperry518) December 3, 2019
Kamala is a good friend and incredibly strong public servant. Sometimes campaigns can tear friendships apart but we have grown closer. Her good work will continue.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) December 3, 2019
My dear friend @KamalaHarris is a trailblazer. I've loved serving with her in the Senate and every moment we've run into one another on the trail. Her campaign broke barriers and did it with joy. Love you, sister. pic.twitter.com/HzLXw88NrM
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 3, 2019
Reporters informed Joe Biden after an event that @KamalaHarris was suspending her campaign. Biden returned to the scrum: “She’s a first-rate candidate and a real competitor and I have mixed emotions about it because she is really a solid, solid person and loaded with talent.”
— Natasha Korecki (@natashakorecki) December 3, 2019
A year ago two different people plugged in to Democratic politics told me they think the ticket will be Biden/Harris and as candidates rise and fall it still looks like we could end up exactly there. And I’ll vote for that ticket because the alternative is unthinkable.
— Schooley (@Rschooley) December 3, 2019
The people who had their knives out for her before she even entered…I will remember each and every one of them. I will unify behind whoever the nominee is but that doesn’t mean I will forget.
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) December 3, 2019
Where will all that vitriol be directed now that Kamala Harris is out?
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) December 3, 2019
Victory lap by her (our!) enemies:
New details, from a senior aide: Harris did a financial audit of the campaign over the weekend before coming to the decision on Monday. She will travel to early states this week to personally thank staff and volunteers. https://t.co/yL4FJXeEUW
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) December 3, 2019
… Ms. Harris’s online fund-raising slowed in recent months and large donors increasingly turned toward other candidates. In the third quarter of the year, she spent more than $1.41 for every dollar she raised, burning through millions of her treasury. She stopped buying ads, both online and on television, slashed staff in New Hampshire and retrenched to Iowa, where she spent the Thanksgiving holiday with her family…
Even as she struggled, Ms. Harris had assembled a coveted list of more than 130 bundlers who had raised at least $25,000 for her campaign, more than half of whom were from her home state of California, one of the deepest wells of Democratic cash. Ms. Harris canceled a scheduled fund-raiser with some of her top bundlers in New York on Tuesday just hours before the event. On Wednesday, she had been scheduled to attend an event in Los Angeles at the home of Sean Parker, the billionaire tech entrepreneur…
In addition to the financial troubles, some of Ms. Harris’s supporters worried that a poor showing once voting began, particularly in the California primary, would leave Ms. Harris vulnerable to a Senate primary challenge in 2022…
I find this enraging. https://t.co/Kk2zuTpCGI
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) December 3, 2019
Baud
Part of me thinks we’re getting our comeuppance for taking Obama and then Hillary for granted.
Baud
Come at me, bro.
NotMax
Nothing further to add beyond what has already been adressed so adroitly by commenters in the two previous threads about this today.
chris
Majority leader in the Senate sounds good to me. Not as good as Madam President but I admire her pragmatism.
Baud
@chris:
Yeah, good for her for not trying to uselessly string it out.
Baud
I wonder if Trump will try to go for a “bipartisan” ticket with Tulsi.
trollhattan
WTF is that last thing? WTF?!?
debbie
Fucking Tulsi.
debbie
@Baud:
She certainly deserves him.
zhena gogolia
I would have no problem voting for Biden/Harris. But I don’t really think that’s where we’re headed.
I know this is the third thread on this subject, but I need it! I need to mourn. She was the only one who really spoke to me.
Jeffro
Hey if Kamala wanted to stay in the race, she had the option of taking Russian money and/or bashing other Dems on Fox every day, too.
?????????
F U, Tulsi
zhena gogolia
@Baud:
They’re both in Putin’s pocket so it would be quite appropriate.
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
Readership capture is important to a successful blog.
And to Balloon Juice.
Yutsano
@chris: Totally fine after Patty Murray becomes the first female Senate Majority Leader.
Skepticat
At this point, she may well be able to have more clout and achieve more in the Senate. Taking the Senate back and having strong, intelligent voices in it now are pretty crucial.
zhena gogolia
@Jeffro:
Or being a white male billionaire.
Baud
@zhena gogolia: That was Harris’s big mistake.
chris
@Yutsano: Oooo yeah! Sorry, what was I thinking?
chopper
@trollhattan:
just more proof that clinton was right about her.
