Beating Trump isn’t everything, it’s the only thing
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
jabberwocking.com /beating-trump-isnt-everything-its-the-only-thing/
Beating Trump isn’t everything, it’s the only thing
Author Kevin Drum 2-3 minutes
Over at National Review, Charles Cooke says Kamala Harris's convention speech was fine but didn't really say anything about what she wants to accomplish as president:
Harris’s Speech Advanced Harris — and Nothing Else Besides
I agree wholeheartedly with the commentators who have suggested that the address was “unthreatening” for swing voters or undecideds. The important question, however, is why was it unthreatening? And the answer is that it was unthreatening because, other than on abortion, where she is already ahead, Harris said nothing of consequence.
....She has become so much of a cipher that even her own supporters cannot tell journalists what she stands for. This may well help her stay ahead in the polls for the next 70 days or so, but it will not help her advance the ball. And in politics, as in football, it is advancing the ball, not possessing it, that is the final aim of the enterprise.
This would all be true if this were an ordinary year. But it's not. Unlike most candidates in most years, Harris has only one real campaign goal: to prevent Donald Trump from winning office. That's it. Democrats are mostly willing to accept that everything else is small beer. Even the Gaza protesters couldn't gin up any enthusiasm for interfering with this singular overriding goal.
Beyond that, what do Democrats want? The honest answer is: nothing much. They're satisfied with any version of ordinary liberal goals—reproductive freedom, civil rights, helping the poor—and are happy to bury their differences in service of keeping Trump very far away from the levers of power.
Moderate Republicans should be delighted by this. The best they can hope for is an outcome that (a) rids their party of Trumpism and (b) doesn't concede much to Democrats in the process. And that's what they're getting. What more could they realistically ask for?
Good point!
Like almost all Democratic politicians, Kamela doesn't care at all what happens "down ballot"> She doesn't care one bit whether the Dems end up winning control-- or losing control of the Senate.
Or the House.
Or the governorships that are being decided!
Ooops! That was meant as sarcasm!!!
(But somehow I "inadvertantly" forgot to mention that!)
Good, I was just about to contradict that false generalization.
Harris cares very much about down ballot 2024 Democrats...
It should be priority one.
It's going to be hard for her to win once the voters learn what she really stands for. If the Republicans control one or both Houses of Congress, nothing will get done for another four years.
I thought right wingers liked nothing getting done.
I am hoping that voters will better understand what both candidates stand for. If so, they will recognize that Harris will be a president trying to do what is best for the nation whereas Trump will do whatever is best for himself.
To some people on certain issues, nothing getting done in congress is preferable to the wrong things getting done in congress.
In my cracked and flawed crystal ball, I see Harris winning, but as in 2020, there will be the voters who voted to keep Trump out that also vote for Republican candidates lower on the ticket.
Personally, I think that Congress needs to be cleaned out because the extremes on both sides chose the candidates, which is why they cannot seem to get along and compromise. In effect, we have ceded the center. Now, it does look a bit like the center might be coming into power once again. This move towards the center will not be encouraged by a second Trump presidency because he sows disruption and disunity.
Better than destroying the country like the last 3 years of Democrat rule.
So to compare the disastrous last four years of Biden/Harris rule, what makes you believe Harris will do ‘what is best for the country? if you go by the majority of Americans. It will be the same or worse disaster.
unbelievable
Given you think the last four years have been a categorical disaster and given you actually want Trump to be PotUS, there is no point trying to reason with you.
there is no point trying to reason with you.
If you tried to it would certainly be a first
It has begun...
It has begun. Now the challenge is to keep the momentum.
Trump has a ceiling on his support. He is unlikely to get any new supporters ... especially if he keeps talking down the USA and basically being his normal asshole self.
Harris' challenge is to encourage voters to show up. Thus she needs to ensure her policies do not dissuade voters who would vote for her. Her campaign has all the elements one would seek: youth, uplifting, energetic, organized, understandable, etc. and both she and Walz are relating to the average person. But these people need to be motivated to turn out on Nov 5th and vote.
Elections are fragile things. Fortunes are easily lost. And I think the Harris campaign knows this quite well and will be focused and driven to election day.
Meanwhile, let's hope Trump continues to fuck up.
Trump is spiting Trump's chances pacifying his MAGA base.
Every day in every way the MAGA become more unelectable!
'let's hope trump continues to fuck up.'
That's a given
Never has been and never will. No reasoning with the cult.
maga minds are set in concrete
Trump was born with an ill-gotten golden foot in his mouth!
maga minds are set in concrete
the irony is stunning with this comment.
show us where we can find open mindedness on the left.
I heard the chickenshit coward bully former 'president' is letting us know now that he won't be doing the debate with Kamala - 'stay tuned' says the former 'president' convicted felon and rapist for his lies on why he won't be doing the debate.
Yes-- it "should be".
(And in fact it already is!!!)
The best they can hope for is an outcome that (a) rids their party of Trumpism and (b) doesn't concede much to Democrats in the process. And that's what they're getting. What more could they realistically ask for?
that’s what they said about Biden too. It resulted in open borders, trillions of debt spending that led to generational inflation, massive boondoggles with taxpayer money, trying to change federal law to destroy women sports, an attempt to destroy the independence of the Supreme Court, a promise to raise taxes on capital gains to destroy the value of 401k accounts etc…
Just like Biden, Harris is hiding her agenda and then will immediately declare a mandate to be govern to the far left no matter how narrow her win.
You ever get a new toy home, in a box, assembly required? You get it all laid out but there's no hardware bag. No screws. No nuts. No assembly plan. That's where this democycle is - nothing to hold the shiny shit together.
. That's where this democycle is - nothing to hold the shiny shit together.
Yep. And people are saying thatKamela is already way behind in the polls!