Democrats rallied behind Kamala Harris (and then Tim Walz) with stunning speed. One overlooked aspect of President Biden stepping aside is that the convention Democrats had carefully planned would require major overhaul. Still, the Party seems poised to have a very positive week. For speakers there’s an embarrassment of riches and we have a ticket that’s young and energetic (especially compared to Trump) with a positive message. Democrats no longer are running largely against Trump and the dangers of a second term for him, but giving voters something positive to vote FOR. Everything is in place it seems for a unified Party to go firing on all cylinders into the meat of the campaign. Except there’s on group out there determined to throw turds in the punchbowl and I’m not talking about Trump/MAGA.
All the hope I have for the week (and months) ahead are tempered by two thoughts. The imagines I saw from Chicago and the DNC in 1968, and that Pro Palestinian Protesters are signaling that being able to march and protest in a designated area simply isn’t good enough. Hence my headline. At least we don’t have the old “Boss” Richard Daly telling LE to get out there and deal with protesters by cracking heads. Still, given some of the protests we saw on college campuses earlier this year I fear organizers of the 200 or so groups may try to provoke confrontations with police that will get ugly. And give them a chance to come up with their own version of ‘Defund the Police’ which will hurt the Harris/Walz campaign and Democrats just as much as the slogan did before.
Why am I worried? Reading this article from Politico really got my attention. For an ever so brief time leaders of Pro Palestinian groups considered dialing things back some when Harris was taking over as our standard bearer. As the article says, in part because Harris called for a cease fire sooner than many in the Party leaders of Pro Palestinian groups considered switching tactics. Considered. That quickly was discarded. Let’s face it, the DNC is likely the biggest stage/event they will have to call attention to their cause.
“There is admittedly a change of tone and for many, a sense of a breath of fresh air,” said Linda Loew, an organizer for Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws coalition, which has more than 40 organizations endorsing a march in Chicago on Sunday ahead of the convention. But “rhetoric and promises are simply not enough. We certainly are glad and welcome the support of any and all Democrats who say that they’re for any of these issues, but we need to see action.”
Then there was the recent rally where Harris addressed a protester and evidently got them all butt-hurt. Harris admonished the crowd to let the Pro Palestinian activist speak out. In fact she made a point of pointing out being allowed to protest is something vital to us all. However Harris wasn’t going to turn over the rally to a protester(s) and politely reclaimed the floor so to speak. Lawrence O’Donnell said it was a master class on what politicians should do in such situations. Personally, I think what got the protesters planning to be disruptive this week is that admonishment from Harris that shut down the protester for good:
At another rally, this time in Detroit the same thing happened and again Harris dealt with it fairly and as far as I’m concerned just right:
That what Harris said happens to be true is I think what has really chapped the asses of those who profess to be working to ease the unimaginable suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and frankly in Israel in general.
Do ANY of them think things would be better for those they want to help if Donald Trump got back into the WH? Hell, Trump would tell Bibi Netanyahu to go ahead and, as the saying on old t-shirts I’d see when I was on active duty ‘Kill Em All And Let God Sort Em Out.’ What’s going on over there is an ugly and complicated mess. I will be the first to say Israel has every right to defend itself. HAMAS is a bunch of f**king terrorists and cowardly at that for using civilians (who never wanted them in charge in Gaza in the first place – THAT was Netanyahu’s doing!) as human shields. However, HOW Israel has chosen to fight back has been nothing short of appalling. Netanyahu is actively fighting any deal that would even result in a cease fire, much less an end to the fighting. Only this ugly war he’s leading is keeping him in power and from standing trial (and likely being convicted) for corruption.
President Biden, and along with him VP Harris soon to be President Harris are on a tightrope trying to force Israel into a deal AND to prevent the middle east from breaking out into a regional war. If Pro Palestinian protesters think things are bad now, things will be off the charts if Harris doesn’t win. That doesn’t seem to matter. In fact, as history has shown whether it be in what were referred to as “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland through various attempts to work out two-State solution peace deal in Israel there are leaders who are “somebodies” BECAUSE there is a conflict. Resolve the conflict and they are important any more. So they walk away or worse, blow things (sometimes literally) up to keep the conflict going!
