Robert, let me comment that the picture of the Sunflower is stunning and actually all of the others have been, as well. Now onto Kamala. Today was a good day…a great day! I understand that the original venue for her first campaign meet and greet was smaller so a high school basketball court was used. Over 3000 people attended and the enthusiasm was electrifying when Kamala spoke. She’s a natural born orator. She is woman, hear her roar. I am pretty darn jazzed!
Here’s a link to Politics Girl explaining (from even before Biden stepped aside) why we should all feel Harris is extremely qualified to be president It’s packed with great info for Dems to use educating any fence-sitters about the new place we find ourselves in. I strongly supported Biden. I hate the way this all happened. But Harris is the only, and best choice to succeed him. My confidence was renewed after I watched Politics Girl: https://youtu.be/DJeltMiTZXo?si=QNwMjCVHH0y23Sls
I think, once Biden accepted his own limitations, that the transfer was handled brilliantly. I just LOVED the timing, announcing the passing of the torch after the Repubbie convention and the (VERY poor) choice of JD Vance (his current handle) AND after the Sunday morning talking head shows. Perfect!!!
Finally some strategic thinking from Democrats. My money is that in the end it was Biden who heard us. We’ve been screaming at our tv sets for years. Thank you.
I’m embarrassed to ask – what exactly was it about the timing of Biden passing the torch (just after the Repub convention) that made it so perfect? I understand that they had just set everything in stone and that their choices were based on the ‘fight’ with Biden. The JD Vance choice is crap (IMO), but now even more so because we have Kamala: a young, strong woman to defend women who are in danger because of the very healthcare policies/bans that JD Vance plans to level on them. Am I correct in my understanding and what am I missing! T L Mills, this is not rhetorical- I don’t fully get the timing ‘thing’….
Republicans had locked in their strategy at the convention based on "Biden is old" and doubling down on MAGA with the JD Vance choice. I see it as a jujutsu move by Biden-Harris where the apparent strength of an opponent gets used against them.
My take is that, if this happened before the gop convention, trump may have chosen a different running mate, like Nikki Haley, or Tim Scott. That would be a harder race. Again, this is just my impression.
Plus, it kept the GOP from mounting a counter-offense/storyline or putting a spin on Kamala being endorsed as the presumptive Democrat nominee at the convention. The timing right after the convention caught them flat-footed.
I saw a PBS segment about the repub's strategy, and it was indeed all about Biden being old & infirm. Ha! Anyway, now they have to start all over again - tee hee - and all they can do is complain. At least, so far. I'm sure they will regroup, and figure out a new, nasty way forward. But at least for a little while, they were feeling s******!
The sequence of the Dems taking aim at Biden makes me very sad, but once he decided what he had to do it was done brilliantly. The party clearly chose to follow the President’s lead and the action to organize around Kamala just worked beautifully .
I was a Biden supporter too. I always felt Kamala could step up if necessary. And I too hate the way it came about. But Biden handled the transfer like the seasoned politician that he is. The contrast between his character and Trump's could not be clearer. Trump will never, ever understand what was in it for Biden. Love of country is nowhere in 45's universe. Nor, I suspect, In many of his followers'.
I'd seen a few sound bites of this speech, but they didn't do justice to the mastery Kamala Harris exhibited. I will be sharing the link Robert provided.
My son, a 49 y/o combat vet, texted me as soon as it was announced that President Biden was passing the torch to VP Harris. All he texted was "Who's the old, demented man now?"
Like you, I supported Biden, but I was feeling very fearful and lacking in hope. I was surprised at the relief I felt when Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Harris. The enthusiastic response from Democrats, labor unions, campaign volunteers, and donors to her campaign has given me a feeling of hope and reduced my level of fear significantly. Biden's sacrifice is worthy of praise. His strategic timing was evidence of his experience and mastery of politics and is also praiseworthy. Now we must do our part and vote to elect Harris. And we can, yes we can!
Prominent Democrats and liberal/progressive journalists/pundits were among those publicly questioning Biden’s mental ability. They have been proved wrong and stupid, as their superiority complexes have been laid bare
I am only now understanding the scope of Biden's political mastery and personal devotion to the USA. He truly is a leader for the ages. He and his strong team saved us! Yes, I too felt relief when he stepped aside for Harris. The amount of pent-up energy she brings has swept all of us up into Joy and Hope. Listen to her laugh! I realize how much I have held my breath for the last few years because of the Trump/GOP malignancy. It feels good to laugh.
I love her laugh. The right wingers make fun of her laugh. I supported Biden but here we are it is a relief to have momentum. Here we are with a normal human (Kamala) who can laugh, talk like a regular person, and then walk up one side and then down the other of trump.
Someone, on Monday, called her joyful. It's a treat and it is contagious to watch her and listen to her! The support she has garnered is unbelievable. We are on a good path, as much as I did not like how Biden was treated by Democratic leaders.
I agree! She has a beautiful smile! It's a delight to watch her speak and it's wonderful to hear and see someone laugh during these challenging times. Humor and laughter always conquer grumpiness, which is what the GOP has become...grumpy white men!
