Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

SocialDemocrat61

(2,802 posts)
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 09:58 AM 16 hrs ago

William Shatner doesn't understand why Harris lost



SHATNER: “I don’t know why the Democrats lost. I don’t understand … Prices have come down, the economy is good. I don’t know why they voted against her, against the party.”

It should be noted that he's Canadian and can flee if things get too bad here but he is asking questions that a lot of us have.
72 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
William Shatner doesn't understand why Harris lost (Original Post) SocialDemocrat61 16 hrs ago OP
People think "fixing" inflation means returning to JI7 16 hrs ago #1
"returning to the prices we had before" was tried by the British in the 1920s DBoon 16 hrs ago #5
Justin Trudeau is unpopular among conservatives canuckledragger 14 hrs ago #29
Rich people think prices are down because they hear it in the MadameButterfly 5 hrs ago #62
Isn't it funny... slightlv 3 hrs ago #68
He can see the whole picture newdeal2 16 hrs ago #2
Gremlins, of course usonian 16 hrs ago #3
He shouldn't worry FBaggins 16 hrs ago #4
I don't know why William Shatner would agree to go on the Bill Maher show. Clouds Passing 16 hrs ago #6
Because Maher is a huge Star Trek fan SocialDemocrat61 16 hrs ago #8
But as always, Maher had to be an arrogant jerk. Had to be oppositional with his hero, didn't he? Clouds Passing 15 hrs ago #13
Of course SocialDemocrat61 15 hrs ago #14
I just heard on Tom Hartmann that Maher is pandering even farther to the lunatics now that dump is Clouds Passing 12 hrs ago #55
Probably Because Maher Offered Him Money Deep State Witch 12 hrs ago #56
LOL--my friend's ex was a Saddlebred show judge nolabear 2 hrs ago #71
If I were a public personality, I'd gladly agree to do his show. Intractable 5 hrs ago #65
Good point! Clouds Passing 5 hrs ago #67
It's hard for millionaires to understand Elmotime 16 hrs ago #7
He' saying Keepthesoulalive 15 hrs ago #11
Lower income people voted for Harris. yardwork 13 hrs ago #45
In my sister's circle who are mostly middle, upper middle class they electric_blue68 18 min ago #72
You have no idea what Shatner does or doesn't understand NoRethugFriends 12 hrs ago #51
It is not like Trump's economy was good Johonny 15 hrs ago #9
Full interview ItsjustMe 15 hrs ago #10
I think he used to be an ethical vegetarian and a republican. That combination confused me. But that was long ago. mucifer 15 hrs ago #12
Shatner is Canadian SocialDemocrat61 15 hrs ago #15
He obviously overestimated the intellingence of the American electorate. Ping Tung 14 hrs ago #16
Prices have NOT come down, definitely not in absolute terms, Ms. Toad 14 hrs ago #17
But prices NEVER come down (unless we're in the throes of a very bad recession) groundloop 14 hrs ago #25
Pocketbook economy is bad, and our response was to tell them to stop lying paycheck Ms. Toad 12 hrs ago #54
People living paycheck to paycheck voted for Harris. yardwork 13 hrs ago #46
Many stayed home. n/t Ms. Toad 12 hrs ago #52
That's not why we lost. yardwork 12 hrs ago #57
Did I say that was the reason we lost? Ms. Toad 11 hrs ago #60
When did Harris or Walz ever say that empty wallets weren't real? yardwork 11 hrs ago #61
When the economy gets worst and they start getting laid off and can't get unemployment help because kimbutgar 14 hrs ago #18
getting laid vs pot kiri 14 hrs ago #24
Oh, they'll find a way to blame Biden. Bet on it. calimary 13 hrs ago #41
Right-wing propaganda. CaptainTruth 14 hrs ago #19
Bill Maher is an ass. flashman13 14 hrs ago #20
Listen to Thom Hartmann today Beck23 14 hrs ago #21
Turnout. The issue was turnout. LisaM 14 hrs ago #22
100+ million Americans didn't vote. Mosby 14 hrs ago #26
There was an absolute shit-ton if misinformation floating around thanks to Musk and Putin, among others groundloop 14 hrs ago #28
And at least one, possibly two, generations LisaM 13 hrs ago #34
George Carlin's theory holds up. SleeplessinSoCal 13 hrs ago #42
When he said the economy is good, that became evident. egduj 14 hrs ago #23
Dude is 93 years old. Mosby 14 hrs ago #27
Bill Shatner lived out of his truck after Star Trek was canceled andym 13 hrs ago #43
Truth is even in the movies SocialDemocrat61 12 hrs ago #58
He does not have star trek money either KentuckyWoman 5 hrs ago #63
He was paid many millions for the ST movies that he was in. Intractable 5 hrs ago #66
Prices have not 'come down'. Thats not how lowering the inflation rate works. Prices are not rising as fast kelly1mm 14 hrs ago #30
I love how well mahar pretended that... Think. Again. 14 hrs ago #31
Bill Maher is an ass. yardwork 13 hrs ago #47
Yes. Think. Again. 13 hrs ago #48
This message was self-deleted by its author CrispyQ 14 hrs ago #32
Funny how a black woman is "identity politics" nuxvomica 14 hrs ago #33
Exactly SocialDemocrat61 12 hrs ago #59
The Republicans stole he election. BradBo 13 hrs ago #35
..bullet ballots/undervotes adnormally higher in orleans 13 hrs ago #38
Again. Think. Again. 13 hrs ago #49
Our plumber is from Norway. SleeplessinSoCal 13 hrs ago #36
Is he single and will he marry me? please? Think. Again. 13 hrs ago #50
Nope. Sorry. He's married. SleeplessinSoCal 12 hrs ago #53
Boy, we value ourselves too highly Shatner. kansasobama 13 hrs ago #37
Even Captain Kirk don't get it. LilElf70 13 hrs ago #39
This guy has violated the Federation's Prime Directive so many times, I don't think he could understand it. Intractable 5 hrs ago #64
Shatner probably isn't aware of the Orwellian hate media that millions consume every day AdamGG 13 hrs ago #40
Shatner can't understand why Maher is such an a-hole. ThePartyThatListens 13 hrs ago #44
Sorry, I do think it's "the secret" stolen. Bluethroughu 3 hrs ago #69
I'm with Bill Shatner - Why did the Democrats lose? How could "Bozo the Clown" have won? dai13sy 2 hrs ago #70

