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DemocratSinceBirth

(99,705 posts)
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 05:16 PM Jan 2019

I like Kamala Harris. I'm on the Kamala Harris train until further notice.

She said we should have a government where we can see ourselves. I felt much better about America when presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were in charge. I don't say that to disparage our other fine candidates. We have an embarrassment of riches.



She also passes my electability test:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=11704037

67 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I like Kamala Harris. I'm on the Kamala Harris train until further notice. (Original Post) DemocratSinceBirth Jan 2019 OP
I like her too mcar Jan 2019 #1
Me too! I think she's a fantstic candidate. Shell_Seas Jan 2019 #2
Count me in. Quemado Jan 2019 #3
Yes winetourdriver01 Jan 2019 #4
Look at the team that she assembled Gothmog Jan 2019 #5
This. I trust Ari Berman's opinion, also. Like a lot of the candidates, but I think Kamala's the chimpymustgo Jan 2019 #17
Marc Elias! mcar Jan 2019 #47
I'm staying out of these primaries. joshcryer Jan 2019 #61
She is a keeper. Wellstone ruled Jan 2019 #6
Yup. ismnotwasm Jan 2019 #7
Of course you like her because she is very likeable. You either are or you ain't and that's UniteFightBack Jan 2019 #8
She's my pick as well tparrett62 Jan 2019 #9
I like her too but I'm not on anyone's train at this point calguy Jan 2019 #10
same obamanut2012 Jan 2019 #11
Count me in. Codeine Jan 2019 #12
We are, too. Tikki Jan 2019 #13
Same Starry Messenger Jan 2019 #14
I give her credit for stepping forward relatively early. aikoaiko Jan 2019 #15
+1 n/t FreeState Jan 2019 #16
Harris/Beto vercetti2021 Jan 2019 #18
Agree, that being said I will support the Democratic Ticket 100% Va Lefty Jan 2019 #35
Me too... at least until (if) Stacey Abrams announces she's throwing her hat in the ring... In It to Win It Jan 2019 #19
She's strong and smart. Count me in. yonder Jan 2019 #20
Only see one I am turned off to...and she's not going anywhere... Hulk Jan 2019 #21
I've been waiting for her announcement. She's my top choice. Maven Jan 2019 #22
Absolutely! shanti Jan 2019 #64
It's January 2019, I think I'll "hide and watch" for now NotHardly Jan 2019 #23
Same here. It's too early. We don't even know who all will be running. nt Honeycombe8 Jan 2019 #25
I'm not seeing one I'm all in for yet. Honeycombe8 Jan 2019 #24
She's my #1 choice too karin_sj Jan 2019 #26
The President and Vice President cannot be from the same state. Trenzalore Jan 2019 #34
Aha! karin_sj Feb 2019 #65
I like her too, very smart and accomplished! redstatebluegirl Jan 2019 #27
I do like her. I like several Dems including Biden and Beto. calimary Jan 2019 #28
Same here. I'm keeping an eye on the campaigns, but she's my default Recursion Jan 2019 #29
I'm down with KH, who's got a deep party bench of CA expertise & support, which include donors. ancianita Jan 2019 #30
Me too oberliner Jan 2019 #31
I'm on the any Democrat train. ffr Jan 2019 #32
I donated to her campaign today Trenzalore Jan 2019 #33
Me too Az_lefty Jan 2019 #36
I would be happy with Kamala and Julian as her running mate. TNNurse Jan 2019 #37
Me too. honest.abe Jan 2019 #38
I emailed her and said "I'M IN" 4 months ago. slumcamper Jan 2019 #39
I'm leaning there, but want to learn a whole lot about all the candidates before a firm commitment. Chemisse Jan 2019 #40
Same here. nt Duppers Jan 2019 #41
Not sure about the electability test Bradshaw3 Jan 2019 #42
Particularly if she has the most liberal voting record in the senate Awsi Dooger Feb 2019 #66
This is a great post Bradshaw3 Feb 2019 #67
She is my favorite, but I am willing to vote nocoincidences Jan 2019 #43
She's at the top of my list! Adrahil Jan 2019 #44
American Needs a (Democratic) President from California kennetha Jan 2019 #45
Me too. we can do it Jan 2019 #46
me too samnsara Jan 2019 #48
Same here nt Sunsky Jan 2019 #49
Me too. backabby-blue Jan 2019 #50
me too PupCamo Jan 2019 #51
Me too! (LOVE TRAIN) yuiyoshida Jan 2019 #52
Oh me tooooooo! Toot! Toot! Glimmer of Hope Jan 2019 #53
My initial thought was Biden-Harris. Thought it would be unstoppable. dem4decades Jan 2019 #54
I'm with her. nt 42bambi Jan 2019 #55
Yes. panader0 Jan 2019 #56
Too many skeletons in her DA/AG closet wellst0nev0ter Jan 2019 #57
I like her too - she's a natural, like Obama, - seems relaxed and really speaks well womanofthehills Jan 2019 #58
I don't know if Kamala is the best choice SirElaih Jan 2019 #59
She has 'it'. DemocratSinceBirth Jan 2019 #63
Same here. nt PunkinPi Jan 2019 #60
She was on Rachel DemocratSinceBirth Jan 2019 #62

