Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
60 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Stacy Abrams. Bright. Always prepared. Clear on the issues. (Original Post) BComplex Jun 2020 OP
No, she's not known nationally. nt Phoenix61 Jun 2020 #1
she is well known nationally AlexSFCA Jun 2020 #4
She was also given the rebuttle to the state of the (dis)union address by the Democrats after trump BComplex Jun 2020 #36
she can connect well to low income voters AlexSFCA Jun 2020 #41
No. She did not win her state. No national experience MaryMagdaline Jun 2020 #2
Experience doesn't matter in electoral politics. Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #15
Joe is old. Experience in number 2 position is important MaryMagdaline Jun 2020 #44
That's a GOP talking point Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #45
No. She needs to run and become the governor of Georgia bermudat Jun 2020 #3
I agree. She should be our governor right now. crickets Jun 2020 #48
Too soon ornotna Jun 2020 #5
She was House Minority Leader. She is an adept politician. n/t Laelth Jun 2020 #8
She said she hadn't been contacted by the Biden campaign to be vetted. PunkinPi Jun 2020 #6
That's a real shame. BComplex Jun 2020 #13
I think Stacey is great and she is a rising star in the party, PunkinPi Jun 2020 #19
Here's her background. BComplex Jun 2020 #23
Bill Clinton didn't have any experience on the federal level either Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #27
Bill Clinton was a governor, he had executive experience. PunkinPi Jun 2020 #32
Yes Governor of a very small state Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #33
While Arkansas is not huge it was #33 in 1990. Low middle of the pack. essme Jun 2020 #60
Seriously? How is that even possible? coti Jun 2020 #51
That's what she said when she was on Colbert... PunkinPi Jun 2020 #52
She is impressive, undoubtedly. Laelth Jun 2020 #7
Not enough experience to take over from day one. SoonerPride Jun 2020 #9
She was house minority leader in Georgia, and she actually won the governor's race BComplex Jun 2020 #14
She won it, but was cheated out of it and so didn't get to *be* the governor. The Velveteen Ocelot Jun 2020 #39
Experience doesn't matter Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #17
I like her. She has a promising future. The Velveteen Ocelot Jun 2020 #10
Nope... SidDithers Jun 2020 #11
I agree. Cornus Jun 2020 #12
In a recent Monmouth poll of Dems womanofthehills Jun 2020 #53
Was on PBS news hour yesterday California_Republic Jun 2020 #16
Southerners like her a lot more than they like Kamala. BComplex Jun 2020 #18
I agree that she should be given a shot, but I've never heard her speak on foreign policy Renew Deal Jun 2020 #20
The end of the video I posted, she talks about Turkey. BComplex Jun 2020 #22
How would you know that she is "well informed about everything?" Renew Deal Jun 2020 #24
Ok then. About everything a vp candidate needs to be well-informed about. BComplex Jun 2020 #29
I think Kamala brings everything Stacy brings and much more PTWB Jun 2020 #21
Does Harris help in any swing states? Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #26
Nope. Probably hurts, actually. nt coti Jun 2020 #55
Plenty of potential, TheCowsCameHome Jun 2020 #25
She needs some federal experience imo. Get in the house first. SweetieD Jun 2020 #28
I talk about Elizabeth Warren and Katie Porter being bright all the time. BComplex Jun 2020 #30
I said white men. SweetieD Jun 2020 #31
White men are often called bright, just like anyone else. BComplex Jun 2020 #34
Hope it's Susan Rice. RelativelyJones Jun 2020 #35
Doubt it - she only got 2% of the recent Monmouth poll womanofthehills Jun 2020 #54
Look at the backgrounds of the last few presidents Coleman Jun 2020 #37
She would be a great choice Bradshaw3 Jun 2020 #38
Me, too, Bradshaw. BComplex Jun 2020 #40
Would have been a good Senatorial candidate for either GA seat grantcart Jun 2020 #42
If you think she is campaigning for it, and she is so brazen and inept BComplex Jun 2020 #43
"If you think she is campaigning for it and she is so brazen" grantcart Jun 2020 #56
Thank you, grantcart. nt PunkinPi Jun 2020 #57
Welcome, thank you grantcart Jun 2020 #59
I don't think so. She's not ready. BannonsLiver Jun 2020 #46
No one is ever ready Trumpocalypse Jun 2020 #47
This is the one name I do not want Awsi Dooger Jun 2020 #49
Completely agree. coti Jun 2020 #50
I think she would be a great choice. nt Mosby Jun 2020 #58

AlexSFCA

(6,137 posts)
4. she is well known nationally
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:08 AM
Jun 2020

more than most governors due to her high profile run for governor that was extensively covered in the media.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
36. She was also given the rebuttle to the state of the (dis)union address by the Democrats after trump
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:20 PM
Jun 2020

addressed the country. She's well-known, but she's not divisive.

