I was recently told that "Kamala just isn't that likeable, sort of like Hillary"....to which I replied, When was the last time you heard someone claim that a male candidate shouldn't be elected because he's 'just not that likeable'? I'm very hopeful for a future where this sexist sentiment is put to bed for good.
Yes! Anyone that doesn’t think sexism and racism isn’t a problem in this country, I ask you: Do you think VP Harris can win with a female running mate? Do you think she can run with a black running mate?
Does anyone give a second thought to two white men running?
No, of course not, it’s a complete non-issue.
But two women? Two black people?
Absolutely not! It’s a foregone conclusion that her running mate must be a white male in order for her to have a chance to win.
So, when you hear, “America’s not ready for that!”
What they’re really saying is, “America’s racist and sexist.”
Please call that out when you hear it, and make them own it. Recognizing and naming a problem is the first step to solving it.
It "ruffled my feathers" 😣 when I heard to win Harris should pick a white, cis, male! Come on!!!! It's 2024! The country is almost 250 years old. Race, sex and sexual orientation should not matter!!
This right here. I remember in my Women in Politics polisci class in college we talked a lot about the double curse- either a woman in politics has to be a “ball-busting bit€h” or a “mothering, pretty sweetheart”. The roles women are forced to play seem to continue today. Here’s to a day when women can just be seen as, I don’t know, the capable, unique human beings they are?!
I've heard this as well. And I agree. And I've asked why sometimes and they really can't give a concrete answer. They just don't like women in positions of power. And sexism around female leadership is incredibly prevalent in WASP communities, so even the more progressive groups struggle with the concept of women in leadership.
Hillary is probably in the top 5 most qualified people to have run for office whether you like her or not. And I honestly believe that with Kamala's experience she is highly qualified.
Also, Black culture is very matriarchal. Females leadership in leadership isn't a threat. I've seen more Black churches with male/female co pastors (usually husband and wife) and both play a significant role in the church community. And it's not abnormal for women to speak instead of a man.
And can we note that she always has her emotional responses under control. She's passionate and assertive. So that argument is definitely not valid here.
I do not get the whole thing about Kamala Harris’s laugh. She is obviously a joyful person in the somewhat joyless business of politics. Personally, it does me good to see spontaneous laughter come out of a person, especially these days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Trump laugh, unless he’s going along with his audience’s laughter after a crude or insulting remark. A sense of humor is certainly not a requirement for high office but to me it indicates empathy, authenticity, self-confidence and the ability to connect with people and bring them along with you. I really, really hope running for President doesn’t snuff it all out of her. We could all use more laughter.
Right like- her laugh? I love her laugh. Women aren’t allowed to show human emotion???? If anyone mentions her laugh as a negative I’m just going to say I love her laugh and I love people who laugh????
How refreshing to listen to someone who is articulate and obviously intelligent. How refreshing to not hear playground name calling (bullying) and using constant superlatives (“greatest in the history of the world”, “worst in the history of our country”, “mass deportation of all,” blah, blah, blah). How refreshing to think of a woman leading our country. I’m choosing HOPE! 🇺🇸
I didn't watch the video when you first posted it and I just watched now. I'm not sure I even have the words to describe my appreciation for your first question to the VP and for her thoughtful, compassionate answer.
Abortion and rhetoric surrounding that issue has been a cause of great distress for me since the Supreme Court ruling in 2022. I am Catholic and have deeply held beliefs surrounding the sanctity of life but I was always against abortion bans because I worried that they would lead to exactly what has happened-women being denied medical care that they need and dying. To hear Vice President Harris speak in the way that she did about the issue fills me with hope.
I don't want to throw men under the bus but I am so, so, so tired of hearing male politicians speak on this issue and miss the fact that it is a nuanced topic that affects more than 1 life- the baby's and the woman's. So thank you for your thoughtful, direct question that allowed for her thoughtful, direct answer! I will be sharing this video with all of my friends and acquaintances who struggle to reconcile their feelings about abortion with their feeling about their political leanings.
Thank you Sharon for resharing this interview. Now we need to share it in a way that allows our friends and family to just take a listen. Encourage people to not just compare VP Harris to Hilary Clinton because both are women. Also, to educate people, like my own mother, that a woman is capable of being president of the USA.
