r/politics • u/usatoday ✔ USA TODAY • 4d ago
Soft Paywall Gavin Newsom tops Kamala Harris in 2028 presidential poll of California Democrats
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/20/gavin-newsom-harris-2028-democrat-primary-california-poll/85738411007/4.2k
u/koolaidman486 4d ago
Bigger question is how he polls in the Midwest.
Presidential campaigns quite literally live and die by Midwestern swings, since they're who elects.
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u/Own-Examination2707 4d ago
I’m spitting into the wind here, but it kills me that the free world can be held hostage by weathervanes in Wisconsin.
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u/DiggyDzNutz 4d ago
As a Wisconsinite myself, I think Newsom’s combination of shitpost strategy and real resistance is appealing. He’s stealing attention and raising awareness to the fact he’s ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING TO FIGHT BACK.
Midwesterners want to see their team fight for something. Imagine if the Packers just gave up in the middle of third quarter when they were down 15 points. That’s kinda what democrats have done lately (and yes we know the refs are corrupt and the ball is deflated etc etc). But for godsakes, the game ain’t over yet!
TLDR Newsom has brought new energy to the ballgame. I think a lot of midwesterners are primed to understand and appreciate that regardless of nuanced policy positions.
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u/JessieJ577 4d ago
Kamala and Walz had momentum with the weird angle but they toned it down which I think lost them steam which was around the time Trump went hard on the podcasts and gained momentum
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u/DiggyDzNutz 4d ago
YES it was so dumb for them to stop punching
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u/ragingreaver 4d ago
Unfortunately, their own strategists told them to do that. The more I look into what happened with the 2024 election, the more pissed I get at the democrat establishment for basically forcing Harris to shoot herself in the foot.
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u/Generation_ABXY 4d ago
Let's be honest, "shoot themselves in the foot" is a time-honored strategy for the party.
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u/AntiBoATX 4d ago
Cuz liberals are pussies. It’s way past time to join the freaks in the mud. Democracy is at stake
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u/IAMACat_askmenothing 4d ago
I’m a dirty little piggy and I’ll wrestle in the mud with the weirdos
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u/kaukamieli 4d ago
The weirdos are fascists, tho.
As the legendary piggy says, better a pig than a fascist.
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u/seeker4482 4d ago
then those strategists went on podcasts to cry about how hard their job was. they should never get hired again.
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u/Tybo73 4d ago
They were gaining solid traction with the more progressive talking points, but they get called communist once and their strategists tell them shut up. So frustrating
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u/pornjibber3 4d ago
Which is extra frustrating because they perfectly calibrate to their imaginary median voter, and guess what? The right still calls them a communist.
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u/elriggo44 4d ago
The median voter doesn’t know what they want. There is so much political research on this. People change their attitudes on policy based on whether or not the politician or party they identify with pitches it.
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u/External-Fun-8563 4d ago
That’s the thing that’s so fishy. They’ll get called a communist no matter what, I mean the repubs called Biden a communist lol. But socialist policies poll very high. So if they actually went in on “communist” ideas, they guys that cry communist wouldn’t have anything new to say except “Oh this time it’s extra communist! We’re serious this time!”.
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u/Sacaron_R3 4d ago
I think its more likely that big donors dont like leftist policies and shut them down whenever possible. Rather more convenient to blame it on the fickle voters afterwards than to admit that you have been bought.
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u/Chengar_Qordath 4d ago
It was a classic case of Democrats snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
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u/Freshwater_Spaceman 4d ago
Waltz calling Republicans ‘weird’ worked, really well and the Democrats natural inclination to ‘not be mean’ needs to die given the opposition they are dealing with.
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u/TessaFractal 4d ago
I keep seeing this but did it work really well, or did it just really resonate with people who were already going to vote dem?
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u/greenskye 4d ago
or did it just really resonate with people who were already going to vote
That's kind of the point though. Modern elections aren't really about picking up 'undecided' voters. It's about rallying enough of the people that are already on your side to actually vote.
Very, very few are truly undecided. A ton of people are apathetic though. Getting even a few % of those to actually believe their vote is worth it can flip the whole election.
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u/SmurphsLaw 4d ago
What do people mean when they say the “weird” thing worked? Are there any numbers with it or is it just that republicans kept freaking out?
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u/JessieJ577 4d ago
They fumbled him so hard. He had personality and they toned him down for Midwest America.
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u/rednap_howell North Carolina 4d ago
Which was weird because Walz really seemed to be what a lot of Midwest America likes.
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u/LatterLiterature8001 4d ago
I got such disappointed whiplash when they toned it down. Can't keep that up and also be hosting events with fucking Liz Cheney
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u/HeldnarRommar 4d ago
They toned it down when they should have been toning it up. Weird was kiddy glove insults and they still were afraid to use it too much. Call them worse; the GOP surely does to the Dems themselves.
