White Dudes for Harris

July 29, 2024 5:03 PM

White Dudes for Harris "...is the latest in a series of Zoom gatherings backing the vice president." [source]
posted by kirkaracha (105 comments total)

What is the basis for feeling that this is a good donation pathway? Should I not donate to the Harris campaign directly instead?
posted by argybarg at 5:06 PM on July 29

It's the same path. Donations go to the Harris Victory Fund.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:09 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

He just said that all donations go directly to the Harris campaign, so I guess donating to this is a way of saying "I'm a white dude and I support Harris".
posted by Reverend John at 5:09 PM on July 29 [9 favorites]

Some fine print from the donation page

The first $6,600/$10,000 from a person/multicandidate committee (“PAC”) will be allocated to Harris for President, with the first $3,300/$5,000 designated for the primary and the next $3,300/$5,000 for the general election. The next $41,300/$15,000 from a person/PAC will be allocated to the DNC. The next $510,000/$255,000 from a person/PAC will be split equally among the Democratic state parties from these states: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY. Any additional funds will be allocated to the DNC,

posted by achrise at 5:11 PM on July 29 [11 favorites]

I mean, if you are not called, it ain't messaged to you

I totally get it. I'm regularly the only one in the room.

A bunch of advocates I work with are disability advocates, so we are doing the introductions where we describe ourselves, and I definitely default to "white dude". Instead of saying I'm a white man

I feeling like proclaiming myself a "white man" would signal to the crowd that "hey I'm here to be defensive about all those things you are so tired of hearing about"

Thus the softer "white dude", which I hope signals "I'm here, but it s not going to be, like, a whole THING"
posted by eustatic at 5:14 PM on July 29 [35 favorites]

Whoa, Jeff "The Dude" Bridges!
posted by Reverend John at 5:17 PM on July 29 [27 favorites]

Eminently qualified!
posted by kirkaracha at 5:19 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

What is the basis for feeling that this is a good donation pathway?

It generates positive press and demonstrates continued momentum. It shows people that this is not just a campaign, it is a movement. If you are a white dude, and you are planning on donating, you can increase your impact by making that donation through this channel during this call. There will be headlines tomorrow saying "xxx,000 white dudes called and donated $yyy,000,000."

I'm happy to do my part to push those numbers up.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:20 PM on July 29 [41 favorites]

White dudes are trying to match the success of the Black Women for Harris and White Women for Harris Zoom calls.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:21 PM on July 29 [17 favorites]

Not just what we're against, but what we're for - Buttigieg
posted by stevil at 5:22 PM on July 29 [9 favorites]

Totally happy to donate through this storefront — I just wanted assurance the money goes straight to the campaign.
posted by argybarg at 5:23 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

Not just what we're against, but what we're for

I hope the Harris campaign follows through on this; it is probably what will get voters into the booth, more than anything else.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:27 PM on July 29 [3 favorites]

No thanks Roy Cooper.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:37 PM on July 29

Yeah, Cooper was a little off-putting (to me). Whitford bringing it back, thankfully.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:41 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

Ugh, Reid Hoffman was matching donations.

Fun lineup, though!
posted by ropeladder at 5:42 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Is there some way to identify who's speaking, at any time?
posted by Rash at 5:44 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

I'm on a virtual call right now focused on women. 150,000 people
posted by bluesky43 at 5:44 PM on July 29 [10 favorites]

Dude from Louisiana is rocking.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 5:48 PM on July 29

I appreciate Mitch Landrieu highlighting the straight line from the U.S.'s history of slavery to the current Republican candidates and campaign.

Here's the speakers so far:

Jeff "The Dude" Bridges
Maurice Mitchell (Working Families Party)
Pete Buttigieg
Josh Groban
Roy Cooper (NC Governor)
Bradley Whitford
Mitch Landrieu (Corrected from Mike Landrieu! Thanks, stevil.)
posted by greenland at 5:48 PM on July 29 [15 favorites]

*Mitch Landrieu
posted by stevil at 5:51 PM on July 29

Oh hell yeah, we're getting some Walz later in the call?
posted by Navelgazer at 5:56 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

Pritzker coming in heavy with the sofa/couch puns...
posted by nightcoast at 5:58 PM on July 29 [3 favorites]

Walz is scheduled, and I'm looking forward to it.
Less excited about the actors...
posted by MtDewd at 6:02 PM on July 29

Walz up.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:05 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

He's terrific.
posted by MtDewd at 6:07 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

Yep, this week has turned me into a hell of a Walz fan.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:08 PM on July 29 [17 favorites]

“One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness." - Tim fuckin' Walz
posted by nightcoast at 6:09 PM on July 29 [69 favorites]

How do I spit Midwestern fire like Walz is up to right now.