bermudat

(1,329 posts)
3. No. She needs to run and become the governor of Georgia
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:08 AM
Jun 2020

She needs to rectify the wrong that was done to her and the people of Georgia when the repugnantcan Kemp cheated and stole the election.

crickets

(25,952 posts)
48. I agree. She should be our governor right now.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 03:05 PM
Jun 2020

A lot more people would stay healthy and alive if she were. Georgia really needs a governor like Stacy Abrams. If she's willing, I would dearly love to see her come back to run again, win, and lead our state well. GA deserves better than Kemp. We deserve Stacy Abrams.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
13. That's a real shame.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:20 AM
Jun 2020

Abrams is really smart. If we can't have Elizabeth Warren, we should have Stacy Abrams.

PunkinPi

(4,874 posts)
19. I think Stacey is great and she is a rising star in the party,
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:29 AM
Jun 2020

however she hasn't had enough experience on a federal level. It's too bad she didn't run for senate in GA this go around, we could really use the seat.

 

Trumpocalypse

(6,143 posts)
27. Bill Clinton didn't have any experience on the federal level either
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:46 AM
Jun 2020

when he was elected President.

Neither did Trump.

Experience doesn't matter in elections.

PunkinPi

(4,874 posts)
32. Bill Clinton was a governor, he had executive experience.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:01 PM
Jun 2020

Our party shouldn't aspire to what the Trump/GOP does.

 

Trumpocalypse

(6,143 posts)
33. Yes Governor of a very small state
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:07 PM
Jun 2020

And if experience ever mattered in a presidential election McCain would have beaten Obama, Bush would have lost to Gore, Ford would have won vs Carter, Nixon would have beaten Kennedy, Lincoln would have been defeated by Douglas.

essme

(1,207 posts)
60. While Arkansas is not huge it was #33 in 1990. Low middle of the pack.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 06:36 PM
Jun 2020

Like it or not being a governor in just about any state is a pretty big deal. It is considered a qualifier for President (rightly or wrongly). Even Wyoming which was #50 in 1990 would be a boost.

Here is a really cool list of past experiences before becoming president (being a Governor is #1):

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/which-offices-are-good-stepping-stones-to-the-presidency/

Here is a neat list showing all past experiences (seems like a law degree, state governors, military, and senators really have a leg up with some crossover):

26 presidents were previously lawyers.
22 presidents had previous military experience; 9 were generals in the US Army.[a]
18 presidents previously served as U.S. representatives; 6 of 18 held this office prior to the four 'previous positions' shown in this table. Only one – James A. Garfield – was a Representative immediately before election as president. Only John Quincy Adams served as a U.S. representative after being president. Additionally, after being president, John Tyler served in the Provisional Confederate Congress and was later elected to the Confederate House of Representatives, but he died before taking his seat.[2]
17 presidents previously served as governors; 16 were state governors; 9 were governors immediately before election as president. One, William Howard Taft, served as a territorial governor. One, Andrew Jackson, served as a military governor (Florida).
16 presidents previously served as U.S. senators; only 3 immediately before election as president. Only one president, Andrew Johnson, served as a U.S. senator after his presidency.
14 presidents previously served as vice president. All except Richard Nixon were vice presidents immediately before becoming president; 9 of the 14 succeeded to the presidency because of the death or resignation of the elected president; 5 of those 9 were not re-elected.
8 presidents were out of office (for at least one year) immediately before election as president.
8 presidents previously served as Cabinet secretaries; 6 as secretary of state; 5 of the 8 served immediately before election as president.
7 presidents had previous experience in foreign service.

5 presidents had never been elected to public office before becoming president: Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Donald Trump. Most of these had, however, been appointed to several prominent offices. Hoover's contributions toward the Treaty of Versailles preceded his appointment as United States secretary of commerce. Taylor, Grant and Eisenhower led U.S. forces to victory in the Mexican–American War, American Civil War and World War II, respectively – each occupying the highest-ranking command post of their time. Trump is the group's sole exception, having never held any public office nor any military position.

4 presidents taught at a university: James A. Garfield, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Barack Obama.
2 presidents served as party leaders of the House of Representatives, James A. Garfield and Gerald Ford.
1 president served as an ordained minister, serving as a pastor in the Disciples of Christ (Christian) Church. James A. Garfield. [3] [4]
1 president served as speaker of the House of Representatives, James K. Polk.
1 president served as president pro tempore of the United States Senate, John Tyler.
1 president served as party leader of the United States Senate, Lyndon B. Johnson.
1 president served as president of the United States for two non-consecutive terms, Grover Cleveland.

It matters. Abrams was robbed (99%) or close to it. She should be Georgia's Governor now but she isn't.

SoonerPride

(12,286 posts)
9. Not enough experience to take over from day one.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:13 AM
Jun 2020

She will be a formidable asset and future candidate.

