I’m encouraged that the anti-Israel protest is coalition dramatically over estimated their support for the March on the DNC. Rather than the 20,000 protesters they expected, a paltry 2,000 at most showed up. And not all of them were marching about Gaza, the top priorities of the 2000 groups range from police violence to race discrimination, sex discrimination, abortion, capital punishment, etc. Their extreme rhetoric isn’t matched by their numbers.
Yes, it seems to have created the illusion of being a broader movement than it actually is. Or maybe they’re just not committed enough to travel to Chicago.
HI Susan: You are so right to draw this comparison with Sanders in 2016 - he killed Hillary's reputation with his supporters, Sarandon was horrible and it bothers me that he is still held up as a leader in the Democratic party, when he isn't a Democrat and Hillary who actually won the election by almost 3 million votes, is declared the bad candidate, the untrustworthy. She sounded incredible at the Convention. We lost big and many still fail to recognize the main reason we got Trump was thanks to Bernie, who was Russia's secret weapon. Think about it? What did Bernie ever do his entire career except complain, like Trump. He honeymooned in Russia and even sued the DNC. Donna Brazile and Liz Warren also jumped on the bad Hillary train and tried to tarnish her further by starting rumors she was the favorite of DNC and got her questions early. The DNC did nothing to help her; nobody questioned the results of the 2016 election - even though Trump won those swing states by less than 67,000 votes combined. Everyone blamed Hillary. The Dems did the same hit job with Joe Biden. He has accomplished more than any President, Dem or Republican in the last 50 years - more than Obama and the media has turned our politics into Entertainment Tonight. What if we judged our business leaders this way? Imagine telling Warren Buffett he is tool old? The President gets no respect and the media is all in covering Trump for almost 10 years now and the Country loses. Just imagine if all this Dem support stuck together for Joe Biden. In essence, we got the same ticket, same policies just a younger face and a woman at the top. Don't get me wrong - I love Kamala but what the media, NY Times did telling him to step down and his own party stabbing him in the back - Wow. Now, magically we are all together and bringing out the Obamas who are great and yet there is still Bernie as a leader and AOC spoke well but she and others were pushing Pelosi to step down as speaker in 2018 - what if they were successful? At least her own party didn't stab her in the back. She is 84 by the way and was a fabulous speaker. She stepped down when she was ready.
These Palestinian protests will be a constant thorn on Kamala's side through this election and it is exactly what we don't need. Sorry for rambling but as usual, you are 100% correct in reading the current political situation.
You’re not rambling! The sandbagging of Hillary by Sanders hardly ever gets talked about, or the way the media enabled it. it’s the biggest taboo zone among the many taboo zones in how we discuss (or more accurately, don’t discuss) 2016. And I agree with you about Joe. Even though we apparently were in desperate need of a “new start,” the way he was pressured and bullied and treated so disrespectfully was disgusting.
I don’t know why you would have lost 10 subs! Then again, I’m on the same page as you as far as the protestors, the protestors’ hypocrisy and anti-semitism, and anti-Zionism/anti-semitism among pretty average Dems who aren’t out there protesting.
This bullshit settler-colonist garbage appears to have legs beyond the most extreme of Dems. I recently discovered this firsthand among my own group of IRL Dem friends, when it became clear that at least two of them believe that a one-state solution is a possibility. I was accused of being like the Republicans here who don’t want immigrants here and who demonize them. Obviously, there is zero similarity between the two situations.
Knowing that this view is creeping into the mainstream has me very nervous, both of the anti-semitism at home and the thought that Israel might not always be there.
Sorry, didn’t mean to write so much! It’s unfortunate if you’re losing subs over the anti-Israel issue, but I hope you don’t stop reflecting on the issue in your writing. (I guess I could have just written that last sentence only - sorry.)
It’s true that it is creeping into the mainstream—and getting more poisonous with every creep. None of the TV anchors even bother to correct guests (or even mention that it’s controversial) who use “genocide” indiscriminately—it’s become a common descriptor. As to writing “so much,” please continue!! I love having real conversations and sharing of views in the comments. And not to worry—no way am I (especially at my stage in life) going to stop writing what I think.