JI7

(90,503 posts)
1. People think "fixing" inflation means returning to
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:02 AM
16 hrs ago

the prices we had before . But it mostly means just controlling it increasing more.

Justin Trudeau is alsoi very unpopular for similar reasons but I think they were affected far worse than we were.

DBoon

(23,048 posts)
5. "returning to the prices we had before" was tried by the British in the 1920s
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:10 AM
16 hrs ago

They tried to roll back WWI price inflation.

The actual effect was a decade long economic depression.

https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/5948/economics/uk-economy-in-the-1920s/

canuckledragger

(1,916 posts)
29. Justin Trudeau is unpopular among conservatives
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:10 PM
14 hrs ago

Mostly because of non-stop right wing lies about him, and an ignorant populace that doesn't understand how their government works.

The trucker tantrum in Ottawa during the pandemic is a prime example, where idiots were baited and stirred up by outside influences, a few found to come from the US later on, where they tried to scapegoat Trudeau for mask mandates and such they didn't like, not understanding that the mandates were provincial, not federal, and they should've been whining to Doug Ford, the corrupt conservative Premier of Ontario....but because he's one of their own, they don't say boo about him.

A lot of it is also the expected immigrant slandering from the conservatives, racist's favourite punching bag.

MadameButterfly

(1,688 posts)
62. Rich people think prices are down because they hear it in the
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 08:28 PM
5 hrs ago

news--confusing as you said inflation coming down with prices coming down.

They aren't squeezed enough financially to experience the continuing high prices.
They don't have a clue what most people are experiencing. I think this was downplayed even on liberal media because the people in the industry are too well off to really get it.


slightlv

(4,311 posts)
68. Isn't it funny...
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:29 PM
3 hrs ago

they can't understand price fixing vs inflation any better than they can understand "weather" vs climate change. Americans have been told for so long that they're exceptional, they no longer have the ability to think globally... let alone think critically.

newdeal2

(957 posts)
2. He can see the whole picture
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:03 AM
16 hrs ago

Unfortunately most voters are misinformed or confused about the issues and have no BS detector apparently.