Baud
@chopper: We owe her a big debt for that.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
I’m thinking that “Congratulations Tulsi!” is an insult to both Harris and Gabbard for racist reasons (Not a surprise coming from the Trump campaign). I believe it’s trying to imply the two are interchangeable because of their backgrounds and skin color
Baud
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
No. In this case, I think it means that everyone knows that Tulsi was assigned to hurt Harris.
encephalopath
“Well, between us, I really think it should be a white male.”
This quiet acquiescence to prejudice as if it’s just a force of nature that exists independently of one’s own thought or actions is just…. blech.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@encephalopath:
Tell me about it. Some people are too afraid of repeating 2016 that they won’t even consider giving women or POC a chance for the nom. They forget that Clinton was damaged for 20 years prior by the right-wing puke funnel
BBA
Going in I had Harris pegged as most “electable”, whatever the hell that means. Certainly she was a hell of a lot better than handsy senile Biden, precocious toddler Buttigieg, or either of the Russian agents.
So I guess I’m all in for Warren now.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Baud:
Yeah, I can see that too. She did a bang up fucking job of it too. Ugh
JMG
I feel badly that I really did not give Harris much attention this year, not from animus, she’d have been a fine nominee, but because I chose Warren and stopped thinking so much about the whole thing. A good lesson to me is to pay more attention to who I’d like as a second/third choice before the Mass. primary.
johnnybuck
@Baud: I don’t think Tulsi had a whole lot to do with this. If anything going after Biden seemed to me to be the point where her campaign really took a turn, fairly or not.
I hate it, because I really liked Harris, but that moment was unnecessary, clumsy and ended up helping Biden. A primetime candidate would have known that.
schrodingers_cat
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): their backgrounds are nothing alike.
Mary G
She was my heart’s favorite and I am crushed.
schrodingers_cat
Is it just me or the gigantic spaces after every line break in the comments bothering anyone else?
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
@BBA: Me too, all in for Warren now. But I’ll happily vote for the Democratic nominee in 2020.
Kamala.Harris.2020
Well, darn.
Elizabelle
This year strikes me as too much angst. Before a single primary vote has even been cast.
At least the existential threat is clearly visible this time. This was the top WaPost reader comment to a Jennifer Rubin story a day or two ago (Nadler calls Trump’s bluff). This reader got it.
dmsilev
@trollhattan:
Trolling, pure and simple. Just some mouth-breathers trying to get a rise out of people.
AJ
Fucking breaks my heart =/
geg6
She was never my first or even second choice and I think her inability to voice a coherent or consistent policy platform had a lot to do with her inability to break through. And the turmoil in her campaign staff cannot help but reflect on her. BUT…
The media has been horrible to her. Racism and sexism worked against her among the donor class. And I think many Dems are just terrified to take that big a “risk,” meaning a nominee who is both a POC and a woman. She is a very fine senator and could do wonderful things if we get a majority. And I think she’d be a terrific VP or AG.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Kamala HarrisVerified account @KamalaHarris 8m8 minutes ago
Don’t worry, Mr. President. I’ll see you at your trial.
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @ realDonaldTrump
Too bad. We will miss you Kamala!
NotMax
As it is labeled an Open Thread, keep a weather eye on this ticking bombshell.
Yarrow
I’m sad she’s out because she was my favorite. I wish it had gone differently but it didn’t so time to refocus. I’m very realistic about this upcoming election. No “falling in love” for me. Just win, baby.
I’m really not focusing on the presidential campaign very much, honestly. My efforts will go to local races and one or maybe two districts. One we flipped last time and need to hold and the other I would love to flip so that may get my volunteer time. I don’t live in either so won’t get involved until after the primary.
A Biden/Harris ticket would be fine with me. Or Harris as AG. In any case, she’s fairly young and has a great career ahead of her. I’m sad but not that sad. There can be only one at the end. Everyone’s favorite won’t make it through.
lamh36
It’s not just about money either, Harris one the only one who polled well enough to get into the December debate. Even sending money to Booker or Castro does nothing to get them on the stage., they don’t have the polling to qualify. Gonna be a great fun night listening to 5 out of 6 candidates on that stage who didn’t have much outreach to my community before running for President, discuss what they’ve “heard” from Black voters in the limited meetings they have had in those communities after decideing to run for POTUS.
clay
@Baud: Baud’s a cop!
