Category: Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology Page 1 of 15
Delve into diverse topics including political ideology, socialization, women in politics, and more. Engage with insightful argumentative essays on American politics and beyond.
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Bee Gone book by Connie Corcoran Wilson
Something that the MAGA group seems to need to be reminded about is that CHARACTER MATTERS. A person’s past actions are the single best predictor of their future actions, as I was once told by a job recruiter running “mock” interviews for my Rhetoric students at Eastern Iowa Community College,
CHARACTER, DOES INDEED MATTER. A Washington Post reporter interviewed a former aide to Senator John McCain and the news from the front was not pretty.
“Karen Tumulty writes that we have catapulted past constitutional crisis and are now in the domain of constitutional collapse. She is also writing about the shadow emperor, whose designs lurk behind an executive branch “run-a-Musk.”
Of course, the president is at fault for this collapse, Karen writes, but so, too, is Congress, which the nation’s Founders could never have imagined would be “so supine in the face of such a barrage.”
Karen writes wistfully of the “statesmen of an earlier era, all Republicans,” who stood up for Congress’s authority when presidents overstepped. One of those was Sen. John McCain, whose former chief of staff Karen interviews.
He tells her: “We’re getting a pretty intense lesson in how much our constitutional order depended on people’s character. … Republicans, almost to a person, have failed.”
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“Why Musk’s Nazi Salute Matters” –from Zach Beauchamp of “Vox”
“Elon Musk doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt,” said Zack Beauchamp. While speaking at President Trump’s inauguration, Musk twice thrust his arm out in a Nazi salute—there’s “no other plausible interpretation of his gesture.”
Some tried to dismiss it as merely an awkward moment, but context matters, and Musk has an “extensive track record of extreme right policies, flirtations with antisemitism, and juvenile trolling.”
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Elon Musk
Musk responded to the uproar not with an apology, but by mocking critics with snide Nazi-themed puns, including “Bet you did nazi that coming.” Not surprisingly, neo-Nazis were giddy about Musk’s salute; the fact that it occurred at a presidential inauguration signals “a deeper rot.”
The tech oligarch is promoting Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, urging party members to move “past guilt” over Nazism’s horrors, and he personally restored neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes’ account on “X”. It’s all part of “the Trump era ‘vile shift,” in which there’s no accountability for extremist rhetoric and performative cruelty. As we descend this slippery slope, it’s vital that decent people “assert that there are real moral standards” and that Nazi play-acting violates them. Those standards may be our only bulwarks against the return of “honest-to-goodness Nazism.”
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Pavel Talankin, director of Mr. Nobody Against Putin, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Helle Moos.
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin” about the Putin-dictated shift in Russia’s schools was made possible by a young Russian schoolteacher named Pavel (“Pasha”) Talankin. At the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pasha was serving as the school videotographer and event coordinator for Karabash Elementary School, the biggest school in what is a very small town of 10,000 people deep in the Ural Mountains, Russia’s industrial heartland. Karabash was world famous because it was once dubbed “the most toxic place on Earth,” with an average life expectancy of 38 and a huge copper mining plant that has blackened the mountaintop with pollution. One commentator called it “the most depressing place I’ve ever been” and “the darkest place on the planet.” But to Pasha it was home, where he lived near his widowed mother (his father drowned in a lake when Pasha was 9) in a two-bedroom apartment in the city center. Pasha’s humble flat contained 427 books, carefully arranged by color coding, and he has a dog named Nebraska.
NEW RUSSIAN PROGRAM
At the outset of the Russian invasion, Pasha sent out an e-mail ( described as “an overly long e-mail”) about the exhaustive program Putin’s government was pushing on Russian schools. The New Federal Patriotic Education Program was an impediment to actual teaching. Said Pasha, “Few of us were prepared for such an effort to interfere in our ability to teach…I am a teacher forced to do the exact opposite of what a teacher should do.” I could relate to Pasha’s dismay, because I lived through a push from those above me in pay grade to make all of us jump through hoops to select students for the Scripps Spelling Bee Competition. It soon became clear that 75% of my classroom time would have had to be spent doing spelling bee trials to select the finalists. The other things I was supposed to be teaching, which included, at that time, literature, grammar, composition and spelling, were to be shunted aside in favor of the Spelling Bee lady, who apparently outranked me on the food chain (even though I was ostensibly Department Chairperson and had been there many more years and had an actual degree in my subject area, which this woman did not. She, however, was married to a fellow School Superintendent; I was not). I soon cut to the chase and selected my contestants based on abbreviated preliminary bees, which left me free to go back to actual teaching. Things did not go quite as smoothly for the woman who insisted that ALL of our classroom time be spent running things the way the local newspaper dictated and she soon ran in a ringer who had not competed at all, as he was in the hospital with a broken leg during her many elimination bees. But he had an I.Q. of 152, so the rules that Mrs. Superintendent had imposed on us all soon went out the window, given the upset wins her trials were creating.