Thanks for sharing this! VP Harris was not on my bingo card for President or VP when they were running. I was focused on another candidate at the time and, to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of research on my part with regard to some of the other candidates. However, since she's been VP, I believe that they have grown together as a team and seem aligned in their beliefs and goals to do all they can to create a better future for America. I have much respect and admiration for the Biden-Harris team as President and VP, but also as decent, empathetic human beings, which is what one expects from world leaders. Given that, I will happily throw my support behind VP Harris in her run for President of the U.S.!
This is so very true! Realistically, given our current electoral system, there are only *two* candidates. One has already been President and we have over 4 years of him in office and almost a decade of him on the political scene specifically to compare against Harris as the only other candidate. She has already run for President once and has a backlog of profiles and interviews that already exist (like this one) for us to get a sense of her views and her candidacy.
Speaking only for myself, those years of exposure to Trump specifically have already calibrated the standards by which any opposing candidates must meet or exceed to gain my vote. If it sounds like some folks are "all in" on Harris already, I would put forth that's because voters already have a lot of experience with these two candidates and it's likely that Harris has already met or exceeded the bar for many voter's support.
Also the Project 2025 blueprint for the transition period to a second Trump term is useful in understanding what their goals are for a Trump/Vance administration. Particularly since so many of Trump’s campaign team have been involved in writing it (as well as major conservative groups).
Yup! And while Trump is actively distancing himself from Project 2025, whether you believe his protestations or not, Agenda 47 also exists and is worth a read.
So many of the authors of different sections of Project 2025 are involved in his re-election campaign currently, so it’s hard to distance himself plausibly, in my opinion
To be clear, I do tend to agree. We don't just elect Presidents, we elect administrations, and I remain unconvinced that Trump wants to stop an agenda that would benefit him, but I figured I'd bring it up because it's been such a common rebuttal to Project 2025.
As soon as Biden made his announcement I watched this podcast and downloaded Hillbilly Elegy. I’ve recently watched DT’s Jan 6th speech (all 72 minutes) and have read the entire transcript from his Time article. So I’ve seen enough from him but need to learn about these 2 new possible leaders. I want to have real information, not some spun up version from social media.
What has she done? Anyone can say words but policy, actions, and record should be the guide to decision making. She has been hiding the truth about Bidens health and going along with policies that have brought us to the worst inflation in my lifetime, the worst crime in my lifetime and no cohesive border policy or enforcement and no real foreign policy with war being the supported solution. I have never heard her take responsibility and constantly blames others. Please share somethings she has done that has made the Americans life better.
Just a couple things to note: Inflation is happening globally and we already know that U.S. Presidents have little control over the economy, so I don't think Trump or Biden can be measured by the economies under their respective administrations as those simply aren't theirs to control (or to take credit for). Crime rates are down and have continued to drop, particularly a noted decrease in violent crime last year, but again it is hard to say how a sitting President could possibly affect crime rates that dramatically either way.
You raise several points, though, and those are definitely worth considering: whose border policies do you support? Where do you stand on isolationism vs. military support for allies? I do think it is very important to vote for Presidents on the things that are actually within the scope of their job.
Also: I think you can look at her record as a prosecutor, a DA, and the AG of California to see what her priorities are in terms of public safety/security. She was pretty innovative in her approach there and she was AG for like 7-8 years. She also has a voting record in the Senate before becoming VP. I found an interview from her 2020 presidential campaign where she talks about her vision for healthcare reform (a public/private hybrid system) to lower healthcare costs but still provide a private option for both healthcare and insurance.
I am no expert on global economies but I do know my household expenses are about 4x higher in the last 4 years. Also, I live in a border community and the lack of border policies have added to what feels is a hopeless and exploding homeless population. Crime in my County has increased over 100% and our DA seems tougher than what I read about in other California communities. If these are not within the scope of their job or influence, then who's job is it. We do know the Biden Harris administration changed/reversed nearly 100 policies in place at the beginning of their time in leadership and some that have directly impacted inflation and immigration.
I first want to say that I hear you, and I don't want to be AT ALL dismissive of your experiences and lived reality of the last four years.
