"But given the energy we have seen, we might also win big and rout them utterly. We can’t and shouldn’t rule that out."
This has been my contention ever since the Kamala flash mob of voters upended this race. And rather than making us complacent, this possibility has done the opposite. It has added urgency to the campaign. 120,000 volunteers in just a week? That seems like an absurd number to me.
And the younger voters are simply laughing at everything Trump and Vance do. I think that Oliver and Walz and friends merely captured this existing sentiment.
This really *can* be a rout, which would mean we could make some of the substantial changes we've needed in this country since Reagan began pushing the pendulum that has remained far to the right for on so many issues for 40 years. A rout will help sweep important seats down ballot — down to the state level.
8 days ago I didn't see the usual pair of young people I'd normally see this time of year sitting at a table on Atlanta's beltline trying to register people to vote. This weekend, there was such a table outside of the Kroger/Ponce Market area crowded with young people. What's happening is truly amazing.
My oldest child, who is transgender male, has kept me posted on the political leanings of his friends. Most of them were voting third party before Harris became the presumptive nominee; now they are all voting for Harris. The momentum is real, and we have the excitement around the upcoming VP pick and the convention!
Wow, that's really great to hear. Thanks for sharing this! It's similar to some stories I've heard, too. I don't think Republicans will have time to poison the well, but they will try like hell to do so. However, I think our communication infrastructure is up to the task of counterprogramming. We have Jay, after all, lol. They have, umm, Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung. Yikes. Must suck to be them.
Same with my professional 39 year old children and their wives. They just weren't inspired and seem to be begrudgingly voting Dem. Now they are fired up and ready to go.
Your comment on them trying to "poison the well," reminded me of the comments from a Democratic Strategist on MSNBC over the weekend. She said the republicans don't have time to "define" Harris like they did Hillary Clinton, which they did over decades. In the narrow electoral window we are facing, this works to our advantage.
Sorry that I wasn't clear, my son was never voting third party, but his friends were. From what he told me it was mostly because they didn't like either of the "old men." Some were supporters of the Palestinians.
And one of the key messages to voters has to be that the whole GQP is really to blame for him. He is just the spokesperson/demigod, but it really is a group effort and we need to vote the whole GQP down. A blue ticket from everyone needs to be the rallying cry..
Yes, the new voters or those moving from undecided/uninterested MUST be shown how we need the whole shebang. It’s vital to get the house & senate with a good majority.
And one of the key messages to voters has to be that the whole GQP is really to blame for him. He is just the spokesperson/demigod, but it really is a group effort and we need to vote the whole GQP down. A blue ticket from everyone needs to be the rallying cry..
Me too. But I hope Kamala will give him a more prominent cabinet position in her administration to add to his resume for the future! I also hope she makes maximum use of him as a surrogate on the stump, the Sunday news programs, and Fox News (if they haven't learned their lesson and are still inviting him to be interviewed ;-)).
Fixed News keeps shooting themselves in the foot having Pete Buttigieg on air. Pete's devastating dismantling of Fixed attempts to villify Pete & the Dems long ago earned him the #SlayerPete nickname. 🇺🇸🌊🌊🌊
Why does Fox put him on? Seems counterproductive to their cause (the dismantling of the Republic). Is Murdoch that pissed about Vance that he's trying to sabotage the con in chief?
I think it is their desperate attempt to at least seem "fair and balanced". I would love him as a VP candidate, but he is probably more effective as a spokesperson who can really speak his mind than he would be having the restrictions of an actual candidate. He is just so calm, cool and rational in the face of the Fox MAGAts, and never lets them get away with their pathological lies.
They always have a "token" liberal to use as a punching bag, they sling weird accusations, of things that never happened (like the children using litterboxes internet hoax) at them. And set them up to defend it. Pete doesn't get sucked into that, he is far too smart for their bimbos and himbos.
My husband and I are both thinking Pete will be Secretary of State, which is perfect for him. A stepping stone to be our first gay POTUS. I love him so, so, so much.
Poor guy. That's a long time to have to be in politics. I guess he loves it, though. He's so refreshing that maybe he'll help lure other good people into the profession. Now we've got him, AOC (not everybody loves her but I sure do), and Jasmine Crockett, just to name a few people who seem to be shattering the stereotype of creepy, two faced politician types.