I also was a fervent supporter of Biden because of all he has done to support the middle class in his remarkable first term. I spent Saturday with a profound sense of doom, worried that a potentially chaotic process of replacing Biden would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in November. The sense of relief when Biden finally dropped out and endorsed Harris was profound, and surprising. As Heather Cox Richardson has said, Biden's sense of political timing has always been exquisite. I am suddenly sleeping well again!
I agree, Kay. I also think Biden has cemented his legacy as one of the greats in the POTUS department and in service to his country. If he had stayed in the race that legacy may well have been a bit tarnished imho.
I am one of those people with Brown skin who is skeptical about White America, or White Europe for that matter, or White Oceania. However, I live in Dem country not Trump country, and my White Friends are people that I know will vote for Harris. I do not think it is inconsistent to go from being for a Biden-Harris ticket, since she was always the back up, to going to a Harris-someone ticket. I think knowing who the VP is, will be important to getting people going. Biden is a gifted politician. Prof. Timothy Snyder said he was a natural negotiator. I have not seen so much get done with anyone. Biden wants something done, it gets done eventually. He was tireless in getting things done. I hope he will continue to mentor Harris, whom I would have liked to have 4 more years of experience, like Biden got to have, but still, she is the best poised to lead the country now. I am glad I dropped my NYT and WaPo subscriptions. I also am dreading the racist tropes that the Republicans will be trotting out that they did not bother to use when she was VP candidate. It just seems to me that people do not understand the VP role enough to know that Harris could always have been the president if Biden stepped aside at any time and he would have if need be. I am glad people are energized. I am not more excited for Harris than I was for Biden, but I am relieved that that others are. I hear everyone is relieved that the party has stopped the in fighting, even though I did not agree with the big donors pushing Biden out. The big donors backed venture capitalists running Charter schools under Obama, and that was a horrid idea. In fact, the wealthy in the USA do not care that our public schools are being destroyed because their children do not attend. One thing I want to do in the remaining days, is remind the wealthy that their teachers get their training in the public schools, and that is going to affect who can they will be able to hire to teach their children too. The Trump plan will destroy teacher education and research too. Trump and his White Christian Nationalist base are the antithesis of Intellectual. It is about keeping everyone uneducated so that we can be serfs. We need to prioritize our entire education system and let people know that it will be decimated under P2025. However, as was discussed in a day long conference on Against American Autocracy at NYU yesterday, we are already living many parts of P2025. We need to be working not only against the Trump agenda as it stands, but also against the parts of P2025 that are already a part of our government. We need to get the vote out.
Of course we will see racist, misogynistic, demeaning tropes from the corrupt know-nothings. It will be red meat for their base - but is going to mobilize others - and, I believe, influence independents to vote for her. She does not have Clinton's baggage - so I am not convinced that her being a women will be a useful tool against her by the republicans. They just don't get it. Of course the NYT is appalling. Harris should give them an interview and cross exam them about their bias - and she will use the facts!!
It is 8 years since Hillary lost the 2016 election. Much has changed. The issue is getting young people and people who were not intending to vote - to VOTE! We just have to double our efforts. We are powerful people, after all!
The Guardian pointed out that according to the Heritage Foundation the Reagan administration already implemented something like 69%, while Trump implemented something like 89%. I would say that the Democrats between Reagan and Biden carried on that agenda, and Biden has spent all his time trying to undo it. He is old enough to actually know what this country was like before the horrid Reaganomics, and he was helping us to join the rest of the wealthy, democratic world with our policies. I did not see Clinton, or Obama do that, although kudos to Obama for getting us the beginnings of universal health care, but I also live in Europe and my health care there is that one pays on a sliding scale depending on how much one earns. Our friends who moved to Portugal say they are part of the free public health care system there. Free, but tax payer supported. So, even though he works for a US company, that company's health insurance would not pay for him and his pregnant wife abroad. I have a worker from Poland working on my house in Germany. We have insurance for accidents but it was not required because his Polish health insurance paid for his accident bills from Germany because all EU countries honor each other's health insurance plans and medical bills. We need to help Harris in continuing Biden's work turning back Reaganomics, which is the Heritage Foundation agenda. We also need to be questioning their tax status as a non-profit when they have an agenda that promotes violence.
In NC, we are already living with the decimation of public education, abortion bans, attacks on LGTBQ+ rights, etc. We have been since 2011 when the tea party wave came in in response to Obama.
Jenn, I think we need to fight for national mandatory voter registration. It should be as easy to vote as to pay your rent. I am a dual citizen and in Germany and most European countries you register where you live. This is mandatory. That signs up all the citizens automatically for voting and you will then get information in the mail about when to vote and where a couple of months before the election, and it will also tell you how to vote by mail. That is how many parts of the world set it up. Get rid of Mark Robinson and appeal nationally for help.
Linda, you say, “I also am dreading the racist tropes that the Republicans will be trotting out that they did not bother to use when she was VP candidate.”
