This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

Scurry, scurry toil and worry, some run towards the center and some run for the exits. House Republicans vote to scuttle their own spending plan. Preferring to shut down the government and spit in the face of the American public immediately adjacent to national elections. It beats all I’ve ever seen, but these are the professionals, right? They do this successfully for a living? If I were to put a name on it, I’d call it Kamikaze.

Republicans screwing other Republicans and that generally leads to hard feelings. Before you know it, you have factions working at cross-purposes. If I were to put a name on it, I’d call it “Trumper’s” vs. the Republican Party underground. Like the Free French, the Free non-Trump Republican Party meets secretly in basements and garages. They smile, but they aren’t really smiling. In the words of Nikki Haley, it  doesn’t matter if I like him or not, he’s the Republican nominee. Haley comes forth with straight middle of the road Party dogma yet somehow manages to say so much more on the snide.

Just hold your nose and vote for the old turd like a mindless droid. Ah, but there’s trouble a foot. This is Trump 2024, where trouble calls home. J.D. Vance was mangling language and trying to expel and expound on the glories of an interest rate cut when the crowd booed. It really doesn’t matter about the rate cut that’s pretty boring fare for a political rally anyway. Something bizarre like, “I’ll cut the excise tax rate on international capital gains. It’ll be great!”  

They booed J.D. because they don’t respect him, because they don’t like him. A fatal flaw because if the crowd liked him, he could tell them about Haitians eating pets in Springfield. These are pre-staged prepackaged campaign events which are supposed to be easy peasey. In and out, play the music release the balloons and everybody’s happy. Boo? Booing Donald Trump’s chosen sacrificial chump? That says bad things.

It means the “let’s go Brandon” drunken redneck crowd is active. They want what they want and don’t give a shit what you want lady! Bring on Trump! Bring on Trump! Boo! Boo! Bring on Trump! Yeah? Well, fuck you too! Interest rates? What the fuck? Boo!”

That little Brandon stunt hurt NASCAR. They spent millions and millions of dollars trying to convince a gullible American public this was a wholesome family event. And then a gaggle of drunken rednecks hanging off a fence screaming “Fuck You Brandon!” to a national television audience. I think you can see the similarity; these people are counterproductive. More likely to discourage the suburban middle of the road voter than to encourage them.

But it is just one more bump on an already bumpy road. Trump is looking at a 15% deficit in the women’s vote. That by itself says enough. That by itself could be headwinds enough. Trump is trailing in national polls and the private polls with bellwethers are doing even worse. All the signs portend a tough election night for Republicans and now, they want to shut down the government?

Kamikaze, no doubt Kamikaze. A suicide strategy to purge the Republican Party of Trumpers by crashing the Party onto the decks of the American electorate. Remember, Trump turns back into a toad at midnight. It’s all or nothing at all for him. Why not burn the deck chairs for a little more steam? What does Trump care? If there is anything left of the Party? Shut her down fellas!

The do what I want, or I’ll shoot myself Republicans want a Trump supported voter suppression bill passed, blatantly unconstitutional and designed to unleash pandemonium before the election. For this, the suicide squad holds house Republicans hostage. Willing to take the Republican Party down close to the edge and threatening to jump.

No matter how many times Republicans have threatened to hold their breath until they turn their districts blue. It never seems to work out as they envision. And now, to try it on the eve of a national election. Kamikaze or at the very least, suicidal. Someone call 911, the Republicans are hurting themselves!

100 Republican politicians have come out in support of Kamala Harris. But that is actually a misstatement; 100 Republicans have publicly denounced Donald Trump regardless of who else is running. A showing of disunity not seen since Fort Sumter.

Half of the Republican Party is in rebellion either for Trump or against Trump. Big-name Republicans generally in the spotlight have little to say. Not wanting to get involved lest Trump’s numbers continue going south. No sense in hitching your wagon to a falling star. Fighting their own difficult headwinds with the same or similar electoral deficit with women.

Donald Trump isn’t radioactive yet; he just smells bad. J.D. is radioactive, he’s the kryptonite sapping the Republican strength.

A classical comic/tragedy where the characters are larger than life trapped in a morality play of sin and stealth. Fated by the gods with an inevitable defeat. They pick up their swords and shields and go forth into battle on opposing sides thinking all the while, it’s their own idea.

Donald Trump can’t even dream of winning an election if he can’t even win the Republican Party first. The Harris -Walz team can take a break while Frick & Frack take turns bludgeoning each other. Mr. Trump is spinning out of control like a June bug coming off of a hot bug zapper. Mr. Trump did you happen to read your wife’s new book? “No, what for?”

It is without a doubt the worst run political campaign ever recorded since papyrus. A candidate who just rambles and rants incoherently and his running mate who could piss people off while handing out money. Do you hear the silence? The silence of the end. The silence of the battle lost. The silence of the brick wall. The silence of the Valkyries. The question now for Republicans is bare survival.