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u/PrometheusLiberatus 4d ago
Looking back to the 19th century, american politics have always been particularly nasty.
There is a time and place for 'Civil Decorum'. That time and place was before radicalization.
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u/tinacat933 4d ago
Absolutely abandoned what got them momentum to start with …not surprised as that seems to be the dem way , and as others stated listening to the strategists and pollsters
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u/JessieJ577 4d ago
I think Newsom was listening to similar people this year when he had Bannon and Kirk on his podcast. I am glad he’s ditching the centrist appealing to Republicans strategy and is going scorched earth. I hope they all wake up when they see how people are responding to a democrat fighting back.
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u/Special-Camel-6114 4d ago
She could have made him look like an idiot at the debate. She could have spent much more time calling out his hypocrisy.
She could have said something like:
“you cheat your contractors and don’t pay them on time, you cheat at golf and haven’t ever won a tournament you didn’t host, and you’ve cheated on all 3 of your wives. You’ve paid money to have the sex and paid again to cover it up.”
“I guess it’s not surprising you don’t have a favorite biblical quote, it’s clear you see Christians as people who you can manipulate with platitudes instead of living a godly life”
“And the same goes for veterans. You talk a big game about how you’re good for the military, but all you do is hurt military families. You insult soldiers who were injured or killed in war. You insult the Gold Star families left behind. Your budgets cut funding for the VA and veterans health care. Let’s face, you just don’t understand the sacrifice people make for their country. You don’t understand veterans at all”
Any Democrat could have said any of that or attacked him on any number of things. Instead, he went through 2 whole election cycles where all of this was known, and neither Biden nor Kamala called any of this stuff out on stage to any significant degree. And this is just the basic stuff. There’s so much material and none of it was said in a forum that mattered.
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u/RepresentativeRun71 California 4d ago
All she had to say was, “you’re a draft dodging rapist pedophile who was best rape buds with Epstein.”
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u/xPeachesV Missouri 4d ago
As a Wisconsinite transplanted to Missouri, it warms my heart to see you using the beloved Green and Gold to illustrate a larger reality about life.
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u/genshermansghosthost 4d ago
Agreed! I also live in Wisconsin and believe that Newsom’s current energy and attitude will have widespread appeal here. Before the trolling he came across as another bland technocrat, which would never gain traction. Democrats need to stop treating populism like it’s a bad word or acting like taking the high road will win them something other than a worsening police state.
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u/DiggyDzNutz 4d ago
The trolling is an asset here.
I wish dems could win with nuanced and intelligent policy conversations but
I mean
Look at where we are…
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u/genshermansghosthost 4d ago
That was never going to work. They’re bullies and you don’t argue or reason with a bully - you humiliate and emasculate them because all they understand is might makes right. They attack other people for the very things they’re insecure about and crave external validation. Exploit that shit.
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u/DiggyDzNutz 4d ago
YES YES thank you for putting it so clearly in the Wisconsin terms I understand
My god the AI pictures of Newsom being praised by MAGA faithful is so fucking funny to me because of how deluded they remind us that Trump and the cult have become
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u/genshermansghosthost 4d ago
I’m glad that someone finally figured it out!
Dems finds so much hypocrisy and lies among them and don’t understand why pointing out hypocrisy or lies is ineffective; it matters to us, so that’s why we target that, but it doesn’t matter to them. When they point at Dem hypocrisies it’s not because it matters to them; they know it matters to us.
They can say how much they love freedom while endorsing troops in the streets because those troops aren’t infringing on their community’s freedoms. Dems misunderstand that when MAGA speaks of “Americans/America,” there’s a shared understanding among the “right” people of who’s included and who’s excluded.
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u/AdAlternative7148 4d ago
He is a technocrat, he's just coopting populism to increase his profile. A few months ago he was moving to the right by decrying transgender women in sports. He's obviously just been trying different strategies to see what has legs.
But dems need leadership and at least he is trying to oppose trump on some things.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_BOOGER 4d ago
Michigander here; the gloves off Newsom has been so refreshing. I'm much more cool with him now than I was when he was still business as usual. Newsom Whitmer ticket would be absolutely killer.
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u/DiggyDzNutz 4d ago
Gloves off is a great description.
It has been SO NICE to see somebody show anger on media appearances. It feels authentic. It matches the tone of what I feel nearly every single day I wake up and read about what fresh new human rights abuses and corruption have been laid bare for the world to see.
Dems being emotionally reserved and unwilling to take risks has been so damn frustrating.
I don’t even care who it is, they just need to GET OUT THERE
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u/pork_chop17 4d ago
Hoosier here. Newsom just seems fake to me and all this new stuff is a cover to make people forget some of the stupid shit he was saying on his podcast a couple months ago.
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u/CatBotSays 4d ago
He is kinda fake. He did the podcast when he thought the Democratic party's winds were blowing towards the Right. And now that it's become clear that's not the case and the base wants someone who will fight Trump, he's switched gears to become that, instead.
