Watching the making of the Kamala cult in real time
Once it was decided that Kamala Harris almost certainly would become the Democrats’ nominee in 2024, it’s been sadly amusing to see the MSM and the Democrats themselves fall in line. It’s not an easy job, because Harris has a great deal of history, involving baggage that requires heavy lifting. But the left is up to it.
Reports were that President Obama was not onboard. The rumors were that he thought she was unlikely to win the election and that he preferred Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona as the nominee. Of course winning (otherwise known as beating Trump) is all the Democrats seem to care about in terms of who becomes their nominee this year. Well, now even Obama as well as his wife Michelle are on the Good Ship Kamala:
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid in a video released Friday.
“Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” the former president told Harris on a phone call joined by his wife, according to the video.
Harris thanked the Obamas for their support and expressed gratitude for their decadeslong friendship.
“Oh my goodness. Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me. I’m looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both. And getting out there, being on the road,” the vice president said.
Just a lovefest all around.
I have no idea how much influence those two have on voters these days. I assume that the people who care about the Obamas’ endorsement were already going to vote for Kamala anyway.
This also should put to rest two rumors: the first is that Kamala will somehow choose Obama as VP and that he would be allowed to run for that office even though barred from another run at the presidency. The second is that somehow Michelle Obama would be chosen either as VP or would take Kamala’s place as nominee. I have never thought either thing would happen; I think the Obamas prefer to wield power at this point in a hidden way, and they wield it fairly effectively – or they have until now. It may be that an even more leftist wing is now in charge, and that the Obamas have become figureheads.
It should put such rumors to rest, but I doubt it will. For a long while now there’s been the masochistic belief among some Conservative commentators that somehow, someway Michelle Obama would be extracted from her sybaritic cocoon of wealth and worship and be convinced to become the nominee. I’ve never fully understood it, but it’s persisted doggedly.
Thats so authentic sarc people who enjoyed destroying this country sound happy sigh
Kamala Harris the ‘soul-destroying bully’: Former staff expose shock details of degrading tirades, decades-long ‘toxic’ behavior that left people in TEARS – and saw them quit at unprecedented levels
I remember the huge publicity blitz to whip up enthusiasm for the brand new Edsel.
They best speed up the making of her cult, because the negative news is dropping a lot faster than anyone could possibly write possitive cult news…
Kamala is already screwing up the Middle East – ‘Netanyahu caught off guard as Kamala Harris slams Israel for Gaza deaths in post-meeting address’
I think the Obamas prefer to wield power at this point in a hidden way, and they wield it fairly effectively – or they have until now.
________
Though I doubt it, it is just barely possible that Michelle is doing so. But the notion that Barack is, is preposterous. Yes, I know many think him brilliant. They are entranced by his one actual skill: sounding and looking like the chattering classes’ very ideal. Their fantasy come to life.
But we’ve had 8 years of his droning on; I have yet to hear him say anything even remotely intelligent; quite the reverse. He is a solipsistic midwit at best. But, again, he knows how to play the part for his chosen audience. It’s the only thing he can do, but he is good at it.
Who is really the mind behind that, I do not know.
Obama is not brilliant, but he is good at manipulating people. I can easily see him and his staff pushing Joe in the desired directions while themselves shielded by plausible deniability. Kamala won’t even need to be manipulated; she’s hard-core leftist.
Negative news about Kamela will not change the minds of AWFLS.
Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office…
–Barack Obama
OMG. For those of us on the Disney Star Wars Death Watch, those bolded words ring loud.
Exactly the catchphrase used constantly by Kathleen Kennedy (president of Disney/Lucasfilm), Leslye Headland (ex-personal assistant to Harvey Weinstein, now Kathleen Kennedy’s creative protégé in charge of “The Acolyte” Star Wars show) and Amandla Stenberg (star of “The Acolyte”) to pump up the show in the face of withering criticism and fanbase rejection.
Translation:
I couldn’t be prouder –> I know it’s complete sh*t but I must pretend otherwise.
Barack knows.
An commenter responded to another accusing Trump of various “blunders” this way:
Those “blunders” somehow got us low inflation, cheap gas, secure borders and world peace. The polar opposite of the disastrous Biden administration. So, there’s that.
Good response.
Eeyore:
I disagree about Obama. “Brilliant”? No. But smart, clever, manipulative, and very very interested in power. He’s also smooth as a personality and good at appealing to half the nation.
Please see this.
neo on July 26, 2024 at 7:32 pm said:
Eeyore:
I disagree about Obama. “Brilliant”? No. But smart, clever, manipulative, and very very interested in power. He’s also smooth as a personality and good at appealing to half the nation.
Please see this.
________
I saw it, and I don’t buy it. Once again, we’ve heard him speaking for ages now. If you’re going to claim he’s smart, you’ll have to add in that he’s unusually inarticulate for someone smart. Because he is clearly incapable of saying anything remotely intelligent.
Nonapod,
That’s some good writing!
Eeyore:
Obama is not inarticulate; Biden is, and Harris often is. Obama is purposely obscure and veiled when he talks. Every single word is carefully chosen.