We need to get her elected to office locally first.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
14. She was house minority leader in Georgia, and she actually won the governor's race
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:21 AM
Jun 2020

but was cheated out of it.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,607 posts)
39. She won it, but was cheated out of it and so didn't get to *be* the governor.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:33 PM
Jun 2020

If she hadn't been cheated out of it and had been able to serve as governor she'd have a much more solid credential.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,607 posts)
10. I like her. She has a promising future.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:17 AM
Jun 2020

But I don't think she has enough experience. I think she should take another shot at the governor's office, which she was cheated out of least time, then run in a federal election.

womanofthehills

(8,661 posts)
53. In a recent Monmouth poll of Dems
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 03:45 PM
Jun 2020

Stacy got 10% of the votes and Kamala won with 28%. I like Stacy, but Kamala has been awesome in the Senate arguing all the current issues.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
18. Southerners like her a lot more than they like Kamala.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:25 AM
Jun 2020

Last edited Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:06 PM - Edit history (1)

But then, Stacy is from Georgia, and Kamala is from California. Different styles.

I'm just hoping that we can get southerners out of their homes on election day to vote for someone they're excited about.

On edit: Stacey was born in Wisconsin, moved to Mississippi as a child, but she's been in Georgia since high school.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
22. The end of the video I posted, she talks about Turkey.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:31 AM
Jun 2020

She's very well informed. Actually...about everything!

Renew Deal

(81,847 posts)
24. How would you know that she is "well informed about everything?"
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:40 AM
Jun 2020

That's easy to disprove if you have a conversation with her.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
29. Ok then. About everything a vp candidate needs to be well-informed about.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:52 AM
Jun 2020

It's just as easily dis proven about Kamala.

 

Trumpocalypse

(6,143 posts)
26. Does Harris help in any swing states?
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:44 AM
Jun 2020

Will Harris' history as a prosecutor, including imprisoning parents of truant children which impacted heavily on people of color and the poor, excite progressive and African American voters?

SweetieD

(1,660 posts)
28. She needs some federal experience imo. Get in the house first.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:47 AM
Jun 2020

And I cringe at someone calling her "bright". So condescending. Of course she is bright anyone in her position would be. Why would you expect different. I've never heard a white man in a similar position called bright. Its something you say about children or students.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
30. I talk about Elizabeth Warren and Katie Porter being bright all the time.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 11:53 AM
Jun 2020

Because they are. So is Stacey Abrams.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
34. White men are often called bright, just like anyone else.
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:08 PM
Jun 2020

"bright lawyer"... etc. So are black men, for that matter. People who are bright don't have a sex or a color.

Coleman

(853 posts)
37. Look at the backgrounds of the last few presidents
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:26 PM
Jun 2020

Asshat, <1 term Senator, Governor, Governor, VP (house, CIA and UN), Governor, Governor, VP (house), VP (house), VP & Senate majority leader, 1 1/2 term Senator

Biden's weakness is that he has too much of a history.

But it looks like experience of the federal level isn't needed and might actually be a detriment.

Bradshaw3

(7,488 posts)
38. She would be a great choice
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 12:29 PM
Jun 2020

In the past I would have agreed with the not enough experience meme, but not now. If she had been governor these past few months none of that would even be talked about, and there is a good case that she was cheated out of it.

I think it's obvious she would make a great VP and eventually POTUS. She is able to connect with people of all classes and races. Every time I hear her I am more and more impressed.

grantcart

(53,061 posts)
42. Would have been a good Senatorial candidate for either GA seat
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 01:15 PM
Jun 2020

Her open campaigning for it is so brazen and politically inept that I have to conclude that she is trying to leverage support for her sister who is a very strong candidate for a Supreme Court pick.

BComplex

(8,019 posts)
43. If you think she is campaigning for it, and she is so brazen and inept
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 01:19 PM
Jun 2020

what do you think of Kamala Harris?

grantcart

(53,061 posts)
56. "If you think she is campaigning for it and she is so brazen"
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 06:16 PM
Jun 2020

Really? Are you not aware that is a widely held consensus opinion, even among people who supported her at the beginning of her high profile self promotion?

How her approach has been generally received:



https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/04/26/stacey-abrams-is-waging-a-public-campaign-for-vp---will-it-pay-off/#d2bddab43df1

Stacey Abrams is not shying away from her desire to be Joe Biden’s running mate, a clear contrast to the other candidates on Biden’s short list for the vice president sweepstakes who have been coy when asked about the possibility.

. . .

Unlike these other candidates, though, Abrams has been straightforward about her desire to become Biden’s vice president pick, and has made her case publicly in several interviews over the past few weeks.



