# Kamala Harris and the runup to the 2024 Presidential Election {No more on Guns} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** kamala-harris\ **Created:** [July 22, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571 "2024-07-22T00:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/21 "2024-07-22T15:47:57Z")
I think she’ll really need to have an understandable answer to the border issue, and why so many undocumented immigrants came in under “her watch”. I just went through a macroeconomic update and noticed an interesting chart that showed an unprecedented variance of the employment level in the US as shown by Employer vs. Employee surveys. The only explanation for the variance is a significant number of undocumented workers who don’t report their employment. Unfortunately the fact that they’ve helped us get out of the high inflation environment probably won’t fly for many voters. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/22 "2024-07-22T15:51:20Z")
The other thing I already see some conservatives trying to use against her - albeit cynically - is the large number of inmates in prison whom were denied early release by her office because of the need for labor - although that was lawyers in her office, not necessarily by her herself. > **[Kamala Harris’ A.G. Office Tried to Keep Inmates Locked Up for Cheap Labor](https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-ag-office-tried-to-keep-inmates-locked-up-for-cheap-labor)** > > Lawyers for California also argued that allowing certain inmates to be paroled early would deplete a program that allowed prisons to fight wildfires. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/23 "2024-07-22T15:52:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I don’t know why people keep saying this. Sure, sexism exists, but it’s been neutralized enough to the point that the last time a woman was a party’s nominee, she was such an overwhelming favorite to win the election that her defeat came as a huge surprise. She led in the polls from the start of the election to the finish. This works against what you’re arguing. The goal isn’t to be leading in the polls. The goal is to win the election. You’d be much better off saying that sexism is still so strong that even a candidate who was leading in all of the polls was still defeated because she was a woman. Which is still an oversimplified narrative, of course. Clinton had much bigger problems with her candidacy than her gender. But it was definitely relevant, and probably hurt her more than it helped. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/24 "2024-07-22T15:53:39Z")
This _[**Washington Post**](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/kamala-harris-endorsements/)_ link (non-paywalled) is live-tracking Harris’ endorsements among Democratic U.S. representatives, Democratic U.S. senators, and Democratic state governors. As this writing, she is up to 192 endorsements out of a possible 286. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/25 "2024-07-22T15:54:41Z")
My point was that if sexism were really that huge an obstacle to overcome, Hillary wouldn’t have even been leading that strongly in the polls to begin with and considered such a heavy favorite to begin with. I won’t digress too much lest this Kamala thread turn into a Hillary thread, but clearly women can already find themselves in a totally compete-able or winnable position in a US presidential election in today’s demographics/environment. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/26 "2024-07-22T15:56:20Z")
**Moderating** : ### Correct, no one turn this into a rehash of _ **Hillary Clinton** _ thread. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/27 "2024-07-23T01:02:22Z")
Harris was pretty fired up in her first campaign speech today. > ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/28 "2024-07-23T02:09:53Z")
She is a prohibitive favorite to win. She might as well begin choosing her Cabinet now. It would take an even bigger miracle than 2016 for Trump to beat her. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/29 "2024-07-23T02:12:11Z")
Well, if nothing else, I think she can count on Melania’s vote. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/30 "2024-07-23T02:30:05Z")
And she’s locked up the nomination. > **[Live updates: Kamala Harris secures enough delegates to win Democratic...](https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/joe-biden-election-drop-out-07-22-24/index.html)** > > President Joe Biden Vice President Kamala Harris has the support of enough Democratic delegates to win the party’s nomination for president, according to CNN’s delegate estimate. Follow for live updates and reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/31 "2024-07-23T02:32:49Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > She is a prohibitive favorite to win. She might as well begin choosing her Cabinet now. It would take an even bigger miracle than 2016 for Trump to beat her. Where are you seeing that she is a “prohibitive favorite”? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/32 "2024-07-23T02:40:42Z")
Just my opinion. She holds so many juggernaut advantages that I feel almost sorry for Trump now. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/33 "2024-07-23T02:44:06Z")
> **in the agent orange theme** > > [https://techboards.net/attachments/452040471\_10233668222193893\_5696930520054093925\_n-jpg.30468/](https://techboards.net/attachments/452040471_10233668222193893_5696930520054093925_n-jpg.30468/) Not really an image we should approve of, but pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/34 "2024-07-23T02:53:43Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Not really an image we should approve of I’ll say. AI art is no good even when it doesn’t have things like an arm growing out of the side of US Agent’s head. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/35 "2024-07-23T04:34:54Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > She will not have a fundraising advantage, As of this evening, that doesn’t appear to be the case: > [@](#): > > In the hours since President[Joe Biden](https://www.cnbc.com/joe-biden/)announced that[he would end his teetering reelection campaign](https://www.cnbc.com//), Harris and the Democratic party have pulled in roughly **$250 million** in online donations and major donor commitments. > > The Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue has processed **$106 million** in contributions to Democratic candidates since Biden dropped out,[according to an automated tracker](https://observablehq.com/@rdmurphy/actblue-ticker-tracker). > … > In addition to the online donations, a super political action committee that supports the Biden-Harris ticket announced that over the past 24 hours, major donors have made contribution commitments totaling **$150 million** to the Harris election effort. > > The [pledges to Future Forward](https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/07/22/kamala-harris-campaign-biden-drop-out/big-donors-00170367) were described to NBC News as **coming from donors who had been sitting on the sidelines for the past month, amid concerns about Biden as the nominee** > **[Majority of pledged Democratic delegates endorse Harris after massive...](https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/07/22/live-updates-harris-democrats-biden-drops-out-trump-campaign.html)** > > Kamala Harris is raising hundreds of millions and scoring key endorsements since Joe Biden dropped out. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/36 "2024-07-23T04:44:20Z")