But for Pasha, the restrictions were going to get worse, and they came from much higher up.
NEW RUSSIAN TREASON LAWS
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A still from Mr. Nobody Against Putin by David Borestein and Pavel Talankin, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Pavel Talankin
Initially, shooting the film for this documentary was risky, but not illegal. But in April of 2023 Putin and his government passed a law mandating life imprisonment for treason and strengthening the laws about “treason.” Things would become increasingly dangerous for Pasha as he filmed what was happening in Karabash.
Pasha: “It’s a very unpleasant feeling. It’s like you’re in a room and the walls are closing in and the air is leaving. You remain trapped in the system. I love my job, but I don’t want to be a pawn of the regime.” Pasha actually resigned his position at one point, but when director collaborator David Borenstein contacted him, suggesting they act on Pasha’s idea, he withdrew his resignation and set about documenting what was going on in Russian schools. Pasha: “I’ll use my camera to film the abyss this school is sinking into.”
Others in the town mention how even first graders are being asked to recite war poems.
Pasha: “Since last year there is no freedom to be found here. All Russian movement is for the children’s movement.” Every day there are clubs being formed that resemble the Nazi Youth Clubs of Hitler’s day/ Victory Day, the holiest day of the year when parading crowds carry pictures of their dead veterans, seems to suggest, “Maybe one day you can be a dead soldier, too.” Pasha notes that the young people will have to carry the burden of victory over evil. Pasha: “All of you will die, but know one thing: Mother Russia will never forget you. Every warrior’s name will be carved into a plaque.”
At this point, Russia is losing 1,000 soldiers a day in the Ukrainian conflict. Says Pasha, “It’s now time for the mercenaries to teach: marching drills, grenade throwing competitions, shooting competition.” The film of boys as young as 10 being handed guns and sighting down the length of them is frightening. They are shown handling weapons of the Great Patriotic War, including Mosin, SVT machine guns, etc.
There are scripted lessons after scripted lessons. Proof that the school is complying with the directive is required. Soon, the scripts are given to the students, as well. They are being brainwashed by the state in the New Federal Patriotic Education Program.
KARABASH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER
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David Borestein, director of Mr. Nobody Against Putin, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Helle Moos
Pasha films history teacher Pavel Abdulmanov. Abdulmanov is strictly by the Russian book. He suggests that, “It’s so crucial to eliminate dissenting views so there is no split in our Mother Country. If you don’t like it, go to the country that you think is better.” When asked to name the Russian historical figures he admires most, he names Lavrentiy Beria, Stalin’s father of the Gulag system; Viktor Abakumov, Stalin’s spy hunter; and Pavel Sudoplatov, Stalin’s assassin for enemies. Sudoplatov masterminded the murder of Leon Trotsky from an ice pick driven into Leon Trotsky’s brain. Abdulmanov tells his students daily that “Russia could destroy Ukraine in a couple of days” and warns that countries in Europe will “soon be riding horses” as there will be no wheat or oil from Russia. He also tells the students that “state policy in Ukraine is decided by radicals and Nazis,” suggesting that Russia must eliminate the Nazis in power in Ukraine. Abdulmanov was given a luxury apartment as a reward for being named Teacher of the Year at the school.
LASHING OUT
Feeling an uncontrollable urge to lash out, one morning Pasha plays a recording of Lady Gaga singing the United States National Anthem, rather than the Soviet anthem. Soon thereafter, a police car is parked outside of Pasha’s apartment.
PASHA’S MOTHER
Throughout the film Pasha is shown bringing his mother flowers as she works to repair damaged school books in the school library. He repeatedly praises his mother. She is a particularly dour woman who never expresses any warmth towards her only son. At one point, he says he is going to stop over with something for her that evening and she tells him “Forget it.” Her view on the changes in the school’s atmosphere : “I am sorry, but people love war. It’s always been like that. People love to shoot each other.” Also representative of the town’s collective feelings is Masha, one of Pasha’s students, whose brother is drafted into the war effort. She says, “I could care less about the war as long as it doesn’t impact me personally.” This seems to be the main opinion of the town. (Masha’s brother eventually defects and is killed.)
GRADUATION
Pasha is in charge of arranging for Graduation Day. He addresses the assembled crowd, saying, “My dear friends: wherever your life takes you, I wish you solid ground under your feet. There’ll be turning points you’ll have to choose. Sometimes to express your love, you must sacrifice everything, but I know that your choice will come from your heart. Thank you so much for working with me through this year. I love you very much. The time for the last bell has come.” This heartfelt speech is followed by dancing in the most toxic town on Earth and students tossing Pasha into the air in celebration.
