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My morning paper printed an AP article on Republicans' early attacks on Harris, noting they are all over the map and often contradict each other. Stuff like: She's a Radical Left Police Defunder; but oh noes, she didn't prosecute cops when she was a DA. The attacks on her changing/nuanced positions amount to, "How dare she not adopt a cartoonishly extreme position we can attack her on." GOP strategist Frank Luntz came out and said she wouldn't be an easy target, and attacks could easily backfire.

 

Dean Shomshak

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4 hours ago, ScottishFox said:

I was surprised by this pick given how badly Harris performed after debating Tulsi Gabbard.  Which, full disclosure, would have been my preferred choice for Biden's VP Pick.

 

IIRC, I believe the Gabbard attack was addressed in the article linked by Cygnia here. The upshot: It wasn't so much as win for Gabbard as it was a strategic error in refusing to discuss the topics by Harris, because Gabbard was distorting the facts:

 

 

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The most interesting attack on Harris, I think, came from Trump himself: He accused her of being disrespectful" in her grilling of Bret Kavanaugh... and in her debate attack on Joe Biden. I mean, that isn't even dog-whistle subtext, it's standing on the porch with a bullhorn yelling, "Here, Fido!" How dare the woman of color not show deference to the white man? Even when the man is trying to push Trump from office?

 

Dean Shomshak

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45 minutes ago, Pattern Ghost said:

 

IIRC, I believe the Gabbard attack was addressed in the article linked by Cygnia here. The upshot: It wasn't so much as win for Gabbard as it was a strategic error in refusing to discuss the topics by Harris, because Gabbard was distorting the facts:

 

 

 

I found an article I liked better (seemed more objective by my estimate) though.  Basically the attacks by Biden and Gabbard during that debate were a mixed bag of hits, misses and incorrect details (some substantially so), but there were fair criticisms in the mix.

 

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/democratic-debate-kamala-harris-tulsi-gabbard-joe-biden-fact-check/

 

She's changed her views on several issues and admitted to being wrong (which I actually like in people) a couple of times.

 

 

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6 hours ago, Pariah said:

Given the ages of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, it's not entirely inconceivable to think that either Mike Pence or Kamala Harris will ascend to the Presidency before the 2024 election.


There’s aging and then there’s aging. One old man can ride a bike while wearing a mask. The other can barely walk down a ramp or drink a glass of water, needed a golf cart to attend the G20, and has a history of debilitating bone spurs. 

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On 8/11/2020 at 9:49 PM, archer said:

 

I was highly in favor of Andrew Yang, having worked for a time in his campaign and being very familiar with his stances on the issues.

 

Not that he was ever in contention for consideration.

 

I do hope a Biden Administration can find a role for Yang.  His interviews on ATC and other programs, as well as his debate appearances, impressed me with his intelligence, coherence, public spirit and originality. I mean, I don't know if Universal Basic Income is a good idea or a bad idea, but it's an attempt at a practical solution and escape from ideological/cultural trench warfare.

 

Dean Shomshak

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10 hours ago, DShomshak said:

My morning paper printed an AP article on Republicans' early attacks on Harris, noting they are all over the map and often contradict each other. Stuff like: She's a Radical Left Police Defunder; but oh noes, she didn't prosecute cops when she was a DA. The attacks on her changing/nuanced positions amount to, "How dare she not adopt a cartoonishly extreme position we can attack her on." GOP strategist Frank Luntz came out and said she wouldn't be an easy target, and attacks could easily backfire.

 

Dean Shomshak

She has struck me as a politician whose views are based on the political winds at given point (of course that is most politicians to a point). That could be argued as to why she seems all over the map.

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On 8/11/2020 at 3:06 PM, ScottishFox said:

OK, I've rambled on for too long.

 

I'm sorry I didn't directly respond before, I've just been in too dark a place to give it any justice.  At the least, I appreciate you addressing the spirit of the content I was trying to portray.

 

The ghosting and comments is awful.  I agree the sentiment is terrible.  Stuff that's going on here where I live, people mass buying plates, guns, ammo, and the US's track record of a multitude of white supremacy organizations, makes me extremely nervous from something completely different. 

 

I don't disagree that there's a real danger of going too far from the left, but I do genuinely fear those right-wing organizations acting out in particular - much in the way that German group was caught, or the way the Proud Boys were caught.  They have training, intent, equipment, and now both a President and mass sentiment supporting them.  'I' have angry people on twitter, and I guess these protests... I guess I have a hard time equalizing the general danger.  I don't disagree, as far as human behavior goes, it sucks though.  And no matter what happens, its likely to get worse.

 

But the general civil unrest from coronavirus is a whole other kettle of fish on top of that...

 

As are the overall societal direction comments you've described.  It sucks.  It's been discussed among people I know that this new form of politics, firehosing as much negative commentary about everything to see what sticks, is probably so volatile it's going to completely ruin politics in this country.  

 

16 hours ago, death tribble said:

I have just seen one of the most egregious examples of politics in America. Legislation on shower heads is going to be changed just to benefit the President because his hair do counts.

 

More to the point on this, it's going to increase water usage pointlessly.  More water wasted, one of our most precious resources, for no purpose.  I'd wonder if water privatization is going to be up after schools... but who knows 😕

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Postal Service is also removing boxes and offices in Montana: ATC interviewed Montana Senator Jon Tester (D) about it, and he's not happy. The reason given is that these branches handle so little mail they aren't profitable. Sen. Tester points out that that they are also necessary for the lives of many Montanans, and that the Postal Service is not a for-profit company.

 

Even more sinister, the Postal Service has removed hundreds of sorting machines around the country, which will slow mail delivery, thus ensuring that mail-in ballots arrive too late.

 

Dean Shomshak

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1 hour ago, DShomshak said:

Postal Service is also removing boxes and offices in Montana: ATC interviewed Montana Senator Jon Tester (D) about it, and he's not happy. The reason given is that these branches handle so little mail they aren't profitable. Sen. Tester points out that that they are also necessary for the lives of many Montanans, and that the Postal Service is not a for-profit company.

 

Even more sinister, the Postal Service has removed hundreds of sorting machines around the country, which will slow mail delivery, thus ensuring that mail-in ballots arrive too late.

 

Dean Shomshak

and the call not to use the USPS?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-ups-fedex-exclusive/exclusive-ups-fedex-warn-they-cannot-carry-ballots-like-u-s-postal-service-idUSKCN25B00I

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