There are dozens of other examples but I will pick just one more from CNN





The former top Democrat in the Georgia House has been everywhere this month, giving interviews and speeches, appearing at digital forums and writing op-eds. She has described herself in interviews as an "excellent" pick for Biden,



Early supporters of Abrams have been highly critical of her approach and withdrew their support, for example





https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/03/opinion/kamala-harris-is-bidens-best-choice-vice-president/

A year ago I likely would have made the case for the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, but her lack of experience and ostentatious efforts to get the VP nod should give her boosters pause. It’s long been true that female politicians have been unfairly denigrated for appearing overly ambitious, but one needs to be a bit more subtle than Abrams. Not only did she sit out a very winnable Georgia Senate race in part because it would derail her chance to be Biden’s running mate, but the revelation this week that she has been calling Democratic “power brokers” and asking them to lobby for her is a flagrant rookie mistake. It’s one thing to be ambitious — it’s something else to look ambitious. So clearly running for VP shows a real lack of political deftness and it glaringly contrasts with Harris’s recent work as a loyal surrogate on behalf of Biden.





Lack of subtlety, calling power brokers, etc. is the definition of "brazen".


I think we can agree on two things

1) She has been the most ambitious person promoting their own candidacy for VP in modern history of the Democratic Party

2) She is highly intelligent

So I postulate that this highly intelligent person may have another agenda because her high profile campaign to get on the national ticket having not yet won statewide has another agenda, building up leverage to influence the choice for the next Supreme Court Justice.

VP Biden has said that he is going to pick a woman POC to fill the next vacancy.

There are only about 20 judges that have the requisite experience to be considered and are women and African American.

They are a pretty comparable group sharing the same qualifications and age, etc.

Since I see that Ms. Abrams is highly intelligent I am guessing that her high profile VP approach (which is the least effective way to gain credibility) may rather be an effort to create enough popular support so that she can say "OK if I am not on the ticket I want my sister on the short list for the SC."

Her sister:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Abrams_Gardner#:~:text=Leslie%20Abrams%20Gardner%20(n%C3%A9e%20Leslie,was%20an%20Assistant%20U.S.%20Attorney.

Gardner is the daughter of the Reverend Carolyn and the Reverend Robert Abrams, originally of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She was one of six children. Her sister, Stacey Abrams, is the former House Minority Leader in the Georgia General Assembly, and the Democratic candidate for governor in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.[1][2]

Gardner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997 from Brown University. She received a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Yale Law School. She began her career serving as a law clerk for Judge Marvin J. Garbis of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She served as an associate at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP, from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2007 to 2010. She served as an associate at the law firm of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, from 2006 to 2007. From 2010 to 2014, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia.[3][4]

. . .

On March 11, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Gardner to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, to the seat being vacated by Judge W. Louis Sands, who took senior status on April 12, 2014.[5] She received a hearing before the full panel of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 13, 2014.[6] On June 19, 2014, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.[7] On November 12, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on her nomination. On Monday, November 17, 2014 cloture was invoked by a vote of 68–28.[8] On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 the Senate confirmed her by a vote of 100–0.[9] She received her judicial commission on November 20, 2014.[4]




When asked about being Vice President Senator Harris always turns it around to promote Biden and she demonstrates that she is an effective surrogate for him.

For that reason she is by far and away the leading candidate for VP:




https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/06/18/democrats-favor-kamala-harris-for-vp-by-wide-margin-poll-finds/#5e9c26156da9

E A new poll found that a plurality of Democrats would like to see former Vice President Joe Biden pick Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate, while a majority named a woman of color as their preferred VP amid nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.




In the betting markets Harris has almost as much support as all of the others combined (45%)

Abrams has fallen to 6th place.

https://smarkets.com/event/2094165/politics/us/us-presidential-election-2020/democrat-nominee-vp




So my take is that others are seeing Abrams approach as failing and I think she is doing exactly what she wants, to be in a position to promote her sister to rise above a crowded field of possible Supreme Court nominees and get on the short list.

I wouldn't bet a dime that Abrams will be the VP but I would be that Judge Leslie Abram Gardner makes it to the Supreme Court.
 

Awsi Dooger

(14,565 posts)
49. This is the one name I do not want
Fri Jun 19, 2020, 03:30 PM
Jun 2020

I think Abrams would be way over her head.

Besides, that 2018 Georgia exit poll was devastating. A full 41% of the electorate said Abrams was too liberal for the state.

That is a surreal number, topped only by Andrew Gillum's 44% in Florida the same year. I am very glad that Gillum has subsequently imploded. He never should have been the nominee in the first place.

Once you get labeled as too liberal it is extremely difficult to shake. Given Biden's age we need somebody who can win terms on her own. Abrams is not the best choice for that given the 41% who reject her from the outset. No margin for error.

We will hear the socialism tag all over the place if Abrams is on the ticket.

Always be aware of the situational realities instead of merely thinking something sounds nice.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Stacy Abrams. Bright. Alw...