8 years in politics is no time at all when you consider Biden is in his 80s and has been in politics most of his life. Pete is only 42, he has a long political career if he chooses it. He is still young.
Second that...he continues to just nail it on TV appearances, most particularly on FoxNews, where he's a frequent call-back guest. I'm prepared to believe that Mayor Pete can actually win over a few of the typical Fox views with his compelling but even-handed arguments and pushbacks.
Pete's the guy, none better to complement the ticket.
I think too many people are thinking that VP is always the heir-apparent. Of 15 VPs who became President, only 6 were elected to the position. I'd prefer to see Pete B. and Josh S. take on more broad-ranging responsibilities (like Homeland Security for Pete and Attorney General for Josh, with a move of Garland to the Supreme Court). I think Mark Kelly might be the best choice, and one who can own the border and gun safety, and work well with the Senate.
Roy Cooper, my current Governor, is term limited. He is very low key and NC has a very weak Governor so he didn't have too many opportunities to shine.
But he did get the GOP supermajority in the legislature to FINALLY approve the Medicaid expansion late last year which was HUGE! The program has been a roaring success. There are an estimated 600K families eligible in the state and NC has already enrolled over 500K of them in the 7 months the program has been operational!!
Whoever she picks is fine with me. It has to be someone she can work with, like Joe worked with her. She has to trust that person enough to be able to call him and ask “What do you think we should do about (anything she wants advice about)?”
In the final analysis, she must pick the VP candidate. We just have to support her choice.
The Governor will appoint another Democrat but when reelection comes Arizona needs someone who is as likeable as Kelly who beat a Republican in a Red state, purple, but primarily Red.
We all love Pete, he is definitely intelligent and qualified. But let's hope it is not Pete. Remember that we need to appeal to moderate voters, win over Independents and some Republicans. A ticket with a Black woman and Gay man would feel too left leaning and liberal for White straight Christian men who make up most of extreme Right voters. This is a cultural war we are involved in very much now. Kamala has to win over people who are not 100% assured Democrat voters. Again, I love Pete. Kamala needs a safe choice for those who are sitting on the fence and don't want to vote for Trump. We need a moderate strong male.
We'll never win Christo-nationalist hetero-only white men. But we do need to lure some of those barstool sports guys. So a macho guy like Kelly would sort of be perfect. It sucks to say it, but it is what it is. 8 years of Kamala (and Pete in her admin) will change everything. Our time has come, but we gotta close this deal.
Also, Kelly seems like a very, very decent human being.
The only thing is that Kelly is a Senator for Arizona and just won another 6 year term. Kari Lake is still lurking around trying to get into office there and they have serious MAGA problems that they are pulling out from.
True but by AZ law the replacement must be from his own party, which gives the replacement two years to build a reputation and campaign war chest against her.
Completely agree. I also hope he's given a "better" cabinet appointment with more visibility and responsibility. I want to see him on the Presidential ticket one day.
I agree and said this before. Even though many countries before us have had women leaders, this is a first for us and I don't think we should push the agenda. Most liberal minded people wouldn't see it as the "woman and the gay man" but we do need to reel in those not so liberal thinking people if we can. A strong moderate male who makes it clear she is a strong woman and he has no issues being "second fiddle" is exactly what she needs.
How many "extreme right white men voters" of any religion do you honestly think would ever vote for Kamala, anyway? Half a dozen, at most?? I think it's safe to just not take them into account in this situation.
I don't even take into account extreme Right white men voters. I am thinking about Republicans and Independents who are more moderate or Conservative who know Trump is evil but also do not want to vote for a woman but could. Putting a gay man with a woman President could really push them away. The undecided is who we need to lure in. A ticket too liberal could scare away a lot of people right now. We just are not quite there yet.
I want him to be the BEST President ever and I he will be but he needs more experiences on the world stage. Biden was smart to include him in his Administration.
He's impressive. I didn't know much about him until the Kamala flash mob election takeover. I didn't pay much attention to him when he burst onto the scene. That was my fault, because I had small town mayor bias. He has my attention now. He has presidential timber, for sure.
I first became a Mayor Pete fan years ago when he was the mayor of South Bend. He was a guest on the NPR show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and he played the game called "Not My Job." I was IMMEDIATELY smitten, and wanted to know more about him. His obvious intelligence, ease with the spotlight, and sense of humor made me sit up and take notice. I've been a stan ever since.