Deep State Witch

(11,244 posts)
56. Probably Because Maher Offered Him Money
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:53 PM
12 hrs ago

Don't get me wrong, I love Uncle Bill. But the dude will do pretty much anything for a buck. Horses and ex-wives are expensive.

nolabear

(43,215 posts)
71. LOL--my friend's ex was a Saddlebred show judge
Tue Nov 19, 2024, 12:21 AM
2 hrs ago

This was about forty years ago. Shatner was obsessed with showing and apparently sucked up pretty hard. He gave my friend a USS Enterprise baseball jacket that she hardly wore because in Louisville, where they lived, old guys always wanted to talk to her about the navy. 🤣

Intractable

(475 posts)
65. If I were a public personality, I'd gladly agree to do his show.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 08:39 PM
5 hrs ago

Maher can be quite the jerk sometimes.

But, there's a lot of audience to be reached with one's point of view, even if Maher argues with you.

Elmotime

(10 posts)
7. It's hard for millionaires to understand
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:22 AM
16 hrs ago

Right or wrong, it's not surprising for the ultra wealthy to not understand the lives of lower income people.

Keepthesoulalive

(572 posts)
11. He' saying
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:35 AM
15 hrs ago

Folks should get the bigger picture. The price of eggs is going to be the least of our worries. The economy will be rubble when these idiots finish.

yardwork

(64,278 posts)
45. Lower income people voted for Harris.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:05 PM
13 hrs ago

It was the majority of middle class people who voted for Trump. What's their excuse?

Every person I know who voted for Trump is either rich or very comfortable. Most of them have support from government pensions, too. They've done well and they were doing very well under Biden. Retired early, golfing a lot, buying and selling real estate.

Johonny

(22,015 posts)
9. It is not like Trump's economy was good
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:25 AM
15 hrs ago

And his fixes sound awful.

It is almost like most of the swing voters used "the economy" to vote for other reasons. The economy is a good answer when you don't want a poll taker to think you're a racist misogynistic asshole.

mucifer

(24,820 posts)
12. I think he used to be an ethical vegetarian and a republican. That combination confused me. But that was long ago.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:45 AM
15 hrs ago

It would have been nice if he actually publicly endorsed Harris. He had the chance.

SocialDemocrat61

(2,802 posts)
15. Shatner is Canadian
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:15 AM
15 hrs ago

So he was never a republican. And some non-Americans don’t think it is their place to endorse candidates in another country’s elections.

Ms. Toad

(35,504 posts)
17. Prices have NOT come down, definitely not in absolute terms,
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:31 AM
14 hrs ago

And not even relative to any increase in income at the income level where it matters.

And that's the problem. We've treated a good economy level as if it was good for those who live paycheck to paycheck.

groundloop

(12,254 posts)
25. But prices NEVER come down (unless we're in the throes of a very bad recession)
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:06 PM
14 hrs ago

Of course the GQP was able to take advantage of that fact and convince uninformed voters that the economy sucked.

yardwork

(64,278 posts)
57. That's not why we lost.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:55 PM
12 hrs ago

We lost because a majority of middle class voters did vote, for Trump.

White district managers in sales offices in 45 states, who read spreadsheets and sales reports, who keep up on the emerging trends in their businesses, voted for Trump. They live in big houses, drive big trucks, and go on vacation to all-inclusive resorts. Couldn't be bothered to read Project 2025?

Small town lawyers and CPAs, who provide skilled services to their clients, couldn't understand the "big words" Kamala used?

Selfishness, grievances, resentments, and laziness doomed this country.

Ms. Toad

(35,504 posts)
60. Did I say that was the reason we lost?
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 02:54 PM
11 hrs ago

I responded to a specific question, with a factual response.

It was not THE reason but it was A reason. Low-income voters were turned off. Some states home. Some voted for Trump. If you tell people their empty wallets aren't real, and you take their bite for granted, the are going to stop showing. The data shows that is what happened.

If you don't like it, work to change our narrative, rather than continuing to deny the reality that exists for people living paycheck to paycheck

yardwork

(64,278 posts)
61. When did Harris or Walz ever say that empty wallets weren't real?
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 02:59 PM
11 hrs ago

Did they ever say that? Did they ever deny that reality?

