All Eyes on Kamala

Plus, nonagenarian transport pro.

July 24, 2024

The Flag

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! Here are the Flag’s Top Five stories that should be on your radar to start the day:

  • US: Secret Service director steps down, heeding calls to quit after Trump assassination attempt (NBC News)

  • World: IDF says dozens of gunmen killed in first 24 hours of renewed Khan Younis operation (The Times of Israel) + Dozens killed and thousands flee as Israel shrinks ‘humanitarian zone’ in Gaza (CNN)

  • Business: Wiz walks away from Google’s $23B acquisition offer (TechCrunch)

  • Technology: Amazon is making it easier for members to find their Prime TV shows and movies (The Verge)

  • Sports: Warner Bros. Discovery to match Amazon Prime offer for NBA rights (ESPN)

And of course, some good news: 94-year-old Minnesota man verified as world’s oldest bus driver.

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Right: Dems Rally Around Worst Possible Candidate, Byron York, Washington Examiner

Right: A Decade of Conspiracists? Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness

Left: Biden Quitting the Race Is a Fresh Start for Democrats, Editorial Board, The Guardian

Left: This Is Bigger Than Biden, Zack Beauchamp, Vox

Left: The Biden Presidency's Tragedy and Remaining Hope, Gabriel DeBenedetti, New York Magazine

2024

All Eyes on Kamala

Today’s Top Story in One Sentence: Following the announcement of Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign and President Joe Biden’s endorsement, the Democratic party has overwhelmingly coalesced around her campaign, with Harris officially receiving support from enough delegates to secure the nomination.

Reporting from the Right: Kamala Harris now backed by more than half of delegates needed to win nomination (Fox News)

Reporting from the Left: AP survey shows Kamala Harris backed by enough delegates to become Democratic nominee (AP)

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Faux Enthusiasm and Phony Unity from Dems

The Top Argument From The Right: Brace yourself, America. With Kamala Harris, Democrats are about to put on an incredible show, Liz Peek, Fox News: “Heads up America: Democrats are as phony as they are dishonest. All those accolades pouring in about Joe Biden being an "historic" president and a "great public servant"? Phony. Even before his catastrophic debate Biden’s approval ratings were in the gutter. Gushing over candidate Kamala Harris? Also phony. Democrats have been hand-wringing for months about how they could eject President Biden but not allow the unpopular V.P. to take his place. They are only coalescing around her now because they are panicked that an open selection process would throw their party into total disarray. Kamala Harris has been one of Joe Biden’s most stalwart defenders, lying brazenly for months about his fitness to serve as president for another four years. … Still, Republicans need to steel themselves: Democrats are about to put on an incredible show. … I mean the tidal wave of money and faux enthusiasm which is about to flow into the campaign to elect Kamala Harris. … Is Kamala better than Joe? Absolutely. Is she, on her own merits, a good candidate? Absolutely not.”

Honorable Mention #1: Kamala Harris Is Still a Dangerous Authoritarian, Dan McLaughlin, National Review.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

It’s in Harris’s Hands Now

The Top Argument From The Left: The Harris Gamble, Davi Frum, The Atlantic: “Democrats are taking a risk with Harris—and it’s not only their risk. If she does secure the Democratic presidential nomination, then she becomes the only hope to keep Trump out of the White House for a second term. She becomes the only hope for Ukraine, for NATO, for open international trade, for American democracy, for a society founded on the equal worth and dignity of all its people. … If it is to be Harris, what are her ways to fight the odds and prevail against the irrational urges of tribe and sex so powerfully exploited by Trump? Three ideas, for now. The first is to remember that two can play at the game of the irrational. Trump also exists within a vortex of stereotypes and animosities. … A second idea is to remember that the irrational can be harnessed and redeployed. According to a large body of research, sex stereotypes can help women candidates. The trick, the research suggests, is to persuade voters that the job—say, a seat on the school board—is gender-congruent: for example, that it’s best done by someone who cares a lot about children. This conclusion may be unwelcome to those who want to challenge gender stereotypes rather than benefit from them—but if it works, it works. A third idea is to trust that reality matters more than Trump wishes it did. The Trump presidency really did end in disaster.”

Honorable Mention #1: The simple reason why Kamala Harris has Donald Trump running scared, Amanda Marcotte, Salon.

FLAG THIS

Fundraising Fever

Harris's presidential campaign experienced a historic fundraising boost. In the first 24 hours, her campaign raised an astonishing $81 million, surpassing any single-day total achieved by the Biden-Harris campaign this election cycle. The majority of contributions came from online donors via ActBlue, which reported $46.7 million raised by 9 p.m. ET Sunday, marking its largest single-day fundraising effort of the election. This surge eclipsed former President Donald Trump's peak daily online donations, which totaled $63.6 million over two days in late May following his conviction in the New York hush money trial (NBC News).

Do you believe the surge in energy for Harris's campaign is temporary or can it be sustained for the remainder of the election season?

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WATERCOOLER

Kitchen Debate, No Lock Outs, Frozen Tongue

On This Day in 1959, during the grand opening ceremony of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev engaged in a heated debate about capitalism and communism in the middle of a model kitchen set up for the fair. The so-called “kitchen debate” became one of the most famous episodes of the Cold War.

Today I learned crocodiles can’t stick out their tongues.

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Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? Yes, it sounds crazy. But it’s true. The secret: Find a card with a “0% intro APR" period for balance transfers. Then, transfer your debt balance and pay it down as much as possible during the intro period. No interest means you could pay off the debt faster. Check out the full list of cards you can use to do this here.

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