What Kamala Harris Didn't Say...

[Galraedia]

When she stepped onto the debate stage in Miami last Thursday, Kamala Harris was running a presidential campaign that could best be described as “fine.” After entering the race with a huge rally in Oakland—and a strong $12 million raised in the first quarter—she largely receded to what’s been described as the contest’s “second tier.” Consistently hovering around fourth, but rarely higher, in the polls, she was overshadowed by the policy work being offered by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden’s persistent “frontrunner” status. Outside the launch and the fundraising numbers, though, there wasn’t much to note—aside from an embarrassing course correction on Medicare for All. Though far from an also-ran, she was, for many voters, an afterthought.

That appeared to change in Miami, when Harris took on Biden in a blistering assault on his opposition to busing in the early days of his Senate career. In an attack that the Harris campaign gleefully revealed had been scripted “months” before the debate—albeit one made more potent by Biden’s recent comments defending his work with segregationists—she tore into him.

“It was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on segregation of race in this country,” she said. “And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. And you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.” In response, Biden wilted, ending the exchange by practically begging the moderators to intercede.

The Harris campaign was ready for its big moment—T-shirts with photographs of a young Kamala with the caption “That Little Girl Was Me” were on sale within hours, and she spent the next few days highlighting the exchange on a prodigious tour of TV studios. It seems to be paying off. Biden’s poll numbers have shown a dip, while Harris’s have surged; her campaign took in $2 million in contributions in 24 hours, and garnered the attention of the president, who remarked that she’s “getting too much credit” for her debate performance. She was, by most accounts, the breakout star of the first two Democratic debates and is now being treated as a potential frontrunner.

Read more: https://newrepublic.com/article/154400/kamala-harris-defend-record

[George II]

1. Is she going to say anything about Jamal Truelove some day?

[samnsara]

2. i lost a bit of respect for her after that...she will make a fine prez if she makes it that far...

...and i will vote for her but i wont like her. i see way too much of an old co-worker of mine in her behavior and that was the reason i quit my job. The co-worker took the time to get to know us better...nothing different that any other employee did......BUT when the time came she used our personal info against us so she could advance her own career. I had horrible flashbacks when i witnessed the same behavior on the debate stage that night.

[Cha]

8. Wow.. that's awful!

[emulatorloo]

81. I had a jealous co-worker launch a lie campaign against me

I was getting a lot of praise for the work I was doing. He wanted to get ahead so he decided to “take me out”.

He told my supervisor I was going over budget on the big project I was managing, and was buying useless things that weren’t in the budget simply on personal whim.

Not one damn thing he told them was true. I watched the budget closely, and everything I purchased was part of the budget.

But I was under suspicion for several months, and a full audit was done.

Of course the audit showed I was doing everything right and his accusations were false. But in the meantime my reputation had been damaged. Took a while to repair that.

Zero consequences for the accuser of course.

So yeah, I don’t like seeing any of our candidates being subjected to character assasination. That includes every one of them.

Sorry you went thru that, it’s just awful.

[4139]

3. Biden should have been ready for it, he mistakenly thought the debate would be a friendly....

...game bean bag.... and he got BEANED!

[George II]

4. Who would have thought the issue of busing would be dredged up after all these years?

[tonedevil]

5. Anyone who knew...

what Senator Eastland worked on with then Senator Biden. Just one of the reasons Biden would have done better by himself to not bring memories of Eastland into the conversation.

[Galraedia]

18. Senator Biden worked with a lot of people. That's what a senator does.

Senator Harris has to work with Mitch McConnell. Every bill that she has voted in favor of has to be brought to a vote by McConnell. Does that mean the few bills she has voted on and that have passed in the senate make her a supporter of him?

[tonedevil]

49. He has worked with a lot of people...

and quite successfully. Why tell a story about working with Eastland when there is such a large buffet to choose from? It served as a road map to Biden working with Eastland to end federally forced busing. No matter if you are in favor of busing, hate busing, or have a mixed bag of feelings you know it is an issue fraught with racial controversy. It is certainly guilt by association and everyone who has raised issue with his story has prefaced it with I don't believe you are a racist to try to avoid that, but it doesn't seem to be accepted as sincere by Biden's supporters and to some extent Biden himself. As to what extent Senator Harris is associated with Speaker McConnell only time can tell.

[George II]

25. Him bringing up Eastland had nothing to do with busing, "but you know that".

Too bad Biden has the decency to not bring up Jamal Truelove, eh?

[StarfishSaver]

29. If you brag about working with a segregationist as proof how well you can work with others

you should expect someone to point out that one of the things you worked with them on was anti-busing legislation.

