My God, THIS Really IS America

NOTE: This is a post I wrote in 2020, when it looked like Trump would beat Biden. Fortunately, he didn't. Since that time, Trump has been found liable for sexual assault and business fraud, convicted of 34 felonies, lied about the 2020 election and participated in a scheme to overturn it, incited an insurrection and then did nothing for 187 minutes while his supporters pummeled police officers, ransacked the Capitol, and chanted to hang his Vice President. Astoundingly, it looks like Trump will be our next President.

(Originally published November 3, 2020)

My country has voted for a vile and evil man. My country has voted for a man that pushes conspiracy theories and bullies anyone that doesn't metaphorically worship the ground he walks on. My country voted for a man that PURPOSELY lied and deceived the country about the transmission and severity of a deadly virus (230,000 fellow Americans and counting). My country voted for a man who has told the American public more than 22,000 lies in four years.  My country voted for a man that encourages militia groups and voter intimidators. My country voted for a man whose party wasn't saying we need to unite the country, but rather that said his party needs to squash the other.  

I could excuse it four years ago, because people didn't know really who Trump was. Many hoped he would grow into the role of President. 

But he didn't. 

And now, they know who Trump really is. He is vile and evil.

So there's no excuse for it. None. 

And sadly--terrifyingly--my fellow Americans think this is the man they should have voted for.

This is my country. And THIS is what they think our country is?

Oh, my God.

Heaven help us all.

If Trump wins, US will survive--but it will change

Each side bemoans the end of our country if its candidate doesn't win.

They're both wrong.

The US will survive.

Harris will uphold democracy, Trump won't

If Harris wins, though, the US will NOT be overrun with "insane asylum" criminals. Nor will Marxism usurp our capitalism and system of government. Even if Harris signs policies that Trump supporters don't agree with, Harris and the staff she chooses will uphold the tenets of democracy. They will actually believe in--and follow--the rule of law. They will honor the Constitution, just as US Presidential administrations have done for almost 250 years.

If Trump wins, however. things will change.

And I'm not referring solely to the results from policies enacted by a Trump administration.

Sadly (and terrifyingly so), the foundations of this country will change a lot.

Trump promises retribution if elected

You see, Trump DOESN'T believe in the rule of law (reminder: he sat for 187 minutes on January 6 doing nothing while his supporters pummeled cops, ransacked the Capitol, and chanted to hang his vice president). He talks about retribution. He says he will direct his DOJ to pursue those that have challenged him (btw, GOP, Biden did NOT do that). He has floated the idea of military tribunals and treason charges for political opponents.

And Trump DOESN'T believe in the Constitution. He actively worked to overturn an election (reminder: "I just want to find 11, 780 votes, which is one more than we have"). Contrary to the First Amendment, he openly elevates one religion over another and has trashed the idea of free speech by threatening to imprison reporters and strip networks of their broadcasting licenses for unflattering coverage. He decries the Fourteenth Amendment that grants US citizenship for all born on US soil.

And, of course, Trump DOESN'T believe in democracy. He praises dictators. He disparages and undermines our Congress and our Courts in our three-branched government. He sent to the Capitol an armed mob of his supporters to stop the certification of a free and fair election.

But it won't end after Trump's four years.

A Trump win would be affirmation that his anti-American views--his MAGA views--are the way this country wants to go.

Already, GOP members that excoriated him for inciting an insurrection on January 6 have rewritten the violence of that day (and Trump's role) as no big deal. They wave away his comments threatening opponents or violating Constitutional ideals as hyperbole or him just being Trump.  They love the power of his rabid (and, in many cases, deplorable) MAGA base, believing it allows them to exclusively push their white, Christian views.

The GOP spreads lies about migrant workers

And it has already changed the country. The GOP now willingly pushes lies to divide the country and push its agenda (be it lies about immigrants eating pets in Ohio or that the federal government doesn't help hurricane victims). They've used Trump election lies (which many had previously decried) to shove unnecessary voting changes down the throats of states, supposedly to stop (non-existent) voter fraud, but really designed to disenfranchise voters of disadvantaged communities.  They see that being coarse and uncivil and a bully--and uncompromising and unwilling to work together--equal toughness in the eyes of their MAGA constituents, so that's how they act.

That has pushed out more-principled GOP members of Congress that just can't stomach the lies and the coarseness and the acrimony--some because they feared losing reelection after alienating the MAGA vote, and likely many who feared personal harassment from Donald Trump, which often leads to actual threats of physical violence towards themselves and their families.

And the dominoes from a Trump reign will continue to fall. The unprincipled will soon take control of the GOP. Unprincipled Democrats will then spring up to get their own slice of the deplorable GOP base. And the incivility and the coarseness and the acrimony of Trump's legacy will continue to travel down along its dark road, until the pendulum (hopefully soon) will swing back towards decency and hope and unity.

Vote for decency and hope and unity

And that's where we are now.

Decency and hope and unity (via Kamala Harris) are on the ballot.

The US will survive, even if this country chooses otherwise.

