This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

I understand the anxiety surrounding the election. But every living President has endorsed Kamala Harris. 100 ex-Trump officials have condemned Donald Trump and are supporting Kamala Harris. Is it possible the race is as close as they say? Ex-Trump officials are making TV commercials for Kamala Harris.

Another shooting at the Tempe, Arizona Democratic headquarters. This time a pellet gun in the middle of the night. Would you take that as a sign of Republican satisfaction or desperate frustration? “I’ll show you!”

The Republican Party is torn asunder and there is no middle ground in between, either you are, or you aren’t. Either you is or you isn’t. Liz Cheney is talking about forming a new political Party made up of all the various Republican factions, except for you know who. Is it possible, the race could be that close with half of the Republican Party in open rebellion?  

Donald Trump grouses and complains his big boy billionaire donors aren’t kicking in the bucks like they should. The Trump campaign whistles past the graveyard by saying, “We’ve been outspent before and still won.” I don’t really understand where they get that from. Trump has only been in two previous elections both of which Mr. Trump lost. That very statement falls into the category of “Things losing campaigns often say to console themselves.” While it is possible to be out spent and still win, it is equally unlikely.

Polling shows the two most important issues for most voters are inflation and abortion. Among voters who call themselves Conservatives, the primary issue is immigration. So, the Trump-Vance juggernaut focuses solely on racism and xenophobia. Congratulations! You’ve just won over all the people who were going to vote for you anyway! Good job! And further alienated the rest of the electorate.

How do threats of mass deportations help to build that Republican big tent? There might be millions of Americans who might even agree with deportations. But when you start talking about cracking skulls and putting people into camps, you begin to lose them. I understand about Mr. Trump’s cult, but that support is a mile wide and only an inch deep.

Republican incumbents are in trouble in Texas and Florida. In Arizona, Ruben Gallego is making a joke out of Republican Kari Lake. In Lake’s defense, her campaign released a new TV ad where Ms. Lake actually hugged a small child. Just to prove Lake had hugged someone before. Why is this happening? If this race is so close? In Florida, despite numerous hurricanes. Governor Ron DeSantis still has time to threaten TV stations over an abortion amendment. Ron uses the state machinery to stifle democracy. Because why? Because Republican positions are so popular or because they aren’t?

The enthusiasm gap. Four years ago, our main street was covered over in Donald Trump signage. Various sizes with all sorts of fancy trimmings. Smiling jack ass photos. This time around, a piddling few three-color yard signs. It would be a disappointing show of support for a Senate candidate, but for President? And you say it’s close? It sure doesn’t feel like it. I have received flyers in the mail for Harris-Walz and even had someone come to the door for Democrats. In Arizona! Really! And nothing from Republicans in print or in person. Just that BB gun attack, see what I mean?

Barack Obama does a stand-up comedy routine on Donald Trump. “His mama was so fat! I only know five fat people and she was four of them.”

“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” – Mark Twain

If you hang around for too long, you become a caricature of yourself and your fame. Dated to a particular era and unable to move on. You have to be FOR something or you’re not for anything. It’s hard to motivate people to tear down the high school or run migrants out of town with a pitchfork. The Trump campaign looks like a movie sequel. “You loved him last time! Now he’s back and crazier than ever! Trump II (The declining years.) But like any sequel, it’s never as good the second time around.

The goal is to get as much as you can by glomming on to the previous event. Hoping the fame of the first film will carry you through to success. I just don’t see it? Very few Trump yard signs and zero Trump bumper stickers.

Let’s be clear on the challenge Mr. Trump faces here. He must win all of the midwestern toss up states, every last one. He needs a heavy voter turnout. Mr. Trump must win Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina. In the tar heel state, that could be a tall order with a disgraced Republican Black Porn Nazi running for governor. How much will that affect the Republican turnout?

Never in my political lifetime has a candidate for office from either party been so publicly derided or despised and yet, they say the election is close. I just don’t see it.

Are they trying to keep us from becoming too complacent?

Complacent runs both ways. Human nature says the public is less excited by something they’ve seen before than by something new. The Trump supporters of 2016 and 2020, won’t march in the streets flailing themselves like recanting monks chanting, “We were wrong! We were fooled! Donald Trump is the devil! The Republicans will take the easy way out and just stay home.

The question isn’t are YOU better off than you were four years ago? The question for us is Donald Trump better off than he was four years ago? Obviously not, and Donald Trump lost that previous election by a wide margin.

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all of the others.” – Winston Churchill