(Also, three million raised, whoo!)
posted by greenland at 6:09 PM on July 29 [7 favorites]

Me and my faceblind ass opening the stream occasionally like "do I recognize this guy?" and realizing how futile the effort is... when does Walz come on y'all?
posted by brook horse at 6:12 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

Walz done, now Paul Scheer
posted by stevil at 6:13 PM on July 29

when does Walz come on y'all?

He was just on before Paul Scheer.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:13 PM on July 29

Oh oops. Thanks, I'll rewind it.

Paul Scheer's opening JD Vance joke wasn't funny but they can't all be winners.
posted by brook horse at 6:15 PM on July 29

I don't envy the comedians showing up on this call trying to be funny to tens of thousands of people who can't audibly laugh.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:16 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

I just googled Roy Cooper and he looks like if you asked MidJourney to generate George H W Bush
posted by Jon_Evil at 6:18 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

Sean Astin doing pretty well for someone who 100% did not think about what they were going to say ahead of time.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:24 PM on July 29 [7 favorites]

Waiting for White Punks On Dope For Harris, which should be in a week or two.
posted by delfin at 6:24 PM on July 29 [22 favorites]

Some of these dudes need to keep their remarks tighter and punchier. More the actors than the politicians.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:25 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

I'm on the women's call tonight, but I sent the "white dudes" link to various men I know, aged 30s to 79. Only one isn't attending, and that's because he's performing tonight, but he intends to watch the recording. These are mostly guys who don't attend anything virtually. One has been texting me excited updates as each speaker presents, and he just made his first-ever political donation. This is encouraging.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 6:26 PM on July 29 [34 favorites]

“I’m preaching to the choir but it’s time for the choir to sing”.

-Gov. Tim Walz
posted by misterpatrick at 6:28 PM on July 29 [51 favorites]

Thus the softer "white dude", which I hope signals "I'm here, but it s not going to be, like, a whole THING"

the term "man" carries a LOT of cultural weight, with implied signifiers of dominance and power and like, a whole lot. I had a brain-exploding moment a while back when someone asked me to think about the difference in tone and perception when hearing someone described as "Black guy" vs a "Black man", and there's a similar dynamic with "white dude".
posted by Jon_Evil at 6:31 PM on July 29 [15 favorites]

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper pulls out of consideration as Harris running mate
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:34 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

Huh, I got an unsolicited text message from this yesterday and immediately deleted it as spam.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:38 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

For curious stream-watchers, here's organizer George Goehl's just-mentioned primer on organizing: The Fundamentals of Community Organizing.
posted by greenland at 6:51 PM on July 29 [7 favorites]

Huh, I got an unsolicited text message from this yesterday and immediately deleted it as spam.

Same. I figured I was being trolled.
posted by briank at 6:54 PM on July 29

The dudes abide.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:08 PM on July 29 [10 favorites]

*choking sound*

Agh, an "abiden" joke is just right there. Hnnnngggg, must ... resist ...
posted by aramaic at 7:10 PM on July 29 [6 favorites]

$3.5 million raised so far.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:13 PM on July 29 [9 favorites]

Channeling my inner Walter Sobchak to say "Shut the fuck up, Donny!"
posted by Reverend John at 7:15 PM on July 29 [4 favorites]

Hmmm - Lance Bass says he recorded that video a month ago! But that was before Biden withdrew? Were there plans underway??????
posted by stevil at 7:19 PM on July 29

"Who is the whitest white dude celebrity who could conceivably show up on the White Dudes for Harris call?"
posted by brundlefly at 7:22 PM on July 29 [3 favorites]

