Vice President Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump 2024

Its not that the Dems "allowed" Biden stay in. They made Biden the nomination in 2020, he became president and leader of the Democratic party. Only he can decide to not run if he doesn't want to. At the start of the campaign he was adamant he was going to run and then changed his mind. He wasn't pushed.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I am not back seat modding, or attacking you, or anything of the sort. I respect you as a poster. As I said, if you were running vs Trump, you'd have my vote. Now, look at these:

a person who was seen as a joke VP just a few months ago

Who said this? I don't remember anyone a few months saying that she was "a joke VP a few months ago". If, as I think you do, want Trump to not win because he would be objectively terrible, what is this post adding to that battle? This is the both-sidism I was pointing out.

If you believe Trump is the worst candidate, why attack people you describe as "her fanboys". Personally, I don't think Harris is the best person that the Democrats have, but she's what's running. I haven't seen anyone here betting their house on a Harris victory. If it does happen, there will be wild celebrations, but most of all, deep breaths of relief.

Not strange at all except for the fact many posters here are seeing her through rose tinted glasses and aren’t at all interested in the slightest criticism of her- which makes discussion pointless with them.

If the criticism is fair, fine. But it's usually spurious nonsense, like (no offence here) that she was seen as joke VP. Or that her opinion polls had an approval rating at 16%. Yet, according to 538, the lowest her approval rating was on March 7th, 2024 where it was 35.9% (https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/approval/kamala-harris/)

As an aside, she currently holds a net unfavourability of +1.7%, compared to Trumps unfavourability of +9.6%.

Yes she has come a long way- granted- but post the convention last week she didn’t increase her lead- that’s concerning

If you had been paying attention, most people following the election were not expecting a bump. That usually happens because a VP is announced at conventions. As we knew who her VP was ahead of time, that didn't happen, as expected. Harris announced Walz on August 6th. She was +1.7% in the national polls, then a week later on August 13th, she was +2.7%, a small bump, but a bump regardless.

There are posters here who just can’t have a discussion around the realities of this election - in their rose tinted minds, it’s simply good vs evil- it’s not at all that simple but maybe that’s all their brains can deal with - it’s the American people who will decide this election and they’re struggling with Harris right now- if polls remained unchanged since last week, what will happen come the televised debate? Will people still remain apathetic?

Lol. Hands up, I am one of those. It really is a good vs evil competition this cycle, with the shadow of Project 2025 over us and the shennanigans that are already happening in Georgia about the count. It's a little poor form to say "maybe that's all their brains can handle".

Are the American people really "struggling" with Harris right now? She currently has an approval rating of 41.8%, a favourability rating of 45.7% and Trump has a favourability rating of 43%. Seems like everybody in the race must be "struggling" with the American People in that case!

What will happen after the televised debate? Who knows? Really depends on the performance of the two candidates. On the 27th June, (the day before the debate) Trump was polling at +0.1 (41% vs 39.9&) a week later, Trump was polling at +2.3%. We all know just how bad Biden was, I can't see either Harris or Trump being that poor at the debate, but I would expect the winner to get a bump of a percent or so in the national polls, unless one of them crashes and could see another 2 percent bump…

TLDR: Honestly not attacking you, I enjoy your posts, but sometimes you tend to lean towards "both-sidism" for the sake of it, and the energy could be expended better elsewhere, especially if you would like Trump to lose, but not necessarily want Harris to win.

I think an awful lot of Trump's support is based on sunk cost fallacy.

People have invested so much of their time and themselves into this MAGA cult that they find it impossible to back away from it now and will spend an inordinate amount of effort trying to justify their support, even though the man and the movement they are giving their X to is utterly deplorable, demonstrably so in the case of its leader.

Some people have become so fixated with Trump and his MAGA cult that extricating oneself from it requires a herculean mental effort for them and a lot of them just aren't capable of it. So, instead they'll take refuge in excuses, slogans, conspiracy beliefs and the dubious comfort of the "knowledge" that the dear leader will see them through.

Despite all the evidence to the contrary.

She's popular now.

That must get right up your nose. 😉

I have no idea where this idea that she was incredibly unpopular comes from. None of the favourabilty or approval polls back it up.

She's the nominee because her president backed out and supported her to be President over him.

The last campaign run where she pulled out before a vote was cast? Maybe you need more up to date information.

@Oscar_Madison

with these threads, you’re either with Harris 100% or you’re not

Here's the rub. You can't be slightly for one candidate and slightly for the other in US politics. You're either all in or you're not in a two horse race. By virtue of the fact that you prefer one candidate over another, you are de facto 100% behind that candidate.

There's also this. The vast majority of people posting here in favour of a Democrat win is because they are the lesser of two evils. Not because they are in lockstep with them or they agree with every single aspect of that political organisation. And, into the bargain, when the alternative is a man like Donald Trump, his MAGA cult and their proposed Project 2025, the ONLY sensible option left is Harris and the Democratic Party.

It’s a meaningless counterfactual. We have the race we have now.

I think you are extrapolating from a poor information base - she was less popular than the winning candidates last round - but that is all that can be said. She was impressive enough for Biden to pick her as his VP candidate which none of the others managed. She has been workmanlike in her capacity as VP - which is all that most VP ever manage to achieve in that role.

I don't see your conclusion been remotely valid.

Who do you think would have?

I'm just replying to an argument you presented in an open thread, that isn't badgering, or 'getting a dig in.'

But I’m not “in US politics” - I’m on an Irish discussion board

Nobody said you were "in US politics".

In 2024, Harris has done well but there are obstacles to still navigate - but I don’t underestimate Trump

I don't think anyone here has said anything different.

Is it “better” to have Harris as president over Trump?
I would imagine so - As an outsider I’d say ask the undecided though because they’re the ones most likely to influence the outcome - why they’re undecided baffles me given the choices so I’d certainly be interested in discussing what’s going on in their minds.

I would, too, ask these "undecideds" what it is that makes them undecided. Because when the clear choice is obvious, and in the case of the current US political race, the choice is VERY clear, any indecision becomes quite a dubious position.