Kamala Harris was seen by many as simply continuity Joe Biden, a president who has long had a negative approval rating. When asked last month what she would have done differently from Biden, Harris answered: “There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of – and I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact.”

There was no clear vision, no shared rage with the American people at the state of the country: if there was anything deeply wrong with the US, her campaign seemed to suggest, it was the existence of the Trumpist movement, and voting for Harris could finally turn the page on that.

The part that the Democrats missed again and again is that the issue with America is not just that people were and are willing to vote for Trump. It was never gonna be over just because he wasn’t elected. Despite that being the message from large amounts of DNC leaders and commentators.

We can blame voters all we want but at millions of people that becomes a concept more than a specific person or group to blame. There are problems that need to be solved with more than status quo and centrism. And it doesn’t start and end with Trump.

I hope we remember that as we see more of him than ever.

  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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    8 days ago

    I don’t blame biden for trump but im curious who you thought did a better job given the one term adversarial congress nature of his presidency. the green energy bill, kept on fighting for student loan forgiveness and got a somewhat decent thing going (can’t grow past principal and forgiven after payments are made for 20 years), no surpise billing with medical insurance, the work with non compete causes. I like obama but he wasted his first term trying to compromise. Biden came out swinging and got as much done as he could knowing it was a fight the whole way.

    • Krauerking@lemy.lolOP
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      8 days ago

      Of Obama for sure. Actually passed stuff instead of worked in them and everyone sorta patted them in the back saying “good job, at least you tried” about stuff.

      A lot of those bills were basic spending bills that would have had to pass anyways with a title. Resuming loan forgiveness as it is written was nice but was hard to view as a positive and without the right PR completely missed as a positive by many.

      Which is his biggest mistake. We didn’t hear about his cabinet. No big speeches and pushing of younger replacements. No bully pulpit. Kamala showed up to break a tie a couple times but they just did it as a formality.

      Being the president isn’t supposed to just be a business man managing the books but the face and inspiration of a nation. It’s a social role as well as functional. He failed that job completely. He was the right president for the wrong time. Him not accepting that made him worse.

      • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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        8 days ago

        The important part is the business management. Especially when you have a shitshow that needs fixing. I am majorly concerned because if you look at like obama you see they need the first term to sorta right the ship and the second to make real progress. So we are basically treading water now and all signals are we going throttle down. One thing that made bush sr. decent is he ended up having to do some of the tough unpopular things that actually put clinton in a very good position for a democratic administration. Its a failure of the electorate to vote based on image over substance. It honestly drives me a little batty.