Wow! I can’t believe she didn’t intentionally make the obviously worse choice. Unironically. This is entirely new territory as a democratic voter!
I see it as purposeful messaging that they’re willing to change and be more progressive, if that’s what we want. Now we need to prove them right and get out to the polls.
To be fair though, democrats don’t have a problem getting out to the polls, especially for national elections. No Republican has won the popular vote for 20 years; the only Republican wins in this time were based on technicalities.
I think what we’ll see in November is the same high voting numbers, but a much different demographics pivoting the central block from old centrists to younger progressives.
This is why Kamala and co need to release their plan to unfuck our election system, so we never have to deal with this bullshit again… If they don’t, the left needs to start pushing it
20 years
But Bush did it … in 2004. Fuck, has it be 20 years already?
That’s the last legit Republican National win. He only won the popular vote in 2004 due to 9/11. He lost the popular vote in 2000 and won by Supreme Court decision.
These fuckers HAVE to cheat to win.
That was also a colossal violation of the Constitution, because of probability and statistics.
I was too young to understand at the time, but I read that the conservative justices blocked the recount citing concern that the batch of uncounted votes might indicate an attempt by Democrats to steal the election.
But we can easily show that the uncounted batch was too small to change anything. Consider that, even if every single uncounted vote went to Gore, the resulting variance would still reside well within a statistical margin of error for that sample.
In other words, that election was the US’ first true tie in a presidential election since 1800. By the constitution it should have triggered a contingent election, which is the business of the legislative branch, NOT judicial.
A very strategic pick.
His wiki page reads like a check-list to attract the republican women voters.
White
Male
From Nebraska
Veteran.
Supports Abortion rights.
“Think of the children” (both him and his wife were teachers).
Cat and Dog Dad too!
(I believe the cat has crossed the Rainbow Bridge but the energy remains)
Penny for your thoughts? Pennsylvanians seem to be big fans of Shapiro, though I’ve not heard of Walz before just now.
Shapiro is a HUGE Zionist and has had problems in his office with sexual harassment (not by him, but his aides). With some saying he helped to cover it up.
He may play well in Pennsylvania, he does not play well in many states like Michigan and would not play well with the youth vote. The only real reason to pick Shapiro is for AIPAC money.
Shapiro has an extended history of being quite sympathetic to Israel to the point of problematic statements and treating anti-genocide protest as something it’s not.
Walz has none of that baggage and seems to care about people. He’s a far better (from what I know) person to be one heartbeat away from the presidency.
He should campaign well and I expect him to keep hitting Trump. Vance will self-own without too much assistance. Punching up will be a great look.
If Walz is her pick, I’m giddy.
I’m fairly far left and I want human rights for all. I don’t understand why the party of small government needs to know my internet habits, what happens behind closed doors, what books are read, or why specific medical care (gender affirning or reproductive) is sought.
We’re people. The republican nanny state can fuck right off.
That said, I’d like a better safety net. The nation has the money for it if we had a rational tax code. This combination on the ticket gives me hope that all the above are priorities.
I do NOT want Shapiro except as a calculated play for Pennsylvania. I have 0 interest in a war to defend Israel’s right to be 1940s Germany.
Walz also coined the “weird” label for Republicans we’re using now
Shapiro’s approval rating is fine, but not high enough that the speculation of him guaranteeing Pennsylvania is justified.
On the other hand, he comes with a lot of baggage - some justified and some not so much - but all of which are terrible optics. He is an incredibly vulnerable pick whose only merit is the vain hope of delivering PA.
Shapiro hasn’t been good for education in PA, including leading the closure of several rural public universities and promoting student vouchers. Along with other views, he would not be a progressive pick.
“Weird” - Walz
Terminally online leftists have seized on a few very old comments from Shapiro (when he was like 21) and taken more recent ones out of context for performative outrage with regard to the current Israeli conflict. The oddest part is that his actually policy position is shared by Harris, Kelly, Beshear, and even Walz. He’s the only Jewish person on that list, though. That couldn’t have anything to do with it, right?
His “actual policy position” was saying the protests in his state should be forcefully disbanded and implicitly compared protesters to the KKK. He was worse than every other option, for very specific reasons that would have been easy for you to learn if you tried.
Like in the protests themselves, charges of antisemitism are inappropriately deployed whenever criticism is leveled against Israel and its supporters.
Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is also Jewish. So no, it doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Neat, I bet you totally have a black friend too, right?
Establishment dems like you need to suck it up and vote with the democrats. You always complain when you don’t get everything you want. Don’t you know how compromise works? You’re like little babies it’s not all or nothing. That’s not how real politics works
I hoped that Biden dropping out heralded a tipping point away from the arrogant, conservative old guard that was stifling progress and toward a more progressive future.
I’m more hopeful still. I missed hope.
It funny how Harris is touted as a change from the old running for president. She’ll be an OAP at the end of her first term.
Do Americans retire at 63?
retire?
I was already tired!
In the US, normal full-benefit retirement age is 67. If Harris gets the full two terms she’ll retire right on time.
Online accelerated program? Interesting.
I genuinely did not see that coming. I feel strange.
It’s hope. You’re feeling hope. Kind of tingles, right?