Emma
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Brava!!!
lamh36
Been trying to do my best and not lash out or clapback at some of the same folks who never had any thing good to say about Senator Harris, and who remained silent on the biased treatment of her campaign. Enough with the fake tears about the ending of Kamala Harris’ campaign. No one freakin believes you, especially not Harris’ supporters who are rightfuly upset, no matter how much conciliatory language you use.
Too bad some of them are just too busy shedding fake tears to follow this sound advice
NotMax
@lamh36
There’s a greater percentage of rubberneckers in politics than on the busiest of highways.
Yarrow
@schrodingers_cat:
It bothers me a lot. I brought it up in a WaterGirl thread and was told people like the large amount of white space. It’s hard for me to read and hurts my eyes. I can’t read B-J in the morning because it’s too bright. No one else in that thread seemed to have a big problem with it except for BellaQ who said she can hardly read B-J anymore because there’s so much white space.
I also find the vertical spacing between lines of text too much. And if you want to double space your paragraphs you’re not supposed to do that anymore. In fact WG copied and pasted a comment of mine to show how to not double space, which I already knew, but I like paragraphs with a double space separating them so we were at an impasse about that issue.
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Kamala’s tweet has three times the number of likes compared to Trump’s stupid remark.
lamh36
Thread whole threads 3 Kamala alone…goodness…I’m sure they’ll be another, not for me though, this will likely be the last thread I comment on the subject until I’ve had a moment to get back my zen about this all without being pissed…so it’s gonna take me a moment to not be rude about it
chris
@Yarrow: Have you tried f.lux?
Duane
Nothing says you suck like a Trumpov endorsement. Gabbard should wear that stench for a long time.
NotMax
@Yarrow
For the record, put me firmly in the too much white space camp, considered both vertically and horizontally,
debbie
@Yarrow:
I like white space, but I know everyone doesn’t. It’s not too bright for me either. Have you calibrated your monitor?
Yarrow
@chris: Yes, I’ve had that for years. It does’t solve the problem. Nor does Dark Reader. I’ve changed all sorts of settings just to try to figure out how to get B-J to look somewhat normal. I’ve never done that for any kind of website before. Sometimes I’ll increase or decrease the size depending on the size of text they chose to use or color of background or whatever but that’s about it. I literally cannot read Balloon-Juice in the morning. It hurts my eyes. Too much white space.
trollhattan
@Duane:
Somewhere in a Michigan diner, sits a Cletus with a story to tell and a curiosity about that soldier gal what be running for president.
NotMax
@chris
Features/adjustments included with Windows 10 have superseded installing that as one more thing else to gobble up disk space.
NotMax
@NotMax
No edit. scratch the word “else.”
Yarrow
@debbie: It’s not my monitor when I do not have this issue with any other website and didn’t have it with the previous version of Balloon-Juice. Everything else is fine. This one is just screaming white background and waaaaay too much white space vertically between lines, comments, and paragraphs and before and after blockquotes, which I still maintain should be set apart with the same shaded lines the front pagers have for blockquotes. The blue or green or whatever that color is supposed to be background for blockquotes and tweets makes them harder to read.
NotMax
@Yarrow
Although there are also other settings to play with, if you have Win 10 the first thing to try is fiddling with the adjustments of Night Light and see if you can find a happy medium.
bemused
When a thread goes beyond 300 comments so I have learned to start from the end of comments to decide if wading through is worth it. I’m guessing the thread with over 400 comments exploded when boomers came up. Seriously? Glad I skipped it.
Yarrow
@NotMax: I’ve had a look at it. It’s just frustrating to me that I never had any problems with any of this prior to the new website and now I cannot seem to get a font size and style and page size and brightness level and so forth that work for me. I don’t like this font–find it harder to read–so I’m playing with a script to change it. That’s too much work.
It’s just so much harder to use than the old FYWP site, which I seemed to be able to read and comment on with ease. I’m always messing something up on this one. The Visual and Text tabs–mess that up when try to post a tweet. The left/right arrows–I hit those when I scroll and end up on another post. Worse, they’re always in the way when I try to read or comment, so I’m having to create workarounds to dodge them. Add in the extra white space that makes it painful to read and the whole thing is just arduous.
debbie
@Yarrow:
For me, the background’s a soft, light gray. If anything, I wish the text was darker.
Even though it’s just BJ, what you describe sounds like too much contrast.
Yarrow
@debbie: I wish the text was darker too. It was on the old site. Yes, the background is a light gray but it’s a very light gray. It’s not white white but it’s so light it’s almost white.
