I’m not saying it is impossible that Pete ends up being a good pick. He is just riskier. I don’t know that we’re in a position that we need to make higher variance plays.
I say again, it’s time to stop saying shit like “oh I love Pete but no one else will vote for him because he’s gay so we can’t pick him.”
If everyone who said that just voted for him, (or Kamala/woman, Obama/black, etc) just went ahead and voted for them without worrying about what everyone else might do, they’d fucking win! Obama did win!
We have to stop preemptively accommodating bigotry like the tweet above says. That’s not what we’re about.
Yes. And Idk if it’s actually risky with the votes we hope to court. MAGA are beyond reach with their bigotry, but libs are excited to vote for a woman of color as POTUS. Who is to say that Pete wouldn’t further energize the campaign?
Trying to win an election with a electorate rife with bigotry is not the same as accommodating bigotry.
Let’s say the polling showed Kamala would lose 5% if she chose Pete and the precise reason would be because he is gay. Do you run Pete out there just so you “don’t accommodate bigotry”? Or do you like actually try to win?
When leftists push for good, meaningful change: “we can’t do the right thing, you imbeciles, we have to meet the electorate where they are!”
When someone questions the viability of a gay candidate who might run into a bigotry problem: “we can’t meet the electorate where they are, you imbeciles, we have to do the right thing!”
It’s convenient how the answer is always “do the thing the centrists want”
So, if 8 out of 9 polls said that then you would be fine with “accommodating bigotry” as you put it.
Like I said, I could be wrong. Pete could absolutely be a fine choice. That doesn’t mean that we can’t/shouldn’t even discuss the issue. Out of curiosity, in these polls, do we know what percentage of people know Pete is gay? I think that is something very easy for people who don’t immerse themselves in this shit not to know.
Of course any potential running mate who polls show to be a drag on the ticket, whatever the reason may be, should not be selected. The issue is people preemptively disqualifying Pete based on assumptions about the electorate, not actual data.
I agree with that, but apparently skydiver thinks that might be accommodating bigotry.
Polling data, as you know, has all kinds of problems. Granted, it’s not nothing. But I don’t think trying to make guesses based on our knowledge of things besides polls is some sort of crazy thing that should never, ever be done. Most of the things I like about Pete have nothing to do with polling. He’s slick AF when it comes to untangling GOP talking point bullshit.
A poll conducted by PBS News/NPR/Marist this month found 21 percent of voters saying they’d like to see Harris choose Buttigieg. Whitmer also received 21 percent in the poll, while 17 percent sided with Shapiro and 13 percent said Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
On Thursday, the University of New Hampshire released the results of a poll among Democratic voters in Maine that found Buttigieg as the leading choice with 21 percent, 17 percent for Kelly, 7 percent for Shapiro, 6 percent for Beshear and 3 percent for Whitmer.
The FairVote organization also released the results of its ranked choice poll that found Buttigieg as a top choice among Democratic or undecided voters. The poll gave respondents a number of choices for a Harris running mate and, in the ninth round of voting, 52 percent chose a ticket with Harris and Buttigieg on it, compared to 48 percent with Harris and Whitmer.
I don’t have any special knowledge that would be more useful than a poll. My “knowledge” would lead me to believe that the public wouldn’t want to elect someone who tried to install himself in a coup and instigated to a violent attack on the Capitol, but I look at a poll and discover that I know very little. Imo polls are the only decent way to gauge public sentiment outside of an actual election.
still feels like a longshot but I really hope it’s Pete just bc that would be awesome and because I support anything that hurts the boomers. Also bc Super Fun Group Momentum is one of the best momentums and when you’ve got it dont overthink it just roll with it. Also bc Pete is sharp and a great foil to the GOP vibe in general and Vance in particular.
If they end up telling us that galaxy brain electoral math forced their hand into Cooper or whoever then I’ll do one pained yawn sigh and move on. The thing that matters most is that this has been the best start Kamala could have ever had and holy shit what a relief after the last month. But election is still gonna be close in all possible scenarios. I think that as long as dems just stay loose then this could have a happier ending than JD at West Elm
I’m not rooting for Shapiro to be the running mate, but his wild popularity in a crucial state will make the medicine go down easier if that’s the way it breaks.
Harris is considering a wide range of vice presidential candidates from the Democratic Party’s bench, though people familiar with the process say a short list has emerged including three elected officials with nationwide appeal: Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Assuming that “people familiar with the process” is a solid source and it’s largely down to these three, I can’t complain about this short list. I least prefer the Shapiro idea, and even then (as noted in my above post) I can obviously see the argument for it.