Category: Television Page 1 of 19

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

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.]

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.”

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—–

“Will & Harper” At Nashville Film Festival on 9/20/2024

By Connie Wilson

On September 21, 2024

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

The Josh Greenbaum directed documentary “Will and Harper” is showing at select theaters now and will stream on Netflix beginning September 27th. It showed at the Nashville Film Festival on Friday, 9/20/2024 having premiered, originally, at the 40th Sundance Film Festival in January, 2024. The 114 minute documentary depicts Will Ferrell’s 17-day cross-country trip with his close friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, who has just come out as a transgender female. Over 250 hours of film was shot and then reduced to this 2-hour look at being transgender in America in 2024. Harper—who was head writer at “Saturday Night Live” and started the same week that Ferrell did in 1995—was born Andrew Steele in Iowa City, Iowa, one of five children of University of Iowa professors.

THE GOOD

The best thing about the unscripted 17-day trip from New York to Santa Monica, California was how authentic and genuine the emotional relationship between Ferrell and Steele is. Both of them are reduced to tears, and you will be, too. Viewers come away with the feeling that Will Ferrel in real life is very much like his character in “Elf:” one of the nicest guys you could know. I hope that is sincerely the real Will Ferrell because, as a stranger in an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma bar tells him, “I like your support for your friends. There’s not a lot of it out there now.” Many have commented on how brave Harper is to have come out. There should also be praise for Will Ferrell (and friends) for being so supportive of Harper in MAGA America.

The trailer for the film shows Ferrell reading from the e-mail he received from Steele. It informed him that his old buddy was undergoing transgender surgery and would now be called Harper. Ferrell realized, somewhat belatedly, that he didn’t really know much about the transgender community. He proposed a 17-day cross-country road trip in Steele’s vintage Jeep Wagoneer (remember the wood?) to re-acquaint the new old friends. They were followed, discreetly, by a camera crew. As the film defines the goal of the documentary, “What are the new ground rules? How much has changed? How much is the same?” Apparently Steele had a reputation as someone who loved to take cross-country trips that stopped at dive bars, diners, and other such places—all of which sound dicey for a transgender woman traveling solo in the United States in 2024. Will would be able to run interference for his longtime friend as they criss-crossed America.

The music (Nathan Halpern) is very good, including the idea of having Kirsten Wiig write a “theme song” for their trip (She sings it at film’s end). The cinematography—including a stop at the Grand Canyon—is also wonderful. Harper” is simply a real-life, honest comic gem amidst a sea of boring drek. Hopefully, it will do some good in the world in the ongoing fight against hate. We’ve had enough of divisive rhetoric and mean-spirited people who want to make themselves feel powerful and others feel fearful. Let’s hear it for inclusivity and the love and good will towards others we are urged to practice by all religions.

THE STOPS

The pair set out from New York and made stops in Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Iowa City, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Las Vegas and various other cities, most of them in “red” states. They were received well everywhere but Texas, where rude tweets follow the duo’s appearance at a steakhouse (Ferrell dressed as Sherlock Holmes and attempting to eat a 72-ounce steak). One Texas tweet that commented on the stop the pair had just made at Harper’s sister Eleanor’s house in Iowa City, called Ferrell “a Satanic illuminati pedophile in Iowa.” But the general reception was the opposite, although one critic has asked the obvious question if that is because a celebrity was running interference for his old friend. (Others wondered about product placement, since Pringles and Duncan Donuts get a lot of conversational time,)

IOWA CITY & SORROW

Harper’s sister, Eleanor, when she received the same e-mail that Ferrell got, responded to him quickly, “Oh, good! I’ve always wanted a sister.” However, when the pair actually stops for the night at her home in my old college town, Ferrell asks her what her reaction was upon receiving the news. She admits that “I was totally surprised” and defines the emotion she felt as “sorrow.”

I felt that sorrow, too, when Harper shared journaling snippets of the pain experienced for decades: “It wasn’t about body parts. It was about how I am in my head. Fix me or kill me,” is one entry. “A lot of transitioning is learning to accept yourself” is another truth shared in Peoria, Illinois, in a meeting with a 65-year-old transgender woman. “I dream of a world where I can lay my vulnerabilities out there for anyone…I knew something was weird in me growing up in Iowa, but it was impossible to think of doing anything about it.”

In a world where gay men are being executed in certain countries, you just want to repeat Rodney King’s mantra. May 1, 1992, King called a press conference in hopes of stopping the death and destruction after the L.A. riots. “I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”

CONCLUSION

This is a gem of a documentary, which contains so much pain and yet provokes so much laughter. One can’t help but smile when Ferrell, asked about his share of piloting the vintage automobile cross country responds, “I’m a narcoleptic and I’m not a good driver.”

As the theme song for the documentary goes, “a friend is a friend is a friend till the end.”

Catch this one when it streams on Netflix beginning September 27th.

2024 Emmies: In the Books, September 15, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On September 16, 2024

In News, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

Just finished watching the Emmies and—although not a comprehensive run-down of who won what—here are some impressions of the evening. Eugene Levy and his son Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”) hosted and did an excellent job.

SHOGUN, ET. AL.

While I do realize that “Shogun” set a record for the number of nominations, I have not seen it and will now have to find the time to take it in.

For me, given my admittedly not-comprehensive viewing of the nominees, I most enjoyed seeing “Baby Reindeer,” “Hacks” and “Ripley” win multiple awards. The Writer/Director/Lead Actor of “Baby Reindeer,” Richard Gadd, had one of the most inspiring remarks of the night (for me), upon accepting one of the three awards (Lead Actor in a Limited Drama or Anthology Series), which was this: “If ‘Baby Reindeer’ has proven anything, it is that the only constant is good storytelling that speaks to our times.” As a failed writer who attempts to speak to our times, thanks for that, Mr. Gadd. Co-star Jessica Gunning, who was fabulous in her role, was also present and won (Best Supporting Actress for a Limited or Anthology Series). It was nice to see Gadd wearing a kilt.

HACKS

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in “Hacks”.

As for the “Hacks” win, I was present at the sneak peek of this year’s “Hacks” at SXSW. The love and sense of community in the room eclipsed even the time that “This Is Us” cast came to town; in all honesty, I was not as big a fan of “This Is Us,” but everyone else in the room was. You could feel the love, just like this year’s season preview of “Hacks.” Jean Smart had some serious health issues that delayed filming. I was fearful that the series might die if she did. I truly enjoy her comic timing. It’s so nice to see a woman over forty with the lead in a wonderfully written humorous show. [If you haven’t watched it, get on that!] Hannah Einbinder, daughter of “SNL’s” Laraine Newman, portraying her young assistant needs to win an Emmy soon, however, as she is just as good in this two-woman series. This one I applauded loudly with its 16 nominations (48 overall).