I responded to you because I do think it's important to point out that the President is not a king (we fought a war pretty specifically for that!) and now, even more than at our inception, our country is very large with very, very many layers of governance. A lot of these things - local crime rates, local costs of living - are far outside of the realm of the President's power and fall squarely onto the local elected officials *and* the external conditions of a specific place. I live in Maine, and our housing costs are sky high because of a combination of local zoning for short term rentals, a seasonal tourist economy, and challenges to infrastructure the closer you move inland. President Biden can't fix that - neither could President Trump or President Harris. So for me, personally, I can't vote for a president based on an issue that they can't fix.
Immigration policies are definitely influenced by the President...but not completely. Our members of Congress, as law-makers, are supposed to be handling this issue as well. IMO, that's why it's so important to know what a President does not control as much as we should know what they *do* control, because then we get to pay attention to the other folks 'down' the ballot and what kind of a job they are doing. My local zoning board has an equal impact on my life, in many ways.
Thank you Emily for a respectful discussion, it is rare these days that strangers can have a conversation without hate or vitriol so I appreciate your thoughtful insight. I do understand that there is a process for many of these issues that effect our daily lives and there is not a direct line to the President. Generally speaking our local, federal and state issues have declined and are largely governed by one political ideology. Housing is definitely one of those areas that I feel is affected by the federal government and primarily interest rates which when they are high or low effect other parts of the economy. Fuel prices are also largely affected by the federal government and policies associated with drilling and trade and again impact other parts of the economy. IMO I feel immigration policies should be a controlled process where people are vetted when they have a desire to become a productive citizen and have not had that opportunity in their country of origin. Most of those crossing the border in San Diego do not have that goal in mind and this is evident by the activity we see. The majority of the people crossing are dropping their ID's at the border. They then are transsported to the airport for free, given a special gate at TSA without ID and board a plane with no customs review. My husband and I recently traveled and we saw it first hand. Why is this process such a secret? Why are Americans/legal citizens treated differently than people who have chosen an illegal means to cross the border? This is supposedly the VP's main job and the fact that she has rarely if ever visited the southern border is insulting. If you are basing your opinion of her record on how she did in California, look at San Francisco and Los Angeles (and San Diego) and all of the major corporations who have left the State due to high crime rates and the smash and grabs and their inability to keep their employees safe. She has brought that same ideology to the Federal level and will continue to push her policies that allow criminals to not be held accountable. I think politicians these days start at the local level, then state and eventually federal and their ideas are now our reality. I sincerely hope that people take a look at the drastic decline of California and see who has been in power (Pelosi, Newsom, Harris, etc.). The most significant of these declines has been in San Francisco and Los Angeles where they governed at the local and state levels. I would be interested to hear about the immigration plan details that congress and republicans did not pass. Most people have to be asking why the former president is such a threat to democrats? I know I am wondering why anyone would go to such extreme measures, most of which are unlawful, to keep him out of office.
Speaking as someone who will not vote for our former president: I find many of his positions to be a genuine threat to our democratic institutions. He attempted to overturn the results of the last election, without any substantiated evidence that there was fraud. And yet, despite still having no evidence of fraud, he is already saying that he will only accept the next election results if they are "fair" ("fair" to him evidently means that he must win). He has said that he would be a dictator, but "only on the first day" - can you recall ever having a candidate who would utter such a sentiment? It's not about his political party. It is, as Sharon says, about putting principles OVER party. Our democracy is not unbreakable. We can lose it. We *could* very well lose it. Piece by piece, one decision at a time to seize power and not relinquish it.
I don't think you need to like Kamala Harris, and you certainly have the freedom to vote without any coercion for whichever candidate you choose, but the next President is going to be one of these two people. I am concerned about the border, and the economy, and criminal justice reform, and so many other things that affect our country. I am also concerned about what we citizens will be able to do to address any of those things if we lose the process by which to do it.
Emily, I sincerely applaud your inner Sharon and your attempts to engage civilly with a fellow commenter who would obviously benefit from the use of more factual sources of information.
I just want to second Emily's response, specifically in regards to immigration being Congress's job. The president can certainly influence negotiations, but Congress has the authority to make and change immigration laws. We were SO CLOSE to having some decent immigration reform last year, but the bill got declined by Republicans after Trump gave the word. And maybe Repubs claim to want to fix immigration, but they sure didn't jump at the opportunity - and that's extremely disheartening to see.
