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Joe BidenCongratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
 

Progressive2020

(713 posts)
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 08:58 PM Feb 2019

Kamala Harris

I am a progressive Dem leaning towards Bernie or Warren, but I am interested in Kamala Harris. I was wondering what people might think of her, pro or con? I want to learn more about her than what is on her Wikipedia page.

How progressive is she? Her resume looks good. She seems like a good mix of experience and youth. I want to know more about her and what DUers think about her.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
74 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Kamala Harris (Original Post) Progressive2020 Feb 2019 OP
I wanna know more about her work as a prosecutor. IluvPitties Feb 2019 #1
Recommended, and welcome to DU. guillaumeb Feb 2019 #2
Check out the issues page on her website. n/t QC Feb 2019 #3
Do you have a link to that? Hassin Bin Sober Feb 2019 #62
Sadly, no. n/t QC Feb 2019 #67
I'm interested in Harris as well. Trying to learn about all of them. onecaliberal Feb 2019 #4
Google her. Her history is not progressive. roody Feb 2019 #5
Yes Progressive2020 Feb 2019 #7
Harris and Mnuchin. roody Feb 2019 #16
Her voting record is identical to Warren's. Garrett78 Feb 2019 #11
Notice how he disappeared once facts were laid out. bearsfootball516 Feb 2019 #17
Thanks Garrett. When someone tries to associate Senator Harris with Manchin, that should tell still_one Feb 2019 #63
She refused to prosecute Mnuchin for forclosure fraud. roody Feb 2019 #64
Here is a good discussion of the "Harris did not prosecute Mnuchin" issue.. honest.abe Feb 2019 #70
Mnuchin contributed to one of her election campaigns. roody Feb 2019 #73
So you are claiming quid pro quo? honest.abe Feb 2019 #74
Kamala has excellent qualifications and experience.. I think Cha Feb 2019 #12
Wow. 222,222 posts! Yikes ... and a nice symmetrical number to boot! KPN Feb 2019 #58
She ranks as the most Progressive Senator. MrsCoffee Feb 2019 #14
Senator, perhaps. Prosecutor, No. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #26
She isn't running for Prosecutor. MrsCoffee Feb 2019 #27
Yes, she has been a Progressive force during her career in the senate. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #45
Excellent post Docreed2003 Feb 2019 #34
Remarkable isnt it? honest.abe Feb 2019 #51
It's remarkable in its predictability, sadly Docreed2003 Feb 2019 #60
Yeah, it's not accurate based on her time as a Senator for sure. KPN Feb 2019 #61
I googled her. Harris the most progressive senator serving. lapucelle Feb 2019 #30
As Californian I support her because she has the experience, resume and cares about people in all wasupaloopa Feb 2019 #6
That's a wonderful Cha Feb 2019 #13
Thanks. I voted for her twice already. wasupaloopa Feb 2019 #22
SF Bay Area Cartoonist Feb 2019 #8
I'd vote for her in the primary if I had to vote today... TJKay Feb 2019 #9
What do you mean by progressive? EricMaundry Feb 2019 #10
She ranks #1 progressive Senator. MrsCoffee Feb 2019 #15
Her record as a prosecutor is troubling. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #18
Please be specific. honest.abe Feb 2019 #19
I'm deeply disturbed by the hardline anti truancy crackdown she oversaw. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #23
That issue seems to be one following her but she did recently respond directly to the criticism.. honest.abe Feb 2019 #24
This response certainly doesn't calm my concerns. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #25
I agree it does seem a bit harsh but its clearly a complicated issue. honest.abe Feb 2019 #31
In my opinion the solution to the problem would be making sure these families have a standard of liberalnarb Feb 2019 #42
Well, yes that would be a better solution if it were feasible. honest.abe Feb 2019 #54
As a former Principal........ MyOwnPeace Feb 2019 #32
Maybe the poorer families were more concerned about the other issues that come with being in that liberalnarb Feb 2019 #39
Y'know, that could be possible......... MyOwnPeace Feb 2019 #49
Incarceration is not a solution to truancy I will ever support. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #50
We never incarcerated...... MyOwnPeace Feb 2019 #55
You may not have. Senator Harris did. nt. liberalnarb Feb 2019 #56
Do you have some specifics you can point to? Because I've been somewhat impressed with her, but at KPN Feb 2019 #66
This message was self-deleted by its author m-lekktor Feb 2019 #65
I really like her in many ways. honest.abe Feb 2019 #20
You'd probably get the best info by Googling her on your own... Honeycombe8 Feb 2019 #21
She said rownesheck Feb 2019 #28
I don't like how she stereotyped Jamaicans exboyfil Feb 2019 #29
I may be wrong rownesheck Feb 2019 #33
So what it is still a stereotype exboyfil Feb 2019 #35
Perhaps how Senator Harris Stare Decisis Feb 2019 #37
She owns her identity. Politicub Feb 2019 #52
Well..... USALiberal Feb 2019 #59
Here is how she compares to other Dems when it comes to voting with Trump Quixote1818 Feb 2019 #36
A tough on crime Stare Decisis Feb 2019 #38
Read this.... USALiberal Feb 2019 #43
While I really don't care for her tough on crime history, you are probably right Quixote1818 Feb 2019 #44
Read this article..... USALiberal Feb 2019 #40
That's an opinion piece cherry picking the most controversial cases. honest.abe Feb 2019 #46
Not sure i agree with her results in that job, especially pot, not good IMO nt USALiberal Feb 2019 #47
I really do not understand the obsession with a candidate's position on pot. honest.abe Feb 2019 #48
I love her. ismnotwasm Feb 2019 #41
This Georgia boy sent her money.............. MRDAWG Feb 2019 #53
I would suggest watching some of the clips of her town hall videos wildflower Feb 2019 #57
Her support for asset forfeiture as CA AG kelly1mm Feb 2019 #68
Watch her during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing... SKKY Feb 2019 #69
IMO, there is too much Marcia Clark in her Awsi Dooger Feb 2019 #71
Thanks Progressive2020 Feb 2019 #72
 

