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Jul 25
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Cindy H's avatar

While I think VP Harris can handle any situation, I would prefer that she not debate on Fox. Nope, don't give them the satisfaction or give Trump the home field advantage. He would see it as a weakness on her part. Also, I do not want to turn on that network. But, again, she can handle any situation.

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Jul 26
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Cindy H's avatar

You know they will give Trump the questions ahead of time.

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John K's avatar

Do one presidential debate on Fox and another on MSNBC. Then do the VP debate on PBS.

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Freda's avatar

Radio says Harris is asking for that Sept debate. She’s eager to ‘bring it on’! It’s Kamalamentum! But i haven’t heard that she would agree to FOX, only to ABC as agreed.

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Simon Rosenberg's avatar

There isn't going to be a debate on Fox.

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Carl Selfe's avatar

In the debate, I would never have conceded that Joe Biden should step aside. I repeat, NEVER. I would have told you to STFU and get back in line. Simon on the other hand was adamant: I must listen to you. I tried that and softened a little. My heart was not in that truthfully: talk about proJoe! I think that I now hold the Hopium record for “Deleted Posts With Scolding”. I am truly happy not only with her, but also the way Kamala has been received. I donated right away, will STFU, and am in line. (I will post my best recipes.)

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Lonnie E's avatar

I like what Simon says that Democrats are really good at shooting themselves in the foot. Every time we spend 80% of our time communicating what we're disappointed in as opposed to all the things that are going right or push negative sentiment into our discourse, we do MAGA's work for them

Instead be loud and proud, strong and confident, exhibiting love of country and patriotism.

Be loud and proud about the goodness of our country.

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Carlye Hooten's avatar

Yup, right here with you, from beginning to end. I would have gone to the wall for Joe, but I'm absolutely thrilled that the Democrats have solidified behind Harris; she's wonderful, energetic, enthusiastic, intelligent and charismatic. Go baby!

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Carolyn from IL's avatar

I heard that Biden agreed to step aside on the condition that Democrats coalesce around Kamala as the nominee, which is exactly what happened. (I don't recall the source, so please fact check me on this.) But it wouldn't surprise me. And if it's true, it's one more example of Biden's brilliant political acumen. What a fabulous parting gift to Americans!

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Carol O's avatar

Welcome Aboard! I love it when I bend and finally relax into a new-for-me direction… and I join you in your devotion to Joe Biden. Who I’m very relieved to know is settling his head & heart into full retirement with our forever gratitude for his part in lifting off Kamala’s campaign! THE YOUTH of USA are fired up and will carry us to VICTORY.

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ArcticStones's avatar

GREAT POLL NUMBERS!

Yes, Kamala Harris’ initial poll numbers are promising, especially among young people. Biden was up by only 6% over Trump amongst voters who are 18–34 years old. Kamala is up by 20%, the same margin with which Joe Biden won this age group in 2020.

https://www.axios.com/2024/07/25/poll-harris-biden-trump-young-voters

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ArcticStones's avatar

TRUMP’s PROJECT 2025 is TOXIC

But I would like to draw attention to some other poll numbers that are great for Team Blue. Yesterday, Mark Sumner had an article detailing how toxic Trump’s Project 2025 really is. In the last few weeks, more and more American voters have learned what Trump and his MAGA Republicans intend to do – if he returns to power. And voters don’t like it!

Check out these striking numbers:

New polling from Navigator Research shows a rapid increase in the number of Americans who say they have heard of Project 2025 – a sharp increase in the number of Americans who disapprove of it.

At the end of June, 10% of Americans held a favorable opinion of Project 2025, while 19% held an unfavorable opinion. The rest had either no opinion or no knowledge of the plan.

But by mid-July, those numbers had jumped to 11% favorable and 43% unfavorable.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/7/24/2239378/-Disapproval-for-Project-2025-is-skyrocketing

No wonder Trump recently claimed "I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it." Polling shows that almost no one believes him.

The problem with his denial is that Project 2025, which is a blueprint for action for Trump’s second term, was produced with the assistance of at least 140 former or current members of Trump's campaign and White House staff. Pretty stunning if Trump has no clue as to what all these people who are close to him are working on.

