July 26, 2024

"And we're going to have some fun with this, aren't we?"

Harris murmurs into the phone to Obama and Obama: I call her "Harris." I was going to call her "my girl Kamala" — because that's what Mrs. Obama calls her in that phone call — but the powers that be have warned us not to call her "Kamala" and of course you can't say "girl" — unless you can — and "my" is a terrible problem, perhaps insinuating a perverse sense of ownership. So I'll keep my distance. "Harris" is it. Don't harass me.

Now, about this concept of "fun." It might be the new word of the day, the word on the memo that everyone got. It came up in this new Ezra Klein podcast, "This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin":
I mean, Sunday, I was still hearing from Democrats worried about Harris... And now, I mean, watching the party not just converge around her, but feel a real thrill around her, like really, really become passionate Harris stans, like watching the whole party fall outta the coconut tree and live unburdened by what has been, and only in the imagining of what could be. It's fun to watch Democrats have fun. They have not had fun in a long time. And it's also a good reminder that people don't know how something is gonna feel until it actually happens....

People talking about fun... enthusing This is fun... that's not a good marker of fun... whatever fun is....

I think of Zippy the Pinhead: "Are we having fun yet?"

And "And she'll have fun fun fun/'Til her daddy takes the T-bird away...."

92 comments:

doctrev said...

Watching the oligarchs try to make Kamala Harris "fun" is going to be a train wreck. She could be outsmarted by primary school students. More, the main problem that even liberals have is that she is fundamentally unserious.

Perfection.

Political Junkie said...

Ann Althouse is smart, pretty, moderately wealthy, and fun, fun, fun.
Meade is a lucky man!

Dixcus said...

She's going to be the first Woman President, which means the Democrats have finally figured out how to define the word "woman."

RideSpaceMountain said...

"Put her somewhere she can watch the Potomac roll by," they said
"It's somewhere she can do the least damage," they said
"It will be fun!" they said

Michael Fitzgerald said...

"It's fun to watch democrats have fun again"
Mobs of Jew-haters and America haters attacking innocent people because of their politics, vandalizing monuments and taking over public spaces again, burning American flags and Jews in effigy, shivving their shitty voters by dumping the chosen/selected candidate through backroom machinations, slandering their political opponents with elimination rhetoric, assassinating the other party's presidential candidate....FUN!!!

Achilles said...

They are trying to split the Democrat party.

They chose the person who performed the worst in the last democrat primary and with absolutely zero votes from any democrat voters they put her at the top of the ticket.

They absolutely intended to kill Trump and install Desantis at the convention.

They wanted 4 parties instead of 2. Even so If things go as they currently are republicans will win so many seats against a split democrat party that they will break up as well. Political parties cannot survive too much success.

Iman said...

Democrats, their media operatives and The Truth. That’s a stark Venn diagram.

The Democrats and their media’s relationship to the truth is like a German comedian’s to comedy.

“Why is zat man called Curly ven he has no hair?”

They just don’t get it.

dbp said...

They think they can joke themselves to victory. Maybe, but I'm thinking of this kind of outcome:

https://youtu.be/pCJSkaABFV8

Birches said...

My zoomer daughter has made fun of Kamala Harris and the coconut tree for months. Trying to suddenly make it cool is a fool's errand.

planetgeo said...

Democrats finally having fun, fun, fun now that Daddy's taken the B-Turd away.

Achilles said...

The Schumer video and the Obama video were both publicly humiliating to the actual popular leaders of the Democrat party. They didn’t just ignore them or demand perfunctory endorsements.

They made them the subjects of the cringiest endorsements I have ever seen.

They also forced Michelle to be a part of the endorsement.

Does anyone think that is normal?

Bob Boyd said...

My impression of her body language: she looked like somebody taking a phone call from their boss.

Yancey Ward said...

The Democrats and media (I again repeat myself) don't seem to get it- you can't, in a top-down policy, create effective narrative this way any longer. It just makes you look like a clown. Think about the comments Inga and Rich leave here every day for the last week as an example- is anyone here actually convince by them by any measure at all? Of course not. You literally have to have an IQ of less than 90 to be swayed by such forced nonsense.

The Democrat leadership knows the score, of course- if Harris isn't leading Trump nationally by at least 5% in the polls by the time the convention comes around, there will be calls to remove her, too, unless she can get the delegate vote done before the convention starts.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Hey Kids!
Rattle can spray paint ain't just for huffing anymore!
Mel Brooks might sing...
Springtime for Kamala in Washington.
Hot Fun in the Summertime

RideSpaceMountain said...

