To me, Kamala Harris closing speech was the kind of closing argument a prosecutor presents to a jury, lioning out why they should make the decision they will.
Kamala is brilliant. She will be a leader whom we can trust like we could trust Biden, to do the right thing and the thing that are best for all Americans, just as Joe looked after repairing the infrastructure of middle America because it was most in need despite them being red states.
Kamala will do similar things in her own, more youthful way. She will not be besties with Putin and Orban. But she will be on great terms with our real friends in Europe, including the Ukraine. She will never denigrate our troops, our agencies, or us as Americans. She will not use her office as President to benefit her nest egg, she will use it to benefit all citizens to best of her ability
A message I hope all have heard. Speaking of unfair. How very unfair is it that Joe, who has lifted all of us more than any Repub ever did since Lincoln, is so denigrated by those he helped most.
Not sure what you mean by "more than any Repub", Joe of course is a Democrat and he has lifted us, meaning all American citizens, and the country, more than anyone since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And he isn't so much denigrated as ignored. Joe is 10 years younger than me so my answer may be biased, but I really think ageism has more to do with ignoring Joe Biden's accomplishments than anything else. When we get old and don't function quite as well as we did in our sixties people think we should all be content to be in a wheel chair with a blanket over our legs. I related to Joe and his hard work ethic because I worked full time until I was 88 as a computer program consultant, Joe could have finished a second term with flying colors. But like the dedicated public servant he is, he put country over ego and supported Kamala for President. Joe has trained Kamala well, and she is very capable on her own so I trust her to carry on in the same mode as Joe, except, she might be a tad harder on Netanyahu.
I agree with you that Biden’s political invisibility is to do with ageism. Just as too many will not vote for Kamala because of their visceral racism and misogyny rather than political differences.
Both big nos for so many. Politics redefines so much but I guess that’s the purpose of propaganda. Issues take on hues that are not germane or relevant.
Of course, I know Joe is a Democrat. But can you think of even one Republican since Lincoln who has done as much for the country. I don’t count Reagan as a plus, but Ike was the last keeper and has been rejected by Repubs ever since. Why are they called the “Grand Old Party.” They have been the elites who cared crap for the working man. I know democrats have had a rough time since Reagan started the “say nothing good about Dems, say nothing bad about Repubs” and Rupert made it de rigueur, with Repubs signing on to this with leftover Nixon dirty tricksters, Lee Atwater, and Newt. Then with Fox, Pandora’s Box flung wide open. You know all that. I agree with every syllable you wrote. Sorry if my wording was confusing. But history is clear, the GOP lost its soul long ago. Dems have hung on to theirs, ragged it may be. But we have the goal of living in the UNITED States of America. When she wins, Netanyahu and Putin may lose some of their strut and hot air.
You're right: "the GOP lost its soul long ago." By the end of the 19th century, the GOP had ceased to be "the party of Lincoln" in anything but name. Since the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of the mid-1960s, when the white Southern Democrats made a beeline for the Republican Party, it's been the Democratic Party building on the legacy of Lincoln. I won't call it "the party of Lincoln" because it's also the party of FDR and Harry Truman and, the more I think of it, Martin Luther King Jr., among others.
William Buckley never deviated from his elite stance (to my knowledge) and would likely be appalled by the people claiming republican bona fides. Guess he would love the power trip though.
I don't remember Buckley ever changing his tune. He's part of a long American tradition of an elite right wing that flirts with fascism -- and fascism is generally accompanied by a rabble that can mobilize to scare dissenters and outcasts. Jacob Heilbrunn's recent book AMERICA LAST is good on this. But I can't imagine the fastidious Buckley being a big fan of Donald Trump's.
We are now in total agreement JD. And Reagan far from being a plus is and always has been a negative, yet even today some voters "proudly" call themselves Reagan Republicans. That would be like me if I called myself a Newsom Democrat (ick)
And that's exactly the impression I've gotten, that Biden was positioning Harris so that she'd learn, and be fully prepared to become President. She has been doing an absolutely superb job campaigning. Biden's the best president of my lifetime, which began the first summer of the Eisenhower Administration, but I expect Harris will be even better.
