Tuesday, August 20, 2024
BY CROOKED MEDIA
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Democrats said an emotional goodbye to President Biden last night. But now, in many ways, his legacy depends on Kamala Harris.
- Whatever his political fortunes may be, one piece of President Biden’s record is clear: he scored a string of legislative victories many modern presidents could only envy. He passed hundreds of billions worth of spending plans through a normally deadlocked Congress, including historic anti-climate change measures under the misleadingly-titled (but politically expedient) Inflation Reduction Act. There was also the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, to spur high-tech manufacturing. He passed infrastructure plans that disgraced former President Trump could only talk about, and fail to deliver, for his entire presidency. And he did all that while bringing the country back from a really wild time of pandemic and economic crisis. People couldn’t find toilet paper, and the Capitol had just been ransacked by a Trump-inspired mob.
- Biden’s achievements seem most evident in two areas: he booted a would-be dictator out of the White House, and then passed a staggering amount of sweeping legislation. Both are now at risk in this election, however — meaning both now depend on Vice President Kamala Harris. A second Trump term threatens to dramatically extend the power of the executive branch in the hands of a narcissistic convicted felon. The details of the notorious Project 2025, which was drafted by Trump’s former aides, make that plan painstakingly clear.
- Biden’s legislative wins also hang in the balance. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act gives the green light to a lot of climate change spending that still needs to be implemented. A lot of the money simply hasn’t gone out the door yet. Trump has already said he’ll slash it. “If the Harris administration is able to finish implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, you then have this massive jumpstart to a green economy,” Franklin Foer, journalist and Biden biographer, told the What A Day podcast in Tuesday’s episode. “He basically took a big chunk of the Green New Deal, and he made it happen.” All that is now at risk in this upcoming election.
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In foreign policy, Biden’s legacy remains a lot more controversial. For some, it outweighs whatever he’s done at home.
- For a sizable contingent of voters, Biden’s term will be defined by his support for Israel’s war in Gaza following the deadly attack of October 7. The conflict has unleashed profound devastation in the enclave and has killed over 40,000 people there, according to local health officials.
- Biden officials have repeatedly argued that by standing at Israel’s side, the administration has managed to exercise a degree of leverage over the course of the conflict. But critics counter that very little leverage has actually been exercised, and Israel has therefore been able to exact major destruction using American weapons.They also point out that the administration continued to approve arms sales to Israel even as the civilian death toll soared. Biden’s successor will inherit the monumental task of attempting to manage relations between the two sides, and turning down the temperature in the broader Middle East.
If Biden succeeds in helping elect Harris, then he will have blocked Trump from the White House not just once, but twice. By stepping aside, he’ll have done so at the cost of his own political ambition — the kind of thing politicians should consider, but so do rarely do.
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We all know this election year, now more than ever, is not the time to throw away your vote and crawl into a corner, hoping the presidential election flies by. It is exactly the time to get involved, get moving, and convince you and all of the other undecided voters in your life to show up at the ballot box this November. Tune into season 4 of The wilderness, where Pod Save America host Jon Favreau talks to some of the smartest strategists, pollsters, and organizers in politics. He also explores the thought processes of voters who are slipping away and dives into what we can do between now and November to secure our democracy. The full series is out NOW, so head on over to The Wilderness Feed to listen now. |
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Former President Barack Obama headlines tonight’s convention, along with the real rock star of Democratic politics: former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The former president has a tradition of nailing it at the convention — dating back two decades to the electrifying speech he gave at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which catapulted him into the national spotlight and on to the White House. This year, he’ll be aiming to galvanize the party behind Kamala Harris, following the tumultuous ouster of his own former running mate, Joe Biden, from the Democratic ticket.
The former First Lady remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party — in spite (and, also, because) of her reluctance to engage in politics. Tonight marks one of her rare political appearances. Both Obamas have known Harris a long time. In a video circulated by the Harris campaign marking their endorsement, Michelle Obama says: “I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala, I am proud of you — this is going to be historic.”
Other big names scheduled for Tuesday night include Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), who was considered as a possible VP pick; and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
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A lot more people watched the first night of the Democratic National Convention than watched the first night of the GOP’s convention last month. An audience of 11.4 million tuned in Monday evening, a 21 percent jump over Republicans’ first night, which was watched by 9.4 million. Trump cares for ratings above all else, and this… has gotta sting.
Trump, for his part, said he’s open to appointing RFK Jr. to his cabinet. Just imagine having RFK Jr. AND Elon Musk in the cabinet together. Maybe they’ll let the brain worm drive a Cybertruck out in the Rose Garden.
Democrats blamed “raucous applause” for the fact that their programming ran late and Biden was forced to begin his remarks after 11:00 p.m. Eastern. Lolllll c’mon guys. You knew they were gonna clap! This whole thing came together at the last minute. We get it. But let’s be real…. you could have cut Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY).
A Michigan delegate was escorted out of the DNC during Biden’s speech for holding up a banner that read: “Stop Arming Israel,” according to the Associated Press.
Trump said he would not enforce the century-old Comstock Act to ban mail delivery of abortion medication nationwide, angering conservative and anti-abortion activists who called his position “cowardly.” That last point is one a lot of folks on the other side of the political spectrum would agree with, albeit for different reasons.
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Kamala Harris’ campaign has unlocked an unprecedented wave of donations from women, from billionaires to small-dollar donors. The campaign said 60 percent of the $310 million raised in July came from women.
North Carolina… is looking like a real swing state? The Tarheel State was moved into the “Toss Up” category from “Lean Republican” in political scientist Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball ratings after fresh polls showed Harris gaining. It’s got as many electoral college votes as Georgia, and one more than Michigan.
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