Thinking Citizen Blog —Veepstakes: Kamala-Josh Wins In a Landslide, Any Other Pick, All Bets Are Off, What’s Your Call?
Thinking Citizen Blog — Sunday is Political Process Reform, Campaign Strategy, and Candidate Selection Day
Today’s Topic: Veepstakes: Kamala-Josh Wins in a Landslide, any other pick, all bets are off, what’s your call?
Often wrong, especially, when it comes to politics, I remain a betting guy. And my bet is that Kamala picks Josh, because it’s her best shot at winning in a landslide.
Trump tacked to the right with his VP choice and dug his own grave. His partner quickly hammered another nail into the coffin with his “cat ladies” comment.
Kamala could yet wrench all the nails out of that coffin if she tacks to the left. And any choice other than Shapiro will make this a nail-biter.
Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
THE VP DECISION REALLY, REALLY, REALLY MATTERS — John McCain in 2008, Hilary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020
1. The choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate in 2008 sealed Obama’s victory.
2. The choice of Tim Kaine by Hilary Clinton secured Trump’s triumph.
3. The choice of Kamala Harris got Biden his win.
PICKING JOSH SHAPIRO WOULD SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE LEFT WING OF THE PARTY IS NOT IN CONTROL — whether it is or not is another matter
1. Did you miss the “No Genocide Josh” campaign? If you did, check out the first two links below.
2. “The grassroots movement has argued that Shapiro, who is Jewish, does not alight with many Democratic voters’ opinions on the war in Gaza.”
3. “Our goal is simple: to send a message to Vice President Harris and the Democratic Party that selecting Shapiro as VP would be the wrong choice, and would hinder our ability to beat Trump and his extremist MAGA agenda this November.” (statement of “No Genocide Josh campaign)
NB: “Shapiro does not support the values of the Democratic base. He has supported sending $100 million of Pennsylvanians’ taxpayer dollars to fund private school vouchers, has quietly settled a sexual harassment scandal against of his own top aides, and was unique among the top VP picks in his willingness to deploy the National Guard on peaceful protestors.” (ditto, first link below)
“KAMALA HARRIS HAS THE WIND AT HER BACK. HER STRENGTHS BECAME CLEARER IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS” (Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal)
1. Trump is “scattered and thrown back on his heels.” Harris is a new face with a knack for changing positions boldly, unapologetically, and without explanation. In this she reminds me of the legendary and perhaps apocryphal comment of the economist John Maynard Keynes, “When facts change, my opinions change. What do you do, sir?”
2. Recent turnarounds include: no longer advocating a ban on fracking or a single payer health care program.
3. And, says Noonan: “She is beautiful. You can’t take a bad picture of her. Her beauty, plus the social warmth that all who have known her over the years speak of, combines to produce: radiance. It is foolish to make believe this doesn’t matter. Politicians themselves are certain it matters, which is why so many in that male-dominated profession have taken to Botox, fillers, dermabrasion, face lifts, all the cosmetic things. Because they’re in a cosmetic profession.”
NB: “She has a wave of pent-up support behind her. By November we’ll know if something big happened. Barack Obama deliberately, painstakingly put new constituencies together.
He created a movement. It had fervor and energy. What we may see this year is something different — that a movement created Kamala Harris.”
BUT WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS, REALLY? IS SHE GENUINE? WHAT DOES SHE REALLY STAND FOR? HOW STRONG IS SHE? HOW SERIOUS?
1. “When you see Mr. Trump, that’s Trump. He is what you think he is. He doesn’t hide much. You look at him and think (pro or con), “OK, I get it, I know who that guy is.”
2. “When you see Ms. Harris, is that Harris? Is what she is showing you her? You wonder, “Is this real and genuine?” I’ll wonder how she’ll address that or answer it.”
3. “She stumbles in interviews. Will she try to get away with not doing any?”
NB: “People will continue to wonder how liberal she is, and how strong she is, but I think equally or more important question will be how serious she is. Does she think seriously, deeply, soberly?”
“I haven’t seen her betray this tendency. Mr. Obama was a serious man. Hillary Clinton was fully understood as a serious woman…Is Ms. Harris? Is she a credible commander of the US nuclear arsenal?”
“Some will respond, “but Donald Trump isn’t serious!” My answer would be: That’s why he lost the popular vote twice.” If Democrats lose the popular vote, they almost certainly lose the election.”
“Mr. Trump himself would reply: I controlled the nuclear arsenal for four years. Nothing blew up.”
IS THE REAL CHOICE IN NOVEMBER OBAMA III OR TRUMP II? or would Harris- Shapiro be a new ball game?
“No Genocide Josh” campaign doubles down as Shapiro VP speculation grows
Jewish lawmakers groan at “Genocide Josh” campaign against Shapiro as Harris’ VP
Opinion | The Fight of Trump’s Political Life
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My spin — then periodically review, re-rank, and exchange your list with. those you love. I call this the “Orion Exchange” because seven is about as many as any human can digest at a time. Game?
LAST FOUR YEARS OF POSTS ORGANIZED THEMATICALLY
PDF with headlines — Google Drive
ATTACHMENTS BELOW:
#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).
#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, (11/17/20)
NB: Palestine Orion (Decision) — let’s exchange Orions, let’s find Rumi’s field (“Beyond all ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. Meet me there” Rumi, 13 century Persian Sufi mystic)
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned in the last week related to political process or campaign strategy or 2020 candidate selection or anything else for that matter.
This is your chance to make someone else’s day or change their thinking. Or to consolidate in your own memory something worth remembering that might otherwise be lost. Or to clarify or deepen your own understanding of something dear to your heart. Continuity is key to depth of thought.