Why are we trying to complicate things. It’s between a competent woman and a fascist, vote-denying evil bastard. In a world where America is a bastion of equality and opportunity, it’s a no-brainer. Maybe that is the problem. America is not what we have always thought. We’ll see.
It often takes time for a president's -- or any leader's -- worth to be fully assessed and valued accordingly. Consider President Carter for instance. 2024 has been a tumultuous year, following almost a decade of tumultuous years. It's been a year of action and reaction. Not a year to sit back and reflect at leisure. I am confident that President Biden's achievements (not the least of which was his choice of VP) will be widely recognized once more of us are able to see them in a context that includes both Trumpism and the lasting damage done by Reaganomics.
Yep, it took decades for the extent of Reagan’s evil to become clear to so many. But Joe is being slandered non-stop, not with slanted news but with the opposite being screamed from the roof tops. Unconscionable
75.000 joined the next President of the United States on the Ellipse in examination and celebration of Democracy and freedom and a future free of tyranny. When a former president held a rally on this very spot that turned into a traitorous siege of our Capitol it is estimated 50,000 showed up. Kamala held a Love Fest and the one who paints his face orange is going to turn red with envy. I can’t wait! 💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸
Thanks Tom. I always share your essays on Facebook! I loved listening to VP Harris tonight. Afterwards, trump came on at his rally here in my hometown of Allentown, PA. Nothing new or even sane about what he said, his lies are so old. AND, he’s stinking up our beautiful Lehigh Valley. Voting Blue down the ballot next Tuesday!!
Kamala at the Farm Show building in Harrisburg PA tomorrow night. My husband was invited and I'm so happy he'll be able to see her in person. He's excited!!
His verbiage is so insane, so vitriolic, so violent that he should be hauled off to the hoosegow. His diatribes about every Democrat should not be protected political speech. It is way beyond the pale. We will regret that so much of his in-your-face evil has been dismissed. Or considered “official duties.”
Thanks for sharing this analysis, Tom! I look forward to watching the speech later. But I just love the approach she's taking: it's genuine, based in history, and our shared values, forward looking, and inclusive. I truly believe it's the beginning of a great new era in our history.
Props to Joe Biden - he did what we needed him to, bridging the gap to a new generation of leaders, represented by Kamala. But in so doing, he achieved so much in these past four years, and rightly should be remembered as one of the greatest presidents ever. Kamala will pick up that legacy and put herself into that same category.
She pointed out, quite brilliantly, that people on Medicaid have to dispose of their assets (money) in order to continue on in the program. I had, earlier this year, close to $9,000 in the bank and a stash invest account. That money's gone now. I hope that gets changed. It's $2000 and designed to keep disabled people 'in poverty.'
Why should a country that has fought plenty of petty tyrants submit to another? Best question ever. But Rupert has echoed chump’s claim that he is the salvation and retribution for the aggrieved who feel that every Democrat is not only a petty tyrant, but Beelzebub himself. Rupert’s message for the life of the Fox propaganda machine. Rupert and his ilk are the real tyrants, chump just a hand puppet.
Rupert Murdoch made no secret during his lifetime of his desire to capture the world entire and become a successful all powerful Emperor/King. All he needed to achieve was power over our mass media.
This raises questions not just about those who yearn for political tyranny but the dangers inherent in the seductive powers of our mass mediation machines.
I remember him saying that when he called a world leader, he wanted no delay in him answering the phone. Or words to that effect. Behind the scenes power, more control and less criticism.
There is no doubt that he is a clever man, hence FOX news. However clever is not the same as intelligent. The clever can negotiate and win power over others but it is only intelligence that can create a kinder more just society and nurture others. His legacy is one of broken innocent lives and a dying planet.
She was simply fabulous. Presidential in every way. I do wish she had directly connected Trump’s 20% “sales tax” with his word “tariff,” but that’s small potatoes on the whole. Unfortunately, I have no doubt the people who need to watch this, didn’t.
Thanks for the recap. I am in the middle of a major rearrangement of my office, and have been blissfully out of the loop on anything, barely checking Substack, not to mention reading news, for the past week. I've done what I can to get out the vote with my physical limitations, which is mainly donating to down ticket candidates. I don't actually KNOW anyone who is voting for trump that I can try to persuade otherwise.
I can guess what has happened in the last week that everyone is talking about.
--trump has been wilder and wilder on his Nazi shtick.
