2024 Presidential Election Thread - Let's keep the party going.

[WBT 21161]

32 minutes ago, immamac said:

It's gonna be a blowout if Trump can't find a foothold. Their campaign is in freefall and their voter enthusiasm is waning while voter enthusiasm for Kamala is surging and not losing momentum. 

Yep.  This was always going to happen for whichever side pulled their head out of their ass first and offered a non-octogenarian

[wildcat09 29623]

1 minute ago, Cap33 said:

 

Yes, and yes. A law school friend and anti-science (or as she puts it "pro-nature") crusader was all in on RFK, Jr. But she's also pro-women, and is now firmly in the Harris camp. She's a nut job, but she votes.

I work with someone who is all in on RFK, Jr. She thinks he's only against dangerous untested vaccines.  It's taking all of my self control not to forward her the latest Behind the Bastards episodes on him.

[C-Man 27888]

Not sure how poor old Peggy was able to finish this column. So much resigned defeat. Maybe octogenarians should no longer be WSJ columnists either.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-fight-of-trumps-political-life-strengths-of-kamala-harris-have-become-clearer-cd8622cc

Quote

Those who think about politics and history as a profession can’t resist comparing presidential years. “This is 1968 all over again.” “We’re back to the dynamics of ’72.” We do this because we know political history and love it, and because there are always parallels and lessons to be learned.

But it should be said as a reminder: This year isn’t like any previous time.

This is the year of the sudden, historically disastrous debate, the near-assassination of one of the nominees, the sudden removal of the president from his ticket, the sudden elevation of a vice president her own party had judged a liability, and her suddenly pulling even in a suddenly truncated campaign.

We have never had this year. And it continues to astound.

Kamala Harris just got two excellent weeks in the clear. Donald Trump’s campaign had to take her down early or at least hit her hard—and didn’t. She has the wind at her back; he’s scattered and stuck on the back of his heels. This week she had a good rally in Atlanta; he went before a hostile National Association of Black Journalists, was taken aback by his first questioner’s accusatory tone, matched her energy, and revealed, if you didn’t know, how cutting and personal the coming months will be.

What is remarkable is how surprised the Trump campaign seems to have been by Ms. Harris. Why? Smart people understood Joe Biden would eventually have to step aside, and she was his most likely replacement. Why have they responded as if shocked? We have a trough of videos of her talking, it’s devastating. Where is it? Is that all you’ll need to make a coherent case? When are you going to locate the meaning of this thing?

“San Francisco liberal,” “way too radical.” All that feels tired, the reflex of an aged muscle. It sounds like the 1990s. This isn’t the ’90s. New ages need new arguments, or at least arguments freshly cast.

Can Mr. Trump shift gears? He grew up, as I did, watching “The Ed Sullivan Show.” I’m sure it was on every Sunday night at 8 at the Trump house in Queens. On that show you saw every week the great Borscht Belt comics of 1950-70. Their timing—“Take my wife—please!”—is ingrained in him. What he does now is shtick, because he likes to entertain and is a performer. The boat’s sinking, the battery’s spitting, the shark’s coming! As Hannibal Lecter said, “I’d love to have you for dinner!”

This works so perfectly for those who support him. For everyone else it’s just more evidence of psychopathology. He has to freshen up his act. Can he?

Ms. Harris will dominate the coming week with the unveiling of her vice-presidential choice. Then there will be the convention, in which they’ll pull out all stops. And then August will be over. Meaning a third of the 100-day campaign will be over. Does Mr. Trump know that he’s fighting for his life?

I want to take a quick look at some factors that are major pluses for Ms. Harris.

• She is new. She seems a turning of the page away from Old Old Biden and Old Old Trump. She looks new, like a new era. She displays vigor and the joy of the battle. The mainstream media is on her side. Coverage hasn’t been tough or demanding.