IluvPitties

(3,181 posts)
1. I wanna know more about her work as a prosecutor.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 08:59 PM
Feb 2019

Don't know much really, but that portion of her public service will probably tell us a lot about her vision and values.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)
2. Recommended, and welcome to DU.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:00 PM
Feb 2019

I agree with you that we should all educate ourselves.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

QC

(26,371 posts)
3. Check out the issues page on her website. n/t
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:00 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,272 posts)
62. Do you have a link to that?
Reply to QC (Reply #3)
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:49 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

onecaliberal

(32,483 posts)
4. I'm interested in Harris as well. Trying to learn about all of them.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:01 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

roody

(10,849 posts)
5. Google her. Her history is not progressive.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:02 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Progressive2020

(713 posts)
7. Yes
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:08 PM
Feb 2019

I have done a cursory google search on her. What I am really interested in are DU peoples opinions of her, maybe backed up by a fact or two. I know that you think she is not progressive, but maybe a word or two on why you think she is not? Thanks for your response.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

roody

(10,849 posts)
16. Harris and Mnuchin.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 08:03 AM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Garrett78

(10,721 posts)
11. Her voting record is identical to Warren's.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 02:17 AM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

bearsfootball516

(6,369 posts)
17. Notice how he disappeared once facts were laid out.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 08:55 AM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

still_one

(91,949 posts)
63. Thanks Garrett. When someone tries to associate Senator Harris with Manchin, that should tell
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:51 PM
Feb 2019

you how honest or dishonest those who make that association are

This is not unlike some who tried to paint Hillary as pedophile defender, when she was appointed by the court to defend an abuser, and tried to be removed from the case, but the judge refused to allow her to be removed, and so did what she took an oath to do, defend the client to the best of her ability.

All one needs to do is look where she stands on the issues, and she is progressive by any standard.

In fact, even though I am undecided, I am going to change my candidate preference here to Harris, because any who implies that Harris has the same voting record and feels the same way on the issues as Manchin, is either being dishonest, or just trying to flamebait.



If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

roody

(10,849 posts)
64. She refused to prosecute Mnuchin for forclosure fraud.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 01:01 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
70. Here is a good discussion of the "Harris did not prosecute Mnuchin" issue..
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 01:29 PM
Feb 2019
On the OneWest issue, it’s a misnomer (ie, lie) that Harris “didn’t prosecute Mnuchin.” He was never under investigation, and Harris didn’t receive a referral to criminally prosecute anyone. What she got was a recommendation to file a civil enforcement action against OneWest. In such a filing, no one person is accused of anything. Instead, an entire company is looked at, and perhaps fined for wrongdoing.