That night, he flees Russia. He is being paid as co-director of this impressive effort for the BBC’s Storyville, but he was not present at the Q&A at Sundance.
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A still from Mr. Nobody Against Putin by David Borestein and Pavel Talankin, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
CONCLUSION
Pasha put in three years of work on the project. He tells the camera, “Even a guy like me should have some principles. By June I am done here.”
This was a brave act of principle in the face of an oppressive autocratic regime. Having just completed a University of Texas class entitled “Putin’s Rise to Power” that laid out the ways in which Putin has closed down and expelled Western journalists from Russia. I am now enrolled in a class entitled “Misinformation and Disinformation.” Our first lecture went into a great deal of detail about how difficult it is to get truthful reporting out of Russia.
This documentary is a real treasure and should be seen by anyone who loves democracy. It was a courageous and brave act by someone who has risked his entire life to help alert the world to the truth of Vladimir Putin’s plans for world domination.
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A still from 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Mstyslav Chernov
AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov filmed “20 Days in Mariupol” two years ago. His first documentary showing the Russian invasion of Mariupol won the Oscar as Best Documentary of the year at the 2024 Academy Awards.
At Sundance this year the 97-minute documentary “2000 Meters to Andriivka” embeds Chernov and Cinematographer Alex Babenko with troops advancing approximately one mile to the embattled town of Andriivka in Ukraine. Andriivka is representative of so many Ukrainian towns and villages seized by Russian troops. Onscreen, as they get closer to the town, the distance still to be traveled is shown in a kind of count-down fashion.
THE GOAL
The Russians have mined each of the sides of a forested area, the Zhyzhky forest, where the enemy has dug in. If the 93rd brigade can make its way to the town, it will help cut the Russian supply line to the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut. The Zhyzhky forest has had three previous Ukrainian attempts to make it to Andriivka, in June, July and August, only to see the front line of brave Ukrainian soldiers mowed down by Russian troops.
The goal? “If we are lucky, we’ll get there and see the raising of the Ukrainian flag.”
They do get there, but the town is totally destroyed.
THE FIGHTERS
The bravery of the Ukrainian men is admirable, but it all seems so futile.
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Mstyslav Chernov, director of 2000 Meters to Andriivka, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jeff Vespa
Chernov has conversations with individual fighters—Freak, Kavun, Gagarin—and we see bodies littered everywhere on the hellscape that was once a forest leading towards the small village. The village of Andriivka, itself, when they finally reach it, is as decimated as the Gaza Strip. There really isn’t a building, as such, to hang a flag on or over. When Chernov is asked during the audience Q&A how things changed after the men reached Andriivka and raised the Ukrainian flag, he said, “It became sort of anti-climactic and climactic.” There is a small moment of humanity when one of the Ukrainian fighters finds a small kitten and smuggles it out with him.
FREAK ET. AL.
Freak is one of the fighters we get to know. He is only 22 years old and talks about his previous time at university. He says his plan is to “go in with the thought that I’m going to stay alive.” (Freak is injured 6 months later and his body is never recovered.)
A 46-year old military policeman (and a grandfather) who volunteered to defend Ukraine says that he should not be made out to be a hero. “I haven’t done anything heroic , yet here I am on camera. It shouldn’t be like that. There are those who have done so much.” He worries that his wife back home won’t have clean water and that he didn’t fix the toilet well enough before he left for war.
Gagarin is shot and falls, onscreen. (Later, the soldier who held Gagarin’s hand as he died, will also be killed in a drone strike in his village). Gagarin’s funeral is the 56th funeral in his small town. The town turns out en masse and there is much mourning and crying. One of the mourners says, “We are burying our children. Women bury their husbands. Our boys still had everything ahead of them. They could have been entrepreneurs, agriculturists. When the time came, they took up arms to defend us.”
CONCLUSION
Where “20 Days in Mariupol” was optimistic, now, with a new administration in place, one that seems much less interested in supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia (and much friendlier towards Putin), the counter-offensive does not seem to be viable. Russia now controls abut 20% of Ukraine as of January, 2025.
Director Chernov said, “I don’t want to to speak to any of my relatives right now, because I would want to tell them that everything is okay and it’s not.”
I felt depressed after the November presidential election and on January 20th. I’m even more depressed after viewing this remarkable film about what is actually happening in Ukraine. It should be seen in a double viewing with another remarkable Sundance film, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” which depicts how Russian schools are being told to brainwash students and turn them into soldiers at increasingly young ages.
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Donald Trump
I’m sitting here on election night, watching the blue wall fall and feeling dejected, but not as “taken off guard” as I felt in 2016 after Hillary Clinton lost her much-vaunted race against Agent Orange.
I am convinced that Donald J. Trump (and cohorts) have bought the presidency (Thanks, Elon!, she said ruefully) and misogyny, racism and incompetents in office are going to be the order of the day. Think about RFK, Jr. running Health Care. No, don’t think about it, if you can put that aside, which any sane, thinking individual cannot. It will just depress you further.