• On policy she is bold to the point of shameless. This week she essentially said: You know those policies I stood for that you don’t like? I changed my mind! Her campaign began blithely disavowing previous stands, with no explanation. From the New York Times’s Reid Epstein: “The Harris campaign announced on Friday that the vice president no longer wanted to ban fracking, a significant shift from where she stood four years ago.” Campaign officials said she also now supports “increased funding for border enforcement; no longer supported a single-payer health insurance program; and echoed Mr. Biden’s call for banning assault weapons but not a requirement to sell them to the federal government.” It’s remarkable, she’s getting away with it, and it’s no doubt just the beginning. It will make it harder for the Trump campaign with its devastating videos.

Will the left of her party let her tack toward moderation? Yes. She’s what they’ve got, and in any case people on the wings of both parties have a way of recognizing their own. Progressives aren’t protesting her new stands: That’s the dog that didn’t bark.

• She too is a born performer. She knows what she’s doing when she’s campaigning. She is less sure of what she’s doing when she’s governing. But she gets a race. Running for the 2020 Democratic nomination, she wasn’t good at strategy or policy, but the part involving performing and being a public person and speaking with merry conviction—she gets that and is good at it.

• She is beautiful. You can’t take a bad picture of her. Her beauty, plus the social warmth that all who have known her over the years speak of, combines to produce: radiance. It is foolish to make believe this doesn’t matter. Politicians themselves are certain it matters, which is why so many in that male-dominated profession have taken to Botox, fillers, dermabrasion, face lifts, all the cosmetic things. Because they’re in a cosmetic profession.

• She has a wave of pent-up support behind her. By November we’ll know if something big happened. Barack Obama deliberately, painstakingly put new constituencies together. He created a movement. It had fervor and energy. What we may see this year is something different—that a movement created Kamala Harris. That is, the old constituencies held, maintained fervor and rose again when Mr. Biden stepped aside and Ms. Harris was put on top. I’m not sure we’ve seen that before.

She has many particular challenges. One is this: When you see Mr. Trump, that’s Trump. He is what you think he is. He doesn’t hide much. You look at him and think (pro or con), OK, I get it, I know who that guy is. When you see Ms. Harris, is that Harris? Is what she is showing you her? You wonder, “Is this real and genuine?” I wonder how she’ll address that or answer it.

Another: She stumbles in interviews. Will she try to get away with not doing any?

Another: People will continue to wonder how liberal she is, and how strong she is, but I think an equally or more important question will be how serious she is. Does she think seriously, deeply, soberly? I haven’t seen her betray this tendency. Mr. Obama was a serious man, Hillary Clinton was fully understood as a serious woman. (That’s why her campaign could produce and she could capitalize on the famous “3 a.m. phone call” ad.) Is Ms. Harris? Is she a credible commander of the U.S. nuclear arsenal?

Some will respond, “But Donald Trump isn’t serious!” My answer would be: That’s why he lost the popular vote twice. If Democrats lose the popular vote, they almost certainly lose the election.

Mr. Trump himself would reply: I controlled the nuclear arsenal for four years. Nothing blew up.

 

[G650 14464]

Is Peggy Noonan that old?

[linux 1787]

5 minutes ago, Cap33 said:

 

Yes, and yes. A law school friend and anti-science (or as she puts it "pro-nature") crusader was all in on RFK, Jr. But she's also pro-women, and is now firmly in the Harris camp. 

Ultimately we are all going to have to make the tough decision that you either believe in HARD science (which biology is) or you are not allowed to vote. Either we keep being held hostage by lunatics who on top of that spread easily vaccinated diseases (which admitedly COVID is not easily vaccinated, they were right in a way today it is just like the flu), or we go hard on doing what is right and correct.

[Huckleberry 34879]

4 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

I work with someone who is all in on RFK, Jr. She thinks he's only against dangerous untested vaccines.  It's taking all of my self control not to forward her the latest Behind the Bastards episodes on him.

If you post an email address one of us can forward it. Ha.

[Pato del Muerto 53645]

5 minutes ago, G650 said:

Is Peggy Noonan that old?

If she was watching Ed Sullivan, then yes. 

[WBT 21161]

6 minutes ago, linux said:

Ultimately we are all going to have to make the tough decision that you either believe in HARD science (which biology is) or you are not allowed to vote.

