SLAY, QUEEN. BURN THEM ALL.
Dracarys
This post is in: Proud to Be A Democrat
This post is in: Proud to Be A Democrat
This post is in: 2020 Elections, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
It’s @scdp convention weekend, which’ll be the largest single gathering so far of 2020 hopefuls. Tonight I’ll be at @WhipClyburn’s “World Famous Fish Fry,” a SC Democratic politics mainstay that’s become a popular stop on the road to the White House. https://t.co/zMGTgLUT0R
— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) June 21, 2019
The sun is setting in Columbia, SC as hundreds of people line up for fried fish and a chance to hear from the 2020 Democratic field at Rep. Jim Clyburn’s fish fry. pic.twitter.com/oDo2VLVxM8
— Grace Rauh (@gracerauh) June 22, 2019
Warren, Harris, Sanders and Booker clearly have the most fired up supporters outside tonight’s Clyburn Fish Fry. Small showings for Biden and Buttigieg. Others with none at all. pic.twitter.com/KdzZlhU6i2
— Dan Merica (@merica) June 21, 2019
Dan Merica, at CNN:
… It was the first time most of the sprawling Democratic field has appeared together on one stage. Clyburn’s grand gathering was short on private moments — or quiet spaces — as the candidates bounced up against each other as the program stretched late into the Columbia night.
By the time host kicked off the speeches, the fish was out of sight and the beating sun was a memory. As the humidity lingered, thousands of onlookers shuffled toward the stage for the candidates they liked — and away when some of the lesser known hopefuls took their turn…
… The evening began in earnest with representatives from 21 campaigns standing in a backroom, Clyburn presiding, trying to hash out the Democratic Party’s most pressing issue: The speaking order.
Beto O’Rourke, lagging in the polls, emerged at the top of this contest. It was the second random draw a week that began with a lottery that decided how the 20 qualifying candidates would line up, and when, during next week’s hotly anticipated debates…
If there was a clear winner on this night, it was Clyburn. The third-ranking House Democrat’s Fish Fry is a long-running rite of election season, but the turnout — of candidates and voters — seemed to exceed even his most optimistic prediction.
Asked if he’d ever planned for the scenes all around him, Clyburn’s couldn’t hide his delight.
“No!,” he said. “I never thought so. But I always hoped!”…
21 Democratic presidential candidates take the stage with House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn at the conclusion of his World Famous Fish Fry event in Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday. pic.twitter.com/JNmNHDINOl
— Al Drago (@Al_Drago) June 22, 2019
Majority whip.
— Jake Webster (@JakeDaveWebster) June 22, 2019
Every candidate gets a t-shirt at the Clyburn Fish Fry and, per some aides, each campaign had to pre-submit their candidate’s size to Clyburn’s team.
— Dan Merica (@merica) June 22, 2019
(click on the individual photos in the tweet below)
Clyburn’s Fish Fry was a blast for almost everyone. pic.twitter.com/ypd1Bd4LBE
— Molotov Frappuccino Thrower (@agraybee) June 22, 2019
Most noteworthy campaign swag spotted at the fish fry so far: Paper fans that say “I’m a Warren fan” (get it), bright yellow Harris glowsticks. Must say, the vuvuzela count (0) is lower than I expected (hoped).
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 22, 2019
For the politics-only side of the politics/sports Venn diagram only I am making: while many cheers do overlap, I just heard a campaign cheer that included the words “structural change.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 22, 2019
Biden at fish fry starts by pointing out that Clyburn is “the highest ranking African American in the history of the United States of America, other than the guy I worked for for 8 years.” pic.twitter.com/77c7RA5gJn
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) June 22, 2019
Biden was very brief. Talked about “staying together” whoever the nominee is. Was just over a minute.
Clyburn says it was “the shortest speech Joe Biden has ever given.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 22, 2019
Scene from the Fish Fry:
Young Dem: “I just turned 21 last week and I tried [whiskey] for the first time…”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: “It’s pretty sharp.”
Young Dem: “Yeah…”
Gillibrand: “You got to wait. It is good when you hit 50. But you should start out with beer.”
— Dan Merica (@merica) June 22, 2019
Best reception so far for the heavy underdog candidates: Castro, who boils down his immigrant story and recites the names of black people killed by police
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 22, 2019
And the house goes wild for @KamalaHarris! #ClyburnFishFry pic.twitter.com/K9n6xAaEH6
— Jerusalem Demsas (@JeruDemsas) June 22, 2019
.@KamalaHarris jokes about the busy stage before her "everything that needs to be said has been said except one thing."
