The “White Dudes For Kamala Harris” Zoom call went really well, you guys. Last week, there were individual Zoom calls for various demographic groups, calls to action on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris. The Black women-for-Kamala call raised millions and several celebrities hopped on. Same with the Asian/Indian call and with the LGBTQ call. Then the call for white women broke all of the Zoom records and it focused a lot on white women taking accountability for themselves and talking about working in the interests of all women (rather than in the interests of whiteness). Well, last night was the call for “white dudes.” They got Joseph Gordon Levitt, Jeff Bridges, Tim Walz, Bradley Whitford, Lance Bass, Josh Groban, Mark Hamill, Josh Gad, Sean Astin and J.J. Abrams, among others. They also raised about $4 million?
Some famous “white dudes” — including the guy who played “The Dude” — rallied in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, who would be the first female president if elected, in the inaugural event of a new group called White Dudes for Harris on Monday night. The name may be a bit facetious, but the star-studded Zoom call attracted more than 180,000 participants and raised almost $4 million, according to organizers, who are themselves a group of white dude Democratic political operatives.
Over the nearly 3½-hour call, they said, they sold more than 5,700 White Dudes for Harris trucker caps — “not the pointy ones,” joked Ross Morales Rocketto, one of the organizers, referring to less PC gatherings of white dudes like the Ku Klux Klan.
“Throughout American history, when white men organized, it was often with pointy hats on,” said Rocketto before he added how proud he was of this group of white men, who he said are too rarely heard from.
Actor Jeff Bridges, who played “The Dude” in the cult classic “The Big Lebowski,” was excited when he heard about the gathering of his fellow white dudes. “I qualify, man! I’m white, I’m a dude, and I’m for Harris,” Bridges said. “A woman president, man, how exciting!”
Guests included several of the white dudes Harris is considering to be her vice presidential running mate, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who announced he was withdrawing from consideration moments before the call began. “The vibes are incredible,” Buttigieg said.
Walz, who has shot up the charts of progressives’ favorite white dudes in recent days as he has made the rounds on TV, said was thrilled by the idea of Harris’ beating former President Donald Trump. “Make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a Black woman kicked his a– and sent him on the road and you know that’s something that guy’s going to have to live with the rest of his life,” Walz said.
In a world where representation matters, the white dudes showed up in force. There were white dude singers like Josh Groban and Lance Bass. White dude actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Hamill, Josh Gad, Paul Scheer and Sean Astin. And their white dude boss, director and Hollywood executive J.J. Abrams. There were also plenty of white dudes from the world of Democratic politics, like White House infrastructure czar Mitch Landrieu, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, former Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama and Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who pledged a $50,000 donation match.
“What a variety of whiteness we have here” said actor Bradley Whitford of “West Wing” fame. “It’s like a rainbow of beige.”
I’m including some videos below. Ever since President Biden endorsed Kamala Harris, the vibes really have been immaculate. After the white-woman call, I saw so many men bitching about it online. Notice who was mad about the white-woman call specifically – it’s because men of all varieties know that white women are the ones who do the most to uphold patriarchy AND whiteness. There’s a similar thing happening with the white-dude call… other men are crying about how Jeff Bridges is a “beta male” or Bradley Whitford is “self-loathing.” The more these people whine, the more effective these calls are.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt demolished the whole “DoNaLd TrUmP iS a BuSiNessMaN” narrative on the White Dudes for Kamala Harris call.
Incredible!!!! Worth the watch.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Hn3MGvUDpb
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) July 30, 2024
THE DUDE: “I’m white, I’m a dude, and I’m for Harris — a woman president, man… how exciting!”
Jeff Bridges on the #WhiteDudesForHarris call pic.twitter.com/TXlempzBnP
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) July 30, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- WEST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – SEPTEMBER 10: American actor Bradley Whitford arrives at The Hollywood Reporter and SAG-AFTRA’s 74th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ‘Emmy Nominees Night’ held at the Penthouse at 8899 Beverly on September 10, 2022 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 721674203, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Bradley Whitford, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Joseph Gordon-Levitt attends the Hollywood Critics Association’s 2023 HCA Film Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on February 24, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.,Image: 758622151, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
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- Jeff Bridges attends the Disney 2024 Upfront Red Carpet at North Javits Center in New York, New York, USA on May 14, 2024.,Image: 873056962, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Bridges, Credit line: Robin Platzer / Twin Images / Avalon
I’m glad White men are coming out, in force, for Harris. Trump is truly frightening, but, at least, he’s saying the quiet parts, out loud: the GOP is planning to take power, by any means, and do away with elections, altogether.
I think the threat is very real that the November elections will be sabotaged. Longtime activist Sharon Astyk has posted a series of essays, on the topic. She paints a very chillingly realistic scenario, where hackers engineer blackouts that disable computerized voting, in key districts, on election day, leading to ambiguity about the winners, which goes up to SCOTUS for adjudication. I think her fears are justified. Please take a look.
https://www.facebook.com/680933372/posts/pfbid0ybP8rrcMp1nAsmePcDkyy2nwNSJ18316AaHT3oz7X3nNFwLoUuJbis31QSuXPuJ2l/
We can’t afford to be complacent. We need to be prepared.