[George II]

40. Don't forget, overall busing has been determined to be a failed policy, Biden was ahead of his time.

[marylandblue]

42. That would have been a better answer than claiming he wasn't actually against busing.

[StarfishSaver]

43. If so, Harris did him a big favor by bringing it up so that he had a chance to tout his anti-busing

stance.

Since she offered him an oppportunity to highlight how he was so far ahead of his time and on the right side of history, surely we can now be done with all the complaints that she unfairly blind-sided him?

[George II]

45. And curiously today she came out against the type of busing that she touted at the debate.

[Cha]

74. Gracias, George.. wonder

why?

[tonedevil]

31. Do you expect the work...

Biden and Eastland did together to be ignored when Biden himself has brought up Eastland as an example of him being able work with people he disagrees with? Are you under the impression I would get a sad if the Biden campaign were to bring up Jamal Truelove? I'm undecided because I want to see how the individuals in the large panel of candidates handle themselves when they have to explain their lives.

[farmbo]

62. Why didn't he just mention John McCain??

Absolutely no one under 60 has ever heard of Eastman, who, as we all now know was an avowed White Supremacist.
If Joe wants to prove his chops for working across the aisle, just invoke John McCain. People of all ages are familiar with him and, except for Trump Cultists, he’s still widely respected. He’d even get positive spin from Meghan McCain and the women on The View.
Heck, that would even give Joe the added benefit of getting him thoroughly ensconced in Trump’s head for a full week of unhinged Tweeting and acting out as Our Great Leader obsessively pitchforks and slanders a dead war hero.

[Kahuna7]

79. Biden vowed he wouldn't attack his opponents, and he will probably

stick to that. But when it comes to trump the gloves will be off.

[crazytown]

6. What is done is done.

It worked. Harris will move on.

[4139]

16. Yes, Harris will move on, and bean Bernie and or Warren next

Debate.

And there is nothing wrong with that!

[customerserviceguy]

22. Yes

She will claw her way to the top any way she needs to.

[forgotmylogin]

54. I like Harris. I think she'd be a strong President.

I'm torn a bit between the fact they planned it down to selling T-shirts afterward, and the idea that this is how a skillful prosecutor (and/or) politician plans and executes their message. She is a scrapper. The Republicans are devious and so is she. Kamala plans and drops the hammer, that's smart. That's the kind of attack (on a much more advanced, grown-up level) Biden will need to deflect from Trump.

My favorite is still Warren, but I'd love to see Kamala as her VP or her Attorney General so she is lined up to run again in 2028 (Jesus, god, it's the future... ) if she's not successful in 2020, and hopefully not against 23 other candidates, all of whom are spectacular Democrats, 3-4 of whom are legitimate rivals to her (campaign-wise, not philosophy-wise).

[onetexan]

7. The article's BS about Biden wilting is disgusting

Greatly exaggerated. The person grossly wrong here for digging up the busing issue from the graveyard was her, so she can raise her poll numbers.

[tonedevil]

12. By reminding us...

of his work with Senator Eastland VP Biden brought up the busing issue. Sort of like when he called on Anita Hill before he declared his candidacy insuring she would be a focus and all that mess could be reexamined. Someone on his staff should buy a bottle of Nostalgia-B-Gone.

[onetexan]

13. maybe your nick should be "tone deaf"

another gross mischaracterization of Biden's words

[tonedevil]

15. You keep using that word...

I do not think it means what you think it means. Can point out the actual mischaracterization you think I have made?

[Galraedia]

23. Well we can't ask Senator Eastland ...

because the man has been DEAD FOR 33 YEARS. Biden fought for civil rights, drafted legislation to extend the Voting Rights Act for 25 years, supported updates to the Civil Rights Act, voted to end housing discrimination, voted on anti-lynching legislation...etc. But you want to talk about busing in 2019? Busing failed and is a non-issue in 2019. No one is calling to bring back busing. How are you going to improve healthcare, what are you going to do about poverty,...etc.

[tonedevil]

32. OK /nt

[delisen]

33. school integration is still an issue

[Galraedia]

39. WHAT? You mean busing didn't solve integration?

[delisen]

47. No need for irony. Many school systems are virtually segregated today.

Others have seriously and thoughtfully addressed the situation and the need, and have successfully integrated-giving their students preparation for living in a diverse world.

I think people who take these issues seriously and work to achieve solutions should be applauded.

[marylandblue]

44. If Biden had said, "I'm glad voluntary busing worked for you, but forced busing didn't work

in most places. Now here is what I will do for today's kids..." he would have won the exchange hands down.

