A Great Read
Sharing a great read from TCinLA
This week, the author of TCinLA shared my analysis of Kamala Harris’ unprecedented campaign launch. I’d like to return the favor. Not as a quid pro quo, but because they do an excellent analysis of all the good news rolling in - including the staggering numbers from all the Zoom calls for Kamala, especially the 150,000 who joined the “White Women for Harris” call last night (full discloser: my wife was on the call.) Buckle up.
MORE GOOD NEWS
JUL 26
The hits just keep on coming with the Harris campaign. It’s almost hard to keep up with the good news.
With that, here we go:
Barack and Michelle Obama issued the following statement this morning:
“Earlier this week, we got a chance to catch up with a friend who we’ve known for more than 20 years. She’d had a pretty busy couple of days, to say the least. But we couldn’t be more excited for her -- or more thrilled to endorse Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
“We agree with President Biden -- choosing Kamala was one of the best decisions he’s made. She has the resume to prove it: As a prosecutor, she defended the Constitution and fought for folks who deserve a fair shake. As California’s Attorney General, she worked hard to ensure everyone was treated fairly, no matter who they are or who they love. As a Senator, she was one of the strongest voices holding the Trump administration accountable. And, as Vice President, she helped lead the charge on expanding the Affordable Care Act, combating climate change, fighting for reproductive freedom, equality, and the rule of law.
“But Kamala has more than a resume. She has the vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands. There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people. At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope.
“We know over the next few months, Kamala will continue to make her case directly to the American people -- Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. As she does, she will have our full support -- and we look forward to watching her unite our party and our country around a vision for a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future.
“We’re going to do everything we can to elect Kamala Harris the next President of the United States. And we hope you’ll join us.”
Harris campaign “Breaks Zoom”:
From the HollywoodReporter - Hundreds of thousands of Kamala Harrissupporters have rallied behind the presumptive Democratic nominee this week, with Zoom calls breaking records with six-digit attendance numbers.
The events started Sunday following President Joe Biden’s announcement he would not seek re-election. More than 44,000 Black women joined a call to galvanize supporters for the vice president’s historic run for president, drawing celebrity names — including Yvette Nicole Brown and Jenifer Lewis — and raising an estimated $1.5 million.
The trend continued with thousands of Black men on a call earlier this week (they raised $1.3 million), followed by Zooms for white women, LGBTQ supporters, South Asian supporters and more.
At the white women call Thursday night, there were more than 100,000 participants (officially now 150,000), a number so staggering it caused significant technical glitches that sent many to watch the livestream on YouTube, where more than 25,000 also joined the call. ($10 million was raised)
Hollywood was represented across the interest groups. Mindy Kaling joined the South Asian call, with George Takei, Zachary Quinto, Raven Simone, Sophia Bush, Ashlyn Harris, Brian Michael Smith and Justin Tranter attending the LGBTQ call. (Tranter, the co-writer of Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck Babe,” announced he would donate $20,000 to the cause.)
Katie McGrath, Connie Britton, Pink and more signed on to the white women’s call, with Pink reportedly joining right after leaving the stage of a performance in Sweden.
Another Zoom call, women for Harris, is scheduled for this weekend.
Grace outperforms ignorance:
JoeBiden’s farewell address drew 29 million viewers - nearly triple the number that watch Mushroom Donnie’s acceptsance speech.
Harris points to a different direction regarding Israel and Gaza:
After meetiongwith Netanyahu, Kamal Harris said the following:
"I have met with the families of these American hostages multiple times now, and I've told them each time they are not alone, and I stand with them. And President Biden and I are working every day to bring them home.
"With over 2 million people facing high levels of food insecurity, and half a million people facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating; the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time.
"Let us all condemn terrorism and violence. Let us all do what we can to prevent the suffering of innocent civilians. And let us condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate of any kind. And let us work to unite our country."
President Biden has made Val Demmings a Governor of the Postal Service. Can we now finally fire Louis De(no)Joy and restore thePost Office?
We knew Trump was rattled by Kamala’s arrival in the campaign, but we didn’t think he would actually wimp out of the debate. But that’s exactly what the orange chickenshit did yesterday. Making up some silly bullcrap about “Barack Hussein Obama” and flailing like the hopeless loser that he is, Trump has officially backed out of the scheduled debate in September. Vice President Harris is already calling him out and making sure the media knows she is ready to go.
All seven battleground states - AZ, GA, MI, NC, NV, PA, WI - are clearly competitive now and in play. New battleground state polls this week also showed Harris gaining and in a competitive position in all seven states. Polls of Maine and New Hampshire found Harris at Biden 2020 numbers, an election Biden won by 4.5 pts. Simon Rosenberg: “To be honest the movement we are seeing towards Harris this week has been a bit surprising to me. It usually takes a while for big events to work their way through the electorate. So that we are seeing meaningful movement this early is a good sign.”
I’ll end for now with across-post from Kareem Abdul Jabar. I think this has significance for all of us here:
Life is a long lesson in humility.
—James M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan
“Barrie should have added, “If we’re lucky.” By that I mean we’re lucky if our lives last long enough for it to be a “long lesson.” But I also mean we’re lucky to have constant reminders on how to be humble because that makes us empathetic to others and lays a foundation for being able to love and be worthy of being loved. In other words, humility breeds happiness.
“Arrogance is the enemy of humility. That need to feel like we matter beyond the confines of our little world means we can only feel important when validated by others—not by ourselves. Unfortunately, the need for that validation often leads to unhappiness. For many, the only way to feel significant is to chase after some sort of fame or popularity. This can be done through gathering “likes” on social media or by accumulating wealth to flaunt. The idea is that if others are envious, the person has proven they are more significant than those who envy them. This is the math of madness.
“For a happy few, fame is merely a by-product of pursuing personal greatness—not to flaunt but just out of curiosity about how far they can go. This is true of the athlete and the artist, the inventor and the innovator. Their joy comes from their reach exceeding their grasp. It comes from the trying more than the succeeding. This path is littered with failure and humility, which only makes them strive harder. The joy is in the striving, not in the accolades of others. Or as Janis Joplin said, “On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone.”
For me, being a speck of dust is not an existential burden but a profound relief. It is the great equalizer that reminds us we all face the same challenges of wanting to feel useful, needed, and worthy. Humility teaches us that those challenges are overcome through compassion, kindness, and love for others rather than seeking power over others.
“There is nothing that teaches humility more than aging. The increasing frailties of the body remind me daily just how insignificant so much of what I once thought was important really is. I also am acutely aware of how many opinions I had in my youth and even later that embarrass me today. That humility taught me to form my opinions carefully using facts, experts, and research rather than my biased gut or peer pressure.
“The closing door of life just inspires me to make a positive difference in others’ lives while that door is still open, even if just a crack and I can see light. Humility lights the way.”
You can’t go wrong taking advice from Kareem.
Robert Hubbell has been ending his daily posts with astronomical photos he’s taken. To me, they’re humbling to think a small being on a small planet orbiting a small sun at the edge of a small galaxy can look out at creation and comprehend it. So of course the following is a perfect ending. (Thanks Kareem)
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