What should they have said?

I know you're good at editing. Could you mark up a transcript of one of Harris's speeches and show us where she went wrong?

kimbutgar

(23,240 posts)
18. When the economy gets worst and they start getting laid off and can't get unemployment help because
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:38 AM
14 hrs ago

Last edited Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:59 PM - Edit history (1)

The red states won’t have the money to help them we’re going to see a lot more homeless people.

And they can’t blame President Biden when this happens under dump.

kiri

(881 posts)
24. getting laid vs pot
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:59 AM
14 hrs ago

"they start getting laid off and can't get eunemployment help because...."

How about if they just stop getting laid?

In red states they can't turn to pot.

calimary

(84,267 posts)
41. Oh, they'll find a way to blame Biden. Bet on it.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:01 PM
13 hrs ago

And once again, he’ll have had nothing to do with causing the problem - AND he won’t do much in terms of defending himself.

It may be as simple as: Biden is tired. He’s done fighting. He’s battled all his life for the benefit of the little guy, and he knows he’s at the end of his political career, and he’s just tired.

And frankly, I don’t blame him ONE BIT. NOT ONE BIT. He’s probably discouraged by the results of the election, when America chose a human meat grinder for president over a brilliant, informed, and compassionate opponent whose worst and most off-putting sin was being female.

I really feel for President Biden. I bet he’s looking back at a lifetime of legislation and work and effort and negotiations and meetings and research and fact-finding and …

… and wondering, now, if any of that was worth it.

A “grateful nation”? HAH! That’s what he should be encountering from every direction now. That’s what he deserves, after devoting his life to honest and sincere and selfless service to America. And he’s getting none. President Biden DOES NOT deserve that kind of treatment at the end of what should be widely hailed as an amazing and brilliant career based on loyal long-time SERVICE TO AMERICA.

We should all be deeply ashamed of how President Biden is being disrespected on his way out, after a LIFETIME of putting THE PEOPLE first. We won’t see a leader like that again - probably for a long time. And now we’ve got a two-headed monster in trump and Elon Musk, each working hard to assert dominance and prioritizing how HE personally can benefit from it and get even richer than he already is (OR wants you to THINK he is).

LisaM

(28,590 posts)
22. Turnout. The issue was turnout.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:52 AM
14 hrs ago

I don't know if it was all due to suppression or voter depression, but certain groups that could have turned didn't.

I will never take Gen Z complaints about previous generations seriously again, since they could have moved the needle with enormous turnout but didn't. Did all Boomers and Xers always turn out or vote correctly? Of course not. And now we can say the same about Gen Z.

Mosby

(17,448 posts)
26. 100+ million Americans didn't vote.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:08 PM
14 hrs ago

And the youth vote seems to be splitting down gender lines, 18-25 yo men voted for Trump.

groundloop

(12,254 posts)
28. There was an absolute shit-ton if misinformation floating around thanks to Musk and Putin, among others
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:09 PM
14 hrs ago

On top of the GQP's normal voter suppression efforts. AND media mostly gave tRUMP a free pass on absolutely everything.

In my most humble opinion Kamala ran a very good campaign, we just got screwed over by the perfect storm of outside influence and ratfuckery.

LisaM

(28,590 posts)
34. And at least one, possibly two, generations
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:23 PM
13 hrs ago

Last edited Mon Nov 18, 2024, 09:27 PM - Edit history (1)

that get their news from sources like fucking TikTok.

We have college professors complaining (with good reason, it seems) that they have students in incoming classes who can't read an entire book. And this includes at elite universities.

If true - and I have no reason to believe it isn't, I know a professor at Pomona who says her students are having their papers written by AI and don't actually understand why it's wrong - then the situation is likely far worse with people who don't go to college at all.

egduj

(841 posts)
23. When he said the economy is good, that became evident.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:57 AM
14 hrs ago

I'm sure his accountant reported that his investment portfolio has made significant gains .

Unfortunately, we all don't have Star Trek money.

andym

(5,679 posts)
43. Bill Shatner lived out of his truck after Star Trek was canceled
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:01 PM
13 hrs ago

"William Shatner has revealed his life was a mess when Star Trek went off the air in 1969.