And she’s coming out swinging against Trump: > [@](#): > > As a young prosecutor, when I was in the Alameda County District Attorney’s office in California, I specialized in cases involving sexual abuse,” said Harris, a former prosecutor. "Donald Trump was found liable by a jury for committing sexual abuse.” > > Harris continued: “As attorney General of California, I took on one of our country’s largest for-profit colleges and put it out of business. Donald Trump ran a for-profit college, Trump University, that was forced to pay $25 million to the students it scammed." > **['I'm watching you, kid': Joe Biden dials into Harris's debut to campaign staff](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/22/joe-biden-kamala-harris-im-watching-you/74506133007/)** > > Harris's first visit to her campaign headquarters featured a surprise call from Biden. But the lovefest soon turned to an attack on Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/37 "2024-07-23T04:45:51Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Harris was pretty fired up in her first campaign speech today. I watched it. It was a refreshing change from Biden’s speeches, press conferences, and that awful (for him) debate. She was sure of herself, sure of what she wanted to say, and she delivered her speech like a pro. No hyperbole, no “nobody’s ever seen befores,” no searching for words she couldn’t find. What she needs to do, going forward, is to keep that sureness and clarity, in all her public remarks. She should speak about policy, and craft policies that address all Americans’ concerns: the border situation, _Roe v. Wade_ and abortion, healthcare, the economy, foreign policy, and similar. But she should also take the opportunity to get in digs at Trump as often as possible. Nothing personal, of course, so no “orange man with a bad combover” stuff. But look at what he’s done: “He raised tariffs on Chinese goods, but he didn’t tell you that they didn’t hurt the Chinese. So who pays them? You do.” Things like that. She got off to a good start with that today, when she said: > [@](#): > > She said in her long career as a prosecutor, she’s taken on perpetrators of all kinds: “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” she said. “So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.” Source (though it can be found elsewhere): > **[Harris Digs at Trump in 1st Speech of New Campaign](https://time.com/7001650/kamala-harris-speech-trump/)** > > In a rousing speech, Kamala Harris touted her experience prosecuting predators and cheaters. "I know Donald Trump’s type." ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/38 "2024-07-23T06:22:12Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > But she should also take the opportunity to get in digs at Trump as often as possible. I think not. She needs to make it about Ms Harris, not some other dirtbag. She has to regard him, publically, as if he is a cipher, as if he does not matter. She should quite simply not speak about him but tell us why _she_ is the person we should vote for. Stop giving him air. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/39 "2024-07-23T07:08:18Z")
I disagree. She should refer to him. Harking back to Michelle Obama’s “When they go low, we go high” remark in 2016, going high, and speaking about nothing but policy, didn’t work for Hillary, and it is not going to work this time. Back then, Trump went low, and Hillary went high, and look what resulted. Ms. Harris is going to have to address Trump in some way. As I said, not by attacking him personally. “Going low” need not include third-grade schoolyard taunts, as Trump is so good at, but by rising above those, when it comes down to non-policy matters. “Yeah, Trump supporters call me ‘Kackles Kamala.’ What of it? Not everybody has a nice rounded Santa Claus laugh. Hey, if I can give you a stock tip, buy stock in Heinz Ketchup, because Donald’s gonna need a lot of it between now and November.” Show Trump and his toadies that she just doesn’t care about him. In 2016, Hillary’s downfall was that she concentrated on policy. Trump’s win back then was due to concentrating on Hillary. IMHO, Kamala Harris’ success will come from concentrating on policy, while also concentrating on addressing Trump and his personal insults towards her, and the Democrats in general. But at any rate, she cannot ignore Trump. She need to address Trump, and his foibles, as often as possible, but while not ignoring Dems’ policy. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571/40 "2024-07-23T08:20:45Z")
As an interested outsider, I throw this, from my news feed this morning: > Vice President Kamala Harris has continued to rack up endorsements and delegates since President Biden’s surprise announcement yesterday that he would not accept the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. As of tonight, Harris has the support of at least 2,471 delegates, more than the 1,976 she will need to secure the nomination. > > Endorsements have also continued to mount, with the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Victory Fund, and the Latino Victory Fund all endorsing her. > > Labor unions have also backed her: the AFL-CIO, which represents 12.5 million workers, endorsed Harris. So did the Service Employees International Union, with 2 million workers, as well as the United Steelworkers, which represents 850,000 metal workers and miners, and the Communications Workers of America. > > Other unions endorsing Harris include the American Federation of Teachers, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-the-runup-to-the-2024-presidential-election-no-more-on-guns/1004571.md?page=3)