It is also not possible to graduate from Harvard Law and not be at least smart. Note I don’t say “wise” nor do I say “brilliant.” But there is no question in my mind that Obama is smart.
Why would the Obamas leave their cocoon of wealth, privilege, and adoration to get their hands dirty with actual governing? Like the Bidens, the Obamas are more interested in the perks and trappings of the office of President than in the responsibilities.
I believe Ms. Harris falls into that category. Actual governance will be left to the Deep State. Unfortunately, many are blinded by the historical moment of electing the first female woman of color and will not acknowledge her deep lack of ability. I also think that “Mayor Pete” will be her VP pick. He is gay, a father,, is quite intelligent, has military experience to counter JD Vance’s personal story.
@March Hare:has military experience to counter JD Vance’s personal story
One served in financial intelligence, and the other as a correspondent, I think they’re about on the same level there. As for personal stories, Buttigieg is not on his third name change, but they’ve been swimming in the same seas since their elite university days, those two.
Neo
“Carefully chosen” to make the right impression. Indeed. Recall what Obama said about his time as a student at Occidental College: (Dreams From My Father, page 57)
Afraid of being perceived as a “sellout”? How many people choose their friends for that reason? (Though come to think of it, that is rather similar to a teenager wanting to be part of the “cool crowd.”)
He was a poseur from an early age. A phony. Expressed another way: when it came to politics, he didn’t need a spinmaster to market him to the public. That came naturally to him.
That his public pronouncements are carefully crafted may help explain why Obama often appears lost when off the teleprompter. The message on the teleprompter has been carefully chosen word-for-word. As such, it is difficult to spontaneously recreate, as when you are off the teleprompter. That would entail word-for-word memorization.
I am reminded of my experience in Toastmasters. Some initiates to Toastmasters memorize their speeches word-for-word: Teleprompter-speak. Those with more Toastmasters experience don’t memorize entire speeches, but rather the main talking points. State the main talking points at the beginning. Present them in greater detail. Summarize.
When you are continually concerned with the impression your words make, spontaneous utterances can trip you up. In Obama’s case, spontaneous utterances mess up his image of extensive knowledge, of being very well-read: speaking Austrian, Intercontinental railroad, pronouncing “Corps.”
See this dynamite parody Harris campaign ad. *
Trump’s campaign ought to get this ad, and run it everywhere, 24/7.*
* See https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/07/26/friday-funnies-hilarious-parody-kamala-ad-beautifully-exposes-candidates-monumental-flaws-n2177427
Several days ago, I ran across a quote from Joe Biden on why he chose Kamala Harris as his running mate. The quote included “diversity,” and even DEI, if I recall correctly. Unfortunately, I didn’t copy the link, and now I can’t find it.
I did come across this NYT article, which admits that her race and gender were instrumental in Biden’s choosing Kamala Harris, but there is no Biden quote.How Biden Chose Harris: A Search That Forged New Stars, Friends and Rivalries
Though in defense of such choosing, the “balanced ticket” has long been a part of US politics. I noticed that at one time the Congressional delegation from my home state of Connecticut included a Pole, an Italian, an Irishman, etc.
Hilarious and extremely cringe worthy, as Schumer talks up Harris–theatrically way over excited, and pumping his hands up and down like a little kid who was just given a bicycle–and not a single person in the audience claps.*
* See c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWPvQ2hU85A
Re: Obama-Biden infighting — Steve Forbes
So Biden’s immediate endorsement of Harris was a move to spite Obama and neutralize Obama’s preferences for the Dem nominee plus FDR analogy.
__________________________________________
The question now is, where do they go from here? We’re already beginning to get the outlines of it. One interesting thing is [Biden] released that original letter on Sunday and shortly after endorsed Kamala Harris as vice president.
There’s a little history on that. Biden was the vice president under Barack Obama. In 2016, Biden wanted to run for president, but Obama quashed Biden’s aspirations to run in favor of Hillary Clinton in the most humiliating way possible. Both Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have never forgotten this. So, [Biden] made sure when he withdrew, he endorsed Harris. Barack Obama’s clumsy attempt to create a condition where perhaps Michelle Obama or someone else could plausibly run was quashed.
This shows that former President Obama, when it comes to that kind of political maneuvering, is not very good. He’s no Franklin Roosevelt, who was a master at it. Just one quick story on that: in 1944, in the midst of World War II, Roosevelt was running for a fourth term. He wanted to get rid of his vice president, Henry Wallace, and did so in a way where there were no fingerprints on it at all. He told Wallace to his face several times that if he were a delegate to the convention, he’d be supporting him, yet maneuvered in a way where Wallace was dumped and Harry Truman became vice president and then president.
Obama, so far, has batted zero in terms of guiding the party. Biden was going to make sure Harris was at the top of the ticket. If it looked like someone would seriously challenge Harris, I believe Biden would have resigned, making her the incumbent, and there was no way a Democratic convention would go against an incumbent president of their own party.