I think Pete is amazing too, but so far, he's only been Mayor and Transportation Secretary. It would be nice for him to have more experience before becoming VP. I hope Harris gives him a more prominent role in her administration.
See? THAT'S the ticket. Nothing can replace the years of learning. He is part of a robust and shining future--let's not use up all of the promising people too early.
It is not you who needs to be convinced, it is the voters. You're voting for Kamala no matter what, right? So we don't need anymore convincing to anyone who has decided and may have been voting Blue all along. Can you not see what voters we need to gain? That is why her pick is crucial. Yes, we need to stick together and get behind whoever she chooses. But we also need to be working at getting undecided and Republicans, Independents to vote Blue. Of course majority of Blue voters support electing women. Most Blue voter support our LBGTQ Community. We need to win over voters who are not convinced a woman can be President. Some of those voters can also be religious and/or homophobic. So it isn't about what we want, it is who will appeal to more voters.
The predictive betting-market site Polymarket has PA Gov. Shapiro flipping 1st place in Veep race by displacing previous fav Sen. Kelly, FWIW. Looks as though they are the top two, much as the media have scoped out...we shall see.
Agree...tbh Dems/Harris don't need a reminder on the ticket of their abysmal pro-Israel stance, "red lines", Bibi torpedoing cease-fire/hostage-release negotiations, etc. Harris can win PA w/o Gov. Shapiro as her running mate.
Update from the homefront. 21-year-old daughter, voting in her first presidential election (she missed eligibility for 2020 by a few months), now excited as hell to have Kamala to vote for, interrupts me every 30 minutes or so with a new meme, quote, or hysterical blurb about what our side is getting right and the other side flailing away at! Oh the joy to be engaged and have something to fight for.
It's great to see the younger voters get excited and involved. My son, who is 28, is still uninterested. He knows it's important to keep trump out but otherwise he doesn't pay attention
I think 100 days is perfect. It's short enough to keep the current momentum - excuse me, KAMALAMENTUM - going, unlike an 18-month campaign. It's long enough to win undecided, and maybe some Dumpy leaners, over to VP Harris's side.
I absolutely love what the comms team are doing - calling out the weirdness in plain language. It’s got strong Gen X / Gen Z no BS energy and I am all about it. The traditional, over 65 politicians would never be that direct.
I don’t know how to state this any simpler: DO NOT RUN JD VANCE OFF!
It’s a gift. Dems should act accordingly and accept graciously. It’s rude to not accept a gift, or return it!
The R’s have been playing the long game for as long as I can remember- maybe Roe v Wade 1973. When they make a misstep, we shouldn’t make it easy for them to correct. We should pounce on it, and by that, I don’t mean ruthlessly attack Vance while there’s still time to fix.
Just hold off for a month or so. They have inadvertently shifted the advantage to our side , by being cocky .
I’d hate to see us squander the one situation we outwitted them at their game.
Absolutely. Do drop him would be tantamount to the orange door knob admitting to a mistake. And even if he drops him and tries to shift the blame onto others, he’s not going to be able to distance himself from that. He had to sign off, so ultimately the buck stops with him. That’s a gift, too.
If "demographics is destiny", the desperation shown by conservatives from Newt Gingrich to MAGA to the Nationalist Christians is simply the refusal to accept that soon old white men will no longer have the numerical or cultural clout to dominate the game, so they want to change the rules.
I invite you to dig a little deeper into the money & influence behind the scenes who pushed hard for JD Vance to be Veep - Kevin Roberts from the Heritage Foundation grinned from ear to ear when he confirmed the news of JD's selection. Heritage, is of course, the umbrella org behind Project 2025. It and many of the 100+ conservative groups are receiving funding from Leonard Leo - the ATM behind the FedSoc takeover of the SCOTUS and he wants to venture out into Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Hollywood with his $1.6B gift from Barre Seid.
Leonard Leo is in the infamous portrait of Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas and others sitting in the Nazi Garden smoking cigars. I invite you and you readers to Google "JD Vance, Leonard Leo, Teneo Network" to gain a fuller understanding. Someone with your reach could do a lot of good in revealing the Christian Nationalist plans of Leonard Leo and the money interests he plays with.