It’s actually scary at this point
I woke up this morning, figured she’d have made her VP pick public by now (I’m on the West Coast), checked my phone and said “Not Shapiro?! Bahahahahaha!”
And I laughed and laughed and laughed. F Shapiro! Pleasantly surprised she picked Walz.
That’s a surprisingly progressive ticket. Who would have guessed that the 2024 election would be between a lawyer & School Teacher (before politics at least) and a dementia riddled real estate mobster and a couch fucker
couch fucker
Squirrely Dan: “Allegedly.”
Squirrely Dan: Allegedlys he fucks thems couches.
That’s why they won’t let him campaign in Davenport, Iowa
I’m looking at Davenport right now across the river, those dudes fuck some couches. Frankly I’m surprised they aren’t giving him the key to the city.
Only reason they haven’t given him the key to the city is that someone lost it and they’re still looking for it between the cushions
Haven’t you ever seen the shows where they help people overcome their addictions? The first step is removing them from their current environment so that they’re not triggered to relapse.
Man he really took that Dave Chapelle skit seriously…
“Remember kids, even rumors can be hurtful”
~Richard GereDid Richard “Gerbil” Gere say that?
Did Richard Gere let his gerbils get between the couch cushions again
a progressive ticket with one of the post popular governors in the country who was able to be a governor because he was relatable and popular enough with rural republican minnesotans
It makes sense. He was big on in person campaigning. I’ve shook his hand and chatted with him, my dad had lunch with him a while back.
Hes a no-nonsense guy. He’s from Nebraska, retired Command Sergeant Major, taught in a small town, and listening to him reminds me of my grandfather who was a very popular educator and farmer in the midwest. It’s hard not to like him.
Any worry that the gov seat will go republican now?
not likely; but if walz does win, peggy flanagan would take over and probably have a big boost going into a full term.
Dems have been sneaky progressive since like 2018. It’s been a real breath of fresh air. With the Biden Administration’s achievements and policy goals basically being a leftist’s wishlist, I’m excited to see what a Harris Administration can do on top of that.
Oh hot damn I’m so relieved. I was pretty worried she’d go with Shapiro, and then have a solid argument against her based on his service in the Israeli military. After seeing multiple people on lemmy say “They shouldn’t choose Tim Walz… we want to keep him for our selves”, that seemed like a solid endorsement by his constituents. Then Bernie endorsed the guy, so I feel pretty damn good about this selection if it proves to be true.
As a Minnesotan, I’m saddened for our potential loss. But as an American, I’m happy that the rest of the country will get to benefit from him.
Same, but I have a feeling Peggy Flanagan will do well in his stead. She was part of the groups that used to coach others at the Wellstone Political training camps that Tim Walz went to before he started running.
Slightly off topic but I can’t think of a more Minnesotan name than Peggy Flanagan
Peggy Peggyson.
I’m just hoping Kamala and him are able to give America the Minnesota treatment. We won’t need these state reforms if they happen on the federal level instead.
then have a solid argument against her based on his service in the Israeli military.
That’s an argument against for some and an argument in favor for others. It’s about attracting independents and they are split on that issue.
On the other hand, Shapiro would probably not have done well among the large muslim minority in Michigan.
Overall, I think Walz seems like the best pick. I just hope he doesn’t turn out to be another Tim Kaine.
TO THE WINDOWZ TO THE WALZ
The sweat drip down my balls!
Please let this be a campaign thing.
OK!!
YEAHUHH!
This is going to be one entertaining VP debate
He’s going to talk to Vance like a child.
Vance will make threats and insults while the progressive sighs in response and explains how the world works
Nah. I’m hoping he just says “you’re a child, and a pretty weird one too”.
But not in the nice way
hell yes about time we had a cat daddy in the white house <3
He was coincidentally the keynote speaker at the Esri UC a few weeks ago (a big GIS conference/industry trade show), he was surprisingly entertaining and thoughtful. He used to be a geography teacher, and you could really tell by how well he connected with people. That was my first exposure to him, and I was genuinely impressed.
Wait what, he knows GEOGRAPHY? What kinda 'merican does he think he is?
No worries, my cat says I’m to vote Harris-Walz and D down the ticket, and she knows best.
The Democratic party is dodging the rakes like Neo, It’s a rare thing.
Wow, color me impressed! This is not the old guard Democrat strategy, and I am so here for it.
Turns out brushing real close to full blown fascism causes some changes.
Thank God. I can’t believe this actually came down to, “one of the most popular Democrats in the country vs. the worst possible choice for every state except PA (debatably).”
I so want this to be true. I’d lose my mind and donate more.
Is she like a real politician who cares about peolple? I’d love to see it.
RIP to the zionist bozo Shapiro
Damn, his Wikipedia was updated quick
Gotta make sure everyone knows since the election is very soon in American campaign time.
just went through this article and in every way it’s a great guy, at the border between Gen x and boomer.
Excellent choice!
As much as I would have liked to see her make a strategic pick who could help her win an at risk state like Arizona or Pennsylvania, he has less baggage than Shapiro.
I think too, there’s strategy in a non-strategic pick. The cynics would have said “Oh, she only picked Shapiro because she needs Pennsylvania” or “Yeah, yeah, he’s an astronaut, but she wants Arizona”.
In this case? I think he’s going to be a delight to watch. He’ll devastate Vance in the debate.
