Quo Vadis, Democrats?

[Valmy]

He's got a point.  The belief that a country inhabited primarily by Jews is horrible is not a left-right issue.

What makes that country horrible is the same thing that makes our country horrible. They keep re-electing a disgusting criminal as their leader that then goes on to do evil things. I presume not every country with Jews in it does that.

[Razgovory]

He's got a point.  The belief that a country inhabited primarily by Jews is horrible is not a left-right issue.

What makes that country horrible is the same thing that makes our country horrible. They keep re-electing a disgusting criminal as their leader that then goes on to do evil things. I presume not every country with Jews in it does that.

I'll be glad when Netanyahu is gone. Groups like BDS and Students for Justice in Palestine will finally disband when the disgusting criminal is gone.

[Sophie Scholl]

The future... doesn't look so bright.   

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[grumbler]

The future... doesn't look so bright.   

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She doesn't even know who the enemy of the US was in WW2. 

The Manhattan Project was a race against Nazi Germany, not Russia or even the USSR.

Better to keep your mouth shut and have people suspect that you are stupid, rather than opening it and removing all doubt.

[Norgy]

Your brightest minds are working on AI girlfriend bots, so what do you expect?
They're not going to get elected.

It's telling that she does not mention the space race. That did not happen?

[crazy canuck]

The future... doesn't look so bright.   

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She doesn't even know who the enemy of the US was in WW2. 

The Manhattan Project was a race against Nazi Germany, not Russia or even the USSR.

Better to keep your mouth shut and have people suspect that you are stupid, rather than opening it and removing all doubt.

No doubt she used Chat to write her social media

[The Minsky Moment]

The Space Race asks: what am I, chopped liver?  At least there were Russians involved in that one. And monkeys.

[Valmy]

The future... doesn't look so bright.   

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Every time I hear Slotkin speak it is painful. But that is what we get for making a never-Trump Republican a Democratic rising star. She has all the insightful intelligence of a Republican with the sturdy backbone of a Democrat.

And what exactly is the AI Manhattan Project supposed to be working on? The original Manhattan Project had a clear goal, build a bomb. It did that and then it was done. The AI Manhattan Project would be making...what exactly? AI Senators? They couldn't do worse I guess.

[Josquius]

The future... doesn't look so bright.   

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Every time I hear Slotkin speak it is painful. But that is what we get for making a never-Trump Republican a Democratic rising star. She has all the insightful intelligence of a Republican with the sturdy backbone of a Democrat.

And what exactly is the AI Manhattan Project supposed to be working on? The original Manhattan Project had a clear goal, build a bomb. It did that and then it was done. The AI Manhattan Project would be making...what exactly? AI Senators? They couldn't do worse I guess.

AGI I guess.
There is a good argument to make the invention of real AI rather than LLMs would be rather revolutionary.
Though whether that's something we are particularly near... I have no idea.

[Tonitrus]

Meanwhile, Harris seems intent on tone-deaf self-serving self-immolation...

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/18/kamala-harris-leading-democrats-memoir-00572544?nid=00000150-384f-da43-aff2-bf7fd35a0000&nname=california-playbook&nrid=00000169-c993-d565-a77f-e9bfa9040001

Harris' score-settling, elbow-throwing, bridge-burning memoir
The former vice president's reflection on the 2024 campaign includes pointed anecdotes about likely 2028 contenders.

By Melanie Mason
09/18/2025 07:22 PM EDT

Kamala Harris's score-settling new memoir throws sharp elbows at a number of likely 2028 presidential contenders, from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to her longtime friend and rival, Gavin Newsom, who she cast as unreachable in the frantic hours after then-President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

"Hiking. Will call back," wrote the former vice president in her notes from her calls that day, which are recounted in her campaign memoir "107 Days." She pointedly noted in parenthesis: "He never did."

The memoir, which goes on sale next week, sprints through Harris' hyper-speed campaign for the presidency after Biden dropped out. Harris, known as a cautious communicator, presents a relatively unvarnished look at her losing presidential bid, and her critical assessment of a range of leading Democrats represents one of the highest-profile installments yet in the party's post-election recriminations

It wasn't just her criticism of the "recklessness" of Biden running again, or her characterization of her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as the second choice. Harris begins naming names early in the book, as she recounts the reactions from fellow Democrats in the immediate aftermath of Biden ending his campaign and, soon after, endorsing Harris in his stead.

