vox--2020-08-21--Inside the get-rich-quick scheme that cost Amazon sellers thousands — and then got them banned

Like many Amazon sellers , Chad Christensen had his ups and downs over the years trying to make a living on the giant shopping platform .
But when the 58-year-old from Ogden , Utah , heard about an opportunity in 2018 to invest in a brand of bestselling laser tag toys on Amazon , he handed over $ 20,000 of his savings .
The entrepreneurs pitching the toy brand , called Dynasty Toys , and talked up their highly-ranked laser tag guns that were supposedly a hit on Amazon during the previous holiday season .
Now , they were guaranteeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a chance to own a piece of their business , and behind-the-scenes access to their secret playbook for Amazon-selling success .
“ You guys are the hero of this story , ” Brett Bartlett , the creator of Dynasty Toys , told listeners on a podcast and online video broadcast during the summer of 2018 .
“ We ’ re going to change history [ with ] how we collaborate together , ” he added .
Two years later , Christensen ’ s decision to invest in Dynasty Toys has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s only received $ 4,000 in repayment and believes it ’ s highly unlikely he ’ ll see a cent more .
And Christensen is just one of hundreds of existing and aspiring Amazon sellers who bought into the supposed opportunity , with many losing thousands of dollars along the way .
Dozens have commiserated in Facebook and Slack groups in recent weeks over their lost investments , with one seller saying he contributed $ 200,000 to the failed enterprise .
Some of these sellers are also grappling with a consequence even worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , Amazon suspended at least a dozen Amazon sellers linked to Dynasty Toys , including Christensen .
More than two months later , Christensen and others are still banned .
“ Looking back , of course , we can all see the red flags and if any of us had been more astute at just seeing these red flags a lot earlier than we did , we would have just not done this , ” Christensen said .
“ Brett was just so reckless and careless .
It was just an utter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not responsible for its merchants ’ investments .
But the popularity and complexity of the Amazon marketplace provides fertile ground for such schemes targeting its sellers .
Nearly 2 million small and mid-sized merchants like Christensen now sell products on Amazon , and they account for 60 percent of the company ’ s gross retail sales .
They are a huge part of the platform ’ s retail success .
But while Amazon does provide some education for new sellers , its vast and competitive platform has created an ecosystem of experts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mom-and-pop sellers with dreams of e-commerce glory .
Some of these offers are worth the money .
But others are unhelpful — or worse , harmful for the sellers they lure in .
The Dynasty Toys story is a cautionary tale of the risks posed by these self-proclaimed retail wizards .
At the same time , the story of the duped sellers also refocuses attention on some of the obstacles all sellers face on Amazon ’ s highly automated marketplace , which can take away their livelihoods suddenly , and with little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t unique .
When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos testified before a congressional antitrust committee in July , one Congress member played an audio recording of a long-time Amazon textbook seller with 14 employees , who said Amazon kicked her off the platform without warning or notice , and that it devastated her business .
And just this March , Recode reported on the tale of a boutique hand sanitizer seller that Amazon made , and then broke , basically overnight .
“ What happened to that poor textbook seller is , well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who runs the Amazon seller consultancy eGrowth Partners , which helps sellers with account reinstatements .
“ There is no clear way to get a problem escalated , there ’ s no way to get good feedback , and they really don ’ t care if you ’ re banned from the platform forever.
” Such complaints have been around for years : that Amazon makes arbitrary decisions about who it suspends , and when .
And that Amazon ’ s notice of suspensions and how to appeal them often come with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even for successful Amazon sellers , an underlying fear exists that they could lose their businesses in an instant despite what the seller community as a whole has meant to Amazon ’ s retail success .
The Dynasty Toys situation is just one of the latest examples .
“ If you do everything just right you can be successful [ on Amazon ] , but if anything goes wrong and you get suspended , you are just generally screwed , ” Christensen told Recode .
“ They are the judge , jury , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no oversight.
” An Amazon spokesperson said that Christensen has yet to provide the documents necessary to have his account reinstated .
Christensen called that explanation “ absurd.
” Still , Christensen wishes he had been more skeptical of the Dynasty Toys pitch and the men promoting it .
Back in 2018 , the toy brand ’ s founder , Bartlett , promised his would-be investors a return on investment of 8 to 20 percent , or more — some , like Christensen , were eventually promised a 40 percent return — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Dynasty Toys success through a co-op business structure .
The investors would also get behind-the-scenes access to a secret playbook for dominating Amazon selling , so that they too could launch their own breakout merchandise hits on Amazon .
If you ’ re wondering why investors like Christensen were so eager to buy in , they saw that Dynasty Toys products had previously ranked highly on Amazon bestseller lists , so it seemed like a proven brand .
But for many , the real credibility in Bartlett ’ s pitch came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cockrum , a self-proclaimed Amazon selling expert and coach , with a 60,000-strong Facebook following and a popular conference series and podcast , which is among the Top 100 entrepreneurship shows on Apple Podcasts .
Cockrum does not appear as an owner of Dynasty Toys in public records , but he aggressively pitched the idea alongside Bartlett .
“ I am not about to put my reputation on the line for something that ’ s going to go south and have hundreds of people say , ‘ Oh , those people are scammers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast promoting the idea alongside Bartlett in 2018 .
The worst-case scenario , Cockrum promised listeners , was getting their full money back early the following year .
The duo pitched a vision of communal success built on viral marketing videos and an expected holiday shopping bonanza leading up to Christmas in 2018 .
All they needed was money — millions of dollars of it , they said — to buy enough inventory to meet the huge demand they predicted .
And that ’ s where their followers would come in .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who requested anonymity on advice from their lawyer , told Recode that they were first attracted to the opportunity because of Cockrum ’ s involvement .
“ We trusted Jim because he seemed like a very faith-based man , ” the seller said .
This Amazon seller had also found some of Cockrum ’ s Amazon courses helpful in the past , and told Recode that they still want to believe that Cockrum did not intentionally mislead his followers .
Bartlett and Cockrum gave their would-be investors various ways to participate .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team money to help them buy inventory to sell on Amazon , with the belief that everyone would share in the profits after that holiday season .
Other investors simply bought inventory from Dynasty Toys at a wholesale price , and then were on their own to sell it through their own Amazon accounts during the 2018 holiday season .
Then , in 2019 , Bartlett introduced a third option for sellers like Christensen who didn ’ t receive a profit from the holiday season : Sell other products that Bartlett and Cockrum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toys handle the logistics to get those products into Amazon warehouses , and earn profits on those sales without having to go out of pocket any further .
This also didn ’ t go well for Christensen .
“ Our group literally got the worst-selling products , ” Christensen said .
“ It was atrocious.
” Eventually , Christensen gave up on seeing a penny more .
Now , the best he can hope for is getting his seller account reinstated , which Amazon suspended on June 2 .
The problem is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to link his account with theirs .
So when Amazon suspended Bartlett amid a bevy of complaints about face masks he started selling during the pandemic after pivoting away from Dynasty Toys , the company suspended seller accounts like Christensen ’ s that were linked with Bartlett ’ s , too .
“ Honest to God , I don ’ t care about the investment part of it , ” the seller who asked to remain anonymous told Recode in early August .
“ I just want my business back.
” This seller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d have to go back to selling on eBay to try to cobble together some income .
A day after Recode ’ s first conversation with the seller , Amazon reinstated their account and called the original suspension an “ error.
” But the experience left the seller afraid to invest too heavily into selling on Amazon out of fear that their account could be suspended once again .
Christensen ’ s account and others remain suspended .
A lawyer for Bartlett declined to comment .
Cockrum did not respond to messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When asked about Bartlett ’ s account and the suspension of seller accounts connected to his , an Amazon spokesperson said : “ Sellers are incredibly important to Amazon and our customers .