Unfortunately it's an easy issue to use for campaigning and a money maker. I can understand in some ways why a state might want to take the issue on itself after watching Congress not do their job.
The increase in our household expenses are corporate greed. There are many examples of companies having record profits while price gouging consumers. The president has zero control over how companies set their prices on goods.
Yes, I don't think a lot of people are choosing to see that capitalism is eating us alive, and our Congress is loathe to do anything that will help, because they'll lose the big money donors. Wait until the lawsuits come through the floodgates since the Chevron doctrine was overturned... things are going to get very dark if we can't get a Congress and president who will do what's best for people.
I didn't listen to this when it first came out - I didn't have the time or inclination then. Thanks for the re-post, and for the thoughtful conversation you had with her touching on very relevant and delicate topics of contention.
There are a lot of claims made on both sides about immigration, crime, etc without data backing it up, at least that I have seen. Is there somewhere I can go to see numbers, statistics, research about these issues so I can see for myself what the truth is?
Here’s one place to start looking at crime statistics. If you research online you’ll find a number of organizations that track statistics about the issues you mentioned.
I hope Kamala does not just attack. We all know what Trump has done. What will she do to address the things that 80% of us want, like a real solution to the boarder problem. Please focus on good and positive change. Put away the quiver and move forward, break the negative trends!
I was recently told that "Kamala just isn't that likeable, sort of like Hillary"....to which I replied, When was the last time you heard someone claim that a male candidate shouldn't be elected because he's 'just not that likeable'? I'm very hopeful for a future where this sexist sentiment is put to bed for good.
Yes! Anyone that doesn’t think sexism and racism isn’t a problem in this country, I ask you: Do you think VP Harris can win with a female running mate? Do you think she can run with a black running mate?
Does anyone give a second thought to two white men running?
No, of course not, it’s a complete non-issue.
But two women? Two black people?
Absolutely not! It’s a foregone conclusion that her running mate must be a white male in order for her to have a chance to win.
So, when you hear, “America’s not ready for that!”
What they’re really saying is, “America’s racist and sexist.”
Please call that out when you hear it, and make them own it. Recognizing and naming a problem is the first step to solving it.
It "ruffled my feathers" 😣 when I heard to win Harris should pick a white, cis, male! Come on!!!! It's 2024! The country is almost 250 years old. Race, sex and sexual orientation should not matter!!
Keep saying it loud and proud!
She also “can’t have a gay man”. 😔
This right here. I remember in my Women in Politics polisci class in college we talked a lot about the double curse- either a woman in politics has to be a “ball-busting bit€h” or a “mothering, pretty sweetheart”. The roles women are forced to play seem to continue today. Here’s to a day when women can just be seen as, I don’t know, the capable, unique human beings they are?!
It starts now. It starts with us. Call it out! Demand it!
And let's be real, is Trump "likeable"? Who would you rather be left in a room alone with your daughters?
I've heard this as well. And I agree. And I've asked why sometimes and they really can't give a concrete answer. They just don't like women in positions of power. And sexism around female leadership is incredibly prevalent in WASP communities, so even the more progressive groups struggle with the concept of women in leadership.
Hillary is probably in the top 5 most qualified people to have run for office whether you like her or not. And I honestly believe that with Kamala's experience she is highly qualified.
Also, Black culture is very matriarchal. Females leadership in leadership isn't a threat. I've seen more Black churches with male/female co pastors (usually husband and wife) and both play a significant role in the church community. And it's not abnormal for women to speak instead of a man.
And can we note that she always has her emotional responses under control. She's passionate and assertive. So that argument is definitely not valid here.
And that is an ABSURD thing to say when she is competing against the least like-able human in the world. 😣
I do not get the whole thing about Kamala Harris’s laugh. She is obviously a joyful person in the somewhat joyless business of politics. Personally, it does me good to see spontaneous laughter come out of a person, especially these days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Trump laugh, unless he’s going along with his audience’s laughter after a crude or insulting remark. A sense of humor is certainly not a requirement for high office but to me it indicates empathy, authenticity, self-confidence and the ability to connect with people and bring them along with you. I really, really hope running for President doesn’t snuff it all out of her. We could all use more laughter.
Right like- her laugh? I love her laugh. Women aren’t allowed to show human emotion???? If anyone mentions her laugh as a negative I’m just going to say I love her laugh and I love people who laugh????
