Mark today’s date, July 29, 2024 and this headline. The reason I ask, is because wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful if we could have a replay of this headline, say eight or nine times at least, between now and Election Day? Wouldn’t that be simply grand? A.B. Stoddard wrote a piece for The Bulwark.It’s all about poor, beleaguered Donald Trump’s no good, awful, terrible, baddest week right after he thought that he had the election totally in the bag after his failed assassination attempt. Oh yes. He saw himself in the same league as St. Reagan, suddenly, elevated by karma, fate and his evangelical wingnuts telling him that he is truly annointed by God. Put it this way: the more pumped up they are, the louder the pop is when the balloon finally bursts. And the last time a balloon burst like this one of Trump’s will, it was called Hindenburg.
Trump had been riding high. He had a consistent lead over President Joe Biden both nationally and in all the swing state polling, in some places beyond the margin of error. Following his catastrophic debate on June 27, Biden refused to step aside, keeping the national debate focused on questions about his age and fitness. And after Trump was nearly killed at a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, the image on every TV screen and newspaper front page showed him rising bloodied but defiant. He was, literally, the picture of strength.
Two days later, at the Republican convention, the faithful gathered in jubilation to celebrate his survival, his nomination, and his choice of running mate. Trump had escaped with his life, and the election was his to lose.
From that commanding position Trump chose Vance to juice the bro vote in the Rust Belt and to firm up connections to Silicon Valley. Harris had lower approval than Biden, and Democrats had long worried she would be a drag on the ticket.
Republicans weren’t licking their chops—they were drooling.
As I said, the more hot air is compressed in the balloon, the more it will blow sky high when it’s finally time. And two days later it was finally time. And who did what? Why, none other than that kindly gentleman who is our incumbent president. He quietly sprang a leak and the hissing (not to mention the moaning, and wailing and gnashing of teeth) has been going on for over a week now, as the Trump campaign loses altitude, as it heads for its inevitable crash landing.
But one historic tweet from Rehoboth, Delaware changed everything. “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down,” wrote President Biden. Suddenly, a weak vs. strong campaign became one of future vs. past, young vs. old, positive vs. negative, possibility vs. fear. Trump’s candidacy is old and stale, and the third time is not charming. Harris may be the sitting vice president, but her candidacy is sparkling and new.
Trump lost altitude so quickly he forgot he was supposed to have been transformed by the attempt on his life. Suddenly he can no longer fake serenity and humility, and that crap about unity his supporters attested to after the attempted assassination.
A noticeably grouchy Trump admitted Saturday that was all BS. “No, I haven’t changed,” he said. “Maybe I’ve gotten worse. Because I get angry at the incompetence that I witness every single day.”
Enraged by Harris’s surge, Trump is flailing about for any attack to use on her. He has accused her of “committing crimes,” said she doesn’t like Jewish people (despite being married to one), and called her “sick,” “a bum,” and “evil.”
Not to mention “fucking bitch.” But, in fairness, Trump did say that on his golf course a few weeks before all this happened, and that tape was leaked. He has not publicly called Harris a fucking bitch, or worse, since she has taken up the Democratic mantle officially. Not yet, let’s put it that way.
Ten days ago Trump thought he couldn’t lose. Yet new voter registration, donations, polling, and volunteer signups show Harris has been met with enthusiasm among young, black, Latino and independent voters.
Trump has been robbed of his mojo. Infuriated, he gripes nonsensically about wanting a refund for all the money he spent campaigning against Biden. He isn’t the messiah he thought he was two weeks ago, he is just the same man-baby he always was. And now he’s running against a black woman. He might lose to a black woman.
And remember, to Trump a Black woman is Aunt Jemima or the cleaning lady — with the exceptions of those horrible ones like Letitia James, Fani Willis, Tanya Chutkan. He’s still trying to cope with those three, whom he undoubtly sees as the witches around the cauldron in Macbeth, chanting “eye of Newt, and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog.” Speaking of Newt, he recently chimed in that Kamala Harris was a force to be reckoned with, oh noes.
Letitia James, Fani Willis, Tanya Chutkan, Kamala Harris.
Just what do those four people have in common?
What exquisite karma.
How will his tiny ego cope?
Who cares.
“Eye of Newt”? it makes,Gingrich sound like Sauron. He isn’t smart enough to be the Dark Lord of Mordor. Just petty Southern bush league viciousness.
And don’t expect the explosion of the Hindenburg. More like a slow leak from the Trump Baby Balloom. I wonder if someone could create one that resembles,J.D. Vance done up.like a cliche hillbully, have the two balloons follow them everywhere?