2024 US Presidential Elections Megathread

[Norgy]

Norwegian talking heads are calling Walz "the closest thing to a social democrat", so I expect he will be in for a bit of flak.
 

Because, that is a bad thing, apparently.

[jimmy olsen]

Norwegian talking heads are calling Walz "the closest thing to a social democrat", so I expect he will be in for a bit of flak.
 

Because, that is a bad thing, apparently.

I mean not really.

https://x.com/dcwoodruff/status/1820861174168355170
https://x.com/dcwoodruff/status/1820861611256726013

Walz getting coded as a progressive simply for following through on mainstream Democratic policies reveals a lot about the operating assumptions of American politics, even among Democrats themselves.

If you run on universal free school lunches and a net-zero electric grid, you're supposed to take office and pass a new Lunchables tax credit and free fluorescent lightbulbs for small businesses in opportunity zones. Not, like, actually do those things. Very unsporting.

[DGuller]

Never heard of Walz before, but the first impression he gave was very positive.  I couldn't help but notice though how awkward Kamala Harris looked in comparison standing next to him.  Gives me flashbacks to Hillary, who despite decades in the public eye could never figure out how to look like she's being herself in front of the crowds and the cameras. 

[garbon]

Never heard of Walz before, but the first impression he gave was very positive.  I couldn't help but notice though how awkward Kamala Harris looked in comparison standing next to him.  Gives me flashbacks to Hillary, who despite decades in the public eye could never figure out how to look like she's being herself in front of the crowds and the cameras. 

I'm not sure Americans want women politicians to be themselves.

[DGuller]

Never heard of Walz before, but the first impression he gave was very positive.  I couldn't help but notice though how awkward Kamala Harris looked in comparison standing next to him.  Gives me flashbacks to Hillary, who despite decades in the public eye could never figure out how to look like she's being herself in front of the crowds and the cameras. 

I'm not sure Americans want women politicians to be themselves.

The issue is not with them being themselves, but with them looking like they're not being themselves.  It's like with fake smiles:  it's mandatory to have them, but if they actually look like fake smiles, then you're almost better off with genuine expressions on your face.

[garbon]

Never heard of Walz before, but the first impression he gave was very positive.  I couldn't help but notice though how awkward Kamala Harris looked in comparison standing next to him.  Gives me flashbacks to Hillary, who despite decades in the public eye could never figure out how to look like she's being herself in front of the crowds and the cameras. 

I'm not sure Americans want women politicians to be themselves.

The issue is not with them being themselves, but with them looking like they're not being themselves.  It's like with fake smiles:  it's mandatory to have them, but if they actually look like fake smiles, then you're almost better off with genuine expressions on your face.

I'm not sure that is true. In fact I don't think that is true. A clearly fake smile would certainly be better than a grimace or look of exasperation.

[DGuller]

Hence

The issue is not with them being themselves, but with them looking like they're not being themselves.  It's like with fake smiles:  it's mandatory to have them, but if they actually look like fake smiles, then you're almost better off with genuine expressions on your face.

I'm not sure that is true. In fact I don't think that is true. A clearly fake smile would certainly be better than a grimace or look of exasperation.

Hence "almost".  It's still better to have a dead eye fake smile than a genuine grimace, but at that point you're choosing between two bad options.

[garbon]

Latest merch from Harris-Walz is a hat emulating merch from another pop singer, Chapell Roan.

[Norgy]

"Laffin Kamala". Didn't that bloke have about all the opportunities in life? But nobody taught him spelling. The Spelling Jugend is hereby disbanded.

[Sheilbh]

I'm not sure Americans want women politicians to be themselves.

Yeah it's interesting compared with most other developed democracies now and I'd be interested to understand more why. (I wonder if part of it is the very specific role of a President - also looking at France? )

I'm always unsure what are issues Americans have with women politicians and what are the issues Americans have with Hillary Clinton specifically.

On this though - male politicians aren't themselves either. They're performing. I think the public persona always needs to be grounded in some reality of who you are. I wonder if it's as much that despite that there's lots of tropes and previous examples of what an American male politician is - there are "types". While until there's a female President there isn't really a "type" to judge against (and also I think even culturally there aren't many depictions of a woman President that I can think of off the top of my head).

[garbon]

Selina Meyer in Veep and Claire Underwood in House of Cards are recent examples. Neither are good examples to emulate.

[Syt]

Veep became way too real in its last two season 

[Jacob]

Apparently Walz had a DUI some years back. If I understand correctly, it was the same year that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll.

[Valmy]

Apparently Walz had a DUI some years back. If I understand correctly, it was the same year that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll.

It was 1995.

[Jacob]

Just read Trump's comments about saving Walz during the George Floyd protests, and I had an epiphany.

Trump is basically a ChatGPT hallucination given human form.