As part of our ongoing efforts to protect customers and sellers , we identified a bad actor and took action to protect our store by closing the accounts the bad actor was attempting to use.
” “ If a seller believes we made a mistake , we encourage them to contact us , ” the spokesperson added .
Since Dynasty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to distance himself from Bartlett in recent weeks , telling sellers in private conversations that he was also let down by his former protégé .
“ I ’ ve said all along that I didn ’ t make money from Dynasty , ” Cockrum said in response to critics on a Facebook post in early August .
“ Dynasty didn ’ t pay me .
I didn ’ t take investor/note holder funds.
” Despite this distancing , Cockrum and Bartlett have a tangled history with each other .
Cockrum referred to Bartlett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investment program in 2018 , and , as recently as late April , he was touting Bartlett ’ s face mask business while using the pronoun “ we.
” “ Are you based in the [ US ] ?
” Cockrum tweeted to his 7,000 Twitter followers on April 24 .
“ Have access to a sewing machine ?
We are HIRING !
Spread the word- we are supplying face masks to several US based companies and military branches !
Inquire at FamilyFaceMask.com.
” That website no longer exists , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Dynasty Toys fiasco still do .
Cynthia Stine , who runs the Amazon seller consultancy , said the inconsistency and inaccuracy of the feedback Amazon offers its sellers is unacceptable , and has been for years .
On the occasions that sellers even get a response from an Amazon seller support representative , the feedback is typically scripted or vague , and rarely explains the specifics of a suspension unless you happen to get an especially helpful rep on the phone , she said .
It ’ s not totally surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to pay bribes to Amazon employees for access to inside information , or to try to get their accounts reinstated .
“ Everything with Amazon is like an interpretive dance or Kabuki , ” Stine told Recode .
“ We know what we know [ about suspensions ] by observation but wouldn ’ t it be easier if they just told us ?
” “ I tell sellers all the time , ‘ Amazon doesn ’ t care about you , ’ ” Stine added .
“ It ’ s hard for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s true.
” Christensen , the suspended seller who invested $ 20,000 into Dynasty Toys , added : “ I wish Bezos would just wake up and realize the system is just flat-out broken .
It needs to be completely overhauled.
” Will you become our 20,000th supporter ?
When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy .
That ’ s never been more important than today , during a public health crisis , racial justice protests , a recession , and a presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

Like many Amazon sellers, Chad Christensen had his ups and downs over the years trying to make a living on the giant shopping platform. But when the 58-year-old from Ogden, Utah, heard about an opportunity in 2018 to invest in a brand of bestselling laser tag toys on Amazon, he handed over $20,000 of his savings.
The entrepreneurs pitching the toy brand, called Dynasty Toys, talked up their highly ranked laser tag guns that were supposedly a hit on Amazon during the previous holiday season. Now, they were guaranteeing Amazon sellers a return on their investment, a chance to own a piece of their business, and behind-the-scenes access to their secret playbook for Amazon-selling success.
“You guys are the hero of this story,” Brett Bartlett, the creator of Dynasty Toys, told listeners on a podcast and online video broadcast during the summer of 2018.
“We’re going to change history [with] how we collaborate together,” he added.
Two years later, Christensen’s decision to invest in Dynasty Toys has been a disaster. He told Recode he’s only received $4,000 in repayment and believes it’s highly unlikely he’ll see a cent more.
And Christensen is just one of hundreds of existing and aspiring Amazon sellers who bought into the supposed opportunity, with many losing thousands of dollars along the way. Dozens have commiserated in Facebook and Slack groups in recent weeks over their lost investments, with one seller saying he contributed $200,000 to the failed enterprise.
Some of these sellers are also grappling with a consequence even worse than losing their money. In early June, Amazon suspended at least a dozen Amazon sellers linked to Dynasty Toys, including Christensen. More than two months later, Christensen and others are still banned.
“Looking back, of course, we can all see the red flags, and if any of us had been more astute at just seeing these red flags a lot earlier than we did, we would have just not done this,” Christensen said. “Brett was just so reckless and careless. It was just an utter, utter train wreck.”
Amazon is not responsible for its merchants’ investments. But the popularity and complexity of the Amazon marketplace provides fertile ground for such schemes targeting its sellers. Nearly 2 million small and mid-sized merchants like Christensen now sell products on Amazon, and they account for 60 percent of the company’s gross retail sales. They are a huge part of the platform’s retail success. But while Amazon does provide some education for new sellers, its vast and competitive platform has created an ecosystem of experts and opportunists alike promising all sorts of help to mom-and-pop sellers with dreams of e-commerce glory. Some of these offers are worth the money. But others are unhelpful — or worse, harmful for the sellers they lure in. The Dynasty Toys story is a cautionary tale of the risks posed by these self-proclaimed retail wizards.
At the same time, the story of the duped sellers also refocuses attention on some of the obstacles all sellers face on Amazon’s highly automated marketplace, which can take away their livelihoods suddenly and with little explanation. Christensen’s struggles aren’t unique. When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos testified before a congressional antitrust committee in July, one Congress member played an audio recording of a long-time Amazon textbook seller with 14 employees, who said Amazon kicked her off the platform without warning or notice and that it devastated her business. And just this March, Recode reported on the tale of a boutique hand sanitizer seller that Amazon made, and then broke, basically overnight.
“What happened to that poor textbook seller is, well, textbook,” said Cynthia Stine, who runs the Amazon seller consultancy eGrowth Partners, which helps sellers with account reinstatements. “There is no clear way to get a problem escalated, there’s no way to get good feedback, and they really don’t care if you’re banned from the platform forever.”
Such complaints have been around for years: that Amazon makes arbitrary decisions about who it suspends and when, and that Amazon’s notice of suspensions and how to appeal them often come with vague, unhelpful explanations for sellers. Even for successful Amazon sellers, an underlying fear exists that they could lose their businesses in an instant despite what the seller community as a whole has meant to Amazon’s retail success. The Dynasty Toys situation is just one of the latest examples.
“If you do everything just right you can be successful [on Amazon], but if anything goes wrong and you get suspended, you are just generally screwed,” Christensen told Recode. “They are the judge, jury, and executioner, and there is really no oversight.”
An Amazon spokesperson said that Christensen has yet to provide the documents necessary to have his account reinstated. Christensen called that explanation “absurd.”
Still, Christensen wishes he had been more skeptical of the Dynasty Toys pitch and the men promoting it. Back in 2018, the toy brand’s founder, Bartlett, promised his would-be investors a return on investment of 8 percent to 20 percent, or more — some, like Christensen, were eventually promised a 40 percent return — and a chance to own a piece of the Dynasty Toys success through a co-op business structure. The investors would also get behind-the-scenes access to a secret playbook for dominating Amazon selling so that they too could launch their own breakout merchandise hits on Amazon.
If you’re wondering why investors like Christensen were so eager to buy in, they saw that Dynasty Toys products had previously ranked highly on Amazon bestseller lists, so it seemed like a proven brand. But for many, the real credibility in Bartlett’s pitch came from the backing of “Silent Jim” Cockrum, a self-proclaimed Amazon selling expert and coach, with a 60,000-strong Facebook following and a popular conference series and podcast, which is among the Top 100 entrepreneurship shows on Apple Podcasts.
Cockrum does not appear as an owner of Dynasty Toys in public records, but he aggressively pitched the idea alongside Bartlett.
“I am not about to put my reputation on the line for something that’s going to go south and have hundreds of people say, ‘Oh, those people are scammers,’” Cockrum said on the podcast promoting the idea alongside Bartlett in 2018. The worst-case scenario, Cockrum promised listeners, was getting their full money back early the following year.
