About a year ago I finally got fed up with the opinion pieces for the NY Times leading me to cancel my subscription. I have not been remorseful since. Well, after Joe Biden had a bad debate performance the “pundit class” went into high gear aiming to force Biden from the Ballot – despite being the choice of democrats in the primaries – because “he’s too old.” This would suggest the voters who took place in the primaries didn’t understand Biden was soon to be 81. Of course, the weak kneed democrats in Congress, holding their fingers to the “winds” started bailing from Biden like a group of fishermen on a sinking boat.
Well, what they’re accomplishing is doing the “dirty work” for republican operatives who’ve been blasting President Biden’s age for the past 3 plus years. Of course, they’re preferred candidate is ONLY three years younger and when it comes to knowledge of government and wisdom Trump still seems to be more like a Middle Schooler than a candidate for the most important job in the world. (Sorry, Mr. Putin) Here’s what’s bugging me about all of this. The issue is Trump, the MAGA republicans, and, of course, the “Project 2025” Manifesto which is FINALLY getting more than a cursory look. For those unwilling to read, it’s a roadmap to fascism for America. (The “fever dream” of those opposing the New Deal)
The right wing fascists behind Project 2025 have been living “under the rocks” since the early days of Charles and David Koch taking over the reins of Koch Industries and their push for a right wing bent to our government. Keep in mind (If you’ve watched NPR’s “Nazi Town USA”) some of the authors of Project 2025 very well could be directly associated – by their familial relationship to the key “players” in the Nazi movement in America preceding WWII. Trump was widely recognized as their conduit to the “mainstream” of politics when he took the “torch” of the racist “birther movement.” The “cherry on top” for these white/christian nationalists is they didn’t have to “coach” Trump about the “Big Lie Theory” of Hitler’s Nazi’s. Trump is a natural.
Suddenly, a bunch of journalists and pundits discovered Joe Biden is old. For the past few weeks several, as I mentioned above, a group of “weak kneed” democrats in the House and Senate continue pushing President Biden to drop from the “race.” Well, I’ll say once again what I’ve been saying for months. The winner of the election will be either Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Put another way, a competent political government administrator or a CONVICTED felon who’s also an adjudicated sexual offender guilty of bank, insurance, and tax fraud who supports Project 2025. Put still another way it’s either a president who supports our democratic republic or one who supports a roadmap to FASCISM! I say to democrats, let’s get on with it!
Here’s something I’m finding interesting. Outlets like the NY Times, the WA Post, and several other parts of the “Mainstream Media” (MSM) have suddenly realized their two weeks of putting their “microscope” on Joe Biden and the FACT he’s 81, maybe they had better put some of their focus on Trump. And, it only takes a cursory look at what Trump is saying and his supporters are saying for these outlets to conclude what MOST of us everyday Americans concluded long ago – Trump is UNFIT to hold any office in America’s government. let alone the presidency. It’s almost time for the actual campaign to start and democrats will win if they close ranks around Biden/Harris in order to BLOCK Trump and his fascist compatriots from success.
Not only do they need to get behind Biden/Harris they also need to support the democrats who can win in November’s Senate and House elections. Republicans like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, both senators who proved to be traitors in January of 2021, SHOULD be vulnerable. Cruz who famously vamoosed to Cancun during the Freeze in Texas a few years ago and spends his time Podcasting instead of governing and Hawley, now proudly proclaiming to be a “Christian Nationalist,” (apparently like the ones backing Hitler back in the day) should even turn off some republicans. But, of course, they represent “red America,” so who knows.
My point is, Joe Biden needs a democratically controlled Congress to get ANYTHING done – keeping in mind, if Biden wins in November, nary a republican in today’s Congress will accept the results. They’re all on the “Trump train.” Once again, read Project 2025, to get an idea of what these people believe. Actually, I’m not sure they believe anything other than doing whatever it takes to remain in POWER.
Some of the hypocrisy of these republicans is startling. Of course, Ted Cruz watched Trump attack his wife and his father back in 2016 before bending over and licking Trump’s boots. Hawley had his now infamous raised fist salute to the January 6th INSURRECTIONISTS only to be video taped running for his life as they stormed the Capitol. The list is long. Now, Trump has chosen Ohio Senator – with almost NO governing experience JD Vance, who once called Trump “America’s Hitler,” called himself a “Never Trumper,” and said you’d be an “idiot” if you voted for him, as his Vice President candidate. Attention women: Not only is Vance opposed to abortion, he’s also opposed to ANY exceptions. (Maybe that’s why he now claims Trump was a “great president.” (my stomach is curdling)
Trump could have chosen “liddle” Marco Rubio who was kissing up to him as if his life depended on being the choice. Apparently, Rubio making fun of Trump’s “small hands” – just like Stormy Daniels – was a bridge too far for Trump – unforgivable. Tonight, Nikki Haley, who claimed she wouldn’t support Trump, was another of the many who “flip flopped” – again and again – gave a speech for him at the republican convention. Of course, I didn’t manage to watch the speech but I have to wonder if she mentioned her husband in the speech – the husband Trump suggested was overseas in the military to get away from her. Seriously, these people have no shame.
