Biden/Harris

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, August 12th, 2020 - 53 comments
Categories: Donald Trump, election 2020, International, Joe Biden, Politics, us politics - Tags: , ,

Joe Biden has picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.

Former San Francisco mayor urges Kamala Harris to 'politely ...

Significantly, she is both the first black or Asian woman to be offered the position.

Harris was an early runner to be the Democratic Party’s Presidential candidate, but dropped out.

The California senator of Indian-Jamaican heritage was always a strong contender for the VP position and covers a lot of bases for the Biden bid, freeing him up to campaign in the important swing states.

Harris, a former California attorney-general, has been urging significant police reform in support of the recent BLM protests. As A-G, Harris ordered body cameras be worn by some agents at the California Department of Justice, the first state agency to adopt them, and launched a database that provided public access to crime statistics.

All in all, a good pick for Biden.

If it’s true that he only intends to be President for a single term, then Kamala Harris may well be making even more history in four years as the Dem’s 2024 Presidential candidate.

 

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53 comments on “Biden/Harris ”

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  1. Andre 1
    12 August 2020 at 9:05 am

    Well, now, that's a political surprise nobody saw coming.

  2. Andre 2
    12 August 2020 at 9:11 am

    President PepperBalls weighs in.

  3. Ad 3
    12 August 2020 at 9:12 am

    Great choice

  4. swordfish 4
    12 August 2020 at 9:15 am

    Given Biden's severe cognitive decline … she'll be Pres before you know it.

    [If you want to claim that there is severe cognitive decline, you’ll need to prove it. A report from Biden’s doctor confirming the decline will probably suffice. Otherwise it’s just sneering ageism. Cheers, TRP.]

  5. Adrian Thornton 5
    12 August 2020 at 9:22 am

    They are perfect for each other…two centre right neo liberal scum bags who absolutely won't change anything that is so wrong in US politics…because they embody that very stench and rot themselves.

  6. Pierre 6
    12 August 2020 at 9:22 am

    This is only going to drive up the Riva/Peltier ticket. Kamala Harris is a cop.

    • Andre 6.1
      12 August 2020 at 12:20 pm

      Oh wow. I thought I was paying way too much attention to the US election including all the fringe kooks and cranks that aren't even visible on any kind of chart, but you've thrown up a ticket even I had to google.

    • Andre 6.2
      12 August 2020 at 1:10 pm

      BTW, it appears Peltier has withdrawn for health reasons and been replaced by Sunil Freeman. Reckon they'll beat their previous all-time best of 0.05% of the vote in 2016?

      • Pierre 6.2.1
        12 August 2020 at 7:51 pm

        Ah that's a shame, I hope Leonard is alright.

        I don't expect the PSL candidates to win the election, or even do particularly well, but the issue is that… some parts of the USA were very recently in a condition of insurrection due to police brutality. And Biden choose as his running mate someone who for much of her professional career supported and encouraged police brutality. Even if he wins the presidency by default as the alternative to Trump, there will be riots in the streets again, just as there were in Ferguson under Obama's presidency.

        This means that, in the absence of a Democrat candidate genuinely committed to peace & socialism (our man Bernie), third parties become increasingly viable options.

  7. Peter 7
    12 August 2020 at 10:21 am

    I can't imagine where the stench comes from and where the rot lies. The incumbent was set on 'draining the swamp' so I presume the scene now is sweetness, light and purity. Surely Trump's supporters won't have a barr of anything less than. that being said.

  8. G unit 8
    12 August 2020 at 10:33 am

    There's no way Biden is fit for office, he belongs in a dementia ward.

    Harris was probably always the real candidate kept in the wings..

    Here's video outlining Biden and his 'cognitive decline', imagine if this was a member of your family. Would you think he's fit to lead a country?



    and



    • Adrian Thornton 8.1
      12 August 2020 at 10:46 am

      Yeah, apparently this is a tattoo subject in MSM…talk about fake news (well not disseminating news is one in the same thing of course), but then again for most of our regular MSM news source's this is part of their stock and trade it would seem.

    • te reo putake 8.2
      12 August 2020 at 10:46 am

      Thanks for the clips, G Unit. It's good to see that the right is so fearful of Biden.

      As a general warning to anyone using the unproven 'dementia' line, I'll be actively removing ageist or ableist comments. Cheers, TRP.

  9. The Al1en 9
    12 August 2020 at 12:02 pm

    Would have picked Susan Rice, but still, a ticket 100 times better than Trump/Pence.

    • Lettuce 9.1
      12 August 2020 at 1:58 pm

      Susan Rice will almost certainly be Biden's first Secretary of State (assuming he wins in November).

      • Andre 9.1.1
        12 August 2020 at 2:18 pm

        I've seen a lot of speculation that Biden may try to place some moderate old-skool Republicans in his administration (if it happens). To try to bring a bit of the old idea that bi-partisanship can actually happen in politics. Mitt Romney has been mentioned for Sec State in that context, but if Biden goes that route, Jon Huntsman Jr strikes me as a better choice than Romney.

