Haley Stevens

[Daniel]

I wonder what the polls are showing. Yeah, I know I could Google AI it. I also wonder how much money Israel put into this one (not to be blunt). I also wonder if the outcome will be legitimate.

He's an extraordinary candidate.

She's no longer a candidate, nor even a Democrat, but she seems like she's on hallucinogenic drugs.

[wtg]

She gave it one more try to explain why she did what she did.

https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/haley-stevens-explains-decision-to-endorse-mike-rogers-in-election-day-statement-el-sayed-michigan-senate-race-upnorthlive-election-x-twitter

First law of holes...

[Bernard]

@wtg Oh brother. Yeah, she's just digging herself into a deeper hole.

[jon-nyc]

I heard a different take which I found interesting.

She’s courageous. Very few politicians stick with their principles when it will ruin their career.

We can count on one hand the number of republicans that have done that in the last few years- Tillis, Cassidy in the Senate, Bacon, Massie, and MTG in the house come to mind.

[Jodi]

Adam Kinzinger.

[jon-nyc]

Yep.

[Daniel]

I don't buy that at all. It wasn't any matter of principle, imo. It was seemingly irrational and incoherent, but below the surface, it was nothing more than her loyalty to Israel and her bigotry. Any such person who makes speeches saying a foreign nation comes to them in their dreams etc. should be anywhere else other than in the Party or in Congress. Besides, she would have articulated a principle it she had one. Instead, her explanations made no sense.

[Daniel]

@wtg said:

She gave it one more try to explain why she did what she did.

https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/haley-stevens-explains-decision-to-endorse-mike-rogers-in-election-day-statement-el-sayed-michigan-senate-race-upnorthlive-election-x-twitter

First law of holes...

"and it was not made for me" is the tell. It was made for her.

[Daniel]

"Then came the ads."

One, from a group supporting Abdul, tied the cost of groceries to America’s support for Israel."

Then came the ads? You mean Al-sayed and his supporters weren't saying the same things the entire time. Really?

It's "anti-Semitic" to point out the Iran war is driving inflation?

GMAFB.

[Bernard]

@jon-nyc Courageous?

I wouldn't say that Haley stuck with her principles. Less than a day elapsed between her vocal support for the ideals of the Democratic Party and her complete betrayal of it. Friends and party operatives, who were reassured by her twelve hours (more or less) earlier were stabbed in the back. She didn't just decide to not support El-Sayed, she publicly turned her back on everyone who had helped her and supported her thoughout her campaigns by showing support for someone who embodied the antithesis of her stated ideals.

I wouldn't call that courageous.

[jon-nyc]

I suspected you and Daniel would disagree. But from her perspective, whether we agree with her or not, that ad was too much. And she believed that enough to end her career.

Just like, I’m sure, you and I don’t agree with Thomas Massie or MTG on much at all. They still knowingly ended their careers on principled disagreements with Trump.

[Bernard]

@jon-nyc said:

But from her perspective, whether we agree with her or not, that ad was too much.

Fine, but there is a courageous (which is what we are discussing) way to deal with it and a sleazy way to deal with it. She chose the latter.

Will we be rethinking our opinions of Benedict Arnold and call him courageous instead of a traitor?

[jon-nyc]

Arnold didn’t know he would get caught. In fact he thought he’d get rich and get a promotion in the British army.

She and Massie and Tillis and Bacon etc made a decision knowing it would end their career.