I just watched some highlights from last night and wish I’d seen the roll call of states and the Obamas - but it’s such a marathon. Sorry to hear about subscribers dropping off, but I wouldn’t let it get to you. I’m glad you’re speaking out about who you are and what you believe 🙏🏽
So the "pro-palestinian" or should we say anti-Israel protestors, because if they were propalestinian they would have protested against, Assad, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran, and Hamas, but since they are not and did not, we are calling them antiIsrael protestors, have glorified Oct 7 and have been investigated for ties to terrorist funding. (CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator, something everyone on the left conveniently forgets) But, Biden instead of separating the DNC from these Jew-haters he lauds them in his speech
Meanwhile, antiIsrael protestors stormed a private meeting of Orthodox Jews (Agudat Israel) who were holding a panel on antisemitism in the US. Israel wasn't even a part of the discussion. But somehow the protestors decided to call them baby killers. Antisemitism much? Only proving why Jews need an Israel to begin with, but cognitive dissonance apparently is lost on these Jew-hating fascisti.
Maybe Kamala should tell us how she respects the protestors emotions and how they are feeling.
Sorry but I have 1 issue and 1 issue along for this election. "Who is going to fight antisemitism in the US so my children have a future in this country." So far Kamala has done a piss poor job.
Just because she is married to a Jew doesn't mean she actually cares about antisemitism. The thing she was most concerned about after OCt 7, was islamophobia.
And simply because Doug was designated the antisemitism poohba (notice I am purposefully not using the word tzar), doesn't mean he knows what he is doing either. He knows so little about his Judaism that he got the story of Hanukkah wrong. - yep after being ratioed on twitter/X, he took down the tweet because it made him look ridiculous.
Sorry but if you can't call out the antisemitism on the left and among the protestors I have no use for you, because you really don't care about my Jewish children's future.
Oh and don't get me started on AOC, she cost her district 25,000 Amazon jobs because she doesn't actually understand economics. She may have an honors economics degree from BU but it doesn't mean she learned anything, (PS I have an honors degree from BU too, it's not that hard to get) Sided with the most antisemitic political party in the country DSA, and continually spews antisemitism from the floor of the Congress. And yes the DSA did withdraw their endorsement of her because she was on a panel about antisemitism in the US. Gaslighting the Jews of NY into thinking she's not an antisemite. Not gonna work.
And finally Hillary, I have said this before and I will say this forever, Hillary LOST the most winnable presidential election in history and no matter how you want to spin it, she has no one to blame but her own hubris. She took Wisconsin and Michigan for granted, spitting on working men and women in this country. "Basket of deplorables" anyone? So they didn't vote for her. Since then I couldn't care less what she says about anything.
So you think having Trump in office again would strike a blow against antisemitism?
I’m not celebrating any of the comments or actions that you mention here. I’m describing ANOTHER horror that haunts me, and that the protestors obviously don’t give a shit about—namely having Trump in office.
If you read me as defending them, you’ve misread me completely.
I don’t want my Jewish daughter—who is also Black and also not exactly the kind of woman that would be happy under Trump/Vance rules—enduring the racism, sexism, and antisemitism we’re facing today. I also don’t want her to have white, male, Christian politicians deciding what decisions she is prohibited from making, either in her sexuality or her reproductive life.
I’m surprised that you don’t seem to care about any of these, as you’re the mother of a daughter too.
If you’re going to misunderstand me so profoundly, I’d much rather that you wrote a stack of your own about these views rather than using my stacks as a platform for them
I did not think you defended them. I was saying that this is what I am concerned about. And it has nothing to do with Trump. Simply because I question her doesn’t mean I like Trump. But I am allowed to question what she says and does and I want answers if she wants my vote.
And I don’t have a daughter. I only have sons by the way. But at this juncture I am a single issue voter.
I can honestly say I am more worried about walking down the street wearing a Star of David than anything else and I can see how having a black child for you makes this an even bigger nightmare.
