Biden endorses Harris

[reader]

From CNN

President Joe Biden has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to become the next Democratic nominee for president after announcing Sunday he is dropping out of the race.

Should Harris officially become the party’s standard-bearer, she would be the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major political party.

The historic endorsement comes after weeks of disarray within the Democratic Party, following a disastrous debate performance by Biden that called into question his ability to win a second term and govern for another four years. Biden ended his campaign Sunday amid growing calls from members of his party to step aside.

Logistically, Harris is the natural heir to the ticket as Biden’s running mate. She would inherit the Biden campaign’s massive political operation and war chest. Recent polling has also shown her performing better against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, than Biden and other potential Democratic contenders.

[reader]

One guy whose name has been mentioned for VP recently is Peter  Buttigieg. Has name recognition, a serving cabinet member and ex-military. 

[stevenkesslar]

3 minutes ago, reader said:

Logistically, Harris is the natural heir to the ticket as Biden’s running mate. She would inherit the Biden campaign’s massive political operation and war chest. Recent polling has also shown her performing better against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, than Biden and other potential Democratic contenders.

Kick Ass Kamala has themes written for her already:

WE HAVE TO FIGHT

 

[Suckrates]

16 minutes ago, reader said:

One guy whose name has been mentioned for VP recently is Peter  Buttigieg. Has name recognition, a serving cabinet member and ex-military. 

But he's still GAY, and if you are asking Americans to swallow the idea of a Black FEMALE President, adding a Gay VP into the mix could be a bridge to far for them.... Just a bit too progressive.....  The focus needs to be on HER for President and NOT his Gayness......

( why is it that I am always distracted by Swallowing ? 🤔 )

[RockyRoadTravel]

I think the left and right of the Democratic Party will have an easier time uniting around Senator Mark Kelly, than around Governor Shapiro, even though I think Shapiro brings better balance to the ticket. 

[reader]

27 minutes ago, Suckrates said:

But he's still GAY, and if you are asking Americans to swallow the idea of a Black FEMALE President, adding a Gay VP into the mix could be a bridge to far for them.

That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Harris and Buttigieg both poll well with women and young people--two crucial groups the Dems need to come out in force. She needs a white male on the ticket with military background. 

Agree that Mark Kelly would be be a good choice, too, as RockyRoadTravel suggests.

(Regarding the swallowing, breath through your nose and you'll be fine).

[KeepItReal]

38 minutes ago, reader said:

One guy whose name has been mentioned for VP recently is Peter  Buttigieg. Has name recognition, a serving cabinet member and ex-military. 

Good lord! May it be so... I would pay good money to see Mayor Pete take apart JD Vance in a debate!! 

[Suckrates]

3 minutes ago, reader said:

That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Harris and Buttigieg both poll well with women and young people--two crucial groups the Dems need to come out in force. She needs a white male on the ticket with military background. 

Agree that Mark Kelly would be be a good choice, too, as RockyRoadTravel suggests.

(Regarding the swallowing, breath through your nose and you'll be fine).

I LOVE Petey, and would support a ticket with him on it,  but I dont think a majority of Americans would buy it....   There is still way too much homophobia in our society. 

However, the focus MUST be on Kamala...  I am hopeful that anyone she picks as her partner would be acceptable to most,  and I am really not sure how much affect a VP pick has on a candidate.   If that were the case,  the rats would be deserting the Trump ship with his pick radical JD Eyeliner.....

[stevenkesslar]

8 minutes ago, KeepItReal said:

I would pay good money to see Mayor Pete take apart JD Vance in a debate!! 

You know he already did, right?

 

[Moses]

8 minutes ago, reader said:

Harris and Buttigieg both poll well with women and young people--two crucial groups the Dems need to come out in force.

With such a tandem, a significant number of undecided centrists and conservatives will move sharply to the right and the Republicans will receive a significant boost in the elections. Less on presidential ones, but definitely on parliamentary ones.

[Suckrates]

2 minutes ago, Moses said:

With such a tandem, a significant number of undecided centrists and conservatives will move sharply to the right and the Republicans will receive a significant boost in the elections. Less on presidential ones, but definitely on parliamentary ones.