As I’ve said in WG threads, I’ve viewed the new B-J on a variety of devices and it’s the same issue for me on all of them. I don’t think all of them have a monitor or brightness problem. The old background was a bit darker and was easier on the eyes.
Amir Khalid
@debbie:
I’m in the camp that sees rather more white space than it would like in the current Balloon Juice design. The white spaces aren’t doing a great job (for me, anyway) of helping to keep the content organised, or leading the reader’s eye to what they might be looking for.
A bit less kerning between lines would help make the text blocks look tighter and more defined. It would also reduce the current impression of whiteness everywhere that makes white space less effective as a tool for organising the page.
Patricia Kayden
NotMax
@Yarrow
If you’re using Firefox, you could go to Options and on the General page there, go down to Languages and Appearance, click on Colors, set Background for what works for you and also choose Always from the dropdown choices, then click “OK” to override the site default color from then on.
You can also set a font, font size and font color there if you so wish.
dr. bloor
@bemused: Good call. I was following the early stages of that thread, and it quickly turned into an assembly line of “pie” long enough to make me diabetic.
As for Senator Harris, the news is disappointing, but Kamala Fucking Harris is not someone you have to worry about going forward. The loss is decidedly ours, not hers.
Yarrow
@Amir Khalid: Yes, thank you for saying this. Agree.
Yarrow
@NotMax: I have tried changing things on Firefox but on mobile there is far less ability to make those kinds of changes, as far as I can tell.
NotMax
@Amir Khalid
Heck, I’m still at a loss as to what purpose aside from adding visual clutter the period following each comment number serves.
WaterGirl
@trollhattan: I’m with you on that. It’s enraging. Some people have no class.
Gvg
The white space excess seems to have to do with advertisements that aren’t there. I can see very faintly dashed outlines with a faint word “advertisements”. We were told BJ would not have ads for a week, then they were going to put them in. They did and boy did the white space look filled up. Then they went away and I haven’t heard why. I was presuming it was some technical issue but it’s been gone on quite awhile. I would also think John needs the revenue. I guess we need to ask what’s up.
NotMax
@Yarrow
I don’t do mobile (phones), so have zilch to offer as to that. Firefox on the Android tablet has adjustments available the same as above mentioned. No familiarity with other devices.
debbie
@Amir Khalid:
I see what you’re saying. I’d like shorter lines myself, but I’m so bleary eyed when I get out of work, I’m not sure anything would make it really easy to read.
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Good for her! One by one my top picks are dropping out. We just have to keep our eyes on the prize. I have been consoling myself today with the thought that perhaps our nominee will pick Stacey Abrams as VP.
Mary G
@Amir Khalid: Agreed on cutting down the kerning, it might resolve a lot of complaints. (I’m fine with it the way it is, because I love white space, but it’s unbalanced.)
Patricia Kayden
debbie
@Patricia Kayden:
Adam Schiff warned the GOP about this in an NPR interview this afternoon, saying they would be powerless to stop a Democratic president because Trump had set a precedent for lawlessness and disregard of Congress.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): 20 years, you should read ‘The Hunting of the President’ my young friend, more like 35 years.
David ??Booooooo?? Koch
At this point, she’s the best running mate for the fall.
She’ll excite the base and she’ll run circles around Pence and Dump. A happy warrior.
Even if somehow Biden wins, he’ll have to admit the obvious and put her on the ticket.
Mike in NC
I’d crawl over broken glass to pull the lever for a Biden/Harris team.
Chief Oshkosh
@Patricia Kayden: Wish I hadn’t clicked through. “Conservatives” are such smug assholes. It’s great that they’re eating their own, for now, but every single one of them on that thread, including Freedumb Tom, are condescending little pricks who need their asses kicked from here to kingdom come.
WaterGirl
@debbie: It’s as though Republicans are toddlers who are unable to think about anything that is not right in front of them. They cannot even draw the dotted line from their lawlessness to similar behavior from others who will be in power in the future. It’s going to be a rude awakening for them. I hope the Republican part implodes on itself.
Amir Khalid
@NotMax:
It’s how ordinal numbers are written in German, and it seems to be doing the same thing here. An ordinal number is not really needed — it seems a fussy and antique touch. I too would be fine with just the number in a bolded sanserif font.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
That awakening will never be rude enough to suit me.