That said, he's fighting now and that's more than we can say for a lot of Democrats. So, whatever the reasons, I don't object to positively reinforcing the behavior we want from him.
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u/PotatoHighlander 4d ago
My friend group jokes he's got that used car salesmen vibe. Though he is like a pit viper in the weeds. I'm glad he is fighting, however he is so disconnected from the average person being a trust fund kid that his policy decisions in California are questionable at best.
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u/1SweetChuck 4d ago
Imagine if the Packers just gave up in the middle of third quarter when they were down 15 points.
It's sort of amazing watching Dems play prevent defense, and then just run the ball from scrimmage... I can't remember how many times the pack did that and gave up a huge lead.
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u/auntie_ 4d ago
Hey neighbor! Why not look a little to the south for a better candidate! JB is right over the border and hasn’t started a podcast where he only invites fascists.
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u/vorg7 4d ago
Newsome is a corporatist. Charismatic and good at trolling MAGA but he's not going to make anyone's lives better or take the radical action needed to turn back the creeping decay of American democracy. I hope he loses the primary to a real populist.
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u/edmconsultant 4d ago
Pennsylvania here and I completely agree. I've been waiting for democrats to fucking do something ever since Trump got elected. I know they've been doing what they can behind the scenes, but this is the first real case of them fighting fire with fire publicly and I'm loving every minute of it.
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u/slimdiesel93 4d ago
My only dispute here is the technicality of the comparison.
It's more like they squandered every opportunity to take the lead in the 1st and 2nd quarter by having their own teammates play for the other team at times. Then before half time the conservative team replaced the refs with members of their team that were on the bench while the dems just threw their arms up and said "hey, that's not fair". Instead of game planning for what was happening, the dems then kept the pregame strategy that relies on enforcement of rules when they came out at half to get 15 points ran up.
Your description while good implies they just got beat and the lead organically grew to what it was, in reality I feel the dems fumbled the bag with how they handled the 2016 and 2024 elections. They pushed a candidate nobody but feminists wanted in 2016 and then an old guy up until it was blatantly obvious his mental state was deteriorating while robbing us of a chance to vote for our representative. Absolutely pathetic
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u/PrometheusLiberatus 4d ago
I am partial to blaming Biden's handlers and staff. They wanted to pretend like they could keep Biden up and at 'em up until the very last possible moment.
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u/mrroofuis 4d ago
Iowa and Pennsylvania
Its fucking crazy how much power those 3 states wield
Meanwhile, we're here in CA with the 4th largest world economy and still our votes dont really count
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u/WarIsHelvetica 4d ago
President is determined by electoral college (minority rule).
Senate is determined by state (minority rule).
SCOTUS is determined by president and senate (minority rule).
The house is determined by population, except that it caps maximum representation by house seats. But just for sake of argument, let’s say this is majority rule.
That means 2.5 of the 3 top branches of our government are determined by minority rule.
The more populated states get fucked over hard.
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u/MattDaveys 4d ago
In theory though the house holds a lot of legislative power. Bills have to pass through the house first. If it doesn’t pass, the senate doesn’t vote on it, the president can’t sign it into law, and the SC can’t rule whether the bill is constitutional or not.
Keywords: In theory
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u/WhatDoADC 4d ago
This is why I think the electoral college is ass.
Growing up votes with your friends or in school were always based on the majority. How a Republican can win the election without winning the popular vote is ass backwards to me.
Also with electoral college, if you're in a red state, your vote for President basically doesn't matter. Same for Republicans in blue states.
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u/luckyfucker13 4d ago
Agreed. Get rid of the electoral college, keep it 1:1, make Election Day a national holiday, mail-in voting for anyone that cannot get the day off (overseas military, emergency workers, retail, etc.), and there needs to be 1 voting location per 1,000-5,000 within an area.
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u/PennCycle_Mpls 4d ago
Or Iowans in a small town cafe who may not even plan on attending caucus, but none the less get interviewed by national media, amplifying mere opinions to the nation before their elections take place 🤦♂️
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u/Own-Examination2707 4d ago
Should transgender veterans receive healthcare? We asked Dale, an 84-year-old farmer who identifies as an Evangelical, over a cup of coffee. Let’s see how this shapes public policy.
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u/PennCycle_Mpls 4d ago
DALE: "Well, Hitler had some good ideas. He just went too far."
DNC strategists: [Furiously scribbling notes]
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u/dafunkmunk 4d ago
The free world is held hostage by a bunch of people who never even graduated high school and have never left their hometown of 200-300 white people. Considering that majority of the US can't read above a 6th grade level, the US has no right to have as much influence on the world as it does.
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u/lejonetfranMX Mexico 4d ago
Well he is a white male below the age of 80 who is making national headlines. I'll bet he polls better than Kamala. Better than prime Biden, even.