So why didn’t she file the action? Well, Senator Harris isn’t exactly free to openly discuss that, because we don’t openly discuss investigations. It’s not appropriate to discuss partial evidence, suspicions, or rumors. This harms the party under investigation, who has a right to a presumption of innocence.

But the reasons this didn’t go anywhere are likely far simpler. The civil enforcement action requested by the consumer law division would have potentially fined OneWest in order to encourage them to fix their internal issues. Those fines would have been entirely passed on to shareholders. Sen. Harris likely saw no reason to invest time and energy in pursuing fines to be levied on people already losing their shirts, just so that OneWest would be encouraged to shape up, when the recession was ensuring banks were going to be forced to do that anyway.


https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/21/1827095/-Kamala-Harris-and-the-big-lie-that-she-didn-t-prosecute-Mnuchin


If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

roody

(10,849 posts)
73. Mnuchin contributed to one of her election campaigns.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 08:54 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
74. So you are claiming quid pro quo?
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 09:17 PM
Feb 2019

You sound like RW media going after Hillary back in 2016.

Prove it or get lost. You have no business on this website.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Cha

(295,903 posts)
12. Kamala has excellent qualifications and experience.. I think
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 03:19 AM
Feb 2019

she would be a much better President than BS.



http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Kamala_Harris.htm
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

KPN

(15,587 posts)
58. Wow. 222,222 posts! Yikes ... and a nice symmetrical number to boot!
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:42 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

MrsCoffee

(5,801 posts)
14. She ranks as the most Progressive Senator.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 06:47 AM
Feb 2019
https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate

I seriously dislike this talking point.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
26. Senator, perhaps. Prosecutor, No.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:29 AM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

MrsCoffee

(5,801 posts)
27. She isn't running for Prosecutor.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:29 AM
Feb 2019

Her voting record speaks for itself.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
45. Yes, she has been a Progressive force during her career in the senate.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:04 PM
Feb 2019

Not so much as a prosecutor/AG. That is where many people's concerns about her stem from.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Docreed2003

(16,817 posts)
34. Excellent post
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:47 AM
Feb 2019

Her voting record is as progressive as you can get, but somehow that's not enough for some

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
51. Remarkable isnt it?
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:32 PM
Feb 2019

They dig up some old controversial cases from when she was AG and use that to prove she isnt progressive.

It makes one's hair hurt.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Docreed2003

(16,817 posts)
60. It's remarkable in its predictability, sadly
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:43 PM
Feb 2019

Can't wait for the "corporatist", "establishment", "centrist" attacks to come...smdh. Some folks haven't learned anything from 2016. Those same critics though will twist themselves into pretzels over certain candidates previous gun stances and are shockingly silent about "Why would any candidate NOT support Russian sanctions?"...but, like I said, predictable.



If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

KPN

(15,587 posts)
61. Yeah, it's not accurate based on her time as a Senator for sure.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:46 PM
Feb 2019

She's definitely in the mix as far as I'm concerned.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

lapucelle

(18,038 posts)
30. I googled her. Harris the most progressive senator serving.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:42 AM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

wasupaloopa

(4,516 posts)
6. As Californian I support her because she has the experience, resume and cares about people in all
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:02 PM
Feb 2019

classes. She is not a one sided personality. She sees the big picture and she is PRAGMATIC!


http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Kamala_Harris.htm

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Cha

(295,903 posts)
13. That's a wonderful
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 03:22 AM
Feb 2019

description of her.. Mahalo, wasupaloopa

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

wasupaloopa

(4,516 posts)
22. Thanks. I voted for her twice already.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 10:31 AM
Feb 2019

One as AG and one as Senator.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Cartoonist

(7,298 posts)
8. SF Bay Area
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:09 PM
Feb 2019

While I haven't followed her career closely, I get a positive feeling. I have also seen her win repeatedly. Only seasoned pros like Bernie or Joe stand a chance.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

TJKay

(27 posts)
9. I'd vote for her in the primary if I had to vote today...
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 09:10 PM
Feb 2019

but I'm far from firm and need to learn lots about the plausibly electable candidates. I consider her definitely to be a top tier candidate.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

EricMaundry

(1,619 posts)
10. What do you mean by progressive?
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 01:18 AM
Feb 2019

It seems like a relatively minor consideration when compared to getting rid of Trump.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

MrsCoffee

(5,801 posts)
15. She ranks #1 progressive Senator.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 06:48 AM
Feb 2019
https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate

Right above Warren.