WaterGirl
For me, the brightest spot in this politically depressing day was the Table of Contents from the House Impeachment report. That is a thing of beauty.
WaterGirl
@debbie: Yep. May they get everything they deserve.
debbie
@Amir Khalid:
Ach, you non-designers! I can’t imagine why the periods would bother anyone to the point of complaint.
Yarrow
@debbie: If the Republican party stays anything like they have been for the last 30 years I don’t think this is how it’ll go. If a Democrat does some of the things Trump has done/is doing they’ll scream bloody murder about it, the entire RW media universe and Russian bot/troll network will push propaganda and the Democrat will have a much harder time getting away with it. That’s how it’s been working for years now, anyway.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
I love that every line started with “The President”! Perfect for a narcissist!
lamh36
WaterGirl
@NotMax: With a period after the comment number, getting to a specific comment number is a lot easier and a lot more controlled. You don’t go to that number in the date/time stamp, for instance.
debbie
@Yarrow:
Maybe before, but I don’t think so now. I am not seeing the Dems folding like the cheap suits of yore.
WaterGirl
@debbie: Is he stupid enough to have been pleased? Hey, they’re talking about me! Is he saying to himself, boy, I am a very important person? Quite possibly.
Maybe I need to go find the link toBeaker sings Feelings.Yarrow
I saw on NBC news that Harris was polling only 5% with Black voters compared to 43% for Biden. That’s a big difference.
Baud
I think Old English font would classy this place up.
MomSense
@lamh36:
Same here. I’m feeling pretty peeved – and those flattering comments by other Dem candidates are NOT helping.
Amir Khalid
@WaterGirl:
The entire Republican party has, like its leader, chosen to follow The Way of The Toddler. By itself it would a saddening sight, but its general effect has been to obstruct process and corrupt governance. The Democratic party’s Way of The Grownup offers far less excitement and immediate appeal, but I see no other way to rescue the republic.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: Do you trust me?
WaterGirl
@Baud: I think you bring all the class we need.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@debbie:
In the minds of the right, that’s not a problem because there will never be another Dem presidency. Permanent Republican majority and all that.
As bad as the GOP is now, it will only become worse. The young alt-right/neo-Nazi types have begun joining the GOP. Some have already won nominations for state and federal office (and lost in the general thank god) as recently as last year or so.
Even worse? There’s a right wing philosophy called “accelerationism” that white supremacists have adopted. This group is distinct from the alt-right, who have tried to join mainstream mass politics to varying degrees of success and failure. To them, Western governments are irrevocably corrupt. The gist of it is this: cause so much chaos and violence that the government collapses and results in a white-dominated social order/regime. The one we already live in isn’t racist enough for them apparently
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Sure. I’ll be right back.
Baud
@WaterGirl: Well, shucks.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh my gosh, that is utterly delightful! How have I never seen that before???
WaterGirl
@Amir Khalid:
The Way of The Toddler. I think you should trademark that!
lamh36
@Yarrow: he’s polling double digits over everyone not just Harris. No one else is even coming close.
Dan B
@lamh36: Harris was always my favorite so her pulling out and the cold I just got has me very down. I’m interested in her as a VP especially if it’s Biden. He’s unlikely to serve two terms and likely to step aside at three years or before. Biden / Castro would be a decent second choice for a similar reason as would Stacey Abrams.
For now I’m going to feel sad for my miserable self and our faltering democracy.
WaterGirl
@MomSense: I know they are all saying nice things, but it feels condescending to me.
Chris T.
Back in January, my preference was Harris first with Warren near the top, but during the year, they kind of swapped places, mostly because I think Warren is better organized, and a President needs to be really well organized. Sad to see KH suspending (ending?) her campaign, but at least I still have her as one of my Senators.
Yarrow
@lamh36: He’ll have my vote as long as he’s doing that.
Amir Khalid
NotMax started it.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll have to check that out. Makes sense since Clinton was Gov of Arkansas in the 80s
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Totally confoozeld by that. The numbers aren’t clickable; there is no way to snap to a comment by way of a comment’s displayed order number (short of instituting a Ctrl-F search) so far as I can see.
@debbie
It’s one more thing to load. However tiny the extra time may be, every additional decorative element impacts page load time.
Bill Arnold
@Yarrow:
I don’t like it because it’s a waste of screen real estate. on my laptops, the column with text is about 50% whitespace (meaning not single spaced text) and that column uses about 40% of the screen, so about 20% content. Roughly; perhaps 25% if i measure more generously.
