2024 US Presidential Elections Megathread

[Admiral Yi]

She's lost the Otto vote (such as it is) and not without reason.

The IDF is operating in the area of severely diminishing returns right now with world opinion stacking up against them by the day.  If the IDF executes phase I withdrawal *and* Hamas releases all hostages they don't have a lot of reason to stick around.  If they withdraw and Hamas keeps the hostages Israel regains some moral high ground.  Or popularity high ground, which is the same thing.

[Tamas]

She's lost the Otto vote (such as it is) and not without reason.

Yeah it would have been better to explain what Israel is getting in terms of protection out of this deal of them retreating.

[Admiral Yi]

Yeah it would have been better to explain what Israel is getting in terms of protection out of this deal of them retreating.

Israel is getting however many Hamas members they've already killed or captured.

[garbon]

She's lost the Otto vote (such as it is) and not without reason.

Yeah it would have been better to explain what Israel is getting in terms of protection out of this deal of them retreating.

While it doesn't mention the part that she said that 'thanks to the leadership of Joe Biden, there is a deal on the table' all she said was:

https://news.sky.com/story/kamala-harris-tells-benjamin-netanyahu-she-will-not-be-silent-over-suffering-in-gaza-while-stressing-israels-right-to-defend-itself-13185099#:~:text=She%20said%20the%20first%20step,and%20the%20release%20of%20hostages.

She said the first step would be a "full ceasefire" which would include the withdrawal of the Israeli military from population centres in Gaza.

The second phase would see Israeli military withdrawal from the whole of Gaza, leading to a "permanent end to hostilities" and the release of hostages.

"It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination.

"And ultimately, I remain committed to a path forward that can lead to a two-state solution."

I'm not sure that is supposed to be a description of the full plan but rather trying to thread the needle and avoid having her candidacy derailed by the conflict.

[Tamas]

But my point is she wasn't threading the needle. She explained what is the expectation from Israel, nothing else. I didn't even catch her saying release of hostages was tied to either step of the phase withdrawal.

Anyways, the sooner they move on and stay as far away as they can from that clusterfuck, the better.

[Josquius]

But my point is she wasn't threading the needle. She explained what is the expectation from Israel, nothing else. I didn't even catch her saying release of hostages was tied to either step of the phase withdrawal.

Anyways, the sooner they move on and stay as far away as they can from that clusterfuck, the better.

Israel is the one with agency in this situation. The one that America has close links with and can actually have proper discussions with. The functional democracy.
Its pretty common sense the focus would be on Israel.
No doubt some would complain they're discussing the future of the Palestinians without the Palestinians actually being involved. But that's a lot easier said than done with the current mess there and the fact the key player that will need dealing with is a terrorist organisation, so can't exactly casually send someone on a state visit to the US.

[Admiral Yi]

No doubt some would complain they're discussing the future of the Palestinians without the Palestinians actually being involved.

No doubt they would be wrong.  A cease fire by definition has two parties to the agreement.

[Josquius]

No doubt some would complain they're discussing the future of the Palestinians without the Palestinians actually being involved.

No doubt they would be wrong.  A cease fire by definition has two parties to the agreement.

They both need to make the same initial offer at exactly the same time?
That seems unlikely.

And again needs highlighting who we're dealing with in Gaza here. Its not a stable coherent state. Its a highly factional disordered mess. Expecting a total cease fire is either stupid or purposefully bad faith. There'll always be some group who refuses to accept any offer.

[garbon]

But my point is she wasn't threading the needle. She explained what is the expectation from Israel, nothing else. I didn't even catch her saying release of hostages was tied to either step of the phase withdrawal.

The meeting was with Netanyahu, so of course the discussion would be about what Israel should do. The first part of the speech was also about Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas but that it basically can't be a blank check for endless Palestinian suffering. She'd also released a writtent statement earlier in the day condemning Hamas and anyone who supports them (spurred on by those protests). https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/25/statement-by-vice-president-kamala-harris-3/

Anyways, the sooner they move on and stay as far away as they can from that clusterfuck, the better.

For sure.

[Tamas]

Israel is the one with agency in this situation.

Hamas could stop fighting and hide.

[Josquius]

Israel is the one with agency in this situation.

Hamas could stop fighting and hide.

Israel wouldn't stop hunting for them.
Especially since it'd be a bit of an impossible expectation that every single militant in Gaza does this.

[jimmy olsen]

Good lord! This is so much worse than the couch meme.

From February 2024
https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-dolphin-search-history/

Maybe the internet was a mistake," Vance posted Saturday with the picture, which was captioned with: "Woman gets violated by a dolphin and enjoys it."

I'm sure Vance expected it to just be a funny joke. The problem, according to the commenters, is that the words "woman" and "dolphin" were highlighted in the image, showing that whoever took the screenshot searched for those exact terms.

"Damn you, Internet, for showing people things they search for," former journalist Morten Øverbye wrote in response.

"Why you searching for dolphin porn, my guy?" asked user Matt Ortega.

Charlotte Clymer said, "The bolded words indicate the terms you searched to find this."

[The Minsky Moment]

She's lost the Otto vote (such as it is) and not without reason.

The IDF is operating in the area of severely diminishing returns right now with world opinion stacking up against them by the day.  If the IDF executes phase I withdrawal *and* Hamas releases all hostages they don't have a lot of reason to stick around.  If they withdraw and Hamas keeps the hostages Israel regains some moral high ground.  Or popularity high ground, which is the same thing.

I don't see how there could be any deal without some provision for how Gaza is governed when Israel is withdrawn.  That is fundamental. 

[FunkMonk]

Good lord! This is so much worse than the couch meme.

From February 2024
https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-dolphin-search-history/

Maybe the internet was a mistake," Vance posted Saturday with the picture, which was captioned with: "Woman gets violated by a dolphin and enjoys it."

I'm sure Vance expected it to just be a funny joke. The problem, according to the commenters, is that the words "woman" and "dolphin" were highlighted in the image, showing that whoever took the screenshot searched for those exact terms.

"Damn you, Internet, for showing people things they search for," former journalist Morten Øverbye wrote in response.

"Why you searching for dolphin porn, my guy?" asked user Matt Ortega.

Charlotte Clymer said, "The bolded words indicate the terms you searched to find this."

    

Vance has sex with living room furniture and he searches dolphin pornography. Why didn't the GOP vet this guy?

[FunkMonk]

Seriously though, Vance has the face of a guy who you'd genuinely believe anything about. Anyone could make up the most absurd accusation about him and most people would look at his face and think, "Yeah, that makes sense." It's so easy to make fun of the guy.

Terrible VP pick.