This can't be as close as the polls suggest. Surely. It has to all be media hype. If Harris doesn't win by a large margin does it suggest maybe democracy is broken.
The polls have varied error margins of course, but they do reflect a real thing: the loudest voices on both sides of the aisle promote policies most of us (Americans) do not want, and they demonize one another.
Average Americans are politically "average" too: balanced budgets, bodily autonomy, equal opportunity (without trying to guarantee equal outcomes), gqy marriage is cool, legal immigration is a good thing we need more of (oh boy, the details though)... etc. They see through the policy fog pretty well.
But average Americans—the VAST majority actually—get suckered into the demonization ploys.
From BOTH sides.
Who will they fear more? Komrade Kamala or the Orange Dictator?
Yeah, she's so centrist the progressive left hates her. Most of her career involved prosecuting criminals. She is a confident gun owner who supports only sensible gun-control policies (background checks that include mental health diagnoses as well as criminal records, for instance). She isn't as strong of a supporter of Israel as Joe Biden, but she isn't a "down with Zionism" person either: she would have brought pressure for peace to both sides and been a patsy for neither. She supports abortion, and public funding for low-income women who need it, but also supports bans on late-term elective abortion. Yes, she is "liberal" but she would have been a centrist liberal who preserved the rule of law, the separation of powers, and democratic elections. She would have supported Ukraine, strengthened NATO, contained Russia and tried to contain China without resorting to a foolish tariff-happy trade war.
But the MAGAsphere successfully painted her as a drooling idiot, a lewd communist "DEI hire" eager to destroy 'Murica.
Dutton has gained a disturbing level of support. I didn't think we'd ever see that, but, we have a long conservative history, and a long history of voting for assholes.
the thing about dutton that worries me is specifically that he is not an outsider candidate. people like hanson, palmer, katter, lambie, price, they're clearly influential in different senses, but i doubt they'd ever have a realistic shot at the top job specifically because they are seen as wacky outsiders.
morrison had a similarly trump-influenced and populist form of politics, defined by sloganeering and fearmongering. even so, i would argue that his outsider status as a relatively "new" politician (only 11 years in parliament before becoming PM) with the reputation of a hillsong guy who made the "where the bloody hell are you" ad contributed to him being a one-term PM. dutton marrying american culture war nonsense with the air of legitimacy afforded by being a boring Liberal dickhead for twenty years is precisely why he is ultimately such a worrisome candidate. throw in the murdoch machine and australia's propensity to lean Liberal regardless, and i'll be (happily) surprised if he doesn't get in next election.
Hey you think it's bad down under. Try living in Canada during an American election cycle and hell, all during 2016-2020, I would often describe it as living above a crack house.
Yeah, unlike many countries, taking away women's rights to bodily autonomy (something men don't ever have to worry about) is never going to get traction here.
We've even entrenched euthanasia across most of the country.
We're largely secular, unlike the entrenched religiosity that still runs through America. The US remains deeply attached to superstition and magical thinking, despite the invention of the wheel and Walmart.
I kinda think Walmart feeds the entrenched religiosity, in so far as it keeps people thinking any kind of labor reform or regulation of large companies like Walmart is bad because socialism or whatever.
This can't be as close as the polls suggest. Surely. It has to all be media hype. If Harris doesn't win by a large margin does it suggest maybe democracy is broken.
Honestly I have no idea how accurate any of the polls are this time around, all I can do is cross my fingers and toes and everything
You and me both. Let's hope they don't get this wrong again.
The polls have varied error margins of course, but they do reflect a real thing: the loudest voices on both sides of the aisle promote policies most of us (Americans) do not want, and they demonize one another.
Average Americans are politically "average" too: balanced budgets, bodily autonomy, equal opportunity (without trying to guarantee equal outcomes), gqy marriage is cool, legal immigration is a good thing we need more of (oh boy, the details though)... etc. They see through the policy fog pretty well.
But average Americans—the VAST majority actually—get suckered into the demonization ploys.
From BOTH sides.
Who will they fear more? Komrade Kamala or the Orange Dictator?
We'll find out next week...
...so I guess I'm saying that democracy isn't broken, education is...
And social media silos / "google bubbles" etc. have contributed strongly to the situation.
Komrade Kamala? Lol wat
Yeah, she's so centrist the progressive left hates her. Most of her career involved prosecuting criminals. She is a confident gun owner who supports only sensible gun-control policies (background checks that include mental health diagnoses as well as criminal records, for instance). She isn't as strong of a supporter of Israel as Joe Biden, but she isn't a "down with Zionism" person either: she would have brought pressure for peace to both sides and been a patsy for neither. She supports abortion, and public funding for low-income women who need it, but also supports bans on late-term elective abortion. Yes, she is "liberal" but she would have been a centrist liberal who preserved the rule of law, the separation of powers, and democratic elections. She would have supported Ukraine, strengthened NATO, contained Russia and tried to contain China without resorting to a foolish tariff-happy trade war.
But the MAGAsphere successfully painted her as a drooling idiot, a lewd communist "DEI hire" eager to destroy 'Murica.
And here we are.
Dutton has gained a disturbing level of support. I didn't think we'd ever see that, but, we have a long conservative history, and a long history of voting for assholes.
I'm very nervous about the next election.
The thought of having him as PM fills me with a weird mix of fear and embarrassment
Indeed.
the thing about dutton that worries me is specifically that he is not an outsider candidate. people like hanson, palmer, katter, lambie, price, they're clearly influential in different senses, but i doubt they'd ever have a realistic shot at the top job specifically because they are seen as wacky outsiders.
morrison had a similarly trump-influenced and populist form of politics, defined by sloganeering and fearmongering. even so, i would argue that his outsider status as a relatively "new" politician (only 11 years in parliament before becoming PM) with the reputation of a hillsong guy who made the "where the bloody hell are you" ad contributed to him being a one-term PM. dutton marrying american culture war nonsense with the air of legitimacy afforded by being a boring Liberal dickhead for twenty years is precisely why he is ultimately such a worrisome candidate. throw in the murdoch machine and australia's propensity to lean Liberal regardless, and i'll be (happily) surprised if he doesn't get in next election.
Hey you think it's bad down under. Try living in Canada during an American election cycle and hell, all during 2016-2020, I would often describe it as living above a crack house.
I'm so sorry we didn't deliver.
Yeah, unlike many countries, taking away women's rights to bodily autonomy (something men don't ever have to worry about) is never going to get traction here.
We've even entrenched euthanasia across most of the country.
We're largely secular, unlike the entrenched religiosity that still runs through America. The US remains deeply attached to superstition and magical thinking, despite the invention of the wheel and Walmart.
I kinda think Walmart feeds the entrenched religiosity, in so far as it keeps people thinking any kind of labor reform or regulation of large companies like Walmart is bad because socialism or whatever.
Doing our best to divert our effluent, keep it out of the pipes for you...