[tonedevil]

53. I believe the rejoinder is...

States and Cities that are refusing to integrate their schools aren't going to voluntarily bus. The second part Now here is what I will do for today's kids... as long as it is followed up with a solid aspiration would be very powerful.

[marylandblue]

59. He says in his stump speech that he wants every kid to have a good education regardless of zip code.

I think that's a great line and it would have been the perfect time to use it.

[Galraedia]

55. If Biden had more time to talk and wasn't busy respecting the debate rules

unlike someone else, he could have said a lot. However, the point was to make sure he couldn't, which is why Kamala Harris attacked him on two things: 1) Comments that he made that were taken out of context, and 2) Busing, a non-issue as no one is calling for bringing it back because it failed.

The only mistake Biden made was not making Harris defend her own record, which should have been the moderators job. The whole debate was an utter joke.

[marylandblue]

58. He did say a lot, but he should have been short and to the point.

rejecting her entire backward looking frame. You are right, that busing is a non issue, and the way you reject a non-issue is by NOT TALKING ABOUT IT. You don't waste your precious time trying to justify 40-year old decisions or reviewing your civil rights record that anyone can look up. Attacking her back doesn't work either, since that would just make it another food fight and leave them both covered in crap. Acknowledge the past, but talk about the future.

He has an education plan to help low income schools. Don't you think it this would have been a good time to bring it up? Wouldn't you rather know what he will do for today's kids than what he did or didn't do for kids 40 years ago?

[Celerity]

60. 'which should have been the moderators job'

The only mistake Biden made was not making Harris defend her own record, which should have been the moderators job. The whole debate was an utter joke.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

I have seen it all now. You are demanding a DEBATE be turned into a Biden pep rally.


Sad.

[EffieBlack]

64. Who knew he was so helpless that he needed the moderator to rescue him from mean old Kamala?

[Galraedia]

66. Helpless has nothing to do with it.

Everyone is helpless when someone goes over their time limit and still won't stfu and the moderators don't do anything. What's the point of having debate rules if some people apparently don't have to follow them. And what the hell was up with giving Yang less than 3 mins?

[Galraedia]

65. Instead of the Harris pep rally it was?

I'm demanding the moderators ask real questions and not let it turn into a circus. Mics cutting off and on, letting candidates speak over each other, giving Yang less than 3 minutes...etc

[Celerity]

68. it wasn't a Harris pep rally. It was a debate masterclass by a strong, brilliant, black woman

She prosecuted her case for how she can smash Rump like the pro she is.

Amazing how little faith you seem to have in Joe. You want him treated with kid gloves, and when he is not (as if TRUMP would ever NOT get into a gutter streetfight with him) all you do is whinge on about the unfairness of it all.

Not exactly the look of coming from a position of strength.

That mean woman cheated, she 'attacked', blah blah blah. Hell, she plotted! LOLOL (plotted btw is apparently the new word in certain camps for debate prep.)

Biden needs to really raise his game and tighten up. He had a really big lead and has (as he historically has based of his two previous implosions) squandered a fairy decent chunk of it via self-inflicted wounds.

IF he is to be our nominee and crush the orange bloat, he needs to start showing it.

[Galraedia]

69. She also walked back on busing

Sen. Kamala Harris says busing students should be considered by a school district trying to desegregate its locations, but suggests it should not be federally mandated.

Harris says “there are a lot of issues” involved in desegregating America’s schools, including changing the way public schools are funded and increasing teacher pay.

Her position on the issue has come into focus since she criticized former Vice President Joe Biden during last week’s debate for opposing federally mandated busing while he was a Delaware senator.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/harris-says-busing-should-be-considered-not-mandated/2019/07/03/3a21b666-9de5-11e9-83e3-45fded8e8d2e_story.html

[Celerity]

72. smart move to walk it back, nothing wrong with being quick on your feet

And even though bussing was a portal that was used as part of the overall subject, it was not the underlying point. It was merely a tool used as a segue to make bigger points in terms of compare and contrast.

[EffieBlack]

63. Poor guy

[Lordquinton]

77. You think Trump is going to respect the debate rules?

I'm glad one candidate is preparing for the real fight.

[Thekaspervote]

38. Anita hill also said recently she would happily vote for Joe Biden

[Celerity]

9. 'an attack that the Harris campaign gleefully revealed'

Nooooo, that's not a slanted hit, not at all.

[ucrdem]

11. True though.

And no, Biden didn’t wilt. They still don’t get that he called bs on her malarkey.