Bernie ranks 9th.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
18. Her record as a prosecutor is troubling.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 09:05 AM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
19. Please be specific.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 09:35 AM
Feb 2019

Thanks in advance.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
23. I'm deeply disturbed by the hardline anti truancy crackdown she oversaw.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 10:45 AM
Feb 2019

It disproportionately affected communities of color and the poor overall.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
24. That issue seems to be one following her but she did recently respond directly to the criticism..
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:00 AM
Feb 2019
“I believe a child going without an education is tantamount to a crime,” Harris says in the video. “So I decided I was going to start prosecuting parents for truancy.”

She describes an instance in which she charged a homeless woman who was working two jobs to take care of her three children.

“She just needed some help,” Harris said. So the woman was charged.

“By shining this infrared spotlight of public safety on the fact that her children aren’t in school, we were able to figure that out, get her access to services that exist, and through that process, the attendance of her children improved. We dismissed the charges against her, and overall we’ve improved attendance for this population in SF by 20 percent over the last two years.”


https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-truancy-initiative_us_5c50b08ee4b0f43e410bcbc4
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
25. This response certainly doesn't calm my concerns.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:28 AM
Feb 2019

Even if the charges against this woman in this instance were ultimately dropped, I'm disturbed by the idea that she was charged in the first place. This woman's children may have become less truant, but I am disturbed by the idea that this was probably the result of being terrorized with the threat of jail time. Also, this woman's story amounts to what is essentially an anecdote. Her office had prosecuted 20 parents in just six years between '03 and '09.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
31. I agree it does seem a bit harsh but its clearly a complicated issue.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:43 AM
Feb 2019

There is no easy answer to the problem. Harris chose a more aggressive approach and in the long run it did appear to work to reduce truancy. I don't think this disqualifies her or discredits her from running for President. For some voters this is probably a plus.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
42. In my opinion the solution to the problem would be making sure these families have a standard of
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:01 PM
Feb 2019

living high enough to allow them to make their child(ren)'s attendance more of a top priority. In the case of a homeless woman, it's quite likely her biggest concern would be making sure she and her kids had food to eat, maybe, being able to afford medicine?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
54. Well, yes that would be a better solution if it were feasible.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:39 PM
Feb 2019

Also, not sure how AG Harris could implement a solution like that. Her role as AG was to enforce the laws of California. The law states children of a certain age must attend school.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

MyOwnPeace

(16,887 posts)
32. As a former Principal........
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:45 AM
Feb 2019

in a poor district I was very active in being sure that the students were in school as required by law. If several attempts to assure the attendance was maintained by the parents were not successful, I had the legal right and responsibility to bring charges against the parents of the absent children.
Yes, it was being done against the poorer families in the community - because they were the ones having less respect for the notion that education is a benefit for the future success of the children.
It was a tool to provide better chances for success for the future for the kids - not a means of "punishing" the poor in the community. If the parents were afraid of getting fined - they tended to be more concerned with getting their children to school.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
39. Maybe the poorer families were more concerned about the other issues that come with being in that
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:56 AM
Feb 2019

position? Like, y'know, making sure their children had food to eat. That would be more of a concern than school attendance.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

MyOwnPeace

(16,887 posts)
49. Y'know, that could be possible.........
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:16 PM
Feb 2019

but it was never the case in the instances I'd experienced. My "filing charges" came after several attempts to understand and/or correct the problems. The hearings were the last-attempt efforts.
I found that most (if not all) of the reasons were based more on "inconvenience" (can't get up in time - poor scheduling, too busy doing anything else, etc) than concerns over basic needs.
Besides, since it was a "poor" district a great majority of the students were provided with breakfast and lunch (covers the "having food to eat" thing, don't 'ya think?).

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
50. Incarceration is not a solution to truancy I will ever support.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:24 PM
Feb 2019

That's my final thought on the subject

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

MyOwnPeace

(16,887 posts)
55. We never incarcerated......
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:40 PM
Feb 2019

only fines.
Yes, incarceration would NOT help - even less support for the kids.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)
56. You may not have. Senator Harris did. nt.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:40 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

KPN

(15,587 posts)
66. Do you have some specifics you can point to? Because I've been somewhat impressed with her, but at
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 01:06 PM
Feb 2019

the same time understand and would probably share your concern knowing i fit's factual, I'd really like to understand this better. Like, how many were incarcerated under/by her? what were the circumstances of those incarcerations? how long were parent(s) incarcerated? what was the eventual outcome for the kids involved?