Those tropes should be dreaded only because they are dreadful. Politically, they are unimportant: they will reach only people who already are disposed to oppose Harris.
Just gave $500 to Kamala. Be aware that Jimmy Carter is in Hospice right now. Our side should be prepared. An opportunity to point out someone who honored the constitution, and served our nation, as has Biden. Do not invite Trump!
Former President Jimmy Carter has been in hospice since Feb 2023, and will be turning 100 on October 1st this year. There is a birthday celebration being planned for him, and there is a countdown clock for him currently running, with a link to sign an encouragement card.
He and Rosalynn have been true humanitarians with a heart, and mostly I know of them from their work with Habitat for Humanity. Sadly she passed away last November and I think of Jimmy from time to time, and hope he is doing well.
My favorite slur against Kamala Harris, offered by Vance in I believe 2018, was that she was a childless cat lady, who collectively are running the country. I wish that were the case, but among this demographic is Taylor Swift, who has no children and three cats. She has a lovely pose with one of them I believe on an album cover. So get the Swifties and older childless cat ladies on board, and you've got a winning coalition of voters for Kamala & Co. And keep the same cabinet.
Karen I think the Taylor followers, supporters are all smart enough they are on board for Kamala. The morons in congress now want her impeached, such desperate and low life people. This will get worse before it gets better for the country. Desperate people do desperate things. Thinking all was theirs head whipping when Pres. Biden handed the gavel to Kamala leaves them rudderless and floundering. All we will see is ugly nasty maga behavior.
Karen, every social media outlet I use (Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) has been ablaze with “childless cat ladies” endorsing Harris. Honestly, funny as hell and so heartening. (I have two cats but also two daughters and a dog. Having waaayyy too much fun joining the women in pushing support for Kamala Harris.)
The good news in that is while I’m a 70 year old white Boomer, social media is mostly the choice of younger, diverse people. And they are really keyed up about Kamala Harris! If you haven’t watched her speech from yesterday in Milwaukee, I heartily recommend it.
I just heard that "childless cat lady" comment on the news! He is a joke, and no wonder some Republicans are second-guessing his position on their ticket!
A little humbling, to look back 29 million years when seeing that galaxy. That light in that picture left its source before there were any humans here on Earth.
As with all of your photos of the night sky, this one's a stunner, Robert. Its shape looks too perfect to be real.
As for the Biden/Harris conversation, it is clear to me that the President has given the people a mandate. If we care at all about him and his vision for America, we must do what we can to see to it that his Vice President, Kamala Harris, gets elected in November.
I am so excited about Kamala after being sad about Joe Biden and the disruptions about his age. He is now being treated as a selfless hero and will go down in history for his achievements and passing the torch. The convention will be a huge celebration of him and the First Woman President-to-be.
I am postcarding for Postcards to Swing States and thrilled to do this.
Thanks, Robert, for reinforcing the ongoing NYT's negative press. I cancelled my subscription.
Dear one, Please thank your amazing 'partner' for her beautiful post to Jill Biden. It helped me swallow my sorrow for all that that was lost and sincerely jump on our new team!! The excitement is palpable and we're gonna win this!! P.S. I'm cancelling my subscription to the NYTimes!! xx's
I was all in for Joe back when he was competing for the Democratic nomination in 2020 before many of my progressive friends were. I am still mourning his decision to step aside and still upset at how he was treated. But to borrow a phrase from the other side before it went totally batshit crazy, it is “Morning In America.” It’s a new day so we need to stop mourning and get to work. I have committed to get back to postcard writing, particularly in down ballot races in states where we need the Senate. So do something: Donate money if you can, register voters, and talk to people about Project 2025 and the danger to our country if the Trump-Vance ticket is elected.
Make a wave! Help register new Democrats in swing states. FT6 has a database containing 9 million unregistered likely Democrats in swing states. The basis for all digital outreach! FT6 uses every outreach method there is: email, text, phone, geofencing, direct mail, targeted ads, social media storms, postcards, and live voter drives.
OMG...I am four days into my family reunion where my 30-40 year old kids and nieces and nephews are attending. They are all fired up for Kamala as our nominee. None of them were excited about Biden and I had spent hours the past few months explaining why he was so important to holding onto our democracy. I truly believe that Kamala has awakened and energized younger voters whom until a few days ago were content to sleep through this election cycle. They are wide awake now!!
Last night I attended a "Taco Tuesday" postcard writing party organized through our Indivisible Charlotte chapter. Fortunately, the hostess hasd a big house, because she had a flurry of last minute (since Sunday) sign-ups - mostly people already registered asking if there was room for them to bring a friend. I was at a table with two 30-something young working moms, both of whom left their husbands at home with their young kids in order to squeeze some activism into their hectic lives. Their enthuiasm was palpable! (The rest of us were decades older and mostly seasoned activists who have been in the resistance for years!) But we sure appreciated the "new blood" - it energized us even more than recent events. (The "party" had been on the calendar for more that a month, but we all agreed that it couldn't have been better timed!)
