The woman running the meeting closes the big book on the desk in front of her, rises, pand motions toward me. "Okay everyone, this is a new member. He is here tonight to tell his story." I feel the eyes of everyone in the room. My palms are sweaty. My mouth is dry. "Hi. My name is Lou. I'm a recovering Democrat." "Hi, Lou," the group responds in unison. "It has been ninety days since I left the party ... " I continue, to their understanding nods. Some of us are going to need a twelve-step program to deal with what went down in the 2023-24 presidential election cycle.
Let me get this out of the way. I am not a proponent of election conspiracy theories, and I do not think Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election. I believe Trump's allegations of widespread voter fraud worked to undermine confidence in elections, especially among his followers. However, Democrats and the legacy news media have taken the conversation too far the other way by painting those who want to increase the security of our elections in any way as kooky conspiracy theorists. It should be a bipartisan aim to ensure our elections are only for U.S. citizens
The Democratic political class cannot believe they might lose again to Donald Trump. "How could anyone vote for that man?" they complain. "He is just so gauche!" In a way, they have a point. Trump is gauche. His recent perambulations about Arnold Palmer are the latest in a long line of baffling utterances and improvisations. But mixed in with the weirdness is some smart campaigning. Trump's McDonald's stunt was a very sharp move (not genius, but pretty good for a standard political stunt). And of course, it sent Democrats on tilt at how undignified and cheap Trump was (again). The Democratic elites are so appalled by Trump they cannot bring themselves to give him any credit for anything. But the fact is, the former president has good instincts at self-promotion, unlike Kamala Harris or Joe Biden. Trump's delay, delay, delay legal strategy worked. Trump has the issue environment on his side. And Trump is currently the favorite to win.
President Trump's criticism of the CBS "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris has triggered the predictable legacy media meltdown. It's unfortunate. Trump and Harris supporters should demand CBS come clean about why the network significantly altered Harris' responses on the Biden-Harris administration's relationship with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In ordinary times, all honest, professional journalists and specifically media critics would be dissecting the striking lapse in journalistic ethics at CBS. On the Oct. 6 broadcast of "Face the Nation
With the Nov. 5 election just over a fortnight away, here is an intriguing thought experiment. By most accounts, the election is still a horse race too close to call. But although Vice President Kamala Harris quickly assumed the presidential mantle from Joe Biden and put in place an impressive start-up, October has not been particularly kind to her. Donald Trump has closed the electoral gaps, and some believe he is actually leading.
Biden, is still president, not Trump.