Why are we so divided? Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign seems to have devolved into a message of unintelligible babbling combined with a mix of racist lies, all begging the question, do Donald Trump and J.D. Vance want to win this election?
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders jumped into the fray this week at a Michigan Trump rally, where she echoed previous J.D. Vance 1950s-style observations about how women can only be fulfilled if they produce biological children.
“… and your kids remind you very quickly you’re actually not that big of a deal,” said Sanders, before adding, “So my kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble.”
Is that really the policy issue you want to debate? Motherhood?
The questions that I’d respond with are:
First, is humility a requirement that you require of your Presidential candidate, Ms. Sanders? Think about that comparison, for just a moment, or just rewatch Tuesday’s rally.
Second, are we really going to denigrate childless people for political gain? Mrs. Mac and I have biological children, and we think they’re the best. But giving birth does not automatically enhance our societal position or entitle us to have a greater impact, or a greater stake in our country’s future.
And Ms. Sanders, it’s good your kids keep you humble even if you seem less so as you lord those kids over others. However, some may doubt your own humility when they view one question on the job application required for employment in your administration — “What is an accomplishment of the Governor’s that you admire the most?” Yeah, that’s a modest move.
Regarding the Democrat opponent: While the “issues” being focusing on don’t seem like issues (see above), does it somehow give anyone the upper hand to continuously mispronounce her name? We all notice, and it just seems like another example of pettiness.
How about “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” – Really?? Are we six? Wait a minute, when my kids were six, they would have never made a statement like that. What purpose can that social media post serve? Is that an issue Republicans want to make and the maturity they want to demonstrate?
Let’s take a quick look at the latest conspiracy theory put forth. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m gonna do,” is a direct quote from the VP candidate in a CNN interview this week.
The ex-president and his running mate have pushed the immigrant-cat-eating saga, that Vance created, for many days now, and won’t back off despite the assurances of a Republican mayor, Republican governor, city manager and police chief, who have all refuted the claims. In fact, even the Trump-supporting cat-lady, who started the conspiracy, has admitted that she lost her cat but found it later in the basement.
Is it enough to be at the top of the news cycle, regardless of the truth? Is it OK to ignore the impact those lies have on real people?
The fact that the city of Springfield is awash with bomb threats and racial tension, as a result of his “created” story, seems to elicit no concern for Vance or his running mate.
This week, in a Michigan rally, Mr. Trump was asked about “the major threats to the future of Michigan manufacturing/auto-working jobs” and what he will do to “eliminate those threats.”
Trump’s response? “To me we have one really major threat, that’s called nuclear weapons. We have other countries that are hostile to us, they don’t have to be hostile to us. I always say if you have a smart president, you’ll never have a problem with China, Russia, or any of them, OK? I got along great with Putin, I got along great with President Xi, I got along great with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Everybody said, ‘Oh you can’t get along with him.’ He liked me, I got along great with him, and he has a lot of nuclear force. But you essentially have five countries and you’re going to have more. … It’s the single biggest threat to the world ‒ not only Michigan, to the world.”
What was the question?
And now, North Carolina is a swing state. The Republican nominee for governor has called himself a “Black Nazi” and has advocated bringing back slavery, in the comments section of a porn site (there are comment sections on porn sites??). He has disparaged women with words I can’t print here. Mr. Trump has endorsed Mark Robinson, calling him “better than Martin Luther King.” The next step should be interesting.
What kind of a campaign is this? Do they care if they win, or do they just want to dominate the news cycle, divide us even more, and hope that a cultish base of voters can return them to power?
Curt MacRae is a resident of Coldwater, MI, and publishes opinion columns regularly.
Tweets @curtmacrae — comments to rantsbymac@gmail.com
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