The duo pitched a vision of communal success built on viral marketing videos and an expected holiday shopping bonanza leading up to Christmas in 2018. All they needed was money — millions of dollars of it, they said — to buy enough inventory to meet the huge demand they predicted. And that’s where their followers would come in.
Another Dynasty Toys investor and Amazon seller, who requested anonymity on advice from their lawyer, told Recode that they were first attracted to the opportunity because of Cockrum’s involvement. “We trusted Jim because he seemed like a very faith-based man,” the seller said. This Amazon seller had also found some of Cockrum’s Amazon courses helpful in the past, and told Recode that they still want to believe that Cockrum did not intentionally mislead his followers.
Bartlett and Cockrum gave their would-be investors various ways to participate. Some investors like Christensen gave the Dynasty Toys team money to help them buy inventory to sell on Amazon, with the belief that everyone would share in the profits after that holiday season. Other investors simply bought inventory from Dynasty Toys at a wholesale price, and then were on their own to sell it through their own Amazon accounts during the 2018 holiday season.
Then, in 2019, Bartlett introduced a third option for sellers like Christensen who didn’t receive a profit from the holiday season: Sell other products that Bartlett and Cockrum dubbed “proven,” let Dynasty Toys handle the logistics to get those products into Amazon warehouses, and earn profits on those sales without having to go out of pocket any further.
This also didn’t go well for Christensen. “Our group literally got the worst-selling products,” Christensen said. “It was atrocious.”
Eventually, Christensen gave up on seeing a penny more. Now, the best he can hope for is getting his seller account reinstated, which Amazon suspended on June 2. The problem is that he and other sellers once allowed Bartlett to link his account with theirs. So when Amazon suspended Bartlett amid a bevy of complaints about face masks he started selling during the pandemic after pivoting away from Dynasty Toys, the company suspended seller accounts like Christensen’s that were linked with Bartlett’s, too.
“Honest to God, I don’t care about the investment part of it,” the seller who asked to remain anonymous told Recode in early August. “I just want my business back.”
This seller feared losing their home and figured they’d have to go back to selling on eBay to try to cobble together some income. A day after Recode’s first conversation with the seller, Amazon reinstated their account and called the original suspension an “error.” But the experience left the seller afraid to invest too heavily into selling on Amazon out of fear that their account could be suspended once again. Christensen’s account and others remain suspended.
A lawyer for Bartlett declined to comment. Cockrum did not respond to messages nor a phone call seeking comment.
When asked about Bartlett’s account and the suspension of seller accounts connected to his, an Amazon spokesperson said: “Sellers are incredibly important to Amazon and our customers. As part of our ongoing efforts to protect customers and sellers, we identified a bad actor and took action to protect our store by closing the accounts the bad actor was attempting to use.”
“If a seller believes we made a mistake, we encourage them to contact us,” the spokesperson added.
Since Dynasty Toys has failed, Cockrum has attempted to distance himself from Bartlett in recent weeks, telling sellers in private conversations that he was also let down by his former protégé.
“I’ve said all along that I didn’t make money from Dynasty,” Cockrum said in response to critics on a Facebook post in early August. “Dynasty didn’t pay me. I didn’t take investor/note holder funds.”
Despite this distancing, Cockrum and Bartlett have a tangled history with each other. Cockrum referred to Bartlett as his “partner” while pitching the investment program in 2018, and, as recently as late April, he was touting Bartlett’s face mask business while using the pronoun “we.”
“Are you based in the [US]?” Cockrum tweeted to his 7,000 Twitter followers on April 24. “Have access to a sewing machine? We are HIRING! Spread the word- we are supplying face masks to several US based companies and military branches! Inquire at FamilyFaceMask.com.”
That website no longer exists, but the problems for the Amazon sellers caught up in the Dynasty Toys fiasco still do. Stine, who runs the Amazon seller consultancy, said the inconsistency and inaccuracy of the feedback Amazon offers its sellers is unacceptable, and it has been for years.
On the occasions that sellers even get a response from an Amazon seller support representative, the feedback is typically scripted or vague and rarely explains the specifics of a suspension unless you happen to get an especially helpful rep on the phone, she said. It’s not totally surprising then that some Amazon sellers have been willing to pay bribes to Amazon employees for access to inside information, or to try to get their accounts reinstated.
“Everything with Amazon is like an interpretive dance or Kabuki,” Stine told Recode. “We know what we know [about suspensions] by observation but wouldn’t it be easier if they just told us?”
“I tell sellers all the time, ‘Amazon doesn’t care about you,’” Stine added. “It’s hard for them to believe, but it’s true.”
Christensen, the suspended seller who invested $20,000 into Dynasty Toys, added: “I wish Bezos would just wake up and realize the system is just flat-out broken. It needs to be completely overhauled.”
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-08-21--What it will take to fight the sexist, racist attacks against Kamala Harris

When Kamala Harris accepted the vice presidential nomination on the third night of the Democratic National Convention , she pledged to honor uncelebrated women , like her mother , Shyamala Gopalan Harris , and the late New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm , the first Black woman to run for the Democratic nomination and laid the groundwork for Harris ’ s rise .
“ I accept your nomination for vice president of the United States of America .
I do so committed to the values [ my mother ] taught me , ” she said on Wednesday night .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans , one that Joe Biden shares , a vision of our nation as a beloved community where all are welcome no matter what we look like , no matter where we come from or who we love.
” It was a moment that parents have likely shared with their little girls — especially little Black and brown girls who so often feel overlooked and undervalued — to help them feel empowered , to finally see themselves as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents .
Such inspiration is certainly good news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman ’ s gender or her race — or both — get used against her , forcing her to walk lines around tone , language , and ambition that men do not .
This is particularly true for Black women who face myriad tropes used to diminish them in public life and on the campaign trail , like the “ Sapphire ” stereotype known today as the “ angry Black woman , ” or the biblical temptress Jezebel .
All of which are clear examples of misogynoir — the unique brand of misogyny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combination of their gender and race .
Harris has dealt with this dynamic — even from her friends .
Business Insider ran an entire piece about how she ’ s battled stereotypes her entire career .
In one anecdote , we learn of the first time her hometown paper , the San Francisco Chronicle , wrote about her in 1994 when she was a prosecutor ; it was only to call her “ the Speaker ’ s new steady ” because she had been romantically involved with Willie Brown , then the leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an op-ed under the pretense that he cares about her political career ; in it , he argued that , if offered it , Harris should reject the vice presidency because she isn ’ t suited to the role .
Before the nomination , Harris was labeled “ too ambitious , ” and since the nomination , racists have launched conspiracy theories about where she was born and misogynists have released T-shirts with slogans like “ Joe and the Hoe.
” Because she is married to a white man , Harris has even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derogatory term used against Black women who were raped by white slave masters during slavery .
Now , as Harris takes on a critical role for the Democratic Party — running not only in arguably the highest-stakes election in generations but as Biden ’ s presumed heir apparent if they win — Biden ’ s and Harris ’ s allies need to be prepared to live up to the promise he made when announcing his running mate to the world : “ Kamala Harris has had your back and now we have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howard University political science professor Niambi Carter , author of the book American While Black : African Americans , Immigration , and the Limits of Citizenship , about what it means to have Harris ’ s back as she will surely face challenges into November and beyond .
An edited and condensed version of our conversation can be found below .
People have been talking about Harris ’ s “ firsts ” as vice presidential nominee .
But if elected , how will those firsts come into the role she will play as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vice president has changed a lot over the years .
Lyndon Johnson , Dick Cheney , even Joe Biden , for example , were influential vice presidents .
Still , we have never had a moment like this .
If Biden wins the election , he will be the oldest president ever elected , so Kamala will be vital in multiple ways .