Moreover, Trump’s name appears 312 times in the 900-page document!

The news media is finally shining a bright light Project 2025, and more and more articles are appearing. Organizations such as Red Wine & Blue are systematically informing Americans. People are learning about Trump’s Project 2025 – and they don't like it.

This will sink the Trump-Vance candidacy.

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Carol O's avatar

I hope we see them sink and finally drift OFF SHORE…. Before the election

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Tricia Ashford's avatar

Harris’s popularity is already greatly exceeding my cautious initial expectations. I expected that switching would overall lead to a relatively small but decisive advantage over Trump, compared to where Biden was, and I expected this increase would take some time. Instead, Harris is already consistently ahead less than a week after becoming the presumptive nominee, and the energy around her campaign already feels to me more like it did around Obama in 2008 than Biden in 2020, like social media already feels *that* energized from what I’ve seen. I really don’t think I’ve seen so many people under 40 this energized about a presidential candidate apart from Bernie Sanders in over a decade. I saw an article yesterday where a bunch of voters in their 20s were interviewed about Harris, and all but two had nothing but positive things to say about her, one of the two with less positive things to say was still vowing to vote for her (they were just worried that she wouldn’t be taken “seriously enough” as a candidate), and several said actually said that they had been planning on sitting out the election until Harris became the presumptive nominee, so there are definitely a number of people who were previously not going to vote and now are.

Hopefully this momentum can be maintained to November.

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JCOK's avatar

Now is not the time to be quiet. Now is not the time to withdraw from the court of public opinion. Kamala needs us.

We have a great candidate who is now energizing key constituencies of the Dem coalition. Haven’t felt this since 2008. Think youth vote.

Trump is the asshole who started the racist birther conspiracy on Obama. Trump wanted the innocent Central Park 5 executed. Trump is a court adjudicated rapist. A 34X convicted felon. An insurrectionist which tried to overthrow our government, resulting in the deaths of multiple law enforcement officials. A depraved human being who sexualizes his own daughter. A racist who vilifies persons of color and immigrants with dangerous outright lies. Etc.

LET PEOPLE KNOW! Now is the time to be louder! Any way you can.

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Dan Stipe's avatar

JCOK, You left out "traitor". Donald "tiny" trump and all of his sycophants and enablers are traitors to the U.S.A.

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JCOK's avatar

Good point. Will include next time.

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ArcticStones's avatar

I demand to see Donald’s elementary school graduation certificate!

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Tim Wegener's avatar

I know we are all caught up in the moment and it's all coming at us very fast, but I want to make a comment about some things coming down the road. Yesterday, the R's in the House adjourned until September, which was a week earlier than expected because they have so many spending bills yet to pass before September 30th. This sets up a potential shutdown crisis right as the campaign hits its final stretch.

I would expect that the extreme extremists will try and shutdown the government like they always try and do and the last time they did try, Trump cheered them on. This is something to watch and plan for because R's in the House, and likely Trump, will be demonstrating their utter lack of governance and responsibility right as we move into the final 6 weeks or so of the campaign.

I hope the campaign spends some time strategizing and planning for this, because it could be a very helpful situation as we contrast our responsible governance with their lack of any responsibility, etc.

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Dylan's avatar

The average American voter will see right through their plan if it happens. Democrats may be good at shooting themselves in the foot sometimes, but Republicans are masters at playing with matches while they're doused in gasoline.

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Tim Wegener's avatar

I agree fully

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Carol O's avatar

Thanks for heads up.

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Annie Spiegelman's avatar

Go Will Rollins!

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

Texting through FT 6.

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Sue Gustafson's avatar

He is a great candidate! I'm in SoCal and was so disappointed when he lost in 2022!! I'm not in his district but was writing postcards then and I am now and donating. In fact, was writing while I watched Simon's video but had to stop and pay attention. Love hearing him talk! Will is soo smart and so enthusiastic and has such great experience. Let's have a landslide!!!!