All those you name, including Vance, are close to Opus Dei, the extremely right wing Catholic organization. No accident they came up with Project 2025. With all respect to my many Catholic friends, the OD bunch could be named Grope-Us Daily and their "mandate" is for the next Inquisition.
May I ask a favor of Jay and other political writers? Please stop referring to the president's debate performance as "disastrous". It feels like everyone is rubbing it in, especially now that he dropped out. Simply saying debate performance makes the same point.
The attack on the Harris laugh served only to bring to my mind how very rarely we see Trump smile. When he does, it always seems to be when he is talking dirty with his pals, when he mimics someone in any kind of minority group, or when somebody at one of his rallies comes up with an insult that he loves.
The selection of VP is one of the first major tests of a POTUS candidate. McCain flunked it. Trump just flunked it. In an ideal world, picking the VP should only be about who would be the best VP. In my opinion that would narrow it down to Buttigieg and Walz. However, apparently some folks think the VP pick can bring in voters from the states in which the VP candidate resides or some other voting block. I don't really think any candidate other than Buttigieg or Walz will really do that much to influence the electoral count. If Pete is not selected as VP, I'd like to see him as Sec of Energy since getting off fossil fuels is the actual most important existential thing in the whole world right now. Pete is a master of getting things done in the most expedient, efficient, safe, team-building way with the additional ability of explaining it all in a simple, logical, understandable, and compassionate way. Also he has shown the ability to pilot a starship.
I have a friend who hates politics, and just barely follows the news "for her mental health." I get it--it's been kind of negative. I try to keep her up to date if anything important happens. In the past week, she has started watching political news shows, signed up for HCR's substack, and is now texting me *daily* with opinions on VP picks, polls, who has endorsed Harris, etc. I think this shift in my friend may have to do with the overall tone of the news being positive and uplifting. Maybe more will tune in and see what this election is really about.
We’re running on an election timeline like the UK’s. They have 6 weeks. France only has 2 weeks. It’s always been my experience that the best work comes when you’re up against a time crunch, cause you don’t have time to mess around.
In the words of Tom Brady ( I live in NE), LETS F…… GO
The most important 100 days in modern history.
"But given the energy we have seen, we might also win big and rout them utterly. We can’t and shouldn’t rule that out."
This has been my contention ever since the Kamala flash mob of voters upended this race. And rather than making us complacent, this possibility has done the opposite. It has added urgency to the campaign. 120,000 volunteers in just a week? That seems like an absurd number to me.
And the younger voters are simply laughing at everything Trump and Vance do. I think that Oliver and Walz and friends merely captured this existing sentiment.
This really *can* be a rout, which would mean we could make some of the substantial changes we've needed in this country since Reagan began pushing the pendulum that has remained far to the right for on so many issues for 40 years. A rout will help sweep important seats down ballot — down to the state level.
8 days ago I didn't see the usual pair of young people I'd normally see this time of year sitting at a table on Atlanta's beltline trying to register people to vote. This weekend, there was such a table outside of the Kroger/Ponce Market area crowded with young people. What's happening is truly amazing.
My oldest child, who is transgender male, has kept me posted on the political leanings of his friends. Most of them were voting third party before Harris became the presumptive nominee; now they are all voting for Harris. The momentum is real, and we have the excitement around the upcoming VP pick and the convention!
Wow, that's really great to hear. Thanks for sharing this! It's similar to some stories I've heard, too. I don't think Republicans will have time to poison the well, but they will try like hell to do so. However, I think our communication infrastructure is up to the task of counterprogramming. We have Jay, after all, lol. They have, umm, Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung. Yikes. Must suck to be them.
Same with my professional 39 year old children and their wives. They just weren't inspired and seem to be begrudgingly voting Dem. Now they are fired up and ready to go.
Your comment on them trying to "poison the well," reminded me of the comments from a Democratic Strategist on MSNBC over the weekend. She said the republicans don't have time to "define" Harris like they did Hillary Clinton, which they did over decades. In the narrow electoral window we are facing, this works to our advantage.
Yep, they’re really reaching for denigrating descriptions.
Trump called Kamala a Bum. That's it? He's really slipping in the insult business now. The MAGAs need simple slogans and insults to function.
That’s great to hear. I hope they also understand the need for a majority in the house & senate. They have to vote all the way down the ballot.
I wonder what your son and his friends hoped to accomplish by voting 3rd party.