I assume it was recorded for a Biden campaign, it doesn't specifically reference Kamala running for president. That or he, like many of us, has made the mistake of feeling like last week was an entire month ago.
posted by brook horse at 7:23 PM on July 29 [5 favorites]

(I have no desire or design to alter this jubilant tone so please don't derail, but if you would like an artifact of our fucked up time and place to show to someone who needs convincing that these Republicans are fuckin weird with a capital W, here is Donald Junior describing this call as 'Cucks for Kamala.' As the replies go: What a weird thing to say.)
posted by panhopticon at 7:32 PM on July 29 [7 favorites]

My partner, vaguely listening: Did he just say Doug Jones?!
Me: Not that Doug Jones.
posted by brook horse at 7:34 PM on July 29 [14 favorites]

Did not expect former Alabama Senator Doug Jones dunking on Luke Skywalker. "Mark Hamill doesn't know how to use technology! This is big news! This is New York Post shit!"

The stream says that over 150,000 viewers have checked in, although the YouTube stream hasn't gone above 65K. Maybe they're measuring total new check-ins or combining views from different streams?
posted by greenland at 7:35 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]

He might have misspoke, the number that keeps going up that he’s referred to has been the people on the Zoom call, not on the stream.
posted by brook horse at 7:52 PM on July 29

I’m confused. I think the Zoom call is just for the speakers and the rest of us watch the YouTube video, right?
posted by argybarg at 7:57 PM on July 29

Yeah, help me understand, who exactly gets to be on the Zoom call? I RSVP'd, expecting a meeting ID and passcode, but all I get is a Youtube window on whitedudesforharris.com - I was looking forward to being on a thousands-people Zoom.
posted by Rash at 7:57 PM on July 29 [3 favorites]

when does Walz come on y'all?

Missing a comma?
posted by orange ball at 7:59 PM on July 29 [18 favorites]

I think you missed him. Now the MC is pushing that stupid-looking baseball cap - sorry, fellows, but I'm incapable of wearing that meshback headgear.
posted by Rash at 8:04 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

here is Donald Junior describing this call as 'Cucks for Kamala.'

I cackled, what a weird little cocaine goblin
posted by taquito sunrise at 8:08 PM on July 29 [22 favorites]

when does Walz come on y'all?

Missing a comma?

think you're underestimating the enthusiasm for Walz
posted by taquito sunrise at 8:09 PM on July 29 [37 favorites]

That one's a separate fundraiser.
posted by brook horse at 8:13 PM on July 29 [14 favorites]

I sent this link to my partner who is a white dude who works construction in our very liberal area. He comes home most days from his union job dejected because most of his coworkers are very right leaning and he can't understand why. I was kind of shocked he signed up for the call (he stays engaged but not really one for zoom meetings), and he put it on in the living room with me. He got so excited when the painters union speaker came on, and the sweetest moment was when he said to me "I feel like this is the first time anyone has reached out to me. 'White men' has always felt... dirty. But White Dudes? Yup, I just bought the hat. It's union made!"

He's always been active and involved and voted and been engaged and educated on issues and candidates, he's held signs when his union has asked... but friends he has never donated to a political campaign. This feels so different.

And he got to see Walz in action. That guy is so great.
posted by danapiper at 8:14 PM on July 29 [48 favorites]

Four million just as it ended!
posted by greenland at 8:23 PM on July 29 [8 favorites]

Finally! What we need next is Tan Suits for Harris. (tweed)
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 8:31 PM on July 29 [8 favorites]

This is so great and I'm so glad they did this.
posted by lapis at 8:39 PM on July 29 [3 favorites]

One recurring message on the "White Dudes for #Harris " call is "stand up. Tell your white dude friends. If you push the needle 2-3%, it's a landslide. Take this moment."
 It's a powerful message. [@DoesntExist | Mastodon]
posted by mazola at 9:57 PM on July 29 [17 favorites]

America: Chapter 248

The White Dudes Grok It
posted by Pouteria at 12:14 AM on July 30 [2 favorites]

It seems that the whites dudes's twitter account was suspended shortly after the meeting finished. Which seems odd, given the platform's much trumpeted commitment to free speech.
posted by lovelyzoo at 12:53 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]

