Somehow Shatterproof

 (Ed. note: here we go again. I wrote this before President Biden dropped out of the race. More on that in a few days.)

There is no polite, let alone cogent way to say a Donald Trump assassination attempt was inevitable. Just because something like this hasn't happened in most of our lifetimes doesn't mean something this ghastly couldn't happen. Even though his fellow conservatives will make this out like when John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan, early reports indicate it was more like when Squeaky Fromme tried to take out Gerald Ford. (The major difference is that Fromme completely missed.) Trump has also tied himself in history with Teddy Roosevelt and Robert F. Kennedy Sr, two candidates that were targeted on the campaign trail. For that reason, the MAGA base is galvanized even more, their obsession ignoring that Trump's facial injury in the incident was the result of shattered plexiglass from the TelePrompTer, not a bullet.

Why do I insinuate that an attempt on Trump's life was inevitable? For nine years now, Trump has pandered to 2A and the NRA, a faction of conservative Americans that the GOP kept at arm's length for decades. His cult of personality has forced the Republican Party to pivot harder to the right, with a higher threshold for more extreme ideas and policies. That is not to say the now-deceased shooter was necessarily a disciple, but it's hard to deny he was encouraged. Additionally, while I would never condone murder, his agenda remains naked and concerning. 

Which brings me to his running mate and the RNC clown show. JD Vance has little in common with Trump besides being a pampered opportunist with a penchant for fabrication. He was a staunch never-Trumper conservative until it wasn't convenient to to do, then started suckling on the teat to advance his own political career. The convention itself had exactly two tolerable speeches; one was an earnest effort by Don Junior's teenage daughter, the other by a nonagenarian World War II vet (or as we call them nowadays, Antifa). Otherwise, it was recycled, exhausting vitriol in a moment when such discord was almost inappropriate.

(734)

Ridin' With Biden (Until Sundown)

(Ed. note: I wrote most of this essay before the Trump assassination attempt. That will be the subject of my next post.)

It's been a rough few weeks for left-leaning ideologies. The SCOTUS' decision to allow ex-President Trump partial immunity for instigating January 6th is concerning, especially in yet another election cycle where he's polling around 50%. Project 2025 is looking less like a fringe-right wet dream and more like a handbook for how an emboldened Trump would navigate a second term. 

The greatest concern, however is the well-being of the incumbent. President Biden's performance in the first presidential debate was weak and doddering to the point of concerning, and even he admits that. He's our oldest president ever (82 this November) running against the man who would be the oldest elected ever (Trump turned 78 in June) and arguably neither is in top form. Where the GOP is dutifully propping up their guy, a panicky mutiny of sorts is growing among Democrats. Biden's own attempts to prove his worthiness have been mixed, further fanning the flames.

In the grand scheme of things this election cycle has been a slog, as galvanizing as drywall. Progressives, the hard right, and the media know it. If Biden is being bullied, he's not going to cave. There's also no consensus on who would succeed Biden on the ticket. It's an overblown debate when Democrats should rally against the greater evil, Donald Trump. To reiterate what I've been saying for 3 1/2 years, Biden is our best hope in spite his occasional senior moments. 

(733)