Is there a touch of racism and homophobia in your comment ?   They are both extremely WELL qualified for the jobs,  both are great orators.... But one is black and a woman and the other a gay man..... There are MANY undecideds that ARE both of those things,  so not sure why you think those 2 would push an undecided to the Trump side, the side of a corrupt, unlawful felon.    Do the undecideds value those traits more than the fact that a person is black or gay ?  

[Moses]

7 minutes ago, Suckrates said:

Is there a touch of racism and homophobia in your comment ? 

Nope. Pure marketing. While Kamala will sell ticket to woman, Afro-Americans and Latino, and Pete will sell ticket to gays and youngsters, nobody will sell ticket to straight White Americans, especially to conservative ones. So dems will lose undecided center and that will boost reps.

[Suckrates]

1 minute ago, Moses said:

Nope. Pure marketing. While Kamala will sell ticket to woman, Afro-Americans and Latino, and Pete will sell ticket to gays and youngsters, nobody will sell ticket to White Americans, especially to conservative ones. So dems will lose undecided center and that will boost reps.

In OUR society, many. many White Americans HAVE black and gay family members and friends, so I cant believe your theory has much weight or accuracy......

[reader]

22 minutes ago, Moses said:

With such a tandem, a significant number of undecided centrists and conservatives will move sharply to the right and the Republicans will receive a significant boost in the elections. Less on presidential ones, but definitely on parliamentary ones.

That's the conventional thinking. But you have to be the opposite of your opponent, not a clone. The electorate is hungry for a clear choice. Young people (under 35) have not been excited enough to vote since Obama was running. The Dems need a ticket that excites them and gets them out.

This is not the time to worry about playing to the center. You're going to get them anyway because they know all to well the real Trump. And you're not going to get any Trumpsters to cross over. Like in a military campaign, this is the moment to do the unexpected.

26 minutes ago, Suckrates said:

I LOVE Petey, and would support a ticket with him on it,  but I dont think a majority of Americans would buy it....   There is still way too much homophobia in our society. 

However, the focus MUST be on Kamala...  I am hopeful that anyone she picks as her partner would be acceptable to most,  and I am really not sure how much affect a VP pick has on a candidate.   If that were the case,  the rats would be deserting the Trump ship with his pick radical JD Eyeliner.....

I believe Kamala and Pete would complement each other in a way that Trump and Vance can not. If Trump suspects for a moment that he's being upstaged by Vance, he won't be able to hide it. Could indeed happen. His presidency was full of such examples.

[Mavica]

Pres. Biden squandered 3.5 years by choosing not to mentor and bring along possible successors, in addition to VP Harris.  I don't doubt VP Harris will get the top job nod from Democrats at the convention. 

Mayor Pete?  I like him, what I heard and saw of him when he ran in the prior Democratic Party primaries won by Joe Biden.  However, is he capable / qualified to assume the Presidency if something happened to a President Harris on Day 1?  No, I don't think so.  I don't think the nation is prepared to knowingly elect a homosexual at that level of office, either. 

Pundits are already mentioning former Naval Aviator / Astronaut and current Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and PA Governor Josh Shapiro as front-runners for the VP nomination.  Either of these two would be solid choices and add to the entire ticket. 

I don't think a two-woman ticket would be successful, though there are a couple of well-qualified women who come to mind:  Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.  I'd have included former disabled helicopter pilot / Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth but I think there are questions about her birth in Thailand to an American father and whether or not she meets the qualifications because of that (i.e., foreign born). 

Democrats have a very deep bench of possibilities, had only President Biden not squandered all that time after saying he'd be a transitional President.

[Goober]

Kamala, Pete, or pretty much any of the Democratics mentioned as contenders would probably be qualified to be president. But I don't think now is a good time to be politically correct. The objective should be: Who has the best chance to beat Von ShitzInPantz. I think they should go with a centrist Democrat, middle-aged white guy with mass appeal; someone like Mark Kelly (a real astronaut, not a trump-pretend one).

[Moses]

19 minutes ago, reader said:

You're going to get them anyway because they know all to well the real Trump.

Nope. These, who "know all to well the real Trump" are already on the dems side. Please read again my first statement - I'm talking about undecided conservative and center. All I’m trying to explain is that with Kamala and Pete, the dems risk scooping up fewer votes than will pass them by to the reps.