There is no doubt that the poor are disproportionately punished and affected by our legal system -- and significantly so. It's an issue I am interested in and concerned about.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided

Response to liberalnarb (Reply #18)

 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
20. I really like her in many ways.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 09:39 AM
Feb 2019

Strong, smart, witty, no nonsense, experienced, excellent liberal/progressive background. I really like her style and presence on a stage and in interviews. She has the look and feel of a leader.. presidential. She also has a great campaign manager.

I have already made up my mind. She's the one.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
21. You'd probably get the best info by Googling her on your own...
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 09:46 AM
Feb 2019

she no doubt has a campaign website, and there would be a lot of articles about her, interviews with her, etc.

The posters in this forum are prevented from being too negative toward a Democrat, for one thing. Plus there are avid supporters, who historically blindly raise their candidate to angel status, on the one hand, and those who support other candidates who see only the bad in other candidates.

So it's best if you form your own conclusion. That's what I try to do, anyway. As you can see, I still haven't "fallen in love" with a candidate, as we Democrats are prone to do.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

rownesheck

(2,343 posts)
28. She said
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:35 AM
Feb 2019

marijuana brings people joy. The fact that she had the guts to admit that in public is, at least for the moment, one reason i like her.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

exboyfil

(17,857 posts)
29. I don't like how she stereotyped Jamaicans
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:42 AM
Feb 2019

I think it was an unforced error.

Also her ill advised early Tweet about Smollett.

Neither are disqualifying. She is not my first pick, but she is a perfectly acceptable candidate (prefer her to Sanders or Biden).

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

rownesheck

(2,343 posts)
33. I may be wrong
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:46 AM
Feb 2019

but i thought she has Jamaican heritage in her family. Again, i haven't researched it. Seems i read it somewhere, though.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

exboyfil

(17,857 posts)
35. So what it is still a stereotype
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:49 AM
Feb 2019

You don't get to stereotype within your ethnic group either as far as I am concerned.

Again not disqualifying. Just something that I would not like to see done.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Stare Decisis

(229 posts)
37. Perhaps how Senator Harris
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:55 AM
Feb 2019

chooses to educate us on HER ethnic group is not your concern.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Politicub

(12,163 posts)
52. She owns her identity.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:34 PM
Feb 2019

It isn’t up to you or me to dictate how she should act in relation to her heritage.

It gave me a chuckle.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

USALiberal

(10,877 posts)
59. Well.....
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:42 PM
Feb 2019

She laughed in 2014 when a reporter asked if she would support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Ms. Harris finally reversed course in 2018, long after public opinion had shifted on the topic.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Quixote1818

(28,903 posts)
36. Here is how she compares to other Dems when it comes to voting with Trump
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:51 AM
Feb 2019

She is one of the most liberal but ranks behind a few in the field but she is in CA for it's a bit easier for her to be progressive compared to say someone in Ohio: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/?ex_cid=rrpromo

This is my biggest concern. She was very hardcore as a prosecutor: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/21/local/la-me-innocent-20120821

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Stare Decisis

(229 posts)
38. A tough on crime
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 11:56 AM
Feb 2019

progressive might actually be the perfect combination.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Quixote1818

(28,903 posts)
44. While I really don't care for her tough on crime history, you are probably right
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:04 PM
Feb 2019

It would probably help her in the General.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
46. That's an opinion piece cherry picking the most controversial cases.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:05 PM
Feb 2019

From another article it details her more progressive side..

Harris’s career has been laudatory at times.

The first test of Harris’s principles came in 2004, after she was elected as San Francisco’s district attorney (DA) while promising never to impose capital punishment. Less than six months into her tenure, Harris defied a united chorus of voices — from the city’s police chief and police rank and file, to Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein — calling for the death penalty for a twenty-one-year-old who killed an undercover police officer.

During the officer’s funeral, two thousand officers gave Feinstein a standing ovation after a speech in which she criticized Harris, who was also at the funeral. The state’s attorney general and former senator Barbara Boxer (whose seat Harris has now taken) looked for ways to circumvent Harris’s decision, but ultimately failed. Thanks in large part to Harris’s steadfastness, the killer was spared the death penalty.

In other words, at the very start of her career, Harris defied her own party, her city’s police department, and endured public humiliation to defy reactionary demands.

