Sunday Issues-September 29, 2024
Polls and a VP debate--do they matter?
I wanted to see how Trump was pitching his new $100,000 watch, so I visited Truth Social. I’m not a member. Trump generously allows non-members to view his posts. The post was shorter than I expected but included a link to the website selling the watches. If you have the stomach for it, visit www.gettrumpwatches.com.
While on Truth Social, I found several Trump posts suggesting that Trump-Vance is well ahead in Arizona. That surprised me. I don’t follow polls as closely as some, but I have been led to believe Harris is gaining on Trump and is ahead nationally in the popular vote and maybe even the Electoral College. As they used to say on the X Files— “The truth is out there.” I’m looking for it, but I won’t start trusting polls for a few more weeks.
Why do so many people spend so much time talking about the latest polls? I think polls are a distraction. For example, I saw an NBC News poll showing that Harris’ favorability polls have dramatically improved in recent months. That should not be taken as an indication that the race is over. I continue to see large crowds at Trump rallies, and he was cheered when he was announced as an attendee at a Georgia-Alabama football game.
I like to think that Trump is self-destructing. In Wisconsin on Friday, he said some weird things. He tied a fly that was bothering him to illegal immigration. He also described Vice President Harris as “mentally disabled” and “mentally impaired.” Ironically, Trump looked mentally troubled himself as he spoke.
Ideally, nobody would want to vote for a candidate who has taken time off from campaign to pawn watches. I wonder how many deluded people will buy what I am told is likely a Chinese-made $100,000 watch, but know Trump will announce, probably this week, that the watches are sold out. He will make more available to satisfy the insatiable demand for them. . ..
(I thought about writing a piece on the Trump watches after I saw the webpage advertising them. I wrote a few paragraphs before being interrupted. Before I returned to the piece, I watched a few minutes of MSNBC. Alas, the network was all over the story, as is most of the rest of the Western World’s media. I deleted my partial draft).
VP debate-undecided voters need to watch.
I will be tuned in on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. (eastern) for the vice presidential debate. CBS is hosting the debate. The microphones will be left on, and there will be no studio audience. J.D. Vance won the coin toss and will make his two-minute closing statement last.
I expect Walz to “win.” Until yesterday, I would write, “but the result doesn’t matter.” I changed my mind after watching portions of Trump’s outing in Wisconsin. Voters need to be reminded that Trump is 78 years old, fixated on the past, and is embracing racist rhetoric to elevate his lead over Harris on the border security issue.
Should Trump win in November, America will get President Vance before election day 2028. As a friend said last week, “The only guy worse than Trump is Vance.” I disagree, but Vance may be more dangerous, especially if he somehow quit being so weird.
Vance is an advocate for the entire Project 2025 agenda. He wrote the foreword for the book. He is also more radical than Trump on many issues beyond pet-eating. Vance in the White House is a Pandora’s Box that, if opened, would release disaster. That is why I want to see Governor Walz tease out more weirdness from Vance. I want to see Vance exposed as the nutcase he is because while the ranks of undecided voters may be thinning, there are likely a few of them left thinking about voting for Trump.
Vance is a troubled individual. He has a scheduled event with Lance Wallnau, an evangelical who has accused Kamala Harris of being a witch. Here is what Mr. Wallnau (I never heard of him either) said:
She can look presidential. That’s the seduction of what I would say is witchcraft. That’s the manipulation of imagery that creates an impression contrary to the truth, but it seduces you into seeing it. So that spirit, that occult spirit, I believe is operating on her and through her.
I wonder if Walz may ask Vance about the company he keeps. I hope so. I also expect Governor Walz to put the word “weird” to work for him.
Other things I’m watching.
I look forward to learning more about last week’s Trump-Zelensky meeting. The Ukrainian leader did not look excited to see Trump even though the meeting was in Trump Tower. He looked uncomfortable when Trump started talking about his first impeachment. I wonder why.
I’m sure Zelensky, if he prays, is praying for Trump’s defeat. The election of Trump, an unambiguous ally of Vladimir Putin, would be a disaster for Ukraine—and for democracy.
I am also watching the reaction to the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. What are Netanyahu’s plans in Lebanon? Is the Middle East war about to expand? Netanyahu can accurately be described as out of control. He assumes continued American support regardless of his actions or who wins the presidency in November. Will Netanyahu go too far and force the U.S. to change its Israel policy? Stay tuned.
That is it for today. Thank you for reading this edition of Sunday Issues.
© 2024 John Dean, all rights reserved.
Always thoughtful! And, yes, voters should be very concerned about JD Vance! Thanks!