***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[whywesteppin]

There's a piece in Newsweek that I'm not going to link because it's xenophobic racist anti-American anti-constitutional trash that argues that Kamala Harris isn't eligible to be VP because... who the **** knows or cares.

Anyway, be ready for birtherism 2.0.

btw recall that early in the primaries it was Kamala who was the target of the most disinformation from right-wing trolls masquerading as leftists. For whatever reasons you may not be happy about her, understand that those on the right, especially your typical white racist Republican, are wildly afraid of her. Isn't that alone reason enough to support her?

 

[aepps20]

Delk gonna be in the crowd, dropping it low for a hot buttery one like...

-Btw, shouts our to @wavycrocket for putting me on to this gif, and the outright buffoonery in this video. I tried making other gif off of it, but ole boy locked playback on other website. It is like when he saw the first set of gifs he knew he goofed.

Da First Step Shuffle looks AMAZING in HD

 

[reformeDWS]

Most conservatives I know are the dudes who were dumb AF in school and now politics allows them to feel they're the true smart ones and educated people are brainwashed by books

one of the funnier things republicans have done is convince their base that higher education is just a giant lib factory to make their base feel less insecure about their lack of education

Meanwhile Ted Cruz went to Harvard for law school

 

[whywesteppin]

one of the funnier things republicans have done is convince their base that higher education is just a giant lib factory to make their base feel less insecure about their lack of education

Meanwhile Ted Cruz went to Harvard for law school

Trump: attended Penn
Also Trump: Ivy league schools are for leftist scum elites

 

[RustyShackleford]

That's an oversimplification of how candidates get chosen. Sounds like politics with politics involved lol.

I know who candidates gets chosen. I followed previous VP searches and listened to tons of breakdowns about it.

Picking a running mate is about looking at a candidate's upsides against their downsides, and their potential effect on the ticket. At best, you are going after marginal voters or at worst you are picking someone most in your coalition will be ok with. Picking Harris follows the same logic of picking VPs the Dems have used since after 2000.

This argument you and others are peddling about them picking Biden as a way to appease, turnout, or pander to black people makes little sense. VP picks don't move the polls nationally that much, and we are talking about the voters that mostly decided on Biden over Trump already. Black folk asking for policy, the Dems have offered policy, yet this is ignored to argue that picking Harris is some slight against the black community.

Like maybe you guys should look at the other people in the running and consider what were their upsides vs. their downsides in comparison to Harris. And make the case for someone else, instead of running around making assumptions about what motivated this pick. Because none of the arguments I have seen seem very cogent.

 

[Nike Jordan]

If Biden could've picked Michelle Obama as his running mate and y'all still would've had something to say about it.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Or more like, Kamala tongue in cheek called Biden a racist during the democratic debates and is now his running mate.

So you are cool with voting for Biden if he had a different running mate?

 

[RustyShackleford]

How come we can't get somebody to protect us like this man.

Not even being funny, but this kind of direct action and commitment is what black ppl want from their politicians. Specifically do something for black folks. That's the real want.

So you want rhetoric?

I thought you wanted policy?

 

[nawghtyhare]

If Biden could've picked Michelle Obama as his running mate and y'all still would've had something to say about it.

u mean michael..........

 

[UsualSuspects]

Can Trump pick a new running mate or is he stuck with Pence?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Matthew Iglesia had an important point about salty Bernie loving leftist that I think applies here.

Either Trump is gonna be president, or Biden is gonna be president. No matter how much you dislike it, those are the choices, and the two are not equivalent

You can either chose to focus on all the ways you agree with Biden/Harris, or you can to harping on about the ways you disagree with them.

You have agency over your decisions. The Dems didn't leave you no other choice.

But if you chose to harp on the differences, to air personal grievances over and over, if you chose to vote for anyone other than Biden, and persuade other people to do the same, you are an ally to Trump.

No matter how much you might deny it, or claim not to like the dude, you are engaging in exactly the type of behavior Trump's side wants you to.

It is a free country, so do want you want, but be honest about what side you are actually on. Because you might think you have the moral high ground, but in practice you really don't.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Can Trump pick a new running mate or is he stuck with Pence?

He can chose whomever he wants. If he wants to replace Pence, he can.

If he does and win, Pence term will just expire and a new VP will be sworn in on inauguration day.

 

[frink85]

If we’re being real, this election is Trump vs not-Trump and 95% of us already know how we’re voting based on that. The other 5% also know deep down but are trying to reason with themselves why.

