I see a lot of these postmortems and I don’t know what combination of them is the actual truth, but I wasn’t the slightest bit surprised when she lost. As soon as she got the nomination I thought it was likely.

For what it’s worth, here is my take on her as one Californian that’s had to deal with her since before 2010 when she ran for attorney general:

• Even before she ran for attorney general, I was constantly hearing about all kinds of awful stuff the SF district attorney’s office was doing under her leadership even though I’m not from SF county.
• I was very disappointed when she got the nomination for attorney general because I didn’t want her policies applied statewide. I voted against her in the primary but of course I held my nose and voted for her over the R in the general.
• I don’t recall who I voted for in the 2016 primary for Senate but it wasn’t her, or blue dog Sanchez. I think I barely tilted toward Sanchez in the general but I honestly can’t remember. I was so disappointed in those choices that I didn’t really give a shit. I thought we could do better in California than two conserva-dems, especially with the top-2 primary system.
• Never even considered voting for that cop in a presidential primary.
• Didn’t like that she was the bottom of the ticket in 2020 especially considering Biden’s age, but the alternative was clear.
• Of course, due to the alternative I voted for her in 2024 but without one iota of enthusiasm. I think I may have been more enthused to vote for John fucking Kerry, but that was a long time ago, it’s hard to remember my feelings for a block of wood.

A small silver lining to her losing is I’ll never have to hold my nose and vote for her ever again.

She lost because she just sucks. Whether an individual’s reason for thinking she sucks and not being excited about her was based on misogyny, racism, her record of public service, her policy goals, or her personality doesn’t matter. I didn’t know anybody excited to vote for her. I knew some people excited to vote for a WOC, but not her as a person. A little enthusiasm was what was needed to turn the tide in the three states that mattered this time.

As soon as Biden dropped out too late for an actual primary, we already lost.

Thanks, it’s always nice to start the day off with a good laugh.

I don’t know if I’d be so quick to jump to racism for that. I think most people see an attractive person and think “damn, they’re hot”. If after a while they find themselves thinking this about a particular group more than others they’ll start thinking they have a thing for that group.

I think it’s creepy when people get super specific about the range of skin tone, nose, eye shape, hair texture, etc. that they like. When someone has a detailed list like that I find it objectifying, like they’re selecting options on a car (or sex doll).

Maybe the person in your example does have a thing for Namibian women. But unless they asked invasive questions about every striking woman they encounter I don’t think they’d ever realize it unless they’re from the region.

Add to that the specific example of someone from the U.S. where ancestry can be mixed and uncertain. The person from your example might think they’ve died and gone to heaven if they ever visit Namibia but walking around an American city I think they can forgiven for just thinking they like black women.

My understanding of fetishizing is that it has little to nothing to do with physical characteristics, but is instead determined by stereotyping.

Saying you have a preference, even a strong preference, for physical traits that are more often, or even exclusively, found in a certain group is simply what you’re attracted to. Saying you prefer partners from “X” group because (insert list of stereotypes) is fetishizing.

For one example, consider the language that incels and people looking for “trad” partners use. They talk about preferring certain ethnic groups because they think all women from those groups are submissive, more feminine, adhere to traditional gender roles, etc., that’s fetishizing.

I’m glad our fuck up in the US is inspiring others to step back from the edge. It’s at least a silver lining I can console myself with while everything crumbles around me.

Yeah, they kind of had a point until they busted out the incel-speak at the end.

By victims I assume you mean unsuspecting drivers coming across a dark, unlighted vehicle in the road at night who could be injured or killed by an accident or swerving to avoid one, right?