Current Affairs 2024 POTUS race

[Bryan+]

Baffling how long it took for Biden to drop out. Was obvious he wasn't fit to run again for ages before he finally did.

Obvious to who? It was only obvious when he tried to debate him. I don’t know the fella personally, those closer to him failed in their duties to disclose his declining mental state as much as anyone else.

I feel like there has been a death in my close family today, not sure why - it’s mad how apprehensive you become about politics in my advancing age. I’ve not spoken to a single American mate since last night and my virtual office space is practically empty. It’s a tough one this.

 

[sd_1992]

At some point Democrats will realise that running on a lunatic extreme left platform will never win them votes.

The country is far closer to Joe Manchin (who is probably the political centre in America) than to Kamala Harris and yet the party will never go for someone like him.

They will continue to lose until they figure this out.

 

[Seanjd]

Not really mate, I despise Thatcher, but she came across as a serious politician, Harris came across like she'd been at the sherry before going on camera. It may go down well on an episode of loose women but not as president elect.

Not that I think Trump is at all presidential himself btw, but Harris comes across awfully and the people seem to think so too.

But what you’re saying is a woman who is a leader should come across more masculine and less feminine.

 

[COYBL25]

Does this mean Trump and his mob who tried to overturn the last election won`t go to jail now, as there`s still a trial pending ?

 

[Bryan+]

From the bits I caught they ran a complete rubbish campaign.
Kept Biden far to long.
Thought Harris was a bit lightweight and to tied to the Biden government.
Bit on par with labour putting up Corbyn loads of noise but no chance of actually winning.

Yeah, sacrificing the weakest link- tbh, she had a lot of support from the right audiences- just not enough time, 4 months is a chronically short time to try and win the presidency from a fella who’s been campaigning none stop for nearly a decade.

 

[BigDunc'sFod]

No shot. The reason they lost is because they pandered to the whims of a man who was blatantly too old back in 2020, didn’t pressure him to step down after his first term, then had Harris run an absolutely dreadful campaign where she shifted to the right to try and capture so called “moderate republicans” while absolutely ignoring the democratic base.

The democratic base clearly isn't enough to win the presidency, the senate, etc.

 

[verreauxi]

A quick question for the US members here; why has he been voted in again?

Because it’s obviously not the wisest thing to do.

Your country had a choice between a white male fascist and a black female.

Surely it can’t be as plain and obvious as that? If it is then you have problems that will take decades to clean up. You haven’t made America great again, you’ve severely weakened yourselves in every sense.

An intersection of many things. There is this increasing narrative that Democrats do nothing for the working class, and this is a recent narrative since traditionally the working class has been the base of Democrat support. It is also pretty clear that Kamala Harris didn't resonate well with swing-voters. The issues of the economy and taxes loom large and this was better emphasized by Trump (or so it seems). And while Republicans are largely a united party on issues, the Democrats are more like a coalition, so people opt in/out to vote on issues (e.g., the middle east). There are probably other reasons as well, but one that remains massively puzzling (speaking as someone who finds Trump utterly repulsive and corrupt) is Trump's charisma and cult-like support among his base.

I will note with some surprise that KH didn't even win the popular vote. I anticipated it being closer (@emir was correct about the popular vote).

 

[GoldenToffee]

Not sure I saw any that did say that?

I saw a few videos where American citizens who happen to have a celebrity status were using their position to voice their opinion. Happened on both sides, unless you missed the bit where Hulk Hogan ripped his shirt off or Kid Rock performed?

Oh, there were dozens first time around. That's probably why the likes of the Clooneys kept their grids shut this election cycle.

I definitely saw Hulk and Kid Rock - not their biggest fans personally but they believed in Trump and used their platform to reach voters as they thought he can bring about change. Not like Swift, Beyonce and co flogging a dead horse: Harris = Biden, she was a joke from the start, finally proven by stats.

