This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

The pendulum of time swings. All of the signs are there. The Trump campaign spent 32 million dollars more than they took in. Follow the money or the lack of it. Republican House and Senate candidates complain the money isn’t getting to them, and they are hurting because of it. No Bucks, no Buck Rogers. I first noticed that my television once overburdened with Trump attack ads, then they almost seemed to stop.

Republicans abandoning New Hampshire is like Lee’s retreat from Gettysburg. A sad mournful striking of the colors Republicans never dreamed would ever happen. New Hampshire was once a bastion of conservatism, but not so much Trumpism, and that’s the difference. Campaign spokesmen are answering questions for the big ape. Has he entered into hibernation? Has the long and winding road finally worn an old man down to a nub? Or perhaps, it is just a change in strategy.

You just sit in the backseat sir and just leave the driving to us. Take your shoes off and set a spell. How bad is it? It’s worse than public polls can show. Public polls are only an overview of a horse race. Internal polls looks at specific demographics and compare them with past performance. Specific counties in specific states you must have in order to win. And if you don’t have them or are poorly polling, a domino effect creeps in. If you don’t win county A, you won’t win county B or C either. It just won’t happen.

The Trump campaign has its wheels firmly mired in the mud of its own decrepitude. The Republican meme “Joe Biden is too old” was a wild success. Firmly planting in the mind of voters forever that age was an important issue. Then Joe Biden stepped out and the age spotlight fell on Donald Trump.

There is a Republican attack ad which says, “Kamala Lies.” A bold statement coming from the King of all liars. Attacks that would appeal only to the base and be unwelcoming to a newcomer. What good is as an ad that only appeals to those who already plan to vote for you? The former President has been inconsistent, and his VP nominee has been much worse. Donald Trump is like a child’s top spinning across the floor and starting to lose momentum and beginning to wobble.

It begs the question; can Humpty Dumpty be put back on his wall? Can a one hit wonder have another go round? Can the mechanical bull craze be reignited? It just won’t work. There’s no market for second hand bologna. Mr. Trump starring in the role of Mr.Trump. Just like you remember him from last time. Only the insults aren’t as sharp and aren’t hitting the mark.

I have a theory that many Trumpers view Trump rallies as events like Monster trucks rallies. Something exciting to do that doesn’t cost a lot of money. More of a fan club than a political party. They come to see their hero and doesn’t really matter what he says. He may be fat Elvis, but they still love him. But fan love is fleeting and when your welcome is worn out, it’s done.

The Republican slime machine focused all of their guns on Joe Biden. They forgot about Kamala. The Republicans never dreamed she could become the nominee. Propaganda takes time to prepare the ground and is not instant. Republicans spent four years painting Biden as too old and now with Ms. Harris, they don’t have time to retrain the chickens.

Trump was unable to change his tact and continued to run against Joe Biden. Making the former President look inept and out of touch. The non-draft dodging George Bush once looked befuddled by a grocery scanner. That wounded him badly in the public’s eye. Something stupid but illustrative of out of touch. He ain’t like us Marge. Dan Quayle got in an argument with a school kid and lost answering the question with certainty. Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Little things that stimulate the electrodes in our brains to become wary.

The most disastrous Vice-Presidential pick since Sarah Palin. Sarah was a lightweight and it showed. The public didn’t dislike Ms. Palin as much as they thought she was an unqualified air head. Mr. Vance on the other hand is just plain unpopular but only because they don’t like him. They don’t question his qualifications as much as they just don’t like him. A used car salesman moonlighting as an insurance salesman wearing too much aftershave.

But it’s those specific demographics again. Mr. Trump is unpopular with women. How does Mr. Vance help? He’s even more unpopular with women. He’s a boat anchor to the campaign with women. So, if Sarah Palin dragged the McCain campaign down to defeat what will J.D. do for Mr. Trump? With reproductive freedom a preeminent issue, what can Republicans do now? Team Trump is getting pulverized by women and there just aren’t male votes to counter that deficit.  

Polling badly and running out of money. Off message and running on the wrong side of the message. Wobbling and slowing down. If it is a change in strategy, it shows Mr. Trump’s fear and sudden willingness to listen and sit back and let the professionals take over. That’s not like Mr. Trump at all. How long can he behave and be a good boy on a leash?

But it is the pendulum of time. It doesn’t stop and will not wait and doesn’t care if you fall behind. Clotho, who spins the strands of time. Lachesis, who measures the length of the strand. And Atropos, who cuts the thread. A problem of inevitability as you can only be new once and then you become old forever.

“The days of your life are short. The days of your powers are shorter still.” – Marcus Aurelius