Sorry that I wasn't clear, my son was never voting third party, but his friends were. From what he told me it was mostly because they didn't like either of the "old men." Some were supporters of the Palestinians.
Guess the we’re talking about Russia enthusiast Jill Stein. RFK is old.
Or write in. The math is not that hard.
And one of the key messages to voters has to be that the whole GQP is really to blame for him. He is just the spokesperson/demigod, but it really is a group effort and we need to vote the whole GQP down. A blue ticket from everyone needs to be the rallying cry..
Yes, the new voters or those moving from undecided/uninterested MUST be shown how we need the whole shebang. It’s vital to get the house & senate with a good majority.
5263665332aff8a89937bc00f20ddcf87d7125f530fee24982975ee416a8c2d8 copy 2.gif
The one thing I dislike about Substack is not being able to embed a meme...
And one of the key messages to voters has to be that the whole GQP is really to blame for him. He is just the spokesperson/demigod, but it really is a group effort and we need to vote the whole GQP down. A blue ticket from everyone needs to be the rallying cry..
Pete! Pete! Pete! I know he won't be the choice, and I understand why, but I just love him so much!
Me too. But I hope Kamala will give him a more prominent cabinet position in her administration to add to his resume for the future! I also hope she makes maximum use of him as a surrogate on the stump, the Sunday news programs, and Fox News (if they haven't learned their lesson and are still inviting him to be interviewed ;-)).
Fixed News keeps shooting themselves in the foot having Pete Buttigieg on air. Pete's devastating dismantling of Fixed attempts to villify Pete & the Dems long ago earned him the #SlayerPete nickname. 🇺🇸🌊🌊🌊
Why does Fox put him on? Seems counterproductive to their cause (the dismantling of the Republic). Is Murdoch that pissed about Vance that he's trying to sabotage the con in chief?
I think it is their desperate attempt to at least seem "fair and balanced". I would love him as a VP candidate, but he is probably more effective as a spokesperson who can really speak his mind than he would be having the restrictions of an actual candidate. He is just so calm, cool and rational in the face of the Fox MAGAts, and never lets them get away with their pathological lies.
Good point. He's a great guy to have on Fox for that.
They always have a "token" liberal to use as a punching bag, they sling weird accusations, of things that never happened (like the children using litterboxes internet hoax) at them. And set them up to defend it. Pete doesn't get sucked into that, he is far too smart for their bimbos and himbos.
my guess is people tune in, it is - after all - an entertainment channel and eyeballs are the only goal (well, and ad dollars ;) )
My husband and I are both thinking Pete will be Secretary of State, which is perfect for him. A stepping stone to be our first gay POTUS. I love him so, so, so much.
I think he will be our POTUS in 2032 (after 8 years of Kamala).
Poor guy. That's a long time to have to be in politics. I guess he loves it, though. He's so refreshing that maybe he'll help lure other good people into the profession. Now we've got him, AOC (not everybody loves her but I sure do), and Jasmine Crockett, just to name a few people who seem to be shattering the stereotype of creepy, two faced politician types.
8 years in politics is no time at all when you consider Biden is in his 80s and has been in politics most of his life. Pete is only 42, he has a long political career if he chooses it. He is still young.
Everyone should hope he so chooses. This country needs him.
❤️😁
Oh that would be awesome. He would be good in that position
YES. YES. YES,
Second that...he continues to just nail it on TV appearances, most particularly on FoxNews, where he's a frequent call-back guest. I'm prepared to believe that Mayor Pete can actually win over a few of the typical Fox views with his compelling but even-handed arguments and pushbacks.
Pete's the guy, none better to complement the ticket.
I think too many people are thinking that VP is always the heir-apparent. Of 15 VPs who became President, only 6 were elected to the position. I'd prefer to see Pete B. and Josh S. take on more broad-ranging responsibilities (like Homeland Security for Pete and Attorney General for Josh, with a move of Garland to the Supreme Court). I think Mark Kelly might be the best choice, and one who can own the border and gun safety, and work well with the Senate.
Roy Cooper, my current Governor, is term limited. He is very low key and NC has a very weak Governor so he didn't have too many opportunities to shine.