The actor – who played Captain James Tiberius Kirk in the science fiction television series – has revealed he ended up living out of his car because he was so cash-strapped.

‘A pickup truck, actually,’ Shatner admitted.

‘It was the early 1970s and I was recently divorced. I had three kids and was totally broke. I managed to find work back east on the straw-hat circuit – summer stock – but couldn’t afford hotels, so I lived out of the back of my truck, under a hard shell."

----
https://metro.co.uk/2014/02/27/william-shatner-lived-out-of-a-truck-after-star-trek-4324743/

He knows a little about the middle class living.

SocialDemocrat61

(2,802 posts)
58. Truth is even in the movies
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:55 PM
12 hrs ago

none of the cast made a lot of money. They rely a lot on conventions, personal appearances, commercials, etc.

KentuckyWoman

(6,882 posts)
63. He does not have star trek money either
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 08:35 PM
5 hrs ago

He was homeless for quite some time after the series ended. Obviously he's doing well now but don't mistake him for an elite.

Intractable

(475 posts)
66. He was paid many millions for the ST movies that he was in.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 08:44 PM
5 hrs ago

I heard a figure of $2million for Star Trek II, circa 1982.

Kirstie Ally who played Saavik in ST:II, demanded a salary equal to Shatner for ST:III.

The result is that the extremely attractive Robin Curtis was tapped for the role. I'm sure they paid Curtis very little. Shortly after, she did a stint on General Hospital, where I'm sure they paid her very little.

kelly1mm

(5,178 posts)
30. Prices have not 'come down'. Thats not how lowering the inflation rate works. Prices are not rising as fast
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:11 PM
14 hrs ago

as they were previously but they are not, as a whole, lowering. Think of it like a ratchet. It can click fast (high inflation) or slow (low inflation) but it only goes one way (prices go up).

Technically there could be deflation where prices across the board really do go down but for a myriad of reasons it is a bad thing.

Think. Again.

(17,824 posts)
31. I love how well mahar pretended that...
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:11 PM
14 hrs ago

...being a Black women has nothing to do with the chances of a candidate.

He has practiced lying for so long, it comes out sounding like he means it.

Response to SocialDemocrat61 (Original post)

SocialDemocrat61

(2,802 posts)
59. Exactly
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:59 PM
12 hrs ago

The GOP is the master of identity politics. They appeal to straight, white, Christians, especially men, and tell them that they’ll protect them against all those bad other people.

orleans

(34,929 posts)
38. ..bullet ballots/undervotes adnormally higher in
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:55 PM
13 hrs ago

swing states



Inside Donald Trump's bizarre birthday speech as he tells voters 'I don't need your vote'




https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/inside-donald-trumps-bizarre-birthday-539034

SleeplessinSoCal

(9,666 posts)
36. Our plumber is from Norway.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:50 PM
13 hrs ago

He doesn't know what happened to us. And he is a self-proclaimed news junkie. He knows how Fox News edits out damaging behavior.

It might be the Putinesque "Firehose of Falsehood".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firehose_of_falsehood?wprov=sfla1

kansasobama

(1,486 posts)
37. Boy, we value ourselves too highly Shatner.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:51 PM
13 hrs ago

Let me give you a straight answer. How about 50% of our people are racist, sexist, misogynist and do not care for rule of justice and democracy.

People overvalue us based on history. This is a new era out to destroy our self respect. We are not a great nation.

Intractable

(475 posts)
64. This guy has violated the Federation's Prime Directive so many times, I don't think he could understand it.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 08:37 PM
5 hrs ago

Kirk is my boyhood hero.

Things tend to be somewhat black and white for Kirk.

He's not Picard who said in some episode, "It is possible to do everything right, and still get the wrong outcome." Picard gets it.

I hate to say it, but Picard makes a better Captain.

AdamGG

(1,483 posts)
40. Shatner probably isn't aware of the Orwellian hate media that millions consume every day
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 12:59 PM
13 hrs ago

He's assuming that the American electorate is basing their decisions on reality.

Bluethroughu

(5,748 posts)
69. Sorry, I do think it's "the secret" stolen.
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 11:12 PM
3 hrs ago

Bullet ballots are 1000% higher than usual in only the swing states.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»William Shatner doesn't u...