Dismaying to see the Al Smith dinner, which was one of those low moments in 2016 where you were reminded the "normal" or "civil" Presidential campaigns the media so craves was gone for good, back in the news now. Dismaying because the pattern continues of Harris being attacked if she doesn't do rallies and focuses on media yet is attacked when she does rallies instead of a media opportunity. Seeing so many go on about the anti-Catholic and disastrous decision Harris made not attending this trap and how she is the new Walter Mondale (the last to skip this event) just reminds how she can't win in the eyes of many journalists. Trump was also his repulsive self, utterly cheap and coarse. Seeing Chuck Schumer squirm and try to force a grin as Trump tore him apart and as the audience laughed and applauded every hateful word he said just makes me all the more wary of how many major Democrats may be about him winning and they just don't want to say it. 

I also have no use for Jim Gaffigan shilling for that event, on top of his hackiness on SNL.

Here is a good article about Bill Clinton going out to campaign again. I know the party has had issues with his era actions, but he's a first-rate surrogate. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/17/after-low-profile-bill-clinton-steps-back-stage-surrogate-harris/

 

Oh lord. Nobody in the electorate gives a shít about the Al Smith dinner.

Who on Earth is claiming Harris is 'the new Walter Mondale?" Give me a break.

This is paywalled, so I'll just note the key new factoid is that some source has told them Trump keeps backing out because of 'exhaustion.' Trump PR then of course pushed back on this. Trump also backed out of the Shade Room.

Harris is apparently going on the trail with both Obamas next week.

 

Edited October 18, 20241 yr by Vee

 

And the hits just keep on coming.

 

 

Edited October 18, 20241 yr by janea4old

20 minutes ago, janea4old said:

🤯

If anyone wants to pass along the above tweet of the side-by-side comparison
of the same audience member asking questions
at the Trump and Harris Univision town halls ....
If you don't use twitter, here's the same on a twitter alternative:
( "xcancel.com" instead of "x.com").
Click, (it might pause to verify you're not a bot), and then it will work:
https://xcancel.com/MsMalarkey24/status/1846945642377056462
 

Or, much more simply, the two clips via youtube, which you can easily share with anyone:
The gentleman audience member asking at the Trump Univision town hall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJWjj0ML7Y

And the same audience member at the Harris Univision town hall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS5SfqI1eVc

Edited October 18, 20241 yr by janea4old

Full video of October 10 Kamala Harris Univision town hall
 

 

 

 

Aaron Rupar tweeted some highlights of Kamala Harris' Oct. 10 Univision town hall.
This is a copy of his twitter thread, you don't need twitter to see the clips:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1844559423114707461.html 

I really appreciate her answers about healthcare, Long Covid, etc.

Edited October 18, 20241 yr by janea4old

Link to Emptywheel's blogpost -- full analytical essay -- on this:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/10/18/could-this-weeks-developments-change-the-race/

Edited October 18, 20241 yr by janea4old

I just love comedic timing 😌 

7 hours ago, Vee said:

Oh lord. Nobody in the electorate gives a shít about the Al Smith dinner.

Who on Earth is claiming Harris is 'the new Walter Mondale?" Give me a break.

They were saying it at the dinner. It's being used to go at her for being anti-Catholic, with even the supposedly liberal host Gaffigan going in on her about not being there. And led to the inevitable "she lost the day" articles. I don't think it's going to be a deal-breaker, but it annoys me because of all the double standards where she does what people wanted her to do (more rallies) and still the spin is of how she failed because she didn't go along with "civility" at a dinner run by predator enablers. And the optics of various Democrats applauding or laughing with Trump put me off as well, because how can you call someone a threat to democracy when you're doing all that? It just causes even more of the people who are easily sucked into saying both sides are the same to nod along.

The early voting numbers haven't been very good so far in a number of states (whether this is just because 2020 was an anomaly due to many Republicans refusing to early vote or a sign that he's overperforming polls again, I don't know), so maybe some like Schumer have gotten the same vibes and decided to let him have his moment, but the whole thing was a grotesquerie to me, as much or more than in 2016, a reminder of how many in power and the media still want to live in 2000. And the type of thing that seems to go around more easily than the clips of his decay or his no-shows because of the easy pickings of, "He was there doing a standup routine (bigoted screed) and she wasn't."