Wheels Up!

It's not an accident that Lady Liberty and Lady Justice are women!

And away we go! 

Last time I wrote, just one week ago, Joe Biden had just stepped aside and endorsed Kamala Harris in her candidacy for president of the United States.

It didn't take long for things to take off! The excitement has been electric this week. Have you felt it?

Clay Bennett

THE SUPPORT

There has been an unmistakeable buzz from coast to coast.

In the first 24 hours after Joe's announcement, Kamala raised $80 million. It was a record, and soon hit the $100 million mark. 

Mira Sharf

Within 48 hours, Harris already had enough delegate support to ensure her nomination next month. 

There were several Zoom calls last week with different groups including Black men, Black woman, and white women. The call with white women brought in 164,000 women and broke Zoom with the record-breaking number women on the call. There were so many participants that Zoom's servers couldn't handle all the traffic. 

These events signed up about 170,000 volunteers to help in swing states, and donations totaled in the millions. 

White dudes get their chance tonight (Monday July 29).

The endorsements are flying in.

Just about all the top Democrats have endorsed Kamala Harris, from Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies. Late in the week, the Obamas joined the club. 

Barack Obama told her, "We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office." Michelle added, "I can’t have this phone call without saying to my girl, Kamala, I am proud of you. This is going to be historic." I'll say! Whoooo-hooooo!

Other groups are also rallying behind Kamala. Notably, former candidate Nikki Haley voters are throwing their support behind Harris, much to Haley's dismay. Haley sent a cease and desist letter, but that isn't deterring the group. 

Polls are zooming up.

Indeed, America is watching. Just watch us win this thing.

The BRAT Summer

There has been an organic upwelling of fan videos and fun-sized informationettes, from memes to TikTok videos. It has been so much fun! Let's look at some! 

"BRAT summer" refers to English singer Charli XCX's comment, "kamala IS brat" which refers to her summer sensation album. Here is an explanation of the phenomemon for us oldsters.

You'll see a lot of coconut tree references, too. A few years ago, Kamala made an off-the-wall comment about a saying her mother was fond of. "You think you just fell out of the coconut tree?" Once mocked for it, now her supporters have embraced it. The brat has collided with the coconut, with the signature font of brat and coconut trees plastered across the internet in the iconic shade of chartreuse.

Here's the mother of them all, coming a little early in the game (July 3, weeks before the baton was passed):

why did I stay up till 3am making a von dutch brat coconut tree edit featuring kamala harris and why can’t I stop watching it on repeat pic.twitter.com/hqcmerD1Pb

— ryan (@ryanlong03) July 3, 2024

And more:

@jlnrchtr I literally could not help myself. Go queen kamala #bidenharris #kamalaharris #harris2024 #harris #kamala #potus ♬ original sound - 3VRADIO ☆

@kamalaharris Ain’t no lie @Lance Bass ♬ sonido original - Kandy ZT

@keithedwards

unironically love this

♬ original sound - Keith Edwards

Joel Pett

Let Stephen Colbert summarize this and other stuff:

Tangentially, Beyoncé has given Kamala permission to use her song "Freedom" as she sees fit during the campaign. This is big. Queen Bee does not do this often! 

The VP Hunt Continues 

The Harris campaign is vetting several people for her VP pick. She'll have to make quick work of her decision, as the Democratic National Convention starts in just 24 days. I outlined the folks being looked at in my last post. All of them are good choices.

 The Campaign

Boom. Done.

Alexandra Bowman

THE OTHER SIDE

The Mango Mussolini is saying it louder now. Believe him when he says he will be a dictator. At a campaign event before so-called Christians, he said, "Christians get out and vote. Just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years. You know what? It'll be fixed. It'll be fine. You won't have to vote anymore my beautiful Christians."

And believe that there is seriously something wrong with his brain.

A 100% real quote.

JD VANCE vs. THE CHILDLESS CAT LADIES 

Mr. VP Candidate Vance has pissed off a whole bunch of women, many of them childless cat ladies, when he said in a F*cker Carlson interview in 2021 that Kamala is one of the “childless cat ladies” who "are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too." He went on: “If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”

Meme by Big Sister Resister Pagrs!

Ann Telnaes

You are playing with fire, my dear sir, if you dare to piss off this childless cat lady.

Let's unpack this precious viewpoint, shall we? The childless cat lady trope is steeped in a long, dark history of misogyny. I'll let this woman explain.

Vance really really dislikes people who don't have kids. He has said that the tax rate should be higher for those without children, and that people should have extra votes if they have kids. 

The whole Repug party has a narrow definition of a family and of women's roles (Project 2025, by the way, will work toward mandating that definition). It is an un ugly viewpoint. If they want to piss off woman, the largest voting bloc in the nation, as well as LGBTQ folks, childless by choice folks, or anyone with a chosen family that is not within that narrow definition, then they are doing a great job. 

I'm pissed off. Are you?

JD VANCE AND THE AMOROUS FURNITURE

And then there is the weird thing about JD f*cking a couch. Some troll posted that Vance's book "Hillbilly Elegy" described how he put a latex glove between the cushions of a sofa and ummm .....well, he be pushin' the cushion. 

It is completely false, but the idea has taken off, and the meme makers have been having a field day. Even the Associated Press got egg on their face when they tried to debunk the rumors and headlined a now-deleted story, "No, JD Vance did not have sex with a couch." In a classic Streisand effect, the AP provided ample oxygen to the rumor. 

It's too good a phenomenon not to give it more oxygen, so here ya go. Sorry not sorry.