At least we still have single-thread temporally ordered threads, so trolls and propagandists have a harder time dominating/derailing.
Amir Khalid
@WaterGirl:
No need. I invite all jackals to use it royalty-free.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@lamh36:
What would you think of Harris being offered the VP slot?
WaterGirl
@Amir Khalid: My first thought when I read that was to wonder if you had any siblings growing up.
NotMax
@Amir Khalid
Sagaciously put.
Amir Khalid
@WaterGirl:
At least they know better than to gloat, unlike one Republican incumbent I could name.
Kent
Whoever is Biden’s running mate. Or God forbid Sanders. Will be the likely next Dem president. No way either of those geriatrics makes it through 8 years with as fast as they are both fading. I could very much get behind Harris on any ticket.
I was a Harris supporter from the start and disappointed that she didn’t break through. Other the recent NYT hatchet job, is there some reference of shitty coverage she has received? I know she has gotten a lot of non coverage. But you all are talking about bad coverage. I’d be curious to read an analysis of it and know who the usual suspects are that were so bad.
Yarrow
@NotMax: Does anyone really remember a comment’s number? I mean sometimes people say things like “NotMax @112” if the Reply button isn’t working right for them but otherwise if you’re scrolling through a thread do you think, “Oh, I must return to comment 47.” Is that a thing people do? I sometimes search the thread for a commenter’s name or a word I remember to find a comment but can’t even think when I’ve searched for a comment number.
NotMax
@NotMax
Would deem solving the ongoing situation of getting bounced to page top then having to mash and remash refresh until the spell is broken a much greater priority, though.
WaterGirl
@NotMax: I used that all the time on the old site. I do it now here while we can’t count on being taken back to the proper spot. I just glance at the comment number before I go galavanting off to some other spot on the page, and if I’m not taken back to the right place, then command F, type in “112.” for example and I’m back to exactly where I want to be.
We had periods after comment numbers on the site that we had for a very long time, lost the periods in a site upgrade, and it was in the specs for them to be back in on the new site.
The French have a phrase that loosely translates to “tastes and colors”. There is no right or wrong on this, people feel how they feel.
Sab
I absolutely don’t want Harris as a VP candidate because I want her to stay in the Senate.
She has been my strong number two for quite a while, and I liked her more the more I saw her. I found her to be thoughtful, articulate, tough, yet very funny with a delightful laugh. She got a lot of national exposure that she hadn’t had before, and the impression she made was mostly positive. I think she blew away the “she’s a cop” and the “Willie Brown’s girlfriend” memes. So next time she won’t have to waste much energy on that.
I do think she needs to do more work on presentation of non-criminal justice issues. I now trust where she stands or is likely to stand on most issues (that was not the case for me before I followed her campaign) but I wish she had had time and opportunity to present her views more.
I am especially sad because I don’t know but assume she is good on immigration, which to me is one of those under the radar ( i.e. electorally toxic) issues that I really care about, but hope that any candidate doesn’t talk about but intends to do a lot.
I really hope she is back in another election cycle.
Also, it sucks that billionaires can just buy their way into consideration.
NotMax
@Yarrow
Strictly for the briefest bolstering of short-term memory purposes I do fairly regularly.
YMMV. There is no right or wrong about either case.
HAL
Sigh. All I can say is I will die mad that Kamala Harris is done for and Pete B is looking at probably a few more months of solid coverage and performance in the primaries. Swap experience and Pete is a top contender. But hey, Kamala is a Cop was hilarious right?
John Revolta
@Yarrow: I do sometimes. There may be a link I want to check out but I want to keep going down the thread first for some reason, so I’ll make a mental note of the comment number.
lamh36
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Seeing as how the nominee will be a white man or woman, likely a man…putting another white candidate on the ticket as VP would just be a slap in the face to the Dem most loyal voting constiutency. They may not feel they need them in the primaries (Pete) but they WILL need us in the general. They want ENTHUSIATIC boots on the ground, whoever the nominee is, they’d be smart to give Harris or Abrams a hard look.
If Biden is the nominee he’d be a fool not to. If Warren is the nominee, they’ll likely pick a male like HRC did, and not likely to be a Black or minority male.
But with Harris out, Biden will be the nominee and my money said he needs Harris. Unlike some folks, I don’t think Stacy Abrams wants to be VP anyway.
