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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Josh Marshall: American presidential campaigns last at least 18 months. In some ways they're perpetual. But there's nothing in recent American history to compare to what Kamala Harris is doing right now. The Trump campaign is obviously furious about the switch. This late switch simply breaks the structure of American presidential politics and has, at least for the moment, allowed Harris to begin the presidential sprint while her opponent's campaign is still trying to make sense of what happened.

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The Trump campaign is obviously furious about the switch. Vance called it a sucker punch. They essentially wasted their convention on the wrong candidate. You can understand why they're mad.

But the key part that stands out to me is this: a huge amount of modern Republican campaigns are based on wearing down a Democratic politician over months and years in the right-wing echo chamber. We saw it with Clinton, Obama, Clinton, Biden, Kerry. It's a well, well worn thing. But it takes time. There are seldom knock-out punches. It's a slow osmotic process. And the critical part of it takes place at the nexus where what's happening in the right wing echo chamber bleeds into and begins to shape mainstream media reporting.

Obviously we don't know how this campaign is going to play out. Looks pretty good ten days in, but there's ten times more days coming. But regardless of how it plays out, this blitz factor - something totally new and unexpected right as the true campaign starts - is clearly wreaking havoc not only with the Trump campaign but with the whole far-flung Republican political and media apparatus.

All of this and more, especially after Trump's brutal comments today in Chicago that will have a lingering effect, especially inside the greater black community. There is no thing for certain: Trump is completely unable to criticize ANY woman (and particularly women of color) without resorting to no-longer-subtle sexist and racist tropes and stereotypes.

And one of the most striking subliminal differences between the two campaigns is that the internet is full of Kamala stump photos with her smiling or laughing naturally in the moment. And I daresay you could go weeks between shots of Trump smiling, and likely find none of him actually laughing. One person is a happy warrior, blessed to be in the arena fighting the good fight. The other is a narcissistic, snarling, septuagenarian in a fight for his personal freedom from the consequences of his own convicted criminal acts certainly with more trials to follow.

His every perceived slight is a grievance, his every opponent deserves to be vanquished and conquered. But his campaign is having a fairly hard time hitting the moving target Harris currently is while riding the wave of her unprecedented emotion-packed ascension, at least for the moment. Hopefully, that moment will continue for at least the next 97 days.

#1 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-07-31 05:51 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 8

The Trump campaign seriously misjudged President Biden's integrity.

That's what happened.

#2 | Posted by Twinpac at 2024-08-01 12:58 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

I liked that article and I like the "new" Presidential race that isn't boring like most have been in recent election years. I also like the perfectly lrgal candidate switch that caught Republicans off guard instead of Democrats which is more usual. The Dems should probably follow up now with an unexpected move like a pardon for some of Trump's least coup-like crimes. They should sell it to Dems by saying we've wasted too muvh time on this ass***e already! We've got work to do fixing things but not elections like Trump says he intends to do. BTW, the Apprentice sucked!, I never made it through a single stupid eoisode.

#3 | Posted by danni at 2024-08-01 01:31 AM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 1

No, pardons, DANNI

Trump will just repurpose them for when he goes through the months (or years) long process of contesting the 2024 election.

The GOP is into this autocracy thing for the long haul.

#4 | Posted by Twinpac at 2024-08-01 01:45 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

The GOP is probably grooming someone for 2028 right now. Maybe even J.D. Vance.

Of course he'll need a bit of training up first.

#5 | Posted by Twinpac at 2024-08-01 05:16 AM | Reply

BTW, the Apprentice sucked!, I never made it through a single stupid episode.

#3 | POSTED BY DANNI AT 2024-08-01 01:31 AM | REPLY | FLAG:MMMHHHMMMM

Reality shows are"manly soap operas" like the WWE...

#6 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2024-08-01 05:27 AM | Reply

Donald Trump is a widely, widely hated man. Not usually discussed is how many of his "own" people secretly hate him but are on the bus because of fear of their fascist neighbors. There's still a secret ballot in this country. Maybe they will take their chance to flee for their lives.

#7 | Posted by Zed at 2024-08-01 07:21 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Of course he'll (Vance) need a bit of training up first.

#5 | Posted by Twinpac

Toilet training.

#8 | Posted by Zed at 2024-08-01 07:22 AM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 2

He needs to stop running against Nikki Haley and move forward... get with the program.

#9 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2024-08-01 07:48 AM | Reply

Toilet training.

#8 | POSTED BY ZED AT 2024-08-01 07:22 AM | REPLY | FLAG:LOL

Yeah Zed give him another"kink".