At least Vance is ostensibly a smart guy and has certainly learned how to suck up to power. He will be the future of the GOP/Trump Maga cult. Eat your heart out, Ron DeSantis!
FEARS
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Donald Trump
I never felt that Harris had it “in the bag.” I sent a copy of a very insightful article about why not to a friend, which was pulled from a book that was written by Democratic strategists in 1970, pointing out where the Democratic party had lost its way, as far as determining the mood of the country. Just showing up at my local gym, run by young Black athletic types, told me how they viewed the geriatric Trump as way superior to Biden (then the candidate), and they definitely would not have been keen to vote for a woman to be Boss—even though it is past time.
I would not put anything past Donald Trump. He would order “hits” on people if it meant keeping himself out of jail and that is what this election meant to him. If Kamala Harris had been able to prevail, DJT would face consequences for his crimes and misdeeds, but now he’s going to be like a bull in a china shop. I wonder if I can take up a hobby that allows me to transport myself to another dimension in order to forget that we might face 4 years of DJT (unless he is successfully impeached, which looks unlikely now that Republicans are seizing the Senate) or worse.
DISGUST
I don’t feel sad so much as I feel disgusted. How dumb is the average rural voter that they can’t tell that the man is a congenital liar and you can’t believe a word he says? It seems to be rural voters who have prevailed to place him back in office. (Shame on you, Iowa!) Now we U.S. citizens will have to hang our heads in shame, worldwide. Richard Gere sold his house in the U.S. just in time. He is moving to Spain with his Spanish wife. [Good move, Richard!]
Many more savvy analysts than me will be analyzing this election for years, but I will just give you some thoughts off the top of the head of the woman who was named Yahoo Content Producer of the Year for Politics in 2008. I knew that Obama was going to win in 2008 because I traveled all over following him. He represented change. We were sick of Bush and company and endless wars. The pendulum has a way of swinging and it has swung. I was not traveling the country with this year’s candidates and, therefore, had no “gut” feeling for who would win this thing. In fact, after 2016, I was concerned. As it turns out, I was concerned for good cause.
CHANGE
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Barack Obama
People saying that “change” (even if it is change from an honorable person to a convicted criminal) is a powerful vote getter at all times. You had a man who lied constantly during his appearances and ranted on about how “bad” the country was doing—even though it wasn’t. He failed to mention what a terrible manager he was for Covid, but talked about higher grocery and gas prices (When did things NOT go up over time?) He failed to mention that we need to address climate change and, instead, called it a hoax. Good luck to us during this period of climate catastrophes brought on by people like DJT and good luck to the Ukraine!
Obama’s win represented change. The backlash to a Black man being elected to the White House is part of the racism that has now propelled a man (convicted way back in the 70s of refusing to rent to Blacks) into office again.
So, Change, Misogyny, Racism, and a guy who was literally running for his life, because if he lost, he probably could have gone to jail for his incitement of the January 6th coup.
MONEY TALKS
Let’s not forget the Big Money Donors (Elon Musk, anyone?) who got behind DJT. Or those like Jeff Bezos who did not have the courage to try to help the better candidate prevail (even though she is a woman. That, in and of itself, is difficult to overcome). Get ready for rich people to get richer, and poor people to get poorer.
DAVID AXELROD & VAN JONES
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Photo by Lauren Gerson.David Axelrod
“She handled herself well. She tried to appeal to the better angels of people’s nature.” (from David Axelrod) He went on to say that her debate performance was one of the best ever and that was why Trump did not want to debate her a second time. My sister and I agreed, noting how the Democrats way back in 2000 showed the gracious way to behave during an election, even one that was probably handed to the opponent by the opponent’s Governor brother. The Trumps of life fight dirty and have no compassion or empathy or respect for science. “Drill, baby, drill!” is not the rallying cry that will save the planet, but rural America did not like the thought of giving up their gas-guzzling vehicles in favor of electric ones.
Van Jones thinks that Kamala’s own words beat her and mentions the phrase “Nothing comes to mind” used by the GOP in their attack ads. That WAS a bad ad. Van also brought up the Israel issue, which I felt was going to lose Harris the Michigan vote. “I can’t think of anything offhand” was disastrous, says Axelrod. She should have just said she was grateful to him and talked about the future and not criticized her mentor. I agree.
The Republican on the debate says that the “green new deal” was not what the American public wanted to buy. (“They were selling what the American public did not want to buy.”)
TRUMP’S REMARKS
West Palm Beach, Florida at 2:31 a.m.
“I’m proud to be an American” is playing in background. (Lee Greenwood)
Melania looks like the cat that swallowed the canary.
J.D. Vance is smiling smugly.
