The Politics Thread

[marceline]

 

I'm a black woman but I'm only speaking for myself on this one.

1. I think the world of Harris but I just don't feel like this is her moment for all kinds of reasons. 
2. Personally, it bothers me that she ran for POTUS two years into her term as senator. People getting elected then immediately running for the next It's a pet peeve of mine. But I also know that's not an issue for the average voter. 
3. I just feel like there's something off about her campaign. Not her as a candidate but the campaign. I wish I could explain it but I can't  Except to say that...the KHIVE does her more harm than good. The "time for an upgrade" tweet is a good example.

[DramatistDreamer]

Obama ran after two and a half years into being a U.S. Senator, which probably did annoy some people (especially many HRC supporters) but I think Harry Reid did have a point when he pointed out that longer you stay in government, the harder it becomes to run for president because your record will likely be held against you. 

 

I do agree that the KHIVE folks can be like the Beyhive in swarming folks.  OTOH, I can't help but feel that it's somewhat due to their agitating the issue of her erasure from this race, that she's getting a bit more press these days.  

But I've been saying this time and again and I really do believe this, it's so early. Yesterday, I realized that the Iowa caucases don't even begin until February.  IMO, It's insane that people are talking as if these things are starting tomorrow. People are talking as if it's too late for some to course correct, while others (*coughs* Bloomberg) feel as if they have plenty of time to get in the race.

 

After 2016 when many thought they had the presidential race all figured out, I am definitely not going to make any judgements. It's way too early.

 

[JaneAusten]

What was done to he and Dilma was criminal and corrupt.  Lula would easily get elected. He was quite popular.  This is really fantastic news. I have been following what's been going on in Brazil, particularly his case, and he initially refused release to house arrest. The prosecutors were trying to save face after they "illegally" persecuted him.

[DRW50]

 

I know Politico is Politico, but they broke down some of the second and third-guessing from people tied to her campaign and how that set her off balance. It reminds me a bit of Hillary's campaign issues, especially in her first run.

 

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/11/05/how-kamala-harris-went-from-female-obama-to-fifth-place-229901

[DramatistDreamer]

 

My Portuguese is not great but it seems as though in his speech of stated "thank yous" Lula didn't mention Rousseff, odd since she was his protege and handpicked successor. I wonder what that's about. Since her impeachment, it seems as if she may have been all but exiled from Brazilian politics, which is a cesspool but Argentina is not that much better.

FWIW, in her statement, she proclaimed that she always believed in Lula's innocence. 

 

EDT: So, according to Brazilian law, Lula is not allowed to run for president for eight years after he was sentenced but he's not barred from political activity so, just as he mentored Dilma, I expect he'll be playing political king/queenmaker in Brazilian politics.  He's still by far, more popular than Bolsonaro will ever be.

Edited November 9, 2019 by DramatistDreamer

[Chris B]

 

I agree with this. The KHIVE can be annoying at times, but they've done a lot of good for getting her back in the game IMO. Hell, they did a fundraiser on Twitter last weekend and raised around $15,000 just tweeting. They also do a good job of correcting the record and amplifying her when she has a town hall or TV appearance. With the disinformation campaign against her After School Care plan, they got lots of journalists to correct the record and they've been pushing for Kamala to do more black media and her campaign acknowledged what they were saying and have beefed that up.

 

When pre-debate coverage is super negative always asking if she can make a comeback and then she has a good performance and gets zero coverage, you must understand her followers being upset. This is why I truly don't believe the polls. She's been making a comeback lately and I feel even if she doesn't win, her placing will be better than the polls suggest.

[DramatistDreamer]

Bloomberg plans to skip Iowa and New Hampshire, yet I have yet to hear anyone claim that his campaign is in trouble.

[I Am A Swede]

On a different political note....

Today it's exactly 30 years since the fall of the Berlin wall. One of the most momentous occasions in world politics in the last 50 years I would dare to say.

What was most astonishing was how quickly the wall fell, and I don't mean literally. The whole communist system that had held eastern Europe in an iron grip since the 1940s, came tumbling down like a house of cards.

[DRW50]

 

And the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht. Reading some of the tweets from Jewish people today talking about how afraid they are was heartbreaking. 

[Roman]

for me it seems way too rehearsed. not off the cuff boiler plate enough. everything seems to go through some type of deep analysis before she either says something, appears somewhere or runs an ad....but that's just me.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Every few years, it seems that talk turns to how divided people still are, not really in terms of politics but in mindset between people who lived in the East and people who lived in the West.  I remember a few years ago, there were stories of some Germans who were born, raised and still live in the East saying that they felt as if the resources had not been equally apportioned to bring up the standards in the East, while some in the West complained that they felt that an unequal amount of their tax dollars were being spent to bring up living standards in the East. 

I wonder if people feel that things have since been balanced, in terms of where the money toward resources go.

[Khan]

How did her supporters settle on being called "KHIVE" anyway?  Because, it sounds dumb!

[marceline]

 

I've seen other people say that. Personally, I like candidates to be "over prepared" but I also know that a lot of voters are all about "authenticity". Whatever that means in this post truth hellscape.

 

 

It's a play on Beyonce's Beyhive.

[Khan]

 

My Lord.

[JaneAusten]

Lol yes we all know they said that about Hillary. I think after reading that Politico article, it explained a lot.  If anything she has seemed more uncertain than anything. And I do think she took a big hit after the first debate. What seemed like a bold move initially, was painted as her being opportunistic. And then Biden's wife went on TV in that interview and lied about Harris. That I cannot justify.

 

I think the past couple of weeks, that recent speech she did in Iowa, her being the ONLY one who called out what happened at Benedict College(with zero comments from her running mates), is the Kamala I imagined. Someone confident and a fighter. I am still hoping things can turn around and that she has learned well from the earlier missteps in her campaign. 

 

 

I am imagining what everyone in the media would said if Hillary decided at this point to enter the race. I am really confident(only not) she would have gotten the same glowing treatment Bloomberg is.