Who Won The Debate? Who Won The War?
I'll tell you.
I did not watch the debate. I did, however, read the coverage and I consider myself fully up to speed.
JD Vance won. He won because he has a great command of facts, mostly lies. He’s smooth. And he does not seem deranged.
He’s closer to a Richard Nixon than his demented running mate, although Nixon’s lies tended to be small-scale compared to Vance’s. Also, Nixon was a moderate Republican while Vance is a serious rightist.
Tim Walz is a good man and well-qualified to be Vice President or President but he’s not a liar and he’s not smooth.
He lost but that won’t matter. VP debates never do.
The good news is that Vance’s success will further unhinge Trump owing to all the coverage comparing Vance’s debate performance to Trump’s. That can only help Harris. Trump’s mental deterioration is a Democratic asset!
Bottom line: I think Harris will win but I am far from confident. The very fact that a ranting, deranged criminal still is running neck and neck with a candidate as competent and impressive as Harris means that he can easily win. A lunatic like Trump shouldn’t be breaking into double digits but the race is tied.
That is no fault of the Democratic candidates but rather of the fact that about half of the American electorate is driven by hate, greed, and resentment.
Harris can win if Democrats can get out the vote more effectively than Republicans can and outrun the GOP voter suppression and vote stealing that is already taking place.
We can’t expect any help from Attorney Genial Merrick Garland whose malfeasance is responsible for Trump’s resuscitation and who always puts his own imagined reputation for rectitude over the country. He’ll do nothing to save democracy but he may succeed in convicting P-Diddy.
Right up there with Biden’s collusion with Israel’s warmaking for a year, the appointment of dotard Garland was Biden’s worst decision as president. Thank you, Joe. For nothing.
As to the war.
The war itself won yesterday as it’s been winning every day since October 7th. Israel has not yet achieved the regional war it wants but I have no doubt that it’s coming. If it does, while Biden is still president, the United States will go all in, flags flying and soldiers dying.
Despite her ritualistic mantras about loving Israel to death, I don’t think Harris will be in Israel’s pocket the way Biden is. She’s African American, she’s a woman, and she’s not 75. And I doubt her Jewish husband is even remotely a Jewish nationalist. Nothing in his life, prior to this campaign, indicates that he is. Heck, neither of his two wives were/are Jews and neither are his kids. Also, he’s too cool to buy into Israel’s propaganda, except to get his wife elected. And, if he does care at all about Israel’s survival, he’ll be down with J Street (as he apparently is) not AIPAC.
However, I just read that if Harris wins with a GOP Senate, the Republicans will block all her Cabinet appointments leaving us with both Merrick Garland and Anthony Blinken for the duration. All the more important to save the Democratic Senate so Harris can clean house and appoint a competent team. Pete Buttigieg should stay though. He’s a star. Maybe put him in charge of foreign policy. Unlike Wynken, Blynken and Nod, he is not owned by the lobby and he’s so damn smart and in your face.
Bottom line on my predictions. Harris has a slightly better than 50-50 chance of winning. And Israel has a better than 50-50 chance of plunging the Middle East and maybe the world into a major war, and a 100% chance of living in a new terrifying reality until the United States and other world powers impose peace.
Along those lines, Jared Kushner said earlier this week that his recommendation to Ivanka’s daddy would be to have the US join Israel in a full-blown attack (maybe nuclear) on Iran as soon as he can. Trump’s election could lead to all of us being dead a lot sooner than we anticipate. But not Trump. He’ll escape with severe ketchup ear.