Kamala and I go way back

[senseandsensibility]

Well, not really, but sort of. She lived for awhile in a town just a few miles from me and spent much of the last few decades in the SF Bay Area. During the Bush years, she ran for Attorney General of our great state and I was on her e-mail list. She once sent me a recipe for her family's Thanksgiving stuffing recipe that I still use. (She may have sent it to a few others, LOL.) I was a supporter through her campaign for AG and a contributor. I got to meet her a few times.

I've seen her in lots of situations and I know that she has a GREAT personality. If you just became aware of her during her VP years, you would not know how engaging, warm, and intelligent she is. She is an especially gifted prosecutor and legal scholar as well.

There is no real reason that she shouldn't be our candidate either now or in 2028. Any suggestion of that is rooted in racism and sexism, period.

We are lucky to have her.

[Irish_Dem]

1. She was a fine senator.

I hope she is more front and center now.

[PeaceWave]

3. She was an even better Attorney General...

During the "Great Recession," she successfully prosecuted the case against predatory lenders like Countrywide, which led to hundreds of thousands of families benefiting from an eventual $25 billion national settlement, with a good chunk of that money going to California homeowners. My own Mom received $110,000 out of that settlement. In my family, we often speak fondly of the job she did as AG.

[senseandsensibility]

4. She was a great AG

when we really needed one! And she is always on the side of the people.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Wow that is a lot of money.

If someone returned $110,00K that had been swindled from me, I would adore them.

Kamala needs to shine more on the national stage.
We need to get to know her like you do.

Maybe those of you who know Kamala better, because you live in California, could make
some OPs about her.

I think people would be very interested in your stories and experiences.

[PeaceWave]

12. I can tell you more about the experience...

All the Countrywide loans were forced to be assumed by Bank of America. It was one of the few good things Bush ever made happen. It was during that critical period after Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers both went bankrupt and most of us first heard about AIG and of its need for a $175 billion bailout. Once BofA assumed Countrywide's predatory loans, they started trying to foreclose on the associated houses. There were so many of them, BofA literally did not have enough Vice Presidents to sign off on all the foreclosures. So, what did they do? They hired a bunch of temps and deputized them as VPs for a day, having them sign off on thousands of foreclosures per day. Straight out of Hollywood, but true. Needless to say, this in itself led to a whole slew of additional violations of mortgage creditor rights for which folks were eventually compensated out of the settlement which Kamala, along with several other states Attorney Generals, helped negotiate. Back in the day, 60 Minutes reported on the story as part of a piece regarding a woman in Florida who helped a great many of us. It really did take a village full of attorneys to dig ourselves out of that whole mess.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whistleblower-facing-foreclosure-wins-18-million/

[Irish_Dem]

13. Good God. What stories.

The greed and corruption is always shocking but not surprising.

So in California, Kalmala was a brave fighter for the little guy.
Against the greedy corporations.

See, this is what I mean. There should be a Kamala Harris OP.
So we can get to know her.

[PeaceWave]

15. She's a stellar legal advocate. No doubt. But, she still wasn't my pick as VP.

My vote isn't for sale and it never will be. Specifically because of the great job Kamala did as California's AG, I wanted her as the U.S. AG - where I knew she would take to task every corporate swindler she could get her hands on. That's what she's great at. Doing all of the winning of friends and influencing of people that is necessary to be a great politician though? I just don't see it.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Zelensky used to be a TV comedian.

And now he is the greatest leader of the 21st century.
In the Churchill and FDR category.

So we never know who can rise to the occasion.

Duty calls and history is made.

Sounds like she would have been a much better AG
compared to you know who.

[PeaceWave]

20. Zelensky's rise is a very interesting story.

In Ukraine, he rose to fame on a TV series about a high school history teacher who - due to a student's viral video where he mocks government corruption - rockets to national notoriety and eventual election to the Presidency. I watched the series. In it, he is shamelessly comical. One episode had him sitting on a toilet doing his business. And then, afterwards, life imitated comedic art and he actually did become President. Who could have predicted that?

I can't define gravitas. There is no one definition. Historically, the term is literally rooted in the notion of being an "alpha male." That said, there is something that exists in some people (both male and female) - the ability to truly rise to the occasion and not only shine but appear as though they are exactly where they were always meant to be. For some folks, the quality seems to come and go. For the great ones, it never lapses.

[Irish_Dem]

22. I know, if it were a novel, no one would believe the Zelensky story.

I never saw his TV show. Sounds like fun.

Interesting, I have been thinking about leadership and I guess gravitas as well.

Some people can take command when need be, lead people, take it seriously
and understand the import of all of it. Usually bright, perceptive people.
Who are service oriented. Because they are doing good for people and the world.