Agreed but it is wonderful to see.
@Tashiro, yes.
This is my fear everyday!!!! They are going to do something that will cause it to go to the Supreme Court and they will give it Trump of course. This has been their plan with the court for YEARS. I am terrified about this outcome.
Your fears are justified. Trump’s choice of Vance and the way he’s been saying all the quiet parts, out loud, suggest strongly that he was confident he would re-gain the White House.
Also terrified of the “army” of poll watchers and poll workers the RNC is installing, via Lara Trump: they will be out there, harassing, intimidating, and challenging the votes of every person of color, probably a lot of women, anyone who looks like they might not be MAGA, etc.
I think you are right to be concerned and the establishment press is willing to carry Conservative water rather than be above the fray.
“On Monday night, the string of identity groups backing Ms. Harris reached its bizarre, and perhaps inevitable, apotheosis with the inaugural meeting of the aptly named “White Dudes for Harris.””
The New York Times
There are many other adjectives this article could have gone with other than ‘bizarre’. It will be citizens that save democracy by voting. Social media, online searches and traditional new organizations are very often putting their thumbs on the scale to please their conservative owners by throttling accounts, manipulation of reach, viewership counts and search engine tricks like removing auto suggestions when you type certain subjects in. Get out the vote, vote them into the ground that is your power against the dirty tricks and bulwark against fraud and intimidation.
@Gawker, The NYT definitely has a rage-on, for Biden. It’s a real stain on the paper and on journalism.
Last night Rachel Maddow reported on the frightening possibilities of what the MAGA horde have planned for the election. One of the key plans she mentioned were the many key counties where the election officials are all in for Trump. They evidently have plans to throw the election by refusing to certify any results that aren’t for Trump, therefore throwing the decision to the Supreme Court. Terrifying!
I saw the segment. It’s frightening.
Rachel Maddow did a deep dive on this last night. Absolutely there is something planned to rig the game. There are election deniers in all the swing states. They absolutely plan to not certify the election if anyone other than Trump wins.
https://youtu.be/of9OP_a6MNg?si=L8giJ4_1Kshg2s87
Drives me crazy to watch Rachel Maddow because of the way she takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r building up to the climax of the story. However, I stuck it out through her talking about the 75-year old toilet paper on the ocean floor to get to the part where Tim Mellon has spent his money 💰💰💰😳
This should scare the ___ out of every one of us.
When I’ve voted in Maryland, there’s been a paper trail. I hope that’s generally true for most, if not all states.
A friend suggested that I vote early — to avoid disruptions. Reading this post has me thinking that voting early will increase the chance that at least those early votes will be accurately counted. Between the Diebold voting machines and DeJoy running the Post Office, I’m thinking now that doing in-person early voting might be the way to go this year.
We could really use more than a few international election monitors.
Machines with paper trails are state-by-state. The states that use Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines without a Vote-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) are fewer than they used to be. And the good news is that the swing states all use some combination of a marked paper ballot or a DRE machine does use a VVPAT. Pennsylvania in particular gives me hope because they went from using the WinVote, one of the least secure DRE machines, to marked paper ballots fed through an optical scan machines. Optical scan ballots are an easily checkable paper record and they can be tabulated quickly.
As far as voting early goes, Hell yes. If you live in a state with ballot drop boxes, USE THEM. They are secure and they’re not maintained by the USPS; they’re maintained by the individual state.
If you live in a state with early in-person voting, definitely take advantage. Voting early helps keep the polls moving fast on Election Day for people who otherwise couldn’t vote another way. Arizona and Michigan both allow early in-person voting. Pennsylvania not only permits early voting, you can request a mail-in ballot, fill it out from the comfort of your home, and then drop it off at the county election office, which skips the need for USPS. (DeJoy is DeWorst and I wish him nothing but failure for what he’s trying to do to the USPS.)
Today I’m thinking of that flowchart meme that goes “do it” –> “but I’m scared” –> “ok, do it scared.” This whole thing feels very scary, but we can do it.
I vote “by mail” in CA and I always, always take my ballot in in person – either to my polling place on election day, or if I’m not available to do that, I drop it off in advance directly to the County Clerk’s drop off ahead of time.
As you say, I don’t trust the mail, and since the GOP took to establishing fake vote-by-mail drop-off boxes, I don’t trust any drop-off boxes other than the one that drops directly into the county office, either.
I do this because, as you say, I don’t trust DeJoy’s post office to get the job done (whether through their general mismanagement or deliberately looking up names to see who is registered to what party and losing Dem votes), and although going to my polling place on the big day is my preferred method (it used to feel more fun!) all these warnings about them f’ing stuff up on Election Day is making me think submitting my vote early is the only way to be sure.