 

[wandyr79]

I don’t think it is. The giggling schoolgirl comments could never have been made about the likes of Thatcher or even Theresa May, and that’s because neither of them presented as giggling schoolgirls.

Liz Truss was vilified to max, but nobody ever accused her of being a giggling schoolgirl, because she didn’t present that way.

The reason Kamala has been compared to a giggling schoolgirl is because of her tendency to giggle like a schoolgirl. It’s really nothing more than that.

Did she have a schoolgirl giggle though. She may have had a distinct laugh but is that really a real reason why people did not vote for her, if so then it is still based in a misogynist thought process.

Person has unique laugh, deserves to be slandered for it. Person says they would kill people who don't agree with them but has no girly laugh. Was that the difference?

P.S. I am no way saying that you think it was a factor but if her laugh affected peoples votes then says more about them than Harris.

 

[ste d' indica]

At some point Democrats will realise that running on a lunatic extreme left platform will never win them votes.

Mate... what??

 

[Dymak]

But what you’re saying is a woman who is a leader should come across more masculine and less feminine.

You only hold this opinion if you subscribe to gender stereotypes. There’s been loads of powerful matriarchal queens over the years. I bet you Queen Victoria never got called a giggling schoolgirl.

 

[Mrk]

No shot. The reason they lost is because they pandered to the whims of a man who was blatantly too old back in 2020, didn’t pressure him to step down after his first term, then had Harris run an absolutely dreadful campaign where she shifted to the right to try and capture so called “moderate republicans” while absolutely ignoring the democratic base.

And this, ladies and gents, is the fallacy republicans are desperate for democrats to believe, because it will keep them out of power for another two terms.

 

[Prevenger17]

How do ‘reasonable’ (and I use that term loosely) politicians compete with populism which thrives when the economy is bad, the world is in tatters and people are looking for someone to blame? I don’t know where they go from here.

I don't think they can, especially with the waves of disinformation out there and the many unregulated channels it can now reach people.

I don't think we've ever really come to terms with the rapid onset of communication technology and I don't think we are mature enough as a species to handle the unprecedented amounts of information and misinformation that is now at our fingertips. Part of me thinks stuff like this is a necessary growing pain for the modern world. Unfortunately for the US, by the time people realise the horror of a Trump presidency, it might be too late. There is a decent chance him and his cronies will dismantle the democratic infrastructure of the US and turn it into a tinpot Republican dictatorship.

I'm glad I live in Ireland where the we've remained relatively untouched by all that culture war bollocks, but I'm not too naive to think it couldn't happen eventually. Already seen 2 of our lads warp into MAGA-hat wearing weirdos on here alone in relatively quick time. I'm not sure there's anything that can be done apart from riding it out, whatever it is and however bad it becomes

 

[emir]

I guess that's initially what Kamala and co thought, hence their bare-faced lies for several years covering up his mental capacity.

Looks like a majority of the country doesn't like having the piss taken out of them.

Additionally, on a separate note, the fact she knew from polls that around 75% of people thought the country is going in the wrong direction then still said she wouldn't have done anything different to Biden is LOL.

The woman is a certified bone brain.

I found it funny that the media thought "preserving democracy" on the exit polls meant votes for Kamala, when many people on the right are clearly frustrated with the Democrats' censorship and electing Kamala undemocratically as their nominee.

 

[wandyr79]

Oh, there were dozens first time around. That's probably why the likes of the Clooneys kept their grids shut this election cycle.

I definitely saw Hulk and Kid Rock - not their biggest fans personally but they believed in Trump and used their platform to reach voters as they thought he can bring about change. Not like Swift, Beyonce and co flogging a dead horse: Harris = Biden, she was a joke from the start, finally proven by stats.

Yeah, maybe they learned their lesson from 2016 and didn't want to come across a backlash.

That second paragraph though, the flip flop from 'Yes, it is perfectly fine for a celebrity to have an opinion and voice it' to 'No, how dare a celebrity have an opinion and voice it' is astounding.