I think it's fair to conclude that, as a former Senator and current Vice-President, Kamala Harris has a better sense than most about whether a mixed race female can be elected President of the United States .
She obviously believes it's possible, so I'll defer to her judgement on that matter.
It makes no difference whether we “defer”: Kamala Harris is going to be the Democratic Party nominee. Her opponent will be Donald Trump. That should be enough.
I’m thinking that there will be many Republicans, the ones Donald has called RINOs who will find it hard to vote for a Democrat but will also not be able to vote for the demented racist rapist and do nothing congress. The strikes against the GOP are so many. Thinking Republicans are very likely to stay home Election Day.
I'm hoping that some of the Republican women reject the Christo-Fascists' beliefs about the "proper" role for women - JD Vance embodies it and I find his comments reprehensible! Stay in an abusive marriage? Bearing your rapist's baby is "inconvient"?
My blood pressure spikes everytime he speaks! Just like when I hear Mark Robinson (running on the GOP ticket in NC for Governor). Now that I think about it - those two could be "brothers from a different mother"! Hopefully the DNC will take a leaf from the NCDP and put together a compilation of Vance's "greatest hits" similar to this one for Robinson ( https://www.realmarkrobinson.com/)
Are you familiar with Galvanize Action? (The Focus on Democracy group that Robert mentions in his "Opportunities for Engagement" section are supporting them). Their focus is on moderate white women and they use innovative techniques to persuade these women to vote in alignment with their values. I've been donating to them regularly since being introduced to them. Check out their website (https://www.galvanizeaction.org/) and their "playbook" (https://playbook.galvanizeaction.org/) of messages that they have field tested. FYI, anyone can share these messages to get the word out - they encourage it!
If you want some additional background, BigTent USA did a "Tent Talk" with their founder Jackie Payne a few months ago. The recording is archived here:
While you are at it, I recommend checking out the entire archive of Tent Talks - every single one I have attended live or via recording has been well worth my time!!
I’m going to be watching voter registrations and, in particular, predict we will see a surge in registrations (later translating to votes) by young people who heretofore have been unmotivated and even turned off over the last 8 years.
Yesterday, I received a text from a (new, out-of-state) UT Dallas student I registered earlier this month, needing r information for a friend wanting to register. It’s July!
I cannot wait to spend lots of days on campus helping get these young people registered and informed about the voting process! If you want to help, or if you want to register new citizens at naturalization ceremonies, my LWV email is newcitizen@lwvrichardson.org.
I volunteer with my local League of Women Voter's chapter doing VR at naturalization ceremonies. Charlotte is one of two sites in NC that have weekly swearing-in ceremonies at the USICS office. It is very rewarding!
We need to be sure the attempts to prevent registrations are stopped in their tracks. Arkansas has flipped their procedures for online voting. At first it was okay with an electronic signature. Then, when the Secretary of State found out that a group was successfully registering young black voters in rural areas, he decided to refuse to accept electronic signatures even though the state's AG said they would be proper. It's going to court, but this is just one instance of trying to keep non-Republican voters from exercising their rights.
Grr. To check my understanding, you are referring to online voter *registration*, correct? We actually do not have that in Texas either. I believe Texas and Arkansas are among only eight states that do not offer online registration, even though it is safe, effective, and obviously cost efficient. I believe mandating online registration was part of the voting rights bill that did not pass.
Imagine—the second most populous state does not offer online voter registration.
Robert, let me comment that the picture of the Sunflower is stunning and actually all of the others have been, as well. Now onto Kamala. Today was a good day…a great day! I understand that the original venue for her first campaign meet and greet was smaller so a high school basketball court was used. Over 3000 people attended and the enthusiasm was electrifying when Kamala spoke. She’s a natural born orator. She is woman, hear her roar. I am pretty darn jazzed!
Here’s a link to Politics Girl explaining (from even before Biden stepped aside) why we should all feel Harris is extremely qualified to be president It’s packed with great info for Dems to use educating any fence-sitters about the new place we find ourselves in. I strongly supported Biden. I hate the way this all happened. But Harris is the only, and best choice to succeed him. My confidence was renewed after I watched Politics Girl: https://youtu.be/DJeltMiTZXo?si=QNwMjCVHH0y23Sls
I think, once Biden accepted his own limitations, that the transfer was handled brilliantly. I just LOVED the timing, announcing the passing of the torch after the Repubbie convention and the (VERY poor) choice of JD Vance (his current handle) AND after the Sunday morning talking head shows. Perfect!!!
Finally some strategic thinking from Democrats. My money is that in the end it was Biden who heard us. We’ve been screaming at our tv sets for years. Thank you.
No effing kidding!!
I’m embarrassed to ask – what exactly was it about the timing of Biden passing the torch (just after the Repub convention) that made it so perfect? I understand that they had just set everything in stone and that their choices were based on the ‘fight’ with Biden. The JD Vance choice is crap (IMO), but now even more so because we have Kamala: a young, strong woman to defend women who are in danger because of the very healthcare policies/bans that JD Vance plans to level on them. Am I correct in my understanding and what am I missing! T L Mills, this is not rhetorical- I don’t fully get the timing ‘thing’….
