Dear America,
Though the Republicans are profoundly in the thrall of Donald Trump, it seems possible that he has begun going too far for even them. His remarks before a group of black journalists regarding Kamala Harris's ethnicity were far beyond imprudent. They were brash and overtly reckless, not to mention bigoted, narrow-minded and just plain offensive. The Party will still defend him despite his patent racism, and that has been their normal reaction to Trump's outlandishly blatant white supremacy adherence, but they have always done it blithely in the past. However now, there is evidence that they are feeling, though still not admitting, that Trump is a step too far even for them.
Trump's "is she Indian or is she black" remarks just fell from his feeble mind yesterday, but yesterday and today I have been receiving text messages from the Republicans asking for money. Given that we are dealing with politicians, asking for money like beggars with hat in hand is the norm, but I am an old, life-long Democrat living in a state that hasn't even elected a Republican congressman in a decade or more, and then it was only one in a delegation of about ten. I don't think Connecticut has ever voted Republican for president or senator. And in the bargain, these texts...not emails but texts...have been attributed to first "Don, Jr." and then Marco Rubio--even someone calling himself "Senator Kennedy"--not Trump. I just got another fund-raising text claiming that the Democrats had "breeched" my information. The Republican Party fund raising based on fabrications and on names other than Trump...I think that means something.
First there is the desperation it must reflect that these importunate texts are coming at all. The party seems desperate for money, especially in light of the language they use about matching gifts and missing their most recent funding goals. Thus second, they barely raised two thirds as much money last month as Kamala Harris did in two days, and money is tantamount to ringing doorbells and on false pretenses suborning votes for their man. The more money they raise, the more lies, prevarications and misrepresentations they can run on television. Less money means less honey in the ears of the politically uncritical and under educated, and thus fewer reliable votes. And that surely does not bode well for November. It looks like Trump is getting his oats, and the Republicans rightfully fear that they will get theirs with him. This "DEI hire" trope is backfiring on them as well, and while we smirk about it and cry crocodile tears over it, The Republicans are experiencing existential fear, and perhaps even loathing for their leader. It must be remembered that the down-ballot Republicans are counting on Trump to drag them along into control of the House and the Senate by his coattails, and it is looking more and more like they'll get no more than toilet paper stuck to his shoe dragging through the election for everyone to see.
So, it will be interesting to see how the polls trend from this point on. I don't expect a big bounce in Harris's favor right away. The Democrats are only slowly making hay out of Trump's absurdly ill-considered contretemps and while they will no doubt continue to do so and even refine their efforts, it will be a progression that will eventually lead to defection of the black constituency Trump has purloined with false pretenses with his claim that he has been the best friend to black America since Abe Lincoln. That peremptory self-praise has gone from clever, albeit contrived, political meme to absurd canard with one remark from a despicable bloviator. Remarkably, Trump has never taken that one step too far that would sink him...until now perhaps. It is not just the black electorate that is antagonized; it is all of the white electorate that isn't of the white supremacist ilk as well as a similarly inclined segment of the white uncommitted contingent as well. And what we can expect is that his remark will have for the Democrats the coattails that Trump's Republican cohorts hoped to ride to incumbency.
Of course, this potential is all speculation and conjecture. But one thing is certain: this won't be the last improbably ill-considered thing that Trump will do or say. Imprudent remarks are Trump's metiér. He has, as he once said in 2016, the kind of impunity that would, until now anyhow, allow him to kill someone on 5th Avenue and not get arrested. But if you're reading this Donnie boy, those days are behind you.
Your friend,
Mike
Though the Republicans are profoundly in the thrall of Donald Trump, it seems possible that he has begun going too far for even them. His remarks before a group of black journalists regarding Kamala Harris's ethnicity were far beyond imprudent. They were brash and overtly reckless, not to mention bigoted, narrow-minded and just plain offensive. The Party will still defend him despite his patent racism, and that has been their normal reaction to Trump's outlandishly blatant white supremacy adherence, but they have always done it blithely in the past. However now, there is evidence that they are feeling, though still not admitting, that Trump is a step too far even for them.
Trump's "is she Indian or is she black" remarks just fell from his feeble mind yesterday, but yesterday and today I have been receiving text messages from the Republicans asking for money. Given that we are dealing with politicians, asking for money like beggars with hat in hand is the norm, but I am an old, life-long Democrat living in a state that hasn't even elected a Republican congressman in a decade or more, and then it was only one in a delegation of about ten. I don't think Connecticut has ever voted Republican for president or senator. And in the bargain, these texts...not emails but texts...have been attributed to first "Don, Jr." and then Marco Rubio--even someone calling himself "Senator Kennedy"--not Trump. I just got another fund-raising text claiming that the Democrats had "breeched" my information. The Republican Party fund raising based on fabrications and on names other than Trump...I think that means something.
First there is the desperation it must reflect that these importunate texts are coming at all. The party seems desperate for money, especially in light of the language they use about matching gifts and missing their most recent funding goals. Thus second, they barely raised two thirds as much money last month as Kamala Harris did in two days, and money is tantamount to ringing doorbells and on false pretenses suborning votes for their man. The more money they raise, the more lies, prevarications and misrepresentations they can run on television. Less money means less honey in the ears of the politically uncritical and under educated, and thus fewer reliable votes. And that surely does not bode well for November. It looks like Trump is getting his oats, and the Republicans rightfully fear that they will get theirs with him. This "DEI hire" trope is backfiring on them as well, and while we smirk about it and cry crocodile tears over it, The Republicans are experiencing existential fear, and perhaps even loathing for their leader. It must be remembered that the down-ballot Republicans are counting on Trump to drag them along into control of the House and the Senate by his coattails, and it is looking more and more like they'll get no more than toilet paper stuck to his shoe dragging through the election for everyone to see.
So, it will be interesting to see how the polls trend from this point on. I don't expect a big bounce in Harris's favor right away. The Democrats are only slowly making hay out of Trump's absurdly ill-considered contretemps and while they will no doubt continue to do so and even refine their efforts, it will be a progression that will eventually lead to defection of the black constituency Trump has purloined with false pretenses with his claim that he has been the best friend to black America since Abe Lincoln. That peremptory self-praise has gone from clever, albeit contrived, political meme to absurd canard with one remark from a despicable bloviator. Remarkably, Trump has never taken that one step too far that would sink him...until now perhaps. It is not just the black electorate that is antagonized; it is all of the white electorate that isn't of the white supremacist ilk as well as a similarly inclined segment of the white uncommitted contingent as well. And what we can expect is that his remark will have for the Democrats the coattails that Trump's Republican cohorts hoped to ride to incumbency.
Of course, this potential is all speculation and conjecture. But one thing is certain: this won't be the last improbably ill-considered thing that Trump will do or say. Imprudent remarks are Trump's metiér. He has, as he once said in 2016, the kind of impunity that would, until now anyhow, allow him to kill someone on 5th Avenue and not get arrested. But if you're reading this Donnie boy, those days are behind you.
Your friend,
Mike
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