It's back with 25000 followers. I'm sure Elon will say that was an innocent mistake.
posted by mmoncur at 2:24 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]

I just googled Roy Cooper and he looks like if you asked MidJourney to generate George H W Bush

I've always thought he looks like he should be telling people to set up a perimeter and search every out house, dog house, hen house, and farm house with a twenty mile radius.
posted by wierdo at 4:37 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]

Also, does anybody have a link to where one can buy the hat?
posted by wierdo at 4:39 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]

NYTimes picks it up: Liberal ‘White Dudes’ Rally for Harris: ‘It’s Like a Rainbow of Beige’.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 4:52 AM on July 30 [2 favorites]

Also, does anybody have a link to where one can buy the hat?
https://merchpac.org/
posted by MtDewd at 5:17 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]

I'll probably keep donating through the usual channels, but I'd sure wear the t-shirt!

To @eustatic's point, "white man" can come off as a dog whistle, what with the redcaps being all oppressed or whatever. By appearance, I'm not just an old white dude, I'm a walking stereotype of one. Or old white guy. I guess "fellow" would work, but I'm really too young to tie onions to my belt.

"Dude" is good. I remember my (boomer) mother hating the word back in about 1976, when it was coming to mean something other than someone who dressed like Huggy Bear or New York Red. I like the idea that the label still rankles.

On preview: I'd wear a "Rainbow of Beige" t-shirt, too.
posted by phrits at 5:46 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]

The Times' piece is great because you can see how the reporter and the editor made several purlicues throughout because someone really wanted to both-sides the "weird" label and "identity politics."
posted by Captaintripps at 5:52 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]

I'm a white dude. I signed up for this yesterday in solidarity, but I was too busy with work to even look for a follow-through. Thanks for posting this. So far I have only donated to Act Blue. If anyone has other suggestions, let me know. I'd like to learn more.

I'm extreme Left in Left-ish Chicago, in Blue Illinois, so I will vote, but Illinois is a lock-in because of Chicago.
posted by SoberHighland at 6:05 AM on July 30 [2 favorites]

No thanks Roy Cooper.

Yeah, Cooper was a little off-putting (to me).

I just googled Roy Cooper and he looks like if you asked MidJourney to generate George H W Bush

Told y'all. Guy's been a decent governor but has zero natural charisma. Glad he's out of the running; that was a very cringey moment on the call.
posted by mediareport at 6:13 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]

I don't understand why anyone would want to join one of these calls to be talked at by a bunch of famous people in pander mode? But if it gets people hyped up about supporting Kamala, I suppose they're worth it.
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:26 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]

I watched the whole thing and donated early on. I appreciated all the presenters and the diversity if their messages, and it was fun to watch the donation totals climb. But 3.5 hours was too damn long.
posted by achrise at 6:38 AM on July 30 [2 favorites]

Bonus feature of last night: we made Phony Stark mad.
posted by FallibleHuman at 6:40 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]

I don't understand why anyone would want to join one of these calls to be talked at by a bunch of famous people in pander mode.

Because it helps transform what it means to be a "white dude".

This morning I read a post on Threads (sorry, no link) by a woman whose white husband is a union electrician. He's progressive, but all day at work he's surrounded by Trump-voting white dudes who think it would be emasculating to vote for a woman. It's incredibly frustrating and silencing for him. He sat on the couch and watched the whole event. The woman described how great how it felt -- that it made a huge difference for him to hear "people like him" talking in dude vernacular but expressing progressive values. He ordered a hat.

Will it make a difference? Who knows. But right now, "white man" in the USA means "racist, misogynistic, authoritarian". White men are the base of Trump's base. Whether you want to listen to it is up to you, but I think it's great that some white men (or white dudes) are trying to change that. People vote identity, so yeah, let's have white dudes for Kamala be an option.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:53 AM on July 30 [38 favorites]

The post you referenced is actually above yours in this thread, Winnie the Proust! A great comment and very illustrative of the good these kinds of affinity group gatherings can do.
posted by merriment at 7:12 AM on July 30 [9 favorites]

I'm extreme Left in Left-ish Chicago, in Blue Illinois, so I will vote, but Illinois is a lock-in because of Chicago.