      • Adrian Thornton 9.1.2
        12 August 2020 at 3:56 pm

        Susan Rice..fuck it goes from bad to worse

        If even that old guard dog of the liberal status quo The Guardian think she is awful then you know she must be pretty bad..,..

        Susan Rice: the liberal case against her being secretary of state

        The left has little reason to mourn the diplomat's withdrawal, given her support for war in Iraq, her backing for Israel and more

        https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/13/liberal-case-against-susan-rice

  10. Tiger Mountain 10
    12 August 2020 at 1:27 pm

    Joe Biden’s campaign was going nowhere, Bernie wiped the floor with him in Nevada which the press barely reported.

    Biden has a demonstrably poor voting record on all sorts of issues important in 2020. But what he has for older black voters; is 8 years as “Obama’s white wing man”. That is beyond doubt, as wacko as it may look from a distance. The older guys like Lewis, and Clyburn put the very hard civil rights work in during the 60s and 70s, but later were captured by the system. Clyburn of South Carolina is one of the biggest individual recipients of Pharmaceutical industry donations in politics, but the loyalty from decades earlier could not be overcome by the likes of younger black activists in the Bernie Campaign.

    What finally tipped it was the other Democratic candidates got the word from head office, and stayed on the ballot just long enough to draw off votes before dropping their bundles.

    There are many details that comprise how the contest ended up with Biden as the Democratic nominee, but don’t pretend for one minute all you gutless centrists that he is there on genuine merit or useful ideas. If he wins, his will be a presidency by committee, similar to Ronald Reagan’s timeā€“what was Reaganā€™s health issue againā€¦. Kamala Harris has skeletons too regarding Police racism to African Americans and is not universally popular by any means with black voters. The DNC is a corporate bunch of crooks and it is up to the American people to hopefully dispatch them next time around.

    • te reo putake 10.1
      12 August 2020 at 2:52 pm

      For me, TM, Biden gives off a John Key vibe. Steady as she goes, million dollar smile, minimal intervention. That sort of thing.

      Harris will be useful as a go to whenever tricky stuff comes up, and I can see Biden deferring to her on legal matters, particularly as it relates to minorities.

      Assuming she does a good job of being VP, I fully expect her to be President in 4 years.

  11. Siobhan 11
    12 August 2020 at 2:40 pm

    Poor old New York Times…its not easy eating that progressive Liberal shit pie ..

    "Kamala Harris Was Not a ‘Progressive Prosecutor’

    The senator was often on the wrong side of history when she served as California’s attorney general."…Jan 2019

    vs now…

    "In Kamala Harris, a Choice at Once Safe and Energizing"….August 2020

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/opinion/kamala-harris-criminal-justice.html

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/politics/kamala-harris-joe-biden-running-mate.html

    That being said..probably the first time I’ve ever seen someone being described as ‘safe and energizing’..I’m not even sure how that works as a concept..

    • Pierre 11.1
      12 August 2020 at 7:55 pm

      Safe for the ruling class / energising for battle-weary activists who need some TED talk motivation to spend their evenings staffing the phone banks šŸ˜‰

  12. Ad 12
    12 August 2020 at 2:44 pm

    I'm going to have to do another post extolling the future policy goals of a President Biden.

    Just to warm us all up for the bubbling bright spring of joy that his inauguration will bring.

    • te reo putake 12.1
      12 August 2020 at 2:55 pm

      Really, there's only one Biden policy that matters and that's getting rid of Trump and as many of his spineless cronies in the House and Senate as possible. I don't have high hopes for the Biden years, however he could do absolutely nothing and still be a force for good compared to 45.

      • Ad 12.1.1
        12 August 2020 at 2:59 pm

        It's OK to expect more than that, and to forecast what fields are more likely for action, and which ones will likely be to hard.

        I get that there are really low expectations of Biden. There's no downside to low expectations. But no one thought much of Reagan either. As far as Republican historians measure, that old guy was a liberal landmark. It can be done.

    • mauÄ« 12.2
      12 August 2020 at 3:00 pm

      Why bother? He has to find his way out of his basement first, and even a fake politician like Key is more comprehensive on policy.

  13. Stuart Munro 13
    12 August 2020 at 3:26 pm

    Well he's not inspiring – but on swearing and threats of violence I thing the faux-tan torpedo is way ahead of him. Sometimes it's enough to judge someone by their enemies – if the Murdoch media don't like him, he can't be all bad.

  14. AB 14
    12 August 2020 at 5:26 pm

    With Kamala at his side Joe will be catapulted into greatness by the force of events – death and disease, millions of newly unemployed, countless evictions as people can't pay the rent, bankruptcy from unpayable Covid treatment bills. He will defy his donors and wield the sword of righteousness. So exciting – can't wait.