Although I don't think I have to, I would like to call your attention to the Uriah Heep looking SS bodyguard with a lick-her license and a determined look strategically placed in the background of this video at the beginning. That was not an accident.

It's good to know that Veep Throat will have the best lesbian protection team Garland can whip up from central casting.

Jamie said...

It was literally one week ago that the entire Democrat apparatus and the media were consumed with worried debate over whether and how they could bypass Harris. Do they think we don't remember?

Lilly, a dog said...

Two weeks ago nobody liked Kamala Harris. Now the media is shoving it up our ass that everyone loves her.

I'd say they are having a lot of fun.

Biff said...

Someone should tell her campaign team that they shouldn't be using "KamalaHQ" as the campaign brand on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc. because of various "*isms."

Wince said...

“She’s leaving home, bye-bye.”

s'opihjerdt said...

Don't have fun with her middle initial either. Don't say shat she would be the worst Kamala D. that could befall this nation. That's not funny.

BUMBLE BEE said...

What Me Cackle?

Edited out

The rule of Lemnity said...

Whatever fun is… is never scripted.

who-knew said...

Sounded rehearsed on both ends, but especially pre-written on Kamala's end. As to her adoption of brat summer green, it might be fitting because she is all in on the green new deal. Or not, if it hurts her electorally. She epitomizes the politician's creed "These are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others."

Quayle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Quayle said...

They’re as giddy as shipwreck survivors who found some driftwood to cling to.

There’s unity on a floating door from the Titanic.

Static Ping said...

Honestly, this sounds a lot like a teenage boy who is all excited that the popular rich girl who is superhot and has a car likes him.

It is a recipe for disappointment. And there are so many, many, many different recipes.

Stephen said...

Professor Althouse, re cruel neutrality: Isn't a huge part of the Trump phenomenon also about having fun? That seems to be a central feature of his rallies, and one that he encourages and plays into. I think you may even have celebrated it! So why the grim face for Democratic fun, but not for MAGA Republican?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Its' fun to know you can cheat to win.

Temujin said...

There is nothing they do that isn't cringe, isn't staged, and isn't vapid.

Yet, they could put up a Sack O'Potatoes and still draw millions of cult-like voters.

"Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."

Sub Kamala for Raymond Shaw.

traditionalguy said...

I try to see the good side of having a President Kamala. With that cackle she could do a pretty good Slim Pickens from Doctor Strangelove.

I can think of her leading our B-52 attack wing headed into Russia. And laughing all the way.

mindnumbrobot said...

People understand there is a lot of phony-boloney in politics, but that phone call was fingernails on a chalkboard level of phony-boloney. Yikes!

mindnumbrobot said...

Fun. And lots, and lots, of laughs.

Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs... --John McClane

M Jordan said...

That line from “She’s Leaving Home” — “Fun is the one thing that money can’t buy” — has always puzzled me. We all know that fun is the one thing money CAN buy. Love is what it can’t buy and what the girl in the song is running for. So why did the Beatles write it that way?

My best answer is to show how mixed up SHE and basically everyone is in pursuing meaning in life. The girl runs from a nice home with a grand staircase to a motorcycle dude. I’m guessing that won’t last.

Yancey Ward said...

"Professor Althouse, re cruel neutrality: Isn't a huge part of the Trump phenomenon also about having fun? That seems to be a central feature of his rallies, and one that he encourages and plays into. I think you may even have celebrated it! So why the grim face for Democratic fun, but not for MAGA Republican?"

Stephen, it takes a great giant media bubble to prevent you from understanding the difference, so I am not sure I can explain it to you in a way that would penetrate, but I will give it a go:

No one is trying to sell Trump rallies as fun in the media. You either find them fun or you don't, but we aren't being pressured relentlessly by any media to believe so, not even on the right wing media.

Michael K said...

I saw lots of Hamas fans having fun yesterday. If Kampala wins the election, Israel has about 6 months.

RideSpaceMountain said...

"Sounded rehearsed on both ends"

I shan't believe it. I simply shannot.

Jupiter said...

"... of course you can't say "girl" — unless you can -"

Does this mean there is now a "g word"? Along with the n word and the c word?

Captain BillieBob said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Commie Videos and You a Law Professor said...