Yarrow
@NotMax: @WaterGirl: I can never remember to look at the comment number. So I’ll refresh the page or use the back button or whatever and it throws off where I am on the page. I end up searching for a word or nym to get back where I was. Or go to the bottom and work my way back up if I’m pretty sure I’ve read the whole thread. I always mean to look at and remember the comment number but I almost never do.
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Marie Kondo would axe them without so much as blinking an eye.
:)
WaterGirl
@Yarrow:
I’m pretty good at remembering a word, but dog help me when the word I remember is fuck so I type that in and it comes up with 37 matches. Not helpful!
lamh36
@HAL: one of the reaons I am pursing my Masters degree is because as a Black women, I already know that to just be able to compete against the most mediocore of white men and women (my current supervisor is one such person…no one else wanted the position, so they gave it to her…surprise surprise, she’s horrible), I have to be ALMOST perfect on paper. My real name is so not ethnic that I’ve gone to interviews and have seen the “surprise” on the faces of the interviewee before they concealed it.
I would put up my years of education and breath of experience up against ANYONE in the same profession as me and come out on top on paper…but I already know I need it to be that way to overcome bias once they see me.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@Baud: Baud is in the pocket of the big banks, big pharma, and said something nice to a Republican once which proves Baud is a closet Republican!
Yarrow
@HAL:
Kamala is a cop was a hashtag pushed by Russian botnets. Anyone here who promoted it was doing the work of dividing the country and damaging someone Russia is afraid of.
Sebastian
@Amir Khalid:
Yes. Exactly. Thank you for stating that.
The spacing between lines within a paragraph is too big.
Felanius Kootea
Repeated from the dead thread below:
The three campaigns I’ve been giving money to monthly are Harris, Castro and Warren’s.
I felt gut-punched when I read Kamala’s email about suspending her campaign.
A part of me hopes she’ll reconsider – I still really think she’ll be the best candidate to take
on Trump. And I have this irrational urge to stomp on a Tulsi Gabbard look-alike doll.
Looks like Warren is the only candidate among the three Dems I support who still has any chance. Here’s hoping she goes the distance.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@lamh36:
Tend to agree.
Sab
@Felanius Kootea: I am with you on this. Those were my top three, and here we are.
I think Harris earned herself a lot of good recognition in this campaign.
I love Castro, but outside of south Texas, talk of immigration is toxic. Lots of people are okay with actual immigration (preTrump, Nepali/Bhutanese had been a god-send to my small city) but nobody wants to talk about it because if you do, uninformed bigots will suddenly notice that your town has always had immigrants, and will vote against immigration.
My immediate family has been here almost since the Mayflower. Almost all of our in-laws are immigrants, and they way overachieve us. We are proud ( and abashed) that these people married us. What were they thinking?
Felanius Kootea
@Yarrow: Hillary was polling double digits over Obama among African Americans in 2007. Then he broke through in the primaries and they gave him a second look. Black people are the most pragmatic voters; we’ll back the candidate we think is most likely to win. God I hope it isn’t Joe Biden. I wish Kamala had waited a little longer but she probably saw some internal polling that told her to drop out before the primaries.
different-church-lady
Does anyone really want the world to be a place where Harris has to end her campaign before Marianne Williamson?
Sab
@Felanius Kootea: Kamala Harris needs to rethink (or prethink and plan years ahead) on her campaign, because I still think she is a really good candidate with a national future. Hell, in 2000 Obama didn’t have enough money to go to the Democratic convention. Spent every dime he had to get there and they wouldn’t let him in.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: My work here is done.
Zinsky
Harris was a poor candidate. Too smug and lacking in any real substance (sounds like Trump!). I was horrified by the number of Dems who saw her as a viable candidate. Maybe if she was running against Dan Quayle! Good riddance…
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: If Biden gets the nomination and Harris is not at the very top of his short list, he is crazy. I have no idea if she would take the gig, but it should be hers if she wants it.
Citizen Alan
@WaterGirl:
To be fair to the Repukes, Dubya conducted himself like a lawless dictator for 8 years, and Republicans were completely confident that the next Dem president would be too honorable to do the same. And they were right. I don’t see any Dem candidates anywhere on the horizon who would even try completely ignore Congressional oversight the way Shitgibbon has.
Felanius Kootea
@Zinsky: Excellent trolling job. Wish you could run for some kind of official troll position; you’d be really good.
Citizen Alan
@Zinsky:
Hey look, everybody! A prick!