*

I’m crying 😭 pic.twitter.com/TccL5V9rT3

— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) July 26, 2024

Here's another great breakdown by late night's best, Stephen Colbert.

 

Let's go, Resisters! Let's get this thing off the ground! This is the moment!

Madam President!

Joe went and done it. He suspended his candidacy for president. 

It was a bittersweet moment. I, like many of you, went through a gamut of emotions on Sunday. First was excitement for the new possibilities. A woman for president!? Yes, please!! Then, sadness for Joe and wishing that it was different for him. 

A wave of gratitude also hit. He's been a public servant his whole gol-darn life. He was the youngest sitting senator when he was took office in 1973, and now he is the oldest president. He's given immeasurably in service of our country. This latest act is maybe the most consequential of his career. He was selfless in his decision to step aside and hand over the reigns to a younger candidate. This is what it means to have love for your country. Joe Biden is a true patriot.

He has endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris. Here is his letter announcing his decision. Incredibly, he informed his staff only one minute before the rest of the nation found out on Sunday afternoon. 

The world feels electric now! It feels like Christmas Eve!

Overnight, the country's blue excitedly rallied around Ms. Harris and embraced her candidacy. They also threw money at her. In the 24 hours since Joe's announcement, her campaign raised $81 million, $47 million in just the first seven hours.

Nearly every top Democrat has endorsed her, and so far there hasn't been any noise from any other potential candidate. 

What if someone else throws their hat in the ring?

It would make for an old fashioned open convention, just like the old days. 

Biden released his delegates and endorsed Harris, but the 3,900 delegates can vote how they want to. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initially declined to endorse Harris and said she preferred an open convention, but soon after, she reversed and announced her endorsement for Harris.

Other Democratic leaders have also endorsed her, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, both of whom had been thought to be potential opponents. 

It makes sense for Harris to be the Democratic candidate. She is already on the ticket. We chose her to step into the office of president should something happen to Biden. She makes the absolute most sense for winning the candidacy. 

True, it would be more democratic to have some others run and have a raucous convention (and arguably, more fun!). But it is exciting to have the party coalesce around a candidate and get this thing going! We have important work to do in the next 100 days, Kamala is a great candidate, and we are ready!

Breaking: the point has become moot since I wrote the above; Kamala Harris has enough delegate support to nominate her next month!

What about a Vice President pick?

OOOh another intriguing, exciting question. 

Politically, it would be good to balance the ticket, e.g., a white male from a swing state. But there are many men and women, and many people of color who are supremely qualified and I hate that we have to think like that. Who are some of the names being thrown about?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Known for: Governor since 2019; has been a strong progressive voice; debated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and visited many red states. There is a pesky part of the 12th Amendment that prohibits electoral votes to go to president and vice president candidates who come from the same state. If he were selected as VP, one of them would have to change states of residence to avoid that stickiness.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Known for: Winning the governorship in a landslide in 2022 against an election denier; handling the tragedy of the recent shooting at a T**** rally gracefully when he said this about the man who was killed: “Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. And most especially, Corey loved his family.”

Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky

Known for: Popular governor in a deeply red state; won the governorship in a state that T**** won by 25 points in 2020.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina 

Known for: Narrowly winning the 2016 election in this pivotal swing state; pushing back against a Republican state legislature; won in opposition to the "bathroom bill" that prevented people from using the restroom that they felt most comfortable in; expanded Medicaid in North Carolina.

Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona

Known for: Serving in the Senate since 2020; was a Navy combat pilot and astronaut; husband of Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot at a constituent event in 2011; has name recognition and is from an important swing state. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Known for: Won re-election in an 16-elector swing state by 10 points in 2022. Has pushed for important progressive issues, from women's reproductive rights to expanding access to healthcare, to improving water quality in Michigan and improving infrastructure. Her decisions regarding Covid precautions made her the target of a kidnapping plot in 2020.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker

Known for: Governor since 2018, has been pushing for gun laws, reproductive rights, and signed legislation prohibiting book banning. Can self-fund a campaign, as he is heir to the Hyatt hotel conglomerate.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland

Known for: Maryland’s first Black governor; combat veteran; at age 45, already a New York Times bestselling author, Rhodes Scholar, Army combat veteran, and former CEO of the Robin Hood foundation, an anti-poverty organization.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg

Known for: Presidential bid in 2020 after holding the office of mayor of South Bend, Indiana; first openly gay man to run for president; first openly LGBTQ person to serve in a cabinet position; has served as Sec. of Transportation under Joe Biden; articulate and intelligent; good name recognition. Would you have been able to name the secretary of transportation of any other administration?

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock

Known for: won a narrow victory in a deeply divided state; Baptist minister in the same church MLK served; before entering politics, worked toward expanding Medicaid and expanding voter registration in Georgia.

So many solid choices! Read more about them in the Los Angeles Times, CNN, or Politico.

If I were on Ms. Harris's advisory committee, I would steer her toward Mark Kelly and Mayor Pete. I adore Mayor Pete! He is intelligent and well-spoken and would absolutely trounce JD Vance in a debate!

What about the other guy?

He is in hot water! He has to pivot hard to campaign against this fresh face. It's his worst nightmare: a strong, articulate woman of color who can handle whiny men (I'm looking at you, Brett Kavanaugh) with fierce assurance. He's now the oldest man to ever run for president. He's stuck with an unlikable boot-licker of a VP. And he is who he is; he is a turd.

But this isn't about him. 

This is about Kamala! Yayyyy!

David Cohen

And one I made as an item in 2020's Greatest International Scavenger Hunt, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment:

And! And! We will get more Maya Randolph! Here's my favorite:

And lastly, a tune to play on 11: