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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4523
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| Posted: 05 August 2020 at 11:28am | IP Logged | 1
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I can imagine lots of scenarios in the past where someone was afraid to have a female or minority running-mate or candidate for fear some idiots wouldn't vote for 'one of those'. It's like all the affirmative action push-back mainly from people hired by their good pals or relatives of the same ethnicity and gender. Or perhaps angry that such a system 'failed' them but instead of blaming the good pals or relatives they target the foreigner/other (cowardly, easy targets, same old divide and conquer b.s.).
I'm open to legitimate complaints about discrimination from anyone, and that does include white men... but a hearing is not propping up some kind of unhealthy perennial victim-hood that helps nobody. Some people still need their privileged butts kicked out into the light of reality, including their poster child Trump.
Edited by Rebecca Jansen on 05 August 2020 at 11:31am
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Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4548
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| Posted: 05 August 2020 at 6:53pm | IP Logged | 2
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As Michael noted, there is no objective way to measure "most qualified" in regard to a Vice President. There are dozens of people who are qualified, and certainly everyone on Biden's shortlist seems to be. When you have a bunch of potential applicants who are qualified for a political job, then factors like personality and also political considerations become part of the equation. It's always been that way. People who are bent out of shape because Biden has specifically limited his choice to a woman (and seems to be focused only on women of color) need to acknowledge that gender and race have ALWAYS been factors in the selection of vice president in every single US election ever. The only difference is that Biden is acknowledging up front that they are factors rather than pretending they are not. Is it a coincidence that (with two exceptions) every single major-party vice presidential candidate ever in the US has been a white male? Of course not. So then the question becomes, why are you so upset about it now, but not in prior years?
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Neil Lindholm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 January 2005
Location: China
Posts: 4940
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| Posted: 05 August 2020 at 7:47pm | IP Logged | 3
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It's the boasting. When a politician or some other entity boasts about how diverse they are and then parade the fact, what does that say about the person who was chosen? They were a token? Someone to make a photo-op look better? If Biden had said that he would pick the best person for the job and then picked a black women, then that's perfectly fine. Same with Trudeau in Canada back in 2015. Instead of boasting how he made sure the cabinet was gender equal, he should have just announced his new cabinet. Were they originally chosen for their talent or because they checked some boxes? Again, it is a race to the bottom.
I am always reminded of James Watts line "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent." That drew outrage in 1983. Clean it up a bit and that is a virtue statement in 2020.
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Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4548
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| Posted: 05 August 2020 at 8:29pm | IP Logged | 4
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When Biden announced he would chose a woman for his vice presidential running mate, it wasn't boasting, it was a calculated political move. It was designed to reassure and court voters who might be put off by his status as an old white guy. If he was the only candidate who engaged in such political calculus then you might have basis for criticizing him, but of course every politician ever has done similar things. Every single vice presidential candidate ever selected has been chosen via the same type of cynical political consideration.
Neil, it seems like you are faulting Biden not for political calculation, but for being upfront about it. I fail to see how it would make a real difference if he'd made the same calculated choice but pretended it was based on sincerity and objectivity.
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James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 7620
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 1:44am | IP Logged | 5
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When it comes to this selection process, it’s a case of damned if you
do, damned if you don’t.
Pick someone & people will argue that you are subject to tokenism.
Don’t pick & people will argue that you remain tone deaf.
I know which side of the arguments I would like to be on.
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Brian Floyd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 July 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 8355
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 1:10pm | IP Logged | 6
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My mother is anti-Trump as it gets. So am I, but with one huge difference: I'm voting for Biden no matter who he picks as his running mate. Meanwhile, my mother said if he picks Harris, she's not voting.
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Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4548
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 4:05pm | IP Logged | 7
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Brian, you mind if I ask why your mom is so anti-Harris? Just curious.
I'd argue that anyone who would refrain from voting for Biden for any reason at this point cannot be said to be "as anti-Trump as it gets."
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Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 12857
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 6:31pm | IP Logged | 8
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I'd vote for Harris. She would be at least more competent than Trump and fast-fading Biden. But district attorneys are basically cops, and Biden would be nuts to get a cop running mate while people are still angry.
Edited by Joe Zhang on 06 August 2020 at 6:32pm
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Dave Kopperman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 December 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3139
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 6:40pm | IP Logged | 9
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Reprinting here what I posted on FB yesterday: Maybe you don't "owe" Biden your vote, but you sure as hell owe the human race a vote for the Democratic ticket.
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Steven Myers
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5625
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 6:43pm | IP Logged | 10
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I think every time someone tells me Biden has cognitive issues I shall reply with "Yosemite".
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Kevin Brown
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 8843
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 8:35pm | IP Logged | 11
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Steven, it's pronounced "Yo-Semite".
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David Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 3008
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| Posted: 06 August 2020 at 11:02pm | IP Logged | 12
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I live near a Yosemite Street, and every time I passed it I amused myself by thinking "Yo Semite" but now that simple pleasure has been taken from me, yet another casualty of politics and 2020.
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