That one thing? Don't forget the sacrifices of those who fought for civil rights in South Carolina.
— Megan Pratz (@meganpratz) June 22, 2019
Biden was the last candidate to depart the fish fry, at 11:44, after many many ropeline selfies, hugs, calls (voters handing him their phones) and defenses of his record.
One way to knock back Qs about your age: Outlast everyone, with voters who want to meet you.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 22, 2019
So I get it’s about being seen.. but damn @BernieSanders campaign… #ClyburnFishFry pic.twitter.com/jLNCLIYKQ7
— Jesse ?????? (@moonlight_wee) June 21, 2019
Saturday Morning Open Thread: Nice Weekend for A Southern Fish FryPost + Comments (125)
This post is in: Dolt 45, Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Russiagate, War, All we want is life beyond the thunderdome
Wednesday:
Three presidents have used the 9/11 war authorization for 18 years, in 14 different countries, for more than three dozen different military actions. Trump is thinking about using it for war with Iran.
Today, for the first time ever, the House repealed it. https://t.co/vr9V7HSMXD
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) June 19, 2019
Thursday night:
The competing theories are that 1) Trump backed away from starting a war at the last minute for some unknown reason vs. 2) there was no planned attack and Trump admin is just pretending there was one to hide the fact that their policy is trash. Neither would be surprising
— Daniel Larison (@DanielLarison) June 21, 2019
this panel should be on the screens/whiteboards/tables of every editor or producer meeting in every newsroom in the united states. pic.twitter.com/CfwkMIz0K3
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) June 20, 2019
Potential Friday distraction:
In interview, former Soviet general confirms he served as adviser on Trump Tower Moscow project during 2016 campaign, consulting with Michael Cohen by phone. By @thamburger @antontroian https://t.co/KQpa4cPh9I
— Rosalind Helderman (@PostRoz) June 20, 2019
Friday Morning Open Thread: Well, *That* Was Timely…Post + Comments (139)
This post is in: A Woman's Place Is In The House, Gay Rights are Human Rights, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
Serving in Congress on the 50th anniversary of Stonewall does blow my mind, but it also helps me see how much further we can go.
I sat down with @NBCNews to discuss the fight for LGBTQ equality, my path to Congress, and how mixed martial arts has shaped the person I am today. pic.twitter.com/XNENjnaezM
— Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) June 17, 2019
Gotta admit, I’m really glad I contributed what I could to Rep. Davids’ campaign last year!
Thursday Morning Open Thread: It Gets BetterPost + Comments (179)
This post is in: 2020 Elections, I'm With Her, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You
Hi Twitter! I’m at @RevDrBarber’s#PPCMoralCongress presidential forum, where 10 Dem 2020 hopefuls will make their case for how they plan to tackle inequality
Why this matters: Poverty got scant airtime during the ‘16 vetting process, and activists want to flip that trend in ‘20
— Kara Voght (@karavoght) June 17, 2019
Folks I've spoken with at #PPCMoralCongress forum tell me they have major reservations about @JoeBiden: "Why is student loan debt the only debt we can't declare bankruptcy on?" one attendee tells me (speaking only for herself and not @UniteThePoor). "Because Biden made it so."
— Kara Voght (@karavoght) June 17, 2019
Kara Vogt reports for Mother Jones; Chelsea Janes (and Dave Weigel) for the Washington Post:
… The Poor People’s Campaign is a clergy-led effort to revive the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s push to focus attention and resources on poverty. At the group’s forum in Washington, about 10 of the Democratic presidential candidates showed up to make their case on fighting poverty.
The Rev. William Barber II, a founder of the campaign, asked attendees not to cheer or hiss, but rather to greet all the candidates with polite applause. Even in this subdued setting, however, the response to Biden was noticeably muted, and he left the stage to applause that was less enthusiastic than that which greeted him…
Joy-Ann Reid, an MSNBC host who moderated the session, asked Biden how he would pass his plans through a stubborn Congress — in particular, how he would work with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who makes little secret of his satisfaction at blocking Democratic initiatives.
Biden bristled at the suggestion that his approach was misguided. As he wound through his response, Biden moved nearer to Reid, who was seated, and leaned over her.
“Joy-Ann, I know you’re one of the ones who thinks it’s naive to think we have to work together,” Biden said. “The fact of the matter is, if we can’t get a consensus, nothing happens except the abuse of power by the executive branch. Zero.” He added that “you can shame people into doing the right thing.”