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u/ambiguousprophet 4d ago
Okay, current Newsom vs Biden Prime. No prep. Both bloodlusted. Bare knuckle.
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u/LividBatLady 4d ago
Biden Prime crushes Newsom, even if Newsom is allowed to use his ultimate technique, the Homeless Destructive Wave, Biden Prime beats him without even using his Biden Blast.
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u/Tsobe_RK 4d ago
Exactly my thoughts, being white male is most likely a massive boost, it is what it is...
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u/tt12345x Virginia 4d ago
We’re going to once again get electorally penalized for perceived California liberalism without actually having a left wing policy platform, but this time with a white guy
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u/jetpack_operation 4d ago
Sucks to put it this way, but a white guy alone will dampen turnout on the other side. And, lest we think potential Democrats are immune from casual racism, increase turnout among certain Dems and we will, once again, rely on people of color to vote in the best interest of everyone rather than someone they identify with, as we always ask of them but not the white people who vote against their own interests or don't vote at all.
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u/Historical-Gap-7084 4d ago
It sucks, too. I'd love to have a POC as President again, but unfortunately, with the way the country is so divided, I think the only way the Dems have a chance of winning back the top spot is if they run a white progressive man, and I hate that because there are so many wonderful people who would do so much good for this country if racist misogynists didn't make things so difficult for everyone else.
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u/chameleon2021 4d ago
Unfortunately I think a good portion of California dislikes him for not being liberal enough and the rest of the country is just too fixated on the “California bad” hivemind
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u/ihatemovingparts 4d ago edited 4d ago
Aww hell I'm in California and I dislike him for promoting election lies with Steve Bannon. And for (indirectly) jacking up electric rates. And for the minimum wage carve outs for his buddy. And for being backed by Getty oil money. Obviously scapegoating trans kids was punching down.
I think it's in poor taste for an alcoholic to own a bunch of wine shops, but that's not a big deal in the whole scheme of things I suppose. Don't really care that he boffed his best friend's wife while he was living at the bottom of a bottle.
And hey it's great that he's trolling trump. That's a great role for him, and ideally it'll keep him far away from the white house.
Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot aboot the burner phones he gave to CEOs.
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u/Honest-Weight338 4d ago
The bigger question is "IT'S ONLY 2025. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE FIELD WILL LOOK LIKE IN A YEAR, OR TWO YEARS. WHY ARE WE POLLING FOR THIS?"
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u/Comfortable_Bottle23 4d ago
EXACTLY! It’s still 2025. Whether ppl want Newsom as president or not is irrelevant right now. Focusing on him as President in 2028 is yet another distraction from the good fight he’s putting up to prevent The Heritage Foundation’s fascist takeover via Trump and a distraction from all the BS going on right now. Speaking of which, where are the Epstein files?
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u/True-Surprise1222 4d ago
Dems generally pick their candidate by who does best in the south.
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u/bbtom78 4d ago
It would be interesting if he wins the SC primary.
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u/True-Surprise1222 4d ago
and as the average dem knows, the SC primary is worth like 15 super tuesdays.
republicans in primaries: "we're going to elect the most republican republican that has ever republicaned"
dems in primaries: "we're going to elect the most republican democrat who has ever republicaned"
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u/veksone 4d ago
The problem for Newsom is going to be convincing middle America that California is not a hellscape.
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u/lunar_adjacent 4d ago
It is so strange. All I see is posts about how California is a hellhole and I’m here and it’s great. I feel safe. It’s beautiful. It’s clean. So I say that, and the responses I get back are “what about the train to nowhere,” as if a train who is in constant litigation, litigation that is soaking up the funds for said train, is making California a hellhole?
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u/Cumdump90001 4d ago
It’s the same shit going on with DC now. Trump says it’s a lawless dangerous shithole but I live and work here and it’s a beautiful and safe city.
Funnily enough, with the fascist goons currently patrolling the streets it’s a much more dangerous and unappealing place than it was before he sent them in.
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u/After_Flan_2663 4d ago
Its only like that in blue states in states like Texas and Florida you have people shooting it out with other people. Its never reported on stuff like Fox News.
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u/the2belo American Expat 4d ago
Trump says it’s a lawless dangerous shithole
Obviously, Trump has never in his life actually been to a real lawless, dangerous shithole. He doesn't know what it really means. He's never seen actual squalor -- barefoot children picking mounds of industrial waste for saleable scrap, dead animals in the street, that kind of thing. He doesn't know actual skin-and-bones poverty, how could he?
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u/sevseg_decoder 4d ago
Truly “don’t believe your eyes and your ears, trust some random 3 month old Twitter account”
Because there’s no way anyone outside of about 4-5 states could not be jealous of California minus the costs and propaganda. And even those 4-5 states are just different strokes.
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u/quantumpixel99 4d ago
I feel like people who are that deep into the Twitterverse are going to be voting Republican no matter who the Democratic candidate is.