How refreshing to listen to someone who is articulate and obviously intelligent. How refreshing to not hear playground name calling (bullying) and using constant superlatives (“greatest in the history of the world”, “worst in the history of our country”, “mass deportation of all,” blah, blah, blah). How refreshing to think of a woman leading our country. I’m choosing HOPE! 🇺🇸
I didn't watch the video when you first posted it and I just watched now. I'm not sure I even have the words to describe my appreciation for your first question to the VP and for her thoughtful, compassionate answer.
Abortion and rhetoric surrounding that issue has been a cause of great distress for me since the Supreme Court ruling in 2022. I am Catholic and have deeply held beliefs surrounding the sanctity of life but I was always against abortion bans because I worried that they would lead to exactly what has happened-women being denied medical care that they need and dying. To hear Vice President Harris speak in the way that she did about the issue fills me with hope.
I don't want to throw men under the bus but I am so, so, so tired of hearing male politicians speak on this issue and miss the fact that it is a nuanced topic that affects more than 1 life- the baby's and the woman's. So thank you for your thoughtful, direct question that allowed for her thoughtful, direct answer! I will be sharing this video with all of my friends and acquaintances who struggle to reconcile their feelings about abortion with their feeling about their political leanings.
For the first time in years I'm excited about the election possibilities
Thank you Sharon for resharing this interview. Now we need to share it in a way that allows our friends and family to just take a listen. Encourage people to not just compare VP Harris to Hilary Clinton because both are women. Also, to educate people, like my own mother, that a woman is capable of being president of the USA.
She’s hopeful about America, which is such a breath of fresh air. She’s smart and she’s tough. I am excited!
Yes. Just like Joe. Now, let’s get to work and elect her!
Just watched her NCAA speech at the White House. The empathy is genuine in her. I am definitely going to volunteer for her campaign
Anyone that wants her to win, has to volunteer, and bring friends with you! Just your vote is not enough. We have to bring everyone we know along.
And not just the top of the ticket, all the way down! We have to take both the House and Senate, too.
Remember McConnel’s “Obstruct, obstruct, obstruct?”
We have to get rid of Christian Nationalist, Speaker Johnson, and his Project 2025 agenda.
Let Her Lead!
It would be fair to say that an interview with Donald Trump and/or JD Vance is now in order, as well.
Harris’ interview was interesting.
I'm sure Sharon would love to interview either of them! They have to accept the invite though.
I believe she has extended the invite multiple times.
Thanks for sharing this! VP Harris was not on my bingo card for President or VP when they were running. I was focused on another candidate at the time and, to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of research on my part with regard to some of the other candidates. However, since she's been VP, I believe that they have grown together as a team and seem aligned in their beliefs and goals to do all they can to create a better future for America. I have much respect and admiration for the Biden-Harris team as President and VP, but also as decent, empathetic human beings, which is what one expects from world leaders. Given that, I will happily throw my support behind VP Harris in her run for President of the U.S.!
It is fruitful for all of us to listen to all sides and do our own homework on all candidates.
This is so very true! Realistically, given our current electoral system, there are only *two* candidates. One has already been President and we have over 4 years of him in office and almost a decade of him on the political scene specifically to compare against Harris as the only other candidate. She has already run for President once and has a backlog of profiles and interviews that already exist (like this one) for us to get a sense of her views and her candidacy.
Speaking only for myself, those years of exposure to Trump specifically have already calibrated the standards by which any opposing candidates must meet or exceed to gain my vote. If it sounds like some folks are "all in" on Harris already, I would put forth that's because voters already have a lot of experience with these two candidates and it's likely that Harris has already met or exceeded the bar for many voter's support.
Also the Project 2025 blueprint for the transition period to a second Trump term is useful in understanding what their goals are for a Trump/Vance administration. Particularly since so many of Trump’s campaign team have been involved in writing it (as well as major conservative groups).
Yup! And while Trump is actively distancing himself from Project 2025, whether you believe his protestations or not, Agenda 47 also exists and is worth a read.