“Incredible movement….a movement like nobody’s ever seen before. The greatest political movement of all time. Never been anything like this before in this country. Help our country heal. We have a country that needs help and needs it very badly. We’re going to fix everything about our country, We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible Look what happened. Is this crazy? It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” from Trump.
“I will fight for you and your family. Every single day I will be fighting for you. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe America. Will truly be the Golden Age of America. It will allow us to ‘make America great again. ’“We’re going to make you very happy and proud of your vote.”
North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Predicting 315 electoral votes for himself. Also glad to have won the popular vote.
Unprecedented and powerful mandate: control of the Senate.
Right now, 266 to 195 (Trump to Harris).
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up, like a raisin in the sun?” When Al Gore failed to fight for the position in 2000, we lost 25 years of preparation against the catastrophes of climate change. We are now reaping that poor election choice, 25 years later. I can only assume that climate change will get worse, under Trump, before it gets better, because he has called climate change a hoax.
Good luck to us all.
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J.D. Vance and Tim Walz debated on 10/1/2024 as Vice Presidential candidates on CBS.
I just watched the Vice Presidential debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz.The Talking Heads are suggesting that Walz may have been “in over his head” in debating the slick and chameleon-like Vance, who seems to have made a career of being all things to all people. Vance described Donald J. Trump as “America’s Hitler” in e-mail pronouncements of yore and severely criticized Trump’s performance in office, but tonight he was all in on supporting DJT.
Most people consider it a situation where the more experienced debater (Vance) performed better on style, but Walz did just as well (a tie) on substance. Vance’s statements were often duplicitous and that of a chameleon who takes the position that he says what he thinks people want to hear. It reminded me of the recent Supreme Court candidates who answered Congress the way they thought would win them lifetime seats on the Court and then went ahead and did exactly what they planned to do all along, overturn Roe v. Wade.
I did my usual copious note-taking. I want to resurrect a couple of moments in the debate that stood out to me, just as the “eating dogs and cats” remarks in the last Harris/DJT debate stood out.
THE 2 WORST MOMENTS: WALZ & VANCE
VANCE
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J.D. Vance (GOP candidate for VP) and eyeliner.
For me, the worst moment from J.D. Vance was his failure to admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. As Tim Walz said,“A President’s words matter. It is not right to deny what happened. 2020 was the first time that a President tried to overturn the peaceful transition of power. The winner has got to be the winner.” Walz called it “a damning non-answer.” He was right.
WALZ
For Governor Walz of Minnesota, his weakest moment was when he was called out on having said that he had been present in China during Tiananmen Square. Rather than wade into that murky water and admit that he misspoke or was caught in a situation that caused Brian Williams to be removed from his post as chief anchor (and end up much less visible on our TV screens), he gave an answer that David Axelrod said would have been more comprehensible if given in Chinese.[When Vance at the outset after Question #1 was cornered, rather than answer the very first question that he was asked about Iran, he dodged and weaved and gave us 2 minutes about himself without answering the initial question.]
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Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota and Democratic candidate for Vice President on 10/1/2024.
In the summer of ’89 Walz traveled to China, he told us. He also told us that he started a program to take kids to China. “My community knows who I am. I’ve tried to do the best job I can. I was elected to Congress 12 times. Governor of Minnesota twice. To make sure that I make this right. (*Wasn’t the question about whether he was at Tiananmen Square protests? So far Walz hasn’t explained the discrepancy.)
ABORTION
Vance said he “never supported a national ban,” a lie, because he DID support a national abortion ban. In 2022 in an interview when he was running for the Senate he said, “I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally.” On his website, he said he was “100% pro-life” and GOP ” has got to earn people’s trust back.” Tonight, he talked about how the GOP needed to “reach out,” which made no sense at all. This “softening” of his intractable anti-abortion stance was part of the plan to try to make DJT seem more “sane” and reasonable.
Here are a few lines that struck me beyond the ones mentioned above:
Walz on the Middle East and nuclear weapons: “Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon because Donald Trump nixed the plan we had and left nothing in its place.”
Walz on Climate Change and our changing weather patterns (especially as they apply to farmers): “Our #1 export cannot be topsoil from these massive storms.”
Walz on statements that foster divisiveness: “This is what happens when you don’t want to solve it. The remarks about eating cats and dogs vilified a large number of people in Springfield, Ohio, who were in the country legally. The Governor had to send National Guard to escort first graders to school.”
I also enjoyed Walz’s response, “Just mind your own business. Things worked best when Roe v. Wade was the law.” Another good one-liner was when Walz gave an incredulous response to DJT’s “I have a concept of a plan” response about an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act that he now has had 9 and 1/2 years to develop. Walz said, ““I have a concept of a plan. That cracked me up. I have a fourth grader who wouldn’t have given me that.”