  15. Macro 15
    12 August 2020 at 9:01 pm

    Here is Sarah Cooper and Kamala Harris together. Two amazing women who care.

    As one comment on the video says:

    This is one of the realest conversations I've seen in a while. So great to see these two super smart, funny, caring, and fearless women enjoying each other. Sarah is a really good interviewer too.

  16. Macro 16
    12 August 2020 at 9:23 pm

    Am appalled by the lack of comprehension of the current status of the Democratic campaign by many commentators here but not surprised. Biden has embraced a good lot of proposals offered by the progressive wing of the Democrats and has AOC on his team.

    Just one example:

    Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden details his proposal to immediately provide student loan debt relief as part of his larger plan for economic stimulus tied to the Covid-19 crisis.

    He puts the case clearly and well – as can be seen in this short clip any suggestion of declining cognitive capability is just poppycock. I'm only putting a short clip here, but there are many extended interviews available, and the lie of stumbling can be seen for what it is. Biden has always had to deal with a stammer. "The Kings Speech" can show just what sort of a burden that can give to people in public life.

    • Andre 16.1
      13 August 2020 at 5:30 am

      Some of them are so consumed by anti-americanism that they're suckers for any and all misinformation put out by those hostile towards the US. Even when it's recycled RWNJ outright lies.

      Some of them are just clippity-clopping around on their purity ponies with zero awareness of what is practically possible in the political reality of the US. And would apparently prefer to watch things turn to shit at high speed from their purity perch, rather than support the only actually achievable option that moves things a little bit in the direction they profess to want, however imperfectly and slowly. They have yet to develop the maturity to realise that if nothing is ever going to be good enough for them, nobody has any incentive to try for their support, so no reason to pay them any attention at all.

      Some are just middle-finger voters that actively enjoy watching Individual-1 actively turn everything to shit.

      Some are closeted about what actually gets their juices going and have some admiration for the King of Thighland turning around progress towards sexual, racial, and other forms of social equity and equality. Which expresses itself in a willingness to buy into recycled RWNJ lies and bullshit.

      • AB 16.1.1
        13 August 2020 at 12:15 pm

        "Some of them are so consumed by anti-americanism"

        The fact that the notion of "anti-americanism" actually exists, is sort of interesting. I've never heard of "anti-ugandanism"or "anti-norwegianism". Sure it's a big, important country, so gets more attention. But I suspect that the very existence of the concept is actually evidence of American exceptionalism and sense of immunity from criticism, rather than a description of an actual thing.

        "Some of them are just clippity-clopping around on their purity ponies with zero awareness of what is practically possible in the political reality of the US."

        To assume one knows what is possible (and other people don't) is a big claim. In my experience everyone can be wrong – and in both directions. Sometimes more is possible than you imagine and sometimes less. It is wise to be modest about such things – because it's possible to turn a dogmatic 'realism'into a form of purity.

        "Some are just middle-finger voters that actively enjoy watching Individual-1 actively turn everything to shit."

        This is a real moral failing that we must all counter in ourselves. If you are remote from material conditions on the ground it is too easy to hope things get worse as a pathway to getting better. I don't think it is exclusively a problem with the people you are criticising.

        Personally – I think replacing Trump with a lump of concrete would be a significant improvement in harm reduction – and one we should take gleefully if it's all that's on offer.

  17. millsy 17
    13 August 2020 at 12:37 am

    As I said before, Americans have a moral obligation to vote for Biden (and Harris) this November.

    Given a choice between Clinton-ism/Obama-ism, and bascially Old Testament theocracy, know what I would would choose.

  18. adam 18
    13 August 2020 at 1:30 am

    Perfect [Deleted. Take more care with your words in future. TRP]

    https://www.businessinsider.com.au/tulsi-gabbard-slams-kamala-harris-criminal-justice-democratic-debate-2019-7?r=US&IR=T

    If you are a socialist of any stripe, you must have learnt by now the democrats as a party are only interested in protecting the status quo. [Deleted. As above. TRP]

  19. Stuart Munro 19
    13 August 2020 at 7:48 am

    Michael Moore likes her:

    Kamala Harris! Biden could’ve swung right (Susan Rice), but he swung left. Kamala is one of the most progressive Senators in the US Senate and will, as Shaun King says, be the most progressive Vice President in the history of the United States. She is and remains one of the first co-sponsors of Bernie’s Medicare for All bill. In fact, go down the list — she checks nearly every box on Bernie’s platform: Living Wage, Choice, LGBTQ+ equality, peace, child care, etc. It says a lot about Biden that after she rightly confronted him about race in that first debate that he held no grudge, no animosity. In fact, he might say it gave him pause and a chance to consider how his friendship with segregationist Senators might have been hurtful to people of color and that, even at this age, he can change, he can do better.

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