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Arthur Benson's avatar

Yes, all good. Her new ad is excellent. It is important to focus on the future, contrasting the future Democrats seek with the future Trump promises. Focusing on the accomplishments of the past has limited value now because people too often view the past through partisan prisms. Undoing perceptions of the past is more difficult than promising a hopeful, free and better future.

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ArcticStones's avatar

Excellent observation! You point to a key campaign challenge in our Post-Factual Era.

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Janine Lanza's avatar

I love how her ad takes back the language of freedom and moves away from the crabbed little definition of freedom the right has tried to foist on us and opens it up to mean we get to have lives full of hope and possibility. Harris' campaign is starting out like dynamite!

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Cindy H's avatar

Well capping insulin at $35 (I think) is not a bad thing to tout. Just say'n. We can mention some good things. I am when people ask me just what has Biden done? But I do see your point.

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Carolyn from IL's avatar

True. I've heard many people say "Congress never gets anything done." Boy, they weren't paying attention during these last few years!

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Cindy H's avatar

Exactly. At this point, I think it's just people's go to phrase.

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Roger Poulard's avatar

So some context that I am trying to keep in mind today - after a rough evening phonebanking last night (they can't always be great and the lists arent always friendly- its a numbers game, right?). Polls are moving in the right direction. On average so far about 3 points in our direction on a national level and between 3 and 5 points in the swing state polls we've seen so far. It can be disheartening to not see the snap straight to the result we want to see, but the fact that we are seeing such movement so quickly - on the heels of *waves hands* everything over the last ten days should be encouraging. There's a lot to do. Phonebanking again for my third shift this week. LFG. Leave it all on the field.

PS - that ad is amazing.

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Mauimom's avatar

I'd like to hear more about your phone-banking experience: to prepare us all for "the good, the bad and the ugly." I'm sure Simon would counsel us that we can't expect to win every phone call/contact, but maybe there are ways we can leave the best impression, and become aware of what's bugging folks even if they're rude or crazy.

Just a thought, and thanks for your work.

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Roger Poulard's avatar

I've been phonebanking for basically 20 years of elections. I did the DNC phonebank yesterday - my fifth shift in two weeks. This was a Colorado Voter Engagement file, and the organizers told us earlier it was a cold list. Which means we don't necessarily know if the voters we are reaching are Dem, GOP, independent or otherwise. I made 60 dials, talked to 9 people, five were for the other guy, two were undecided. Two supported VP Harris. (One only after I informed her that Biden had dropped out and when she found out Kamala was running, she was all HELL YEAH! :) )

Most calls that we make through these national volunteer banks are friendlier lists - D or D leaning, or people who vote in D primaries - especially at this point because you are trying to find supporters to turn out. So when you get a cold list and its a challenge, it can be a little deflating. Tuesday, on the other had was great. Talked to 13 people in 60 dials and 9 supported our VP. Each day can vary obviously, and its important work - but a lot of people don't like to do it because it's actually not easy to be hung up on and find people who disagree with you. But direct voter contact can be the most potent turn out tool we have.

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Sue Gustafson's avatar

Thanks for this Roger, go to hear! I text for the DNC and last week was brutal. I think our list was D or D Leaning. At least 75 responders weren't going to vote unless Biden dropped out. 20 were still Pro Biden and 35 were going MAGA. This week has been soo different. Huge support for Harris!

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Jul 25
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Sue Gustafson's avatar

They aren't onboarding new texter's right now :(

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

Not true. Can sign up for Pa and Ohio. BYOP and textarcade. Currently into Pa and Ohio. https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/?show_all_events=true&tag_ids=22573

The population that FT6 targets in phone banking is comprised of Bfolks who trend Democratic. https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/?q=phone%20banks&tag_ids=20038

Much different than when I made DNC calls.

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Sarah B's avatar

I'm joining a Field Team 6 event on Saturday at 11 a.m. PST to text bank to register dems in Swing States. It's a large Zoom call. They walk everyone on the call through how to set up an account with their texting software -- it's all done on computers, not phones. In 2 hours last Saturday, we collectively sent 210,000 texts to Florida! And Congressman Maxwell Frost popped in to say hi to everybody (from his car, ha ha). Feels great, highly recommend! Link to register for Sat: https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/?show_all_events=true&tag_ids=22573

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

I'll be there....

