Our Current Moment In US Politics

[minoanmiss]

John Scalzi wrote about it.
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2024/07/22/biden-harris-trump-and-2024/

I have three reactions, braided:

1) I totally agree with him
2) I rather want to thank him for being a White guy calling out the racism and sexism of White people.
3) I am simultaneously amused that A Famous White Guy Has Announced Racism And Sexism Exist So Now We Know They Really Do.

This is being a hell of a year. I just realized I didn't write that much in 2016 or 2020 either....

Comments

[magid]

As for 3, I think he's been clear on that they've existed previously, and he's doing it because 2.

But yes, I agree with Scalzi, and hope a lot of other people do too.

[minoanmiss]

Oh yeah he has consistently Used His Privelege For Good and I really appreciate it. I just get a little salty sometimes that that's what it takes to get the message across, but you know me.

[cellio]

Yeah, it sucks that we need white dudes to say it before most people will listen. :-( I'm glad this white dude is doing this while sad that he has to.

[jadelennox]

I am kind of where Scalzi is; everything looked like chaos and panic, and it certainly was for a while, but what happened yesterday was extremely well managed. In facet given that it took them several hours to flip over donation website to say Harris for Pres, but the endorsements came thick and fast right away, it seems to me like:

1. they were extremely concerned about any leaks, to the extent that absolutely nobody on the tech team was read in,
2. which makes me think the conversations were, like, voice calls from Harris and Biden and maybe Doug and Jill to every trustworthy Dem in congress and every Dem governor (except ours, who has still said nothing, wtf)

which makes me wonder how much the Dems in disarray narrative was being managed at the end. Like, I know this is some conspiratorial thinking on my part, but, hypothetically: AOC gives her insta live thing where she flat out says, basically this is billionaires and cowards, and they don't like Kamala. And suddenly the left isn't in "Kamala is a cop" mode but in "eat the rich, guillotine those motherfuckers, Harris ride or die" mode.

I don't think that's what happened? But let's just say, if someone told me otherwise based on solid evidence, I'd believe them.

[minoanmiss]

takes notes

[acelightning73]

I feel sorry for Joe Biden. He's a nice old man who's spent his life trying to do a good job of upholding this country's ideals. But he just doesn't have the stamina to simultaneously be President and run for President. This doesn't mean he should resign or be removed from office; he made a reasonable choice according to his own priorities.

I am absolutely thrilled to see Harris run for President. As Scalzi points out, she's smart and savvy and capable, and I think all the racists and sexists need to see a woman of color being smart and savvy and good at her job the way Obama was. And she's "progressive" enough for me to vote for her without regrets.

[kore]

That was pretty fly for a white guy! (LOL SORRY)

- I think he and the white librul media and a whole lot of white people are really, really underestimating Kamala. I read a detail in an article that she was on the phone in her sweats for 10 hours yesterday, eating anchovy pizza and networking in a way few of us can understand. (Watching interviews I was struck by how many ppl mentioned they'd known her since DA days, or housing crisis days, etc.) I don't doubt stuff was lined up already but she was apparently doing a HELL of a lot behind the scenes, which we prob won't hear about for years. It'll feature in her administration's memoirs :-)

- I read a WSJ article (yeah I know, but it seemed well-reported) that Biden apparently alarmed many, many people at the NATO gathering. All the focus was of course on the speech blunders but the real meetings were worse. Plus ppl were warning that they were seeing crumbling support-- in money not just numbers -- in swing states and that was a Big Fucking Deal, particularly since that was Biden’s whole schtick. Now Vance has got the Angry Poor White Male Voter cosplay sewed up, too.

- Said this elsewhere but I think Biden is possibly really sick. Or at least sick enough he absolutely can't campaign, and long covid is a Thing. He refused to mask and that probably did him in.

I wrote a whole long rant about the press but deleted it. I think the media is gone as a public resource and I blame Craigslist, Facebook, etc., all the Move Fast and Break Shit bullshit. Well, now shit is fucking broken. But oops they can't fix it.

[minoanmiss]

ahahahahahahahahhahaha bwee.

I always love your analyses. :)

[hitchhiker]

> - Said this elsewhere but I think Biden is possibly really sick. Or at least sick enough he absolutely can't campaign, and long covid is a Thing. He refused to mask and that probably did him in.

i expected a lot more people to be saying this on twitter over the last couple of days! there's surprisingly little being made about his "covid is over, relax" stance.

[amaebi]

Thanks! I hadn’t thought of the timing thing, which I find very convincing. I hope he’s right that President Biden will lay about him with a monarchical stick of justice.

And one of the things about successful women politicians: you don’t know that much about them unless and until they become president. Because women politicians always have had to show that they’re “tough”— willing to prosecute a war, not “soft on crime.” They wouldn’t Thoth so far otherwise.

[julian]

Back during RaceFail '09, he was skeptical of The Power Of The White Man Speaking Out, but was persuaded of it over the course of months (as indeed that fucking thing sprawled over months), and he has used it for good ever since. I don't think I've seen him go astray with it once. Which is simultaneously fairly cool and also annoying.

And yes, this was Extremely Coordinated. The conga line of endorsements was too domino-y not to be.

[minoanmiss]

Being as that very recently someone i thought was trustably good turned out to Not Be, I value the people left we can trust (even as I worry about the day they break that trust).

I have definitely felt better watching today's news than I have in ... awhile.

[julian]

"...someone i thought was trustably good turned out to Not Be, I value the people left we can trust ..."

Um. Yes. Good point.

(And yeah. Me, once I was able to shift from "But there will be asshats!" into, "But I have reason to actually want *this person* in *this job*," I got way less grim.)

[minoanmiss]

Yeah, she may be a cop btu I do want her rather than being resigned to her, overall. Plus it would be nice to live long enough to see a Black woman get elected presidetn of this ridiculous country, something I didn't think I would live to see.

On Tumblr I have only seen a couple of people say,"but she's Not Perfect so we can't vote for her Either" and because I am terrible I have enjoyed watching them get their asses handed to them.

[lynnenne]

I agree, this was a well-choreographed move. The number of times I heard the phrase yesterday, “Kamala Harris is the best person to prosecute the case against Donald Trump,” indicates that the Dems had been working on that messaging for a while.

I’m actually hopeful. The best chance the Dems have of winning is to get out the vote, especially among young people. Trump (aside from being Trump) is old and tired and rambling. Kamala is charismatic and energetic and something NEW. I think a lot of younger voters will be excited enough about her to actually cast a ballot.

[lunabee34]

I really like Scalzi. I enjoy reading his blog and the way he uses it to provide a forum for other authors to market themselves. I appreciate the way he is aware of his privilege and is very frank about calling out racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism. One of the things I enjoy most about his blog is that he admits when he's wrong and to evolving opinions on things. He also adores his wife and his daughter and his pets, and I love reading that joy he has in his family.

[minoanmiss]

His delight in his family is wondermous.