Agree that “town meetings” (that will get plenty of earned media) can only help the mobilization for Harris, delivering substance and her ability to connect as was evident in the debate.
"The odd thing about Donald Trump is that deeply flawed humanity is the only quality that he can honestly convey. It’s probably what made him credible. It’s probably what got him elected. Kamala Harris might take a tiny lesson from that."
This last is a very helpful insight -- in a very interesting piece. Thanks.
Sorry. You clearly understand campaigns are mortal combat. Why are you holding her accountable for policies and positions when her opponent has none? They are strategically spot on. You know better here
Because she is going to be held accountable for not taking questions from civilians...if the public begins to suspect she's avoiding them. And, believe me, they will...especially the undecided suburban woman who may hold this election in their hands.
I have never understood why so many voters are hung up on a candidate being “authentic”. But I agree that Trump’s flaws are a big part of what endears him to his supporters.
I think Harris missed a real opportunity with the first question about whether voters are better off than they were four years ago. She should have reminded them exactly where we were four years ago.
Thousands of people dying from Covid while Trump denied the severity of the pandemic and mused about drinking bleach, the economy in shambles with many people out of work, and a president who had protesters tear gassed so he could walk to a church for a photo op.
It amazes me how so many people act as if Trump’s term ended on December 31, 2019.
2020 was horrible on many levels and it all happened on his watch.
I agree that she should make herself more casually available to local journalists and newscasters as she stumps across the country. It would humanize her, and provide opportunities both for flubs and corrections.
One of your best columns on all fronts. On the migrant issue I offer these thoughts: A century and more ago, when we last had a huge influx of "unskilled" labor, one thing was clear; we knew who
they were, where they came from, where they were going, and whether they were in acceptable health. Apparently, we haven't even been making a serious try to accomplish this basic task now.
Back then, there was no "safety net"; you had to provide for yourself or a sponsor had to provide for you. Somehow it worked out for most. Easier now, thankfully, but how much easier does it have to be? We hear that many Americans don't have enough cash on hand to handle a serious car repair. How much assistance do we owe to people who have paid far more to "coyotes" to escort them to our southern border? Finally, while Trump disgracefully implies most of the migrants are rotters, some actually are. Are the Democrats willing to commit to identifying the bad ones and weeding them out? Some of us oldies remember the Marielista episode, when Castro shipped his undesirables here. Is it possible that the dreaded orange man is actually on to something in this regard, particularly as regards Venezuela?
We owe them schools for their kids and emergency hospital care. We don't owe them welfare, food stamps or anything else, unless they're legal. Most of them don't need any of those things, they're working. They owe us taxes and they pay them--especially local sales taxes, which have kept many local communities afloat. Most economists believe this nets out slightly in favor of immigration.
Thanks for your response Joe. Actually, as you and most of your readers will likely recognize, if we're not on the same page, we're pretty close to it. To focus on your first sentence, my paternal grandparents came here in 1902, with a very few bucks in their pockets, and if they ever learned english it would be news to me. But all of their children got the required education in public schools, spoke perfect english learned there throughout their lives, and got emergency health care when a few of them needed it it. Amen! Immigration can work today, as it did back then, if government(s) are even minimally effective. The question is whether either party wants competence on this issue today.
What great entertainment; since the circus has closed, where else can you enjoy clowns. Fortunately the left wing media fills the void. They totally ignored the Biden administration’s open border leaving in probably 20million illegal aliens enticed by taxpayer subsidized free stuff that even US citizens can’t get all as part of the democrats strategy to import uneducated, unskilled, non-English speaking immigrants from backward third world countries who will not easily assimilate to go on public assistance and become permanent big nanny government democrat party voters. As President Trump has correctly said these third world countries are emptying out their prisons and insane asylums but the lying media ignores and denies the murders, rapes, violent crime, gang violence, drug imports and other crimes committed by some of these illegal immigrants. But the clowns in the media set their heads on fire when President Trump accurately reports that local residents in Springfield OH state that illegal immigrant Hattians are eating pets and park geese and ducks. Reports of animal abuse sets the media clowns heads on fire as they ignore abuses to US citizens. What a bunch of losers.
I’ve read that the average IQ of Hattians is 75 which explains why the worthless losers in the media are attracted to them; Hattians are a perfect audience for their low IQ propaganda. The dumbest of the dumb media like to quote statistics of the labor participation rate of Haitians being higher than US citizens by ignoring that that Biden’s corrupt government doesn’t report the total number Haitian immigrants. Joe, I recognize that math is too complicated for you but do you know what a DENOMINATOR is? Neither do the clowns at the Bulwark.
The most entertaining part of this is these lying, ignorant media clowns must actually believe that they can convince people who are far more intelligent than they that President Trump isn’t the best POTUS in our lifetime. And their back must really hurt from trying to carry Comrade Kamala. You just can’t buy this type of entertainment.
Joe, a question. imagine I am not one of Trump’s supporters with a “greasy willingness to buy his shrill”, like about 40 million other American voters.