The profound inauthenticity of this video reminds me of a high school election circa 1970.

A candidate for Student Council President, at the mandatory assembly, stepped to the podium, ostentatiously turned over her notes, and launched into a memorized "spontaneous" response to the other candidates to widespread eyerolls.

The Dems are just shovelling out the chaff and countermeasures to distract from their latest coup.

Lilly, a dog said...

"What you gonna do when you get out of jail?
I'm gonna have some fun
What do you consider fun?
Fun, natural fun"

Although Tina Weymouth changed it to "Fun, nasty fun" in Stop Making Sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ5QiszpIhE

RCOCEAN II said...

She's astoundingly unlikable. But given Hillary almost won, I don't think that matters.

Captain BillieBob said...

Have some fun tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbyOKXSx9OM

ga6 said...

fun, fun, fun till her daddy takes the T-bird away.

Captain BillieBob said...

I don't understand why everyone is not sick and tired of the democrats phoniness.

Rich said...

Trump is backing out of debates, but once Harris announces a running mate the VP debate with JD Vance will still go forward thanks to the support of its sponsor, IKEA.

JD Vance’s recent IKEA ban has “little to do” with viral allegations, a brand spokesperson said Wednesday. “What Mr. Vance did with his furniture is between him and his purchase. It never took place in the store, and he always abided by the specialized return policy we drafted just for him.”

mccullough said...

The Dems ooze desperation

MayBee said...

It’s so funny. This is entirely the doing of the party, and has always been an option. Why are they acting like it is an exciting thing that has happened? Kamala has been around this whole time.

Mason G said...

"The profound inauthenticity of this video reminds me of a high school election circa 1970."

The whole thing is just silly. Harris is old enough to be a great-grandmother. Fun fact: Kamala Harris is twelve years older than Richard Nixon was when he ran for president in 1960.

Limited blogger said...

Yes, David Byrne was getting a little too serious.

Tom Tom Club was the fun part of the band.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

"Fun." Seems more transactional than joyful. Actual fun invites participation or at least desire to participate. That may be what they are shooting for, but nothing about Mrs. Harris makes me think of fun. And that clunky, "my homegirl Kamala"! Yikes. It's like an old dude saying "that's sick," thinking he'll sound like the hip kids.

I ain't voting for no homegirl.

Old and slow said...

David Byrne is a twat. Talented yes, but annoying as hell. Tina Weymouth is cool.

Mr. D said...

Mandatory fun, baby!

mindnumbrobot said...

Can you both have fun AND Wang Chung at the same time?

stlcdr said...

Fun: as in boot-stomping republicans into the dirt.

Oh, and who is the President, again? I've lost track.

narciso said...

Does it matter

Rich said...

Everyone who pretended like Obama wasn’t going to throw his full political weight behind Harris is looking really dumb right now.

donald said...

When I used to watch cable tv shows and listen to talk radio (Still do, I drive a lot), nothing pissed me off more than some dude like Sean Hannity or Rachel Maddow (purposeful phrasing) would be saying just how much fun the political campaign happening or coming up was gonna be. Anybody saying this shit is fun is a monster and I despise them.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

So why the grim face for Democratic fun, but not for MAGA Republican?

You can't tell the difference between people actually having fun by being at a Trump rally and the phony baloney "Isn't this so FUN!" of our vapid veep? It's the difference between spontaneously breaking into dance or dreading you are expected to dance whether you want to or not.

Tina Trent said...

Sorta makes it impossible to not picture Kamala as Zippy. And a lot happier to exclude the second half of the moniker here.

Paul Zrimsek said...

Long-time Republican secret weapon: Democrats have no idea how grating they are when they think they're being cute.

Aggie said...

We need an Althouse button-survey on who the VP choice is going to be, now that Kamala is 'unburdened by that has-been', (see what I did there?)

All of Kamala's signature moments seem to be on phone calls where you can't hear the other person and she always looks cringey-insincere - which I suppose, in a way, means she's being authentic.

I think the Obamas have acquiesced because they got their VP pick, but I think there still could be some fireworks at the convention hall. I wonder who's going to give the nominating speech? Will there be one, or just an approximation?

Static Ping said...