Truthfully I am very frightened right now because I don’t feel I am wanted anymore. I have been politically homeless for almost 20 years and it feels like it is getting worse every day.
But again I want answers to my questions and concerns. I want my concerns respected by the democrats. I want
My vote earned.
Listen, If u prefer I not comment I won’t anymore. I thought we were having a conversation but it’s fine. It’s your substack and you can tell me not to comment. Doesn’t mean I won’t read what you write though
It’s been a conversation up until this point. But your response was hostile and insulting. Reread it and imagine that you are the one being addressed in it. it felt like an attack. Perhaps you didn’t mean it to be, but that’s how it felt to me. I’m also scared—and I don’t know where you live, but I live in the South, where the worst of what the GOP has in mind will happen. And if you think they are friends of Jews, you’re not listening to them. You are not going to find a party in this country that is free of antisemitism. But I trust the Democrats (I’m not talking about the protestors, I’d never walk into one of their demonstrations) to protects my rights and life as a Jew and a woman far, far more than the Republicans.
I get it. We’re both frightened and raw. The fact is that if your comments were a stand-alone post rather than a response to ME, I would have agreed with a good deal of what you say (not all of course; i have a very different view of Kamala and Hillary. But we share other fears and angers.) You have every right—and I’m interested in—your views on everything, even when I disagree. I just don’t like the implication (and in this post, it was not just implied, it was stated) that I’m something that I’m not. Apology accepted.
“Sorry but if you can't call out the antisemitism on the left and among the protestors I have no use for you, because you really don't care about my Jewish children's future.”
This is insulting and unfair. I’ve publicly criticized the left—for antisemitism and other things—all my adult life, and taken many blows from others for it.
I don’t care about your Jewish children’s futures? I have a Jewish child, too. She’s also Black. Are any of your children daughters?? Do you give a shit about what the GOP is doing to their freedoms?
Susan, I really enjoyed this update and look forward to the next one. I appreciate the way you led with your “haunting” worries. I wasn’t as worried about potential divisiveness with the protests, partly because this isn’t Mayor Daley’s Chicago in the 1960s and partly because it already feels different than Hillary’s battle. That doesn’t mean the election won’t be close; but I do think there really has been a generational shift in how smart, strong women like Hillary and Kamala are viewed by younger voters. The social media response to Kamala becoming the nominee conveys this.
I found the first night of the convention thrilling, too, for all the reasons you highlighted - and Hillary’s speech and the ovation she received moved me deeply. I think it’s impossible for my son’s generation to understand how much women in political life were targets of visceral hatred, especially after the backlash against the women’s movement in the 1980s. By honoring Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary underscored a history that is all too often forgotten or erased in the digital record.
But you know what? If my son and his peers assume it’s quite natural for Kamala Harris to be the politician she is, I’ll take it 😉
By the way, I ended up skipping the second night of the convention after tuning in to a singularly uninspired and dyspeptic speech by Bernie Sanders. It brought back all my irritation with his previous “bro” incarnation - AOC has her own fire and needs no torch from him.
Thanks Martha! After watching the convention, I felt much less “haunted” by 2016 (I never was about 1968, because the circumstances were so different.)
I stuck with last night, but I did start to lose consciousness a bit after Bernie. “We must end this war!” As though it’s all in our hands.
I wanted to stay up for Michelle and Barack but I fell asleep in my chair during Emhoff and only woke up briefly to laugh over a great “size” joke by Barack, missed Michelle completely!
Surprised (and irritated, I confess—and also baffled) to discover 10 people cancelled subs within hours of this stack was posted. Usually when I’ve stepped on someone’s toes I know why, but in this case I’m left wondering.
Lack of awareness of the political situation, the candidate's flailing position within it, and any incompetence in failing to swiftly course-correct was by far the main thing that could have sunk the Clinton campaign, which they could have entirely controlled but failed too and so they were sunk. At great cost to allies and the country and the world. The Harris campaign is now in the same position, except that it seems somewhat more put-together and has shown the ability to self-reflect on the fly and immediately course correct. Trump is so bad that the Harris campaign could bumble its way forward and still potentially win as the Clinton campaign almost did, especially since it massively outspent Trump. But if the Harris campaign stops self-reflecting - stops listening - and stops necessarily course correcting, then look out. In the words of Wole Soyinka, "Criticism, like charity, begins at home." There's a reason for that.