Mitch McConnell. Trump’s been blasting him for years – including making RACIST comments about McConnell’s wife. McConnell, who couldn’t draw the courage to vote to CONVICT Trump in IMPEACHMENT #2 right before he gave a blistering speech on the floor of the Senate saying, in effect, Trump was guilty, was seen recently attempting to lick Trump’s boots at a get together at, you guessed it, the same Capitol Trump instigated the attack 3 1/2 years ago. Talk about your profiles in courage. But, as usual, there’s always more. Despite all of Trump’s ridiculing him – AND being booed at the Convention – there’s McConnell looking for extra spittle to put on Trump’s boots. I have to wonder if some of these cowardly republicans are getting on their knees for Trump (and, not to pray for him, if you know what I mean). This just gets more and more disgusting by the day.
And, still, we continue to have democrats arguing over who their candidate should be. Joe Biden sometimes slurs his words. Sometimes he forgets a name and makes a mistake. He stutters. They’re just AFRAID “we the people” are unable to understand Biden is 81 and the MOST effective president since, likely, FDR. For some reason democrats have lost sight of the FACT the issue is Donald Trump and Project 2025. Arguing over who the nominee should be is wasted air!
Hopefully, I’ll be eating “crow.” A couple days ago now, Joe Biden announced he was removing himself from the presidential election of 2024 – a decision which SHOULD further cement his “legacy” as one of America’s greatest presidents. That is, of course, if I’m eating that “crow.” I had written earlier, if he dropped out the ONLY possible choice for a “successor” was Kamala Harris for a plethora of reasons. The money, which only she can “inherit,” the campaign infrastructure and the campaign staff, and the amount of time it would take to choose someone else not to mention the divisiveness inside the party should that be their plan. (And, with many, including, apparently, Barack Obama, that WAS the plan) True to democrats of the past, there were many calling for an “open convention.” A choice which, in my view, would have guaranteed a second Trump administration.
Praise the Lord! It only took less than 48 hours for Ms. Harris to accumulate enough pledged delegates to the democratic convention to guarantee her the nomination. In addition, it’s been reported in those (less than) 48 hours something like $250 MILLION was raised. (If you don’t understand it takes a lot of money to win a presidential election I’ve got a …………. well, you know the rest) We’ve lost a great mind in making government work, in prosecuting a foreign policy which holds the Western Alliance together, and a determination to keep Putin holed up in Russia without accomplishing his fever dream of recreating the Soviet Union – starting with Ukraine.
Ms. Harris has been by Biden’s side as he’s navigated a 50/50 Senate and a House (in his first two years) with a razor thin majority into the most consequential legislative successes, from my vantage point, in my lifetime. At this point, I’m feeling the KEY to whether or not she will win in November, will be her choice for V.P. I don’t pay much attention to the polling, but, at this point, I have no idea what the polls are “saying.” I just can’t imagine the American people voting in a convicted FELON, who attempted a coup d’etat after his first FAILED term in office – where more jobs were LOST than what were there when he started (I believe he set the record) and analysis of his COVID ineptitude suggesting something like HALF A MILLION Americans aren’t here because of his folly.
Trump (and his campaign) keep asking “Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Well, unless you’re one of the tech BILLIONAIRES whose wealth doubled, tripled, or more, that answer is likely NO! People were losing jobs in droves, at this point four years ago something like 2000 to 3000 Americans PER DAY were dying of COVID – a number which rose to 4000 PER DAY by the time Trump (reluctantly) left office on January 20, 2021. He left with the economy in near free fall and NO plan for how to get us out of the COVID mess he helped exacerbate. Now he’s up against a 59 year old former prosecutor and, I’m guessing, he’s trying to figure out how to worm his way out of the September debate. (Which he already agreed to)
I’ll say it again. I’ve NEVER wished more to be wrong about one of my predictions than the one where I predicted the democrats would lose if they abandoned Biden. It still remains to be seen, but the initial enthusiasm, at least with the campaign staff and the democratic leaders who pushed Biden out of the race seems to be high. As I’ve said here and other places, I would have voted for Biden if he was on his last breath. As a friend of mine once said, “I’d vote for a can of tomato soup before I’d vote for Trump.” The next three months will be interesting and historic. I’m still hopeful for one of the last things on my bucket list: To live long enough (I’ll soon be 77 and have cancer) to see Trump go to jail. For that to happen, Ms. Harris needs to win in November!
Final Thought: I’ve written ad nauseam about the SCOTUS Citizen’s United v FEC decision back in 2010 which unleashed the “dark money” flowing into elections causing the COST of gaining a seat in Congress or, more drastically, winning the “White House” to run into the BILLIONS. For “little old me” who throws in $25 here and there it’s not much different than before – when there were actually campaign finance laws attempting to curb the effect of BILLIONAIRES on our elections. Well, it just keeps getting worse.
In the 2024 election we’ve got Trump attempting to get OIL BILLIONAIRES to drop him a “cool billion” with the promise to reverse President Biden’s environmental decisions. And, now, the latest report I’ve read has Elon Musk (yes, the same Elon Musk who claimed he was staying out of this election) ponying up $45 MILLION per month for Trump’s campaign coffers. Of course, he has to give the money to a “PAC” – which is not connected to Trump’s campaign (wink, wink). Will Trump use the money to pay his legal bills? That question doesn’t seem to be in the news lately – or all of Trump’s LIES. Even democrats are working overtime for Trump, by knifing Joe Biden in the back. I’ll say it again, that’s why I’ve never been a democrat.