Data obtained by 8News shows that voter registration in Virginia is on the rise after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for President and Vice President Kamala Harris announced her plans to seek the Democratic nomination for president.
“Particularly Democrats are excited that there is a new face to the party, a new candidate that doesn’t have the age baggage that Joe Biden had,” 8News Political Analyst, Rich Meagher explained.
Data from the Virginia Department of Elections shows that on Monday and Tuesday (7/22 and 7/23), the first two full days of Harris’s campaign, 4,899 Virginians registered to vote, a 38.5% increase over the same time the week before.
I really worried that it was too late to switch without disaster. And I was lukewarm on Harris in 2019 and also now, so was not too thrilled with that choice either.
But I haven’t seen democrats this energized to vote in my lifetime (and that includes 2020) outside of places like this where we talk about such things. (and I’m in my 50s, so I’ve seen a few elections)
Over the past day I have pretty much set aside any concerns because it’s clear that I was wrong and/or she is succeeding in a way that is galvanizing the voters in a way that goes beyond any concerns I have about her record. Everyone seems excited now, she’ll be better than Trump by miles, and maybe she’ll be better than I think she will too.
She’s already come out as supporting Palestine more than Biden ever publicly did.
I guess it’s time to just ride this exciting, unusual change and see where it goes.
I think it’s important to point out that Harris isn’t the typical ticket:
- Not a man
- Lacks that natural charisma, her’s is more learned
- Not purely focused on politics
- Not white
Here’s the thing though:
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The Left no longer gives a flying fuck about gender. Who can do the job? Her? Let’s fucking go!
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Her team is playing this correctly. I said when Harris was first brought forward that she needs to focus in her strengths as an ex-prosecutor and use words to turn around every significant past and present statement made by Trump and his cronies. Verbally drag them down using their own skeletons.
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Far as I’m aware her Mom/Dad/Grandparents/Great Uncle Thrice Removed, and the family dog, weren’t politicians. I might be mistaken, though we’ve seen some of the best Presidents and leaders come out from places that weren’t establishment political families.
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AND coherent. Biden was okay, though I think many of us have forgotten what it’s like to listen to someone that can string words together without stumbling over every fourth syllable.
The true key is whether she can hold this image. Excitement now means little. Apathy and fear can still set it.
I have no concerns about any of the things you listed - mine is more about her time as a prosecutor. But again, I’m happy to just support everyone else’s excitement at this point, I’m not even going to link the summary article I normally do about those concerns.
I think if Biden could get past his crime/drug bills of the '90s and mend relations with the African-American community, I don’t think her prosecutor days are all that much to worry about. Especially since this is a matter now of facing a dichtomous choice where we can have our pick of worse scandals under Don the Con.
Dems haven’t been this excited since 2008
Other than Bernie running, Dems haven’t had a reason to be excited. Hillary, while skilled, makes a lot of folks unhappy for all sorts of reasons. Biden could have done so much worse, but he wasn’t the bastion of progress many people wanted, and we didn’t know before the election how well he would actually do. For this election, Biden just didn’t seem like he would last 4 more years, and he didn’t seem like he had the fight left to take on Trump. Harris represents a real chance at some progress, and certainly staving off the return to the good ol’ times that the Right is hellbent on achieving.
Yeah I did forget about 2008. That’s the only other example I’m aware of though.
Oh man, what about all that Dukakis buzz.
He was like a goddamn rock star, what with all the groupies, the sold out rallies with women lifting their tops for him, the crowd surfing, etc.
Oh man, what about all that Dukakis buzz.
I hadn’t started to think about politics yet then, I wasn’t very aware.
Yeah, I’m just assuming here. I was 10.
Same here. And Biden was my last choice, but overall I think he did an outstanding job considering what he got done in the current political environment.
Would love for Kamala to surprise me as well. I certainly like her more than I liked Biden in 2020.
If this is true than it’s scary to think what the election would have been with Biden on the ticket
I was open about betting against Biden. I figured at least I’d set myself up for a win-win scenario. After all, I would be happy to have lost that bet. Nevertheless I thought we were doomed. While there is much work ahead, at least I and others can actually see a viable path to victory now.
