@Allamanda Me too. I'd like to be positive. Trump's gonna pull every dirty truck in the book and a few new ones.

@Allamanda

Well at least Harris will help him secure the vital swing state of California.

Yeah, I'm sure it has everything to do with her being a black woman. They love to play identity politics.

I've no intention of watching his speech but it doesn't surprise me one bit that he left out that most important topic.

@Allamanda Drop your passivity. He is our tool; we have to make him mention the climate.

@Allamanda 'Crossing the aisle?' Giggle....
Like the Confederate soldiers (traitors) crossed over during the Battle at Gettysburg?
Like the Pubs extended their hand over the past 20 years of pitched hand-to-hand combat?
Spare me.
The Republicans picked this fight, and it's a fight they shall have.
You know, I see this as a fundamental lack of respect. No give. No 'I see your point. Let's come to a meeting of the minds,' nothing.
So I hope we can be bigger and see their point of view. Teach them some manners.
(Sorry, just watched Pulp Fiction for the umpteeth time.)

@Allamanda, @RoboGraham Has it ever occurred to you he chose her because she was the best choice, period?

@RoboGraham I mean I'm sick of the nit-picking. If Jesus Christ finally showed up, would you inspect his robe for fleas? So she's BLACK, does that mean he picked her for that reason? Of course it had something to do with it, so what? What about the Midwestern swing States...might not help there. He's already got the northeast, no help there. Forget the south. What about Texas? You know, like I said, putting all the cynical machinations aside, maybe he thinks she'll be able as a prosecutor to expose the myriad crimes, an expert revealer of the truth. Has that ever occurred to you? That he's actually trying to do the right thing for the country?

@Allamanda

yvilletom “have you ever known me be passive””

Twice. (surprised): See below.

“hope so”, “that's what I wondered about. Maybe it's a trade-off against electing a black woman?”

@Allamanda

1. You write UK English. I read US English.
2. You write female. I read male. (Ain’t it hell?)

@Allamanda Ditto. (wonderment)

@Storm1752

What you call nitpicking, I see as massive moral failings and an ideology which is opposed to my own.

I think there are lots of reasons they chose her and I doubt any of them had much to do with her willingness and ability to lead effectively for the working class.

I'm not aware of the Midwestern states finding Kamala particularly appealing. Maybe you know something I don't about that. I do know that her home state is a given so not much help there.

Yes, perhaps she will be an excellent prosecutor and bring people in the current administration to justice. She does have a record of being tough on crime and keeping people behind bars. Sometimes, she is a bit over zealous about that. She blocked early release of prisoners so as not to harm prison labor programs. She was also very aggressive in locking up marijuana users. On the other hand, she sometimes took it easy on people, such as Steve Mnuchin. She declined to prosecute his bank after findings of gross misconduct. It seems she is keen to bring the full force of the law upon the poor but completely willing to let the crimes of the ulta-wealthy slide by unpunished. So by that track record, I'd wager she has no intention of going after anyone important.

I hadn't considered that Joe chose her because he is attempting to do right for the country. I didn't think of that because Joe has never demonstrated a willingness to do good for us. I've only seen him act in his own self interests and for those of his wealthy donors. So it didn't come to mind.

@Allamanda

The oracle has the utmost interest in minutiae. He feeds on it.

I would definitely take her over the other so called "law and order" President who spends his time disregarding the law expect when he's trying to rig the judge and juries of the justice system and pardoning his way out of jail.

@Allamanda I'm getting braced for the trolls, girding my loins for the stupid and ridiculous battle ahead. I overreacted.
Man the ramparts!

@Allamanda My sister-in-law has been captured by the thought police; I'm sad, but as long as we are resolute, no force can contain us, no mountain is too high to climb, and no bridge too far.
Onward!

Disrespect for authority troubles you?

Don’t be a slave. Do your own thinking and if you’re wrong take the rap.

@yvilletom No my friend, the right KIND of authority is exactly what we need. You misread my comment.

@Storm1752 You mistyped: “...the right KIND of authority is exactly what we need.”

Next time, type for yourself, as “...the right KIND of authority is exactly what I need.”

@yvilletom Got it. Thanks.

@Leontion An anarchy is fine for a potluck, until one anarchist decides he'll eat his fill of the chicken wings and bring the rest home with him...then what?!?

@Leontion I injecting levity (?) into the discussion because so many of these on here are so DEAD SERIOUS if gets suffocating.
Yes but your 'point' is highly debatable. You're not saying we'd be better off without police. That's an anarchist fairly tale. Sort of like libertarianism: I guess your real point is a chicken-or-egg thing: get rid of all authority and people will govern themselves. Look, the reason we have authority is because people banded together and created it. It IS 'governing ourselves!'

@Leontion Thanks for that.
I'm a simple man, so I keep things simple. We should revitalize our secular institutions.

"Tainting the ticket?" So you have a soft spot for criminals? What exactly are you saying?
Joe Biden is an excellent choice, as is Senator Harris.

As i recall, California voters said they wanted to keep the death penalty. She wasn’t the governor and she went with them.

A nickel says your state’s voters also wanted to keep the death penalty.

@Storm1752 I'm talking about the general contempt of police and to some extent to prosecutors, by association. Especially considering all the police brutality we've seen over the past several years, with subsequent failures of too many prosecutors to do anything about it. Harris's actual history in regards to this (which I don't know) doesn't really matter when it comes to the perceptions of the masses of voters.

@yvilletom I was glad when Ted Bundy was put to death; no apologies there. Putting innocent people to death? Problem.

@yvilletom, @bingst Right. I have a lot to learn also about her record.
I happen to think the police have a tough job.

@Storm1752 Besides, what does the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment’s “...nor cruel and unusual....” mean?

@yvilletom Like using death as a criminal sentence more as a means to deter others from comitting the same crime, than as a punishment?

@bingst I don’t understand what you’re asking.

@yvilletom To put it another way: if the chief purpose of a particular punishment is a means to try to deter others, would that qualify as cruel or unusual?

@bingst Take out the words “a means to try”. Does the question differ?

I see “cruel and unusual” as referring to the means, such as hanging or shooting. I don’t see it as referring to the purpose, such as to deter or to punish. Check a law dictionary.