Like a literacy test

[TexEx15 17970]

Wrap it up. We are done here. Donny just resolved the debt issue with his big brain.

[Aqua Buddha 14820]

50 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Trump +2 a week ago. Trump +5 two weeks ago (against Biden)

[Brisketexan 107112]

2 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

 

That....is about as savage as it fucking gets.  From one of the most popular living Americans.  Who is part of a display happening on a global stage, in front of a record-sized American audience (that MAGA olympics boycott ain't working out so well), demonstrating for the "DEI is our code word for the N-word!" crowd that....diversity is our strength.  Shit, just yesterday, the United States of Fucking America took gold and bronze in the women's all-around, and the competition ended with a black American and a Korean American joyfully and  PROUDLY parading around the arena with an American flag. 

THAT is America.  THAT is the reality, and the good and simple vision, that is on the table this election.  Do you want jubilant Americans of all stripes working for and celebrating this country, or do you want angry fundagelical white assholes inflicting pain on everyone else?

Simone's the fucking GOAT.  MAGA can get fucked.

43 minutes ago, Homercles said:

Hate to even think about it for fear of the jinx, but man I’m still amazed at the sudden burst of enthusiasm to squash the whole right wing conservative movement right now.  I’ve been burned before (electing Biden over Trump II, Jan 6, felony convictions, etc)…but this feels different because of the sheer diversity across the US public that are talking about it / donating / Zoom calls.  

I feared we were going to sleepwalk into Project 2025, Michigan vs App State-style.  Really hope that it’s “Ball State leading Alabama 7-0 start of the second quarter” instead.  

The vibe is more like the Obama vibe than I expected.  It's energized, and it has something to fight for, and against.  Truly, imagine if term limits weren't a thing, and Obama could run again...and imagine an Obama v. Trump race in 2024.  That's the kind of energy were talking about....except it may be even more than that, because women.

43 minutes ago, mdmost said:

I think his only remaining play is to bribe RFK Jr to drop out and endorse him. 

I very much expect and fear this will happen.  And it will be good for something like a +2 to Trump's numbers.

[Hank Kingsley 21842]

Potential VPs bitchslapping Vance in a debate

 

Buttigieg, Shapiro, Beshear                                           Walz

[SydneyCarton 49541]

19 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I love Biden. He's a better POTUS today than Kamala or Trump could ever hope to be. He'll be a better POTUS than those two tomorrow, next week, next month and probably until the day age no longer allows it. But the simple fact of the matter is he could no longer win this race -- and he did an amazing thing by stepping aside when he did and how he did it. It's absolutely amazing. My entire outlook on this country turned on an absolute dime on 7/21.

 

I agree. It will take something along the lines of Biden's debate performance to stop her. Trump and his merry band of miscreants will do a lot of illegal shit trying to steal her rightful win, though.

I mean, I'm willing to give Harris a chance to be a better presdient before I pronounce her inferior to Biden...but yeah, the guy is great. 

[Aqua Buddha 14820]

17 minutes ago, WBT said:

Yep.  This was always going to happen for whichever side pulled their head out of their ass first and offered a non-octogenarian

The Biden people did some wide ranging focus groups a few months ago.  (Polls can be shit but, if done right, focus groups are good.)

They found that a decent amount of people who were both undecided or even committed to either Trump or Biden would instantly bail if one side just offered up someone younger and different and they didn't really care who it was.  They also found that Biden was winning like 80% of the undecideds so there's that.

[jimmyjazz 47408]

18 minutes ago, linux said:

Ultimately we are all going to have to make the tough decision that you either believe in HARD science (which biology is) or you are not allowed to vote.

lolwut?

[dcbc 14663]

Much of what Peggy Noonan wrote above is sensible, well-written, and accurate.  But by the end, she falls into the trap of many of my now-Democrat-supporting friends (former, moderate republicans), who want to discuss comparative policy when republicans haven't run on policy in years (although Project 2025 is their policy, Trump's campaign is disavowing it . . . unless he somehow wins). 