THE BEAR

I enjoyed the dig at “The Bear” as not really being a comedy series. As a sometimes Chicago resident, I really tried to get “in” to the series. I just could not. I’m not that interested in watching people cut up vegetables. To me, the potential plot trajectory was easy to figure out. We watched about five of them and stopped. I really like Jeremy Allen White (Lip in “Shameless”), however, so maybe we will try it again. Not sure I have it in me, but it’s worth a shot.

KATHY BATES

Kathy Bates is going to reprise “Matlock” and she has lost tons of weight since I met her at the Texas Filmmaking Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Austin a few years ago. I enjoyed her quip about how it was hard to get a date after “Misery.” There was also a jab at how the network is aiming the series at old people.

RIPLEY

Steven Zaillion, who directed “A Civil Action” (1998), “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011) and many other memorable films won for this series based on “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” “A veteran go-to script doctor in the industry, Steven Zaillian has contributed, uncredited, to screenplays on a number of projects over the years. They include Patriot Games (1992), Crimson Tide (1995), Twister (1996), Primal Fear (1996), Amistad (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Black Hawk Down (2001), Road to Perdition (2002) and Body of Lies (2008). He was also called upon in post-production to rewrite some scenes for re-shoots of Salt (2010). Zaillion wrote four screenplays for feature films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Awakenings (1990), Schindler’s List (1993), Gangs of New York (2002) and Moneyball (2011). Of those, Schindler’s List (1993) won Best Picture and earned Zaillian an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.”

With that pedigree as a writer, I sat up and watched every episode of the series “Ripley” on Friday night and he won tonight. It is based on the book and film that starred Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow (1999). It took me until 4 a.m, to make it to the final installment, which was exceptionally clever.

I came away with this observation about Italy: I CAN’T CLIMB THAT MANY STAIRS!!! As I watched character after character (policemen, victims, suspects, etc.) struggling to carry luggage up huge staircases (the elevator was always broken) I quickly abandoned any thought of strolling through the storied streets of Rome or Venice. Of course, I have been there a few times in my life, but my left knee was in better shape then. I didn’t injure it in the bicycling accident until 1997.

Having devoted most of Friday night to finishing off “Ripley,” I was happy to see Zaillion win. The end of the series was masterful, and the series was much different from the book or the film based upon it. It was a much more successful new look at an old property than the recent revival of “Presumed Innocent” from David Kelley. But “Ripley” is shot in black-and-white so be warned.

CANDACE BERGEN

Candace Bergen.

It was nice to see Candace Bergen again. She got in a good dig at former VP Dan Quayle and how he had criticized her character of Murphy Brown on her hit TV show for giving birth without benefit of marriage. She commented that no current Vice President would criticize her for having a child. She ended her (veiled political) remarks with “Meow,”

OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION

This winner (“The Traitor”) won for Peacock and Allen Cummings, the host, picked up the award. He’s literally one of only two celebrities in my 20 years of covering the Chicago International Film Festival who came to Chicago years ago and was rude to we “little people” (press). I won’t bore you with the details, but I did not clap when he won, even though I enjoyed his work on “The Good Wife.” The only one who was worse all those many years ago has since died, so that makes Allen Cummings the worst, for me.

LAST WEEK TONIGHT

John Oliver in November 2016

John Oliver won for the Outstanding Scripted Variety Show, which had 6 nominations this year and has amassed 67 total nominations. It was a well-deserved win, but the bit about Lorne Greene of “Saturday Night Live” having been nominated 85 times without winning was a comic jewel. There was also a similar bit about being nomiated 17 times without a win for a woman I think was Padma Lakshi (although, without a scorecard and in this category, not sure.)

OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES

“The Daily Show,” with 4 nominations, saw Jon Stewart (who only appears on Mondays) take the podium. Jimmy Kimmel, who was also nominated in the category and lost, got in a good zinger when he said something to the effect of, “I thought you said you were retiring.”

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

This one went to someone named Will Smith for “Slow Horses.” “Slow Horses” is British and stars Gary Oldman. We needed captioning to watch it and tried hard to do so, without success. I wondered if Will Smith was going to slap anybody. (Oh. Wait. Wrong Will Smith).

My failure to know much about “Slow Horses” (other than that it is supposed to be good, like “The Bear,” but we couldn’t get into it), leads me to admit that I don’t know who Lamore Morris is or what show by Noah Hawley he stars in, except that he beat out Robert Downey, Jr., for the statue and he almost could not be gotten offstage. Seriously, he did not appear to have prepared any kind of “thank you” and it showed. All I can say is, “So many shows; so little time.”

JODIE FOSTER

Jodie Foster in 2011.

It was nice to see Jodie Foster win for her spooky role on “True Detective: Night Country” (even though the plot eventually defied logic and collapsed under its own weight ) but I have to admit that the thing that struck me the most about seeing her again (besides the fact that she had bare arms that looked toned and muscly) was that she publicly kissed her female Significant Other as she rose to accept her award. That is after beaucoup years of being mum about her status as a lesbian raised by a lesbian mother. There was also an award (The Governor’s Award) given to a man nobody knew, Gary Berlanti, for his LGBTQ support and activities,

Berlanti came to the microphone and made a very heartfelt statement about being gay in America in the bad old days. It made me happy that we do not live in the Russia or Iran or Iraq that actually makes it a crime to be gay (and, in some cases, executes such individuals) and reminded me of a powerful documentary I saw years ago at CIFF entitled “Be Like Others.”

Berlanti’s win and trip to the stage led me to hope that he would put in a pitch about voting for the candidate who promoted acceptance of all races, colors, creeds and sexual orientations. He missed that opportunity, although John Leguizamo got in some very relevant remarks about how nice it was that Latino actors (et. al.) are now getting to play the roles that they were born for, i.e., people of whatever ethnic persuasion the script required. Rita Moreno’s documentary “Just A Girl Who Decided to Go For It” stressed this aspect of movies of yore, and Leguizamo mentioned Natalie Wood being cast as Maria in the original “West Side Story,” by name (as well as Marlon Brando and others being cast for roles that should have gone to the minority portrayed.)

Ask yourself which presidential candidate or ticket would be most likely to welcome minorities and promotes inclusivity and vote accordingly. It will be interesting to see and hear the reactions of networks like Fox to tonight’s Emmy ceremony.