Republicans had locked in their strategy at the convention based on "Biden is old" and doubling down on MAGA with the JD Vance choice. I see it as a jujutsu move by Biden-Harris where the apparent strength of an opponent gets used against them.
Plus, it burst the bubble of any momentum leading from the convention (e.g., bounce in polls).
My take is that, if this happened before the gop convention, trump may have chosen a different running mate, like Nikki Haley, or Tim Scott. That would be a harder race. Again, this is just my impression.
Tim "Gummy" Scott . . . no way!
Plus, it kept the GOP from mounting a counter-offense/storyline or putting a spin on Kamala being endorsed as the presumptive Democrat nominee at the convention. The timing right after the convention caught them flat-footed.
I saw a PBS segment about the repub's strategy, and it was indeed all about Biden being old & infirm. Ha! Anyway, now they have to start all over again - tee hee - and all they can do is complain. At least, so far. I'm sure they will regroup, and figure out a new, nasty way forward. But at least for a little while, they were feeling s******!
I strongly supported Biden. I hate the way this all happened. But Harris is the only, and best choice to succeed him.
⬆️
I agree 💯percent.
The sequence of the Dems taking aim at Biden makes me very sad, but once he decided what he had to do it was done brilliantly. The party clearly chose to follow the President’s lead and the action to organize around Kamala just worked beautifully .
Yes.
I was a Biden supporter too. I always felt Kamala could step up if necessary. And I too hate the way it came about. But Biden handled the transfer like the seasoned politician that he is. The contrast between his character and Trump's could not be clearer. Trump will never, ever understand what was in it for Biden. Love of country is nowhere in 45's universe. Nor, I suspect, In many of his followers'.
Tffg loves only himself, nothing and no one else.
The video is great. Watch and pass on. Young people with curiosity about what's happening will like it.
I'd seen a few sound bites of this speech, but they didn't do justice to the mastery Kamala Harris exhibited. I will be sharing the link Robert provided.
My son, a 49 y/o combat vet, texted me as soon as it was announced that President Biden was passing the torch to VP Harris. All he texted was "Who's the old, demented man now?"
I LOVE the Politics Girl!!
I love Leigh and follow her too.
That is a terrific video. Thanks for sharing the link.
"She is woman, hear her roar." Love this, Marlene!
I have been humming that song for two days. This is so exciting!
Here is another song that could be Kamala’s theme song and well done: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1029515185516526?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
My new theme song!! “Put a Woman in Charge” !!!
If you are not on Facebook, google the title.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1029515185516526?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
This song!! It needs to go viral!!
Me too, Marlene!
Robert,
Like you, I supported Biden, but I was feeling very fearful and lacking in hope. I was surprised at the relief I felt when Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Harris. The enthusiastic response from Democrats, labor unions, campaign volunteers, and donors to her campaign has given me a feeling of hope and reduced my level of fear significantly. Biden's sacrifice is worthy of praise. His strategic timing was evidence of his experience and mastery of politics and is also praiseworthy. Now we must do our part and vote to elect Harris. And we can, yes we can!
I find it interesting that a man whose mental acuity was in such question has apparently played everyone, even while suffering from COVID!
No joke! 🤣 Actually, the joke's on them! 🤣🤣
Indeed!
Yes.
Prominent Democrats and liberal/progressive journalists/pundits were among those publicly questioning Biden’s mental ability. They have been proved wrong and stupid, as their superiority complexes have been laid bare
Exactly!
I am only now understanding the scope of Biden's political mastery and personal devotion to the USA. He truly is a leader for the ages. He and his strong team saved us! Yes, I too felt relief when he stepped aside for Harris. The amount of pent-up energy she brings has swept all of us up into Joy and Hope. Listen to her laugh! I realize how much I have held my breath for the last few years because of the Trump/GOP malignancy. It feels good to laugh.
I love her laugh. The right wingers make fun of her laugh. I supported Biden but here we are it is a relief to have momentum. Here we are with a normal human (Kamala) who can laugh, talk like a regular person, and then walk up one side and then down the other of trump.
Someone, on Monday, called her joyful. It's a treat and it is contagious to watch her and listen to her! The support she has garnered is unbelievable. We are on a good path, as much as I did not like how Biden was treated by Democratic leaders.
I agree! She has a beautiful smile! It's a delight to watch her speak and it's wonderful to hear and see someone laugh during these challenging times. Humor and laughter always conquer grumpiness, which is what the GOP has become...grumpy white men!
I also was a fervent supporter of Biden because of all he has done to support the middle class in his remarkable first term. I spent Saturday with a profound sense of doom, worried that a potentially chaotic process of replacing Biden would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in November. The sense of relief when Biden finally dropped out and endorsed Harris was profound, and surprising. As Heather Cox Richardson has said, Biden's sense of political timing has always been exquisite. I am suddenly sleeping well again!
Me, too.
I agree, Kay. I also think Biden has cemented his legacy as one of the greats in the POTUS department and in service to his country. If he had stayed in the race that legacy may well have been a bit tarnished imho.