Biden’s suggestion that he could persuade McConnell to cooperate prompted skepticism from those who have interacted with McConnell…
The visual in that moment was striking in person. Not sure how it appeared on camera. https://t.co/ybyoXn4Jf3
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 17, 2019
Andrew Yang took the stage at the #PPCMoralCongress presidential forum after Joe Biden, and I asked folks here whose appearance they preferred.
My five-person straw poll: They all liked Yang, who they say gave the audience a much clearer picture of what he'd do to tackle poverty
— Kara Voght (@karavoght) June 17, 2019
This crowd at #PPCMoralCongress presidential forum is apparently not familiar with @ewarren's idea to tax two cents of every dollar the ultra-wealthy make on their fortunes about $50 million.
"Your first 50 million, fine"—the crowd erupts in laughter.
— Kara Voght (@karavoght) June 17, 2019
Warren is the first candidate today to have no trouble with the time limits. Succinct and direct. A contrast with Biden’s more winding answers.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 17, 2019
Also: “I’m going to be honest about this. I don’t think we can change this all in one election. I think it’s going to take the rest of my life.” https://t.co/KvN9s2yIiF
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 17, 2019
An interesting split across the six Democratic candidates we've heard from so far at the @UniteThePoor presidential forum:
– Some say there needs to be a system overhaul to ensure wages are higher.
– Some want to use tax credits as a way to soften the blow of low wages.— Kara Voght (@karavoght) June 17, 2019
So far this event is really clarifying how Warren and Sanders have diverged. Both have detailed plans, but Warren spends more time unpacking them; Sanders brings every question back to "political revolution," because "all the legislation in the world" isn't enough w/o pressure.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 17, 2019
Large portion of the crowd breaks the rules about cheering candidates when Sanders goes further and says that as a citizen, you still have the right to vote "if you are in jail." https://t.co/6ymR1bp0pJ
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 17, 2019
Harris really at home in this format; she's got heads nodding when talking about the struggle of a hypothetical woman paying for cash bail and pleading guilty to avoid it.
"She's going to get a felony record, all because she couldn't make bail."
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 17, 2019
Harris talks about her Rent Relief Act — renters paying more than 30 percent of income to rent get a tax credit. Not something she brings up a whole lot on the trail, at least not compared to her middle class tax credit, etc.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 17, 2019
Harris: "The media has skewed the face of poverty in America. The reality is, poverty affects everyone." Talked about how people have tried to "racialize" poverty.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 17, 2019
Thanks to the candidates who joined us, @JoyAnnReid, @RevDrBarber, @liztheo, all who watched online, tweeted and posted, but most importantly, thanks to our questioners and delegates from our #PoorPeoplesCampaign family! #PPCMoralCongress pic.twitter.com/ScgsY3abb6
— Poor People's Campaign (@UniteThePoor) June 17, 2019
Election 2020 Open Thread: Reverend Barber’s PPC Moral CongressPost + Comments (85)
This post is in: 2020 Elections, I'm With Her, Kamala Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
BIG South Carolina endorsement >> @KamalaHarris lands the Reckoning Crew.https://t.co/qICUOQGiHc
— Ian Sams (@IanSams) June 13, 2019
It’s not sexxxay, by Media Village Idiot standards, but going out and asking people for their vote is the very heart of old-time politics:
… The “Reckoning Crew,” a group of 100 predominately black female activists, announced its endorsement of the California Democrat on Thursday. The group, led by Bernice Scott, organizes in the rural part of Richland County, the state’s second biggest county…
Black voters made up 61% of South Carolina’s Democratic primary electorate in 2016; 37% identified as black women and 89% of them voted for Clinton over Sanders.
For her part, Harris has her own built-in network of black support that rose from her undergraduate years at Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, and sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc., whose members she constantly singles out for selfies and makes time for conversation at various campaign events…
Scott first met Harris at a February town hall in in Columbia and said the way Harris presented herself clinched the endorsement.
“The way she shook my hand and talked directly to me,” said Scott, one of the first black elected officials in Richland. “The way she presented herself and handled herself, and talked about the way she was brought up — right there in my mind, I said I was going to support her.”
But the final approval from the Reckoning Crew came last Sunday morning during their weekly meeting, a day after Harris had delivered a forceful defense of her record as a prosecutor. Harris, who served as California’s attorney general and San Francisco’s district attorney, has faced attacks from the left because of it…
“Everybody was all piped up about her speech. They were really impressed and they felt that it was worth going out there and fighting for,” she said, adding that “our goal is to win South Carolina for Ms. Harris.”