But it will be a whole lot different.

Vote Harris.

For any Presidential fence-sitters out there...

If you know someone out there who is still on the fence about the Presidential election, please implore them to take the time to read/listen to each of the candidate's “closing argument” speeches.

Trump gave his at NYC's Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Harris gave hers at the Ellipse in Washington, DC, yesterday.

Logically, the "closing argument" speech is that which each candidate would think defines their pitch--their reasons--to be elected President.

I won't offer recommendation or condemnation here of anything that was said. I will simply let the words of the candidates speak for themselves.

But there were some things I specifically looked for, that I feel are important in a leader, and for our country.

I looked for specific policy details, truthfulness, coherence, civility, and the candidate speaking about the country rather than speaking about themselves.

I also looked for that which gave me a feeling of belief in/hope for this country working together.

Have the fence-sitters experience the speech, looking for that which is important to them, whatever that would be.

And please remember to remind them to vote next Tuesday.

Text of Trump's "closing argument": Full text: Trump's closing argument speech at NYC's MSG

Trump speech video: Former President Trump addresses rally at Madison Square Garden | Fox News Video

Text of Harris's "closing argument: Full text: Harris's closing argument speech at the Ellipse

Harris speech video: Watch Kamala Harris' full closing argument on 2024 election at D.C. Ellipse

Fact-checking Kamala Harris’s "closing argument" speech at the White House Ellipse: Politifact: Fact-checking Kamala Harris’ ‘closing argument’ speech at the White House Ellipse

Fact-checking Donald Trump’s "closing argument" speech at Madison Square Garden, NYC: Fact check: Debunking 16 false claims Trump made at Madison Square Garden | CNN Politics

Sigh, nothing I write will matter

If you're reading this, you're likely in the Harris camp for this presidential election.

The felon and the prosecutor

And there is likely nothing I could write (or she could do) that would change your November vote.

If, on the off chance, you're reading this as a Trump supporter,

um, there is likely nothing I could write (or he could do) that would change your November vote.

Sigh.

Trump, the candidate who once famously say he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still not lose his supporters, continues to push the boundaries of convention and decency every single day.

And he's right. He doesn't lose support.

In the last couple weeks, Trump purposely spread lies about immigrants eating pets and taking over a Colorado town. And another woman (of about two dozen) has come forward describing being sexually assaulted by Trump--the man who says he likes to just grab women by the genitals.

No problem.

It's been revealed he's praised Hitler. And claimed he was a better President than Lincoln.

Again, no problem.

Members of his own GOP--staunch, party faithful, even the vast majority of HIS OWN ADMINISTRATION who Trump had vetted and touted as "the best people"--have refused to endorse him, calling him everything from "fascist" to "unfit" to serve as President.

Still, his supporters don't care.

I should have seen this sooner.

Trump shamelessly sold merchandise
 emblazoned with his mugshot

I mean, he's already been convicted by a jury of 34 felonies connected to hush money he paid a porn star with whom he had an affair. He's been found liable by a jury of sexual assault. He's been found to have committed business fraud (along with six bankruptcies and failed business ventures such as Trump steaks and the deceptive Trump University).

And the support didn't waver.

Trump was charged with trying to overturn an election--including by helping concoct a scheme of fake electors and pressuring Georgia elections officials to cheat ("I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have"), and he's been charged with hoarding top-secret documents, too. These actions he really no longer even denies, instead, he celebrates and cloaks himself in the literally unbelievable Supreme Court ruling of "presidential immunity"--under which his lawyers argued (successfully, it appears) that Trump could have Seal Team 6 assassinate his political rivals with no repercussions.

And the support needle didn't move.

And, of course, he's been impeached twice--once for improper withholding of Congressional military assistance for an ally, and once for inciting an insurrection--for which his own party members in Congress even called him directly responsible.

And the needle still didn't move.

Eventual House Speaker McCarthy once
 said Trump "bears responsibility" for Jan. 6

Even his party members that decried his insurrectionist rhetoric have changed their tune, perhaps because of their own desire for power and what Trump's MAGA army could do for them, or perhaps from the fear of political retribution via Trump's tweets or from the fear of physical retribution from the violent faction of Trump devotees.

And Trump voters still support Trump.

And I don't get why they still do.

But they do.

And after all that, Trump was right, especially in light of everything else he's done, him shooting someone on Fifth Avenue certainly wouldn't matter at all to them, either.

Sigh.

Trump, of course, will cheat again

If Trump loses in November, is there any reason to believe he won't whine, and lie, and cheat, and try to steal the election just as he did in 2020?

Nope. Of course he will.

Team Trump is great at blaming others
 for what their fearless leader actually does

Because HE'S a cheater.

As a matter of fact, Trump has already been carefully orchestrating such a possibility with continual projection such as, "We have to make sure that we stop them from cheating, because they cheat like dogs."

One of his voter-fraud scapegoats appears to be off the table. Trump and his campaign, after claiming copious cheating from mail-ins (and early-voting) in 2020 and even calling such balloting "corrupt" just days ago have now embraced the practice after realizing it may benefit Trump ("We got to get out and vote. And you can start right away. You know that, right?" he implored at one of his rallies).

And following his infamous popular vote loss to Clinton in 2016, his ludicrous claims (including my favorite: "Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again") were quietly ignored as the Trump-created "Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity" disbanded after only a few months--without any findings of voter fraud.

So, who is the voter-fraud boogeyman this time around? MAGA's ever-popular, ever-feared, ever-reviled, undocumented migrants. It's a great strategy, instead of the scattershot (and disproven) fraud accusations of 2020--Dominion, dead voters, voting twice, ballot dumps, etc.--just blame the group you've already villainized--immigrants.

Trump and Vance have already spread (and their followers have eagerly embraced) lies about immigrants, especially those in Ohio and Colorado. They say migrants are terrorists, and criminals, and they push the Hitleristic threat that migrants are "poisoning the blood of the country."

It's a seamless transition to Trump and his minions to baselessly (of course) promote that undocumented migrants are being let into the country so they will cast their votes for Democrats.

State GOP legislatures (including a proposed Constitutional amendment in my state of Wisconsin) are seeking to add xenophobic language to existing statutes to explicitly--and unnecessarily--say "only" citizens can vote (which, um, is already the law), and which may eventually require specific "citizen-proving" documentation that may be difficult to obtain and thus further disenfranchise voters. (There's a great piece from NBCNews here).

And, it appears, Trump's obedient and gullible devotees are already sowing the election fraud soil--claiming, for example, voters registered to an address don't exist (but, say the nuns, it's their home), or working to cast a dozen fraudulent ballots in Colorado.

You can bet that Trump's voter fraud megaphone will amp up considerably between now and election day (even longer than that if he loses). 

Why?

Because he cheats.

Vote Harris.

3 undeniable reasons to not vote for Trump

Donald Trump should never again be in a trusted leadership position.

This isn’t about his harmful policies, or his felonies, or his impeachments or his disparagement of immigrants, the disabled, US Vets, POWs, fellow Americans (friend and foe alike).

Nope.

It’s because Americans simply can’t trust him.

Obviously, anyone with more than 30,000 lies over four years as President--even including "altering" a hurricane's path with a Sharpie, for heaven's sake--shouldn't be trusted, right?

ANY of these would be a good reason
NOT to vote for the untrustworthy Trump

And anyone who was first elected on since-broken promises of "building a wall and having Mexico pay for it," or replacing Obamacare with his better plan, or eliminating a federal debt and deficit which soared, " or vowing to improve infrastructure (the comically continual "Infrastructure Week") shouldn't be trusted, right?

Or a candidate who knowingly spreads lies about immigrants eating dogs or FEMA not helping hurricane victims shouldn't be trusted right?

Of course not, but I've zeroed in on three--just three--undeniable reasons Americans should never trust--and never vote for--Donald Trump.

1)      He purposely lied to Americans to downplay Covid (statistics show Trump’s dismissiveness may have engendered 40% more US deaths).

2)      He continued promoting election lies despite knowing (as did his lawyers, courts, GOP officials--even Ivanka!) such claims were false, in an apparent attempt to bypass the Constitution.

3)      On January 6, the supposed “law and order” president abandoned his presidential duties—doing nothing for 187 minutes while his supporters pummeled police, ransacked the Capitol, chanted to hang our Vice President. Even if one falsely believes January 6 was the fault of Pelosi/FBI/antifa/etc., Trump was the one who did nothing while allies pleaded he stop the rioters—which he finally did by saying he agreed with them and calling those that destroyed property, attacked police, and threatened to kill government officials “very special.”

If you can’t trust a politician to be honest about deadly pandemics, to uphold the Constitution, or to not abandon his presidential duties, how could you ever trust him to lead the country?

You can't.

Vote Harris.

Enough already! Ban these weapons NOW!

 Another school shooting (the 36^th, so sadly, in 2024 alone, down from 82 a year ago).

Yesterday, four people—two teachers and two fourteen-year-olds—were killed in Winder, Georgia’s Apalachee High School, by a student wielding an AR-style weapon.

Apalachee High in Winder, GA,
is the latest in the long, grim line
of assault-weapon shootings

The killer is a fourteen-year-old boy.

A fourteen-year-old boy who, for some reason, had access to a semi-automatic weapon that can fire up to 60 bullets per minute, bullets that fly at over 3200 feet per second, a terrifying velocity that can cause damage, as one trauma surgeon says, “like a grenade went off (inside the victim’s body).”

That the student obtained such a weapon is a matter for law enforcement (and why he would do such a thing is a matter for mental health experts), but the bigger issue is that such a weapon is available, at all.

There’s no argument, really. AR-style weapons should be banned.

The proof is evidenced by the heinous tally of death and destruction caused by shooters using the AR-style weapons.