Just using your comment as a jumping off point: I kind of hate this stuff (obviously glad you're voting, but the other parts). Safe blue states are only safe because of millions of individuals making the choice to bother to get out and vote. Many of whom are Black women. This idea that votes don't count in deep blue or deep red states may be a numerical truth for now, but (for example) how does Texas ever go from light red to purple to light blue if every progressive there thinks "my vote doesn't count"?

I don't understand why anyone would want to join one of these calls to be talked at by a bunch of famous people in pander mode? But if it gets people hyped up about supporting Kamala, I suppose they're worth it.

I did notice how different in tone the white dudes call was than the other grassroots calls, at least based on clips and reports I've seen. Yes, the other calls also raised money and enthusiasm and got people to agree to volunteer, but the white women call was run by organizers, not celebrities, and much of it was calling-in of white women and some tough love about what we need to do to heal ourselves and be better. Stuff like no longer avoiding confrontation (because our connection to white supremacy feels like it keeps us safe, so long as we stay quiet).

I hope the white dudes call included some of the same and wasn't just a parade of celebrities and politicians!
posted by misskaz at 7:13 AM on July 30 [8 favorites]

Yeah, the white dudes call included a lot of calling out white men on what they need to do, and there were a number of organizers including David Hogg, student survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and gun control activist. But I don't see his name in any of the press because that's not as interesting to the news as the celebrities.
posted by brook horse at 7:38 AM on July 30 [14 favorites]

As of Jul 30, 2024 at 10:47 AM EDT:

'White Dudes for Harris' X Suspension Sparks Fury: 'Election Interference' [Newsweek]

It is not clear why the account was suspended, but it appeared to have been restored as of the early hours of Tuesday. The automated message when the account was suspended read: "X suspends accounts which violate the X rules."

Mike Nellis, who is involved in the organization, shared an update on Tuesday explaining that while the X account is live again, it still remains suspended.

He said the account is "permanently in read-only mode," meaning it cannot post or interact with content and cannot create new accounts. Nellis called on supporters to continue donating to Harris' campaign, writing: "Don't let them silence us."

When contacted by Newsweek for comment, X's press office responded: "Busy now, please check back later."

posted by mazola at 8:15 AM on July 30 [16 favorites]

Just to reiterate since it comes up so often, if ever there was an election when everyone's vote counts, no matter how lopsided the results usually are in your state, this is the one. It is our civic duty to run up the score as much as possible in repudiation of January 6th.

Plus, you know, you can have an effect on down ballot races where surprises are more common. Not to mention the good reasons to vote for Harris, who seems like she's staking out a position of continuity with the good/successful things about Biden's administration while changing the stuff that hasn't been good/hasn't worked.

That's how sustainable progress is built. I like it.
posted by wierdo at 8:16 AM on July 30 [29 favorites]

National Organizing Call with Kamala Harris. Tonight.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:18 AM on July 30 [12 favorites]

Thanks for the NYT gift link, Winnie the Proust, it is much appreciated! I enjoyed this passage from the article:

Before Monday’s call, Ross Morales Rocketto, a Democratic organizer who helped start the group, acknowledged the discomfort some might feel about the group’s name.

“I don’t blame them,” he said in an interview. “Throughout American history, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that when white men organize, it’s often with pointy hats on, and it doesn’t end well.”

Also, kirkaracha, thanks for this post! I really wanted to know how the event went and y'all delivered.
posted by Bella Donna at 11:40 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]

Per Blake in Workaholics: "We're white dudes. We gotta be careful. 'Cause we can be very unfashionable, very quickly."
posted by AndrewInDC at 11:50 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]

MN Gov. Tim Walz Will Tell Trump Exactly Which Black Woman Kicked His Ass (quote from the call)

“How often in 100 days do you get to change the trajectory of the world? How often in 100 days do you get to do something that’s going to impact generations to come? And how often in the world do you make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a Black woman kicked his ass and sent him on the road? And you know that’s something that guy’s gonna have to live with for the rest of his life.”

posted by kirkaracha at 12:12 PM on July 30 [23 favorites]

As a donation pathway, donate where you wish, they mostly want you to donate. Calls like this are about maintaining the momentum, the tremendous energy generated by Harris' campaign. I was on a different zoom call, redwine&blue, and the dudes got a lot of attention. That's the point. The Harris campaign is trying different ways to reach out, this is good. I'm experiencing glimmers of hope. The possibility exists that Harris will not just win, but will win big. I'm doing what I can, they're doing what they can. Starting to be fun.
posted by theora55 at 12:44 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]

Felon and Couchfucker, you done reaped the whirlwind:

Cat Ladies for Kamala

Sunday, August 4, 7ET/4PT
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 1:17 PM on July 30 [18 favorites]

One of the great things is TFG can't replicate this sort of fund raising. He doesn't have the base in these diverse groups.