--Harris has been more and more awesome.
--People are worried about attempts to overturn a Harris win, with doomsayers and optimists giving different analyses.
--The IDF is busy killing people. (I did hear about Iran, but no tat for the tit yet and I saw about moving to shut down UNRWA, which boggles the mind).
Have I guessed right?
It is so RELAXING to worry about which cord goes with which device and how to keep them from looking like a rat's nest, and whether I can reach the appropriate pen easily, and how to fit furniture into the new configuration without tripping over it , and where else I can stick my overflow of books.
And just think how our email and text inboxes will shrink in just one week.
I'm not taking the election lightly, not at all. My ballot is ready for the drop box (getting it in "early" will not add a whit to anyone's predictions here in Soviet Washington). It's just that I don't think worry at this point will change a freakin' thing.
Kamala is brilliant. She will be a leader whom we can trust like we could trust Biden, to do the right thing and the thing that are best for all Americans, just as Joe looked after repairing the infrastructure of middle America because it was most in need despite them being red states.
Kamala will do similar things in her own, more youthful way. She will not be besties with Putin and Orban. But she will be on great terms with our real friends in Europe, including the Ukraine. She will never denigrate our troops, our agencies, or us as Americans. She will not use her office as President to benefit her nest egg, she will use it to benefit all citizens to best of her ability
A message I hope all have heard. Speaking of unfair. How very unfair is it that Joe, who has lifted all of us more than any Repub ever did since Lincoln, is so denigrated by those he helped most.
Not sure what you mean by "more than any Repub", Joe of course is a Democrat and he has lifted us, meaning all American citizens, and the country, more than anyone since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And he isn't so much denigrated as ignored. Joe is 10 years younger than me so my answer may be biased, but I really think ageism has more to do with ignoring Joe Biden's accomplishments than anything else. When we get old and don't function quite as well as we did in our sixties people think we should all be content to be in a wheel chair with a blanket over our legs. I related to Joe and his hard work ethic because I worked full time until I was 88 as a computer program consultant, Joe could have finished a second term with flying colors. But like the dedicated public servant he is, he put country over ego and supported Kamala for President. Joe has trained Kamala well, and she is very capable on her own so I trust her to carry on in the same mode as Joe, except, she might be a tad harder on Netanyahu.
I agree with you that Biden’s political invisibility is to do with ageism. Just as too many will not vote for Kamala because of their visceral racism and misogyny rather than political differences.
Both big nos for so many. Politics redefines so much but I guess that’s the purpose of propaganda. Issues take on hues that are not germane or relevant.
Of course, I know Joe is a Democrat. But can you think of even one Republican since Lincoln who has done as much for the country. I don’t count Reagan as a plus, but Ike was the last keeper and has been rejected by Repubs ever since. Why are they called the “Grand Old Party.” They have been the elites who cared crap for the working man. I know democrats have had a rough time since Reagan started the “say nothing good about Dems, say nothing bad about Repubs” and Rupert made it de rigueur, with Repubs signing on to this with leftover Nixon dirty tricksters, Lee Atwater, and Newt. Then with Fox, Pandora’s Box flung wide open. You know all that. I agree with every syllable you wrote. Sorry if my wording was confusing. But history is clear, the GOP lost its soul long ago. Dems have hung on to theirs, ragged it may be. But we have the goal of living in the UNITED States of America. When she wins, Netanyahu and Putin may lose some of their strut and hot air.
You're right: "the GOP lost its soul long ago." By the end of the 19th century, the GOP had ceased to be "the party of Lincoln" in anything but name. Since the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of the mid-1960s, when the white Southern Democrats made a beeline for the Republican Party, it's been the Democratic Party building on the legacy of Lincoln. I won't call it "the party of Lincoln" because it's also the party of FDR and Harry Truman and, the more I think of it, Martin Luther King Jr., among others.
William Buckley never deviated from his elite stance (to my knowledge) and would likely be appalled by the people claiming republican bona fides. Guess he would love the power trip though.
I don't remember Buckley ever changing his tune. He's part of a long American tradition of an elite right wing that flirts with fascism -- and fascism is generally accompanied by a rabble that can mobilize to scare dissenters and outcasts. Jacob Heilbrunn's recent book AMERICA LAST is good on this. But I can't imagine the fastidious Buckley being a big fan of Donald Trump's.