That includes this—so horrifyingly—partial list of just some of the school shootings with an AR-style weapon:

Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, TX (2022): 21 killed

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, FL (2018): 17 killed

Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown, CT (2012): 26 killed

Student survivors from the 2018 Parkland
 shooting are evacuated from their high school

(The shooting at Sandy Hook—and the loss of those 26 lives—as you may remember, was despicably and falsely championed by many on the right as a “false flag” operation, a  fake and staged event meant to further gun control interests).

And now we add Apalachee (four killed), the deadliest school shooting since six people were killed just last year at The Covenant School in Nashville, TN, by a killer using AR-style weapons.

And that doesn’t even include other mass shootings that used an AR-style weapon, such as in an Aurora, CO, movie theater (2012, 12 killed), a Sutherland Springs, TX, church (2017, 26 killed), a Pittsburgh, PA, synagogue (2018, 11 killed), or a country music festival in Las Vegas (2017, 58 killed).

It used to be you'd remember the sad details of a mass shooting because it was a rare and shocking  event. Now, however, details are lost, place names are often jumbled or forgotten because now--although still shocking--they have, instead, become relatively commonplace.

Don’t scream “SECOND AMENDMENT!” You’d be wasting your breath and exposing your idiocy.

AR-platform weapons (the AR stands for ArmaLite, the company that first made them) are supposedly used primarily for hunting, target-shooting, and personal home protection.

I can’t imagine what sport there is in blasting a deer with a semi-automatic killing machine.

Or, for that matter, what would be the necessity (other than “Because it’s fun?”) of target practice using an AR-style weapon.

GA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, for
some reason, apparently needs an
 assault-style weapon

And, as far as protection is concerned, guns in the home are rarely used for defensive purposes, but more likely used for purposes such as intimidating family members, with some analyses pointing to home protection with such weapons as about only 30 incidents over a 10 year period.

But AR-style weapons are wildly defended by Second Amendment lovers, who think, I guess, that NO weapons should be banned--although one can’t purchase automatic weapons or bazookas, for example.

And the AR-style weapons are not only defended, but they’re celebrated.

The National Rifle Association proudly calls the AR-15 “America’s rifle.”

Members of Congress have sported mini-replicas on their lapels to show support for their access. The pins were distributed by Georgia Representative and gun store owner Andrew Clyde—whose stake in his Clyde Armory store may be as much as $25 million dollars. By the way, the site of yesterday’s school shooting with an AR-style weapon, is about 20 miles from Clyde’s home and gun store.

Even Alabama GOP Rep. Barry Moore and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert co-sponsored a bill to designate the AR-15 as  our “national gun” (Boebert also owned the now-shuttered gun-themed “Shooters Grill” restaurant in Colorado).

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert
sure seems to love her assault weapons

To be fair, the vast, vast  majority of gun violence doesn’t come in mass shootings. Nor does it involve schools. Nor does it even include AR-style weapons.

But some of it does.

And it seems as though banning such weapons would be a relatively easy fix.

History suggests the same. Enacting a Biden-as-Senator bill in 1994 to prohibit “the manufacture, transfer, or possession of a semi-automatic assault weapon” (such as AR-style weapons) for ten years, saw “lower average annual rates of both mass shootings and death resulting from such incidents than before the ban’s inception.” A sharp and immediate increase in both started again when the ban ended in 2004.

So, isn’t it enough? Isn’t Apalachee High School or Parkland or Sandy Hook or Uvalde enough?

Or will we—or more specifically, the communities, the families, the schools, the kids—have to simply endure more of these horrific events year after year after year?

Trump: Um, HARRIS treated Pence badly?

"The way she treated Mike Pence was horrible," Trump said of Kamala Harris last night in a Fox News interview.

Mike Pence took on Harris
(and a pesky fly) in the 2020 VP debate

Wow. That's serious. Horrible, huh?

Did she make up a derogatory nickname for him? Did she make up lies about things he did? Did she purposely distort his positions on issues? Did she derogate his patriotism or his race or his "manhood"? Did she insult his family members? 

What on Earth did Harris do?!

Um, Trump was talking about Harris admonishing Pence (during their 2020 Vice Presidential debate) for interrupting her: "Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking."

Yikes. That's brutal. But there had to be something else, right?

Perhaps she pressured Pence to overturn an election, or maybe placed an angry January 6 phone call to berate Pence, calling him a "wimp" and a "pus**." 

That would be horrible.

Or maybe she falsely claimed to rabid and violence-prone supporters that Pence could disregard the Constitution to keep the president in office? Maybe with the phrase, "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us." 

Imagine if someone had treated Pence like that. Or maybe Harris made it even more horrible?

Possibly she fired-up an already extremist and fanatical mob with a speech challenging them to "fight like hell," telling them "If Mike Pence does the right thing...we become president." 

And then maybe Harris implored that mob--who had weapons and violent intent--to march to the US Capitol, where Pence was performing his Constitutionally-mandated duty of certifying the 2020 presidential vote. 

Absolutely horrible. Shame on her.

And, for good measure, as the mob was storming the Capitol, pummeling police officers, breaking windows, and occupying the Senate Chambers, maybe Harris tweeted about the foiled plot to overturn the election, "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution." 

