We choose freedom

We know how MAGA will attack Kamala Harris. Let’s have her back.

Kamala Harris might be America’s first Black woman president. I can’t tell you how happy that sentence makes me. I’d spent the previous couple of weeks terrified that the Dem-on-Dem fighting wouldn’t stop and that if Biden left the race, we’d immediately start fighting over the nominee and damage Harris’ inevitable candidacy in the process. I think America is ready for a Harris presidency, but after 2016 and 2020, I wasn’t sure that the Democratic party was. To my great relief, I was wrong. And I’ve never been happier to be wrong in my life. 

The MAGA Right’s response to the news so far has been predictable and weird. I had to laugh when I read that Republican Speaker Mike Johnson urged his caucus not to make racist comments about Harris. Another member of the Caucus reportedly told colleagues, “We’ll give you a cheat sheet if you don’t know what else to talk about.” Good luck with that, guys. 

We know how MAGA will come from Harris because we’ve seen it before. We have ample research on the abuse of and disinformation targeted at women of color candidates, and we know that Kamala Harris is subjected to more online abuse than any other candidate in the US. We also know that the tech platforms (who have access to the same public research, in addition to internal data) won’t do enough to stop these attacks from being overamplified on their platforms.

And let’s be clear: we’re not just talking about fringe online communities or more mainstream Right-Wing media figures. As Speaker Johnson’s memo reminds us, a lot of the racist, sexist abuse, conspiracies, and disinformation comes from Republican Elected officials. Who happily incite violence against Harris, her colleagues, and marginalized communities without care for the consequences of their rhetoric.

Here’s the good news: The Right’s strategies and tactics don’t change. We know how they’ll come for Harris, and we’re prepared for it. Harris also had an army of online defenders and influential supporters that’s grown exponentially over the last week. She’s also captured the online zeitgeist at a velocity I’ve never seen before; I’m gobsmacked. Political views aside, as someone who used to get paid to help political candidates harness online energy, I know that I’d rather be Kamala Harris than Donald Trump right now. 

Harris offers a vision for a better future in contrast to the fascist hellscape MAGA wants America to be. In her launch video, Harris declares, “We choose freedom” over “a country of chaos, of fear, of hate.” Saving democracy never felt like enough because it wasn’t. 

I can’t tell you that Kamala Harris will win the election. I’ve learned that I can’t predict what’s going to happen next in politics anymore. But I believe Kamala Harris is the best candidate to take on Trump, contrasting her character and record against his. Now, it’s on us to have her back and help her win.

---

ICYMI

Trump's GOP is No Country for MAGA Women (Salon) 

Amanda Marcotte was in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention and saw firsthand how little interest the MAGA faithful have in the party’s women electeds and influencers. Money quote: “In this mass psychodrama, there isn't a place for female leaders.”

Trump Allies Crush Misinformation Research Despite Supreme Court Loss (Washington Post)

Another gutting story about how the MAGA Right has almost completely destroyed the field of social media research, especially as it relates to disinformation. 

JD Vance Isn't the Bridge-building VP That Moderates Wanted: What He's Said About Women, Voting and Project 2025 (People)

Yes, that People. A publication that would normally run a softball human interest story about the GOP VP nominee lets its large audience, mostly women readers, know exactly who Vance is and what his agenda is. It’s an impressive feat. 

Why It's So Hard to Measure Support for Political Violence (ABC News)

I always take polling with a grain of salt, especially about topics that are difficult to quantify like conspiracies and political violence. This piece does a good job explaining why these issues are notoriously difficult to poll.

Want even more links? Subscribers receive a special ICYMI edition of CARD on Fridays. 

---

Blatant Self-Promotion

I talked to NBC News about how Kamala Harris broke the Internet last week.

I also spoke with NPR and the Washington Post about false Joe Biden conspiracy theories. 

Thanks so much to everyone who supports CARD by reading, commenting, and especially sharing the newsletter. Last week’s post on Yarvin and neo-reactionaries was possibly the most important one I’ve written in some time, and considering it went out the day Biden dropped out of the race, I figured no one would see it. But y’all came through, and it’s now one of my top posts on Substack. 

Now, because of your amplification, we were able to help define Vance and Project 2025, and other outlets have continued highlighting the Yarvin/Thiel connection. 

Thanks also to everyone who financially supports CARD via Substack or Patreon. Your contributions help me keep writing each week. 

That’s all for this week. Let’s do this again next Sunday!