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Margaret Brennan (“Face the Nation”) who moderated along with Norah O’Donnell on CBS.
After the scripture quote from Matthew (”What we do unto the least of our brethren,” etc.) by Walz, Vance commandeered the time and ranted on virtually uninterruptedly. The female moderators (Nora O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan on CBS) finally cut his mike. You go, Girls! Vance’s Ivy League polish showed; the man’s not a dummy. The split screen favored him, not Walz, even though Walz is without a doubt the more genuine and truthful of the two.
About the Democratic party: WALZ – “We’re pro women. We’re pro freedom. We are pro freedom for women to make their own choices.” He cited the Democratic Party’s $6,000 child tax credit and Amber Thurman, who was made to drive 600 miles to get health care in North Carolina.
Two Big Lies that Vance made were to say that DJT gave up power peacefully and that DJT saved Obamacare. Vance’s nose must have grown a foot, at least, after those remarks.
One good thing that everyone seemed to appreciate was the relative civility of the debate, “like the old days.” However, when one realizes that it was Vance’s Master Plan to lie to the public, just as happened with the testimony of the Supreme Court appointees who then went ahead to do what they had said, under oath, they would not do re Roe v. Wade, well—–
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Amanda and I were mightily amused by the Moose. (It doesn’t take much to entertain us).
Harking back to my post-debate piece on the Harris/Trump September 10th debate, faithful readers—all 3 of you—will remember that I asked the question “IS LUCY SAFE?” regarding a pet cat that we were forced to re-home because of our wintering in Texas. Lucy—like the pet cats and dogs that Donald J. Trump claimed during the September 10th debate are being kidnapped and eaten in Springfield, Ohio—was an indoor/outdoor cat, as she had come to us from the ravine behind our house. Could she have become a statistic in Trump’s always unreliable statistics?
The newspapers on the day after the debate, were filled with memes and comments on that unlikely topic of the debate, i.e., the kidnapping of cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio and their alleged use as an entrée by Haitian immigrants. In Springfield (a town that Bart Simpson calls home) it has apparently gotten so bad that the city fathers have asked for understanding. They have acknowledged that their city’s sudden fame and prominence has become a real problem, complete with bomb threats.
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Taylor Swift and cats
The dog/cat debate came on the heels of the RFK, Jr. revelation ( made to Roseanne Barr while on television) that he once picked up a dead bear that was road kill and took the animal with him to clean it and eat it. While this may be normal behavior for the Kennedy clan, most of us would not stop and scavenge a dead animal, taking it along to clean and eat later.
In the version I read, RFK, Jr.. then remembered that he had reservations at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse—an establishment I have actually eaten at once—and, therefore, decided to forgo cutting his own steaks from the dead bear. Instead, the young RFK, Jr., dumped the dead bear in Central Park, along with a bicycle. This may have been imeant to make others think the bear bicycled there and expired. (I’m not sure I understand the part where one stops and picks up road kill, saving it “for later,” but I definitely found the bear/bicycle story to be even more unbelievable than the Springfield cats & dogs story.) Also, I wondered if the Moosehead was much smaller than the whale head that RFK, Jr., is said to have cut off with an electric saw after the animal washed up on a beach.
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Does this moosehead rival the whale head that RFK, Jr., also is said to have removed with a chain saw?
So, with the two paragraphs above as preamble, imagine my surprise when, upon leaving a restaurant known as the Treehouse, there was a $1,795 dollar moose head sitting outside the door in a flimsy wooden cage. Wow. This was random even on a Friday the 13th! And WHY was the moose head—worth nearly $2 grand—sitting there with no security and no obvious owner? Was Brian Rashid planning on mounting it somewhere within the restaurant? Did it have anything to do with the Bull Moose Party? (That’s the last time a very questionable assassination attempt went awry when the bullet struck a copy of Teddy Roosevelt’s speech, as I understand it.)
THE TREEHOUSE
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Brian Rashid, owner of “The Treehouse”
The Treehouse (Bettendorf, Iowa) is owned (or co-owned) by Brian Rashid, who is a big Donald J. Trump admirer. On September 20, 2023, DJT stopped by the Treehouse restaurant in Bettendorf, Iowa, after campaign stops in Maquoketa and Dubuque. Articles online suggest Rashid has had 12 or 13 DUI arrests and may have been illegally triggering alarms to see if law enforcement responded promptly enough to suit him. It is somewhat remarkable that the GOP party in Scott County was not aware of all this about the owner of the Treehouse, since it isn’t what most campaigns would want associated with their candidate…unless the candidate is Donald J. Trump. Trump handed out pizza to random patrons; he signed autographs for some of the lovelies assembled in the restaurant.
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Trump at work charming Iowans and signing…uh…autographs?
THE MOOSEHEAD
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The moose is loose.