Not only will she likely be more public-facing given this ongoing pandemic , but she will be younger and likely to be the big “ draw ” in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first ” for this country .
Given the unfolding of summer — with the Black Lives Matter protests , the pandemic , and the calls for racial equity and justice across a range of institutions and domains — Harris has a real opportunity to not only lay the groundwork for bold policymaking in this administration , but maybe also in her own administration if she chooses to run .
This is a moment where bold leadership will be needed .
I know that saying she is young doesn ’ t sound all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the truth is , she can be present in the public in ways that Joe Biden can not .
That ’ s not to say that it ’ s safe for her , but it ’ s more dangerous for him .
Part of what makes her attractive is that she does have a policymaking background .
She understands a lot of issues .
That makes her an attractive running mate .
Ultimately , we know what we ’ re getting with Joe Biden .
He ’ s been around .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer than I ’ ve been alive .
He ’ s been a part of most of our adult lives for a long time .
Kamala is the much more interesting person on the ticket .
I think that ’ s why they chose her .
The excitement that is there is there for her .
She will rightfully be the centerpiece of this campaign because she is literally going to be a heartbeat away from decision-making , and people are interested in her .
People want to know more about her .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her in some ways because Kamala is a very strong politician .
She has the gravitas .
And with her as the centerpiece , we obviously can ’ t ignore that she is a Black and South Asian American woman and that she has dealt with attacks and stereotypes around her race and gender her whole career .
What should we watch for in the media and beyond as the campaign unfolds ?
Unfortunately , we ’ ve already seen Sen. Harris be publicly reprimanded for being “ too ambitious , ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women politicians , particularly Black women .
Harris will be viewed as the “ Sapphire ” stereotype .
This is the stereotype that gives rise to the modern “ angry Black woman , ” and I think this is likely to be what we see .
That we have never seen a Black woman in this country with this level of power and access will likely churn the hate machines that will view any semblance of emotion by a Black woman through a negative lens .
Do you see this hate being concentrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or will this happen on a bigger scale ?
I definitely think it ’ s much broader .
The way it looks , functions , and sounds will perhaps be different , but I think it functions as the same thing , which is to discredit .
You ’ ll have people on the left talking about what she didn ’ t do , that she didn ’ t do enough of these things when she was a prosecutor .
But that is sort of unfair because you expect this lone woman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to undo centuries of injustice in a few terms .
Who else do we have that expectation of ?
Then on the right , it ’ s all of these questions around her identity , like whether she ’ s super far left .
They don ’ t know what they want her to be !
She ’ s a socialist bot on some days .
Other days , she ’ s lying about who she is and whether she ’ s really an American .
She can ’ t clearly be all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t matter because these are clever tricks to convince folks on the right or who have right-leaning sympathies that she ’ s dangerous for them in the same way .
This also convinces “ progressives ” or people on the farther left that she ’ s no good for them and that she can ’ t do anything for them if she does not conform to their notions of what she ought to be if she is indeed going to be an effective leader of the left .
How have we seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for women in politics ?
We saw Congresswoman Chisholm chided for leapfrogging over her male counterparts in her bid for the Democratic nomination in 1972 .
Congresswoman/Ambassador Geraldine Ferraro had exposes written about her father ’ s criminal activities and her familial tax returns .
And , most recently , we saw the ways in which first lady Michelle Obama was scrutinized on her clothing choices , level of attractiveness , anger , etc.
, and she ’ s not an elected official .
All of this is to say that Black women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but their sexuality , their hair , their marital choices ( if any ) , their intelligence and fitness for duty , etc .
I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg .
Particularly as former acquaintances feel the need to write op-eds about their ability to handle the job through the lens of their former “ entanglements.
” Yes , I am definitely talking about Willie Brown writing yet another op-ed about Sen. Harris and reminding us all they were once involved when she was a single woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be the victim of disinformation attacks because she is a woman of color ?
Certainly .
We know it ’ s very easy to attack Black women online .
There have been a number of reports , and even women in tech and others who ’ ve been talking about how easy it is to not only attack Black women online but to get other people to participate in those attacks .
I do think that ’ s going to be something that we see more of , not just people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s a real American — but people are going to start talking about her record as a prosecutor .
That ’ s already been scrutinized .
And if you look at some of the materials that have been released , people say , “ Well , she ’ s not as conservative as people make her out to be .
She ’ s actually more liberal.
” There ’ s going to be much more .
We ’ ve seen it already with the photographer who put up that meme that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” People are attacking her for her past relationships .
We are going to see much more of this .
What should we take away from the racist birtherism theories that have manifested about Harris and that Trump himself is advancing them ?
We should expect it .
With Barack Obama , even before he was a candidate for the nomination in 2016 , he was a target of this .
We should know this is what Donald Trump does .
Kamala Harris represents some of the biggest threats in their mind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a woman .
She ’ s also Asian .
They ’ re attacking her Americanness ; saying that she ’ s inauthentic is one of the ways they delegitimize her leadership .
“ She ’ s not a real leader because she ’ s not a real American.
” That kind of language we see often mobilized to really fend off a much more credible record of public leadership .
If we can say that she is somehow illegitimate and trying to usurp authority , this kind of language of the sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to upend American society goes hand in hand with all the other things we see about illegal immigrants .
What we ’ re seeing with Harris is a calling card of this administration .
The thing that makes it really scary and important is that it ’ s not just words , it ’ s also actions .
These people aren ’ t just saying these things .
They also act on these things .
So far , we also see that the media is struggling to write and talk about Kamala ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed ready to call her just a Black woman , but then people were like , wait a minute , she ’ s also the daughter of a South Asian/Tamil woman .
What should we make of this ?
America has never really had a good way to talk about race .
A lot of what we understand to be race is not scientific .
It ’ s a lot of alchemy and we ’ re talking about administrative arrangements .
She ’ s been very open that she sees herself as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she selected and the university she selected — but she has very real ties to her South Asian heritage .
But America is still stuck on these notions of race purity .
You ’ re either one thing or the other , and if you ’ re biracial or multiracial , we don ’ t have space for that .
I think it ’ s enough to say she is a South Asian and Black woman .
She lives in that duality .
I think people want the pithy story , but identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly when we talk about race .
Let Kamala be everything that she is .
Stop trying to come up with a nice and neat story , and start talking about a more complicated story .
The vice president ’ s job on the trail is traditionally to absorb the blows for the president .
Biden ’ s been criticized for inappropriately touching women and for his treatment of Anita Hill .
As a Black woman , Harris could very well have to answer for Biden ’ s track record on race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s proclivity for gaffes and it ’ s hard not to imagine that Harris will have to step in and clean up when he makes a blunder .
I ’ m certain Harris will likely have to make [ Biden ’ s ] crooked paths straight .
But Biden has to be a fierce protector of his running mate regardless of gender .
This means that the attacks , whether on gender or race , have to be vehemently decried by Biden .
I expect Biden to do for her what Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his senatorial career and other things were brought up during their race .
And Biden should really stick to his main talking points and say less .
When he gets too familiar , he tends to make his most boneheaded comments , like what he said on The Breakfast Club .
I ’ d tell Biden to stick to the talking points and lean on Senator Harris as she is a formidable campaigner .
I think these things will continue to haunt his campaign , but they don ’ t have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to some , immediately addressed the attacks Trump made about Harris during his first appearance with her last week .
He said that we are all going to have to have Harris ’ s back .
What would it look like for Biden , Democrats , and America to actually have Kamala ’ s back ?
It ’ s going to look a lot different than it did in 2016 .
When you have people saying things like , “ She ’ s a nasty woman , ” or that she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t sit back and say , “ Oh well , that was a terrible thing you said.
” Even calling it birtherism is problematic — it ’ s racism !
We can not be euphemistic about the very dangerous things that this president says .