We are now in total agreement JD. And Reagan far from being a plus is and always has been a negative, yet even today some voters "proudly" call themselves Reagan Republicans. That would be like me if I called myself a Newsom Democrat (ick)
Reagan Democrats were even ickier
True.
Fay, you're amazing! I'm very impressed.
And that's exactly the impression I've gotten, that Biden was positioning Harris so that she'd learn, and be fully prepared to become President. She has been doing an absolutely superb job campaigning. Biden's the best president of my lifetime, which began the first summer of the Eisenhower Administration, but I expect Harris will be even better.
Thank you, David, and agreed
https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/dynamic/render?campaign_id=39&emc=edit_ty_20241030&instance_id=138171&isViewInBrowser=true&nl=opinion-today&paid_regi=0®i_id=79261124&segment_id=181735&sendId=181735&uri=nyt://newsletter/a4cc4b3a-1f70-548d-9e48-cbdefad53583&user_id=c152cac408a22aa483275c304116079d
Why are we trying to complicate things. It’s between a competent woman and a fascist, vote-denying evil bastard. In a world where America is a bastion of equality and opportunity, it’s a no-brainer. Maybe that is the problem. America is not what we have always thought. We’ll see.
It often takes time for a president's -- or any leader's -- worth to be fully assessed and valued accordingly. Consider President Carter for instance. 2024 has been a tumultuous year, following almost a decade of tumultuous years. It's been a year of action and reaction. Not a year to sit back and reflect at leisure. I am confident that President Biden's achievements (not the least of which was his choice of VP) will be widely recognized once more of us are able to see them in a context that includes both Trumpism and the lasting damage done by Reaganomics.
Yep, it took decades for the extent of Reagan’s evil to become clear to so many. But Joe is being slandered non-stop, not with slanted news but with the opposite being screamed from the roof tops. Unconscionable
75.000 joined the next President of the United States on the Ellipse in examination and celebration of Democracy and freedom and a future free of tyranny. When a former president held a rally on this very spot that turned into a traitorous siege of our Capitol it is estimated 50,000 showed up. Kamala held a Love Fest and the one who paints his face orange is going to turn red with envy. I can’t wait! 💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸
Judith, my heart just did a grand jetté full of pure joy with your response. As a former professional dancer leaping was my absolute bliss! Thank you.
“ a country founded in defiance of a petty tyrant must refuse to submit to another.”
Powerful line. She was on perfect pitch tonight! Loved the huge turnout and the connection she made with them.
I felt we were looking at our next President!!
Thanks TC!
Thanks Tom. I always share your essays on Facebook! I loved listening to VP Harris tonight. Afterwards, trump came on at his rally here in my hometown of Allentown, PA. Nothing new or even sane about what he said, his lies are so old. AND, he’s stinking up our beautiful Lehigh Valley. Voting Blue down the ballot next Tuesday!!
Kamala at the Farm Show building in Harrisburg PA tomorrow night. My husband was invited and I'm so happy he'll be able to see her in person. He's excited!!
His verbiage is so insane, so vitriolic, so violent that he should be hauled off to the hoosegow. His diatribes about every Democrat should not be protected political speech. It is way beyond the pale. We will regret that so much of his in-your-face evil has been dismissed. Or considered “official duties.”
Thank You, TC. She's got this!
Thanks for sharing this analysis, Tom! I look forward to watching the speech later. But I just love the approach she's taking: it's genuine, based in history, and our shared values, forward looking, and inclusive. I truly believe it's the beginning of a great new era in our history.
Props to Joe Biden - he did what we needed him to, bridging the gap to a new generation of leaders, represented by Kamala. But in so doing, he achieved so much in these past four years, and rightly should be remembered as one of the greatest presidents ever. Kamala will pick up that legacy and put herself into that same category.
Thank you! Sharing in FB, Let’s go blue 💙!
She pointed out, quite brilliantly, that people on Medicaid have to dispose of their assets (money) in order to continue on in the program. I had, earlier this year, close to $9,000 in the bank and a stash invest account. That money's gone now. I hope that gets changed. It's $2000 and designed to keep disabled people 'in poverty.'