My thoughts into your words. Thanks, Kay
I am one of those people with Brown skin who is skeptical about White America, or White Europe for that matter, or White Oceania. However, I live in Dem country not Trump country, and my White Friends are people that I know will vote for Harris. I do not think it is inconsistent to go from being for a Biden-Harris ticket, since she was always the back up, to going to a Harris-someone ticket. I think knowing who the VP is, will be important to getting people going. Biden is a gifted politician. Prof. Timothy Snyder said he was a natural negotiator. I have not seen so much get done with anyone. Biden wants something done, it gets done eventually. He was tireless in getting things done. I hope he will continue to mentor Harris, whom I would have liked to have 4 more years of experience, like Biden got to have, but still, she is the best poised to lead the country now. I am glad I dropped my NYT and WaPo subscriptions. I also am dreading the racist tropes that the Republicans will be trotting out that they did not bother to use when she was VP candidate. It just seems to me that people do not understand the VP role enough to know that Harris could always have been the president if Biden stepped aside at any time and he would have if need be. I am glad people are energized. I am not more excited for Harris than I was for Biden, but I am relieved that that others are. I hear everyone is relieved that the party has stopped the in fighting, even though I did not agree with the big donors pushing Biden out. The big donors backed venture capitalists running Charter schools under Obama, and that was a horrid idea. In fact, the wealthy in the USA do not care that our public schools are being destroyed because their children do not attend. One thing I want to do in the remaining days, is remind the wealthy that their teachers get their training in the public schools, and that is going to affect who can they will be able to hire to teach their children too. The Trump plan will destroy teacher education and research too. Trump and his White Christian Nationalist base are the antithesis of Intellectual. It is about keeping everyone uneducated so that we can be serfs. We need to prioritize our entire education system and let people know that it will be decimated under P2025. However, as was discussed in a day long conference on Against American Autocracy at NYU yesterday, we are already living many parts of P2025. We need to be working not only against the Trump agenda as it stands, but also against the parts of P2025 that are already a part of our government. We need to get the vote out.
Of course we will see racist, misogynistic, demeaning tropes from the corrupt know-nothings. It will be red meat for their base - but is going to mobilize others - and, I believe, influence independents to vote for her. She does not have Clinton's baggage - so I am not convinced that her being a women will be a useful tool against her by the republicans. They just don't get it. Of course the NYT is appalling. Harris should give them an interview and cross exam them about their bias - and she will use the facts!!
"Of course the NYT is appalling. Harris should give them an interview and cross-examine them about their bias and she will use the facts!"
Now that's an idea that may be well worth you sharing with her campaign!
It is 8 years since Hillary lost the 2016 election. Much has changed. The issue is getting young people and people who were not intending to vote - to VOTE! We just have to double our efforts. We are powerful people, after all!
A great point about already living part of 2025. It needs to be amplified
The Guardian pointed out that according to the Heritage Foundation the Reagan administration already implemented something like 69%, while Trump implemented something like 89%. I would say that the Democrats between Reagan and Biden carried on that agenda, and Biden has spent all his time trying to undo it. He is old enough to actually know what this country was like before the horrid Reaganomics, and he was helping us to join the rest of the wealthy, democratic world with our policies. I did not see Clinton, or Obama do that, although kudos to Obama for getting us the beginnings of universal health care, but I also live in Europe and my health care there is that one pays on a sliding scale depending on how much one earns. Our friends who moved to Portugal say they are part of the free public health care system there. Free, but tax payer supported. So, even though he works for a US company, that company's health insurance would not pay for him and his pregnant wife abroad. I have a worker from Poland working on my house in Germany. We have insurance for accidents but it was not required because his Polish health insurance paid for his accident bills from Germany because all EU countries honor each other's health insurance plans and medical bills. We need to help Harris in continuing Biden's work turning back Reaganomics, which is the Heritage Foundation agenda. We also need to be questioning their tax status as a non-profit when they have an agenda that promotes violence.
Yes, women are already living part of Project 2025. I hope this is a rallying cry for this election.
I have not seen so much get done with anyone.
⬆️
... and with the odds stacked so high against us!!
In NC, we are already living with the decimation of public education, abortion bans, attacks on LGTBQ+ rights, etc. We have been since 2011 when the tea party wave came in in response to Obama.
Jenn, I think we need to fight for national mandatory voter registration. It should be as easy to vote as to pay your rent. I am a dual citizen and in Germany and most European countries you register where you live. This is mandatory. That signs up all the citizens automatically for voting and you will then get information in the mail about when to vote and where a couple of months before the election, and it will also tell you how to vote by mail. That is how many parts of the world set it up. Get rid of Mark Robinson and appeal nationally for help.
You are amazing.
What would it take to make voting itself mandatory?
(Religious objections to voting? Show up. Submit your ballot blank.)
Here is a discussion and a map. We should be on that map in the green. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/10/30/from-voter-registration-to-mail-in-ballots-how-do-countries-around-the-world-run-their-elections/
Yes, we have.