Agree that the Clinton loss was not only very complex, it was unusually complicated, given the major novel circumstances. That said, I do think that the potential Clinton win was rather basic and simple and there for the taking, as many have argued, and in a way that the Harris campaign apparently realizes this time around. The Harris campaign still needs to make all the necessary moves, including more than they seem inclined to make, but at least they have apparently learned from the Clinton campaign fiasco, with its basic mistakes. Unfortunately, the time and circumstances were far more novel than the Clinton campaign realized, in my view. The situation is ironically less novel this cycle despite a variety of unique circumstances but still very precarious, as there remain a few elephants in the room still being much too much ignored. That these elephants have tears flooding from their eyes can make it all seem a bit ghastly.
So much to say but why bother, other than the notion that Chicago authorities granted permits for the pro-hamas protesters so their voices could be heard. I didn't see any counter protesters on TV as I flipped channels, was curious, and then heard a report on Newsmax that pro-Israel protest groups were not granted permits. Not sure if this is true, but if so might explain why there were no large groups of pro-Israel folk marching. Let their voices be heard, so long as they are the voices with which Chicago Democrats and their appointees agree.
Yes, it’s hard to keep up with what’s happening outside the convention hall. I saw those reports after I wrote the piece, but they seemed likely to be revised, so I didn’t mention.
I’m encouraged that the anti-Israel protest is coalition dramatically over estimated their support for the March on the DNC. Rather than the 20,000 protesters they expected, a paltry 2,000 at most showed up. And not all of them were marching about Gaza, the top priorities of the 2000 groups range from police violence to race discrimination, sex discrimination, abortion, capital punishment, etc. Their extreme rhetoric isn’t matched by their numbers.
Yes, it seems to have created the illusion of being a broader movement than it actually is. Or maybe they’re just not committed enough to travel to Chicago.
Please excuse poor editing above. Eyes weak and fingers numb.
No problem!
HI Susan: You are so right to draw this comparison with Sanders in 2016 - he killed Hillary's reputation with his supporters, Sarandon was horrible and it bothers me that he is still held up as a leader in the Democratic party, when he isn't a Democrat and Hillary who actually won the election by almost 3 million votes, is declared the bad candidate, the untrustworthy. She sounded incredible at the Convention. We lost big and many still fail to recognize the main reason we got Trump was thanks to Bernie, who was Russia's secret weapon. Think about it? What did Bernie ever do his entire career except complain, like Trump. He honeymooned in Russia and even sued the DNC. Donna Brazile and Liz Warren also jumped on the bad Hillary train and tried to tarnish her further by starting rumors she was the favorite of DNC and got her questions early. The DNC did nothing to help her; nobody questioned the results of the 2016 election - even though Trump won those swing states by less than 67,000 votes combined. Everyone blamed Hillary. The Dems did the same hit job with Joe Biden. He has accomplished more than any President, Dem or Republican in the last 50 years - more than Obama and the media has turned our politics into Entertainment Tonight. What if we judged our business leaders this way? Imagine telling Warren Buffett he is tool old? The President gets no respect and the media is all in covering Trump for almost 10 years now and the Country loses. Just imagine if all this Dem support stuck together for Joe Biden. In essence, we got the same ticket, same policies just a younger face and a woman at the top. Don't get me wrong - I love Kamala but what the media, NY Times did telling him to step down and his own party stabbing him in the back - Wow. Now, magically we are all together and bringing out the Obamas who are great and yet there is still Bernie as a leader and AOC spoke well but she and others were pushing Pelosi to step down as speaker in 2018 - what if they were successful? At least her own party didn't stab her in the back. She is 84 by the way and was a fabulous speaker. She stepped down when she was ready.
These Palestinian protests will be a constant thorn on Kamala's side through this election and it is exactly what we don't need. Sorry for rambling but as usual, you are 100% correct in reading the current political situation.