Then we have people who use their skills to make life a living hell for as many
people as possible. Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini. Putin, Xi, Kim Jong Un.

[SunSeeker]

23. You're underestimating her people skills. She negotiated most of those case wins via settlement talks.

Nobody is trying to "buy your vote" for fuck's sake. She was doing what she thought was right.

The skills she used to extract big money settlements from corporate swindlers are equally applicable to negotiating with Republicans.

And she was great with people as AG, as I noted ftom personal experience below. https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19104738

[bigtree]

2. and the primary is over

...let's go!

[BlueKota]

5. I first became aware of her because of the Senate hearings she participated

in. She really impressed me as an intelligent and strong person. She was my first choice in the primaries and I was happy it was she President Biden chose as his running mate. She seems to have both strength and compassion which makes for a good leader in my opinion.

I am glad you got to meet her. I doubt I will ever meet her, but I would love to. I still believe she would make a great President someday too.

[senseandsensibility]

7. Yes, remember her interviewing Bill Barr?

He was so outmatched and outclassed.

[senseandsensibility]

32. This needs to be shown when cable news is reviewing her time as VP

She really met the moment.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. She made Beer Bong Weenie Waver cry.

[senseandsensibility]

9. Okay there ya go

Nothing else need be said.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. I was for her in the primaries but Cha said just wait, and Clyburn said, watch this.

And then Joe said she's VP!

[fierywoman]

14. I'm straight and I sob for joy -- not cry, SOB -- every time I watch Kamala Harris give

the go-ahead for gay marriage in California:

[Lemon Lyman]

16. :-)

She's awesome!

IDK if her critics from the Reich hate her or are just scared of her. They hate everybody.

Societally,, she has to deal with racist & sexist bullisht. "People don't like her laugh." Seriously?? Her f'ing laugh?? I know women and minorities are scrutinized and have to be 200% of what's expected of the average white man.is. But her laugh?? How far down your bag of hate do you have look to come up with something so f'ing stupid??

[Traurigkeit]

19. They (a lump of garbages) are SCARED of her

Scared of different skin tone and scared of women in general.

[NoMoreRepugs]

18. Once again those who insist on the Democratic Purity test (mostly in their own minds)

cannot be TEAM players. One fucking time lets be like the RePugs, if we could we would CRUSH them.

[SunSeeker]

21. I know her as well, from her AG days. Everything you say is spot on. She loves people.

She always had a big smile on her face and loved talking to people. We here in California always knew she was a star and was destined for Washington, it was just a matter of time before we would lose her to the national stage. She was so sweet to everyone who came out to see her. She would stick around for hours talking to people at the various AG offices around the state and posing for pics with folks who worked at the offices, from the janitors on up, she treated everyone equally kindly. Everyone wanted a pic with her, even back in her AG days. Everyone knew they would treasure that picture, like I do mine with her.

[dsc]

24. There is a quite sensible reason she shouldn't be our candidate now

we already have one who was actually voted for. Look at the UK tonight to see just how switching candidates went.

[Desert grandma]

26. We have a candidate. His name is Joe Biden.

Kamala has done an excellent job as VP and I do expect that she will run in 2028. BUT this is 2024! Let's get to work and elect our candidate Biden/Harris!

[Nimble_Idea]

25. what?

I have no idea what you are trying to say.

[senseandsensibility]

27. Really?

I can only imagine what the problem is since you didn't explain. OTOH I went into detail in my OP.

[Sympthsical]

28. "Support my candidate or you're a bad person"

I think one of the strongest arguments for Biden remaining as our nominee is that it prevents a fairly ugly civil war within the Democratic Party which this OP amply previews.

I didn't realize we were in such a strong position at the moment that people wanted to get a jump start on 2028 intraparty shitflinging when we should be focusing on what's happening now.

There will be plenty of time to call Democrats who support Newsom or Whitmer or whomever sexist or racist (or both).

But now is not that time. Fighting the 2028 primaries when we're wrestling with existential problems in 2024 is a fool's errand.

(Yeah, popped in from my sabbatical for this one. But it's so damaging to the party, I thought someone should have the sense to call it out for what a terrible strategy it's going to be)

[brooklynite]

29. Are you saying the only basis for not supporting a Black Woman candidate is racism and sexism?

If so, you're being incredibly disparaging of 35 million Democratic voters in 2020.

[honest.abe]

30. She was my choice back in the primary days. I think she would shine if Joe decides to hang it up.

?resize=1536,1152

[senseandsensibility]

31. Repost in light of

what happened today.

[senseandsensibility]

33. K and R