Linda, you say, “I also am dreading the racist tropes that the Republicans will be trotting out that they did not bother to use when she was VP candidate.”
Those tropes should be dreaded only because they are dreadful. Politically, they are unimportant: they will reach only people who already are disposed to oppose Harris.
Just gave $500 to Kamala. Be aware that Jimmy Carter is in Hospice right now. Our side should be prepared. An opportunity to point out someone who honored the constitution, and served our nation, as has Biden. Do not invite Trump!
Former President Jimmy Carter has been in hospice since Feb 2023, and will be turning 100 on October 1st this year. There is a birthday celebration being planned for him, and there is a countdown clock for him currently running, with a link to sign an encouragement card.
https://www.centuryofcarter.com/
This website below would likely be one of the first places to post any changes in his status.
https://www.cartercenter.org/
He and Rosalynn have been true humanitarians with a heart, and mostly I know of them from their work with Habitat for Humanity. Sadly she passed away last November and I think of Jimmy from time to time, and hope he is doing well.
Thanks, Sherryl, for the heads up about former President Carter. I have been thinking about him with the feeling that "no news is good news."
Also, that's an awesome donation you got there!
Do you mean something has changed? He's been in hospice for quite a long time, actually.
Unless something has recently changed, Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care at his home since February 2023.
My favorite slur against Kamala Harris, offered by Vance in I believe 2018, was that she was a childless cat lady, who collectively are running the country. I wish that were the case, but among this demographic is Taylor Swift, who has no children and three cats. She has a lovely pose with one of them I believe on an album cover. So get the Swifties and older childless cat ladies on board, and you've got a winning coalition of voters for Kamala & Co. And keep the same cabinet.
I am looking for a tee shirt that says, "Childless Dog Lady for Harris." There are a lot more of us than there are JD Vance's in the world!
Karen I think the Taylor followers, supporters are all smart enough they are on board for Kamala. The morons in congress now want her impeached, such desperate and low life people. This will get worse before it gets better for the country. Desperate people do desperate things. Thinking all was theirs head whipping when Pres. Biden handed the gavel to Kamala leaves them rudderless and floundering. All we will see is ugly nasty maga behavior.
Karen, every social media outlet I use (Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) has been ablaze with “childless cat ladies” endorsing Harris. Honestly, funny as hell and so heartening. (I have two cats but also two daughters and a dog. Having waaayyy too much fun joining the women in pushing support for Kamala Harris.)
The good news in that is while I’m a 70 year old white Boomer, social media is mostly the choice of younger, diverse people. And they are really keyed up about Kamala Harris! If you haven’t watched her speech from yesterday in Milwaukee, I heartily recommend it.
Swifties may take us over the top.
😹😹😹
https://open.substack.com/pub/borowitzreport/p/nations-cats-lash-out-at-jd-vance?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
I just heard that "childless cat lady" comment on the news! He is a joke, and no wonder some Republicans are second-guessing his position on their ticket!
A little humbling, to look back 29 million years when seeing that galaxy. That light in that picture left its source before there were any humans here on Earth.
As with all of your photos of the night sky, this one's a stunner, Robert. Its shape looks too perfect to be real.
As for the Biden/Harris conversation, it is clear to me that the President has given the people a mandate. If we care at all about him and his vision for America, we must do what we can to see to it that his Vice President, Kamala Harris, gets elected in November.
I am so excited about Kamala after being sad about Joe Biden and the disruptions about his age. He is now being treated as a selfless hero and will go down in history for his achievements and passing the torch. The convention will be a huge celebration of him and the First Woman President-to-be.
I am postcarding for Postcards to Swing States and thrilled to do this.
Thanks, Robert, for reinforcing the ongoing NYT's negative press. I cancelled my subscription.
Dear one, Please thank your amazing 'partner' for her beautiful post to Jill Biden. It helped me swallow my sorrow for all that that was lost and sincerely jump on our new team!! The excitement is palpable and we're gonna win this!! P.S. I'm cancelling my subscription to the NYTimes!! xx's
Thanks for reminding me about that. I didn't listen to it on Sunday (I was a bit distracted).
I cancelled my NYT subscription a few months ago. I haven't missed it. About to do the same to WaPo.
A friend shared this music by Keb" Mo' :
"Put a Woman in Charge" (feat. Roseanne Cash).
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=rMX6C8BXcwY&feature=shared
I really like it!
It's perfect! Great blues music too.
I love this song. It needs to be Harris' theme song! Thank you so much for sharing the link!
Yes, I agree!! It keeps running through my head.
Change the lyrics to
“Put *this* woman in charge.”
Yes!!!
I was all in for Joe back when he was competing for the Democratic nomination in 2020 before many of my progressive friends were. I am still mourning his decision to step aside and still upset at how he was treated. But to borrow a phrase from the other side before it went totally batshit crazy, it is “Morning In America.” It’s a new day so we need to stop mourning and get to work. I have committed to get back to postcard writing, particularly in down ballot races in states where we need the Senate. So do something: Donate money if you can, register voters, and talk to people about Project 2025 and the danger to our country if the Trump-Vance ticket is elected.