“Voice of Shadows:” Long on Creepy; Short on Screenplay Sense

By Connie Wilson

On September 13, 2024

In Movies, Pop Culture, Reviews, Scary stories, Television

“Voice of Shadows” has the benefit of a truly intriguing trailer that should interest viewers. It appears to be a classic horror film dealing with a possibly haunted house and an elderly woman named “Milda” (Jane Hammill) who lives in it. And dies in it, willing the house to her niece Emma (Corinne Mica). There’s also a claim that Milda has “died twice” and a poorly explained tie to occult goings-on in the past.

The tag line for the film was, “A young working class woman stands to inherit an estate if she and her boyfriend abide by a set of bizarre stipulations.” The film was written and directed by Nicholas Bain (as Nick Bain) and shot in Minnesota—a surprise, as the house and setting seemed more European than American, but, then, Nick Bain is originally from Minnesota, which he left in 2014 to travel to Los Angeles to make movies.

THE GOOD

Right now, horror is an extremely hot genre. (It makes me think I should do something more with my screenplay for the three-novel set “The Color of Evil.”) If Nick Bain can write this script, mine might have a chance. The good news for me is that this script gives me hope for my own to succeed. “If this one can, my script can.” [That isn’t necessarily good news as my commentary on the script for “Voice of Shadows.”]

The cinematography by Neil Murphy and the music by Utkucan Eken and Elif Karlidag was quite good at setting the spooky overall mood. Trailer totally sucked me in. (Read on, to see if that first peek pays off).

The acting was adequate. We won’t be seeing any of the actors or actresses at the Oscars, but horror is a hard sell to the Academy.

The length of the movie, at 90 minutes, was like “the old days,” a welcome relief from the 3-hour marathon recent films. Bravo!

The house set was impressive, but the time the movie is supposed to take place in is a mystery. The old rotary dial phone would indicate long ago, but we never really find out.

The visual effects by Jeff Sardar were fine. The visual effects won the film an award at the Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival. Having black stuff come out of the heroine’s mouth isn’t that new a visual effect, but it still works. For that matter, the film has had three wins and four nominations, with the Latitude Film Awards and the Romford Horror Festival naming it Best Feature Film.

THE BAD

Voice of Shadows horror film, featuring Aunt Milda

Voice of Shadows poster, featuring Aunt Milda

Guillermo Blanco (The Queen of Flow”) plays the lead of Gabriel. It seems that Milda, the old woman who owns the house, doesn’t like Gabriel. One of the “bizarre stipulations” that Milda has put on the inheritance of her impressive house by her niece Emma is that Gabriel never stay there—not even for one night. Given the “plot spill” that the script begins with, where Gabriel is in the confessional and confesses to being a murderer (for good reasons as he lays out the case for the first murder) that scene makes Gabriel’s first murder initially seem reasonable, (just as the old television series “Dexter” used to justify Dexter’s homicidal acts with a variety of plausible excuses.)

Gabriel’s character throughout is difficult for the audience to figure out. He is swilling liquor from a bottle while in the confessional. We can conclude from that that he drinks too much (and in the wrong places). That certainly might influence his decision-making. But Gabriel still seems very willing to murder people at a moment’s notice. The worst assault was a fellow named Ernest (Martin Harris). Gabriel’s motives for plunging a knife into Ernest are unclear; the screenplay goes downhill from there. I wanted to sympathize with and like Gabriel, because he initially seemed like a good fellow and Milda’s instant dislike for him appeared to be petty jealousy, but murdering multiple people with little or no motivation was a bit much, even for me.

The acting by female lead Corinne Mica (“Always, Lola”) as Emma and Maria Jose Vargas Aguidelo as Celeste and Guillermo Blanco as Gabriel was adequate. I thought that Father John, played by Michael Paul Levin was stronger in his supporting part. Bee Vang (“Stranger Things,” “Gran Torino”) plays Father James.

PLOT REVEALS

There was a lot of information dumped on the audience, beginning with the very first confessional scene. Too much telling and not enough showing. I’ve written scripts. A couple of them have even won awards. It’s better to assume the audience is savvy enough to put two-and-two together than to have your main characters ranting on about why they did this or why they did that in a long monologue.

It’s easy to see that Emma’s character and behavior is changing once her Aunt Milda leaves her the house. Emma begins disappearing with Ernesto to “the art gallery.” As a general criticism, most of the climactic scenes in the film—murders and the like—either have no explanation or are overly explained. So, for me, the script needed work.

There was nothing super original or new in the film, but the trailer is very well-done. As horror movies go, “Voice of Shadows” (the title made me think of “Stir of Echoes”) was a good effort with some inexplicable plot directions that might need rethinking or refining.

VOICE OF SHADOWS will arrive September 17 on digital and streaming platforms, including iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home, Vimeo, and local cable & satellite providers.

VOICE OF SHADOWS

Directed by: Nicholas Bain

Written by: Nicholas Bain

Starring: Guillermo Blanco, Corrinne Mica, Bee Vang, Michael Paul Levin, Martin Harris

Produced by: Guillermo Blanco, Martin Harris, Jamie Roberts

Executive Producers: Nick Breid, Todd R. Johnson, Dan Lehto,

Stephen McGraw, Nicholas Bain

Associate Producers: Matthew Fahey, Matt Roy

Cinematography by: Neil Murphy

Edited by: Mark Ferris

Music Composed by: Utkucan Eken, Elif Karlidag

USA I 2024 I Horror, Thriller I 90 minutes | NR

Kamala Harris Emerges #1 with Swiftie Support

By Connie Wilson

On September 10, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television, Uncategorized

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.

**************

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 9^th 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. 6th^h? 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.

“Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken” on 9/22 at Nashville Film Festival

By Connie Wilson

On September 9, 2024

In Editorial, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

Melissa Etheridge appears in a series streaming on Paramount Plus as of July 7^th, entitled “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken.” The two episodes are being shown on Sunday, September 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. as part of the Nashville Film Festival.

Young Melissa Etheridge.

A native of Leavenworth, Kansas, Etheridge is shown visiting the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women, after having corresponded with many of the inmates for 9 months prior. It was a homecoming of sorts for the singer, as, like Johnny Cash, she had performed at a Kansas prison when she was only 12 years old, in 1973. Brian Morrow and Amy Scott directed the series and five of the inmates of the prison are shown reading the letters they wrote to Etheridge. Etheridge talks with the five women and performs for them.

Saying that their letters inspired her, Melissa wrote some original music for the concert and said, “I realize I can’t save anyone, but I’m looking to inspire.”