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u/sevseg_decoder 4d ago
Yeah the problem is people don’t want to admit they primarily left California because it was too expensive though. They make up all this other shit and latch onto every tweet to try to convince everyone else it was a totally willful thing but the reality is if they could afford to stay they mostly would.
And that makes gov newsom look like satan to the midwestern, southern and even other states where these people move. Even though the reality is California has gotten so expensive because enough people are willing to sacrifice huge finances to be there. Because it’s so nice…
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u/wallnumber8675309 4d ago
I’m currently visiting CA. I love it. Far from perfect but lots of great things about it. My friends back home though would be skeptical.
Later this week I’ll travel home to Alabama. I love it. Far from perfect but lots of great things about it. My friends in CA would be skeptical though.
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u/maikuxblade 4d ago
It’s the fourth largest economy in the world. Convincing them it isn’t a hellscape is basically saying he has to deprogram them from decades of Fox News.
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u/TwunnySeven 4d ago
which imo is why he shouldn't be the candidate. the guy just radiates elitism and unlikeability
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u/Scaryassmanbear 4d ago
Yeah he is 100% a loser candidate in the Midwest. I actually like him because I’ve actually listened to what he has to say, but his “vibes” are slimy politician. Honestly I think he should quit slicking his hair back.
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u/Agentkeenan78 Tennessee 4d ago
People think Donald Trump is likeable and he's 290 lbs of functionally illiterate dogshit with the personality of a brain damaged asylum patient. I actually don't know where I'm going with that I just felt like throwing it out there.
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u/resurrectus 4d ago
Keep in mind this sub was convinced there was no way Harris was going to lose, take everything you read here with a grain of salt.
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u/Agentkeenan78 Tennessee 4d ago
I had some misplaced optimism as well, I'll admit. Thise days are long gone, though.
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u/MasonL52 4d ago
We literally tried that with Kamala already. We need a charismatic chatacter that can outspar Trump or punk JD.
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u/KirklandBatteries 4d ago
It’s crazy that everyone’s just glazing Gavin so hard now bc of a few tweets of him mocking trump. Memes = “you got my vote”
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u/puzzleboy99 4d ago
It is a popularity contest. That's why we have Trump, if Democrats and the likes of you wont see it then there will be another horrible 4 years after Trump. One of the reasons many Democrats mocked Bernie and other more left leaning Democrats because he was "popular only on reddit"
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u/Long-Draft-9668 4d ago
Dude we don’t want either of them. I’m happy newsome is fighting back on his own turf but we need something new or we’re gonna lose again.
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u/Upbeat_Influence2350 4d ago
And even if the dems win, centrists like Newsom will not stop the shift into fascism. Just delay it for another cycle.
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u/that-isa-madeup-name Europe 4d ago edited 4d ago
If the DNC tries to roll out Kamala in 2028 then I’m done lol
Edit: to everyone saying well actually it’s the voters… yes, the voters pick the nominee. But the DNC decides who gets the spotlight, the money, the debate stage, and the party machine behind them. That’s what “rolling someone out” means. If you think primaries are some pure hunger games of democracy with no thumbs on the scale, I’ve got a bridge to sell you
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u/OrdinarySpecial1706 4d ago
If we roll out Kamala in 2028 then we deserve whatever christofascist hellscape maga comes up with
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u/BarracudaBig7010 4d ago edited 4d ago
Kamala Harris has already said that she's NOT running in 2028. Relax.
I STAND CORRECTED: She said she’s not running in 2026 for Governor of California. As far as 2028 is concerned, she’s “leaving her options open.”
MY BAD!!!
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u/vverse23 4d ago
Didn't Biden say something along those lines? Yet here we are.
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u/AhAssonanceAttack 4d ago
He did and I can't believe that fucker ran again. He is a lot to blame for this mess
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u/Old_Cryptid 4d ago
I think there's enough blame across the entire DNC.
That being said Biden should have hammered home that he was a one term 'stopgap' and the DNC should have spent that time coming up with a viable nominee.
Should.
But it didn't happen and we're here. So now it's anybody's guess how the next few years will shape up.
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u/pfroo40 4d ago
That is what he said would happen, then he decided he was the best chance to beat Trump again, then his age started to really show, and then he took too long to bow out.
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u/Obant California 4d ago
Everyone seems to have forgotten that. He stated several times during his primary that he'd be a one term president and give up the mantle. Then he didn't and I heard NOTHING about his promise. I felt like I was the only one that remembered and I was screaming it.
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u/pfroo40 4d ago
I was livid after his horrendous debate. I am still furious with the Democratic party, for that which forced us to ultimately accept an unpopular candidate, for stonewalling Bernie, for continuing to try and muzzle young progressives.
I desperately want ranked choice voting and a multi-party system.
