Thanks Grant. Yes Harris was definitely the adult in the room - she handled herself really well and its remarkable how quickly she has picked up the baton since Biden jumped ship. But, while she is likely to get more votes than Trump, she may not win - the electoral college may (as it did in 2016 when Clinton got more votes but Trump won) tip things in his favour. It is a strange system.
The Republican obsession with Trump is hard to fathom and whatever you think of our politicians we simply don't have a Trump like figure, but for what its worth, in my view Harris faces the head wind of a wider disillusionment among democracies with politicians. A sense they can't be trusted and are hypocrites. In the seriously weird MAGA universe Trump taps into this as he simply doesn't play by the rules of rational, evidence based thought. So fact checking etc. in the debate misses the point. We know he makes stuff up but he doesn't really care because as the ultimate salesman, he intuitively understands that at some deeper, primal level he is connecting with millions of Republican "fans' who will buy his product and support him regardless. While Harris is doing all the right things - and in the debate came across as presidential - this is an election like no other and it really could go either way.
Thanks for those comments, Mark! It's a really important point about how Trump manages instinctively to connect with his MAGA base. It's a phenomenon worthy of close study, and, to be fair, there's a left-wing version of it too. But, more importantly, how can we instill some decency and rationality? Cheers.
Good question - especially the notion of 'decency' - The only thing worse than the cruelty that characterises Trump's attacks on those who he chooses to denigrate, is how delighted his fans are with these comments.
The Electoral College was basically a sop to slave-owning land-holders in the Southern states, and it perverts the course of US democracy to this day. There is, however, an effort underway to circumvent it by way of the NPVIC:
There's no doubt that Harris has TV appeal. Much like Jacinda. And of course, that's all that matters. Trump failed in a big way. Harris asked us all to 'turn the page' as if we should forget the social failure of the last 3 and a half years. The right deserves a better champion than Trump.
I agree, Mike, that the right does deserve better. Trump has managed to denigrate and sideline many principled conservatives. It would be good to see them come back. Cheers.
Hopefully the Never Trump GOPers can either take the GOP back, and if they can't, go full 3rd party against the GOP. America is long overdue for a multi-party system like in Europe & Oz/NZ.
If you didn’t come away shocked by both I’m disappointed in you. Trump was poor and Harris performed better in terms of propaganda BUT it should be obvious that in terms of foreign policy, which is the only thing that matters outside the US, the Democrats are the establishment party and represent the bellicose status quo. How anyone of conscience could vote for that escapes me...
That's a powerful point, Malcolm. I didn't get into foreign policy. But I do follow the ongoing horror story in Gaza. Harris said the war must end, with a ceasefire deal and hostage release. The 2 state solution etc. But why hasn't the Biden admin used its leverage already to make that happen? And Trump would only go easier on Netanyahu. He claimed “If I were president, it would never have started”. Empty words, because we'll never know if that's true. Thanks for coming in on that!
Thanks Grant. Yes Harris was definitely the adult in the room - she handled herself really well and its remarkable how quickly she has picked up the baton since Biden jumped ship. But, while she is likely to get more votes than Trump, she may not win - the electoral college may (as it did in 2016 when Clinton got more votes but Trump won) tip things in his favour. It is a strange system.
The Republican obsession with Trump is hard to fathom and whatever you think of our politicians we simply don't have a Trump like figure, but for what its worth, in my view Harris faces the head wind of a wider disillusionment among democracies with politicians. A sense they can't be trusted and are hypocrites. In the seriously weird MAGA universe Trump taps into this as he simply doesn't play by the rules of rational, evidence based thought. So fact checking etc. in the debate misses the point. We know he makes stuff up but he doesn't really care because as the ultimate salesman, he intuitively understands that at some deeper, primal level he is connecting with millions of Republican "fans' who will buy his product and support him regardless. While Harris is doing all the right things - and in the debate came across as presidential - this is an election like no other and it really could go either way.
Thanks for those comments, Mark! It's a really important point about how Trump manages instinctively to connect with his MAGA base. It's a phenomenon worthy of close study, and, to be fair, there's a left-wing version of it too. But, more importantly, how can we instill some decency and rationality? Cheers.
Good question - especially the notion of 'decency' - The only thing worse than the cruelty that characterises Trump's attacks on those who he chooses to denigrate, is how delighted his fans are with these comments.
The Electoral College was basically a sop to slave-owning land-holders in the Southern states, and it perverts the course of US democracy to this day. There is, however, an effort underway to circumvent it by way of the NPVIC:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact
Interesting! The doctrine of plenary powers of states can also work in the opposite direction though.
Seems like a step in the right direction
There's no doubt that Harris has TV appeal. Much like Jacinda. And of course, that's all that matters. Trump failed in a big way. Harris asked us all to 'turn the page' as if we should forget the social failure of the last 3 and a half years. The right deserves a better champion than Trump.
I agree, Mike, that the right does deserve better. Trump has managed to denigrate and sideline many principled conservatives. It would be good to see them come back. Cheers.
Hopefully the Never Trump GOPers can either take the GOP back, and if they can't, go full 3rd party against the GOP. America is long overdue for a multi-party system like in Europe & Oz/NZ.
If you didn’t come away shocked by both I’m disappointed in you. Trump was poor and Harris performed better in terms of propaganda BUT it should be obvious that in terms of foreign policy, which is the only thing that matters outside the US, the Democrats are the establishment party and represent the bellicose status quo. How anyone of conscience could vote for that escapes me...
That's a powerful point, Malcolm. I didn't get into foreign policy. But I do follow the ongoing horror story in Gaza. Harris said the war must end, with a ceasefire deal and hostage release. The 2 state solution etc. But why hasn't the Biden admin used its leverage already to make that happen? And Trump would only go easier on Netanyahu. He claimed “If I were president, it would never have started”. Empty words, because we'll never know if that's true. Thanks for coming in on that!
That opening walk-in handshake move was genius. Reminded me of the importance of the start line entry at the America's Cup :)
She definitely took command right from the start!