Mike in DC
Harris as AG is a step down from California Senator, and Harris as VP is a waste of her talent. She should stay in the Senate, run for CA Gov if she wants, and keep her powder dry for a future run. Do a postmortem and learn her lessons from this campaign.
Castro as VP sounds a little bit better to me, if it’s Biden or Warren. Buttigieg absolutely needs someone like Abrams as his running mate. Bernie’s never winning the nomination, so who he picks is kinda irrelevant to me. Warren could also pick Buttigieg as the “good competent governance” ticket.
Hopefully the 2020 experience of candidates of color will trigger some further changes to the process–push IA and NH out of their “first in the nation” BS. Have a couple more diverse states take those spots, and push IA/NH to 3rd and 4th. Change the rules to block super-rich candidates from buying their way in. There’s no law prohibiting a major party from imposing tighter fundraising and spending limits on those seeking their nomination.
Citizen Alan
@lamh36:
I hope Gillum gets some consideration. Like you, I don’t think Abrams wants it, and while I like Harris, Andrew Gillum would help with Florida.
Citizen Alan
@different-church-lady:
Harris is a dedicated public servant. If she were a cheesy grifter, she’d still be in.
Zinsky
@Citizen Alan: if you could offer a good reason to vote for Kamala Harris besides the color of her skin, I would be happy to listen. If Harris can’t explain why or how her health plan differs from Medicare for All, why should we consider her to be a serious candidate? Your ad hominem attacks are sophomoric and add nothing to the discussion.
mrmoshpotato
@Chief Oshkosh: Amen.
mrmoshpotato
@debbie: Oh boy. Never piss off debbie. You might get woken up by a ton of bricks being dropped on you.
Kent
@Mike in DC: If Biden gets the nomination and gets elected then his VP is very likely to wind up the next president. Chances of Biden lasting 9 more years are pretty slim (1-year until the election and 8 years in office). I would say that the Biden VP pick is very much not wasted. If he is the nominee then his VP is basically the next president in waiting.
Citizen Alan
@Zinsky:
You sanctimonious hypocrite! Nearly every word of your post I was responding to was an ad hominem attack against Harris, who you compared to Trump *and* Dan Quayle! And the remaining words were a veiled insult to her supporters!
You’re worse than a prick! At least a prick has some useful purpose in this world.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: I think I am going to play both of the Beaker songs before I put on my PJs to watch tv with my guys.
chopper
@Zinsky:
uppity, even.
Jinchi
Williamson doesn’t have to end her campaign, because she’s not really trying, and it doesn’t cost her anything to keep her name on the ballot. Harris is leaving because she has better things to do.
Raven Onthill
@Felanius Kootea:
Harris might have had the best chance. I don’t think any white man can win against Trump.
I’m not a Harris supporter, as people here know, but having her withdraw like this is awful. She should be on that stage this month.
Aussie Sheila
@WaterGirl:
Very disappointed re Harris. While I was not clear on her policy issues she conveyed real determination and energy, even from from over here down under. Is there any possibility that her campaign could be resurrected if she got enough $s in the next quarter?
If not, what better appointment for a the next AG under a Democratic administration. I am still gob smacked that she wasn’t in the top four candidates.
janesays
@chris: I’d love to see it, but it’s gonna be quite awhile before that’s even possible. She’s hasn’t even been a senator for three years yet (she took office in January 2017), so… 2030 maybe? George Mitchell is the last Democratic Senate Majority Leader who got the job during his second term (he had been a senator for nearly 9 years). No Democrat (and I’m guessing Republicans as well) has ever become Majority Leader in their first term.
janesays
@BBA:
I see a small handful of people occasionally make this insinuation on this blog, and it’s ridiculous. I don’t care for Bernie Sanders and wish he would just go away like most people here. But there’s absolutely ZERO evidence that he is a “Russian agent”, and repeating that baseless slur makes those who do it sound as kooky as QAnon.
The guy is definitely a self-righteous prick with a messiah complex who is completely high on his own supply, but no, he is not a Russian agent. Disagree? Prove me wrong with actual evidence.
Tulsi Gabbard, on the other hand… yeah, I can see that. But even with her, it’s mostly speculative. But I’m a little biased, because I think she’s far worse than Sanders, who at least ostensibly supports progressive policy positions. I don’t believe the woman has any real redeeming qualities whatsoever, other than not being not Donald Trump, which is pretty low fucking bar.