2024 Presidential Election in Review
Kamala Wants to ‘Turn the Page’ From Her Own Administration, But Can’t Think of One Thing She’d Change
I don’t know how the election will turn out Nov 5th, but many reliable metrics indicate that Pres. Trump is surging. As are millions of Americans, I am prayerfully hopeful that the election will be conducted honestly and that he and his policies prevail.
Whatever the outcome, I think there are certain events and watershed moments that will, in the fullness of time, prove to have directly impacted the race.
The first of these was the June presidential debate in which millions of Americans witnessed for the first time—due to the willful deceit of those around Pres. Biden—how mentally and physically deteriorated Biden had become.
The 2nd event was the forcing of Biden out of the race to be replaced by VP Kamala Harris who, while perhaps best positioned to step in as the Democrat nominee, was likely not the best suited to do so. Nor, honestly, does she have the moral credibility to lead given her central role in the three-year cover-up of Biden’s declining faculties. There are other national Democrats who would have been stronger candidates.
VP Harris has demonstrated no willingness or ability to defend the policies of the Administration of which she has been a part for over 3.5 years—many of which are broadly unpopular. On one hand, she can claim that she supports Pres. Biden’s policies and as a result must live with the negative view of millions of Americans about those policies. On the other hand, if she tries to break cleanly with Pres. Biden, she offends her far Left base, upon which her only hope in this election rests.
In her first major, individual decision she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, passing over the popular Gov. Josh Shapiro of the critically important swing state of PA. There may be several reasons for this decision but one of them may have been VP Harris’s desire to avoid inflaming the Israel-Palestinian conflict by choosing a Jewish running mate. In hindsight, Shapiro would have been a far preferable choice to the quirky and cartoonish Walz. And Shapiro isn’t known for putting tampons in high school boys’ locker rooms or for claiming to have fought in combat when he was never anywhere near the battle.
Of course, this is to say nothing of the Vance-Walz debate between the two VP candidates. Walz was outmaneuvered and overmatched by Vance which helped form the nation’s impression of Walz.
The assassination attempt of Pres Trump in Butler, PA is another moment of great symbolic importance. In an already iconic photo, Trump, bleeding from the ear—blood covering half his face—rose and exhorted the crowd to “fight, fight, fight!” If it was possible to top that event, Trump’s dramatic return to Butler, a mere 30 days before the election, electrified the crowd, if not much of the nation.
VP Harris’ appearance on The View was a colossal error. This is particularly so given her response to the question of how she distinguishes herself from Pres. Biden’s policies and decisions. She couldn’t think of anything she would do differently. “There Is Not A Thing That Comes To Mind,” said Kamala. This was stunning. Her response removed any doubt regarding whether she would continue the Biden policies that have the country in the shape it is in. She will.
As Bret Baier asked her on the FOX interview, “You say you want to ‘turn the page.’ But turn the page from what? You’ve been in office for the last 4 years.'”
Perhaps the most disqualifying trait of VP Harris is her relentless effort to deflect when any substantive questions are posed to her. Her unwillingness to address in detail what her plans are for the country beyond the generic and unavailing bromides she regularly offers, leaves voters with very little information about her based upon which to make a voting decision.
When you contrast this deflection and evasiveness with the countless unscripted interviews in which Pres. Trump and Sen. Vance have vigorously participated—and the simple, concrete, and repetitive articulation of plans and policies by those men—the candidacy and stature of VP Harris are diminished.
I think all of these factors will weigh on voters’ minds as they head to vote on or before Nov. 5th. All we can do in the meantime is to continue to pray for our nation.
