After the Debate my predictive powers were on fire!
I hunkered down in front of my tv on September 10th to watch the debate between the former President Donald Trump and the formidable woman who, if all is just, will be our next President- Kamala Harris. She owned the stage and him as she strode across, hand extended to shake his as he slowly moved to his podium, hoping, I imagine that she would follow suit. I couldn’t help but smile broadly as she introduced herself, since amazingly, they have never met. She made sure to say her own name so it was clear that if he mispronounced it, it was with the intent to demean. She didn’t give him the chance to do that. The same man who has skulked and lurked behind Hillary Clinton in their debate had shrunken considerably energetically, even though he remains around a foot taller than VP Harris.
I wrote an article that was published the morning of the debate, called “What Do You Think Will Happen at the Debate on September 10th?”
As I re-read it, I see that I nailed it. He lied, he exaggerated, Gish Galloped, and weaved.
He said atrocious things about Haitian immigrants in Ohio kidnapping and eating pets, and that Democrats are in favor of 9th month abortions and executing babies after they are born. Then he put the icing on the cake by saying that everyone wanted Roe v. Wade overturned. Like most everything he says, he uses absolute terms like ‘everyone’ and ‘no one’. He adds on, “People are saying…” or “this…whatever it is…will be like no one has ever seen.” I can’t identify the grammatical term for that. The laughable line said that Harris wanted to do “transgender surgery on illegal aliens that are in prison.” The truth behind the claim is the idea that people deserve gender affirming health care even if they are incarcerated.
His platforming the lie about Haitian immigrants, despite being contradicted by moderator David Muir as well as by local and state authorities in Ohio, has already had dangerous repercussions. Bomb threats and school closings were one outcome.
At each turn, Harris rose to the occasion, kept her cool, spoke professionally, even as her facial expressions betrayed her feelings. I found myself joining her. I observed from the moment he stood behind the podium, Trump was struggling. His right eye squinted and then the left joined it. He would not look at her or even glance in her direction. His facial expressions went from mugging for the camera to mug shot glowering. The only time he took on a somber appearance was when Harris was talking about the real life human impact of Roe v. Wade being overturned. I’m not sure what mental mechanism was at work to enable him to even prevent shaking his head at those comments.
As the clock ticked, Trump decompensated into anger and vitriol. He was not able to gain his composure. And women are considered too emotional to lead?
Some people who went into the debate being undecided about their vote were convinced afterward that she was the candidate who would best serve the country. Others were still in limbo. Hard to imagine that anyone with a conscience could vote for a candidate who, by all appearances, has none
A few who woulda thunk outcomes of Trump’s downslide into whatever this is…Fox News pundits and hosts declared Harris the winner of the debate. Dick and Liz Cheney and other well know Republicans came out in support of Harris.
One highly anticipated endorsement came immediately following the debate when Harris walked off the stage into the arms of her husband Doug Emhoff. Note that Melania Trump was not present. The meteoric superstar Taylor Swift added her voice to the campaign by offering her thumbs up.
As she said, “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and a woman’s right to her own body for decades,” Swift concluded, signing her message, “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.”
As a result, voter registration soared at least 400%.
There are some who are applauding her endorsement while others told her to stay in her lane. As a registered voter, she has the right to use her influence and platform to support candidates she believes would best uphold a vision for the country that is positive and sustaining of Democracy.
This post menopausal grandmother is cheering the Harris/Walz ticket and am envisioning their inauguration on January 20th, 2025. May it be peaceful, joyful and unifying.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Flickr