 

[rexanglorum]

one of the funnier things republicans have done is convince their base that higher education is just a giant lib factory to make their base feel less insecure about their lack of education

Meanwhile Ted Cruz went to Harvard for law school

The bashing of colleges serves four purposes fir the GOP:

1.) it’s sour grapes for their poorer supporters. You guys higher education at the Stare level, tuition goes up. Poorer people cannot go to college or they can go and take on crippling debt. So you tell those people that college is no good anyway.

2.) play on the fears of wealthier conservatives who understand the value of higher education as an engine of social reproduction but fear the byproduct of radicalization.

3.) weakening a Democratic Party power base. The University is a source of donations from the very highly paid administrators and tenured faculty. It has a lot of union jobs on campus and they are a Democratic constituency. It’s also a place to organize younger voters. In a few cases it can shift the demographics of a State and potentially flip a State, North Carolina is the main example of this but universities, with students from blue States could play a role in a razor thin contest in Arizona, Georgia, Texas, and Michigan.

4.) it’s part of the broader campaign to discredit expertise. You’re a Republican and say that public assistance dies reduce poverty. An Academic is cited in an editorial saying that public assistance dies reduce poverty. By discrediting academia, you, a Republican, can just dismiss any push back you get.

If Biden could've picked Michelle Obama as his running mate and y'all still would've had something to say about it.

Her husband is white!

 

[wr]

So you want rhetoric?

I thought you wanted policy?

Not the rhetoric part. The "I'm committed to protecting you" part. The specific dollar amount part about commiting billions.
The part about maintining very specific systems of defense.

when it comes to black people Kamala said the same thing Obama said. "I can't do anything specific for black people".

 

[lamekilla]

So you are cool with voting for Biden if he had a different running mate?

I’m voting for Biden regardless. I can’t say everyone in “our” community thinks that way though

 

[RustyShackleford]

Not the rhetoric part. The "I'm committed to protecting you" part. The specific dollar amount part about commiting billions.
The part about maintining very specific systems of defense.

when it comes to black people Kamala said the same thing Obama said. "I can't do anything specific for black people".

Besides the obvious, which is supporting a geopolitics in different that socioeconomic reforms.

The Democratic Party, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris all support policy and sweeping legislative measure that would benefit the black community. The reason they didn't pass was not because they just gave up on them or was running a finesse. Do I think they do enough, hell no, but I am not gonna deny what is in front my face either. And how much better they are than the alternative.

You keep hand waving this

So yes, in practice you are just complaining about rhetoric here.

The dynamics at play with the US relationship with Israel is different than the dynamics at play with the fight for racial inequality. Like you analysis erases the GOP out of the equation too.

 

[1d the nt og]

when it comes to black people Kamala said the same thing Obama said. "I can't do anything specific for black people" .

Actually she unequivocally flat out said she won't do anything to specifically to help black people

 

[wr]

Actually she unequivocally flat out said she won't do anything to specifically to help black people

And that is a public commitment and dogwhistle to her base. And having a problem with that kind of politics is a crime to everybody

 

[RustyShackleford]

Again, you guys are just complaining about rhetoric, but insisting it is about policy stances.



All will completely agree with the argument is she doesn't go far enough in her policy agenda. But I am not gonna act like ole girl does nothing.

 

[Upptempo]

How did Kanye go from "hello hello hello hello white america assassinate my character" to being a Trump lackey

 

[RustyShackleford]

I mean political rhetoric is important, don't get me wrong.

But we are not having an intellectually honest discussion if are gonna indulge in the bait and switch.

 

[RustyShackleford]

BTW, where were all you dudes when I was trying to convince people that Cory Booker's policy agenda would probably do the most for black american than any other candidate.

Mans was proposing **** that would close most of the racial wealth gap, free the mandem, and all types of juiced up social democracy and social justice.

Yet everyone left ole boy out in cold like it was a Detroit winter, world to T-baby

 

[rexanglorum]

I’m sorry but I can’t help but feel a little slighted because a lot of people said that Bernie’s universal programs were no good even if they would disproportionately help black people.

Universal program help the most vulnerable even though a universal programs plus race specific programs (up to and including reparations) are objectively better.

 

[wr]

ADOS was dominating the discussion at that time and wild card Yang was proposing UBI.
Everybody threw on a progressive t-shirt and joined the party.
It wasn't real for all the candidates.
They do lie.
Politics is about winning.