#10 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2024-08-01 07:50 AM | Reply

I guess we'll find out whether what I'm about to mention was someone's genius-level chess move or simply the actual timeframe it took President Biden to decide to bow out, but two things mentioned in this article now appear to be sterling examples of political brilliance.

One was waiting until Trump and the GOP spent a week of free television and millions of dollars in production costs leveling specific attacks against Joe Biden - and then Biden drops out before the expected convention bump could even be quantified.

But not only does he drop out, his mixed-ethnicity female Vice President quickly coalesced the entire progressive factions behind her candidacy while energizing and activating millions to donate record amounts of money and/or volunteer for campaign and GOTV efforts.

The second big thing has yet to happen, but the campaign has to be giddy about its upcoming convention - which now is likely to far outdraw viewers compared to the RNC's way-early July confab - a week where Harris and her running mate will define both themselves and their goals for governing with brutal cross-comparisons to Insurrectionist 1 and his proudly announced anti-constitutional revenge agenda - including Project 2025 - should he regain the presidency.

Harris is already sucking up most of the oxygen in the room, and the only way Trump seems to be able to breakthrough the walls of positive Harris media coverage is by braying overtly racist and misogynistic tropes or having to answer questions as to why his VP choice is so hostile to women without children while simultaneously advocating forced birth and the legal end of women's autonomy over their own bodies and health decisions.

To say this switch has caught Trump reeling isn't hyperbolic, it's simply the reality of this moment.

#11 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-08-01 08:12 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

#5

They can't. Not until T---p is either dead or in prison for the rest of his life.

They're stuck. Their agenda, everything about the GQP, is now defined by this one narcissist. They are not equipped to recover from him, and won't be for a long time.

They don't have anybody. Cults of personality depend on that personality.

#12 | Posted by DarkVader at 2024-08-01 09:21 AM | Reply

DARKVADER

"They can't. Not until T---p is either dead or in prison for the rest of his life.

Who says they can't. In fact, they'd be fools not to have a Trump replacement ready by 2028. Trump will be 82 by then and deep into his cups or in prison or both at his rate of mental decline.

In fact, I think J.D Vance was supposed to be Trump's 2028 replacement ~ until he opened his mouth and started talking. And now they stuck (as you say). Of course, if Trump gets elected, Vance could (?)tender his resignation(?) on January 22, 2028 or shortly thereafter and Trump would be free to make another choice.

Or Trump could stick with what he got and just tell Vance to keep his mouth shut and go sit down.

#13 | Posted by Twinpac at 2024-08-01 10:04 AM | Reply

Another 90 days of the GOP campaign insanity tour and all those MAGA election officials will have a hard time lying about election results. If Der Dotard thinks that he can win with just disaffected white males and their trad-wife spouses, he is mistaken...

#14 | Posted by catdog at 2024-08-01 10:12 AM | Reply

They can't replace Trump.. just as they didn't 'place' him in the first place. Trump is an enigma that rises from the swamp once in a generation. Who else has the charisma to assemble the deplorable mob? DeSantis? Vance? Josh Hawley? He's like the anti-Obama, also someone who arises once in a generation.

#15 | Posted by igashosparks at 2024-08-01 12:27 PM | Reply

I wonder if the left wing of the party would have coalesced behind VPOTUS if Bernie was eight years younger, or would they be upset because that Bernie was not given an opportunity. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled with the current turn of events. I was for Harris before she bowed out in 2020, and then was for POTUS. I think she's great, and this seemless rollout has been remarkable. I'm very happy that the Bernie wing has fallen in line.

#16 | Posted by _Gunslinger_ at 2024-08-01 03:18 PM | Reply

Trump has taken over the GOP period. They forced out GOP leadership and Trump's people are now filling the positions. There is no replacing Trump.

#17 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-08-01 05:07 PM | Reply

If the Trump campaign was about policies that would make America better than it wouldn't matter one iota who Trump ran against.

Republicans have been running on only one two part policy and that is tax cuts for the rich and deregulation for the corporations so the corporations can eviscerate the environment and workers rights. And those policies don't engender a whole lot of votes.

So they need to create problems and run on that. And the contrived the issue with Biden and now they are flailing and trying to figure out how to contrive something on Harris.

But as I said above, if the Rs ran on a superior set of policies, who they ran against wouldn't matter.

#18 | Posted by prius04 at 2024-08-01 06:58 PM | Reply

Unfortunately we all know which side lost in The blitz.

#19 | Posted by oneironaut at 2024-08-01 07:04 PM | Reply

Unfortunately we all know which side lost in The blitz.

Yep, the Nazis. May history repeat itself.

#20 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-08-02 07:00 AM | Reply

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