Which, of course, would have prompted these insurrectionists to chant something like, "Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!"

Wow. Of course, that would be horrible. Shame on Harris if she did these things to Mike Pence.

Imagine how horrible things might have been...

And in the face of rioters threatening to murder the US Vice President, imagine how horrible it would be to not call Pence to check on him or the nation's business--not even one time--as he sheltered in a basement garage to escape the violent mob that had been set upon him, but, instead, maybe Harris continued placing calls to legislators to lobby them to not certify the accurate election totals. 

Horrible.

Perhaps during it all, while Pence, still sheltering from the mob and coordinating the response to the riot, Harris released a video message saying to those who were just chanting to murder Vice President Pence, "We love you, you're very special." 

And then, for good measure, maybe Harris announced that, if elected President, she would pardon the same vile and violent people that had just threatened to kill the vice president. 

Wow.

If Harris did all that to Mike Pence, that certainly would be horrible. 

But, thankfully, she didn't.

She only reminded him to not interrupt.

So, really, Pence could have been treated a whole lot worse.

Trump: The grift goes on

Calling all MAGA fans! Now, send even MORE of your hard-earned money to convicted felon, twice-impeached, sexual-abusing fraudster Donald J. Trump, with his NEW collection of NFT Trump Trading Cards!

Trump's NFT fantasy...and the reality

Although this sounds as though it's from my satirical "None-yun" page, instead, so pathetically, it's all too real (CollectTrumpCards | Donald Trump Digital Trading Card NFTs). For a mere $99, Trump supporters can own one of about 45,000 "exclusive" images of their hero--and grifter extraordinaire--Donald J. Trump.

It's the fourth series of such NFTs--all featuring a heavily photo-shopped Trump in various Trump-world "manly" poses (think motorcycles, superhero suits, or wielding lightning bolts)--designed to pry yet more funds from his incredibly gullible base of supporters--he's previously fleeced them by selling sneakers and Trump-endorsed Bibles (which have shamelessly netted him more than $300,000).

Superhero Trump: the NFT version and, um, not

And this has nothing to do with his campaign or any of his charitable causes (um, of which I can't think of one anyway). The money, it appears, goes all to him.

His MAGA-faithful must have surprisingly deep pockets, because they do not disappoint. 

For his newest NFTs--although not selling quite as quickly as earlier series--Trump still raked in more than two million dollars of sales the first day.

To sweeten the pot this time, there are what I would term weird incentives for mass purchases--buying 5 (for $495) will secure a pair of Trump's worthless and garish gold Trump sneakers; 75 cards ($7425) will also give you ONE ticket to a Trump gala dinner at Mar-a-Lago, an intimate gathering with Trump and 449 other people that are as stupid as you.

"Hmmm...will my supporters be
stupid enough to buy these?"

Oh, those who purchase lots of his NFTs also get a piece (supposedly) of the suit he was wearing when he debated Biden, what Trump says people term the "Knockout suit" (spoiler alert: no one has ever called it that)--which actually may appeal to non-MAGAites because it was the moment that persuaded Biden to step aside and turn a likely Trump election win to one that will, instead, likely make Kamala Harris the new US President.

So, to all those Trump die-hard supporters with all that extra cash to spare, go ahead and buy all his crap--it will mean less money available for his campaign, and less money with which you can purchase weapons for next January 6th.

 

Today's take from the None-yun: Adding RFK, Jr.--"Team Weird" gets weirder

RFK, Jr. sinks his teeth
into campaigning for Trump

Dead-bear-cub-prankster and NOT-dog-eater RFK, Jr., has suspended his presidential run and has thrown his support behind Donald Trump.

Click here to read about it in today's take from The None-yun:

Adding JFK, Jr.--"Team Weird" gets weirder

Trump: Disgusting "disser"-in-chief

Chalk up another disgusting comment by the "disser"-in-chief, Donald Trump.

The self-proclaimed champion of US Vets and the Armed Forces has insulted the most deserving and decorated of Americans by calling the (civilian) Presidential Medal of Freedom "actually much better" than the Congressional Medal of Honor, given to recipients for distinguishing themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of (their lives) above and beyond the call of duty." Trump made the offensive comment to cozy-up to a megadonor upon whom he had bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom when he was in office. 

PFC Milton L. Olive, III,
a true American hero

Those such awardees, obviously in Trump's eyes, surpass risking their lives "above and beyond the call of duty," and his own disgusting morals are revealed in those he has recognized: inflammatory/defamatory political commentator Rush Limbaugh, divisive US Rep. Jim Jordan, and the man who is currently running Trump's Truth Social media platform into the ground, former US Rep. Devin Nunes.

But here's a pair of those brave soldiers whose actions and awards Trump considers inferior to the accomplishments of Limbaugh and Jordan and Nunes: US Army Private First Class Milton L. Olive, III (the first African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor) who, during the Vietnam War (at age 18), covered a grenade, giving his own life to protect his fellow soldiers; and Trump-given recipient, Delta Force Sgt. Thomas Payne, who continued reentering a burning, collapsing building under enemy fire to rescue dozens of hostages being held by the Islamic State.