For the record, do not think this means Kamala Harris has the nomination in the bag. Joe Biden had the nomination in the bag after a rigged primary season and they managed to knife him in the back. We have seen that these people will gaslight to your face. We already went from "Biden is as sharp as ever and you are conspiracy theorists to think otherwise" to "Biden is obviously unable to run again and must drop out" (but apparently not senile enough to resign) to "Biden is George Washington in his selflessness" despite the only reason he is dropping out is because you forced him out after weeks of struggle. These people have no shame or principles, so this can all change this afternoon.

Mikey NTH said...

"Fun." This is another instance of when you have tell everyone something (aren't we having fun?) they're not.

donald said...

When I used to watch cable tv shows and listen to talk radio (Still do, I drive a lot), nothing pissed me off more than some dude like Sean Hannity or Rachel Maddow (purposeful phrasing) would be saying just how much fun the political campaign happening or coming up was gonna be. Anybody saying this shit is fun is a monster and I despise them.

mikeski said...

Tina Weymouth is cool.

You don't have to convince me about the appeal of Girls With Guitars.

Mary Beth said...

They are trying to pretend to be fun because the defining characteristic of Trump rallies is that both Trump and the people attending appear to be having fun. With one notable exception.

Back before it was banned, The_Donald subreddit was fun. Lots of memes and people (centipedes) just having a good time discussing the candidate. I have never seen anything else like it was in 2016.

Pretending Harris is fun will work as well as Warren's "meme team" did. You can't force fun. It's also easier if you start with people who are basically happy, even if they are unhappy with current conditions.

tcrosse said...

It's all fun and games until somebody poses an Existential Threat to Our Democracy.

JK Brown said...

"Girls just wanna have fun"

Shout out to Shannon Doherty as Maggie Malene

Maggie : Do you really think I'm punk? Well, that's outrageous! I mean, it's not as cool as new wave, but it's a lot better than pre-teen!

Achilles said...

Rich said...

Everyone who pretended like Obama wasn’t going to throw his full political weight behind Harris is looking really dumb right now.

You cannot be honest.

What we noted was that he hadn't endorsed Harris and clearly did not want to when he did do it. I don't think he threw his full weight behind Comma-la. That video was cringe.

And I find it really interesting that they made Michelle kneel publicly too. There is no world where Michelle Obama wanted to be a part of that endorsement.

I did not expect that Barrack had as little power as he did.

Inga said...

Of COURSE Harris isn’t fun for you folks. I doubt she’s fun for Trump either, but that’s good.

Inga said...

Those poll numbers keep getting better and better for Harris. That’s fun!

Jamie said...

No one is trying to sell Trump rallies as fun in the media.

In fact, we're told they're orgies of rage and hate. All those grins - every one a rictus of racism. All that laughter - the hoots of... what was it now... Nazis coming out of the woods carrying torches and pitchforks. Wait, it was swastikas.

Jamie said...

Those poll numbers keep getting better and better for Harris. That’s fun!

Well, funny, I'd say, given that the betting odds haven't moved...

Now, I do fully expect her odds to improve, because - as we're already seeing - the media and social media are doing their best Orwellian "you didn't see or hear what you thought you saw or heard" propagandizing already and that's only going to get more pervasive as their attempts to sideline her get farther and farther in the rear view mirror. And bettors are trying to make a buck, not canonize a political saint.

D.D. Driver said...

"For the record, do not think this means Kamala Harris has the nomination in the bag."


We'll see if those bastards can pull this off. The democrats made voters participate is fake elections. They were fictional. Everybody knew Joe wouldn't be able to finish the campaign. He is 81! But, they had a fake primary anyway and let the Obama's a powerbrokers tell them who the real candidate is. I don't think very highly of democrats, but even they must have "some line" somewhere. They can't all be this stupid.

I have little use of the GOP, but they gave their voters real candidates. Candidates that fought each other. They had different visions and different policy ideas. And, then the GOP voters got to hear them debate each other and make an informed decision. They went with Trump, which I hate, but I 100% accept it because it was a fair and open process and everyone was allowed to participate.

But that's not how the dems do things. Here is how the dems will actually do this, and it will probably work (unfortunately).

1. There will be a "national crisis"
2. The "national crisis" turns out to be too much for Old Joe and he steps down
3. Kamala becomes president and gets to run as an incumbent who is...
4. Dealing with the "national crisis" from step 1. Probably some form of "right wing terrorism." We will all be told what a great job she is doing. We all need to rally around Kamala (unless you are yourself a Neo-Nazi). USA! USA! USA!

William said...