You’re not rambling! The sandbagging of Hillary by Sanders hardly ever gets talked about, or the way the media enabled it. it’s the biggest taboo zone among the many taboo zones in how we discuss (or more accurately, don’t discuss) 2016. And I agree with you about Joe. Even though we apparently were in desperate need of a “new start,” the way he was pressured and bullied and treated so disrespectfully was disgusting.
I don’t know why you would have lost 10 subs! Then again, I’m on the same page as you as far as the protestors, the protestors’ hypocrisy and anti-semitism, and anti-Zionism/anti-semitism among pretty average Dems who aren’t out there protesting.
This bullshit settler-colonist garbage appears to have legs beyond the most extreme of Dems. I recently discovered this firsthand among my own group of IRL Dem friends, when it became clear that at least two of them believe that a one-state solution is a possibility. I was accused of being like the Republicans here who don’t want immigrants here and who demonize them. Obviously, there is zero similarity between the two situations.
Knowing that this view is creeping into the mainstream has me very nervous, both of the anti-semitism at home and the thought that Israel might not always be there.
Sorry, didn’t mean to write so much! It’s unfortunate if you’re losing subs over the anti-Israel issue, but I hope you don’t stop reflecting on the issue in your writing. (I guess I could have just written that last sentence only - sorry.)
It’s true that it is creeping into the mainstream—and getting more poisonous with every creep. None of the TV anchors even bother to correct guests (or even mention that it’s controversial) who use “genocide” indiscriminately—it’s become a common descriptor. As to writing “so much,” please continue!! I love having real conversations and sharing of views in the comments. And not to worry—no way am I (especially at my stage in life) going to stop writing what I think.
The actions are way less pro Palestinian and way more antisemitism. Brilliant piece. I share every one of your concerns.
Thank you Abbi!
I just watched some highlights from last night and wish I’d seen the roll call of states and the Obamas - but it’s such a marathon. Sorry to hear about subscribers dropping off, but I wouldn’t let it get to you. I’m glad you’re speaking out about who you are and what you believe 🙏🏽
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1612196624/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
So the "pro-palestinian" or should we say anti-Israel protestors, because if they were propalestinian they would have protested against, Assad, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran, and Hamas, but since they are not and did not, we are calling them antiIsrael protestors, have glorified Oct 7 and have been investigated for ties to terrorist funding. (CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator, something everyone on the left conveniently forgets) But, Biden instead of separating the DNC from these Jew-haters he lauds them in his speech
https://www.jns.org/biden-at-dnc-anti-israel-protesters-have-a-point/
Meanwhile, antiIsrael protestors stormed a private meeting of Orthodox Jews (Agudat Israel) who were holding a panel on antisemitism in the US. Israel wasn't even a part of the discussion. But somehow the protestors decided to call them baby killers. Antisemitism much? Only proving why Jews need an Israel to begin with, but cognitive dissonance apparently is lost on these Jew-hating fascisti.
Maybe Kamala should tell us how she respects the protestors emotions and how they are feeling.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/kamala-harris-anti-israel-protesters-showing-exactly-what-human-emotion-should-be/
Sorry but I have 1 issue and 1 issue along for this election. "Who is going to fight antisemitism in the US so my children have a future in this country." So far Kamala has done a piss poor job.
Just because she is married to a Jew doesn't mean she actually cares about antisemitism. The thing she was most concerned about after OCt 7, was islamophobia.
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/kamala-harris-unveils-anti-islamophobia-push-as-antisemitism-soars-w5zqo5od
And simply because Doug was designated the antisemitism poohba (notice I am purposefully not using the word tzar), doesn't mean he knows what he is doing either. He knows so little about his Judaism that he got the story of Hanukkah wrong. - yep after being ratioed on twitter/X, he took down the tweet because it made him look ridiculous.
Sorry but if you can't call out the antisemitism on the left and among the protestors I have no use for you, because you really don't care about my Jewish children's future.