The plain fact is the United States is NOT going to cut off aid to Israel including military aid. There are multiple reasons on how disastrous that would be in both the short and long term. The leaders who want to spend next week disrupting the DNC know that. But they want to stir up trouble anyway. Are they as attention starved as Trump? They sure as hell are starting to seem that way, at least to me. As I said some feel Harris “yelled” at that protester. Now they want payback and might try to get it by creating Chicago DNC 1968-Lite. Provoke some images of police having to use force. Create an anti-Harris slogan about quite real and horrific Palestinian suffering along the lines of ‘Defund the Police’ and to hell with the electoral damage it causes. Base on an awful and unfair label they hung on Harris earlier this year I have a sick feeling I know what they might have in mind. I won’t repeat it here.
My point is the attitude of the leaders of the movement that purports to be representing Palestinians suffering in Gaza. For example:
“Don’t fall for the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Andy Thayer, who is a longtime progressive organizer and a leader of a protest scheduled for Sunday. “Harris has made it clear that she is standing behind Israel 100 percent and is not going to stop the flow of arms to Israel.”
Rest assured executives at major news outlets have issue marching orders to the “talent” to seek out and play up any and all incidents of protest, and blow any violence way the hell out of proportion. Especially during prime time. Being able to cut away from a riveting and inspiring speech or video presentation to HYPE a ‘Dems in disarray’ narrative is what will happen. Like the protester’s leaders who are butt-hurt about Harris allowing them to have their say but NOT take over her events, having been deprived of their wet-dream of a brokered convention with all the protests outside and inside the arena butts of news executives and their ‘talent’ are also smarting.
It should be a very good week for Democrats and I still believe it will be. But be ready to flood social media to keep the focus where it SHOULD be which is on the positive message and policies that will be presented by speaker after speaker, culminating in first Walz’s and the next night Harris’ acceptance speeches. Because there IS a group out there that for THEIR own interests and NOT the interest of suffering Palestinians in Gaza are determined to create a scene.
Your point of looking at what Trump would do should be thrown at them over and over. Also have they even considered what Trump will do, and HAS SAID he would do TO THEM here in America if they help him gain power? Do they even remember Lafayette park where he wanted people shot by his thugs that had no identifying uniforms? It seems Maga has not cornered the market on stupidity. Add in Kamala has supported a two state solution which is the only way out. The ruthless leaders on both sides want total capitulation. Help get her elected and then raise all the hell you want to stop supporting genocide.
You made me think of an old Rolling Stones tune. Everyone has both wants and needs in their lives and few people get even most of what they want during their lifetime. Too many don’t even get what they need, and what needs do get me only come with effort. Too often more than it should take. What these people want it seems is a President that can/will send in however many U.S. troops as necessary to depose the govt. of Israel and take over that country, lock up every member of the IDF and their supporters as war criminals (which some, and more than a few actually are) and both rebuild Gaza and eject all non-Palestinians from the West Bank. TOMORROW. That’s simply not going to happen and its ridiculous to think even one of those things can happen regardless of who is U.S. President. The choice when you get down to it is a President who will bring U.S. and international pressure to bear on Israel to inject humanity and fairness into addressing the issue of the Palestinians vs one who will give Israel carte blanche to do the kind of shit Netanyahu and the hard right in his Likud Party have been doing. The choice should be patently obvious. A President who will try like hell to get Israel to conduct operations in a manner that REALLY, ACTUALLY tries to minimize civilian casualties and has enough common sense to realize that helping innocent civilians caught up in this humanitarian disaster will actually HELP them root out the Hamas terrorists responsible for carrying out and maintaining the atrocities of Oct. 7. Or a President with the philosophy like what I said in the artilce – kill them all and let god sort it out.
With Harris, as with Biden the protesters would at least have someone who hears them, takes them serioiusly and actually wants to help Palestinian civilians. And who won’t as you point out send LE and even troops after them to beat, gas and jail them if not worse. With Trump, bad as things are it’s nothing compared to what we’d see if he gets into office again. But it WILL be one or the other. Working to embarrass Harris has the very real practical effect of helping Trump. Even a MAGA has enough brains and common sense to know that!
With Harris they at least get to keep advocating loudly and strongly and without fear as long as they don’t break the law. And that WOULD help them get some of what they want to happen to actually happen. These protesters, especially the leaders of the groups KNOW this. Yet they want their big moment and don’t care about the consequences which makes ME question whether THEIR motives are pure.
Which brings me back to suggesting they listen to that Rolling Stones song we all know and heeding the main words/point: “You can’t, always get what you want…But if you try sometime, you just might find, YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED.”
Yeah Denis I agree. By the way WHERE WERE ALL YOU CONCERNED CITIZENS WHEN THE RNC WAS HELD???? God I hate phucking hypocrites no matter what banner they march under.