The cringe factor is a big part of her public performances. Snap, cackle, and cringe....I can live with the boot in my face, but these cringe moments sap my will to live.

Achilles said...

Inga said...

Of COURSE Harris isn’t fun for you folks. I doubt she’s fun for Trump either, but that’s good.

Are you really this stupid? I know you are stupid, but can you really not see what is going on here?

They just installed the most unpopular democrat primary candidate in history at the top of the ballot without a single democrat voter having voted for her outside the state of California.

If you get outside the media propaganda bubble into the non-corporate left leaning spaces they are losing their shit. Democrat voters have a larger percentage of their voters in the media bubble but there are still many people outside of it.

This is the dream opponent for Donald Trump. He makes his living off of joking at his opponent's expense.

There is no more target rich environment for jokes in politics than Kamala Harris. We are going to see videos of Kamala laughing and eating bananas for 4 months. People are going to be sick of stupid Karen's screeching "HOW DARE YOU!"

Joe the Vegetable was doing better than her.

BUMBLE BEE said...

This Just In...

https://x.com/MattWolking/status/1816484231998054517

Kamala Showing her ass

The rule of Lemnity said...

You don’t hold the phone up to your ear after putting the phone on speaker.

Kamala needs some acting training. She’s got a permanent Jimmy Carter smile.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I lived in California until this January. Kamala was a horrible candidate every time. She had to resort to torpedoing her leftist rivals to be DA in San Francisco. Again she eliminated other more palatable D candidates for AG and she was horrible at both jobs. Wanted to jail parents of truant high schoolers but let rapists and murderers out with light sentences if she couldn't avoid prosecuting altogether.

She backed the insane Prop 47, which has wreaked so much havoc on shop[keepers and normies that the people have put through a referendum to reverse it. This is the law that allows shoplifting up to $900 per person per day, and has led to mob robbery and the closure of most good retail in the state, including all of downtown central city San Francisco. She made to the Senate on the slimmest of margins, garnering fewer votes than any normal Democrat in CA. It is ridiculous to build her up as some great campaigner when she barely survived votes from bright blue California, then got not a single vote in her run for president.

Ha ha aha ha. Let's all laugh along with Kamala! Look the plus-six democrat polls say she's liked! (Hint: Democrats don't outnumber Republicans anymore and Independents are 60-33 for Trump.)

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Except for Michigan, which has a mix of polling where Trump leads and one showing Kamala leading, the battleground state are tilting solidly for Trump. I'd expect Kamala to get a little announcement bump but so far it is really small if there at all.

If you're near a battleground state train to ballot chase and register people who sat out 2020.

Michael K said...

It will be "fun" for the Democrats and the Dullard until the first (and only) debate. Then "the daddy" will take the T Bird away.

Ty said...

Kamala said:

"But most of all, I just want to tell you that the words you have spoken and the friendship you have given over all these years, mean more than I can express so thank you both. It means so much. And we’re gonna have some fun with this too, aren’t we?"

KellyM said...

Blogger Limited blogger said...
"Yes, David Byrne was getting a little too serious.

Tom Tom Club was the fun part of the band."

Indeed. How can you not toe-tap to "Man with the Four-Way Hips"?

Hassayamper said...

Kamala Harris, ¡qué mala eres!

The jokes will write themselves in the Hispanic community.

Chick said...

It depends on what the meaning of Fun is.

Mikey NTH said...

I see Obama's endorsement at this late date two ways:
(1) Michelle put her last foot down and no, she will not run for president.
(2) They have been searching for someone to jump into the race now and found out no one wants to be the forlorn hope for 2024, that Kamala is welcome to the run, and Good Luck!

Rusty said...

Depends on your meaning of fun.

Rusty said...

Only 3 polls have Harris ahead, Inga.
Morning Consult has her up1
Reuters has her up 2
ABC News WaPo has her up 2
That's out of 14 polls
An average of all the polls has Trump up 2
Trump is up in all 5 battleground states

loudogblog said...

"Isn't fun the best thing to have?" - Arthur

Dr.Bunkypotatohead said...

The Dem party platform is to basically ban anything fun.
And kill a few Jews while you're at it. Maybe that's supposed to be the fun part.

Rusty said...

"Fun is the one thing that money can’t buy."
Said someone who had never been to Vegas or owned a motorcycle or a muscle car.

Tim said...

Does the hoor always wear a lapel microphone?