As we were exiting the restaurant on September 13th (FRIDAY, the 13th), there was a large moose head immediately outside the door, with a price tag commensurate with the going rate on large moose heads: $1,795. (The moose is loose!). I couldn’t help but wonder if RJK, Jr., had a hand in this random moosehead situation right outside the door of one of the area’s most vocal Trump supporters.
DINING AT THE TREEHOUSE ON FRIDAY THE 13th
I cannot fault the food, (although the Scott County Health examiners have done so after inspections), but on Friday the 13th the women’s bathroom was tied up the entire night. No idea what, exactly, was going on in there, but there is only one rest room for the men (a one-holer) and one rest room for the women (also a one-holer). I stopped and tried to enter the women’s rest room on our way into the restaurant, as I had consumed two Diet Dr. Peppers prior to our trek across I-74 to dine. A full 40 minutes later it was still impossible to gain entrance. Then our friends (a couple with two children, one a third-grade girl) arrived.
Isla wanted to wash her hands. I accompanied her to the rest room that had been “busy” when we entered.
It was still busy. At least 40 minutes had passed since my first futile attempt to use the rest room.
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If you want a Moose head, be prepared to shell out Big Bucks. (But money well spent—right?)
I encouraged my small companion to give the door handle a good try. She certainly did.
Later, she announced her intention of standing by the door until the occupant emerged. (That was way more than I was willing to do.)
Soon, Isla returned to our table and shared the news that the toilet in the women’s rest room was “all backed up” and that she heard a woman “throwing up” behind the door. (She gave a very good imitation of the noise she heard. Bravo, Isla!). She advised that any of us wanting to use the bathroom should try the men’s rest room. (Nothing like a smart third-grader to cut to the root of the problem and figure out what is going on behind a locked door.)
The food and service was satisfactory, but the rest room situation was not great. I told our server that the women’s rest room had been continuously occupied for at least an hour and he acknowledged that it was “probably a staff member.” (Ewwww)
So ends my tale of the Treehouse Restaurant in Bettendorf, Iowa, (which offers the Plantation Salad, well-known in the area if you are 50 or older). And a story of cats, whales, moose, RFK, Jr., DJT and Friday the 13th, 2024.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz sat for a joint interview at Kim’s Cafe in Savannah, Georgia on August 29, 2024. It was Harris’ 7th trip to Georgia and it is 68 day from the presidential election.
The Republicans have been making a Big Deal out of the fact that Harris (and Walz) had done no sit-down interviews, despite the fact that she just spoke about her vision for America from the DNC stage in Chicago and has been vocal about her views for a long time. One might point to the fact that Donald J. Trump goes off-script and offers bromides about windmills and toilets when he is onstage, which is not particularly helpful in trying to determine his true mind-set about a second term. It appears that his policy playbook would be “All Retribution All the Time.” He has grudges against a lot of people and is still proclaiming the untenable position that the 2000 election was stolen from him, Only his most loyal and blind-to-the-truth supporters even attempt to repeat that falsehood—the Kari Lakes of the party.
For the rest, it is a given that Trump lost in 2020 and Joe Biden has been President of the United States ever since. Only his decision to step away from the Oval Office at the end of his term and pass the torch to a new generation has vaulted Harris to the national prominence that she now enjoys, but she has been the acting Vice President (and the pivotal key vote in the Senate to break ties) ever since 2020. The GOP seems intent on painting a gloomy picture of the future and of being personally insulting to the woman who once served as Attorney General of the State of California. Trump has even gone so far as to say his 78-year-old orange out-of-shape self is “better looking” than the attractive Democratic candidate.
CNN’s Dana Bash asked Kamala Harris:
ON DAY ONE?
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Tim Walz at the DNC in Chicago
- If you are elected, what would you do on Day One in the White House? (Some of her answer is paraphrased below):
“I would do what I can support the American middle class….People are ready for a new way forward. .People are fueled by hope and optimism, but the former President is pushing an agenda that is about diminishing the character and strength of Americans. I would be implementing my plan for an opportunity economy (bring down the cost of daily goods, invest in families, extend family tax credit to $6,000, investing in the American family on affordable housing.)
Walz, asked about his agenda for a term as Vice President said his goal would be: “Inspiring Americans to what can be. We did it in Minnesota and diminished childhood poverty by 1/3.”
WE’RE NOT GOING BACK
- “We’re not going back.” What if some of the Americans want to go back to DJT’s presidency when things were cheaper? (Bash’s second question.)
“When Joe and I came in our highest priority was to rescue America. Inflation is now under 3%. I have been dealing with price gouging. We need to bring down the cost of housing. (Credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers.) First of all, we needed to recover as an economy (which is why, she says, she has not done more of this program previously). We capped insulin at $35 a month. When we do the work of bringing down the cost of prescription medication in the first year of being in office, cut child poverty down by as much as 50% this will benefit the American middle class. There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”
FRACKING
- Banning fracking. Energy. “Do you still want to ban fracking.” Harris’ answer: I made that clear on the debate stage.” In 2020 she was against fracking. However, in 2024, she says, ” I will not ban fracking.” She also spoke out about the need for work on climate change:
“We have a clear crisis in terms of the climate. We created over 300,000 new energy bans.”