Oh and don't get me started on AOC, she cost her district 25,000 Amazon jobs because she doesn't actually understand economics. She may have an honors economics degree from BU but it doesn't mean she learned anything, (PS I have an honors degree from BU too, it's not that hard to get) Sided with the most antisemitic political party in the country DSA, and continually spews antisemitism from the floor of the Congress. And yes the DSA did withdraw their endorsement of her because she was on a panel about antisemitism in the US. Gaslighting the Jews of NY into thinking she's not an antisemite. Not gonna work.
And finally Hillary, I have said this before and I will say this forever, Hillary LOST the most winnable presidential election in history and no matter how you want to spin it, she has no one to blame but her own hubris. She took Wisconsin and Michigan for granted, spitting on working men and women in this country. "Basket of deplorables" anyone? So they didn't vote for her. Since then I couldn't care less what she says about anything.
So you think having Trump in office again would strike a blow against antisemitism?
I’m not celebrating any of the comments or actions that you mention here. I’m describing ANOTHER horror that haunts me, and that the protestors obviously don’t give a shit about—namely having Trump in office.
If you read me as defending them, you’ve misread me completely.
I don’t want my Jewish daughter—who is also Black and also not exactly the kind of woman that would be happy under Trump/Vance rules—enduring the racism, sexism, and antisemitism we’re facing today. I also don’t want her to have white, male, Christian politicians deciding what decisions she is prohibited from making, either in her sexuality or her reproductive life.
I’m surprised that you don’t seem to care about any of these, as you’re the mother of a daughter too.
If you’re going to misunderstand me so profoundly, I’d much rather that you wrote a stack of your own about these views rather than using my stacks as a platform for them
I did not think you defended them. I was saying that this is what I am concerned about. And it has nothing to do with Trump. Simply because I question her doesn’t mean I like Trump. But I am allowed to question what she says and does and I want answers if she wants my vote.
And I don’t have a daughter. I only have sons by the way. But at this juncture I am a single issue voter.
I can honestly say I am more worried about walking down the street wearing a Star of David than anything else and I can see how having a black child for you makes this an even bigger nightmare.
Truthfully I am very frightened right now because I don’t feel I am wanted anymore. I have been politically homeless for almost 20 years and it feels like it is getting worse every day.
But again I want answers to my questions and concerns. I want my concerns respected by the democrats. I want
My vote earned.
Listen, If u prefer I not comment I won’t anymore. I thought we were having a conversation but it’s fine. It’s your substack and you can tell me not to comment. Doesn’t mean I won’t read what you write though
It’s been a conversation up until this point. But your response was hostile and insulting. Reread it and imagine that you are the one being addressed in it. it felt like an attack. Perhaps you didn’t mean it to be, but that’s how it felt to me. I’m also scared—and I don’t know where you live, but I live in the South, where the worst of what the GOP has in mind will happen. And if you think they are friends of Jews, you’re not listening to them. You are not going to find a party in this country that is free of antisemitism. But I trust the Democrats (I’m not talking about the protestors, I’d never walk into one of their demonstrations) to protects my rights and life as a Jew and a woman far, far more than the Republicans.
I definitely didn’t mean it as an attack. And I apologize.
I grew up in the Deep South so I know what they are like. Believe me.
I honestly dont believe either party will protect me and mine and that terrifies me.
I get it. We’re both frightened and raw. The fact is that if your comments were a stand-alone post rather than a response to ME, I would have agreed with a good deal of what you say (not all of course; i have a very different view of Kamala and Hillary. But we share other fears and angers.) You have every right—and I’m interested in—your views on everything, even when I disagree. I just don’t like the implication (and in this post, it was not just implied, it was stated) that I’m something that I’m not. Apology accepted.
“Sorry but if you can't call out the antisemitism on the left and among the protestors I have no use for you, because you really don't care about my Jewish children's future.”
This is insulting and unfair. I’ve publicly criticized the left—for antisemitism and other things—all my adult life, and taken many blows from others for it.
I don’t care about your Jewish children’s futures? I have a Jewish child, too. She’s also Black. Are any of your children daughters?? Do you give a shit about what the GOP is doing to their freedoms?