HIGH POINTS

The Mayor of Leavenworth, Jermaine Wilson, who did 3 years in prison himself, is shown talking with Etheridge about the upcoming concert. Wilson and Etheridge, together, stressed that they wanted to inspire and encourage the imprisoned felons, saying, “Mistakes don’t define you. You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You were created on purpose for a purpose.”

Mayor Jermaine Wilson of Leavenworth, KS.

Mayor Jermaine Wilson of Leavenworth, Kansas.

In addition to much charitable work, Melissa also founded the Etheridge Foundation which attempts to legalize cannabis and other drugs that might be useful for therapeutic purposes. She shared with the crowd of women—many of them incarcerated specifically for selling, using, or possession of drugs—that she once had an arrest as she entered the U.S. from Canada through North Dakota, where cannabis was illegal. “The best I can do is to be an example—a light that holds you up and says you matter.”

PRISON STATISTICS

Meghan Davis, an employee of the facility, said that the likelihood of a woman being the victim of a crime never drops for women as it does for men. Women do not grow up and become less likely to become victims of crime. In fact, over the last 40 years, there has been an 84% increase in women convicted of crimes and imprisoned, many of them crimes that originated with a drug habit.

Of the 760 women incarcerated in Topeka, 500 are mothers or grandmothers. Prison employee Dani Essman talked about how many of the imprisoned women lose their identity. One of the women expressed gratitude for Etheridge’s actions, saying, “We were just grateful that she gave a shit.”

POIGNANT SHARE

Melissa and her then-partner Julie Cypher had 2 children. Cypher gave birth to Bailey Jean and Beckett.^[⁶⁵^] Cypher became pregnant via artificial insemination using sperm donated by musician David Crosby.^[⁶⁶^] Cypher and Etheridge separated in 2000. On May 13, 2020, Etheridge announced on Twitter that her son with Cypher, Beckett, had died at the age of 21 of a drug overdose related to opioid addiction. (Her daughter, Bailey Jean, graduated from Columbia in 2019).

Beckett and sister Bailey.

When Etheridge shared this personal heartbreak with the crowd, she sang the song “Shadow of a Black Crow,” which she said she seldom performs. One of the lines in the song is, “I would rather die fast than ever drive slow. Father, forgive me, for what my mother don’t know.”

Etheridge—speaking to so many women who know only too well the curse of addiction—said, “He (Beckett) was either gonna’ find his way out or not, and in his case not.” Referencing the lyric “The scratch marks on my soul from the shadow of a black crow” Etheridge said, “I miss him here, but I know he is here (gesturing upwards).”

SECOND HALF

In the second episode of the Melissa Etheridge Paramount Plus offering “I’m Not Broken” Ms. Etheridge composed a song especially for the inmates of the Topeka State Prison. We witnessed the actual creative process as Etheridge discusses the evolution of the song. Band member Joe Ayoub tells us that they worked up the band’s part from Friday to Sunday.

Onstage.

particularly heartbreaking story, told by one of the five women spotlighted in the special (Andrea, Cierra, Jessica, Kristi and Leigh) shared with the viewers was that she became hooked on drugs and was pregnant by 19. Her baby died ten minutes before she gave birth.

Etheridge opened up about her son Beckett’s death on May 13, 2020. Beckett was born on November 18, 1998. Etheridge explained his addiction as stemming from Vicodin administered after a snowboarding accident. His addiction quickly spiraled out of control.

Beckett was 21 when the police found him dead after a wellness check that Melissa and her former partner Julie Cypher requested.

THE ODD

Beckett and Bailey.

I found Melissa Etheridge’s sharing of her personal trauma brave, but odd.

Melissa and son Beckett.

She said, “I do not let it take me out of my own sense of well-being. You can accept a person’s choices and it doesn’t have to destroy you.” She seemed remarkably calm and distanced from grief at the death of her son. I couldn’t help but wonder if, like the devotees of the new meditation start-up Jhourney, Etheridge has internalized the life rule “true peace comes from accepting things just as they are.” I admit that I was taken aback at the calm way Etheridge discussed the death of her 21-year-old son, Beckett. It was shocking and surprising; she seemed somewhat clinically detached. The death had taken place three years prior so that may help explain the low-key dispassionate discussion the film showcases.

CONCLUSION

The 2 part serial look into Melissa Etheridge’s life and creative process was interesting, but repetitive. There were too many shots of Etheridge performing on the temporary stage set up outside the prison walls. The interviews with the five inmates (Andrea, Cierra, Jessica, Kristi and Leigh) were conducted in less-than-optimal settings and there were a lot of those table shots. Perhaps film of the five inmates establishing the women’s relationships with their families of origin before they were incarcerated would have helped?

Onstage.

What comes through loud and clear is that Melissa Etheridge is a time-tested talent. She asks the assembled women if they are familiar with her music. Some are not. For them she described her audience as those aged 50 and up, as her Grammy-winning years were approximately 1993 through 2007. That’s a pity, as she is just as talented now as she was in earlier years— more seasoned and just as creative. She continues to write. This series is a tribute to a true talent trying to bring redemption and empowerment to incarcerated female prisoners. It is a wonderful humanitarian concept.

Melissa Etheridge onstage.

What else could have been done to liven up the many scenes of Ms. Etheridge talking with the inmates? The library setting was used repeatedly. Melissa performing onstage was entertaining, but also repetitive. Those were the weak points of the two-episode series, which will screen at the Nashville Film Festival on Sunday, September 22^nd, from 7 to 9 p.m., and on Paramount Plus.

THE GOAL

The goal of bringing hope to the incarcerated women of the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women was worthwhile and deserving of support. The plea for accepting drugs for therapeutic purposes is also a progressive step forward, just as Etheridge’s original song “I Need to Wake Up” for Al Gore’s 2007 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” which won the Academy Award, was part of a good cause, trying to alert the world to the dangers of global warming. (I can’t help but regret how our weather patterns might be different if Florida and the candidate’s brother had not been allowed to prevail in the hanging chads election of 2000. A candidate whose party had no plan at all to address global warming—and still does not—was declared the winner. Al Gore, who was extremely concerned about our stewardship of the planet, stepped aside with decorum. How times change!)

Reservations aside, it’s a pleasure to watch a Top-Notch Singer/Songwriter writing and performing her work. Etheridge’s social conscience cannot be denied. This two-part Paramount Plus series is a testament to that .

Harris/Walz Sit for CNN Interview on August 29, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 29, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Interviews, Politics, Television

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?

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

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:

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)

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)

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.

Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Presidential Nomination; DJT Phones In on Fox

By Connie Wilson

On August 23, 2024

In Books, Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

I had planned to write a piece commenting on Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech on the final night of the DNC in Chicago, Then, (following the dry cycle of my laundry), I moved to the bedroom to change the now clean sheets and put them back on the king-sized bed. In the bedroom, Fox News was carrying the DNC.

While I changed the sheets, I listened to Donald J. Trump phone in and rebut Kamala Harris’ speech. I will insert the complete 37-minute content of Kamala’s acceptance speech (in case you missed it), but I have to assume that most of you were watching it, so suit yourself. Unlike Trump, who rambled his way through a basically unlistenable litany of untruths at the RNC, Harris hit most of the issues and delivered her speech with sincerity and enthusiasm. She looked and sounded presidential (because she IS presidential.)

Then I watched 8 voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania say that her speech had sold her to them (auto workers all) and they would be voting for her (they had been unsure in a previous meeting). One woman retained the right to decide later. One Black male (in real estate) said he’d vote for Trump. Listen to Trump’s remarks about how the auto workers are all supporting him in the phone call above. [*Apparently not the 8 that just spoke to a reporter in Allentown, PA.]

Trump’s illusion that he is “strong” (Macho Macho Man) was consistent with why Black males were supporting DJT over Biden before July 21st. It also explains why Black males find it difficult to get behind the idea of a female president, even if she is half Black (and half Asian).

CHANGE

People want change for the better. This was emphasized by John King, Chief National Correspondent for CNN, who has been traveling the country gauging the temperature of the nation. Coming into the convention, Trump had 55% of voters selecting him on the economy versus 43% for Harris and 53% on the immigration issue versus 44% for Harris. Harris led only on the abortion issue (55% to 40%.) [This was from the New York Times Siena Poll. ] In the next 75 days Harris and Walz must change these perceptions.

CONVENTION BUMP

There are 75 days during which Kamala has to convince voters that she, the current vice president, represents change for the better. That will not be simple, since Harris has been in office as Vice President for 4 years and the GOP will attack her on that basis. (as DJT already did in the phone call above).

The Siena poll showed that 56% of voters disapproved of Biden. Only 41% approved of Biden in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and the other swing states. Now, the Republicans are going to try to give Kamala “Biden Baggage.” It started tonight with DJT phoning in to Fox & Friends. (*Did Fox & Friends, who claim to be so “fair and balanced” offer Kamala Harris the opportunity to phone in and rebut DJT’s RNC acceptance speech? No.)

John King, who has been doing political reporting for 40 years, says that Kamala did well. I agree. He pointed out, however, that in 1988: Bush won over Dukakis, but Dukakis had left the convention enjoying a convention bump that put him 17 points ahead in the polls. Despite the post-convention bump, Dukakis lost “bigly” to George Herbert Bush. This was partially because people wanted change and partially because of the Willie Horton dirty tricks that depicted Horton as practically Dukakis’ running mate. (*For those of you who don’t remember Willie Horton, he was a convicted murderer and rapist, who was released on a weekend furlough from a Massachusetts prison in a trial program and committed a rape and murder while temporarily free. Dukakis was the Governor of Massachusetts. The Bush campaign used Horton’s case to tar and feather Dukakis in a textbook example of what is known as “dog whistle politics,” which is what Harris and Walz are about to encounter, if I were to take an un-wild guess.)

John King was born in 1963, which means he is 61. I haven’t followed politics for as long as John King, but I am close to 20 years older. I go back to every President since Truman. I’ve also written 3 books on politics (the campaign of 2008) and was named the Content Producer of the Year for Politics by Yahoo in the wake of my coverage of the 2008 election of Barack Obama. (See my books on that topic, “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House.”)

Taken during a McCain rally at the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport during the 2008 presidential campaign. Cover of Volume II of “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House.” (Available on Amazon in paperback and e-book).

LIKEABILITY

I agree with the white-haired CNN commentator with the 40 years following campaigns, and I agreed with Geraldo (whom I watched on News Nation) who stressed that “likeability” was key to electing anyone. It was likeability that doomed Hillary Clinton and, to a certain extent, John Kerry, who always seemed a little bit too patrician. We’ve all heard the remarks about how “W” seemed like a guy you would enjoy sitting down and having a beer with (*I don’t drink beer, so that’s a no for me.)

TAX INCREASES

Bogus. Tax increases on the rich, yes. On the middle class, not so much. Trump’s point on companies taking their business to another country (increasingly Mexico, not China) is fair, but THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES. Companies moving to cheaper countries is not a Kamala Harris thing; to say it is is unfair. It is far likelier that DJT will raise taxes on the middle class to give tax breaks to people like himself.

BORDER

Trump said, of the bi-partisan border bill, “It was a horrible bill. It was a joke.” It was a bi-partisan bill that was said by those who worked on it long and hard to be quite good. Trump told his allies not to vote for the bill, because it was to be his border issue. If you really don’t know what was in the bill, click on the link above and it will tell you. Don’t just trumpet things that either candidate says; research it. (Anthony Fatone: that is for you, Dear Heart. And thanks for saying I’m “smart as a whip” because that should tell you that, if I’m saying you need to do more “reading up” on these things, maybe I’m right.)

MARXIST ACCUSATIONS

First of all, as our old friend Wikipedia tells us, “There is no single, definitive Marxist theory.^[1]

It is likely that the “Marxist” accusations are a legacy from Kamala’s economics professor father, who taught at both Stanford and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He has advised his country (Jamaica) on economic issues and some aspects were derived from Marxist writings of various sorts, but her father has remained completely out of Kamala’s career, refusing to be involved in her 2020 campaign and making a rather brusque rebuttal to a lighthearted comment that Kamala herself made (about smoking pot) on a radio show. She said something about smoking pot to the effect of, “Are you kidding? Half of my relatives are Jamaican.” Dad did not like it much, issued a rather public reprimand (Kamala did not respond) and has not had much involvement in his daughter’s career (or her life before that) since the couple split when she was in elementary school.

Jamal Simmons, political commentator on CNN, compared DJT to Midnight Elvis, calling in to talk shows, rambling around in Mar-A-Lago. Jamal mentioned Trump’s recent appearance in Howell, Michigan. White supremacists held a march there recently and voiced support for Trump, Hitler, Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. So, Trump’s strategy is to cater to THAT demographic. Roger Stone, a big Trump supporter, has a yearslong relationship with Proud Boys leaders, Enrique Tarrio in particular, and would regularly use members of the group as his personal security detail at political events.

Roger Stone.