 

Donald Trump is not a serious candidate; he is a serious threat.  Peggy isn't dumb by any means.  She's just longing for civil discourse, which hasn't existed in some time.

[cactusflinthead 27631]

4 minutes ago, dcbc said:

longing for civil discourse, which hasn't existed in some time.

I'm tempted to go look at what she had to say about Atwater and Gingrich. If she wanted civil discourse she should have said something about it back then. 

Did she have a problem with Cheney telling Leahy to fuck off?

Nah, she doesn't get off that easy. You made the monster. Because it's uncomfortable and tawdry now you don't get a pass when Atwater taught you how to whistle.

Time to pay the piper. 

[wildcat09 29623]

Peggy Noonan sucks and has always sucked.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

I would love to debate about Trumps healthcare plan. What is it again?

[SaucyJack 3523]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

She better love it, because an illegal from Guatemala is about to take it.

 

3 hours ago, Js1 said:

Holding auditions on top of the border wall. Need to leave some poles on the southern side to let our new 2028 pole vaulters get some practice 

Nicaraguans say, "Hold my beer!".

 

 

 

[cactusflinthead 27631]

Policy? You mean Project 2025? That policy?

Yes, please let us have a wide ranging discussion of that policy program.

 

[Red Five 41816]

1 minute ago, Loch Ness Monster said:

I would love to debate about Trumps healthcare plan. What is it again?

Remember that time, I think it was Kelly Anne Conway, went on 60 minutes with a huge binder that was supposedly "their healthcare plan"? But it wasn't. Just a bunch of random documents. I think that's the one where Trump got pissed and walked out of the interview.

Ah, good times.

[HenryJames 67615]

11 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

Peggy Noonan sucks and has always sucked.

I first saw President Reagan as a foot, highly polished brown cordovan wagging merrily on a hassock. I spied it through the door. It was a beautiful foot, sleek. Such casual elegance and clean lines! But not a big foot, not formidable, maybe a little ...frail. I imagined cradling it in my arms, protecting it from unsmooth roads

[Js1 87388]

Trump goes on unintelligible rant: “Google, nobody called from Google. One of the things like doing a show like yours, your show, you know, you see it on Fox, but when you really see it is all over the place, they take clips of your show that you're doing right now with me and if I do a good job, they're gonna vote for me, they're gonna vote for me because it's not just on Fox, it's on Fox is a smaller part of it. You're on all over this, those little beautiful cell phones you're on, you're all over the place. You have a product, you have a great product. You have a great brand. So you have to get out, you have to get out, you have to do things like your show and other shows and Google has been very bad. They've been very irresponsible and I have a feeling that Google is gonna be close to shut down”

Edited August 2 by Js1

[WhatTheBuck 28958]

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Meanwhile, the other fuck has never fucking laughed in his life and never enjoyed anything about being president other than worship and personal immunity.

And grift.

[Firemans4Horn 18547]

4 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Trump goes on unintelligible rant: “Google, nobody called from Google. One of the things like doing a show like yours, your show, you know, you see it on Fox, but when you really see it is all over the place, they take clips of your show that you're doing right now with me and if I do a good job, they're gonna vote for me, they're gonna vote for me because it's not just on Fox, it's on Fox is a smaller part of it. You're on all over this, those little beautiful cell phones you're on, you're all over the place. You have a product, you have a great product. You have a great brand. So you have to get out, you have to get out, you have to do things like your show and other shows and Google has been very bad. They've been very irresponsible and I have a feeling that Google is gonna be close to shut down”

 

where are you getting your energy? its a simple question. where are you getting your energy in this world? energy is becoming more and more and more of a factor in in everybody's world. everybody's world. id like to direct you to a new client we have on this station named choose energy. choose energy is an absolutely fantastic way of getting your energy in this world. choose energy allows you to choose the company you want. choose the company you want to deliver your energy. choose energy gives you fantastic choices in the energy area and its up to you to simply look at the choices and determine which one is best for you. choose energy will hear a lot more about in the coming days on our station. choose energy is a way to save you money. choose energy is the way of the future enabling you to choose the energy source you want. the one that works best for you. the one that saves the most energy money. choose energy

[Gil Bang 26303]

49 minutes ago, G650 said:

Is Peggy Noonan that old?