Again, in Trump's view, the valor of Limbaugh, who spread political conspiracy theories and called women "femi-nazis," or the heroism of Rep. Jim Jordan refusing to comply with a subpoena from the January 6 Committee (or, for that matter, even remembering if or when or how much he spoke to Donald Trump on January 6), or the bravery shown by Devin Nunes with his earlier and current promotion of lies that work towards benefitting Trump, outshines that of all the Medal of Honor recipients. 

When you add this latest disrespect to Trump's resume, it certainly paints a deservedly unflattering picture. Trump's one-time Chief of Staff General John Kelly confirmed Trump wouldn't visit US soldier graves in France because he said the fallen were "losers." Trump also said POWs weren't heroes because they had been captured. He's suggested the execution of the country's top general. When running for President in 2016, he claimed to know more than all the generals. Trump (even to this day) shamelessly claims credit for the VA Choice Act to help US Veterans, despite it having been passed under Obama.

And Trump's current lap/attack dog, VP pick JD Vance continues to disparage the 24 years of National Guard service by Harris VP pick Tim Walz.

It's all a pattern of behavior and beliefs of Donald J. Trump that shows disrespect for those in the US Armed Forces.

And it's disgusting.

And, by extension, so is he.

Trump better HOPE VPs don't matter...

"I think this is well documented historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact. No impact."

There's no bandage big enough to cover
Trump's real misfortune, tabbing Vance for VP

So, saith Donald Trump during his amazingly off-the-deep-end rant at the National Association of Black Journalists (in which he also disparaged the racial identity of his Presidential opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris).

Well, Donald--despite what the GOP and your MAGA faithful believe--saying something does NOT make it true. 

And, it appears, Trump better pray that the VP actually has no impact when it comes to the case of his train wreck of a pick, Ohio's freshman US Senator JD Vance.

Since being named Trump's VP pick, Vance's favorability ratings have been sinking (even more dramatically than Trump's poll numbers against Harris). Before the GOP convention in Milwaukee, Vance scored even on the favorability ratings in several polls. Once he opened his mouth as Trump's pick, however, that all changed.

By the time the RNC closed up shop in Milwaukee, Vance was already -3 on the favorability/unfavorability polls (unheard of for a VP pick following a convention). Since then, the reappearance of Vance's "childless cat lady" comments from 2021, or having said no exceptions to abortion bans, or having compared his boss to Hitler, or publicly hearing from Trump himself that VPs have no impact, Vance's unfavorability currently outpaces his favorability by more than nine points.

And now that Vance is acting as Trump's attack dog on the campaign trail (in place of Trump, who seems to be avoiding the campaign grind himself), he's continued to disparage Harris's race and qualifications and now has started in on her VP pick, MN Governor Tim Walz, trying to smear his 24 years of distinguished service in the US National Guard.

Unlike Vance, though, Walz hasn't spent his time alienating Black voters, or women, or US Veterans.

In fact, Walz's poll numbers are surging (as are Harris's), up from 1 point favorable in July to 11 points in the favorability rating, as of yesterday.

As we know, Trump saying January 6 criminals are "patriots," or immigrants are "criminals," or the 2016 election was "stollen," or Obama wasn't born in the US, or Biden's a crook, or Harris doesn't identify as Black, or even that Senator Ted Cruz's father was involved in the JFK assassination, just doesn't make such statements true.

But Trump better hope like hell that his statement about VPs having no impact on the election is the one thing he says that finally--FINALLY--turns out to be true.

Or else his electoral chances are REALLY screwed.

The curious VP pick of Tim Walz

The results of the Harris Veepstakes are in. The winner? Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

MN Governor Tim Walz--a good man,
a capable leader. and way left-of-center

So, um, huh?

It's possible Harris may have overplayed her hand by choosing a Progressive over a Moderate.

Don't get me wrong, there are some things for Democrats to like about Walz on the ticket: he brings executive experience as Governor, he's a National Guard veteran, and he's enacted all sorts of legislation in his state that polls show are important issues nationally (especially among Dems)--"red flag" gun laws, increasing funding for education and infrastructure, codifying abortion rights. And, I'm not exactly sure how, but he's also managed to cut taxes for most of his constituents.

So, why my confusion about Walz as Harris's running mate?

Well, for starters, Minnesota isn't a swing state (as are the homes of other Harris VP finalists, Arizona's Senator Mark Kelly, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro), so his selection doesn't bring any immediate electoral advantage, in that regard.

Secondly, the above-mentioned accomplishments of Walz's tenure--despite being popular in nationwide polling (and also gibing very well with Harris's beliefs)--are also pretty liberal ideas even for a ticket headed by the left of-center Harris,* one that is ostensibly trying to bring aboard Trump-averse right-of-center moderates (Note: most of Walz's passed legislation came with the help of a completely Democratic state assembly).