It should be so much more unfathomable that in the country that brands itself as the biggest protector of democracy, it is such a well-established fact that one of the two major parties – this isn’t fringe domestic terrorists, this is mainstream GOP now – is that blatantly willing to cheat at what should be free and fair elections, to overthrow democracy just to push their candidate into power.
And it’s so sad this isn’t actually shocking, it’s just reality in the US.
🎯
Watch Venezuela. It’s the playbook for what they want to do in the US. I think we’re building enough momentum that it won’t happen? But those are the dirty tricks to look out for, and to make plans to push agains.
😬
I am loving this so much!! White Dudes showing up, yes please and thank you!!
Also, Bradley Whitford “it’s like a rainbow of beige”….DEAD
Jeff Bridges being a “dude” was cute, but Joseph Gordon Levitt nailed it. He explained the difference between a decent businessman and a conman really well and it ties into making moral decisions (Biden) and prosecting criminals (Harris) without ever mentioning anything other than decent values.
I love that The Dude was on the call with white dudes for Kamala!!! This was an absolute amazing zoom call with lots of celebrities and so much money raised. I am enjoying the energy around Kamala running for president. I still am not happy what they did to Joe but I think he is in a good place.
Good. I’m white and I have been ashamed to see the white woman voting results coming out of the US. It’s great that they are organising and now white dudes as well? Awesome. Yay black woman for starting an amazing initative(and I think black men have had their call too?)
Meanwhile Musk has removed the wite dudes account on twitter. *Sigh*
I’ve seen a few of the videos of the speakers on White Dudes for Harris, they were inspiring – as is everyone who’s been on any of these calls.
I’m excited about the energy! The next few weeks have a lot of cheerleading built in too (official vote, VP pick, DNC).
I am going to continue to say – make a plan to vote (early just in case) and be sure to check your registration!
Ohio apparently made 150,000+ people “inactive.” Wyoming did like 25% of their rolls… Check now so you can register again as needed.
☝️💯❗️this happened to my friend!
Check your registration at your local board of elections just to make sure you can vote.
I love Abby Phillips on CNN so occasionally I check her out. Sorry about watching CNN. 😔 One of the panelists last night was a south Asian man who is the head of the Manhattan Institute, a right wing think tank. Man, he was shook. I thought he would have a stroke. He objects to all the different demographic groups having these Zoom calls: “As a person of color I’m offended!” He kept saying how terrible all these Zoom meetings are. The sane panelists said that Democrats can organize themselves in this election any way they choose. It was pretty obvious that the diversity of the party and the campaign was what was really bothering him. I kept thinking that a meeting of “white dudes for Trump” is just another name for the Republican party.
“ He objects to all the different demographic groups having these Zoom calls: “As a person of color I’m offended!” He kept saying how terrible all these Zoom meetings are.”
White supremacists (and their toadies): We only want white male power used to create society!
White Dudes For Harris: We’re using our white male power to create a better, inclusive society.
White supremacists (and their toadies): NOT LIKE THAT!
The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of the Hollywood “heavy hitters.” Where were Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Ben Stiller, Keanu Reeves, Steve Carell, Judd Atapow….think of what their endorsements could have done? Where were they? Saving it for the last minute when it doesn’t matter? Being Bernie Bros? Enjoying a summer in St Tropez on a yacht? Please…
I did wonder about Clooney. He wrote a whole op-ed.
Surely he has the time to join a zoom. Just saying. And BP is too busy disparaging his ex as a big old meanie in the press.
I don’t know about the others but Carell keeps a low profile, but he definitely kicks out the money. I had a recent hospital stay where there is a whole suite named after him and his wife.
Exactly, Lady Esther!
Robert Downey, Jr. is more likely to vote the other way.
We love to see it!!
There is such an energy now and I love how all these different demographic groups are trying to out fundraise each other to help the campaign. Let’s keep it up!
I’ve said on here before that white women are the gatekeepers of the (white) patriarchy, which is true, but obviously these men are the actual patriarchy. So I think its very moving and powerful to see them coming out in such force for Kamala.
I streamed it on YouTube and it was beautiful to see. There were people waiting 3 hours to speak and watching that really gave me hope for November.
“white women are the ones who do the most to uphold patriarchy AND whiteness”? The MOST, really?
I think the ‘besides white dudes’ is a given in this instance.
Good! White dudes need to step up.
I was on the Women for Harris which was all inclusive, I think showed 200k views by the end. There were two women who spoke about their truly terrifying experiences being denied medical care for miscarriages due to these insane abortion laws. We are not going back.
It was a great call, Lucy 2, and I love how they lift up ALL women. It doesn’t matter as to the color of your skin, your socioeconomics, your age, or your sexual preferences; this is about freedom. Lift each other up and we can break through the glass ceiling.
Jeff Bridges forever and always “The Dude” (and my not so secret crush) and Mark Hamill!
“A Rainbow of beige”
Spit my coffee out on that one then snorted so loud I scared the cats!