Later, in 2009, Harris’s Republican rival for attorney general attempted to use her anti-capital punishment stance against her and turn the race, in his words, into “a referendum on the death penalty.” Harris didn’t budge.

Harris has been a frequent critic of the criminal justice system, an encouraging sign. She outlined her philosophy in her 2009 book Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safe, the title of which has become a common refrain for Harris. Her “smart” approach, according to the book, involves focusing on “short-circuiting the criminal careers of offenders much earlier,” “getting offenders out of the system permanently,” ensuring “lower rates of recidivism,” and “investing in comprehensive efforts to reduce the ranks of young offenders entering the criminal justice system.” One of her suggestions was to teach nonviolent inmates and some juvenile offenders skills for employment.

To that end, Harris supported reforming California’s three-strikes law, refrained from seeking life sentences for criminals who committed nonviolent “third strikes,” and in 2004 instituted the Back on Track program, which put first-time offenders between ages eighteen and twenty-four into eighteen-month-long city college apprentice programs, which contributed to the city’s recidivism rates dropping from 54 percent to 10 percent in six years. She would later order parole officers not to enforce residency restrictions against sex offenders.

Over her time as DA and, later, as California attorney general, she took a number of progressive stances. She opposed the anti-gay Proposition 8, helped defend Obamacare in court, supported an undocumented immigrant’s bid for a law license, sponsored legislation that increased transparency around websites’ data collection, opposed California’s despicable “shoot the gays” ballot initiative, and filed a brief in the Supreme Court encouraging it to allow public universities to consider race in admissions. Under her direction, the state’s justice department adopted body cameras, California police were made to undergo implicit racial bias training, and her office received an award for accelerating the testing of rape kits.

Harris also had a respectable record of standing up to corporate malfeasance. She filed a friend-of-the-court brief signed by thirty-one other state attorneys general in 2011 in a Supreme Court case looking to end the practice of drug companies paying competitors to keep generic versions of their drugs off the market. In 2012, she set up a privacy enforcement protection unit in the attorney general’s office, which at one point fined a company for surreptitiously installing spyware on its customers’ computers.

In 2011, she brought the largest fraud settlement in decades against a company that had spent fifteen years overcharging the state’s insurance program for the poor and disabled. She reached a $6.5 million settlement with two former Countrywide executives over predatory lending and called for a Homeowners’ Bill of Rights, which led foreclosures to plummet in the state and Daily Kos to declare her “a bankster’s worst nightmare.”

Harris also has a strong history of going after polluters. As district attorney, she created San Francisco’s first Environmental Justice Unit and went after cases involving illegal dumping and air pollution. As attorney general, she went after companies including BP, Chevron, Comcast, Cosco Busan, ExxonMobil, and South California Gas Company, with Cosco Busan agreeing to the largest settlement of its kind for its 2007 spill in the San Francisco Bay.

With Trump in office, Harris has become even more outspoken. She’s come out in support of single-payer health care and free college tuition for families earning less than $140,000 a year. She’s a frequent critic of Trump’s policies. In her short time in the Senate, she’s put forward bills to end the pay gap for black women and clarify the rights of people detained at US ports of entry, and cosponsored bills to raise the federal minimum wage, close tax loopholes for Big Oil, ban agricultural use of dangerous pesticides, and stop new oil and gas leases as well as the renewal of old ones in the Arctic Ocean.


https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/08/kamala-harris-trump-obama-california-attorney-general
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

USALiberal

(10,877 posts)
47. Not sure i agree with her results in that job, especially pot, not good IMO nt
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:07 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

honest.abe

(8,556 posts)
48. I really do not understand the obsession with a candidate's position on pot.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:11 PM
Feb 2019

I really could care less. I have used it but it's not a huge deal to me if its legal or not. One can always get it and use it if they want to.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

ismnotwasm

(41,919 posts)
41. I love her.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:01 PM
Feb 2019

She’s powerful, and lays out a good message. She doesn’t mind adopting things like Medicare for all, which I personally have a problem with, but many, many people are enamored with the idea, so I assume she will also support the major tweaking that will make it work. She also doesn’t take any shit. She would have Trump for lunch in debates. She a pragmatist, which is all important to me.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

MRDAWG

(501 posts)
53. This Georgia boy sent her money..............
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:35 PM
Feb 2019

nuff said.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

wildflower

(3,196 posts)
57. I would suggest watching some of the clips of her town hall videos
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 12:41 PM
Feb 2019