Having her back means that you don ’ t have to like her , but when you see someone saying something that you know is patently false about her , then you stand there and you correct it .
Don ’ t let it go by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a lack of comment about the things that Donald Trump was saying that were patently untrue , whether it be about Benghazi or the server .
It took up so much oxygen .
Then after the election , all of these news outlets said that Hillary Clinton was exonerated in this instance , that there was nothing there .
But it was too little too late !
That man had basically been allowed to say these things for over a year .
Those are the kinds of things we are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
That means you don ’ t get to go after her personal life .
That means you don ’ t get to go after her heritage and her nationality .
I think there is a way that we could be principled in our opposition to one another .
Will you become our 20,000th supporter ?
When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The reason is both lovely and surprising : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy .
That ’ s never been more important than today , during a public health crisis , racial justice protests , a recession , and a presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment requires .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

When Kamala Harris accepted the vice presidential nomination on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, she pledged to honor uncelebrated women, like her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, and the late New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for the Democratic nomination and laid the groundwork for Harris’s rise.
“I accept your nomination for vice president of the United States of America. I do so committed to the values [my mother] taught me,” she said on Wednesday night. “And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans, one that Joe Biden shares, a vision of our nation as a beloved community where all are welcome no matter what we look like, no matter where we come from or who we love.”
It was a moment that parents have likely shared with their little girls — especially little Black and brown girls who so often feel overlooked and undervalued — to help them feel empowered, to finally see themselves as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents.
Such inspiration is certainly good news. Too often in politics, a woman’s gender or her race — or both — get used against her, forcing her to walk lines around tone, language, and ambition that men do not. This is particularly true for Black women who face myriad tropes used to diminish them in public life and on the campaign trail, like the “Sapphire” stereotype known today as the “angry Black woman,” or the biblical temptress Jezebel. All of which are clear examples of misogynoir — the unique brand of misogyny that Black women face because of the combination of their gender and race.
Harris has dealt with this dynamic — even from her friends. Business Insider ran an entire piece about how she’s battled stereotypes her entire career. In one anecdote, we learn of the first time her hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote about her in 1994 when she was a prosecutor; it was only to call her “the Speaker’s new steady” because she had been romantically involved with Willie Brown, then the leader of the California Assembly. Brown published an op-ed under the pretense that he cares about her political career; in it, he argued that, if offered it, Harris should reject the vice presidency because she isn’t suited to the role.
Before the nomination, Harris was labeled “too ambitious,” and since the nomination, racists have launched conspiracy theories about where she was born and misogynists have released T-shirts with slogans like “Joe and the Hoe.” Because she is married to a white man, Harris has even been called a bed wench, a derogatory term used against Black women who were raped by white slave masters during slavery.
Now, as Harris takes on a critical role for the Democratic Party — running not only in arguably the highest-stakes election in generations but as Biden’s presumed heir apparent if they win — Biden’s and Harris’s allies need to be prepared to live up to the promise he made when announcing his running mate to the world: “Kamala Harris has had your back and now we have to have her back.”
I spoke with Howard University political science professor Niambi Carter, author of the book American While Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship, about what it means to have Harris’s back as she will surely face challenges into November and beyond. An edited and condensed version of our conversation can be found below.
Fabiola Cineas
People have been talking about Harris’s “firsts” as vice presidential nominee. But if elected, how will those firsts come into the role she will play as vice president?
Niambi Carter
I think the role of vice president has changed a lot over the years. Lyndon Johnson, Dick Cheney, even Joe Biden, for example, were influential vice presidents. Still, we have never had a moment like this. If Biden wins the election, he will be the oldest president ever elected, so Kamala will be vital in multiple ways. Not only will she likely be more public-facing given this ongoing pandemic, but she will be younger and likely to be the big “draw” in this partnering because it will be another “first” for this country.
Given the unfolding of summer — with the Black Lives Matter protests, the pandemic, and the calls for racial equity and justice across a range of institutions and domains — Harris has a real opportunity to not only lay the groundwork for bold policymaking in this administration, but maybe also in her own administration if she chooses to run. This is a moment where bold leadership will be needed.
I know that saying she is young doesn’t sound all that comforting, but she is much younger, and the truth is, she can be present in the public in ways that Joe Biden cannot. That’s not to say that it’s safe for her, but it’s more dangerous for him. Part of what makes her attractive is that she does have a policymaking background. She understands a lot of issues. That makes her an attractive running mate.
Ultimately, we know what we’re getting with Joe Biden. He’s been around. He’s been a public figure longer than I’ve been alive. He’s been a part of most of our adult lives for a long time. Kamala is the much more interesting person on the ticket. I think that’s why they chose her. The excitement that is there is there for her. She will rightfully be the centerpiece of this campaign because she is literally going to be a heartbeat away from decision-making, and people are interested in her. People want to know more about her. The impulse will be to defer to her in some ways because Kamala is a very strong politician. She has the gravitas.
Fabiola Cineas
And with her as the centerpiece, we obviously can’t ignore that she is a Black and South Asian American woman and that she has dealt with attacks and stereotypes around her race and gender her whole career. What should we watch for in the media and beyond as the campaign unfolds?
Niambi Carter
Unfortunately, we’ve already seen Sen. Harris be publicly reprimanded for being “too ambitious,” which is a really pernicious way to attack women politicians, particularly Black women. Harris will be viewed as the “Sapphire” stereotype. This is the stereotype that gives rise to the modern “angry Black woman,” and I think this is likely to be what we see. That we have never seen a Black woman in this country with this level of power and access will likely churn the hate machines that will view any semblance of emotion by a Black woman through a negative lens.
Fabiola Cineas
Do you see this hate being concentrated on one side of the political aisle or will this happen on a bigger scale?
Niambi Carter
I definitely think it’s much broader. The way it looks, functions, and sounds will perhaps be different, but I think it functions as the same thing, which is to discredit. You’ll have people on the left talking about what she didn’t do, that she didn’t do enough of these things when she was a prosecutor. But that is sort of unfair because you expect this lone woman of color, this lone Black woman, to undo centuries of injustice in a few terms. Who else do we have that expectation of?
Then on the right, it’s all of these questions around her identity, like whether she’s super far left. They don’t know what they want her to be! She’s a socialist bot on some days. Other days, she’s lying about who she is and whether she’s really an American. She can’t clearly be all of these things, but it doesn’t matter because these are clever tricks to convince folks on the right or who have right-leaning sympathies that she’s dangerous for them in the same way. This also convinces “progressives” or people on the farther left that she’s no good for them and that she can’t do anything for them if she does not conform to their notions of what she ought to be if she is indeed going to be an effective leader of the left.
Fabiola Cineas
How have we seen this sexism play out in the past for women in politics?
Niambi Carter
We saw Congresswoman Chisholm chided for leapfrogging over her male counterparts in her bid for the Democratic nomination in 1972. Congresswoman/Ambassador Geraldine Ferraro had exposes written about her father’s criminal activities and her familial tax returns. And, most recently, we saw the ways in which first lady Michelle Obama was scrutinized on her clothing choices, level of attractiveness, anger, etc., and she’s not an elected official. All of this is to say that Black women will have not only their politics scrutinized, but their sexuality, their hair, their marital choices (if any), their intelligence and fitness for duty, etc. I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg. Particularly as former acquaintances feel the need to write op-eds about their ability to handle the job through the lens of their former “entanglements.” Yes, I am definitely talking about Willie Brown writing yet another op-ed about Sen. Harris and reminding us all they were once involved when she was a single woman.
Fabiola Cineas
Do you believe Harris is more likely to be the victim of disinformation attacks because she is a woman of color?