I seriously doubt that DJT has much of an idea what Marxism is (and, quite frankly, it is difficult to pin it down as there are many offshoots.) There is actually a book on Amazon entitled “Marxism in Plain and Simple English.” It’s 62 pages. If Donald J. Trump really thinks that Kamala Harris is a Marxist simply because of her estranged father (a professor of economics), that is really reaching. I think The Donald needs a copy of that book. (*After all, Steve Bannon, his brain trust, is currently in jail until 2 days before the election, so the Wizard of Odd is having to rely on people like The Mad Hatter, Roger Stone, for intellectual guidance.) Another thing that his insult brings to mind are recent put-downs that DJT has made about Kamala Harris’ intelligence; she is quite obviously the child of two very bright people (while Trump’s own intelligence is often questioned, despite the supposed expertise and education that led to multiple bankruptcies.)

Here’s a snippet from “How to Compare Marxism to Capitalism.” It is quite clear that Kamala Harris is no Marxist. To wit: “Marxism, oftentimes interchangeable with communism, emerged from the writings of Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels in the 19th century, and is based on the theory that class conflict will eventually result in the establishment of a society where the public owns the means of production. The two theories are historic enemies, and their differences are most acute when examining their attitudes toward individualism, private property and profits.”

At no time has Kamala Harris sounded like she is not supportive of capitalism simply because she has argued for everyone in our society having a fair shake and an equal chance at making a life where they each of us has the freedom to make choices for themselves (as, for instance, in reproductive rights.) Trying to paint Harris as a Marxist or Communist is a page right out of the “dirty tricks” playbook of the GOP going back to 1988.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D. New Mexico), commenting after Harris’ speech, said she “showed us tonight what leadership looks like.” It is up to every woman of voting age in America to ask themselves whether they want the freedom to decide about their own health care and to decide if they do (or do not) want to have a child. Women need to mobilize like our grandmothers to gain us the right to vote. Only, this time, it is the right to live free (and not die) under an autocratic ruler who simply wants power for himself and his cronies.

IN CONCLUSION

As D.L. Hughley said at the convention, “The only way that Trump can keep Kamala out of the White House is if he buys it and refuses to rent to Black people.”

Tim Walz: VP Nominee Radiates Good Will & “Minnesota Nice” at the DNC on 8/21/2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 22, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics, Television

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.

I’m watching Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota accept his nomination for Vice President of the United States and I can’t help but think of “the happy warrior,” aka Humbert Humphrey—also from Minnesota.

So far, Tim Walz has called the campaign “incredible” and has thanked both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. It IS pretty incredible to think that a high school coach from Mankato, Minnesota can potentially become the Vice President of the United States, but—at least on the Democratic side—stories like Barack Obama’s and Kamala Harris’ and Tim Walz’s do occur “only in America.”

He has proclaimed this moment as “the honor of my life” and his wife and son are blubbering in the audience, which is heartwarming, but also kind of out-of-sync with John Legend’s “Let’s Go Crazy” rendition that preceded him. No less a judge of superficiality than Geraldo Rivera (on NewsNation) has proclaimed the entire schtick “kind of great” and “genuine.” “The whole thing smacked of sincerity, to me,” said Geraldo.

WALZ’S BACKGROUND

Tim and Gwen Walz.

Butte, Nebraska is where Tim Walz grew up, he said from the dais, and there were 24 students in his class. Earlier I had read that he was born in West Point, Nebraska. He also lived in Valentine, Nebraska. Butte, Nebraska came in after his Superintendent of Schools father, a life-long smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and they moved. Tim’ dad died in 1984, when Walz was 20. Courtesy of Wikipedia, here are a few other states that Walz can lay claim to: “Walz’s father died in January 1984, which left his mother and younger brother dependent on social security survivor benefits for support. He moved to Texas and took courses at the University of Houston in East Asian studies while being enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard. Afterward he went to Arkansas, where he built tanning beds in a factory and was an instructor in the Arkansas Army National Guard. In 1987, Walz returned to Nebraska and continued his education at Chadron State College, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in social science education in 1989.”

Wikipedia also has this to say about Tim Walz’s career trajectory: “After graduating from Chadron State College in 1989, Walz accepted a one-year teaching position with WorldTeach in Foshan No.1 High School in Guangdong, China. He described the Tiananmen Square massacre that happened right before he arrived as an important moment in his life. He has said that the problem with China is not the people but the government, and that with the right leadership the Chinese people could accomplish anything. After returning, he took a job teaching and coaching in Alliance, a town of ten thousand in western Nebraska, and in 1993 was named Outstanding Young Nebraskan by the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce.^”

NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE

Hope, Gus and Tim Walz at the DNC.

Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years after enlisting in 1981.^] During his military career, he had postings in Arkansas, Texas, the Arctic Circle, New Ulm, Minnesota, Italy, and elsewhere. He trained in heavy artillery, In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year.

After Walz completed 20 years of service needed for retirement from the Guard, he reenlisted instead of retiring, and later cited the September 11, 2001 attacks as the reason for his reenlistment. In August 2003, Walz deployed with the Minnesota National Guard to Vicenza, Italy, for nine months to serve with the European Security Force as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Walz attained the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service and briefly was the senior enlisted soldier of 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment. His decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, and an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with five oakleaf clusters. “ The GOP campaign has been busy attempting to “swiftboat” Walz’s decades of service, much as they did to John Kerry when Kerry ran for President in 2004.

SMALL-TOWN ROOTS

Hope and Gus Walz.

As someone who graduated from a class of only 110, I can relate to Tim Walz’s town of origin. “Everybody belongs, and everybody has a responsibility to contribute.” Walz talks about joining the National Guard at 17. His father was a Korean War veteran. When his dad died, he left a lot of debts. (“Thank God for Social Security benefits.”) As Tim has said, “There were 24 of us in my high school graduating class and none of them went to Harvard.” He coached and taught in Mankato and is talking about being a 40-something high school teacher whose students urged him to run for Governor.

DRAFTED BY HIS STUDENTS TO RUN

As someone whose own students urged her to run for the City Council race in East Moline, Illinois, I can relate to Tim Walz’s story. My run for office ended with a cheating scandal that even made its way into the Orange County, California newspapers, when I went door to door, documenting the cheating of the opposition. https://www.weeklywilson.com/helen-heiland-sets-the-record-straight-in-letter-to-moline-il-daily-dispatch/

GUS WALZ, TIM’S SON

Gus Walz at the DNC.

At tonight’s third night of the DNC in Chicago 17-year-old Gus Walz, son of VP nominee Tim Walz, was a welcome blast of fresh air.