The group, which fits the demographic of the types of voters Harris must win over, has already helped set up the campaign’s South Carolina headquarters and build volunteer efforts…
Kamala Harris tells @scottdetrow and @Clay_Masters her DoJ “would have no choice” but to prosecute Trump after he leaves the WH. “I've seen prosecution of cases on much less evidence." https://t.co/zMCPRxHqKh
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) June 12, 2019
.@KamalaHarris prosecuting the many “frauds” Donald Trump has committed against the American people: “…And then he claims to be the best president we’ve seen in a generation. Well I say, let’s call Barack Obama because that’s identity fraud!” ?? #IACaucus #ForThePeople pic.twitter.com/nPxtfhrbI0
— Maya Harris (@mayaharris_) June 9, 2019
I was deeply honored that Emily Lyons attended our Alabama event this weekend. In 1998, Emily was working at an abortion clinic in Birmingham when a bomb went off and she was gravely injured. Her courage and commitment to defending reproductive freedom inspires me. pic.twitter.com/7nNx9E1k3M
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 10, 2019
Q: Tariffs a potential tool that you would consider using as president?
Harris: “I would consider as President reading a briefing book. I would consider surrounding myself with experts. I would consider listening to the voices of the people who are going to be most at risk…” pic.twitter.com/iL4v96TtcS— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) June 8, 2019
The people in power are no match for the power of the people. #ForThePeople pic.twitter.com/iUZ7T2uKSg
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 12, 2019
Friday Morning Open Thread: Kamala Harris Does the WorkPost + Comments (208)
This post is in: 2020 Elections, Excellent Links, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Warren for President 2020, Daydream Believers
From the #IAforWarren team that brought you classics like “Who do we stan? A woman with a plan!”, comes a brand new cinematic experience:@ewarren Catching Your Volunteer Taking a Selfie Without Her—A Story in Four Parts pic.twitter.com/cN1AbLQQY0
— Eli Seo (@Seo_Train) June 12, 2019
Yes, I would be embarrassed by my obvious selection bias, but right at this moment in time it’s easier to find interesting stories about Warren than about her worthy competitors. So, if you have links to share concerning Harris, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Booker, O’Rourke, Gillibrand, et al — even Joe Biden! — please leave a comment, or contact me at annelaurie (dot) bj (at) gmail (dot) com, TIA.
(Besides, the alternative for today’s early-morning uplift was the Steve King / Diamond & Silk ‘press conference’ fiasco.)
Paul Waldman, at the Washington Post, “Why Elizabeth Warren is surging”:
… Overinterpreting small movements in polls is always dangerous, but if she does continue to rise — and right now she looks like one of the only Democratic candidates who is gaining support — there are some particular reasons why, reasons that may help us understand what primary voters are thinking and how the media are shaping the race…
… Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, is drawing some of the largest crowds as she campaigns across the state. Those attending her events testify to her skill in winning people over, her ability to describe policy challenges through effective storytelling, and her seemingly inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm.
Then there’s the role of the media. For a variety of reasons, Warren has become the favored candidate of the liberal opinion-writing elite. Even those (such as myself) who aren’t endorsing any candidate have been complimenting Warren for a while, writing and talking about her in ways that may be having an impact on how everyone else sees her and her candidacy…
There’s something else Warren has that wins respect from those who have covered lots of campaigns, and winds up producing better media coverage in subtle ways: A clear, coherent message of the kind most of the other candidates are lacking.
A successful presidential campaign message tells voters three things: What the problem with America is, what the solution is, and why the candidate is the right person to bring us from the first to the second. In Warren’s case, she argues that the system is distorted by the interests of the rich and powerful, and she wants to reorient it both politically and economically in the direction of everyone else. She’s the one to do it, she argues, because she understands what’s necessary and has already figured out how to go about it (see: the plans).
A coherent message not only persuades voters, it also gets you good reviews from journalists covering the race, whether they personally agree with it or not. That’s not only because they respect a skillfully designed campaign but because it creates a kind of narrative coherence to the candidates’ actions and voters’ responses to them, one that makes easier the difficult task of writing about the contest every day…
I found this interesting, too. Warren's "second choice" and "actively considering" numbers give her some soft room to grow into.
Harris, too, could see a surge with a good moment or two in the early debates. https://t.co/MzQ8W52mBW
— Dan Lavoie (@djlavoie) June 9, 2019
This probably helped, too:
The #MuellerReport made it clear: A foreign government attacked our 2016 elections to support Trump, Trump welcomed that help, and Trump obstructed the investigation. Now, he said he'd do it all over again. It's time to impeach Donald Trump. https://t.co/yk25iGYpmC
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) June 12, 2019
Thursday Morning Open Thread: Elizabeth Warren Is Having A MomentPost + Comments (179)