So many of the authors of different sections of Project 2025 are involved in his re-election campaign currently, so it’s hard to distance himself plausibly, in my opinion
To be clear, I do tend to agree. We don't just elect Presidents, we elect administrations, and I remain unconvinced that Trump wants to stop an agenda that would benefit him, but I figured I'd bring it up because it's been such a common rebuttal to Project 2025.
As soon as Biden made his announcement I watched this podcast and downloaded Hillbilly Elegy. I’ve recently watched DT’s Jan 6th speech (all 72 minutes) and have read the entire transcript from his Time article. So I’ve seen enough from him but need to learn about these 2 new possible leaders. I want to have real information, not some spun up version from social media.
What has she done? Anyone can say words but policy, actions, and record should be the guide to decision making. She has been hiding the truth about Bidens health and going along with policies that have brought us to the worst inflation in my lifetime, the worst crime in my lifetime and no cohesive border policy or enforcement and no real foreign policy with war being the supported solution. I have never heard her take responsibility and constantly blames others. Please share somethings she has done that has made the Americans life better.
Just a couple things to note: Inflation is happening globally and we already know that U.S. Presidents have little control over the economy, so I don't think Trump or Biden can be measured by the economies under their respective administrations as those simply aren't theirs to control (or to take credit for). Crime rates are down and have continued to drop, particularly a noted decrease in violent crime last year, but again it is hard to say how a sitting President could possibly affect crime rates that dramatically either way.
You raise several points, though, and those are definitely worth considering: whose border policies do you support? Where do you stand on isolationism vs. military support for allies? I do think it is very important to vote for Presidents on the things that are actually within the scope of their job.
Also: I think you can look at her record as a prosecutor, a DA, and the AG of California to see what her priorities are in terms of public safety/security. She was pretty innovative in her approach there and she was AG for like 7-8 years. She also has a voting record in the Senate before becoming VP. I found an interview from her 2020 presidential campaign where she talks about her vision for healthcare reform (a public/private hybrid system) to lower healthcare costs but still provide a private option for both healthcare and insurance.
I am no expert on global economies but I do know my household expenses are about 4x higher in the last 4 years. Also, I live in a border community and the lack of border policies have added to what feels is a hopeless and exploding homeless population. Crime in my County has increased over 100% and our DA seems tougher than what I read about in other California communities. If these are not within the scope of their job or influence, then who's job is it. We do know the Biden Harris administration changed/reversed nearly 100 policies in place at the beginning of their time in leadership and some that have directly impacted inflation and immigration.
I first want to say that I hear you, and I don't want to be AT ALL dismissive of your experiences and lived reality of the last four years.
I responded to you because I do think it's important to point out that the President is not a king (we fought a war pretty specifically for that!) and now, even more than at our inception, our country is very large with very, very many layers of governance. A lot of these things - local crime rates, local costs of living - are far outside of the realm of the President's power and fall squarely onto the local elected officials *and* the external conditions of a specific place. I live in Maine, and our housing costs are sky high because of a combination of local zoning for short term rentals, a seasonal tourist economy, and challenges to infrastructure the closer you move inland. President Biden can't fix that - neither could President Trump or President Harris. So for me, personally, I can't vote for a president based on an issue that they can't fix.
Immigration policies are definitely influenced by the President...but not completely. Our members of Congress, as law-makers, are supposed to be handling this issue as well. IMO, that's why it's so important to know what a President does not control as much as we should know what they *do* control, because then we get to pay attention to the other folks 'down' the ballot and what kind of a job they are doing. My local zoning board has an equal impact on my life, in many ways.