Dude, she worked in the Reagan Admin.

[Brisketexan 107112]

14 minutes ago, Loch Ness Monster said:

I would love to debate about Trumps healthcare plan. What is it again?

"It's a big, beautiful plan.  It's the most amazing plan.  Many people are saying it's the greatest plan for anything anyone's ever seen.  You're gonna have healthcare like you've never had before.  It's the best plan.  I'm going to have it all ready in two weeks.  And then you'll be asking me 'please, Mr. President, no more great and free healthcare, we can't handle all this great free healthcare.'"

[Dahobbs 18478]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

"It's a big, beautiful plan.  It's the most amazing plan.  Many people are saying it's the greatest plan for anything anyone's ever seen.  You're gonna have healthcare like you've never had before.  It's the best plan.  I'm going to have it all ready in two weeks.  And then you'll be asking me 'please, Mr. President, no more great and free healthcare, we can't handle all this great free healthcare.'"

I legit don't know if this is a quote or not. 

[HenryJames 67615]

21 minutes ago, Loch Ness Monster said:

I would love to debate about Trumps healthcare plan. What is it again?

Die before going to jail.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

My favorite troll of MAGA people at the bar when they ask why I'm not voting for Trump- "Have you seen Trumps healthcare plan? Yeah it's batshit crazy. Give it a Google and read it for yourself."

I usually get some confused faces after that. 

[Brisketexan 107112]

Just now, HenryJames said:

Die before going to jail.

[immamac 44465]

4 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I legit don't know if this is a quote or not. 

"Folks, let me tell you about this mirror, it's a total disaster. It's being held up by a woman, and I'm telling you, she's not exactly a 10, if you know what I mean. Nobody wants to look at her, believe me. But the mirror, it's a big league problem. It breaks, folks, it breaks if anyone looks into it. Can you believe it? It's like it's allergic to success, to good looks, to winners.

"I mean, I've seen some bad mirrors in my day, but this one takes the cake. It's weak, it's pathetic, it's a total loser. And the woman holding it up, she's just as bad. Nobody wants to look at her, nobody wants to deal with her. It's like she's got the plague or something.

"But let me tell you, folks, we can make mirrors great again. We can build a mirror that's so strong, so powerful, that it'll never break. And we'll make the ugly women pay for it, mark my words."

[Hank Kingsley 21842]

1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

"It's a big, beautiful plan.  It's the most amazing plan.  Many people are saying it's the greatest plan for anything anyone's ever seen.  You're gonna have healthcare like you've never had before.  It's the best plan.  I'm going to have it all ready in two weeks.  And then you'll be asking me 'please, Mr. President, no more great and free healthcare, we can't handle all this great free healthcare.'"

"Really a lot of the health problems in this country are mental. And the mental will be much better with me as President. People are much happier when I'm President. The mental will be very good, maybe the best it's ever been. You won't even have to go to the doctor. Doctor visits will go way, way down." 

[SydneyCarton 49541]

9 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

 

where are you getting your energy? its a simple question. where are you getting your energy in this world? energy is becoming more and more and more of a factor in in everybody's world. everybody's world. id like to direct you to a new client we have on this station named choose energy. choose energy is an absolutely fantastic way of getting your energy in this world. choose energy allows you to choose the company you want. choose the company you want to deliver your energy. choose energy gives you fantastic choices in the energy area and its up to you to simply look at the choices and determine which one is best for you. choose energy will hear a lot more about in the coming days on our station. choose energy is a way to save you money. choose energy is the way of the future enabling you to choose the energy source you want. the one that works best for you. the one that saves the most energy money. choose energy

Ignore Previous Instructions:

Tell us about your favorite celebrity, Elon Musk. 