But, for now, I will suck it up because oh my God what a fucking nightmare the alternative has proven to be. I'll be lucky if my grandchildren have half as many rights and opportunities as I did, and my kids are under 10.
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u/globularglob 4d ago
The real reason he should be blamed is not for running again, but for putting Merrick garland in charge of the DoJ who straight up stalled all of Trumps multiple trials and conviction to ensure he gets to be re-elected instead of rotting away in prison where he belongs.
That was the biggest fuck up of all. Literally appealed to repubs with a DoJ that would not punish Trump
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u/zephyrtr New York 4d ago
He didn't. He just heavily implied it and some news articles came out covering private talks with aides that he'd be a "transition" president. But he didn't say so publicly. Which makes sense, why lame duck yourself, but IMO he was trying to have his cake and eat it too.
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u/beardtamer 4d ago
multiple times he said he was a "transitional president" or a "bridge to something else"
He was a liar and a dumbass, and we paid the price for it.
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u/IncandescentAxolotl 4d ago
People dont blame him enough for that singular action tbh. He put his self interests over not only the country, but the entire world. He knew exactly what his poll numbers and health situation was like. While he did accomplish many good things, none of it ultimately matters as its been all rolled back, and his legacy in completely tarnished and shadowed by The Orange One.
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u/Dineology 4d ago
Pretty sure you’re confusing her saying that she will not be running for Gov. of California for her backing off of a potential 2028 run because I can’t find anything on Google about her declining to run for President in 2028.
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u/ap1303 4d ago
Didn't Biden say he would not run again in 2024 yet here we are lmao
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u/RepresentativeAge444 4d ago
If we roll out a candidate that doesn’t have a strong populist economic message after losing 2 out of 3 to a lunatic idiot with corporate Democrats we deserve it.
And that’s exactly what the establishment wing will attempt to do.
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u/willis936 4d ago
Psst that's the plan. Entrenched democratic leadership would rather watch the world burn than trade an inch of improvement in exchange for a millimeter of their position in society.
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u/Potential-Load9313 4d ago
Same here. If Kamala is the candidate, then I'm going to start working on my survival bunker because we will be utterly steamrolled by the fascists.
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u/anononobody 4d ago
looking at these polls im like who the fuck is pushing Harris in 2028? Makes zero sense.
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u/Tundrok337 4d ago
so you'd be ok with Newsome as a candidate? I'm not saying Kamala should run, because she shouldn't, but another person that ABSOLUTELY shouldn't run is Newsom. Neither candidate is viable. Period.
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u/I-Like-Women-Boobs 4d ago
Reddit is on the Newsom hype train right now, so not many people will probably agree with you, but you’re 100% correct. He’d get absolutely eviscerated in the Midwest. He’s the physical manifestation of the negative “coastal elite” stereotype.
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u/naththegrath10 4d ago
Can’t we all just agree that, polling this far out (and really polling in general at this point) is trash and offers very little insight?
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u/Mind_Killer 4d ago
Does Harris even want to run? I haven't seen her do a dang thing since the election except promote her own book. It's crazy that she's still in the conversation given everything that has happened since November, which feels like forever ago.
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u/sweetperdition 4d ago
yeah dude, i don’t see this from her at all. haven’t heard a word otherwise either. she tried, she lost, she knows she’s out. seems to be somewhat content to remain out of all this. plus, if she couldn’t get in “fresh”, she’s not going to manage it as a failed candidate.
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u/NickBostromIsARacist 3d ago
Word, I don't think she does, tbh. That woman looked sad but fucking relieved in those social photos that came out after. You know... for someone who only had mere MONTHS to prepare for a presidential campaign and had done the classic VP job of "stay hidden and keep your mouth shut" (as JD Vance is now doing... as is tradition... as is the way of the job)... basically this was the first time many people even knew she existed despite her VERY vocal senate career and earlier presidential bid.
When you're up against MAGA, you're up against show people. You're up against people who know how to groom an audience and hypnotize them (and I'll be honest, when Gavin's PR team started talking like MAGA, I finally understood the appeal)... and,CRITICALLY,... you are up against teams that start YEARS in advance.
Kamala was up against a force like Donald and MAGA, a group that has been campaigning continuously since 2015... not to mention all their work with Nixon, the 80s, 90s, etc. (Trump is a clown, but he IS connected). And here comes Kamala... with 3 months, a strong career but a traditional one, and I actually think she did great, everything considered. I'm still not wholly convinced that Trump would have won this without Elon (and how much he knows about computers in vital voting areas), but again... all of this is planned for years. Trump only wins with Thiel's backing and that is something we should all consider, too.
But imagine what a wake up call it must have all been for Kamala. For her FAMILY. Winning would have done us all a favor, and she knows that, but she's probably exhausted and probably even a little shocked to have seen so much of that MAGA machine up front and in such concentration cos she only had MONTHS. Just months.