The youngster was literally overcome with emotion at his father’s nomination, tears streaming down his face. He was ebullient and animated and hugged both his father and his sister onstage after Walz’s humanizing speech. It was heartwarming. It lifted my heart.

The Walz family told “People” magazine that young Gus has ADHD and anxiety issues, but described him as “brilliant.” I would point out how Gus reacted with joy and love towards his parents and sibling, Hope (born in 2001). The Walz family spent 7 years undergoing fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York, in order to have their daughter, Hope (2001) and their son, Gus (2006). The family obviously has a lot of love for one another. Young Gus reminded me so much of so many youngsters I taught, especially during my years (1985-2003) as CEO and owner/operator of Sylvan Learning Center #3301 in Bettendorf, Iowa. I also taught for 18 years at the 7^th and 8^th grade levels and have taught many students who would be described as on the spectrum.

THE TOVA TEST

We used to give the TOVA test—Test of Variable Attention—which was 90% effective in diagnosing Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without Hyperactivity. I used to have my entire staff take the test, since it only ran 22 minutes on a computer, and it was not unusual for the Special Education teachers that I employed to score high on the test. Basically, the test-taker had to click a button when a certain form appeared onscreen and the degree of hyperactivity they demonstrated during the clicking exercise would indicate those with problems focusing and staying on message. (I did not score as high on it as some of you would assume, but special education teachers, in particular, did.)

Gus Walz, overcome with emotion as his father accepts the VP nomination at the DNC.

We paid $50 as a credit in a machine to give this test and absorbed it into our operating expenses if the child was our regular student, but, over time, we had more and more local residents who were bringing their sons and daughters in for the testing, in which case we charged them what it cost us to administer ($50). The test had been developed by a physician at the University of Minnesota in collaboration with his teenaged son. I learned about it at a Sylvan National Convention. It was very helpful in establishing whether or not some of our students would benefit from a variety of learning techniques and approaches.

It was not long before the local psychologists got wind of the TOVA. They began charging would-be test takers for an office visit first (over $100) and, if the psychologist felt it was merited, their office would administer the exact same test that we charged $50 for (but charge the test taker considerably more for the privilege.)

SINCERITY SPECIAL AT DNC ON 8/21/2024

It was a real treat to see someone as obviously overcome with emotion as young Gus Walz, who radiated good will towards all. When I saw young Gus Walz—-absolutely overjoyed—point to the stage and mouth the words, “That’s my Dad!” my heart melted a little bit. [If I remember correctly, we didn’t even see Barron Trump at the RNC and I would rather I had not seen Eric and Donald Trump, Jr.]

What a welcome sight. I felt like I had just been licked by a rambunctious, over-friendly puppy. It was great. YOU GO, GUS!

I liked it.

The Obamas Rock the United Center at DNC: The Gloves Come Off (8/20/2024)

By Connie Wilson

On August 21, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics, Television

Michelle and Barack Obama both spoke tonight at the DNC in Chicago. I haven’t been as moved by a speech since I stood in a field in the Village of East Davenport during the 2012 Obama re-election campaign and listened to the pair say to the crowd, “Stand with me again once more, Iowa.” It was Iowa that gave Barack Obama his ticket to ride to the DNC in Denver, where I was present, and his gratitude for the state’s support never waivered. Iowa’s contingent (and Illinois’) were right down front, honoring them for having honored him. I was overcome with a nostalgic wave of emotion as the former First Lady of the United States spoke then, and I was overwhelmed again tonight, when she spoke in Chicago.

As is my custom, I made every effort to get as much of the speech down as I could. It is not a word-for-word recitation of what was said, but I’m going to try to break it down for you a bit, (as I watched from my Texas living room).

Michelle was brilliant. As Leah Wright-Rigueur, a Political Historian said, “We are living through history.” I felt that in my bones when I began following the campaign of 2008 in Iowa, and I felt that it again, tonight, comfortably ensconced in my living room, watching it like I hope the rest of America was watching it.

So, what did Michelle Obama say that so inspired me?

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

She asked that we “not squander the sense of hope our elders gave us.” She was referencing women like me, who campaigned (unsuccesfully) for the ERA and fought for the right to decide our own reproductive futures. I appreciated the fact that Michelle Obama gave credit to those of us who worked hard to ensure a better future for our daughters. (Why should a panel of old white men or the Supreme Court decide whether my daughter and I do or do not have the right to decide about giving birth?)

VALUES

“In America we have the belief that if you do unto others, that if you work and scrape and sacrifice it will pay off, if not for you, for your children and grandchildren. Those were the values that my mother poured into me until her very last breath. Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values. Our mothers shared that same belief in the promise of this country. …The obligation to lift others up…Mom used to say, ‘Don’t sit around and complain about things: do something.’ From a middle-class household Kamala worked her way up to become the Vice President of America. Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the Presidency. And she is one of the most dignified…a tribute to her mother and your mother, too.”

Michelle went on about Kamala Harris’ background:

“Her story is our story…Kamala knows that, regardless of where you come from, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued. No one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American: no one. Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by service.”

TRUMP TAKE-DOWNS

Bee Gone: A Political Parable

Harris “understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward,” Obama said. “We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third or fourth chance. If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. No.We don’t have the luxury of whining. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t see an escalator waiting to take us to the top. We put our heads down. We go to work. In America, we do something.. Throughout her entire year, that’s what we’ve seen from Kamala. We’ve seen the joy of her laughter and her life. It couldn’t be more obvious: of the 2 major candidates in this race, only Kamala understands the true work ethic that has always made America great.”

“We don’t get to change the rules so we always win,” she continued. “If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top. We put our heads down. We get to work.”

BE AWARE OF OPPOSITION TACTICS:

“We know that folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth. For years, DJT did everything he could to make people fear us. He tried to make you fear two highly educated, hard-working, successful people who happened to be Black. Who’s gonna’ tell him that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs? It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic lies instead of creating ideas that will actually make our lives better.”

Michelle then went on to list some of the Project 2025 goals, such as shutting down the Department of Education and demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love. She mentioned (again) shutting down our right to reproductive health care and said, “It only makes us small. It is never the answer. It is petty, unhealthy, and, quite frankly, it’s un-Presidential. Why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we accept this from a candidate? America: our parents taught us better than that and we deserve so much better than that. There is no other choice but Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt.”

“Remember there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome. People who are going to prioritize building their own wealth over building a better tomorrow. We cannot be our own worst enemies. The minute a lie takes hold, we cannot get a Goldilocks complex over whether everything is just right. We cannot indulge our anxieties. We must do everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.”

