Friday Insights-August 23, 2024
DNC Week; Kamala's speech.
The Democratic National Convention is over. Last night, Kamala Harris gave her acceptance speech. Her roughly 40-minute speech was well-received but did not generate enthusiasm comparable to that generated by Michelle Obama two nights earlier. Maybe the conventioneers were tired and ready to go home. Or maybe it was Harris’s speech.
After watching the speech and reading a transcript, I believe Harris’ goals were to reach out to centrist voters, politely reinforce fear of Trump, and avoid saying anything that could help Trump in November. If I am right, Harris succeeded.
Harris spent roughly 11 minutes reviewing her life history—I had heard it before—and then spent roughly 10 minutes directly attacking Donald Trump and warning America of the dangers of a second Trump term.
Discussions of policies were few and far between. The only specific pledges were to pass the border security bill killed by Trump earlier this year despite bipartisan support in Congress and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and other voting rights legislation.
The only “big idea” promised was to “end the housing shortage.” No details were given on how she would proceed or how she would pay for it.
Surprisingly, the speech did not include any substantive discussion of climate change. Harris supports clean air and clean water, but the words “climate change” were spoken only once. If climate change is an existential threat to the planet, it should have been discussed for at least 30 seconds.
On foreign affairs, Harris was more specific. She expressed support for Ukraine, promised to continue to support Israel, and called for a strong NATO. After promising support for Israel to defend itself, she reported that the Biden administration is continuing to work to stop the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Balancing support for Israel and working to stop its military campaign in Gaza is not easy.
Harris will have to do better in future speeches and interviews if she is to gain the credibility necessary to win in November. Last night’s speech was good but not great. Harris’ speech was written to move her image to the middle. Trump has been calling her “Comrade Kamala.” She gave Trump nothing to use as he continues to label her and Tim Walz as “communists.” Harris even promised a middle-class tax cut.
Michelle Obama’s speech.
Only 1,539 days to Election Day—Election Day 2028. Why talk about Election Day 2028? In two words, Michelle Obama.
Mrs. Obama’s speech was the most electrifying of the convention. It sounded like an audition for a 2028 run for the presidency and may have been intended as one. Should Trump win or Harris falter in office, Michelle may have been telling us she is ready to serve.
Keep an eye on Michelle Obama. I expect she will campaign for Harris and start building her own political network. I also expect her to be offered a position in the Harris administration, something to burnish her resume in preparation for a run.
Stephanie Grisham, former Trump press secretary.
Other speakers at this week’s convention were good, but nothing special. One surprise was the short speech of Stephanie Grisham, the former Trump Press Secretary. Grisham endorsed Harris and condemned Trump as a man with no empathy. Among her comments:
I saw him when the cameras were off, behind closed doors. Trump mocks his supporters.
He used to tell me, 'It doesn't matter what you say, Stephanie — say it enough and people will believe you.' But it does matter — what you say matters, and what you don't say matters.
The Trump administration immediately attacked Grisham, but this last statement strikes me as true. Can it possibly strike anyone familiar with Trump as not true?
If Trump wins in November, Grisham will not return to the White House as Press Secretary or as Chief of Staff to Melania Trump.
The campaign enters the next phase.
With the convention over, the Harris campaign enters a new, more challenging phase. Harris needs to address criticism for not holding press conferences or one-on-one interviews. The September 10 debate is coming up, assuming Donald Trump doesn’t back out.
I expect Harris to continue to thrive on the campaign trail. If she does, and if Donald Trump continues to falter, she will be president-elect in just over two months.
Here’s what else caught my attention this week:
Goodbye, Bobby, Jr.
RFK, Jr.’s campaign is dead. His support is evaporating fast. Democrats who were unable to bring themselves to vote for Joe Biden and despised Trump were gravitating towards him. Kamala Harris’ nomination ended that. So, what to do? RFK, Jr. approached both Harris and Trump. The Harris campaign said, “No, thanks.” Trump, however, is interested. So, this week, Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s running mate, told a podcast host Kennedy is considering endorsing Trump. Why? Trump apparently said he would consider giving Kennedy a role in his administration.
CNN reports Trump’s reaction to hearing the news about the possibility of Kennedy ending his long-shot campaign:
I like him, and I respect him. He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time. I didn’t know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly I’d be open to it.
Did Trump not know Kennedy was thinking of getting out? Or are nefarious negotiations going on?
The Washington Post reports Kennedy will address the future of his campaign at noon today (local time) in Phoenix, Arizona. Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at a separate event four hours later.
Can you imagine RFK, Jr. as Secretary of HHS, director of the EPA, or anything else?
We should all be glad that on election day, Kennedy will be an asterisk, nothing more.
Ukraine War expanding
On Wednesday, Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow. Russia claims to have shot down all the drones, but one thing is clear. The war is entering a new, more dangerous phase. The question is not whether Russia will strike back, but when. I expect a dramatic attack by Russia as retribution for this and other recent Ukrainian attacks.
The prospect for peace in Ukraine is dimming, but that could change if one side or another escalates the conflict further.
Is Russia waiting to see who wins the US presidential election in November?
Inside the mind of a Trump cultist
Among the rewards of writing for a community newspaper is receiving comments and feedback on your pieces. Each week, as I write on politics for the Spy Community Media newspapers, I look forward to hearing from readers.
Most of the Spy’s readers are kind souls. Even when they disagree with me (often with justification), they are civil. But there are exceptions. And my community also includes people who have drunk the Trump Kool-Aid.
This week, I wrote a piece titled “The Trump Spell Has Been Broken, " which I republished here on Substack. Among my brilliant insights was the observation that many voters are tired of Trump’s lies. One reader responded by informing me, “Trump is not a liar.”
It may not have been professional on my part, but the comment made me laugh.
I don’t think Kamala Harris will be winning that reader’s vote. . ..
That’s it for today. On Monday, I will post “Monday Issues.”
Thank you for reading my piece. I appreciate it. If you liked it, consider subscribing.