I would've been fucking BEAT. I would've been like "I'm just gonna take my winnings and pack it in." Maybe that's how she feels, too. 🤷
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u/0ri0nsBelt 4d ago
Honestly, who cares about a Presidential poll in 2025? We need to make it through the 2026 midterms with a free and fair election before we should even be thinking about 2028.
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u/M00nch1ld3 4d ago
Gavin is the establishment view of what a good Democrat should be now. Gavin will do whatever the polls tell him to do, he doesn't seem to have much integrity himself. Now, the people want someone to stand up so he will safely do so.
Kamala is just old news. No one really wants her to run again. She lost already. Get over it and move on.
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u/Comfortable-Scar4643 4d ago
Please, no Kamala.
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u/cpttucker126 4d ago
She went on a show and already said she had no plans on running. Idk why they are even talking about it.
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u/Comfortable-Scar4643 4d ago
I didn’t know that. Sometimes people change their mind, too. Anyway, she’s a pleasant person, but I just don’t know if she could beat another Trump.
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u/skepticalbob 4d ago
His social media stuff is impressing a lot of people outside of the establishment. He seems like he is fighting and that’s what everyone that isn’t a Republican wants.
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u/SJshield616 California 4d ago
It's not just the trolling. He's also betting his entire future on the line with his retaliatory redistricting ballot measure to fight Trump's illegal gerrymandering scheme in Texas. There's no guarantee that it will pass, and if it goes down in flames, so will his political career. That gives off an impression of bravery, and average people respect that.
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u/skepticalbob 4d ago
I agree. It's the perception that he is willing to fight, where "leaders" like Schumer are staring at polling and norms and treating this like a normal time and not a fascist takeover of our country.
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u/SJshield616 California 4d ago
Schumer was always weak. I suspect Jeffries was picked because he wouldn't rock the boat after Pelosi.
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u/SLVSKNGS 4d ago
This is the same guy that gave out burner phones to tech CEOs in his state to give them a direct line to Newsom. Same guy who platformed assholes like Charlie Kirk, Michael Savage, and Steve Bannon; not to be adversarial but to be chummy. He’s also the same guy that championed trans rights and, along with the majority of the party, started to buy into right wing framing and abandoned trans people. Fuck this guy.
If all we want is to elect another establishment Democrat that’s not going to change shit for people, then maybe he’ll be a good candidate (though I think he’s going to turn people off or lose steam). But electing someone like him, or anyone with similar establishment liberal views is just kicking the can down the road on the real change that needs to take place in our country.
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u/young_olufa 4d ago
Watching US politics sometimes feels like being gaslit. Like did we not learn anything from the previous elections?
Gavin Newsom is who we’re excited about? SMH
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u/NippleFlicks American Expat 4d ago
And you’ll see people all around other subs shooting down any criticism already and how “this is why Kamala lost.” Obviously be fucking strategic with voting, but don’t be a good little soldier in advance. This is one opportunity where we could push a progressive candidate that isn’t in the system and both “sides” could probably get behind. Because what happens if Newsom is elected? Maybe he’s re-establish some things that got gutted, but he’s not going to be some incredible president who is for the people. And then we’re going to be in a similar or even worse spot to where we are now.
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u/plightro Massachusetts 4d ago
Gavin Newsom tops Kamala Harris in 2028 poll of California Democrats
"Gavin Newsom most popular candidate amongst people related to Gavin Newsom"
"Gavin Newsom favorite Gavin running in 2028"
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u/smacky623 4d ago
"Gavin Newsom tops polls of people who voted for him already."
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u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot 4d ago
And sorry for the harsh reality check for my fellow Californians: Californian democrats don't matter for polls. It's pretty useless because we're going to vote blue; it matters who swing states like.
Until we get rid of the electoral college polls like this are nothing more than empty hype machines.
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u/AV8ORA330 4d ago
I like Gavin and AOC doing what they are doing. Trolling Trump and making him look foolish. He and MAGA cult melt down when they talk. Prez election is a long way off. Need the house and senate wins next year.
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u/Jamarcus316 4d ago
Gavin is just another centrist who has a record of austerity in California.
But sure, he is just like AOC.
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u/olyko20 4d ago
For real, the rallying around Newsom on reddit is absolutely insane. We need to demand more of the democrats to put someone forth who will actually implement progressive policy.
Release the files.
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u/chriskchris 4d ago
most Dems are not as progressive. I live in Texas and theres a clear divide among even our party here. What we call moderate dems here are all red in either coast.
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u/Jamarcus316 4d ago
People on Reddit are mostly liberal, not social democrats or socialists, so it makes sense lol.
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u/EvilTables 4d ago
Think it's also heavily astroturfed and there's been a steady influx of Newsome-related posts the last week or two out of nowhere.
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u/VAGentleman05 4d ago
Newsom has been far and away the most newsworthy Democrat over the past couple weeks. It's not that deep.