But he did get the GOP supermajority in the legislature to FINALLY approve the Medicaid expansion late last year which was HUGE! The program has been a roaring success. There are an estimated 600K families eligible in the state and NC has already enrolled over 500K of them in the 7 months the program has been operational!!
https://acasignups.net/24/07/15/north-carolina-aca-medicaid-expansion-breaks-500000-enrollees
I like him too.
And Alexander Vindman for Secretary of State!
Wouldn’t that be fabulous. Great idea.
Whoever she picks is fine with me. It has to be someone she can work with, like Joe worked with her. She has to trust that person enough to be able to call him and ask “What do you think we should do about (anything she wants advice about)?”
In the final analysis, she must pick the VP candidate. We just have to support her choice.
They are all good, except Kelly is a Senator for Arizona and we need his seat. Arizona is a bit wobbly and Kari Lake is still lurking there.
The Governor will appoint another Democrat but when reelection comes Arizona needs someone who is as likeable as Kelly who beat a Republican in a Red state, purple, but primarily Red.
That's ok then as the Arizona Governor is a Democrat too.
Agree- but move Garland to the trash heap. He does not appear to be a defender of democracy.
GOOD REPLY!
Sally Yates for AG, she almost nailed trump mover the Ukraine call as acting AG,, but then trump fired her because she was too good at the job.
We all love Pete, he is definitely intelligent and qualified. But let's hope it is not Pete. Remember that we need to appeal to moderate voters, win over Independents and some Republicans. A ticket with a Black woman and Gay man would feel too left leaning and liberal for White straight Christian men who make up most of extreme Right voters. This is a cultural war we are involved in very much now. Kamala has to win over people who are not 100% assured Democrat voters. Again, I love Pete. Kamala needs a safe choice for those who are sitting on the fence and don't want to vote for Trump. We need a moderate strong male.
I sort of agree with this. :-)
We'll never win Christo-nationalist hetero-only white men. But we do need to lure some of those barstool sports guys. So a macho guy like Kelly would sort of be perfect. It sucks to say it, but it is what it is. 8 years of Kamala (and Pete in her admin) will change everything. Our time has come, but we gotta close this deal.
Also, Kelly seems like a very, very decent human being.
And I would love to see his wife as Second Lady.
Gabby Gifford, Mark Kelly’s wife.
The only thing is that Kelly is a Senator for Arizona and just won another 6 year term. Kari Lake is still lurking around trying to get into office there and they have serious MAGA problems that they are pulling out from.
True but by AZ law the replacement must be from his own party, which gives the replacement two years to build a reputation and campaign war chest against her.
Completely agree. I also hope he's given a "better" cabinet appointment with more visibility and responsibility. I want to see him on the Presidential ticket one day.
Pete would be wonderful in the cabinet. Well he's already in the cabinet but in a higher-visibility position.
We can be certain that Kamala is keeping him in important position. He adds tremendous integrity.
I agree and said this before. Even though many countries before us have had women leaders, this is a first for us and I don't think we should push the agenda. Most liberal minded people wouldn't see it as the "woman and the gay man" but we do need to reel in those not so liberal thinking people if we can. A strong moderate male who makes it clear she is a strong woman and he has no issues being "second fiddle" is exactly what she needs.
How many "extreme right white men voters" of any religion do you honestly think would ever vote for Kamala, anyway? Half a dozen, at most?? I think it's safe to just not take them into account in this situation.
I don't even take into account extreme Right white men voters. I am thinking about Republicans and Independents who are more moderate or Conservative who know Trump is evil but also do not want to vote for a woman but could. Putting a gay man with a woman President could really push them away. The undecided is who we need to lure in. A ticket too liberal could scare away a lot of people right now. We just are not quite there yet.
How can you not? He's smart, polished, fun, determined and flat-out adorable!!
I want him to be the BEST President ever and I he will be but he needs more experiences on the world stage. Biden was smart to include him in his Administration.
He's impressive. I didn't know much about him until the Kamala flash mob election takeover. I didn't pay much attention to him when he burst onto the scene. That was my fault, because I had small town mayor bias. He has my attention now. He has presidential timber, for sure.
I first became a Mayor Pete fan years ago when he was the mayor of South Bend. He was a guest on the NPR show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and he played the game called "Not My Job." I was IMMEDIATELY smitten, and wanted to know more about him. His obvious intelligence, ease with the spotlight, and sense of humor made me sit up and take notice. I've been a stan ever since.
