Yes, Conservatives and Centrists Can Back Harris–Walz Without Pain
Plus: Is America Ready to Elect a Female President?
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CATHY YOUNG: Yes, Conservatives and Centrists Can Back Harris–Walz Without Pain
EVER SINCE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee, there has been a steady drumbeat of commentary arguing that, for “Never Trump” conservatives or centrists, supporting Harris involves particularly painful and torturous compromises with conscience and principle. As Andrew Sullivan put it in one of the first examples of the genre…
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Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: David Frum: Villains and Monsters [YouTube]
The Michael Steele Podcast: Making the Presidency (With Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky) [YouTube]
Shield of the Republic: What Would Kamala's Foreign Policy Look Like?
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WILL SALETAN: Is America Ready to Elect a Female President?
FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS, I’ve been watching focus groups organized by The Bulwark’s publisher, Sarah Longwell. In these conversations—twenty-one so far, conducted from early July to late August—scores of voters, ranging from solid Democrats to two-time Donald Trump supporters, have talked about their options in 2024.
You can hear excerpts from these conversations every week on Sarah’s podcast, The Focus Group. But as I watched the groups, one theme came through clearly: anxiety and skepticism, particularly among women, about America’s willingness to elect a woman.
At first, I was dismayed. In one conversation after another, women argued against nominating Kamala Harris for president (some of the focus groups took place before Joe Biden dropped out) or predicted that she would lose, specifically because she’s a woman.
But as the discussions went on, I saw signs that their pessimism was fragile. It was based on weak or flawed assumptions. And it was starting to crack.
Harris could lose for a host of reasons. But the barrier to electing a woman president—the ultimate glass ceiling—is ready to break.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Thursday! It’s event day, and I enjoyed my tour of the Dallas Arts District last night, getting in my steps, seeing the venue, and enjoying a late night burger at an Irish pub. We look forward to seeing those coming tonight!
Overtime will be shorter today and tomorrow due to tonight’s event and the Texas Tribune Festival tomorrow.
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