2024 US Presidential Election (Taylor's Version)

[Melkerson]

@kerowo

@Melkerson

In a vacuum, Kamala’s VORC (over anyone besides Biden) is not that great

The problem with everyone wish-casting for a “better” candidate is that this isn’t a vacuum.

Agree. In our non-vacuum with constraints of reality, Kamala was the best choice.

[Melkerson]

@EmpireMan

until like 2040 god willing

We’re looking at Gavin throwing his hat in at 2032 at the latest. If he can’t go in 2032, then he’s done.

[Melkerson]

@eyebooger

Also Trump is an easier opponent than McCain and way easier than Rmoney.

I don’t know about that. Trump energizes his base like no one else. Admittedly, he energizes the opposite base too, but I think he is a tougher out than those two.

[AngryQueer]

Gavin is like the least base energizing person you could name

He’s like literally the same as Bloomberg as far as that goes. Just 0

[pvn]

how are we talking about gavin

stop trying to make gavin happen

it’s not going to happen

[AngryQueer]

Thank fucking god

[econophile]

What Obama really thinks of Harris (and why it might explain his silence)

Not much news here, but lol at this

In 2013, he was forced to apologise after calling her the “best-looking attorney general in the country” at a Democratic fundraiser.

[AngryQueer]

Obama putting petty personal bullshit over saving democracy? Why I never

[CanadaMatt3004]

Yeah but thats happening regardless. Climate change is going to fuck as all. Might as well keep it as good as possible for as long as possible

[bobman0330]

Gavin Newsom looks like the love child of Mitt Romney and Patrick Bateman and somehow manages to be even creepier than he looks.

[JonnyA]

I think this is misleading. No one voted for delegates (or at least no one thought that is what their vote was for as opposed to a vote for Biden).

Not saying that this wasn’t the best outcome and perfectly fine, but let’s not pretend this isn’t the party elites deciding. it just happens that in this spot they probably made the right choice - I’m pretty sure if they had decided on Manchin we would be having a very different conversation about the sanctity of the process.

[ViridianDreams]

@Melkerson

@econophile

While this whole conversation about the nominating process is in bad faith on the republican side, the process is still clearly democratic. Party members voted for delegates in the primaries (like Skydiver), and those delegates still have to vote for the nominee.

Agree with this. Somehow everyone who thinks this is undemocratic thinks that the electoral college is completely democratic. Of course, they will just say, “Well those are the rules”. In this case, we are also just going by the rules.

@econophile

Moreover, the delegates look like they will be voting for the candidate who the majority of the party members want.

I don’t like this line of argument as much because I don’t think you can/should be able to use polls (no matter how accurate they may be) to be able to overturn a democratic process. Of course, in this case, no democratic process is being overturned. That’s the key.

Yall are still overthinking this. The response to anyone on the right tut-tutting about how it’s undemocratic for the nomination to go this way should be, “I thought this was a republic?” And then just ignore them.

[bobman0330]

@EmpireMan

this is pretty vanilla but keeps emphasizing campaign’s focus on minting new voters and how this is less a persuasion election than an enthusiasm electrion

What memo did you read? The whole thesis is that Harris can meet anti-Trumpers who didn’t vote for Biden “where they are,” and that she’s the preferred candidate on issues that are important to swing voters. There’s even an entire section of how there are more persuadable voters for Harris because she can ditch Biden’s baggage.

[CanadaMatt3004]

Lol, the psychos on the right’s new attack position:

Kamala said it was terrible what happened to Jussie Smollett the day he was “attacked.”

Thats it.

Along with nearly everyone else who heard that story on day 1. Including Trump.

Lol, they have nothing at all.

[bobman0330]

@kerowo

@Melkerson

In a vacuum, Kamala’s VORC (over anyone besides Biden) is not that great

The problem with everyone wish-casting for a “better” candidate is that this isn’t a vacuum. I’m not sure there is a better candidate given the hand we were dealt. We spent weeks wishing for anyone but Biden and we got it, and Harris has set records fund raising and getting volunteers and raising the enthusiasm on the left to higher levels than seen in years.

It’s kind of tautological though. Obviously Harris is going to be the nominee due to a confluence of factors, and if you reify all of the circumstances that will lead to her nomination as “the way things are,” then obviously no alternative was ever possible.

The interesting question is which factors would need to be different for Whitmer to be selected instead of Harris? Is it just elite distaste for “chaos” in the process? Is it that the Biden camp invested lots of energy in establishing Harris as the only viable alternative to Biden with the intention of propping up Biden’s candidacy?

The reason to wonder about this isn’t to somehow make Harris not the nominee. I don’t think she’s a strong candidate, and her honeymoon pop is actually underwhelming, but she’s still a big improvement on Biden, so I’m relatively happy with where we are. But if there was a better option available, it’s worth thinking about what constraints kept us from getting the better candidate and whether those constraints can or should be changed.

[AngryQueer]

@bobman0330

. I don’t think she’s a strong candidate,

That’s because of 2 factors:

1. You highly overrate the relevance of 4 years ago

2. You don’t understand the kids these days

[LKJ]

@bobman0330

I don’t think she’s a strong candidate, and her honeymoon pop is actually underwhelming,

It is? What would a strong honeymoon pop look like? It remains to be seen what things will look like when the honeymoon period ends - I haven’t forgotten just how badly it went for her when she faced some adversity in the 2020 primary - but I genuinely struggle to imagine how much better the first few days would look under a purportedly stronger candidate.

[econophile]

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/07/23/kamala-harris-gen-z-meme-queen-00170740

[mosdef]

The handover from Joe to Kamala has been about as positive as a handover could possibly be, but analtyic types can’t help but construct “well, ACTUALLY” narratives. It’s in our nature. The internet really amplifies this, because nobody is motivated to post “I agree with the conventional take on this!” posts.

[AngryQueer]

@mosdef

The handover from Joe to Kamala has been about as positive as a handover could possibly be, but analtyic types can’t help but construct “well, ACTUALLY” narratives. It’s in our nature. The internet really amplifies this, because nobody is motivated to post “I agree with the conventional take on this!” posts.

Well actually, in this case, I agree with the conventional take