Niambi Carter
Certainly. We know it’s very easy to attack Black women online. There have been a number of reports, and even women in tech and others who’ve been talking about how easy it is to not only attack Black women online but to get other people to participate in those attacks.
I do think that’s going to be something that we see more of, not just people talking about her background — like whether she’s a real American — but people are going to start talking about her record as a prosecutor. That’s already been scrutinized. And if you look at some of the materials that have been released, people say, “Well, she’s not as conservative as people make her out to be. She’s actually more liberal.” There’s going to be much more. We’ve seen it already with the photographer who put up that meme that said, “Joe and the Hoe.” People are attacking her for her past relationships. We are going to see much more of this.
Fabiola Cineas
What should we take away from the racist birtherism theories that have manifested about Harris and that Trump himself is advancing them?
Niambi Carter
We should expect it. With Barack Obama, even before he was a candidate for the nomination in 2016, he was a target of this. We should know this is what Donald Trump does. Kamala Harris represents some of the biggest threats in their mind. She’s Black. She’s a woman. She’s also Asian. They’re attacking her Americanness; saying that she’s inauthentic is one of the ways they delegitimize her leadership. “She’s not a real leader because she’s not a real American.” That kind of language we see often mobilized to really fend off a much more credible record of public leadership. If we can say that she is somehow illegitimate and trying to usurp authority, this kind of language of the sort of the sinister immigrant who is trying to upend American society goes hand in hand with all the other things we see about illegal immigrants. What we’re seeing with Harris is a calling card of this administration. The thing that makes it really scary and important is that it’s not just words, it’s also actions. These people aren’t just saying these things. They also act on these things.
Fabiola Cineas
So far, we also see that the media is struggling to write and talk about Kamala’s identity. For example, commentators seemed ready to call her just a Black woman, but then people were like, wait a minute, she’s also the daughter of a South Asian/Tamil woman. What should we make of this?
Niambi Carter
America has never really had a good way to talk about race. A lot of what we understand to be race is not scientific. It’s a lot of alchemy and we’re talking about administrative arrangements.
She’s been very open that she sees herself as a Black woman — look at the sorority she selected and the university she selected — but she has very real ties to her South Asian heritage. But America is still stuck on these notions of race purity. You’re either one thing or the other, and if you’re biracial or multiracial, we don’t have space for that.
I think it’s enough to say she is a South Asian and Black woman. She lives in that duality. I think people want the pithy story, but identity is a very messy and slippery concept, particularly when we talk about race. Let Kamala be everything that she is. Stop trying to come up with a nice and neat story, and start talking about a more complicated story.
Fabiola Cineas
The vice president’s job on the trail is traditionally to absorb the blows for the president. Biden’s been criticized for inappropriately touching women and for his treatment of Anita Hill. As a Black woman, Harris could very well have to answer for Biden’s track record on race and gender. Add to that Biden’s proclivity for gaffes and it’s hard not to imagine that Harris will have to step in and clean up when he makes a blunder.
Niambi Carter
I’m certain Harris will likely have to make [Biden’s] crooked paths straight. But Biden has to be a fierce protector of his running mate regardless of gender. This means that the attacks, whether on gender or race, have to be vehemently decried by Biden. I expect Biden to do for her what Obama did for him when the missteps of his senatorial career and other things were brought up during their race.
And Biden should really stick to his main talking points and say less. When he gets too familiar, he tends to make his most boneheaded comments, like what he said on The Breakfast Club. I’d tell Biden to stick to the talking points and lean on Senator Harris as she is a formidable campaigner. I think these things will continue to haunt his campaign, but they don’t have to be fatal.
Fabiola Cineas
Biden, in a surprise to some, immediately addressed the attacks Trump made about Harris during his first appearance with her last week. He said that we are all going to have to have Harris’s back. What would it look like for Biden, Democrats, and America to actually have Kamala’s back?
Niambi Carter
It’s going to look a lot different than it did in 2016. When you have people saying things like, “She’s a nasty woman,” or that she’s not a real Black person, you don’t sit back and say, “Oh well, that was a terrible thing you said.” Even calling it birtherism is problematic — it’s racism! We cannot be euphemistic about the very dangerous things that this president says. Having her back means that you don’t have to like her, but when you see someone saying something that you know is patently false about her, then you stand there and you correct it. Don’t let it go by.
In 2016, what we saw was a lack of comment about the things that Donald Trump was saying that were patently untrue, whether it be about Benghazi or the server. It took up so much oxygen. Then after the election, all of these news outlets said that Hillary Clinton was exonerated in this instance, that there was nothing there. But it was too little too late! That man had basically been allowed to say these things for over a year. Those are the kinds of things we are going to have to have Kamala’s back on. That means you don’t get to go after her personal life. That means you don’t get to go after her heritage and her nationality. I think there is a way that we could be principled in our opposition to one another.
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.


Joe Biden likes you

It ’ s long been the cliché that voters judge politicians based on their likability .
There ’ s truth to it , but in my experience , the deeper question isn ’ t how much voters like a politician , but whether they believe a politician likes them .
There isn ’ t enough charisma in the world to save you once a segment of the public thinks you hold them in contempt .
The most damaging gaffes come when a politician insults , purposely or accidentally , a segment of the electorate — Barack Obama ’ s comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns and religion , Mitt Romney ’ s dismissal of the 47 percent who pay no taxes but leech off the public ’ s largesse , Hillary Clinton calling half of Trump voters “ deplorable.
” We forgive our leaders for being cold , dishonest , remote , and yes , even unlikable .
We can ’ t forgive them for disliking us .
The core of Joe Biden ’ s politics is his talent at fulfilling the simplest of political and emotional needs : Joe Biden likes you .
That was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the message that has always been at the core of his politics .
Joe Biden likes you if you ’ re a Democrat or a Republican .
He likes you even if you don ’ t like him , because it ’ s his job to like you , no matter how you vote .
“ While I will be a Democratic candidate , I will be an American president , ” Biden said .
“ I will work as hard for those who didn ’ t support me as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the job of a president .
To represent all of us , not just our base or our party.
” If this sounds trite , consider the contrast it offers to the reality we live in , and the politics President Trump models .
Beyond Conflict is an international nonprofit that helps fractured societies find their way to reconciliation .
They ’ ve worked in South Africa , in El Salvador , in Northern Ireland , and in dozens of other countries .
It is a sorrowful sign that they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June , they released a report proposing a new measure of our divisions , one based on the drivers of conflict they ’ ve seen elsewhere .
Their index doesn ’ t focus on ideology or legislative coalitions .
They ’ re measuring something more fundamental : How do we feel about each other ?
How readily do we dehumanize the other political side ?
How deep do we think our disagreements run ?
These , they say , are the divisions that fracture societies .
But the twist is that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly ; they also measure them perceptually .
They measure both how we feel about each other and how we think the other side feels about us .
What they found was sobering , but it speaks to the power of the convention Democrats just held , and the fundamental appeal of Joe Biden ’ s candidacy .
Yes , America is divided .
But our actual divisions are dwarfed by our perceptual divisions .
On a dehumanization index — which asks how evolved we think others are — Democrats and Republicans both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of 100 .
But Republicans believe Democrats would place them at 28 out of 100 , and Democrats believe Republicans would pin them at 48 out of 100 .
On a dislike index — which measures how warmly or coldly we feel toward others — Democrats put Republicans at 28 out of 100 , and Republicans put Democrats at 34 out of 100 .
These numbers are low , but not as low as the two sides expected : Republicans thought Democrats would put them at 15 , and Democrats thought Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conflict also measured issue positions on two of the more divisive question of the era : immigration and guns .
The parties perceived themselves as having almost no overlap .
In truth , there was a large middle .
These perceptions can become self-fulfilling prophecies .
Our political behavior is governed not just by what we think but what we think our opponents think of us , what we fear they may do to us .