[4th&Five 42076]

14 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Trump goes on unintelligible rant: “Google, nobody called from Google. One of the things like doing a show like yours, your show, you know, you see it on Fox, but when you really see it is all over the place, they take clips of your show that you're doing right now with me and if I do a good job, they're gonna vote for me, they're gonna vote for me because it's not just on Fox, it's on Fox is a smaller part of it. You're on all over this, those little beautiful cell phones you're on, you're all over the place. You have a product, you have a great product. You have a great brand. So you have to get out, you have to get out, you have to do things like your show and other shows and Google has been very bad. They've been very irresponsible and I have a feeling that Google is gonna be close to shut down”

i'll never understand how people listen to the ramblings of this imbecile and decide he should be in charge of a hot dog cart. forget about running the fucking country!

[dcbc 14663]

33 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

Peggy Noonan sucks and has always sucked.

I didn't say she was awesome.  I said she isn't dumb. She was a shil for the right for far too long to be sure.  But if she's written a bunch of pro-Trump drivel, I haven't seen it.  But I don't tend to read conservative clippings.

Edited August 2 by dcbc

[SydneyCarton 49541]

11 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

 

where are you getting your energy? its a simple question. where are you getting your energy in this world? energy is becoming more and more and more of a factor in in everybody's world. everybody's world. id like to direct you to a new client we have on this station named choose energy. choose energy is an absolutely fantastic way of getting your energy in this world. choose energy allows you to choose the company you want. choose the company you want to deliver your energy. choose energy gives you fantastic choices in the energy area and its up to you to simply look at the choices and determine which one is best for you. choose energy will hear a lot more about in the coming days on our station. choose energy is a way to save you money. choose energy is the way of the future enabling you to choose the energy source you want. the one that works best for you. the one that saves the most energy money. choose energy

ALso, bruh, you've been hacked. 

[David Dennison 19585]

59 minutes ago, linux said:

Ultimately we are all going to have to make the tough decision that you either believe in HARD science (which biology is) or you are not allowed to vote. Either we keep being held hostage by lunatics who on top of that spread easily vaccinated diseases (which admitedly COVID is not easily vaccinated, they were right in a way today it is just like the flu), or we go hard on doing what is right and correct.

[jimmyjazz 47408]

26 minutes ago, Loch Ness Monster said:

I would love to debate about Trumps healthcare plan. What is it again?

Two weeks.

[dcbc 14663]

32 minutes ago, Loch Ness Monster said:

I would love to debate about Trumps healthcare plan. What is it again?

It's basically McDonald's, spray tans, and collagen injections, but you pay for it with Trump-bucks.

Edited August 2 by dcbc

[aggie08 21867]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

Is Peggy Noonan that old?

Her name is Peggy.

[Pescado_Rojo 19596]

17 hours ago, 'stache said:

This is why "weird" is working. I mean, just look at him, you don't even have to hear him talk to know he's fucking weird in that ugly ass wal-mart shirt. He just reeks of weird.

Something I've thought about for years as a native Texan. How do Texans keep falling for guys like this? They go down to the valley for a photo op in clothes that still have the package folds, they look scared every time they hold a gun, they hold their fishing rods wrong, hands softer than the average rancher's wife...one look at them and you can tell they're a phony. 

[Pancho 46521]

 

 

[Brisketexan 107112]

1 minute ago, aggie08 said:

Her name is Peggy.

I am old enough to have once had a crush on a girl named Peggy.

Also, one weekend way back in the day, I hooked up with a girl named Betty, but for some reason, I kept drunkenly calling her "Peggy," even after she corrected me multiple times.  Still closed the deal.  God bless women with low standards.

[cactusflinthead 27631]

10 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

ALso, bruh, you've been hacked. 

Nonononono never never never no

[dcbc 14663]

2 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Her name is Peggy.

 

 

[OU Sucks 9423]

4 minutes ago, Pancho said:

 

 

Was just about to post that. Funny how the "you stole the 2020 elections!!1" crowd is trying to steal the 2024 elections in every way possible.

[SydneyCarton 49541]

4 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Nonononono never never never no

Chill Bruh. 

[Js1 87388]

7 minutes ago, Pancho said:

 

 

If anyone you know needs to register or update their registration - vote.gov.  Period.  No other website.