THE BORDER
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Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.
- Why did the Biden/Harris wait 3 and ½ years to enforce sweeping border restrictions?
A: “The number of immigrants coming from that region (Central America, Kamala’s chief job as VP to negotiate with leaders of those countries to reduce the flow) has actually been reduced. Joe Biden and I worked with members of the United States Congress and a bill was crafted by some of the most Conservative members of Congress. The bill would have put 1500 new border agents on the border. That bill would have allowed us to seize more shipments of fentanyl. I will make sure it comes to my desk and I will sign it.”
Decriminalizing the border? “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced. I’m the only person in this race who actually served a border state as Attorney General.”
CHANGES ON POLICIES
- How did you come to change your mind on policies?
A: “The most significant part of my policies is that my viewpoints and values have not changed. Climate change: Set deadlines and goals. We need to set certain goals and meet them. My values have not changed and 4 years of being VP…traveling the country…I believe it is important to build consensus and to find a common point on which we can build agreement. …I would put a Republican in my administration.” (*This is not particularly revolutionary. After all, Ray LaHood—my former neighbor—served as Secretary of Transportation in Obama’s administration and has endorsed the Harris/Walz ticket, although his son, Darren, spoke glowingly of DJT.”)
TO TIM WALZ:
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Hope, Gus and Tim Walz at the DNC.
- Service in the National Guard: “I’m incredibly proud of my 24 years in uniform. ..I’ll never demean another member’s service. I never have and I never will.” Walz spoke of his son Gus’ emotional outburst at the DNC in a positive way and only GOP nay-sayers have demeaned the 17-year-old who proudly declared “That’s my Dad” when Walz was onstage.
Walz was asked about his 1995 arrest for DUI: “I’ve been very public. My students come out and vouch for me. I think people know who I am. I’ve taught thousands of students. The contrast could not be clearer between us and our opponents.”
When Kamala Harris was asked about the non-issue of whether she had identified as Black before now, she simply dismissed the comment as being “Same old tired playbook.”
GAZA ISSUE
Gaza: would you do anything differently. “I am unequivocal in Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself. 1200 people were massacred. Women were horribly raped. Israel has a right to defend itself and so would we. How they do so matters. We have to get a deal done about getting the hostages out, get the cease fire done. We have to get a deal done…the significance to the families, to the people living in this area. I remain committed to a two-state solution.”
JOE BIDEN’S CALL TO HARRIS
Just 39 days ago that Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Before he told the world, he called his VP as she was making pancakes and bacon for her nieces. She spoke very positively of President Biden.
CNN Discussion Post-Interview:
DAVID AXELROD (DNC STRATEGIST)
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David Axelrod. (Photo by Lauren Gerson.)
“Kamala exuded a sense of confidence and calm. She was very connected to her words She seemed like someone who could be President of the United States. She handled the issue of her changes or perceived changes in policy pretty well. The idea that her values were the thing that has remained constant was a good one. As she spoke, I thought it showed a certain character. She didn’t run away from Joe Biden. She gave him his due. It was elevating to me in a way that was unexpected. Today, it showed that she can really do it. Hers is a consistent story of growth.
I think Biden deserves a lot more credit for guiding the country through the pandemic and the economic disaster he walked into,. To the degree that they are saying that she is going to continue to do exactly the same thing that Biden did, it is going to be a challenge for her. (But. he noted, it is the President who has the final say on policies, not the VP.)
If I were advising her, I would say make him (Trump) seem small. We know what his habits are. She should have a conversation with the American people about the way forward she sees, not engage with DJT.”
SCOTT JENNINGS (GOP STRATEGIST)
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Scott Jennings,
Scott Jennings, Columnist, LA Times, Daily Mail, Gannett: “If I were the Trump people I would be salivating over her failure to show remorse” (for things she and Biden achieved or in Jennings’ opinion, botched.) (*He was critical of the Afghanistan withdrawal, but, finally, a President got us OUT of Afghanistan after many years of hearing it as a goal from others.)
Jennings claimed Harris said she was the last person in the room on Afghanistan. A disagreement arose between Axelrod and Jennings on what that meant. Axelrod pointed out that Harris was the Vice President, not the President, and the policy decisions were ultimately the President’s, not hers.
Others, such as Astead Herndon of the Podcast “The Run-Up” commented that Harris “is a homework do-er. You can see this in her preparation” and, also, that she is ready to be on the defense. Trump is preparing using Tulsi Gabbard who has debated against Kamala Harris.