“ If we think the other side intensely dislikes us not because of what we believe but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are more likely to intensify our own dislike of them in return , creating a vicious cycle of enmity , ” write the authors .
As evidence , they find that the more a person thinks the other party dislikes them , the more they dislike the other party .
I do not want to overstate these findings .
Politics forces sharp choices , and the mass middle that exists in the country is not always reflected in Washington .
Sometimes , the cruder , angrier divisions people perceive are a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system provides .
That is certainly true now , when Donald Trump is president .
It is possible Americans perceive politics truthfully , even if they are wrong about what their neighbors believe individually .
But that ’ s what Biden is promising to change .
Biden ’ s politics is based on the belief that you don ’ t dehumanize people .
You don ’ t dislike them .
You don ’ t let disagreement define your relationships .
Give him an “ F- ” on climate policy and he ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve his plan .
Try to weaponize his son ’ s business ties to destroy his candidacy and he ’ ll still pledge to try to work with you as president .
And that leads an unusually wide array of people to like Biden back .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) likes Joe Biden , and he ’ s a democratic socialist .
John Kasich likes Joe Biden , and he was a Gingrich Republican .
Barack Obama liked Joe Biden enough to make him vice president , even after Biden called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.
” Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) called Biden “ as good a man as God ever created.
” Current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called him “ a good friend ” and “ a trusted partner.
” Perhaps the most moving moment of the night came when Brayden Harrington , a 13-year-old child with a stutter , described Biden ’ s kindness to him .
“ A few months ago , I met him in New Hampshire , ” Harrington said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were members of the same club .
We stutter.
” Biden liked Harrington , and shared with him the book of poems he had used to practice his own speech .
The comparison with Trump , who has publicly mocked people for their weight , their disabilities , their height , even for their time as a prisoner of war , was sharp .
In a telling moment , my texts filled with fears that Trump would take to Twitter to mock Harrington too .
The gaffes that damage Biden the most tend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouldn ’ t .
Biden talked about liking , and working with , segregationist Democrats when he came to the Senate .
Biden has said kind things about McConnell , about billionaires .
But those aren ’ t really gaffes : They ’ re statements of Biden ’ s core approach to politics .
Disagreement is fine .
Dislike is not .
There are no enemies in American politics , just people who aren ’ t yet friends .
As an endless procession of pundits — myself included — have pointed out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can bear the legislative fruit in 2021 that it could in 1978 .
The big-tent Democratic Party on display at the convention is simply too broad a coalition to actually govern .
If Biden tries to keep the Kasichs and Colin Powells of the world happy , he will lose the Bernie Sanderses and the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezes .
If he sides with the Sanderses and the AOCs , he will lose the Kasichs and Powells .
The fear many progressive activists have about a Biden presidency is that they are not certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now , Biden is running for president , not facing the impossible choices of governing .
And his message is simple : Whoever you are , whatever you believe — with the exception of the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville — he likes you , and he is not running for president to hurt you .
In an era when disagreement often feels synonymous with dislike , Biden is modeling a politics where you can disagree without being disagreeable .
If he wins , that approach to politics will be tested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man he is running against now , there is power in that approach , and a truth to making it the central message of his candidacy .
“ This is a great nation , ” he said .
“ And we are a good and decent people .
This is the United States of America .
And there has never been anything we ’ ve been unable to accomplish when we ’ ve done it together.
” Will you become our 20,000th supporter ?
When the economy took a downturn in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in .
The reason is both lovely and surprising : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy .
That ’ s never been more important than today , during a public health crisis , racial justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

It’s long been the cliché that voters judge politicians based on their likability. There’s truth to it, but in my experience, the deeper question isn’t how much voters like a politician, but whether they believe a politician likes them.
There isn’t enough charisma in the world to save you once a segment of the public thinks you hold them in contempt. The most damaging gaffes come when a politician insults, purposely or accidentally, a segment of the electorate — Barack Obama’s comment that voters get bitter and cling to guns and religion, Mitt Romney’s dismissal of the 47 percent who pay no taxes but leech off the public’s largesse, Hillary Clinton calling half of Trump voters “deplorable.” We forgive our leaders for being cold, dishonest, remote, and yes, even unlikable. We can’t forgive them for disliking us.
The core of Joe Biden’s politics is his talent at fulfilling the simplest of political and emotional needs: Joe Biden likes you. That was the message of this convention, and it’s the message that has always been at the core of his politics. Joe Biden likes you if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. He likes you even if you don’t like him, because it’s his job to like you, no matter how you vote.
“While I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president,” Biden said. “I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did. That’s the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party.”
If this sounds trite, consider the contrast it offers to the reality we live in, and the politics President Trump models.
Beyond Conflict is an international nonprofit that helps fractured societies find their way to reconciliation. They’ve worked in South Africa, in El Salvador, in Northern Ireland, and in dozens of other countries. It is a sorrowful sign that they have turned their attention to America, but in June, they released a report proposing a new measure of our divisions, one based on the drivers of conflict they’ve seen elsewhere.
Their index doesn’t focus on ideology or legislative coalitions. They’re measuring something more fundamental: How do we feel about each other? How readily do we dehumanize the other political side? How deep do we think our disagreements run? These, they say, are the divisions that fracture societies. But the twist is that they don’t just measure these fissures directly; they also measure them perceptually. They measure both how we feel about each other and how we think the other side feels about us.
What they found was sobering, but it speaks to the power of the convention Democrats just held, and the fundamental appeal of Joe Biden’s candidacy. Yes, America is divided. But our actual divisions are dwarfed by our perceptual divisions.
On a dehumanization index — which asks how evolved we think others are — Democrats and Republicans both rated the other side at about 80 out of 100. But Republicans believe Democrats would place them at 28 out of 100, and Democrats believe Republicans would pin them at 48 out of 100.
On a dislike index — which measures how warmly or coldly we feel toward others — Democrats put Republicans at 28 out of 100, and Republicans put Democrats at 34 out of 100. These numbers are low, but not as low as the two sides expected: Republicans thought Democrats would put them at 15, and Democrats thought Republicans would put them at 17.
Beyond Conflict also measured issue positions on two of the more divisive question of the era: immigration and guns. The parties perceived themselves as having almost no overlap. In truth, there was a large middle.
These perceptions can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Our political behavior is governed not just by what we think but what we think our opponents think of us, what we fear they may do to us. “If we think the other side intensely dislikes us not because of what we believe but because of who we are, then we are more likely to intensify our own dislike of them in return, creating a vicious cycle of enmity,” write the authors. As evidence, they find that the more a person thinks the other party dislikes them, the more they dislike the other party.
I do not want to overstate these findings. Politics forces sharp choices, and the mass middle that exists in the country is not always reflected in Washington. Sometimes, the cruder, angrier divisions people perceive are a more accurate reflection of the political choices our system provides. That is certainly true now, when Donald Trump is president. It is possible Americans perceive politics truthfully, even if they are wrong about what their neighbors believe individually. But that’s what Biden is promising to change.
Biden’s politics is based on the belief that you don’t dehumanize people. You don’t dislike them. You don’t let disagreement define your relationships. Give him an “F-” on climate policy and he’ll put you on a task force to improve his plan. Try to weaponize his son’s business ties to destroy his candidacy and he’ll still pledge to try to work with you as president.
And that leads an unusually wide array of people to like Biden back. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) likes Joe Biden, and he’s a democratic socialist. John Kasich likes Joe Biden, and he was a Gingrich Republican. Barack Obama liked Joe Biden enough to make him vice president, even after Biden called him “the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called Biden “as good a man as God ever created.” Current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called him “a good friend” and “a trusted partner.”