Michelle Obama’s line about how Trump tried to get Americans to fear the Obamas in office, even though they were highly-educated, hard-working people who happened to be Black is right. There are many analysts who cite Obama’s election to the Presidency as the match that lit the racism of White Supremacists. They are right.

KAMALA & TIM

“Kamala and Tim have lived amazing lives. I am confident that they will lead with compassion, grace and dignity. It is up to us to be the solution that we seek. It is up to all of us to be the anecdote to darkness and division. I don’t care how you identify politically. This is the time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right. To stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for basic trust, dignity and empathy. For the values at the very foundation of our democracy.”

CALL TO ACTION

“If they lie about her—and they will–we have to do something. Only 11 weeks to make sure everyone has a voting plan. We cannot afford for anyone to sit on their hands and wait to be called. Our fate is in our hands. In 77 days we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division and smallness of the past.”

The talking heads in the room testified that the mood during Michelle Obama’s speech was electric. Although they gave props to Barack Obama for his good speech, hers was brilliant. I teared up at her remarks. She was that good.

So, following on the heels of that brilliance, “one of the most powerful and blistering speeches against Donald Trump” (a quote from one of the talking heads), we heard ex-President Barack Obama and I wished, again, that he was still our President. I found his remarks equally entertaining, (but she was better.)

BARACK OBAMA’S REMARKS:

First, Barack paid tribute to Joe Biden, mentioning their “common Irish blood.” To wit:”His empathy and his decency and his hard-earned belief that everyone in this country deserves a fair shot impressed me. And over the past 4 years those are the values that America has needed the most. At the time when Americans were dying, we needed a leader with empathy and a leader who led the strongest economic recovery in the world. At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality we needed a leader who did the rarest thing in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the good of the country. History will remember Joe Biden as a man who, in a moment of peril for this country, did the right thing.”

“The torch has been passed. Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. For all the incredible energy, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country—a country where too many Americans are still struggling. The people who will decide this election are asking a very short question: who will fight for me? One thing is for certain, Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question.”

Light-hearted Remarks:

Leaf blower neighbor (DJT): annoying.

“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down that escalator 8 years ago.

“Childish nicknames. Weird obsession with crowd size. It just goes on and on and on. Someone compared Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day. From a neighbor that’s exhausting. From a President that’s dangerous.”

“DJT sees power as nothing more than a means to his end. He wants the middle class to pay for his ambitions.”

When Obama mentioned how DJT had killed the bi-partisan border bill the crowd booed. Obama said, “Do not boo: vote.”

“He doesn’t seem to care if more women lose their reproductive freedom, since it won’t affect his life.”

“He wants us to think this country is hopelessly divided between the real Americans and the outsiders who don’t. He wants you to think that if we will just give him the power to put those outsiders back in place things will be great.”

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

“Bluster, bumbling, chaos…We know these movies; the sequel is usually worse. (We have seen that movie before.) America is ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”

“This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice. She was not born into privilege. She has had to work for what she’s got. She’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand, not the neighbor running the leaf blower.”

At this point, Obama mentioned some of Kamala’s fights: Homeowners….fight to get as much relief as possible for the families that deserved it. As VP helped take on the drug companies to cap the cost of insulin. “She is running for President to guarantee every woman’s right to make their own health care decisions. She won’t be focused on her problems; she’ll be focused on yours. She’ll work on behalf of every American. In the White House she will have an outstanding partner in Governor Tim Walz.”

Barack made this comment about Obamacare: “I noticed that since it got popular they quit calling it that,” True that.

First Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

On the border issue, Obama said, “We can secure our borders without tearing kids away from their parents” (*In re-reading my own book, “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House” I was struck at how the border was a hot button issue for candidates way back then, including Fred Thompson, whom I interviewed after his speech in Davenport.)

The Obamas stressed that the Democratic ticket wants to “make it better for everybody.”

“Donald Trump…for him, one’s group’s gains is necessarily another group’s losses. For the GOP, power means that those in charge can do pretty much what they want. (taxes; firing people). We want the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water. Freedom for each of us to run our own lives. Freedom requires us to recognize that freedom requires us to let other people make decisions that are different from ours. That’s the America that Tim Walz and Kamala Harris believe in. ‘We the people includes everyone.’ Despite what our politics might suggest, democracy is not just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws. It’s the values we live by and how we treat each other, including those who don’t look like us or pray like us or see the world exactly like we do. That sense of mutual respect has to be part of it. We seem so quick to believe the worst of the other side. After a while, regular folk just tune out or they don’t bother to vote. This might work on those who thrive on division, but it won’t work for us who want to make progress on the things that matter.”

“Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they’ll extend to us.”

“That does not just matter to the U.S. The rest of the world is watching to see if we can actually pull this off. No society has ever tried to build a society as diverse as ours. Our allegiance and our community are not defined by race and creed . We shouldn’t be the world’s policeman but American can be and must be a force for good. (Climate change, promoting peace,) I know these ideas can feel pretty naïve right now. We live in a time of such confusion and rancor with a culture that puts a premium on things that don’t last. We chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We don’t trust each other as much, because we don’t take the time to learn about each other.”

“Here’s the good news, Chicago: all across America in big cities and small towns, the ties that bind us together are still there. We still feed the hungry and coach the Little League and feel the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold.”

“We want something better. We want to BE better.”

Barack and Michelle Obama paid tribute to her recently deceased Mom, who lived in the White House with them, saying,“My mother-in-law reminded me of my Grandmother. (stressing the hard work of his grandmother and mother-in-law). They knew what was true. They knew what mattered: honesty, integrity, kindness and hard work. They weren’t impressed with braggarts and bullies. They didn’t think that putting other people down or lifting themselves up made them strong. They found pleasure in simple things: a good meal and laughter around the kitchen table. Most of all, seeing their children and grandchildren going places and doing things that they never would have imagined for themselves.”

“Kamala’s parents crossed the ocean because they believed in the power of America. They weren’t important or powerful—they were good, hard-working people. A return to America where we work together and look out for one another. Bonds of affection. The better angels of our nature. That is what this election is about. If we each do our part over the next 77 days. We will elect leaders who will fight for hope. Together we will build a country that is more secure and more just. So let’s get to work. And God bless you and the United States of America.”

Those were the remarks from the 44th President of the United States, who rose to prominence 20 years and 3 weeks ago when making a 2004 speech at the DNC convention that nominated John Kerry (a presidential race that I also followed.)

Barack Obama—one of the most gifted orators to ever hold the office—and his wife Michelle held the audience within the United Center in rapt attention tonight. They made a plea to be patient with voters who might be on the other side and summed up the choice by saying, “Trump’s act has gotten pretty stale.”