Quemado

(1,262 posts)
3. Count me in.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 05:19 PM
Jan 2019

I know it's early, but, as far as I am concerned, she is the frontrunner, and will be, until another candidate makes a better case for himself/herself.

chimpymustgo

(12,774 posts)
17. This. I trust Ari Berman's opinion, also. Like a lot of the candidates, but I think Kamala's the
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 06:52 PM
Jan 2019

cream of the crop at this point.

 

UniteFightBack

(8,231 posts)
8. Of course you like her because she is very likeable. You either are or you ain't and that's
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 05:32 PM
Jan 2019

the way that cookie crumbles.

calguy

(5,223 posts)
10. I like her too but I'm not on anyone's train at this point
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 05:41 PM
Jan 2019

Call me an undecided who supports every candidate. My heart is open to hearing each candidate's message with an open mind. There will be many more to jump in the race and each one deserves to be heard.

aikoaiko

(34,127 posts)
15. I give her credit for stepping forward relatively early.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 06:43 PM
Jan 2019

Most of the other new national Democrats are still getting organized or waiting.

I need to hear more from her before getting on the KH train for 1600 Penn.

 

Hulk

(6,699 posts)
21. Only see one I am turned off to...and she's not going anywhere...
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:19 PM
Jan 2019

Good strong progressive candidates, and one DINO who is out of her class. Listened to a Tapper interview, and I hope the R-lite drops out fast. A waste of time hearing her "both siderism" garbage again.

Maven

(10,533 posts)
22. I've been waiting for her announcement. She's my top choice.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:24 PM
Jan 2019

When I lived in CA, I saw her shine as state AG. She is brilliant and a true blue progressive fighter. We would be lucky to have her as our nominee and as the next president.

shanti

(21,672 posts)
64. Absolutely!
Sun Jan 27, 2019, 06:34 PM
Jan 2019

We here in CA can afford to lose her as a Senator as we have so many shining stars to fill her place, should she win the nomination. Win/Win overall!

NotHardly

(1,062 posts)
23. It's January 2019, I think I'll "hide and watch" for now
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:24 PM
Jan 2019

Gonna watch the parade and do a "listening/reading" interest program on all the hopefuls. Too much at stake to jump for anyone.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
24. I'm not seeing one I'm all in for yet.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:26 PM
Jan 2019

I wish it were that easy. I'm still waiting.

Part of the problem is the newness of those who have thrown their hats in the ring. A few questions at a hearing, or a good resume, isn't enough.

I'm waiting for that special leadership quality that some people have. That "it" factor, I guess you could say.

karin_sj

(805 posts)
26. She's my #1 choice too
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:27 PM
Jan 2019

Smart, articulate, confident, serious but with a sense of humor. She has many excellent qualities. And anyone who says she doesn't meet the "likability" test is full of it.

I would love to see Kamala as president and Eric Swallwell as VP: two exceptional Californians!

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
29. Same here. I'm keeping an eye on the campaigns, but she's my default
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:31 PM
Jan 2019

Now, a spectacularly managed campaign by someone else, or a badly managed one by her, can still change my mind, but she has all the a priori qualities I want in a candidate.

ffr

(22,649 posts)
32. I'm on the any Democrat train.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:34 PM
Jan 2019

Any democrat is better than any libertarian, conservative, or loyal to corruption and chaos republican.

Chemisse

(30,793 posts)
40. I'm leaning there, but want to learn a whole lot about all the candidates before a firm commitment.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:52 PM
Jan 2019

I'm so excited she is one of them though!!

Bradshaw3

(7,455 posts)
42. Not sure about the electability test
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 07:54 PM
Jan 2019

MI, WI and PA are the ones we have to win back. Someone running as a fire-breathing liberal from California gets people on DU excited but could have a hard time winning those states. I see her as better for the VP spot.

 

Awsi Dooger

(14,565 posts)
66. Particularly if she has the most liberal voting record in the senate
Fri Feb 1, 2019, 04:34 PM
Feb 2019

Imagine the counter advertising on that. Months and months and months of onslaught from all angles and sources. People who don't follow politics at all really don't tune in until the fall and especially that first debate. By that time they wouldn't know anything about Kamala Harris except that she is the most liberal senator in the country.

Margin for error is gone with that type of thing, particularly against an incumbent. Sure it would be awesome to have someone with that record elected, but I tried to rationalize the same thing here in Florida with Andrew Gillum. Then when he was an obvious loser on election night I checked the exit polling...with 44% of Florida voters saying Gillum was too liberal for the state. Then that 44% was adjusted to 46% once the exit poll itself was amended based on who actually voted.