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Christine B in NC's avatar

Roger you are walking the walk and I thank you for doing this work. It's our job to facilitate Democracy and you're doing it like a champ!

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Sarah B's avatar

Thanks for doing this Roger. My friends and I haven't done phone banking yet but are gearing up to hop in. We phone banked lots in 2020 -- I'd just recommend always doing it with a group of friends to support each other, keeps it lighter and you can help each other with talking points. Plus snacks, of course!

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Christine B in NC's avatar

Thanks for phonebanking! I agree not every volunteer interaction is positive but we are going to build on this and get there!

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Fisher's avatar

Thanks for sharing that great news.

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Carol O's avatar

Thank you Roger . . . Your phone banking work is with gold .. please keep doing it.

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Jon Bierman's avatar

Loved the President’s patriotic speech last night. What a good man and great president! Also love the new campaign video. Thank you for including the transcripts for both!

With Kamala now at the top of our ticket, would love to revisit Simon’s “Get to 55” aspirational challenge in November. Why?

- She’s a prosecutor. He’s a felon.

- She’s running for President. He’s running for Dictator.

- She’s running for the people. He’s running from the law.

- She offers a platform of freedom, hope, and strength. He relentlessly spews hate, chaos, restrictions, and despair.

- She’s 59 and vibrant. He’s 78 and weak.

- She vows to restore Roe v Wade. He brags about killing it.

- She expands our electorate. He turns people away daily.

- The dystopian MAGA agenda lost big in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, and in early 2024. No reason to allow the media’s “red wavey” desperation for a horserace to stop our non-stop goal of soundly repudiating MAGA again in November. Let's do the work, never get blown off course, and run up the margins wherever we can.

The fundamentals are there. The renewed enthusiasm is palpable. As Simon often says, let’s do this, people!!!!

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ZB's avatar

US must destroy the criminal and treasonous gQp this November

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Jon Bierman's avatar

p.s. Thanks for the Will Rollins interview. You're right - he's an incredibly impressive candidate! Just made another contribution to his campaign.

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Patrick Meighan's avatar

Hosted a phone bank at my house yesterday for Kamala. We had 15 phone-bankers, calling Arizona voters. We'll keep at it! This is the work, folks! Head down, let's do it!

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Tessa's avatar

What were you hearing in your calls? I’m phone banking tonight and just would like to hear what the reception is.

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Patrick Meighan's avatar

Some good, some bad. Plenty of hang-ups, of course (which I never blame anyone for, I’d hang up too!).

The good calls are certainly gratifying, but even the not-so-good calls to Trump voters are important ‘cause they’ll help the Harris campaign identify said Trumpists and weed them out of the campaign’s contact pool. Which will make later GOTV for Harris that much more effective and efficient. Us volunteers are the Dems’s secret advantage, I truly believe that. We just gotta keep doing it!

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Sue Gustafson's avatar

So true Patrick!!!!

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Sarah B's avatar

Theressa, can you please let me know what resource you were using? I have the Dem phonebanking to swing states link, but don't know if it's Kamala-specific. Would like to be doing that, if you could point me in the right direction? Thank you and thank you for the hard work you're doing!

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Tessa's avatar

https://www.mobilize.us/theunion/event/637759/ Voters of Tomorrow - registering young people

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Carol O's avatar

Great way to spend your best energies supporting Arizona democrats! Thank you from All of Us . We need your worker bees to stand with us as KAMALA takes the reins!

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Patrick Meighan's avatar

We got your back, Carol!

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ArcticStones's avatar

"WE CHOOSE FREEDOM."

"We are not going back."

My God, those slogans are pregnant and powerful! They will resonate with voters, including Independents.

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Josh's avatar

Yeah "We are not going back" is the best response to MAGA. It encompasses everything, it belittles what MAGA is about and says what is so patently obvious to swing and undecided voters we couldn't if we wanted to and we don't want to.