That I see the real tragedy is Harris has so little to offer in the way of gravitas, let alone star quality that she is still struggling against a raving lunatic.
And remember she will be going up against real strong men who don’t rave - Men like Xi, Putin, Modi, Orban & Khomeini.
Who would you pick to go up against that lot with the future of western liberal democracy at stake, and why?
Harris, in an instant. Even though we don't know enough about her yet--and I'm sure I'll disagree with her on some issues--Trump has the gravitas of a mosquito and is easily manipulated by strongmen types who remind him of his father. I would take Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater or any American candidate for President over Trump.
Getting her campaign up and running, then through the debate - it’s not as if she’s had months with her staff to stake out policy positions, or even polish up a vision thing. To this point it’s been enough to pass the first 2 tests, while distancing herself from the bad old woke days. Between now and November is ample time to articulate more specifics, to the extent many care, directed towards the middle and working classes of all shades. It’s more and more understood that her competence, presence, trustworthiness, likability, even vision, are more important than the wonky details. She doesn’t need potentially hostile focus group questions to do that. More “crucible”? The media sure love that stuff.
Indications are people just want to move on from the craziness and rancor; focus groups could be just more televised polarization.
Again, thank you for bringing up a small but salient point regarding Haitians in Springfield, Ohio. Even a fairly reputable business reporter I watch repeated the canard - not of course, that Haitians were eating dogs and cats - that 20,000 Haitians have come to a city of 60,000 and were not working, but on welfare. Even the better cable news people are worthless in the Epoch of Information, which is itself swamped by mis- and dis- information. I watch native and foreign-based cable, jot things down, and look them up on what I have found to be reliable Web sources. Cable news nyet, Substack da!
Really good assessment of the debate - which was, overall, a bravura performance from Harris. But often all she needed to do, after successfully baiting Trump, was simply to get out of his way. If there had been two serious and accomplished adults on that stage instead of one, like the presidential debates of yore, critics and viewers would have dinged Harris for not directly answering questions (if at all) and not saying, for example, how she’s going to pay for her ambitious agenda when there are trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see (blame for the absence of a question like that is on the moderators). Maybe if Trump has truly been polished off she can turn to such issues during the remainder of the campaign and discuss them seriously, even if that risks alienating some voters. Otherwise her presidency risks disappointing supporters who were expecting more than they realistically should have.
Unfortunately, every time a Democrat becomes president their supporters expect way too much. I’ve seen it happen to every Democratic president since Carter. If Harris is elected, that would be even more the case for her, since she will probably have a Republican Senate.
Agree that “town meetings” (that will get plenty of earned media) can only help the mobilization for Harris, delivering substance and her ability to connect as was evident in the debate.
"The odd thing about Donald Trump is that deeply flawed humanity is the only quality that he can honestly convey. It’s probably what made him credible. It’s probably what got him elected. Kamala Harris might take a tiny lesson from that."
This last is a very helpful insight -- in a very interesting piece. Thanks.
Sorry. You clearly understand campaigns are mortal combat. Why are you holding her accountable for policies and positions when her opponent has none? They are strategically spot on. You know better here
Because she is going to be held accountable for not taking questions from civilians...if the public begins to suspect she's avoiding them. And, believe me, they will...especially the undecided suburban woman who may hold this election in their hands.
I seriously doubt that her handlers will allow her anywhere near that lesson.
I have never understood why so many voters are hung up on a candidate being “authentic”. But I agree that Trump’s flaws are a big part of what endears him to his supporters.
I think Harris missed a real opportunity with the first question about whether voters are better off than they were four years ago. She should have reminded them exactly where we were four years ago.
Thousands of people dying from Covid while Trump denied the severity of the pandemic and mused about drinking bleach, the economy in shambles with many people out of work, and a president who had protesters tear gassed so he could walk to a church for a photo op.
It amazes me how so many people act as if Trump’s term ended on December 31, 2019.
2020 was horrible on many levels and it all happened on his watch.
I agree that she should make herself more casually available to local journalists and newscasters as she stumps across the country. It would humanize her, and provide opportunities both for flubs and corrections.
One of your best columns on all fronts. On the migrant issue I offer these thoughts: A century and more ago, when we last had a huge influx of "unskilled" labor, one thing was clear; we knew who
they were, where they came from, where they were going, and whether they were in acceptable health. Apparently, we haven't even been making a serious try to accomplish this basic task now.
Back then, there was no "safety net"; you had to provide for yourself or a sponsor had to provide for you. Somehow it worked out for most. Easier now, thankfully, but how much easier does it have to be? We hear that many Americans don't have enough cash on hand to handle a serious car repair. How much assistance do we owe to people who have paid far more to "coyotes" to escort them to our southern border? Finally, while Trump disgracefully implies most of the migrants are rotters, some actually are. Are the Democrats willing to commit to identifying the bad ones and weeding them out? Some of us oldies remember the Marielista episode, when Castro shipped his undesirables here. Is it possible that the dreaded orange man is actually on to something in this regard, particularly as regards Venezuela?