Make a wave! Help register new Democrats in swing states. FT6 has a database containing 9 million unregistered likely Democrats in swing states. The basis for all digital outreach! FT6 uses every outreach method there is: email, text, phone, geofencing, direct mail, targeted ads, social media storms, postcards, and live voter drives.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
OMG...I am four days into my family reunion where my 30-40 year old kids and nieces and nephews are attending. They are all fired up for Kamala as our nominee. None of them were excited about Biden and I had spent hours the past few months explaining why he was so important to holding onto our democracy. I truly believe that Kamala has awakened and energized younger voters whom until a few days ago were content to sleep through this election cycle. They are wide awake now!!
That is music to my ears!!
Last night I attended a "Taco Tuesday" postcard writing party organized through our Indivisible Charlotte chapter. Fortunately, the hostess hasd a big house, because she had a flurry of last minute (since Sunday) sign-ups - mostly people already registered asking if there was room for them to bring a friend. I was at a table with two 30-something young working moms, both of whom left their husbands at home with their young kids in order to squeeze some activism into their hectic lives. Their enthuiasm was palpable! (The rest of us were decades older and mostly seasoned activists who have been in the resistance for years!) But we sure appreciated the "new blood" - it energized us even more than recent events. (The "party" had been on the calendar for more that a month, but we all agreed that it couldn't have been better timed!)
I think it's fair to conclude that, as a former Senator and current Vice-President, Kamala Harris has a better sense than most about whether a mixed race female can be elected President of the United States .
She obviously believes it's possible, so I'll defer to her judgement on that matter.
.
I'm deferring to Biden's sense that she can win.
It makes no difference whether we “defer”: Kamala Harris is going to be the Democratic Party nominee. Her opponent will be Donald Trump. That should be enough.
I’m thinking that there will be many Republicans, the ones Donald has called RINOs who will find it hard to vote for a Democrat but will also not be able to vote for the demented racist rapist and do nothing congress. The strikes against the GOP are so many. Thinking Republicans are very likely to stay home Election Day.
They should be proud take that stand.
I'm hoping that some of the Republican women reject the Christo-Fascists' beliefs about the "proper" role for women - JD Vance embodies it and I find his comments reprehensible! Stay in an abusive marriage? Bearing your rapist's baby is "inconvient"?
My blood pressure spikes everytime he speaks! Just like when I hear Mark Robinson (running on the GOP ticket in NC for Governor). Now that I think about it - those two could be "brothers from a different mother"! Hopefully the DNC will take a leaf from the NCDP and put together a compilation of Vance's "greatest hits" similar to this one for Robinson ( https://www.realmarkrobinson.com/)
Are you familiar with Galvanize Action? (The Focus on Democracy group that Robert mentions in his "Opportunities for Engagement" section are supporting them). Their focus is on moderate white women and they use innovative techniques to persuade these women to vote in alignment with their values. I've been donating to them regularly since being introduced to them. Check out their website (https://www.galvanizeaction.org/) and their "playbook" (https://playbook.galvanizeaction.org/) of messages that they have field tested. FYI, anyone can share these messages to get the word out - they encourage it!
If you want some additional background, BigTent USA did a "Tent Talk" with their founder Jackie Payne a few months ago. The recording is archived here:
https://www.bigtentusa.org/event/galvanize/
While you are at it, I recommend checking out the entire archive of Tent Talks - every single one I have attended live or via recording has been well worth my time!!
This would be a great turn of events for all of the downballot races!
I’m going to be watching voter registrations and, in particular, predict we will see a surge in registrations (later translating to votes) by young people who heretofore have been unmotivated and even turned off over the last 8 years.
Yesterday, I received a text from a (new, out-of-state) UT Dallas student I registered earlier this month, needing r information for a friend wanting to register. It’s July!
I cannot wait to spend lots of days on campus helping get these young people registered and informed about the voting process! If you want to help, or if you want to register new citizens at naturalization ceremonies, my LWV email is newcitizen@lwvrichardson.org.
I volunteer with my local League of Women Voter's chapter doing VR at naturalization ceremonies. Charlotte is one of two sites in NC that have weekly swearing-in ceremonies at the USICS office. It is very rewarding!
We need to be sure the attempts to prevent registrations are stopped in their tracks. Arkansas has flipped their procedures for online voting. At first it was okay with an electronic signature. Then, when the Secretary of State found out that a group was successfully registering young black voters in rural areas, he decided to refuse to accept electronic signatures even though the state's AG said they would be proper. It's going to court, but this is just one instance of trying to keep non-Republican voters from exercising their rights.
Grr. To check my understanding, you are referring to online voter *registration*, correct? We actually do not have that in Texas either. I believe Texas and Arkansas are among only eight states that do not offer online registration, even though it is safe, effective, and obviously cost efficient. I believe mandating online registration was part of the voting rights bill that did not pass.
Imagine—the second most populous state does not offer online voter registration.