Thanks, Tom. Sharing on Facebook.
Why should a country that has fought plenty of petty tyrants submit to another? Best question ever. But Rupert has echoed chump’s claim that he is the salvation and retribution for the aggrieved who feel that every Democrat is not only a petty tyrant, but Beelzebub himself. Rupert’s message for the life of the Fox propaganda machine. Rupert and his ilk are the real tyrants, chump just a hand puppet.
Rupert Murdoch made no secret during his lifetime of his desire to capture the world entire and become a successful all powerful Emperor/King. All he needed to achieve was power over our mass media.
This raises questions not just about those who yearn for political tyranny but the dangers inherent in the seductive powers of our mass mediation machines.
I remember him saying that when he called a world leader, he wanted no delay in him answering the phone. Or words to that effect. Behind the scenes power, more control and less criticism.
There is no doubt that he is a clever man, hence FOX news. However clever is not the same as intelligent. The clever can negotiate and win power over others but it is only intelligence that can create a kinder more just society and nurture others. His legacy is one of broken innocent lives and a dying planet.
So true, I think real intelligence and empathy are intertwined
She was simply fabulous. Presidential in every way. I do wish she had directly connected Trump’s 20% “sales tax” with his word “tariff,” but that’s small potatoes on the whole. Unfortunately, I have no doubt the people who need to watch this, didn’t.
Of course they didn’t. Did Fox air it.
Thanks for the recap. I am in the middle of a major rearrangement of my office, and have been blissfully out of the loop on anything, barely checking Substack, not to mention reading news, for the past week. I've done what I can to get out the vote with my physical limitations, which is mainly donating to down ticket candidates. I don't actually KNOW anyone who is voting for trump that I can try to persuade otherwise.
I can guess what has happened in the last week that everyone is talking about.
--trump has been wilder and wilder on his Nazi shtick.
--Harris has been more and more awesome.
--People are worried about attempts to overturn a Harris win, with doomsayers and optimists giving different analyses.
--The IDF is busy killing people. (I did hear about Iran, but no tat for the tit yet and I saw about moving to shut down UNRWA, which boggles the mind).
Have I guessed right?
It is so RELAXING to worry about which cord goes with which device and how to keep them from looking like a rat's nest, and whether I can reach the appropriate pen easily, and how to fit furniture into the new configuration without tripping over it , and where else I can stick my overflow of books.
And just think how our email and text inboxes will shrink in just one week.
I'm not taking the election lightly, not at all. My ballot is ready for the drop box (getting it in "early" will not add a whit to anyone's predictions here in Soviet Washington). It's just that I don't think worry at this point will change a freakin' thing.
Spot on.
Thanks for sharing this analysis, Tom!
Thanks Tom.
A piece on NPR.org contained an interview with a so called evangelical pastor, Chad Harvey.
He waved his magic ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ wand to explain why he supports trump.
“ And so you can have some people with some pretty deep moral struggles who are upholding a platform that we support.
And I tell our people, don't pay as much attention to the struggles — pay attention to the platform. “
“ Because here's what the Bible says: There's none righteous. No, not one. We're all messed-up people. “
“Some pretty deep moral struggles…”!! Seriously Chad!
Cheated on each of his 3 wives
Advocates sexual assault on women
Convicted of sexual assault
Convicted of financial fraud and election fraud
Deadly incompetent management of US policy during covid crisis leading to over 1,000,000 Americans death
Disdains laws that impede his pursuit of avaricious greed.
Lead and participated in the organization of the Jan 6 assault on our election process.
Dear Chad:
The creature trump is running for the office of POTUS not some low level municipal office!
‘We’re all messed…’ however your position is reckless!
Some pretty deep moral struggles…”!! Seriously Chad!
Cheated on each of his 3 wives
Advocates sexual assault on women
Convicted of sexual assault
Convicted of financial fraud and election fraud
Deadly incompetent management of US policy during covid crisis leading to over 1,000,000 Americans death
Disdains laws that impede his pursuit of avaricious greed.
Lead and participated in the organization of the Jan 6 assault on our election process.
Dear Chad:
The creature trump is running for the office of POTUS not some low level municipal office!
‘We’re all messed…’ however your position is reckless!
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/29/nx-s1-5165535/trump-christians-evangelical-harris-support