# The Kamala Harris thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** kamala-harris\ **Created:** [October 20, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236 "2018-10-20T03:08:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/41 "2018-10-22T01:54:06Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > 2020 won’t be 2008. People don’t understand what’s about to happen. Agreed, and you are included in the category of “people”. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/42 "2018-10-22T02:19:28Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Agreed, and you are included in the category of “people”. None of the Democrats believed to be in the running are going to beat Trump. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/43 "2018-10-22T02:22:56Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > None of the Democrats believed to be in the running are going to beat Trump. We’ll see. Such sweeping predictions this early are entirely meaningless. Not even worth discussing. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/44 "2018-10-22T03:19:02Z")
Item the first: Betting markets (e.g. [Predictit](https://www.predictit.org/markets/detail/3633/Who-will-win-the-2020-Democratic-presidential-nomination)) have had her leading for a long time now, long before the polls had her high on the list. I am not too familiar with her myself but those I know who are are very impressed. Obviously those who bet have been long before the hearings. I’m willing to see if those assessments are based on good cause or not. Item the second: I’ve NOT every heard that she “cloaks herself in Blackness” other than that “Kos diarist” cited in the OP. She would not be running as the Black candidate and could not expect the level of Black support that Obama got. As for how one self-identifies - Obama had an appearance that in America had others labelling him as such and embraced the label. Harris? I have no idea. I know that she overtly embraces and identifies with both aspects of her identity more than Obama ever did, and is a member of _both_ the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus. I think by each she would call herself a “woman of color”. Item the third: I endorse the statement that “2020 won’t be 2008. People don’t understand what’s about to happen.” Among those people clearly is **asahi**. And myself. What I do know is that in 2016 Trump won among voters who wanted a change. My guess is there are lots of people who still want a change. Item the forth: Harris straddles several of the channels. With a big field dividing the channels that may play to her advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/45 "2018-10-22T14:41:23Z")
I’m a huge fan of Kamala Harris, ever since I heard some interviews of her when she was running for Attorney General. She has what it takes to be president. In an ideal world, after being elected senator twice, she’d run for president in 2024 at the end of Hillary’s terms. But we’re not in that world. She should definitely run for president in 2020. She’s been twice elected to statewide office in the most populous state. She has executive and legislative experience. She’s not beholden to any wing of the Democratic party, which means she can unite that party. Republicans will complain about any Democratic candidate; Democrats should pay them no heed. Even if she doesn’t win the primary, a good showing will get her the vice presidential slot, or set up a future presidential run. Democrats will be wasting her talents in the Senate, but I’ll be happy to keep returning her there. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/46 "2018-10-22T16:53:08Z")
I honestly didn’t know much about her at all before opening the thread and subsequently reading up on her. So thanks, **ITR champion** for pointing her out, regardless of what I end up thinking. It’s really not useful for anyone to be all “not Warren/Biden/XYZ” without offering alternatives, and I’m currently being one of those people. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/47 "2019-01-21T18:17:15Z")
Updating: > [@](#): > > Kamala Harris announced Monday that she is running for president in 2020, arguing that the time has come to fight against what she views as the injustices of the past two years of the Trump presidency. [https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/politics/kamala-harris-president-2020/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/politics/kamala-harris-president-2020/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/48 "2019-01-21T19:08:32Z")
It think it’s no surprise she’s nearing the top of the polls. She inherently has great appeal like Obama did. I’m really excited she’s running and I’m going to be cheering her on for all I’m worth. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/49 "2019-01-21T19:09:25Z")
Harris takes office in 2017. The voters deserve a Senator that will actually represent them instead of using the office as a platform for bigger things. Hillary served a full term and was in her 2nd when she ran. That’s a lot more responsible approach. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/50 "2019-01-21T19:14:54Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Harris takes office in 2017. The voters deserve a Senator that will actually represent them instead of using the office as a platform for bigger things. > > Hillary served a full term and was in her 2nd when she ran. That’s a lot more responsible approach. I agree with this. One of the (many) things I dislike about my new Senator Josh Hawley is how he ran in 2016 for Missouri AG specifically decrying people using one office as a ladder to a higher one, and then immediately began planning to run for the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Erudite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ancient\_Erudite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Erudite)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/51 "2019-01-21T19:28:33Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Oy. She doesn’t “look black”? Does [Valerie Jarrett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Jarrett) “look black”? Not only is Jarret black, in the common parlance of race in America, but she’s one of the few blacks whose “family lore” of some Native American ancestry is proven out by DNA testing. > > Anyway, it would be a mistake for the Democrats to nominate her as their presidential candidate in 2020. I think she’s just too liberal for the role given the realities of the Electoral College. The Democrats need to remember: It’s the Electoral College, stupid! If she ran for a Precidicney of the “Pacific coast states,” I think she would have a real shot to get the nomination, but her brand of politics won’t play at all in the Midwest, which is where Trump won the election. Harris is not long term type of candidate. Old Joe Biden is the best of the lot. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/52 "2019-01-21T20:01:49Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Item the forth: Harris straddles several of the channels. With a big field dividing the channels that may play to her advantage. She’s also won three statewide elections in CA which holds it’s primary March 3rd. The big field just saw getting a share of CA’s delegates become potentially a lot harder. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/53 "2019-01-21T20:08:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Harris takes office in 2017. The voters deserve a Senator that will actually represent them instead of using the office as a platform for bigger things. Yeah, Harris quit in the middle of her term as CA AG to run for senate, now she’s barely got her feet wet in the Senate and she wants to be president. **Ancient Erudite** make a good point that her platform wont run well in the Rust belt. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/54 "2019-01-21T21:24:01Z")
don’t all these Dems pretty much agree on 90% of issues? There may be minor variations but I think most likely the choice of voting for one vs. another probably comes down who can win vs. Trump or whoever is on the ballot in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/55 "2019-01-21T21:26:57Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > don’t all these Dems pretty much agree on 90% of issues? There may be minor variations but I think most likely the choice of voting for one vs. another probably comes down who can win vs. Trump or whoever is on the ballot in 2020. Well, Harris wants to ban all handguns. Few dems agree with her on that. So, we know she can’t win vs Trump. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/56 "2019-01-21T21:40:02Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Harris takes office in 2017. The voters deserve a Senator that will actually represent them instead of using the office as a platform for bigger things. I’m not seeing it. I mean, yeah, I want one who’ll represent me, in the sense of voting how I would on stuff; but unless I’m missing something, Harris would just get a replacement — and, things being what they are in her state, said replacement would presumably vote how I would about as often as Harris would. To the extent that I’m right about that, why would I care whether it’s Harris or someone else doing it? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/57 "2019-01-21T21:44:06Z")
Harris will be out on the campaign trail for the next 18 months. She may pop in for important votes but she won’t be in the Senate for day to day business. It’s not unusual for politicians to pursue other offices. But they should at least serve one term and get actual experience in the Senate before climbing that ladder. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/58 "2019-01-21T21:45:09Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah, Harris quit in the middle of her term as CA AG to run for senate, now she’s barely got her feet wet in the Senate and she wants to be president. > > **Ancient Erudite** make a good point that her platform wont run well in the Rust belt. Obama was only in office as a senator for 2 years when he started to run for president, same as Harris. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/59 "2019-01-21T21:47:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Harris will be out on the campaign trail for the next 18 months. She may pop in for important votes but she won’t be in the Senate for day to day business. Good. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236/60 "2019-01-21T21:57:29Z")
If she is running 18 months from now that means she is the Dem nominee. Most of the candidates won’t last beyond next winter. Some won’t even make it to Iowa. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kamala-harris-thread/823236.md?page=4)