Perhaps the most moving moment of the night came when Brayden Harrington, a 13-year-old child with a stutter, described Biden’s kindness to him. “A few months ago, I met him in New Hampshire,” Harrington said. “He told me that we were members of the same club. We stutter.” Biden liked Harrington, and shared with him the book of poems he had used to practice his own speech. The comparison with Trump, who has publicly mocked people for their weight, their disabilities, their height, even for their time as a prisoner of war, was sharp. In a telling moment, my texts filled with fears that Trump would take to Twitter to mock Harrington too.
“I’m just a regular kid, and in a short amount of time, Joe Biden made me more confident about something that’s bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared.”
– Brayden Harrington#DemConvention pic.twitter.com/KoPprXXwCQ — 2020 #DemConvention (@DemConvention) August 21, 2020
The gaffes that damage Biden the most tend to stem from him liking people he shouldn’t. Biden talked about liking, and working with, segregationist Democrats when he came to the Senate. Biden has said kind things about McConnell, about billionaires. But those aren’t really gaffes: They’re statements of Biden’s core approach to politics. Disagreement is fine. Dislike is not. There are no enemies in American politics, just people who aren’t yet friends.
As an endless procession of pundits — myself included — have pointed out, this is not an approach to politics that can bear the legislative fruit in 2021 that it could in 1978. The big-tent Democratic Party on display at the convention is simply too broad a coalition to actually govern. If Biden tries to keep the Kasichs and Colin Powells of the world happy, he will lose the Bernie Sanderses and the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezes. If he sides with the Sanderses and the AOCs, he will lose the Kasichs and Powells. The fear many progressive activists have about a Biden presidency is that they are not certain which he’ll choose.
But for now, Biden is running for president, not facing the impossible choices of governing. And his message is simple: Whoever you are, whatever you believe — with the exception of the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville — he likes you, and he is not running for president to hurt you.
In an era when disagreement often feels synonymous with dislike, Biden is modeling a politics where you can disagree without being disagreeable. If he wins, that approach to politics will be tested, and perhaps shattered. But because of the man he is running against now, there is power in that approach, and a truth to making it the central message of his candidacy.
“This is a great nation,” he said. “And we are a good and decent people. This is the United States of America. And there has never been anything we’ve been unable to accomplish when we’ve done it together.”
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-08-21--Fox News thinks Joe Biden’s DNC speech was “a home run”

Joe Biden ’ s Democratic National Convention-closing speech went over great on Thursday night , even on Fox News .
Biden opened by promising to “ draw on the best of us , not the worst , ” and vowed to “ work hard for those who did not support me , as hard for them as I did for those who did vote for me.
” He offered blistering attacks on President Trump , using facts to criticize his failed coronavirus response and describing him as someone who “ takes no responsibility , refuses to lead , blames others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans the flames of hate and division.
” “ He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him , never about you .
Is that the America you want for you , your family , your children ?
” Biden asked .
Biden drew from his personal experience to poignantly reassure those who are experiencing grief or uncertainty , and told a compelling story about why he decided to run for president in response to Trump describing white supremacists as “ very fine people ” following the violent Charlottesville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tour de force .
Fox News normally does everything it can to help Trump , but even its commentators on Thursday acknowledged that Biden ’ s speech was very effective .
Shortly after it ended , host Chris Wallace — who last month gave Trump one of the toughest interviews he ’ s had but normally tries not to go too hard on the president — said he thought Biden delivered “ an enormously effective speech.
” It is unexpected to see Fox News offer such a rave review because a recurring theme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been to accuse Biden of being in mental decline .
The campaign often sends around videos of Biden struggling to string together a coherent sentence .
( The videos are often highly misleading , and Biden has openly acknowledged that he has a stutter . )
Wallace had to admit these attacks didn ’ t hold water in light of Biden ’ s performance .
“ Remember , Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as mentally shot ...
I thought that he blew a hole , a big hole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprisingly , a short time later , host Dana Perino and Fox News contributor Karl Rove — both of whom worked for President George W. Bush — offered praise of their own .
Biden “ just hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth , ” Perino said , with Rove adding that he thought “ it was a very good speech.
” During an interview with Donald Trump Jr. , even Laura Ingraham acknowledged that Biden “ beat expectations ” and “ delivered a good speech.
” Without a shred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking Biden ’ s children for cashing in on their father ’ s public office , an attack that highlighted how the Trump campaign is still struggling to land a punch on Biden .
Trump , meanwhile , retreated from accusing Biden of being unable to talk to telling people to not believe what he ’ s saying .
“ In 47 years , Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks , ” Trump tweeted .
“ He will never change , just words !
” Will you become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in .
The reason is both lovely and surprising : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy .
That ’ s never been more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis , racial justice protests , a recession , and a presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

Joe Biden’s Democratic National Convention-closing speech went over great on Thursday night, even on Fox News.
Biden opened by promising to “draw on the best of us, not the worst,” and vowed to “work hard for those who did not support me, as hard for them as I did for those who did vote for me.” He offered blistering attacks on President Trump, using facts to criticize his failed coronavirus response and describing him as someone who “takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division.”
“He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him, never about you. Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children?” Biden asked.
Biden: "POTUS takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, & fans the flames of hate and division. He will wake up every day, believing the job is all about him, never about you. Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children? pic.twitter.com/nojuj5WvUv — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
Biden drew from his personal experience to poignantly reassure those who are experiencing grief or uncertainty, and told a compelling story about why he decided to run for president in response to Trump describing white supremacists as “very fine people” following the violent Charlottesville demonstrations in 2017. It was a tour de force.
"At that moment I knew I'd have to run ... at that time, I said we were in the battle for the soul of this nation. And we are" -- the origin story of Biden's campaign is the 2017 Charlottesville debacle and Trump's response to it pic.twitter.com/qyv0K1E5FH — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
Fox News normally does everything it can to help Trump, but even its commentators on Thursday acknowledged that Biden’s speech was very effective. Shortly after it ended, host Chris Wallace — who last month gave Trump one of the toughest interviews he’s had but normally tries not to go too hard on the president — said he thought Biden delivered “an enormously effective speech.”
Fox News's Chris Wallace praises Biden's speech: "I thought it was an enormously effective speech. Remember, Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as mentally shot ... I thought that he blew a hole, a big hole in the characterization." pic.twitter.com/sChU4jBzw2 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
It is unexpected to see Fox News offer such a rave review because a recurring theme of Trump’s reelection campaign has been to accuse Biden of being in mental decline. The campaign often sends around videos of Biden struggling to string together a coherent sentence. (The videos are often highly misleading, and Biden has openly acknowledged that he has a stutter.)
Wallace had to admit these attacks didn’t hold water in light of Biden’s performance. “Remember, Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as mentally shot ... I thought that he blew a hole, a big hole in that characterization.”
Perhaps even more surprisingly, a short time later, host Dana Perino and Fox News contributor Karl Rove — both of whom worked for President George W. Bush — offered praise of their own.
Biden “just hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth,” Perino said, with Rove adding that he thought “it was a very good speech.”
Dana Parino said Biden "just hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth," followed by Karl Rove saying "it was a very good speech." pic.twitter.com/trWr5eyrJx — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
During an interview with Donald Trump Jr., even Laura Ingraham acknowledged that Biden “beat expectations” and “delivered a good speech.” Without a shred of irony, Don Jr. responded by attacking Biden’s children for cashing in on their father’s public office, an attack that highlighted how the Trump campaign is still struggling to land a punch on Biden.
Donald Trump Jr just murdered irony on Fox News pic.twitter.com/EJUNWZ6RxO — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
Trump, meanwhile, retreated from accusing Biden of being unable to talk to telling people to not believe what he’s saying.
“In 47 years, Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks,” Trump tweeted. “He will never change, just words!”
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.