news 2024 US Election Megathread 🇺🇸🏛️

[Communion]

@Thuggin Not to do too much on you, sis, btw ddd. I just saw similar talking points by centrists on Twitter like "spoiler: the activist class being so upset about no primary is cause they didn't get the chance for this kind of questioning!!!". Ignoring that.... Kamala coming in...10th? 11th? 12th? in 2020 had little to do with her social policy and is largely ascribed to her insane answers on economic policy, whether flip-flopping on Medicare For All or saying "I'm not going to do something that only helps black people" on reparations.

 

If people want to look at the 2020 primary, they should actually see that the hoard of faceless white men centrists all going out first is what will happen if trying to run their gambit on someone who is both conservative on the economy and on social policies.

 

American politics doesn't have "economic populists, social reactionaries" as a meaningful political movement like they have in Europe. Even Tulsi had to claim she was pro-LGBT.

 

Even those who fashioned themselves as social progressives and had a bit more credibility couldn't circle the square on issues like criminal justice, both black lady cop Harris and white lady cop Klobuchar never having anything above single-digit support from either black Democratic voters or young Democratic voters.

 

The mythical "actually for-profit healthcare ROCKS and trans people SUCK" candidate centrist Dems want to think exists isn't making it out of the below.

 

01. Joe Biden - Social progressive, economic centrist <- *later adopts myriad of progressive economic policies from his 2nd place opponent to win general*

02. Bernie Sanders - Social progressive, economic progressive

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03. Elizabeth Warren, Social progressive, economic progressive

04. Mike Bloomberg - Billionaire who spent hundreds of millions of his own money flooding TV ads

05. Pete Buttigieg - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

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06. Amy Klobuchar - Social progressive, economic centrist

07. Tulsi Gabbard - "Pragmatic" social progressive, "outsider" economic populist

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08. Tom Steyer - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

09. Andrew Yang - "Pragmatic" social progressive, "outsider" economic populist

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10. Michael Bennett - Social progressive, economic centrist

11. Deval Patrick -  Social progressive, economic centrist

12. Julian Castro - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

13. Cory Booker - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

14. Marianne Williamson - Social progressive, "outsider" economic populist

15. John Delaney - Social centrist, economic centrist

16. Joe Sestak - Social progressive, economic centrist

17. Kamala Harris - ??????????????????????????????????????????????

18. Steve Bullock - Social centrist, economic centrist

19. Beto O'Rourke - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

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20. Jay Inslee - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

20. John Hickenlooper - Social centrist, economic centrist

20. Tim Ryan - Social centrist, economic centrist

20. Bill De Blasio - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

20. Kirsten Gillibrand - Social progressive, "pragmatic" economic progressive

20. Seth Moulton - Social centrist, economic centrist

20. Mike Gravel - Social progressive, "outsider" economic populist

20. Eric Swawell - Social centrist, economic centrist

20. Richard Ojeda - "Pragmatic" social progressive, "outsider" economic populist

[Thuggin]

56 minutes ago, Communion said:

It wasn't. Harris was fielded that question specifically because one of her many cases where she defended right wing actions by the state of California was in defending the state's initial decision to deny trans inmates from care as prescribed by their doctor. Another issue touched on was her defending the right for the state to deny qualifying inmates early release if the state has a high number of job openings for certain workplace programs prisons fill with prisoners like with the fire department. 

 

Part of that is why the "the issue isn't centrism, the issue is that Harris wasn't a believable centrist" claim fails because Harris failed at the democratic primary because she wasn't a believable progressive unable to explain her political vision and her conservative past. 

 

The idea that only a centrist can win the general election - despite numerous economic right wingers now losing it for Dems - can't be reconciled with the reality that only a social progressive can win the Democratic primary. Hillary literally tried framing Bernie as a white racist based on issues of gender and sexuality and race in 2016 to cover up for her economic shortfalls. Both Biden and Bernie ran as social progressives in 2020 as the Top 2. One propped up by his political career and the other popular due to his economic populism. Seth Moulton ran in the 2020 primary and came in like 18th place. You're not going to come out of a Democratic Primary pushing reactionary social positions so this idea by centrists that such is the answer over massive economic policies is all a distraction and waste of time. 

 

Most progressives thus also had no hunger or capacity to in 2024 to address the attack from Trump on Kamala cause it largely wasn't accurate to whom Harris was and just an innate weak spot she and Dems allowed themselves to have that couldn't be undone by that point in time. 

 

Of course the issue isn't just needing economic policy but you need to be so consistent on economic policy that you disable your opponent from weakening your standing with voters on whatever reactionary issue they can try to conjure. Free healthcare doesn't solve the ability for social ills to pop up but it inherently weakens the ability of propagandists to radicalize people into believing them. 

 

Liberals fail because they just view things as so innate and essential. The voters come to ideas naturally and Dems are powerless. Voters are inherently dumb and thus can't be reached. Dems can only react to political winds like people react to the weather. 

Oh I agree, and I do think actually the thing that hurt Harris most is still no one knew what she stood for or what she believed in. She went from being a tough on crime prosecutor to riding the progressive appetite in the base that led her to support Medicare For All to then waffling on it to the point she no longer had a lane in the 2020 primaries and then to today where she basically just doesn't even want to talk about any of her past positions anymore and is only willing to commit to centrism. But in doing so, she would tie herself in pretzels trying to give answers on anything. It comes across as disingenuous, and I think that's the one thing voters hate in politicians more than anything. Women especially can't afford to be perceived as insincere, which is an unfair double standard but it's what we have to be realistic about.