I think Pete is amazing too, but so far, he's only been Mayor and Transportation Secretary. It would be nice for him to have more experience before becoming VP. I hope Harris gives him a more prominent role in her administration.
See? THAT'S the ticket. Nothing can replace the years of learning. He is part of a robust and shining future--let's not use up all of the promising people too early.
He's only 42! ! I would like him to get more exposure to world affairs, etc., before he becomes President.
Me too! Have always loved Pete. But I think it will be Tim Walz.
I’m not convinced that he would be such a big “turn off”. I need to be convinced otherwise at this point.
It is not you who needs to be convinced, it is the voters. You're voting for Kamala no matter what, right? So we don't need anymore convincing to anyone who has decided and may have been voting Blue all along. Can you not see what voters we need to gain? That is why her pick is crucial. Yes, we need to stick together and get behind whoever she chooses. But we also need to be working at getting undecided and Republicans, Independents to vote Blue. Of course majority of Blue voters support electing women. Most Blue voter support our LBGTQ Community. We need to win over voters who are not convinced a woman can be President. Some of those voters can also be religious and/or homophobic. So it isn't about what we want, it is who will appeal to more voters.
I’m keenly aware of all you’ve said, but I am a Voter and thus have expressed my opinion only.
The predictive betting-market site Polymarket has PA Gov. Shapiro flipping 1st place in Veep race by displacing previous fav Sen. Kelly, FWIW. Looks as though they are the top two, much as the media have scoped out...we shall see.
Bad idea. Right now, we need to exclude anything with even a vague connection to Israel.
Agree...tbh Dems/Harris don't need a reminder on the ticket of their abysmal pro-Israel stance, "red lines", Bibi torpedoing cease-fire/hostage-release negotiations, etc. Harris can win PA w/o Gov. Shapiro as her running mate.
Right now, it's hers to lose. If the election were tomorrow, she'd win it. Step wisely, Kamala....
Yes, we need the youth vote.
Me too!
He’s the best choice.
I’ve seen so many say his name on so many Substacks. Why isn’t the best good enough ?
Update from the homefront. 21-year-old daughter, voting in her first presidential election (she missed eligibility for 2020 by a few months), now excited as hell to have Kamala to vote for, interrupts me every 30 minutes or so with a new meme, quote, or hysterical blurb about what our side is getting right and the other side flailing away at! Oh the joy to be engaged and have something to fight for.
I think today's youth will be the group to get us across the finish line.
Swifties for Kamala!
I know you, and that daughter 💕 (it’s Sara from the barn)
It's great to see the younger voters get excited and involved. My son, who is 28, is still uninterested. He knows it's important to keep trump out but otherwise he doesn't pay attention
At least he's planning on voting.
sounds like you are a great parent!
I think 100 days is perfect. It's short enough to keep the current momentum - excuse me, KAMALAMENTUM - going, unlike an 18-month campaign. It's long enough to win undecided, and maybe some Dumpy leaners, over to VP Harris's side.
Many states begin early voting in just over 50 days. So the Kamalamentum should only grow from here.
I absolutely love what the comms team are doing - calling out the weirdness in plain language. It’s got strong Gen X / Gen Z no BS energy and I am all about it. The traditional, over 65 politicians would never be that direct.
AGREE!!!!
I'm just hoping future President-elect Harris names Jack Smith as the Attorney General.
Yes! Garland has to go!
I don’t know how to state this any simpler: DO NOT RUN JD VANCE OFF!
It’s a gift. Dems should act accordingly and accept graciously. It’s rude to not accept a gift, or return it!
The R’s have been playing the long game for as long as I can remember- maybe Roe v Wade 1973. When they make a misstep, we shouldn’t make it easy for them to correct. We should pounce on it, and by that, I don’t mean ruthlessly attack Vance while there’s still time to fix.
Just hold off for a month or so. They have inadvertently shifted the advantage to our side , by being cocky .
I’d hate to see us squander the one situation we outwitted them at their game.
Lay off JD! Let him be! ( for now….)
I agree. JD Vance blundering around and constantly stepping on rakes, is the gift that keeps on self-owning.
Absolutely. Do drop him would be tantamount to the orange door knob admitting to a mistake. And even if he drops him and tries to shift the blame onto others, he’s not going to be able to distance himself from that. He had to sign off, so ultimately the buck stops with him. That’s a gift, too.