We can't nominate anyone who is considered too liberal. The 2020 cycle will not be nearly as favorable as 2018. That is the mistake in perception I am seeing everywhere. It is going to be balanced terrain, with both sides incredibly energized. That is always the case when one party is determined to validate that incumbent while the other side is desperate to oust him.

Our bench is anything but ideal. That it the problem first and foremost. It is touted here as strong but that is person to person impression while losing all understanding of situational influence and how it translates to voting booth. Once our governorship numbers fell apart it logically correlated to a weaker bench. The perfect bench dwellers are charismatic governors of important electoral states, with high approval ratings in those states. If we had a recent two-term governor of Florida or any of those major midwestern states, then that person would be incredibly well positioned to make a run at the presidency. In a perfect world we could pick from many of them. But once we are dealing with senators then the margin for error nose dives and you need an ultra special person to emerge. That voting record among 100 examples is too easy to spotlight and pick apart. Swing voters love simple reference points. The California aspect makes Kamala Harris an easy target for simplistic stereotypes, just like the Massachusetts connection to Dukakis, and now Warren.

I hosted debate watching parties in Las Vegas for many cycles not because I wanted to spend money and have awkward moments in my living room. I wanted to get a grasp of how swing voters and apolitical voters think...what they prioritize. I saw a young woman disgustedly grab her cell phone and call her mom when Al Gore was sighing through debate number one. It was immediately obvious to me how that would play out in the polling, even if the cable analysts that night tried to ignore it. She was screaming on the phone, "I can't believe I was planning to vote for him."

Kamala Harris as a prosecutor and someone who is accustomed to being on the offensive has an incredibly difficult balancing act if she is nominated. The cycle won't be nearly as favorable as she imagines right now. Trump will have tons more money than he owned in 2016. There are new articles today regarding that aspect. Harris would face outright lies. She'll have an unflattering nickname that will be mockingly repeated at one rally after another. Trump will still dominate the media coverage and the public fascination, no matter how much we protest.

And so forth and so forth. I am very good at applying situational influence far in advance of the actual date. Likability is everything for our 2020 nominee, given what he/she will endure. And a she would endure exponentially more.

Bradshaw3

(7,455 posts)
67. This is a great post
Fri Feb 1, 2019, 05:34 PM
Feb 2019

You should post it as an original thread.

People get excited about a candidate often based on emotion, rather than positions and electability. Someone like Harris whom we on DU may love because for example of the way she went after Sessions, while that approach may not play well in a general election. Democrats have to win the upper midwest or we will lose like in 2016. Our candidate has to appeal to a wide range of voters there, while some people on here continue talking winning Georgia, or Florida, which is crazy. Dems have carried WI, MI and PA over and over again while GA and FA (or TX) are fool's gold, especially if you are counting on them while pushing those other states to the backburner.

Two other points: 1, people always use the election meddling and voter suppression as to why HRC lost in 2016 and it probably was, but there's no guarantee it won't happen in 2020; also, there is no guarantee tRump will be the repub nominee in 2020. If Kasich or a moderate repub is, then the Dem nominee will face a tough challenge in beating them, especially if they are viewed, as you say, too liberal.

nocoincidences

(2,195 posts)
43. She is my favorite, but I am willing to vote
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 08:08 PM
Jan 2019

for whoever runs for the Dem party.

I have always liked the Harris/Booker combo.

I think that might be too much "living color" for the entire voting population, but that would be ideal for me.

 

Adrahil

(13,340 posts)
44. She's at the top of my list!
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 08:10 PM
Jan 2019

Also interested in what Beto has to say. I’ll give all the candidates my ear, but she’s impressed me so far.

kennetha

(3,666 posts)
45. American Needs a (Democratic) President from California
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 08:16 PM
Jan 2019

Certainly, we in California need one. But it has to be a Democratic one. The last two presidents from California were Republicans. One was Evil, the other was a doddering figurehead who mostly turned power over to evil forces.

dem4decades

(11,244 posts)
54. My initial thought was Biden-Harris. Thought it would be unstoppable.
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 09:48 PM
Jan 2019

With Harris taking over when Biden chose to leave.

Open for many things, Amy is interesting too. So many choices.

womanofthehills

(8,584 posts)
58. I like her too - she's a natural, like Obama, - seems relaxed and really speaks well
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 10:00 PM
Jan 2019

When she speaks, she has no hesitation in her voice. She's strong and we need that.

 

SirElaih

(37 posts)
59. I don't know if Kamala is the best choice
Mon Jan 21, 2019, 10:43 PM
Jan 2019

...but I do know that this might be the strongest roster of candidates I've seen in my lifetime.

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