[Celerity]

14. it is called debate prep, and Harris ran the road with Joe, he wilted like lettuce

'My time is up'

what a memorable moment

If he doesn't massively up his game and sustain it, his 2020 run will end like his previous two did.

I just call 'em how I see 'em.

[ucrdem]

17. LOL. And if he hadn't he'd be toast squared.

He called her out, defended his record and shut up. The relentless attempts to spin it as a great victory for Harris are getting to be embarrassing.

[Celerity]

19. polls so far say otherwise, sorry, not buying the spin that wasn't a massive positive for Harris atm

We shall see how this all plays out.

[ucrdem]

20. Time will tell, yes.

[Celerity]

21. +1

Also, if Biden is indeed the winner, I am using ALL my networks, skills and will to smash the monster Rump!!!!

In my social set/age cohort, I am going to move heaven and earth to (no matter who is the winner) keep Berners on Democratic nominee train.

[ucrdem]

24. I think we're gonna win this one

[Galraedia]

27. It isn't a positive. Not in a general election.

How do you get enough white people to vote for you when you're willing to call someone you disagree with a racist or inferr they're racist, when you know full well that they're not. No one that saw Biden and Barack Obama together thought, "Mmhmm that white man is racist." His record was public knowledge. It's ridiculous. Republicans that complain about democrats calling them racist can now say that we call everyone racist, including ourselves.

[Celerity]

30. no one called or inferred that Biden is racist, that is pure tosh nt

[stonecutter357]

36. no one called or inferred that Biden is racist , WTF wrong !

[Celerity]

56. no, I am right on this one, but thanks for playing

[Demsrule86]

48. Harris did just that...and I for one will vote for her only in a general...not ever in any primary.I

I am not surprised about this article either...

[Celerity]

52. no she did not, that is a amateurish smear

Trying to paint a discussion about racial equality, justice, fairplay, (plus the pushback against very problematic verbiage) as 'calling Biden racist' is patently offensive and tone deaf.


Over the past several months I have seen a pervasive (from certain quarters)...........


.........defence and/or rationalisations of state's rights arguments and the multi-decade old de jure versus de facto gamesmanship played by the non-southern cities as a bulwark against having to work to eradicate systemic and pervasive racism and segregation (both far beyond being just an education-only issue, and certainly FAR beyond just bussing)

The rationalisation and minimising of the very much racially loaded terms 'boy' versus' son' (and in regards to relationships with detestable racist segregationists) and then doubling down and demanding a black man apologise to a white man for the black man simply taking umbrage with that

The defence and rationalisation of the characterisation of the radical, culture-of-gun-death promoting, Rethug pushing (not to mention Russian money laundering racket) NRA as somehow 'NOT the enemy'

The defence or minimisation of the reduction of black kids wearing hoodies to a very problematic dichotomy of poet laureate and not a gangbanger.

The absolutely misogynistic attacks on female candidates, with a circa-2004, 20,000 post member outright saying Harris is on the Russian payroll and her bank account is being filled with roubles

Also, albeit somewhat tangentially, some even going so far to say we cannot even have a female VP (let alone a woman at the top of the ticket) or we will lose the general election

Twisted pretzel logic trying to rationalise the denial of potentially vital abortion rights for poor women due to a blockage of any federal funding (you know....'moderates' and indies might take issue with their precious tax dollars going to quite possibly saving the life or health of a poor woman, ffs)

etc etc......



This past few months here has really led me to question at times if I am still at liberal and/or progressive Democratic chatroom, you know, one that actually espouses what is in our Democratic platform


last time I checked, state's rights as a foundational legislative bedrock for certain very questionable stances was NOT in that platform

[Demsrule86]

78. You won't change my mind about this...no doubt some admired her treatment of Biden who reportedly,

they were on friendly terms with, I do not. She has my vote in a general.

[Thekaspervote]

41. 3 polls out today show Harris really not doing that much better

Reuter’s, WaPo and harrisX

[Celerity]

46. Harris is not the only other candidate running, Warren is within 3 points of him in one

and his African american support (pretty much his only sure path to winning the nomination) is cratering in multiple polls.

The IPSOS/Reuters poll you mentioned for instance (and there he also only has 22% total support and is moving down.


Biden's support from black voters cut in half after debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll/bidens-support-from-black-voters-cut-in-half-after-debate-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1TY1AM

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/12/2682/2657/2019%20Reuters%20Democratic%20Primary%20Horserace%2007%2002%202019.pdf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Vice President Joe Biden, the early front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has lost support among African-Americans after taking heat on racial issues during the party’s first debate, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The survey, conducted from Friday to Monday in the days following the debate in Miami, found 22 percent of adults who identify as Democrats or independents said they supported Biden, down 8 percentage points from a similar poll conducted earlier in June.