And some of Walz's other legislative wins can read as even more so (especially for many moderate voters): increasing payroll tax to fund paid childcare and medical leave, increasing state commitment to clean energy, granting voting rights to convicted felons, legalization of recreational marijuana, making Minnesota a haven for transgender rights and care.

As my wife asked me, "Exactly how does that appeal to moderates, how does that unite the country?"

That's a great question.

It doesn't. It essentially doubles down on a left-of-center agenda. And it doesn't exactly (in my opinion) expand the Harris tent (which would have easily invited in those fence-sitting, Trump-hating moderates with someone such as pro-gun, but anti-gun violence/from-a-border-state/former astronaut Mark Kelly).

Of course, pretty much all Democrats laud Walz's selection. Some, like hard-to-please WV Senator Joe Manchin praise his "normality." Others, like former President Obama cheer his character and his desire to "serve all of the people." Some claim Walz--who coined the GOP moniker "weird"--will serve wonderfully as Harris's "attack dog" on the Trump/Vance ticket.

But some, such as former Obama political strategist/CNN commentator David Axelrod (and, again, my wife) compare such a leftist choice to that of Trump's ultra-right wing pick of JD Vance (although Walz currently polls higher in favorability)--neither of which seems to attempt to appeal to moderates in that "big tent."

But it's the hand that Democrats now hold.

And Harris and the Dems (and democracy-loving citizens everywhere) have got to hope that the moderates they could have so much better courted find the Trump/Vance conservative ticket distasteful enough to cast their ballot for a pair of left-of-center liberals* 

*Signifies correction of mischaracterization of Harris as a Progressive in original post. Hat tip to capper.

Quick take: Racist Trump's birther lies were inevitable

As perhaps the easiest prediction outside of "the sun will rise tomorrow," Donald Trump has rolled out his birther lies about VP Kamala Harris (allowing his equally morally-bankrupt Conservative pals to do the heavy lifting).

Trump's not fooling anyone--the
man behind the racist mask is him

So, on X, one can find copies of Harris's birth certificate that list her parents as immigrants, accompanied by the cry that she CAN'T run for President (conveniently ignoring the part in the US Constitution that gives citizenship for all born in this country). The certificate clearly states Harris was born in California (which, at last check, is part of the US). 

I don't want to brag, but the day after Biden removed himself from the Presidential race, I wrote:

How long, for instance, before Trump amplifies another birther accusation against an opponent (especially one born of two immigrants)?

And, just like his lies against about Obama's birthplace or questioning Nikki Haley's citizenship because of immigrant parents, these birther lies are designed to diminish and derogate the qualifications and accomplishments of people of color. 

In other words, it's straight-up racism.

And Trump does that--along with purposely mispronouncing "Kamala" (or the given Indian first name of Haley), or not denouncing his GOP pals who call Harris a "DEI hire," or by saying "Harris just happened to turn Black"--for one reason, and one reason alone:

Trump's a racist.

And so are all those that join him or defend Trump and his indefensible comments.

And whether such disgusting comments are meant to gin up his rabid, immigrant-hating/fearing white base, or meant to cast aspersions on someone's racial identity in the seriously misguided belief that it will pry Black voters away from Harris, again, Trump does it for one reason:

Trump's a racist.

And I called it.

Oh, and the sun will rise tomorrow.

Um, so VP DOESN'T matter now...?

What JD Vance says about his importance as Trump's pick for VP is, well, kind of a disturbing statement, really.

"My attitude is, it doesn't really matter."

But what does Donald think
 about JD? Turns out, not much...

Um, it doesn't matter to voters who the person is that is a heartbeat away from the Presidency?

Guess not, because, fortunately, Vance's opinion of his insignificance dovetails nicely with his boss's views (from Trump's amazingly inflammatory appearance at Wednesday's NABJ conference):

"...the Vice President, in terms of the election, does not have any impact. No impact."

Well, to a VP-pick, that's certainly got to be a resoundingly reassuring kick in the crotch, huh? And, to a nation weighing the competency of the person who is next on the US chain of command, hearing both ends of the ticket say it doesn't really matter who it is, really isn't that comforting, is it? 

For some reason, Trump
admires fictional murderer and
cannibal Hannibal Lecter

(Perhaps Trump thinks he could even win with 'the late, great Hannibal Lecter?")

Nine times in the history of our country, a Vice President has had to step into the Presidency (eight were for President deaths, but the most recent, Gerald Ford, became President with the resignation of Richard Nixon, 50 years ago this week).

Trump and Vance apparently think voters don't seem to care who that "number two" (no pun intended) person is. That's a problem when "number one" is an overweight, far from beloved, fearmongering felon that is the oldest nominated Presidential candidate in the history of our country. Not exactly the poster child for a four-year term in what is ostensibly the most stressful job in the world.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, just one year ago, Republicans sang a very different tune. The GOP, in fact, was saying the exact opposite--how important Biden's second-in-command was because he was an older President. As former rival (and now-Trump-suck-up) Nikki Haley said at the time, "A vote for President Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris."

