National Republicans
Diversity Wins
For 16 days, America’s diverse athletic talent lit up the Paris Olympics. Here at home, Vice President Kamala Harris and “Coach” Tim Walz have been lighting up huge, happy and diverse crowds. In sports and politics, our diversity is our superpower. At the games, America’s women – and Black women – stood out. Women won…
Read MoreTrump Lies. Media Surrenders.
For more than an hour yesterday, Donald Trump ducked reporters’ questions and told lie after lie after lie – and the media meekly played along. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, the best talking head on TV, rightly ripped the media – and his own network – for its passive performance. His on-air spanking last night is well…
Read MoreA Warning Sign
Trump wanted to get more Black votes – he’d gotten 12% in 2020, was aiming to get 20% this time. And polls showed he was doing it – until Biden got out. Trump dropped back to 12% facing Kamala Harris. Trump set out to drive a wedge between Harris and Black voters, claiming ‘She was…
Read MoreThe Ground Shifted Beneath Trump’s Feet
On stage at a rally Trump bashed ‘lyin’ Kamala…low IQ Kamala.’ Back in 2016 he pummeled ‘Crooked’ Hillary the same way – and won. But when he pummeled ‘Sleepy’ Joe in 2020 he lost. Marching in Trump’s footsteps, pummeling Democrats, Republicans lost in 2018 and 2022. The economy tanked – running a third time Trump…
Read MoreThe Smell Test
The headline surprised me: Trump donated to Kamala Harris campaign when she was California Attorney General. Trump gave Harris $6000, his daughter Ivanka gave another $2000. Trump’s campaign spokesman brushed it off saying Trump was a ‘global businessman who gave politicians money to play the game and win.’ Trump’s given the same answer himself before.…
Read MoreTwo Different Worlds
The other day on TV a mother wearing a long white sweater sitting beside her dining room table talked about her son dying of a fentanyl overdose – then said she typically voted Republican but this time ‘Josh Stein is who I want to be governor.’ The same day in a video on Facebook, waving…
Read MoreBiles vs Trump
On one screen, Simone Biles and the women’s gymnastics team were smiling, winning gold and bringing pride to Americans. On another screen, Trump was scowling, insulting Black women and sowing hate among Americans. Let’s turn off the Trump channel.
Read MoreGetting Fooled
Reagan battled Tip O’Neill for years but two Irishmen became friends. When Reagan was wounded O’Neill was one of the first men to visit him in the hospital, knelt by his bed, said a prayer, rising, leaning down, kissed Reagan on the forehead. George Bush and Bill Clinton, the younger Bush and Al Gore, Obama…
Read MoreLearning From Mistakes
Raising more money, making stronger ads, Republicans once had an edge over Democrats in elections. But, of course, over time Democrats learned from their mistakes. Kamala Harris just raised $200 million in one week – no Republican’s done that. For years Republicans’ flashy ads full of melodrama worked but voters have now seen so many…
Read MoreThe Ground Beneath Trump’s Feet
Winds change and without warning politics changes: In 1980 Reagan and Carter were running neck and neck ten days before the election – winds changed, Reagan won 44 states. Sitting in my office ten years later during Jesse Helms’ Senate campaign our pollster pointed to one question in his poll: 80% of the voters disagreed…
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