Bonus feature of last night: we made Phony Stark mad.

Ha! Twitter suspending your account doesn't suspend/cancel your subscription.
posted by Mitheral at 1:36 PM on July 30 [3 favorites]

https://www.themarysue.com/chelsea-handler-speaks-j-d-vances-language-calling-him-hysterical/
posted by sardonyx at 2:09 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]

@theora55 How was the Red Wine and Blue meeting? I was hoping to dial into that one too but the children wouldn't have it. (And, you know, fair enough.)

I found David Hogg really impressive. I wish he hadn't had to go through insane trauma to be where he is now, but I'm glad he's out there pushing for a better world.

Since we're on the subject of cats: Guys Can Be Cat Ladies, Too!
posted by greenland at 2:55 PM on July 30 [8 favorites]

Thanks for the reminder, greenland! I forgot to mention Cat Ladies for Kamala is open to cat ladies of all genders!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 5:54 PM on July 30 [4 favorites]

"I have yet to see a convincing reason that White Dudes for Harris shouldn’t have instead been called Dudes for Harris." (Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic)
posted by box at 10:31 AM on July 31 [1 favorite]

62% of white men voted for Trump in 2016.
61% of white men voted for Trump in 2020.
At least 58% of non-white men voted for either Clinton or Biden.

As a white dude I felt it was important to represent and show solidarity with other white dudes, to choose the optimistic, diverse future Kamala Harris personifies, and to reject Trump's white supremacist bullshit.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:36 AM on July 31 [10 favorites]

Mod note: One deleted. Since images can’t be posted on MeFi, feel free to post the image off-site and link to it!
posted by travelingthyme (staff) at 6:03 PM on July 31

"I have yet to see a convincing reason that White Dudes for Harris shouldn’t have instead been called Dudes for Harris." (Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic)
posted by box at 10:31 AM

I not reading any more Atlantic articles this month, i cannot get any stupider. but in the spirit of dudedom, and responding genuinely

1) people seem to have forgotten that there was a previous event, "Black Men for Harris". Please see 'White Dudes' in the context of that call, which came before.

1a) wait, we re not going to do that thing were we pretend Black men are not the most reliable liberal male demo, are we? Let s not do that thing.

1b) Nor let us click on any Atlantic article entitled "Actually Black men will vote Republican, because Harris is a Black woman." Readers, let us not fall for that one, it s a very old one.

2) there is nothing stopping the organizers from having a "Men for Harris" event in the future, and if the writer wants to organize that, I would support it, sure. It just seems this writer is forgetting item #1, which worries me.
posted by eustatic at 6:40 PM on July 31 [3 favorites]

JD Vance Had The Weirdest Take On Simone Biles' Exit From The Tokyo Olympics

“What I find so weird about this, and it reflects on the media more than it does on Simone Biles, is that we’ve tried to turn a very tragic moment — Simone Biles quitting the Olympic team — into this act of heroism.”

“And I think it reflects pretty poorly on our sort of therapeutic society that we try to praise people not for moments of strength, not for moments of heroism, but for their weakest moments,” Vance added.

He said the word! He is the word!
posted by kirkaracha at 6:53 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]

So she should have just kept plugging away and say, gotten herself paralyzed, then?
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:31 AM on August 1

I suspect Vance, weird guy that he is, believes Biles’ floor routine is almost equivalent to his couch routine, which he has, regardless of the risks, just kept plugging away at.
posted by house-goblin at 9:34 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]

I suspect that over on Truth Social(?), guys are debating how black Simone Biles is.
posted by neuron at 1:57 PM on August 1