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ArcticStones's avatar

Yes! It’s ingenious.

Also, MAGA’s suggestion that America isn’t already great is deeply unpatriotic.

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Freda's avatar

Yeah, “pregnant”……..!

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Ben's avatar

Pregnant, powerful... and linked --because as voters we are faced with the choice: "back" (to a time of more limited rights) or "forward" (to freedom). Simply brilliant.

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ArcticStones's avatar

Masterful campaign Aikido from Team Harris!

https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1816288577342369995

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Kyle S's avatar

Joe Biden was like the loving grandfather who sheltered you from the abusive alcoholic stepdad. Kamala Harris is the Auntie who comes over and slaps that abusive stepdad into next week.

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michellefromchicago's avatar

I love this. I have long thought of Joe Biden as America’s grandfather and Donald Trump as America’s abusive, pervy uncle. Now I can also think of Kamala as the auntie who comes over and slaps the abuser into next week – – and into prison! 💪🏻

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Dottie Stone's avatar

Loved your comment so much!

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Patrick Meighan's avatar

That's such a great ad, by the way. My gosh. Gets me so amped.

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Jason's avatar

Great interview Simon!

The forward-backward framing is perfect. Last week I spent some time in rural WA and of course saw some Trump signs (though not as many as I expected, and even saw some some Dem signs too which is crazy). Some of the Trump signs read: "Trump: Take America Back." Trump's own language falls perfectly within the framing we want.

I'm going to mail 40 postcards to register Dems in WI this morning. Hopefully at least a few of the recipients will be excited by the new energy in the air and register to vote and join our coalition of freedom lovers.

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Deborah Potter's avatar

I love the Freedom video! Kamala Harris "knows Donald Trump's type." She is going to grill him like a hamburger, like a Kavanaugh.

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ArcticStones's avatar

Kamala’s 19 words for Bret Kavanaugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6g-zycRv8Q

"Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?"

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Deborah Potter's avatar

After straining his brain, Kavanaugh replied “I'm not thinking of any right now, senator.”

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PianoManSteve's avatar

I should only have two or three more days of tearing up every time I think of Joe Biden… Not out of sadness, but out of utter reverence. Very excited to elect Kamala Harris, and very grateful to have lived through a monumentally consequential presidency that will ripple through US history. Joe doesn’t just belong in the Hall of Fame, his jersey needs to be retired. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Carol  Robinson's avatar

I know how you feel. I’m still trying to get myself together and I will. I expect a special tribute to Biden at the convention, even if they have to bump off some speakers.

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Cindy H's avatar

💯 Biden deserves his own night - not sure he will get his own night but I sure hope they give him a tribute and more than 15 minutes. 💙💙💙💙

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Janine Lanza's avatar

I truly started crying when President Biden said he thinks his record merits a second term but he places democracy over everything else. President Biden's record is outstanding, and in a perfect world we would be clamoring for him to have his second term. But alas that is not where we are. That said, VP Harris has been his partner and will carry his ethos into her presidency.

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PianoManSteve's avatar

Absolutely… To be clear, I am stoked about vice president Harris. It’s a complicated world and two things can be true with the same same time… I am both extremely excited about her candidacy, I think she’ll do great and I’m eager to make history. And simultaneously, I’m devastated that what I believe is likely to be the greatest presidency of the 21st-century can’t continue because our citizen is simply too uneducated civically to understand what they have. And I certainly don’t blame vice president Harris for that.

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Cindy H's avatar

Agree 💯

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Janine Lanza's avatar

I don't blame her in the slightest - and I'm thrilled to get behind her campaign. She was a loyal and stalwart partner to President Biden throughout this difficult period. You've captured exactly how I feel

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Cindy H's avatar

Oh I am going to ugly cry when Biden appears at the convention. 😢😢😢💙💙 How I so admire him. Such mixed emotions - sad, poignant sentiment and at the same time happy, hopeful. I think we will learn how instrumental Biden has been in making sure everyone came out strong for Kamala. What a leader.

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Sarah B's avatar

Utter reverence, yes

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