Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
As the Trump/Harris debate wound down, I turned to my spouse and said, “I think Kamala Harris just talked herself into the White House.” I have liked her ever since Joe Biden selected her to be Vice President, so that’s fine by me, Boss.
She was definitely the more detailed of the two debaters. I thought that DJT came off as a loon but he always does. Anyone who brings Hannibal Lecter and windmills onto the stage of a political rally is, well, weird—(to quote the next Vice President of the United States.)
Not since Pizzagate have I seen a loonier set of statements than Donald J. Trump talking about pets in Springfield, Ohio being kidnapped and eaten by out-of-control immigrants.
IS LUCY SAFE?
We had a cat named Lucy. She was a stray kitten whose mother had either abandoned her or been killed. She came to us from the ravine behind our house because my daughter began to feed her. As winter came on, nothing would do but we had to rescue Lucy and bring her inside. We did, indeed, feed her and she became a very fat cat.
This new cat adoption caused a great deal of stress, as we already had a cat named Kitty Kelly. I ended up writing 6 children’s books entitled “The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats.” (Available on Amazon). When we began spending winters in Texas, I actually paid a woman who worked at my veterinarian’s office $3,000 (plus a complete box of cat food and an automatic cat box) to take my indoor/outdoor cat and give her a good home where she could go in and out, as she had at our house.
Taylor Swift and cats
Now I’m worried: HAVE HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS KIDNAPPED AND EATEN LUCY? “In Springfield, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” (a Trump quote). This ridiculous claim originated from a Facebook post. There are no credible reports of this happening. Even J.D. Vance admitted it might turn out to be viral nonsense.
SPECIFICS
Kamala Harris was very specific about her plans for bringing down the costs for middle class families. She talked about a $6,000 child tax credit and $25,000 credit for first-time home buyers, while DJT had the look of a puzzled puppy throughout. His worst answer was in regards to health care and a bill for same, which he claimed to be working on for 9 and ½ years (“we have some concepts”).
The Biden Harris camp was left with a 6.4% unemployment rate, but it was significantly down from 14% earlier in the pandemic. (Fact checker on CNN calling out the only falsehood that Kamala may have made during the debate, while DJT made at least 33 untruthful statements.)
TAYLOR SWIFT
The Christmas Cats Fear for the Deer
I hope that Taylor Swift is holding onto her cat, Benjamin Button, very tightly tonight, especially since she endorsed Kamala Harris tonight, after a fake A.I. endorsement appeared on Trump’s site, which caused her to come out and transparently endorse Kamala Harris.
It appears that the GOP will now be whining about how “unfair” the moderators were tonight, because their guy did such a poor job.
Works for me.
Below this short recap are my typed notes on the debate of September 10th, with some interesting lines that struck me. Enjoy. Or not.
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MY NOTES ON THE DEBATE:
DJT:
“The tariff will be substantial in some cases…” (Trump, re China). “When I had it I had tariffs and yet I had no inflation.” Probably the worst inflation in our nation’s history. This has been a disaster for people. On top of that we have millions of people pouring in from mental institutions and taking jobs of African American and Hispanics. (Springfield, Ohio)
2025.” “Everybody knows what I’m going to do. Cut taxes. “We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic.” “Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. “We built ventilators for the world. “They don’t give me enough credit for the great job we did with the pandemic.”
HARRIS RESPONSE:
“I am offering an opportunity economy.” The best economists have reviewed our plan. Goldman/Sachs. Wharton School –DJT’s plan would explode the deficit. 16 Nobel laureates say it would increase inflation and invite a recession. “You just have to look at where we are and what we have to offer.”
TRUMP RESPONSE – Many of those professors at Wharton think my plan is a brilliant plan. He has no plan for you…..”She doesn’t have a plan.”
Drill down on tariff: national sales tax
HARRIS RESPONSE:
Tariffs up to 20% on goods coming into this country would mean higher costs on gas, food, etc. $4,000 per family. All of the countries that have been ripping us off for years. Tariffs there 3 and ½ years now in place. “I had virtually no inflation.” “they’ve destroyed the economy.”
Keeping the tariffs in place: “The Trump policy = he ended up selling American ships to China to help them improve and modernize their military. We need to focus on American based technology, on what we need to do to support America’s work force, so that we don’t end up on the short end of the stick.”
President Chi thank you on Twitter mentioned by Harris.
DJT ATTACK:
“She’s a Marxist. Her father is a Marxist professor and he taught her well. Look at the millions of people pouring into our country daily. I believe it is 21 million.”
They’re criminals. I believe that many of these people are criminals.
HARRIS ATTACK:
Calling him out on his reversals on abortion (6 week ban in Florida). Why should they trust you?
“They have abortion in the 9th month. The previous governor of WV: “The baby will be born and we’ll decide what to do with the baby.” DJT said (of Tim Walz) “He is REALLY out of it.”
Execution after birth. That’s not okay with me. Hence the vote (in Florida).
“Through the genius and heart and strength of 6 Supreme Court Justices we were able to get it.” (Roe v. Wade).
A 12 or 13-year old survivor of incest. I promise you I will proudly sign it into law. If DJ were to be elected, he will sign a national abortion ban. There will be a national monitor who will report on abortions.
DJT RESPONSE:
Trump: “We’ve gotten what everybody wanted. For 52 years this issue has torn our country apart. What she says is an absolute law. This issue has now been taken over by the states.
Went on about student loans:“All these students got taunted by this whole idea.”
“She’ll never be able to get it. (student loans) They could never get this approved.
HARRIS ATTACK:
Reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade. “It’s insulting to the women of America.” People are being denied IVF treatment.
[Trump’s face: that of a puzzled dog.]
“The majority of Americans believe in the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies.”