Some Democrats, such as Shapiro and then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, she writes, were quick to line up behind her as she made calls to amass support for the party's nomination.

"Before you say anything, I'm all in," Harris recalled Buttigieg saying.

But others, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, were more reticent, according to Harris. Whitmer, she wrote, signaled support but said she needed to "let the dust settle" before making a public statement. And Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, noting his state was hosting the party convention that summer, said he could not commit to supporting her.

As the second-to-last Democrat mentioned, Harris' note on Newsom's whereabouts comes across as a comedic punctuation mark on the list of responses, which run over a page long. It is followed, in contrast, by Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who, she writes, "tweeted his endorsement before I even reached him."

Unmentioned is that Newsom posted his own endorsement of Harris within hours. The California governor, whose stature among probable 2028 contenders has surged in recent weeks, draws notably sparse mention in the book, given the two San Franciscans' parallel careers have long intersected.

A spokesperson for Newsom declined to comment on the anecdote.

Harris is no less sparing in her recollection of her approach to choosing a running mate. She said she had poll-tested potential vice presidential picks, an exercise that was ultimately useless because "none of the names moved the needle either way." Her choice, she said, came down to the vetting and personal chemistry.

Harris said her first choice was Buttigieg and went on to lavish praise on his resume, his political chops and his husband, Chasten. But she ultimately decided she couldn't risk choosing a gay running mate.

"We were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man," she wrote. "Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let's just do it." But knowing what was at stake, it was too big a risk."

Harris described Shapiro, one of three finalists for the post, as "poised, polished and personable." But she was put off by his ambition — and his request to be in the room for every major decision — and worried he would not settle for the number-two job.

Harris twice describes Shapiro as "peppering" her and staff with questions, not just about details of the job but also life as vice president. He asked the residence manager a number of questions about the home, ranging from the number of bedrooms to "how he might arrange to get Pennsylvania artists' work on loan from the Smithsonian."

She also accused Shapiro of exhibiting a "lack of discretion" in the veepstakes, recalling that his official vehicles with Pennsylvania plates were filmed by CNN in front of the vice president's residence, despite efforts by her staff to arrange for less attention-getting transportation.

Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, pushed back on the governor's portrayal.

"It's simply ridiculous to suggest that Governor Shapiro was focused on anything other than defeating Donald Trump and protecting Pennsylvania from the chaos we are living through now," Bonder said in a statement. "The Governor campaigned tirelessly for the Harris-Walz ticket — and as he has made clear, the conclusion of this process was a deeply personal decision for both him and the Vice President."

Harris praised another finalist, Mark Kelly, as "magnetic," but fretted that he had not yet had an "'oh shit' moment" during his political career. She worried his military service could be used against him a la the Swift Boat attacks against John Kerry — which were orchestrated by Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign aide.

"I realized I couldn't afford to test Mark Kelly in that ugly grinder," she wrote.

She ended up choosing Walz, whom Harris praised for having "an appealing authenticity and was genuinely self-deprecating." Walz, in contrast to Shapiro, said he had no specific vision of the role of vice president, assuaging concerns that his own political interests could undermine her presidency.

Though her husband, Doug Emhoff, leaned toward Shapiro, Harris said Walz was the consensus pick of her staff and other close family members. After preparing a pork roast for dinner, she settled on him.

As for other Democrats hoping to quickly peruse the memoir to find if they're mentioned in the tome, they're out of luck. The book, bucking the norm of Washington tell-alls, does not have an index.

[Josquius]

Trying to set up president Walz?
He did come off very well in the campaign.

[Valmy]

Meanwhile, Harris seems intent on tone-deaf self-serving self-immolation...

Her priorities during this critical time have been noted. Fucking Democrats.

As for other Democrats hoping to quickly peruse the memoir to find if they're mentioned in the tome, they're out of luck. The book, bucking the norm of Washington tell-alls, does not have an index.

I know most of our top ranked Democrats are over 80, but they can get a digital copy and ctrl-f

[Zoupa]

Democrat leaders are just incapable of reading the room. Jesus fucking Christ.

[crazy canuck]

Can Harris be considered a Democratic leader or is she just a failed candidate trying to make some book sales at this point

[HVC]

Meanwhile, Harris seems intent on tone-deaf self-serving self-immolation...

Her priorities during this critical time have been noted. Fucking Democrats.

Guess she figured she couldn't make her bucks from the regular failed politician speaking tours?