If "demographics is destiny", the desperation shown by conservatives from Newt Gingrich to MAGA to the Nationalist Christians is simply the refusal to accept that soon old white men will no longer have the numerical or cultural clout to dominate the game, so they want to change the rules.
I invite you to dig a little deeper into the money & influence behind the scenes who pushed hard for JD Vance to be Veep - Kevin Roberts from the Heritage Foundation grinned from ear to ear when he confirmed the news of JD's selection. Heritage, is of course, the umbrella org behind Project 2025. It and many of the 100+ conservative groups are receiving funding from Leonard Leo - the ATM behind the FedSoc takeover of the SCOTUS and he wants to venture out into Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Hollywood with his $1.6B gift from Barre Seid.
Leonard Leo is in the infamous portrait of Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas and others sitting in the Nazi Garden smoking cigars. I invite you and you readers to Google "JD Vance, Leonard Leo, Teneo Network" to gain a fuller understanding. Someone with your reach could do a lot of good in revealing the Christian Nationalist plans of Leonard Leo and the money interests he plays with.
All those you name, including Vance, are close to Opus Dei, the extremely right wing Catholic organization. No accident they came up with Project 2025. With all respect to my many Catholic friends, the OD bunch could be named Grope-Us Daily and their "mandate" is for the next Inquisition.
https://opusdeitoday.org/2019/08/j-d-vance-other-converts/
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/jd-vance-extremist-christian-vp-mike-pence-1235069117/
Excellent, albeit chilling, article. Thanks for sharing
This is a MUST read about the billionaires behind JD Vance - their money and beliefs. WARNING! it is SCARY.
Just a reminder tonight 7pm EDT Women for Kamala event and at 8pm EDT White Dudes for Kamala event.
Monday night hosts: Mark Hamil & Pete Buttigieg "White Dudes for Kamala. 🤯 Last I saw, 60,000 registered so far.
All signed up and sharing link with friends. I understand the assignment.
So who is hosting the Women for Kamala event? I took a brief break from media for the weekend and I need to catch up!
Here’s the sign up for Monday’s call.
https://mobilize.us/s/E2Q6V4
Thanks!!
May I ask a favor of Jay and other political writers? Please stop referring to the president's debate performance as "disastrous". It feels like everyone is rubbing it in, especially now that he dropped out. Simply saying debate performance makes the same point.
Just signed up from a recommendation on another blog. Excellent t post!
I agree about Walz. I think he’d be great!
Welcome!!
The attack on the Harris laugh served only to bring to my mind how very rarely we see Trump smile. When he does, it always seems to be when he is talking dirty with his pals, when he mimics someone in any kind of minority group, or when somebody at one of his rallies comes up with an insult that he loves.
Can we say backfire?
Or that smirk thing he does. Creepy
The selection of VP is one of the first major tests of a POTUS candidate. McCain flunked it. Trump just flunked it. In an ideal world, picking the VP should only be about who would be the best VP. In my opinion that would narrow it down to Buttigieg and Walz. However, apparently some folks think the VP pick can bring in voters from the states in which the VP candidate resides or some other voting block. I don't really think any candidate other than Buttigieg or Walz will really do that much to influence the electoral count. If Pete is not selected as VP, I'd like to see him as Sec of Energy since getting off fossil fuels is the actual most important existential thing in the whole world right now. Pete is a master of getting things done in the most expedient, efficient, safe, team-building way with the additional ability of explaining it all in a simple, logical, understandable, and compassionate way. Also he has shown the ability to pilot a starship.
I have a friend who hates politics, and just barely follows the news "for her mental health." I get it--it's been kind of negative. I try to keep her up to date if anything important happens. In the past week, she has started watching political news shows, signed up for HCR's substack, and is now texting me *daily* with opinions on VP picks, polls, who has endorsed Harris, etc. I think this shift in my friend may have to do with the overall tone of the news being positive and uplifting. Maybe more will tune in and see what this election is really about.
We’re running on an election timeline like the UK’s. They have 6 weeks. France only has 2 weeks. It’s always been my experience that the best work comes when you’re up against a time crunch, cause you don’t have time to mess around.
In the words of Tom Brady ( I live in NE), LETS F…… GO
Take nothing for granted. Work, work, work. History is about to be made.