Emily I am in Maine too! Yay! ❤️
Maine Governerds unite!! Maybe we can get Sharon to come visit someday 🤭💙
Thank you Emily for a respectful discussion, it is rare these days that strangers can have a conversation without hate or vitriol so I appreciate your thoughtful insight. I do understand that there is a process for many of these issues that effect our daily lives and there is not a direct line to the President. Generally speaking our local, federal and state issues have declined and are largely governed by one political ideology. Housing is definitely one of those areas that I feel is affected by the federal government and primarily interest rates which when they are high or low effect other parts of the economy. Fuel prices are also largely affected by the federal government and policies associated with drilling and trade and again impact other parts of the economy. IMO I feel immigration policies should be a controlled process where people are vetted when they have a desire to become a productive citizen and have not had that opportunity in their country of origin. Most of those crossing the border in San Diego do not have that goal in mind and this is evident by the activity we see. The majority of the people crossing are dropping their ID's at the border. They then are transsported to the airport for free, given a special gate at TSA without ID and board a plane with no customs review. My husband and I recently traveled and we saw it first hand. Why is this process such a secret? Why are Americans/legal citizens treated differently than people who have chosen an illegal means to cross the border? This is supposedly the VP's main job and the fact that she has rarely if ever visited the southern border is insulting. If you are basing your opinion of her record on how she did in California, look at San Francisco and Los Angeles (and San Diego) and all of the major corporations who have left the State due to high crime rates and the smash and grabs and their inability to keep their employees safe. She has brought that same ideology to the Federal level and will continue to push her policies that allow criminals to not be held accountable. I think politicians these days start at the local level, then state and eventually federal and their ideas are now our reality. I sincerely hope that people take a look at the drastic decline of California and see who has been in power (Pelosi, Newsom, Harris, etc.). The most significant of these declines has been in San Francisco and Los Angeles where they governed at the local and state levels. I would be interested to hear about the immigration plan details that congress and republicans did not pass. Most people have to be asking why the former president is such a threat to democrats? I know I am wondering why anyone would go to such extreme measures, most of which are unlawful, to keep him out of office.
Thank you for your responses as well!
Speaking as someone who will not vote for our former president: I find many of his positions to be a genuine threat to our democratic institutions. He attempted to overturn the results of the last election, without any substantiated evidence that there was fraud. And yet, despite still having no evidence of fraud, he is already saying that he will only accept the next election results if they are "fair" ("fair" to him evidently means that he must win). He has said that he would be a dictator, but "only on the first day" - can you recall ever having a candidate who would utter such a sentiment? It's not about his political party. It is, as Sharon says, about putting principles OVER party. Our democracy is not unbreakable. We can lose it. We *could* very well lose it. Piece by piece, one decision at a time to seize power and not relinquish it.
I don't think you need to like Kamala Harris, and you certainly have the freedom to vote without any coercion for whichever candidate you choose, but the next President is going to be one of these two people. I am concerned about the border, and the economy, and criminal justice reform, and so many other things that affect our country. I am also concerned about what we citizens will be able to do to address any of those things if we lose the process by which to do it.
Emily, I sincerely applaud your inner Sharon and your attempts to engage civilly with a fellow commenter who would obviously benefit from the use of more factual sources of information.
I just want to second Emily's response, specifically in regards to immigration being Congress's job. The president can certainly influence negotiations, but Congress has the authority to make and change immigration laws. We were SO CLOSE to having some decent immigration reform last year, but the bill got declined by Republicans after Trump gave the word. And maybe Repubs claim to want to fix immigration, but they sure didn't jump at the opportunity - and that's extremely disheartening to see.
Unfortunately it's an easy issue to use for campaigning and a money maker. I can understand in some ways why a state might want to take the issue on itself after watching Congress not do their job.
The increase in our household expenses are corporate greed. There are many examples of companies having record profits while price gouging consumers. The president has zero control over how companies set their prices on goods.
Yes, I don't think a lot of people are choosing to see that capitalism is eating us alive, and our Congress is loathe to do anything that will help, because they'll lose the big money donors. Wait until the lawsuits come through the floodgates since the Chevron doctrine was overturned... things are going to get very dark if we can't get a Congress and president who will do what's best for people.
I agree 100%
Two brilliant, levelheaded leaders. 😍 Thanks for sharing!
Let’s go Kamala! 🇺🇸
I didn't listen to this when it first came out - I didn't have the time or inclination then. Thanks for the re-post, and for the thoughtful conversation you had with her touching on very relevant and delicate topics of contention.
There are a lot of claims made on both sides about immigration, crime, etc without data backing it up, at least that I have seen. Is there somewhere I can go to see numbers, statistics, research about these issues so I can see for myself what the truth is?
Hi Laura,
Here’s one place to start looking at crime statistics. If you research online you’ll find a number of organizations that track statistics about the issues you mentioned.
https://www.usa.gov/crime-statistics
I hope Kamala does not just attack. We all know what Trump has done. What will she do to address the things that 80% of us want, like a real solution to the boarder problem. Please focus on good and positive change. Put away the quiver and move forward, break the negative trends!