DJT RESPONSE:
Trump: “I’ve been a leader on fertilization and IVF.
Why did the administration wait until 6 months before now to act (on border bill)?
HARRIS RESPONSE (citing the bill that Trump killed):
Bill would have put 1,500 more border agents on the border. More resources to crack down on fentanyl.
He’d prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. A leader who actually addresses the problems at hand. People start leabing his rallies early because he talks about Hannibal Lecter and windmills. You deserve a president who puts you first.
Why did you kill that bill?
He refused and wanted to go on about his rally. “We’re a failing nation. Our country is being lost.” WWIII Border. In Springfield, they’re eating the pets of the people. (Kamala laughed).She’s destroying our country. If she becomes President: Venezuela on steroids.
Springfield, Ohio: dogs. “We’ll find out.”
Kamala: “talk about extreme!”
Kamala mentions the endorsement of 200 Republicans, including the VP alive. His former Chief of Staff: Kelly: contempt for the Constitution. Sec of Defense: The nation would never survive another Trump term.”
“I think the choices are clear in this election.”
DJT RESPONSE:
Trump: “I’m a different kind of a person. I fired them not too graciously. When somebody does a bad job, I fire ‘em. Esper: fired. Wrote a book. They didn’t fire any of their people. I got more votes than any Republican in history by far.
Immigration – “the largest deportation move in history (11 million illegal immigrants). Question:
“They allowed terrorists, many many millions of terrorists.
They’re destroying the fabric of our country. (How would you get rid of them?)
Crime in this country: migrant crime. The FBI has said no….”fraud”—
HARRIS ATTACK:
She brings up Trump’s many legal cases. Respect for the rule of law.
It is important that we move forward…that we turn the page and address the problems of the American public. Address bringing down the price of groceries. The American public is exhausted by thi same old tired playbook.
Trump tries to defend his convictions in court. Every one of those cases was use of the justice department. Weapnization…fake cases.
“terminate” the Constitution of the U.S. Trump has openly expressed disdain for members of our military. Understand what it would be like if this man were back in the White House without any guard rails.
“I probably took a bullet to the head….
HARRIS RESPONSE:
Fracking….decriminalizing border crossings…”I will not ban fracking.” She was the tie-breaking vote on the inflation reduction act (IRA).
DJT:
Rambling on about solar and the desert.
Peaceful transfer of power: He tries to take the debate away from the Capitol riot to the border.
Anything you regret Jan. 6thh? Minneapolis. Seattle. (Repeated the question 2x) Trump claims that he offered 10,000 troops to Nancy Pelosi and the Mayor of Washington and they turned it down.
HARRIS ATTACK:
140 law enforcement officers were injured. Some died. (Charlottesville is brought up by Kamala – there were fine people on each side. Proud Boys: Stand back and stand by.)
Stand for rule of law. Donald Trump the candidate has said there will be a bloodbath if you don’t like the outcome of this election.
Energy? Now he’s bringing up the border again.
DJT RESPONSE:
“She’s so bad. It’s been so ridiculous.” Get him out of bed at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. They have the right to do it (i.e., shut the border).
Truth in these times: you won in a landslide. Are you now acknowledging that you lost the presidential race of 2020? We need good elections and walls/borders. (Anti immigrant blather)
DJT:
60 cases. No judge looked at it. They said we didn’t have standing.
That’s old news. “We have a nation in decline and we have put it into decline.”
HARRIS ATTACK:
Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people and clearly he’s having a difficult time processing that.
World leaders are laughing at DJT. “They say you’re a disgrace.” We do not have the right temperament of the man to my right. (Victor Orban of Hungary)
Nordstream pipeline. Excel pipeline.
Israel/Hamas issue:
The NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer President.
DJT RESPONSE:
“We have a President who doesn’t even know if he’s alive.”
HARRIS RESPONSE:
A dictator (Putin) who would eat you for lunch…
DJT:
Putin would be sitting in Moscow …he’s got nuclear weapons. (“Nobody ever thinks about that”). “Everything they said was weak and stupid. The war stated 3 days later. She’s worse than Biden.”
Trump accused Kamala of causing the Ukraine war because of her poor negotiating. “The American people have a right to rely on a President who understands that we have stability and not sell them for the benefit of personal flattery.
Afghanistan – (Trump goes on about how “he got them to pay up.” Re NATO.
HARRIS:
He does not understand the role of the American president and the work that we must do to uphold the respect of the role of the U.S. around the world. (Invited the Taliban to Camp David). Abdul, the leader of the Taliban.
Negotiated an agreement. (She says the Taliban got 5,000 prisoners released.) The agreement was terminated by us because they didn’t do what they were supposed to do. “The most embarrassing moment in American history,” said DJT.
MODERATOR:
RACE – “Why do you think it is appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of your opponent?”
Harris: I think it’s a tragedy that we have someone who uses race to divide the American people. We don’t want this kind of approach that is constantly trying to divide us. (Brings up the failure to rent to Blacks and the full page ad about the Central Park Five and the birther thing against Obama.) We see in each other a friend, a neighbor, we don’t want a leader who is constantly having Americans point their fingers at each other. (Confused dog lead)
DJT RESPONSE:
“There’s never been anything like it. Going back many, many years. Mayor Blomberg agreed with me. This is a person who has to stretch back 40 or 50 years because there’s nothing now.”
HARRIS RESPONSE:
Harris: Clearly I am not Joe Biden. What I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country,. One no brings a sense of optimism. I believe in what we can do to strengthen small businesses. Let’s talk about our plans. I have a plan. I have a plan that is about allowing people to pursue the American dream.
Belittling, name-calling is all he has.
DJT:
She has a plan to confiscate everybody’s gun.
Repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. (Obamacare)
CNN: 63% say Harris won the debate. 37% say DJT won the debate.