At the CNN site or YouTube.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

kelly1mm

(4,719 posts)
68. Her support for asset forfeiture as CA AG
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 01:18 PM
Feb 2019

And her calling for Sen. Franken to resign show she lacks the judgement to be President.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

SKKY

(11,771 posts)
69. Watch her during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing...
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 01:22 PM
Feb 2019

...She's tough as nails. She's progressive, for sure, but it was during that hearing that I decided I was all in for her. I don't know. I just got a sense as I watched her that she was about to do big things. And I think she is. That's why I'm supporting her during the primaries, but will support (Democratic Primary Winner) in the general.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Awsi Dooger

(14,565 posts)
71. IMO, there is too much Marcia Clark in her
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 02:28 PM
Feb 2019

First of all, understand that I am coming at this from a handicapper perspective. It is always difficult for me on this site because I am accustomed to free-for-all environments on sports sites and sports wagering venues. Blunt assessment is valued and considered a necessity. The cheerleader types and tippy-toe types are not respected. On partisan political sites the dynamic can be reversed, and I often struggle with it.

I think Kamala Harris is much closer to John Kerry caliber than Barack Obama caliber. That would be my base summary. She is being confused as special when in fact her instincts are poor and the inherent weaknesses would show up at the wrong moments during a fall campaign. Harris certainly could defeat Trump but it would require Trump to remain at his current approval level and not 2-3 points higher.

Let me get this out of the way before going further: If we have a black female nominee then the polling is going to overstate her numbers. More people would say they would vote for her, than would actually vote for her. Misogyny is very real. The Andrew Gillum example is very fresh, and devastating to me as a Floridian. Just because a charismatic midwestern male like Barack Obama did not suffer compared to his polling does not mean the angle is gone. Nominating a black female liberal from a coastal liberal state would test every bit of it. As someone who prioritizes margin for error, I really don't want to test every bit of it.

Marcia Clark was given that O.J. Simpson case because she was incredibly effective and respected in high profile cases like Rebecca Schaeffer, the actress slain outside her complex front door. Clark was accustomed to being on offense. She thought she had special bond with jurors, particularly black female jurors. The O.J. Simpson case was being confused as a slam dunk case, by Clark and others in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Not until the Simpson defense was far beyond anything Clark had ever encountered or could anticipate, both in caliber of argument and caliber of deceit, did all of Marcia Clark's weaknesses show up. Now she's scowling. Now she's barking. She can't believe she is actually on defense in a slam dunk case. Consequently her instincts are being tested like never before, and she butchers many big picture decisions, like allowing 9 black females on the jury despite focus groups indicating that type of juror would hold animosity to Nicole. She failed to veto the glove demonstration by Christopher Darden, which should have been Lead Prosecutor 101.

And so forth. Again, I realize comparisons like this are more common and accepted on sports sites than political sites. I do not apologize. I trust my instincts. And Kamala Harris has verified those instincts recently by failing to provide a competent response to questions about her prosecutor past. She can't wish those questions away. The "modern day lynching" comment regarding Smollett would have been a surprising gaffe from any of our other candidates. From Kamala Harris it was almost the favorite. Her explanation of that has been pathetic so far.

Our nominee is going to be on defense in fall 2020. It doesn't matter what it looks like now. Defeating an incumbent is a monumental uphill task. I want someone who understands that right how, instead of being jolted late in the game as it unfolds that way, like Marcia Clark in the mid '90s. I simply don't trust Kamala Harris in that scenario, and the type of decisions her instincts would allow when it is one barrage of new unexpected onslaught variables every day. A male is best suited to deflect that type of thing. If we nominate a female it needs to be someone with innate charisma and patience, and not an attack dog type. I have hosted enough debate watching parties to know how that type of female plays among apolitical types.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Progressive2020

(713 posts)
72. Thanks
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 03:18 PM
Feb 2019

I appreciate everyone's posts and responses. A lot of good info in there. Harris seems like a pragmatic and tough politician who votes progressively in the Congress. I think that she seems to have a good mix of toughness and progressivism.

I will maybe watch some of her Town Hall Speeches on YouTube, as someone suggested. I intend to give all the candidates a good look. I will say that Harris looks pretty good at this point, but I intend to give it time and think as deeply as I can about these candidates. I am grateful to live in a democracy like ours. It is a privilege to be a part of the electoral process.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
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