That wasn’t meant for you. That was meant for politicians. I just wrote it poorly. I’m sorry
Susan, I really enjoyed this update and look forward to the next one. I appreciate the way you led with your “haunting” worries. I wasn’t as worried about potential divisiveness with the protests, partly because this isn’t Mayor Daley’s Chicago in the 1960s and partly because it already feels different than Hillary’s battle. That doesn’t mean the election won’t be close; but I do think there really has been a generational shift in how smart, strong women like Hillary and Kamala are viewed by younger voters. The social media response to Kamala becoming the nominee conveys this.
I found the first night of the convention thrilling, too, for all the reasons you highlighted - and Hillary’s speech and the ovation she received moved me deeply. I think it’s impossible for my son’s generation to understand how much women in political life were targets of visceral hatred, especially after the backlash against the women’s movement in the 1980s. By honoring Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary underscored a history that is all too often forgotten or erased in the digital record.
But you know what? If my son and his peers assume it’s quite natural for Kamala Harris to be the politician she is, I’ll take it 😉
By the way, I ended up skipping the second night of the convention after tuning in to a singularly uninspired and dyspeptic speech by Bernie Sanders. It brought back all my irritation with his previous “bro” incarnation - AOC has her own fire and needs no torch from him.
Thanks Martha! After watching the convention, I felt much less “haunted” by 2016 (I never was about 1968, because the circumstances were so different.)
I stuck with last night, but I did start to lose consciousness a bit after Bernie. “We must end this war!” As though it’s all in our hands.
I wanted to stay up for Michelle and Barack but I fell asleep in my chair during Emhoff and only woke up briefly to laugh over a great “size” joke by Barack, missed Michelle completely!
Surprised (and irritated, I confess—and also baffled) to discover 10 people cancelled subs within hours of this stack was posted. Usually when I’ve stepped on someone’s toes I know why, but in this case I’m left wondering.
Killer Kamala?? What do you call trump!
Lack of awareness of the political situation, the candidate's flailing position within it, and any incompetence in failing to swiftly course-correct was by far the main thing that could have sunk the Clinton campaign, which they could have entirely controlled but failed too and so they were sunk. At great cost to allies and the country and the world. The Harris campaign is now in the same position, except that it seems somewhat more put-together and has shown the ability to self-reflect on the fly and immediately course correct. Trump is so bad that the Harris campaign could bumble its way forward and still potentially win as the Clinton campaign almost did, especially since it massively outspent Trump. But if the Harris campaign stops self-reflecting - stops listening - and stops necessarily course correcting, then look out. In the words of Wole Soyinka, "Criticism, like charity, begins at home." There's a reason for that.
Appreciate the comment. Course correction important. But the Clinton loss was more complicated than that. I Recommend my book!
Agree that the Clinton loss was not only very complex, it was unusually complicated, given the major novel circumstances. That said, I do think that the potential Clinton win was rather basic and simple and there for the taking, as many have argued, and in a way that the Harris campaign apparently realizes this time around. The Harris campaign still needs to make all the necessary moves, including more than they seem inclined to make, but at least they have apparently learned from the Clinton campaign fiasco, with its basic mistakes. Unfortunately, the time and circumstances were far more novel than the Clinton campaign realized, in my view. The situation is ironically less novel this cycle despite a variety of unique circumstances but still very precarious, as there remain a few elephants in the room still being much too much ignored. That these elephants have tears flooding from their eyes can make it all seem a bit ghastly.
I agree that in certain ways, the situation today is less challenging despite what seem like greater liabilities.
So much to say but why bother, other than the notion that Chicago authorities granted permits for the pro-hamas protesters so their voices could be heard. I didn't see any counter protesters on TV as I flipped channels, was curious, and then heard a report on Newsmax that pro-Israel protest groups were not granted permits. Not sure if this is true, but if so might explain why there were no large groups of pro-Israel folk marching. Let their voices be heard, so long as they are the voices with which Chicago Democrats and their appointees agree.
Yes, it’s hard to keep up with what’s happening outside the convention hall. I saw those reports after I wrote the piece, but they seemed likely to be revised, so I didn’t mention.