Support for Biden among blacks, a critical Democratic voting bloc, was cut in half, with about two out of 10 saying they backed President Barack Obama’s former vice president, compared with four out of 10 in the June poll.

African-Americans largely supported Biden when he entered the race for the right to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.

But they appeared to be looking elsewhere after Kamala Harris, a U.S. senator from California also seeking the presidency, criticized Biden for opposing mandatory busing to integrate schools in the 1970s and for his cooperation with segregationists while he was a young senator.



snip



The trendlines are atm, are not in his favour.

[onetexan]

35. to use Joe's word - malarkey

[Celerity]

61. Great tactics! Let's use a word that was already dated decades ago to try and deflect from repeated

missteps that betray a dated worldview.

Masterstroke!

[emmaverybo]

76. He used a wonderful expression to characterize Ryan's whole line of argument. People with

originality and flair have the gift to draw upon language from all times. Language is never “dated”
when it’s used well.

[redstateblues]

67. And this will be the #1 loss for your candidate. His millions have so far have not moved

out of the of the low single digits. And actually his number looks like it’s close to 0% with POC.

[onetexan]

37. i had forgotten that was one of my favorite words ucrdem - malarkey

which i learned from Joe. Thanks for the reminder

[MRDAWG]

10. I donated $ to Kamala however her attack on Joe was wrong. I used

to be a segregationist. I learned I was wrong and apologized for it.
Joe was damn near perfect in his career.

[JI7]

26. YOU used to be a segregationist ? may i ask how old you are ?

[Hoyt]

28. Biden responded poorly to his working with segregationists to help them

maintain their white schools and ensure inequality for millions of minority kids.

Rather than acting hurt, he should have said he was going to kick ass in localities that still have largely segregated schools, underfunded minority schools, private schools for wealthy, etc. But, he didn’t.

[delisen]

50. I agree. He had a splendid opportunity to discuss the present issues in education

and how he would work together with people using the executive branch to achieve integration and improve education today

[Hoyt]

57. Can't find it right now, but one of the DUers posted a plan that Biden announced early in May when

he kicked off his bid.

It was to add additional money for teacher pay raises and to help desegregate and ensure quality of minority schools. Sounded like a plan in the right direction

If he forgot about that by the June debate; he really blew it or the plan was just talk.

[3catwoman3]

34. I wonder if Senator Harris would have saved this...

...for later if she and VP Biden had been scheduled on different nights.

[Celerity]

73. yes, especially if Biden kept doubling down on the entire overarching issues (which was not at all

limited to bussing)

He may still keep doubling down. If he does, he will drive his entire campaign right into the ditch. It would have been soooo easy for him to put it all to bed right after those fundraisers happened back a couple weeks ago. He chose not to, and got clocked for his troubles.

[Skittles]

51. LOL

now instead of explaining what Joe said, they're explaining what Kamala didn't say

[ificandream]

70. Seriously ..

The OP is using The New Republic as a source? Might as well use Fox News ....

[Galraedia]

71. The New Republic is a liberal American magazine

The New Republic is a liberal American magazine of commentary on politics and the arts published since 1914. Founded by major leaders of the Progressive Movement it attempted to find a balance between a progressivism focused on humanitarianism and moral passion, and on the other hand sought a basis in scientific analysis of social issues. According to their about page “For over 100 years, we have championed progressive ideas and challenged popular opinion. Our vision for today revitalizes our founding mission for our new time. The New Republic promotes novel solutions for today’s most critical issues. We don’t lament intractable problems; our journalism debates complex issues, and takes a stance. Our biggest stories are commitments for change.”

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/new-republic/

[Cha]

75. Probably be a good idea if you didn't

try to paint The New Republic with a "fox" smear.

The New Republic is a liberal American magazine of commentary on politics and the arts published since 1914. Founded by major leaders of the Progressive Movement it attempted to find a balance between a progressivism focused on humanitarianism and moral passion, and on the other hand sought a basis in scientific analysis of social issues. According to their about page “For over 100 years, we have championed progressive ideas and challenged popular opinion. Our vision for today revitalizes our founding mission for our new time. The New Republic promotes novel solutions for today’s most critical issues. We don’t lament intractable problems; our journalism debates complex issues, and takes a stance. Our biggest stories are commitments for change.”

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/new-republic/

[NYMinute]

80. Are you confusing "New Republic" with "Free Republic" by any chance? nt