Sunday Issues-September 8, 2024
A busy, important week in the 2024 election.
Happy Sunday. It was beautiful here in Maryland this weekend, but that did not prevent me from worrying about the Tuesday presidential debate. I expect Harris to exceed expectations, but I am not sure. I worry that a magically disciplined Trump will show up, throw Harris off balance, and cause things to go south.
I am also worried about the conflicting news about Harris's campaign. Some conservative media suggest she has lost momentum, while others point to her successful August fundraising. I am hearing personally from friends and neighbors planning to canvass for Harris in Pennsylvania, write postcards, or otherwise get involved. These friends and neighbors are, if anything, growing more engaged with the election.
An editorial by Peggy Noonan in the Saturday Wall Street Journal disturbed me. Noonan effectively makes the case that the 2024 election will be about policy rather than personality. She suggests that Trump could win despite his many issues because voters like his issues, especially border policy.
A good friend from Chicago who hates Trump shared that she disagrees with Harris on grocery price gouging and $25,000 tax credits to some first-time home buyers. She says she will vote for Harris despite those concerns, but in the privacy of the voting booth, will she pull the lever for Trump? I worry about that.
I will watch the debate on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET. I have already set aside a stomach distress bag (from a US Airways flight in the 1980s that was “rescued” for use if Harris falters).
Other issues
It has only been a few days since the shootings in Winder, Georgia, but the sense of urgency to “do something” seems to be waning. I hope I’m wrong, but my inability to imagine what could be done given the current political environment is not a good sign.
The Middle East also bears watching. Netanyahu is the problem. Will a point be reached where Biden or the next administration curtails arms support for Israel? That is doubtful, but Netanyahu is pushing the U.S. in that direction.
Trump's warning on election fraud
Donald Trump remains busy on social media. NBC News reports this gem from Trump on Truth Social:
The 2024 Election, where Votes have just started being cast, will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again. Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.
Curious: Trump plans a reign of terror even if he wins. He did not address what he’ll do if he loses.
Here’s an idea for Harris to consider for the Tuesday night debate: When Trump raises the crime issue, use your response to ask him about his promise to prosecute election fraud. Ask him what the standards of proof would be and whether, if the president of the United States were involved, whether he would be immune from prosecution if he or she considered the actions to be within the scope of their official duties.
Modify the 25th Amendment—for lying about the president’s incapacity?
I am told 42 of the 44 people who served in cabinet-level posts during the Trump administration have announced they won’t vote for him in November. Many of these former Trump officials have cited Trump’s mental decline or other unfitness for office. Should they have been impeached or prosecuted for not announcing Trump’s incapacity then?
The answer would be yes, based on the principles of a Trump proposal announced Saturday at a Mosinee, Wisconsin, political event. According to Politico, Trump proposed modifying the 25th Amendment, which allows for the removal of an incapacitated president, to provide for the impeachment of a vice president who “lies or engages in a conspiracy to cover up the incapacity of the president.” Trump continued, “If you do that with a cover-up of the president of the United States, it’s grounds for impeachment immediately and removal from office because that’s what they did.”
Trump’s proposal, of course, was venting his anger at having to face Harris instead of Biden, but Trump better watch out. If he were to win in November, can J.D. Vance be trusted not to declare him insane to get him out of office? Under Trump’s proposal, Vance would be subject to impeachment if he did not tell the truth.
September 26, a date to mark in the calendar?
Lawrence O’Donnell reported that September 26 could be the worst day ever for a presidential candidate. Of course, he was thinking about Trump. The MSNBC personality says that Special Counsel Jack Smith will file his brief in Federal District Court arguing why the Supreme Court presidential immunity rulings don’t bar prosecuting Trump. O’Donnell says important new revelations about what Trump did and when may be included in the brief. Stay tuned.
RINO Dick Cheney
Did you hear Dick Cheney will be voting for Harris in November? Trump did.
I’d like to hear from the Bush brothers—George W. and Jeb.
Have a good week.
That is it for now. We have an exciting week ahead.
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