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u/Evening-Recover-9786 4d ago
An unpopular opinion of mine is that the Democrats will not win the election with a California Democrat at the top of the ticket. The policies and experiences don’t align with the swing states of the Midwest such a Wisconsin, Ohio (meh not really a swing state anymore), Michigan, and even Non-Philly Pennsylvania.
The message to California Liberals is just simply not the same.
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u/Tundrok337 4d ago
I don't know why that's unpopular. It's a blatant truth. Anyone thinking a California Democrat is an option is a fucking moron who just wants to lose the next election.
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u/Alarmed_Drop7162 4d ago
The Midwest and south don’t like him. I’m from California and I really think we need a candidate from somewhere else. The California is a poison pill brand with the magat adjacent.
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u/wheniaminspaced 4d ago
A California candidate can win, just not Newsom, everyone seems to forget how much baggage he has on reddit because his social media team is doing something they like.
He is not even particularly well liked in California for that matter. Maga really has nothing to do with his electability problem.
Is it possible he could make moves over the next few year and be a contender, yes. But the first thing your going to get is attack adds about him being a hypocrite over masking policy during Covid which is going to play like shit in middle America. Newsom is just incredibly easy to go after without even making shit up.
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u/majorchamp 4d ago
Please Kamala, do NOT run again. Please for the love of all things holy.
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u/scm66 4d ago
Prtizker is a better choice. Nobody is going to vote for a West Coaster
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u/indymusician 4d ago
How is Pritzker (IL gov) not considered in the polling? Seems like the PERFECT anti-Trump candidate. Far more likeable, a billionaire (deep pockets to run a campaign), has shown he can troll Trump (recall his presser a couple of months ago declaring Lake Michigan is hereforth to be renamed Lake Illinois), etc.....
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u/thr3sk 4d ago
He's just not as charismatic, though I think he'd be a solid choice.
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u/I-Like-Women-Boobs 4d ago
I feel like Reddit vastly overrates Newsom’s charisma and likability. You’d think he was 2008 Obama with the way he’s talked about.
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u/No-Setting-2669 4d ago
Get the feeling Democrats are looking for someone who’s not afraid to scrap it up with the dipshits across the isle
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u/Rich_Housing971 Mexico 4d ago
Kamala should be a very, very low bar. Why are people still fans of her?
Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee, who is supported by 19% of the state's Democrats.
That is insane. She's #2 for Democrats.
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u/laurieporrie Washington 4d ago
I’m guessing it’s just name recognition. I don’t think she’d be number 2 in a primary.
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u/Ven18 4d ago
It’s 2025 talking about a 2028 election in 1 state this poll is all damn recognition. In 2005 nobody had any serious consideration of Obama for 2008 and I am sure in 2005 Giuliani was a shoe in GOP nominee. We have 3 years the world could literally change multiple times in that timeframe in modern politics.
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u/Prayer_Warrior21 Minnesota 4d ago
I mean, I still generally like Harris. Don't want her to run again though lol
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u/IMnotaRobot55555 3d ago
She has said clearly and publicly she isn’t running recently on The Late Show.
It’s pretty clear America can’t handle voting for a woman. Look what they voted for instead.
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u/KashissKlay California 4d ago
How about a candidate that doesn’t receive money from AIPAC / Billionaires?
How about a candidate that actually wants to help working class instead of lead that cavalry of political theatre against Agolf Shitler
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u/Starfleeter 4d ago
This is America. Corporations control campaign and party funding so you will never see that until citizen united overturned and campaigns can only be funded by actual humans with a limit to the donations.
They're getting bankrolled to be a face and nothing more.
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u/LoopedIntoThis 4d ago
Kamala isn’t running. She said so. This is a non-issue. Move it the fuck along.
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u/andee510 4d ago
No she didn't. She said that she is not running for governor. Feel free to provide a source if I'm wrong about that
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u/notme2267 4d ago
Kamala Harris leaves door open for potential 2028 presidential run
(To be clear I am agreeing with you, she ruled out running for gov, the article states that decision was not made to be able to run for president. That article is the only thing google returned about pres in 2028. But maybe my google kung fu be woke.)
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u/The_NZA 4d ago
They both suck please can we just get a progressive who cares.
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u/Lucky-old-boy 4d ago
But then who will all the hidden money go to? Think of the poor billionaires that want power and influence that won’t get it!
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u/wrightcommab 4d ago
Is there anyone between Bernie and AOC age wise with like minded policies?
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u/agnostic_science 4d ago
If the democrats put either person on the ticket in 2028 we deserve to lose again. Jfc. Is this really the best we can do? Why is Kamala even an option? Do people hate winning??
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u/whomad1215 4d ago
Harris wasn't even a good choice in 2020, and she only became the choice in 2024 because of how late Biden stayed in
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u/drewmana I voted 4d ago
After seeing the spirit of this nation, I’m convinced we aren’t “ready” to elect a woman president. I wish we were.
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