And, by the way, I wonder why candidates should be from political aristocracy - governors, senators... clans... Why not from professionals like Blinken or Yelen?

[reader]

You mention a lot of fine candidates but I believe that you're not being fair to Buttigieg. The guy's a brilliant scholar, worked for the world's premier consulting group, served as a military officer and a cabinet member. And you still doubt his qualifications?

It seems that many have drunk Trump's kool aid. They have come to accept that he can't be beaten.

It puzzles me that on a site that serves the interest of gay men, we're hardest on one of our own. If women had thought that way, they'd still be without the right to vote.

 

[stevenkesslar]

Watch this guy.

Helps put Arizona in play.

Helps with the White male vote in all the swing states.

Helps tone down immigration.

Wife is a national hero on gun control.

Massive crossover appeal to Never Trump and moderate Republicans.

[RockyRoadTravel]

4 minutes ago, stevenkesslar said:

Watch this guy.

Helps put Arizona in play.

Helps with the White male vote in all the swing states.

Helps tone down immigration.

Wife is a national hero on gun control.

Massive crossover appeal to Never Trump and moderate Republicans.

And an easier candidate for the left and right of the party to unite behind (as I said in another post in another thread) than Shapiro. 

[Suckrates]

4 minutes ago, reader said:

You mention a lot of fine candidates but I believe that you're not being fair to Buttigieg. The guy's a brilliant scholar, worked for the world's premier consulting group, served as a military officer and a cabinet member. And you still doubt his qualifications?

It seems that many have drunk Trump's kool aid. They have come to accept that he can't be beaten.

It puzzles me that on a site that serves the interest of gay men, we're hardest on one of our own. If women had thought that way, they'd still be without the right to vote.

 

I dont think we are being hard, but simply Realistic, as we have experienced the fierce fights for equal rights in our society.  Much of main stream America still doesnt feel we are "equal" or worthy of basic human rights, and there are still very organized fights against our community.    Goal for picking VP should be to remove any perceived obstacle a candidate has for a safer choice.   We dont have the luxury of time for tests or games.....

[TotallyOz]

Moved this to main forum so all can see in current post area.

This is huge. I think she will be excellent and I do think Pete would be a great running mate and unite the party.

[reader]

21 minutes ago, Suckrates said:

Much of main stream America still doesnt feel we are "equal" or worthy of basic human rights, and there are still very organized fights against our community.    Goal for picking VP should be to remove any perceived obstacle a candidate has for a safer choice.   We dont have the luxury of time for tests or games.....

A Pew poll in 2019 found that 60% of American approved of same sex marriage.

This is not about being politically correct. Supporting a fellow gay man for high office is not a a luxury. It's a basic human right. Don't allow what the 40% of Americans who oppose allowing us to marry who we wish dictate what we should think of ourselves. Don't allow them to deny us our dignity. We seem to have forgotten what it was like in the 80's when gays were feared and ridiculed during the AIDS crisis. Resist the temptation to think like J.D. Vance D.J. Trump.

[Mavica]

27 minutes ago, reader said:

You mention a lot of fine candidates but I believe that you're not being fair to Buttigieg. The guy's a brilliant scholar, worked for the world's premier consulting group, served as a military officer and a cabinet member. And you still doubt his qualifications?

It seems that many have drunk Trump's kool aid. They have come to accept that he can't be beaten.

It puzzles me that on a site that serves the interest of gay men, we're hardest on one of our own. If women had thought that way, they'd still be without the right to vote.

 

Yes, I still doubt his qualifications ... to assume the Presidency the first week of his term as a potential VP.  Because I believe he lacks the requisite maturity / experience for the important position. We're supposed to fall in line, lock-step and support Pete because we and he are gay?  It's not an on-the-job training / intern opportunity.  My candidate preferences aren't determined primarily by the sexual preferences of candidates.  I admire Pete and think he will have other opportunities in the years to come.  He doesn't hold a candle to a Mark Kelly, though. 🙂

 

[Mavica]

11 minutes ago, reader said:

This is not about being politically correct. Supporting a fellow gay man for high office is not a a luxury. It's a basic human right. ...  Don't allow them to deny us our dignity. 

🚯Now you're making me laugh. 💋