We owe them schools for their kids and emergency hospital care. We don't owe them welfare, food stamps or anything else, unless they're legal. Most of them don't need any of those things, they're working. They owe us taxes and they pay them--especially local sales taxes, which have kept many local communities afloat. Most economists believe this nets out slightly in favor of immigration.
Thanks for your response Joe. Actually, as you and most of your readers will likely recognize, if we're not on the same page, we're pretty close to it. To focus on your first sentence, my paternal grandparents came here in 1902, with a very few bucks in their pockets, and if they ever learned english it would be news to me. But all of their children got the required education in public schools, spoke perfect english learned there throughout their lives, and got emergency health care when a few of them needed it it. Amen! Immigration can work today, as it did back then, if government(s) are even minimally effective. The question is whether either party wants competence on this issue today.
What great entertainment; since the circus has closed, where else can you enjoy clowns. Fortunately the left wing media fills the void. They totally ignored the Biden administration’s open border leaving in probably 20million illegal aliens enticed by taxpayer subsidized free stuff that even US citizens can’t get all as part of the democrats strategy to import uneducated, unskilled, non-English speaking immigrants from backward third world countries who will not easily assimilate to go on public assistance and become permanent big nanny government democrat party voters. As President Trump has correctly said these third world countries are emptying out their prisons and insane asylums but the lying media ignores and denies the murders, rapes, violent crime, gang violence, drug imports and other crimes committed by some of these illegal immigrants. But the clowns in the media set their heads on fire when President Trump accurately reports that local residents in Springfield OH state that illegal immigrant Hattians are eating pets and park geese and ducks. Reports of animal abuse sets the media clowns heads on fire as they ignore abuses to US citizens. What a bunch of losers.
I’ve read that the average IQ of Hattians is 75 which explains why the worthless losers in the media are attracted to them; Hattians are a perfect audience for their low IQ propaganda. The dumbest of the dumb media like to quote statistics of the labor participation rate of Haitians being higher than US citizens by ignoring that that Biden’s corrupt government doesn’t report the total number Haitian immigrants. Joe, I recognize that math is too complicated for you but do you know what a DENOMINATOR is? Neither do the clowns at the Bulwark.
The most entertaining part of this is these lying, ignorant media clowns must actually believe that they can convince people who are far more intelligent than they that President Trump isn’t the best POTUS in our lifetime. And their back must really hurt from trying to carry Comrade Kamala. You just can’t buy this type of entertainment.
Joe, a question. imagine I am not one of Trump’s supporters with a “greasy willingness to buy his shrill”, like about 40 million other American voters.
That I see the real tragedy is Harris has so little to offer in the way of gravitas, let alone star quality that she is still struggling against a raving lunatic.
And remember she will be going up against real strong men who don’t rave - Men like Xi, Putin, Modi, Orban & Khomeini.
Who would you pick to go up against that lot with the future of western liberal democracy at stake, and why?
Harris, in an instant. Even though we don't know enough about her yet--and I'm sure I'll disagree with her on some issues--Trump has the gravitas of a mosquito and is easily manipulated by strongmen types who remind him of his father. I would take Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater or any American candidate for President over Trump.
Getting her campaign up and running, then through the debate - it’s not as if she’s had months with her staff to stake out policy positions, or even polish up a vision thing. To this point it’s been enough to pass the first 2 tests, while distancing herself from the bad old woke days. Between now and November is ample time to articulate more specifics, to the extent many care, directed towards the middle and working classes of all shades. It’s more and more understood that her competence, presence, trustworthiness, likability, even vision, are more important than the wonky details. She doesn’t need potentially hostile focus group questions to do that. More “crucible”? The media sure love that stuff.
Indications are people just want to move on from the craziness and rancor; focus groups could be just more televised polarization.
Jay Turney
Again, thank you for bringing up a small but salient point regarding Haitians in Springfield, Ohio. Even a fairly reputable business reporter I watch repeated the canard - not of course, that Haitians were eating dogs and cats - that 20,000 Haitians have come to a city of 60,000 and were not working, but on welfare. Even the better cable news people are worthless in the Epoch of Information, which is itself swamped by mis- and dis- information. I watch native and foreign-based cable, jot things down, and look them up on what I have found to be reliable Web sources. Cable news nyet, Substack da!
Really good assessment of the debate - which was, overall, a bravura performance from Harris. But often all she needed to do, after successfully baiting Trump, was simply to get out of his way. If there had been two serious and accomplished adults on that stage instead of one, like the presidential debates of yore, critics and viewers would have dinged Harris for not directly answering questions (if at all) and not saying, for example, how she’s going to pay for her ambitious agenda when there are trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see (blame for the absence of a question like that is on the moderators). Maybe if Trump has truly been polished off she can turn to such issues during the remainder of the campaign and discuss them seriously, even if that risks alienating some voters. Otherwise her presidency risks disappointing supporters who were expecting more than they realistically should have.
Unfortunately, every time a Democrat becomes president their supporters expect way too much. I’ve seen it happen to every Democratic president since Carter. If Harris is elected, that would be even more the case for her, since she will probably have a Republican Senate.