On the day of the UK general election, I also wanted to send a brief note to all of our American subscribers to Zeteo, to wish you a ‘Happy Fourth of July’ and to just say I hope each and every one of you gets a break from work, from stress, from doom-scrolling online, and that you’re able to make some time today for family, friends, and maybe fireworks too.
However, as former president Barack Obama once reminded us: “Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, our country will be stronger.”
Zeteo is all about changing the United States, and the wider world, for the better - through unfiltered news and bold opinions. Through holding the mainstream media, and the people in power, to account. Through fearless, adversarial, unbowed journalism.
Last week, in a short video for Zeteo, I argued that Joe Biden “has got to go” after his “car-crash” debate performance against Donald Trump, after being “unable to finish his whispered sentences, looking like a deer in the headlights, unable to hit back against the convicted felon standing just a few feet away.”
Yesterday, writing for the Guardian, I made the (reluctant) case for why Kamala Harris should take Biden’s place at the top of the ticket, because she has a better chance of beating Trump and his far-right movement of fascists and racists in November. In the piece, I addressed the latest polls, her political record, and also the Gaza-shaped elephant in the room.
Given Biden refuses to budge on this issue, a Harris candidacy might offer a fresh start for Democrats on Gaza. Remember the headline in Politico from December? “Kamala Harris pushes White House to be more sympathetic toward Palestinians.” Or the NBC News reporting from March on how Biden’s national security council “toned down parts of her speech” calling for a ceasefire, because the original draft “was harsher on Israel”?
“She is definitely better on Gaza than he is,” a well-connected member of the administration told me a few weeks ago.
To be clear: I’m not saying Joe Biden can’t win or that Kamala Harris won’t lose. I’m simply saying that there is a younger, more popular, more effective campaigner ready and willing to go, who could turn the page on Gaza while giving Trump the rhetorical drubbing he so deserves.
Read my full Guardian op-ed here.
Oh, and please do also check out Diana Buttu’s chilling new essay for Zeteo: “I Spoke To Palestinians Tortured By Israel. What They Endured Is Unimaginable.”
Noooo, Harris is also imperialist and pro Israel. She has not demonstrated to be any different politically speaking. The reality is that those parties (Rep. and Dems) don’t have any candidate who really listens to the people and works for the benefit of its constituents.
I was reading that if Biden steps down and Kamala Harris steps up, the VP slot will be empty. Constitution says only a majority vote in BOTH House and Senate can certify the proposed replacement. Count on the House to dawdle on this, because if Kamala catches a stray bullet, it is Mike Johnson who steps up as President, without a VP to fall back upon.
Do you really want this, Mehdi? Think it through, please, end to end. You didn't propose throwing the doors open to an Open Convention because you know the leftie misogynists (next gen of Bernie Bros and leftie trolls) will hem and haw about nominating a woman again--so much so that Kamala wouldn't get picked or only picked after a fight fractures the Democratic coalitions hopelessly.
In short, even you realize it will be chaos if we don't have plain old Biden holding a steady tiller. The Democrats already have shown they lack the strength to avoid being weak and alarmingly skittish every time their candidate stumbles or sneezes. The American voters have noticed and are disgusted. They want stronger response, and I don't think they are blaming Biden anymore after watching the Democrats scatter so embarrassingly.
I love Kamala Harris, and I agree she will be better regarding Gaza, and I sure do wish we had younger candidates to choose from on both the Democratic and the Republican side. But we don't, and Democrats switching horses midstream is absolute insanity.