Fortunately for our democracy, Pence
 wasn't the VP Trump thought he was

To be honest, if Trump had cared enough and had vetted his 2016 Vice President to be as unprincipled as he was--and now, presumably, as JD Vance is-- Biden's victory would have likely been overturned.
Thankfully for the country, despite tremendous pressure from Trump and the Trump supporters chanting, "Hang Mike Pence!" outside the Senate chambers, Pence did not bend to Trump's twisted will, but, instead, followed the directive of the US Constitution and ratified Biden's electoral vote victory. 

So, the VP turned out to be very important to this country.

And Harris's pick may help to shore up regional outreach or offer strength regarding Harris's perceived weaknesses (I'm looking at you and immigration, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly).

But, to Trump and his pick, it doesn't matter.

I guess that really says a lot, doesn't it? 

And that is, perhaps, the most disturbing statement of all.

Quick take: Trump wouldn't REALLY ditch Vance, would he?

Donald Trump wouldn't be thinking of replacing his VP pick JD Vance, would he?

Despite all the GOP lawmakers who privately say that Vance is a train wreck, Trump still backs him (well, other than publicly refusing to say if Vance would be ready to become President "on day one," and remarking that "the choice of Vice-President makes no difference").

Donald wouldn't throw JD
 under the bus, would he?

I mean, Trump wouldn't be the kind of man who would disregard his principles and his loyalties and his word to throw someone under the bus just because they make him look bad, would he?

And Trump really doesn't care that if he isn't elected, he will very likely still be facing a host of criminal indictments (which, if elected, he could order the DOJ to make them disappear), does he?

After all, JD Vance obviously checks all the boxes.

Alienating women and gays with offensive comments that the women running the country-- like (stepmother and Vice-President) Kamala Harris or even (gay dad) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg--are "childless cat ladies."  

Check.

Alienate what polls show are a majority of women voters by saying there should be a "no-exceptions" abortion ban.

Check.

Emerge from the RNC convention with a virtually unheard of negative popularity rating for a VP candidate.

Check.

Write a forward for the ultra-conservative/radical Project 2025--which despite mentioning Trump or his administration a couple hundred times--is a plan supposedly disavowed by your boss.

Check.

Once have called your boss "an idiot," a "cynical a**hole," and compared him to Hitler.

Check.

So, will Trump replace Vance? As Melania famously said in announcing her increased campaign participation (um, which hasn't yet happened), "Stay tuned."

Read a pair of insightful, longer takes on the topic:

The Independent's Can Trump replace JD Vance as his running mate? (msn.com)

Polls Show Vance Is Deeply Unpopular — Could the RNC Remove Him From the Ticket? | Truthout

Tracking Trump's implosion

Just as Trump was smart to let Biden talk at the debate and doom himself, Harris has been letting Trump and his team do the same.

A simulation of the Trump campaign's chances
of getting necessary voter demographic groups

And it's working brilliantly. 

Every day, the Trump/Vance ticket alienates another group of swing voters they'll need to win the election.

To court Black voters, Trump sat down yesterday to answer questions at a conference of the National Association of Black Journalists. Trump's ensuing racist and lie-filled tirade was absolutely jaw-dropping. Between insulting the journalist moderators (which Trump has a rich history of doing to African-American journalists), to blowing his racist dog-whistle for his MAGA base questioning whether or not Harris is even Black, to ending his hour-long commitment after only 34 minutes, you could almost hear the campaign's hope for the Black vote crashing to the ground.

Trump's entire visit at the NABJ conference

The fact-check of his visit to the NABJ conference

Harris called it "the same old show," and said, "The American people deserve better than Donald Trump's divisiveness and disrespect."

CNN's token Republican strategist (and Trump/GOP apologist), Scott Jennings was a little less genteel in his assessment: "(Trump) did crap the bed today. My advice would be get up and change the sheets."

But Trump being Trump, he's doubled down on his pathetic Truth Social platform with rants such as "Crazy Kamala is saying she's Indian, not Black," as well as mocking a photo of Harris, with her Indian-heritage family, dressed in traditional Indian clothing.

While Trump is busy insulting American Blacks (well, and people of Asian descent), comments from his VP-pick Vance are doing the same with the women's voting bloc.

Whether saying the country is run by "childless cat ladies" like VP Harris (who, um, has two stepchildren) or calling career-focused women "sad, lonely, and pathetic," the Trump/Vance ticket's courting of women voters without children (um, 21% of women ages 18-34 say they never even want children) doesn't seem to be going well.

When you throw in Vance's previous no-exceptions abortion stance and things like his comments criticizing beloved US Olympian Simone Biles (um, who's also Black, btw) for stepping away from the last Olympics for mental health reasons, it's not clear that the Trump/Vance ticket thinks they need the votes of any women at all.

About the only group Trump makes sure he doesn't alienate is his staunch base of primarily white voters in his dwindling MAGA movement.

And that won't be nearly enough votes to win in November.

One has to wonder, which other voting demographic can the Trump/Vance ticket offend in the next 95 days?