–“This Is The ‘Real Scandal’ Surrounding Biden That Won’t Go Away Any Time Soon: Steve Forbes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBNCgxsmVuw
Harris has 100 days to sell herself to the American electorate. She is a notoriously poor staff manager, and although she is a very good-looking 59-year-old, her voice and her laugh and her frequent spoken inanities are going to be harder to hide with the full focus on her.
Personally I do believe Biden is petty enough to inflict Kamala on his party, the country and the world just to spite Obama.
BTW, Biden has got his resignation card in his back pocket. He can play it any time he wishes.
I believe Biden will not resign until after the election. He dare not pardon his son, himself, and other family members before then.
well his judgement is terrible, in extraordinary ways,
neo on July 26, 2024 at 10:21 pm said:
Eeyore:
Obama is not inarticulate; Biden is, and Harris often is. Obama is purposely obscure and veiled when he talks. Every single word is carefully chosen.
It is also not possible to graduate from Harvard Law and not be at least smart. Note I don’t say “wise” nor do I say “brilliant.” But there is no question in my mind that Obama is smart.
________
If he is articulate he hides it very well. I have literally never heard (or read of) him saying anything remotely intelligent. Never. It’s a mashup of banalities, inaccuracies, oversimplifications, and strawmen. He is also incapable of mental flexibility. Remember the press conference after the 2010 elections? Bill Clinton (who is intelligent) had to take over for him. SCOAMF wandered offstage.
Now, as have said, his manner is quite well suited to make the chattering classes cream in their pants. Which is exactly what they do. But it doesn’t mean anyone detached from that class should fall for it. And I certainly don’t; I know others who don’t either.
I don’t entirely blame you for falling for it. You are precisely the intended audience. But it is totally and utterly fake. There really is no there there.
There is another point: If Obama were really good at politics, one would expect to see some results of a sort he’d like to see. In fact, everything he’s tried seems to have failed. OK, he got elected. Anything else? Damned if I can see it.
are they smart, well they do possess an animal cunning all of them, some have had it dulled over time, biden repeating the notion, that trump is still an enemy of democracy, tells you he’s not far gone enough, they all worked with epstein, without a trace of doubt, Obama orchestrated the Russian hoax that brought us to the brink of World War 3, he cooperated with furthering the Arab Spring, which was a Brotherhood revolution by proxy, they all seem to have contempt of freedom of speech and association except for terrorists and lefty radicals, he could have dialed the fires down, in the spring of 2020,
but he dialed it up, to eleventy, how many lives did that claim, they seem to share this general transformational ethos, is angela davis still around, she was one of the influencers in the last round of the campaign
Eeyore:
Are you joking?
Obama transformed America and the Democrat Party – moved it WAY to the left. He changed the world, too. Moved the Overton Window big time in terms of perceptions in this country. Illegal immigration through the roof, Obamacare, the Iran deal and money to Iran. DEI. Voting rule changes. DOJ moved to the left. Judicial appointments at the federal level. Lawfare. Trayvon Martin as hero, etc.. I could go on and on and on.
As for “banalities, inaccuracies, oversimplifications, and strawmen” – they are purposeful, as I already explained. And quite effective with his constituents. Much of his public persona is a bland cover for his radical agenda. And do you really think that arguing strawmen isn’t smart, when it accomplishes its purpose of fooling people?
Neo at 3:16: “I could go on and on and on.”
so perhaps we can add his DEI/woke impact on the upper military brass at DOD.
That may prove difficult to undo without throwing some good talent out with the mediocre and awful.
Re: “Obama transformed America and the Democrat Party” — neo
Triple underlined.
@huxley,
President Biden has said that he did not run in 2016 because of his grief over his son, Beau. BUT if President Obama convinced Biden not to run, it was a clever move; it is notoriously difficult for a party to hold the White House for three elections in a row. The last time it was accomplished was in 1988, with Vice President George Bush, and that was nearly 40 years ago. Before that, you’d have to go back to FDR running for his third term.
As it was in 2016, Hillary Rodham Clinton (whom half the party wanted in 2008) was given a clear path to the nomination, avoiding a inter party battle (at least until Bernie showed up), plus Biden got a four year start to his own campaign in 2020.
BJ:
Not sure of your point.
I don’t think Obama was basing his opposition to Biden on temporal cyclic grounds.
I don’t think it was a plan for Hillary to lose to Trump in 2016.
Huxley,
Well, no one who declares war intends to lose it (Unless you’re that tiny country from “The Mouse That Roared”, and that was a comedy ;).
My point was that a united party is almost always stronger than a fractured one; by persuading Biden to skip 2016, (if indeed he did) President Obama accomplished two things; he gave the Clinton Democrats a clear field to claim a nomination that many thought had been stolen from her in 2008, and he spared the Democratic party a damaging civil war which would have weakened them at the ballot box. Even if Biden had won the nomination in 2016, he would have been crushed in November, while Hillary gave Democrats a better reason to turn out: “Elect the first woman President!”
Now, do I think Obama had a crystal ball where he foresaw how all this would play out? Of course not. My point was that President Obama had plenty of good reason to convince Biden to stand down for the good of the party.
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