[Ashley Banks]

It annoys me so much how all the talk about "government waste" is focused on scientific studies, particularly animal studies (that are often misrepresented). It's so ignorant  

 

A lot of human medical research starts out as animal research. Plus, the value of research is not always immediately obvious. Studies that sound silly can be incredibly useful. Knowing more information on biology or ecology can help shape future innovations. I hate how blatantly anti-science this country is 

[woohoo]

28 minutes ago, FameFatale said:

Apparently according to MAGA world whoever he picks as FBI director is supposed to make heads explode  

At this point I expect MTG or Laura Loomer or hell maybe the libs of TikTok woman. These picks are all funny because their not the brightest bunch but my God, the government will be running on fumes come 2026

[Thuggin]

5 minutes ago, Ashley Banks said:

It annoys me so much how all the talk about "government waste" is focused on scientific studies, particularly animal studies (that are often misrepresented). It's so ignorant  

 

A lot of human medical research starts out as animal research. Plus, the value of research is not always immediately obvious. Studies that sound silly can be incredibly useful. Knowing more information on biology or ecology can help shape future innovations. I hate how blatantly anti-science this country is 

Plus these are the same people who don't want us humans to be used as "lab rats" on vaccines or any other experiments  Some of these studies ultimately only cost each taxpayer tiny fractions of a cent each. But then they'll also cry about it when China is kicking our ass in scientific discovery and innovation  as well as education which they want to defund 

[Cesar]

 

Small victories

 

[RihRihGirrrl]

4 minutes ago, Cesar said:

 

Small victories

 

Shouldn't even be a consideration....they're such freakin lackies 

[FameFatale]

6 minutes ago, RihRihGirrrl said:

Shouldn't even be a consideration....they're such freakin lackies 

MAGA media is already going after Senators in safe deep red who vote no for anything and not go on Trump's plan. Charlie is already calling out the states and their names and urging his new found minions to get on the phones right now to harass them to confirm and/or approve recess appointments or else. 

[anti-bitch]

@Communion They finally got Bernie on podcast at NYT. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/podcasts/the-daily/bernie-sanders-democratic-party.html

[Vermillion]

1 hour ago, FameFatale said:

Apparently according to MAGA world whoever he picks as FBI director is supposed to make heads explode  

53 minutes ago, woohoo said:

At this point I expect MTG or Laura Loomer or hell maybe the libs of TikTok woman. These picks are all funny because their not the brightest bunch but my God, the government will be running on fumes come 2026

 

 

[FameFatale]

1 minute ago, Vermillion said:

 

 

Oh god

[Vermillion]

 

[Vermillion]

 

[Bethenny Frankel]

this country is beyond ****** for generations yayyyy

[Thuggin]

 

Even The View spreading this nonsense about "American food makes people sicker and die earlier because of additives unlike Europe"

[Thuggin]

7 minutes ago, Vermillion said:

 

I had heard about this but watching the video WTF it's even worse than I expected 

 

The fact that this is what they're willing to say in front of a Senate committee. Did Republicans even disavow it?

[Ashley Banks]

1 hour ago, Thuggin said:

Plus these are the same people who don't want us humans to be used as "lab rats" on vaccines or any other experiments  Some of these studies ultimately only cost each taxpayer tiny fractions of a cent each. But then they'll also cry about it when China is kicking our ass in scientific discovery and innovation  as well as education which they want to defund 

RFK Jr. is literally going around claiming that there isn't enough testing on vaccines, while the GOP wants to defund scientific research  Beyond parody.

 

They will say that industry funded research is untrustworthy because it's influenced by Big Pharma, which isn't a bad point, but that's exactly why public funding is so important in the first place 

[GhostBox]

I agree with RFK on the food stuff. There are too many additives in our foods that aren't good for us compared to other countries. 
 

but besides that every other view he holds is disgusting. He should be no where near leading anything. 

[Mother Earth]

2 minutes ago, Ashley Banks said:

while the GOP wants to defund scientific research

One of the professors in my department said that his training grant has already lost 2 slots (which was up for renewal this year) because of Rep. Johnson. 

[Bears01]

 

[FameFatale]

5 minutes ago, GhostBox said:

I agree with RFK on the food stuff. There are too many additives in our foods that aren't good for us compared to other countries. 
 

but besides that every other view he holds is disgusting. He should be no where near leading anything. 

I do think there needs to be some regulations on foods like with the dyes and the steroids they pump into chickens. 

[Redstreak]

Lbr, at the end of the day with a Republican administration I don't see RFK being able to pass anything regulating the bottom lines of these companies. Which the cheapness in production is half the reason for said additives

[ImpressMeMuch]

34 minutes ago, Thuggin said:

I had heard about this but watching the video WTF it's even worse than I expected 

 

The fact that this is what they're willing to say in front of a Senate committee. Did Republicans even disavow it?

this is the america that people overwhelmingly either voted for, or were happy to let win to.. idk, prove a point or whatever

[Dera]

2 hours ago, Eóghan said:

it's not just cubans, it's all Hispanics in general. also it doesn't help that the n word isn't a slur in spanish, it just means "black".

I agree latin america (like all of the world) has an anti-black racism problem

 

but I don't think that user was talking about people calling people black in spanish... like floridian cubans can be very explicitly racist. 

[Cesar]

28 minutes ago, Bears01 said:

 

"She needs to take a seat," said one senior Democratic lawmaker.

 

 

Drag ha