This week, tens of millions of Americans will, for a third time, cast their ballots for a walking, talking grift, in Donald Trump.
In and of itself, that’s actually not an indictment of the populace, except maybe from a “fool me once” perspective. People are simple and gullible. Credulity’s so universal it’s probably unfair or anyway pointless to condemn and lament, but I’m struck often at just how credulous one has to be to pull this particular lever.
I had occasion to drive through the downtown area of a small red-state “city” a few days ago. The local Republican headquarters was set up in a strip mall, in what looked like yesteryear’s laundromat. In the parking lot sat some manner of decommissioned military vehicle painted like the flag and papered with Trump-Vance placards. The meretriciousness was blinding.
Forget “the issues” — seriously, forget them, because Trump has — if you don’t see, in the Trump-Vance ticket, a couple of guys trying to steal something from you, then you’re being robbed, in one way or another, every single day of your life. I guarantee it.
I’d like to think Trump’s support base on Wall Street, in the VC space and so on, isn’t that stupid. That they’re just voting for what they believe is their own economic self-interest. Or maybe they just delight in tormenting the left and are fully prepared to gamble the country out of spite for Democrats. But it strikes me often that a lot of those voters believe they’re somehow “in on it.” That they “get the joke” in a way the Cracker Barrel constituency doesn’t.
If that’s you, understand that you’re no more in on it than the people honking their pickup truck horns when they drive by the GOP laundromat headquarters. Everyone wants to think they’re in on it. But nobody is. Not even Trump’s own kids. Don’t delude yourself: The only person laughing with Trump is Trump.
But Trump’s more than a grifter at this point. He’s a cult leader and he’s someone under whom a very large number of Americans are willing to give authoritarian government a chance. In that regard, Trump’s in some ways a victim of his own con. For decades, he paper-traded a hypothetical presidency and then when he actually became president, he paper-traded an autocracy. Now, in 2024, if he wins again, he’ll be playing the autocrat game with real money.
There’s no turning back now. Trump can’t be a “regular” president in a second term. What would that even look like? All the groundwork — the co-opting of SCOTUS, the civil war dress rehearsal on January 6, the conquest of the Republican party and so on — would be wasted in a “normal” presidency. He’s pot-committed to the authoritarian promise implicit and explicit in his own con.
Some people seem to understand that. As I wrote in the Weekly, Jeff Bezos’s decision to ice The Washington Post‘s Kamala Harris endorsement is telling, and alarming, as is Elon Musk’s obsessive sycophancy.
A few days ago, Dealbook noted that Wall Street strategists’ meetings with PMs “have taken a dark turn lately.” “All but gone are investors’ fears of a hard landing, replaced by a deeper anxiety that things could go very badly around Election Day,” Bernhard Warner wrote. “Investors are not just concerned about their investment portfolios or retirement funds, they’re worried about democracy.”
Personally, I don’t give a damn about this. I get a kick out of clenched-fist reader email charging me with various sorts of “bias.” I’m a free rider in the social contract. If everyone were like me, we’d have a collective action problem. My vote, individually, doesn’t count, particularly not in the red state where I’m registered, so I won’t be casting it. Who’s got the time, right?
Of course, I’ll write about the election results. Voluminously, breathlessly and, I hope, eloquently, with the usual heavy dose of off-putting condescension. But the only sleep I’m going to lose is that forgone out of necessity given that the race likely won’t be called until the early hours of November 6.
But if you’re not me — and I beg of you, don’t be me — which is to say if you do give a damn about this, and also about the future of the “shining city” the Founders built on a “hill” of dead Native Americans and off the back of imported slave labor, then do yourself a favor: Suppress the incurable human penchant for gullibility long enough to pull the lever for Kamala Harris on Tuesday. You can go back to being a dupe once the country’s safe on Wednesday.
Thanks. The weekly was thoughtful. So was this. It took the people under Hitler more than a decade to figure out that no one but him was actually “in on it.” Eventually, that will happen here, too. People are selfish victims of their own psyches and the will to survive. When they finally understand djt is not the way to get what they want, he will not survive. He needs to appoint Musk, who we are now beginning to understand is at least as damaged as the man himself (and thinks he is now in on it) to be his official food taster. As to Vance, I think he already knows he ain’t in on it. He’s holding the snipes. Ivanka and Kushner know they aren’t in on it with djt but sadly, they do think they are “in on it” with the tin pots in the Middle East. They aren’t. They are Jewish, playing with hand grenades.
Thankfully, many people will be pulling the lever for Ms Harris!
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/02/politics/iowa-poll-harris-trump/index.html
Mr H
I think your heart is breaking. There are no fat ladies singing in real life. I will vote Tuesday with the hope that my vote counts and that it will continue to count for years to come.
I am also the “opposition” color in a lopsided state. But I vote as it’s my right, a right that a person like me did not have at one point in this country’s history. I consider myself very fortunate, so I vote.
Hummingbird
I can’t speak to the rest of the commonwealth, but here in the city of Philadelphia I’ve spoken to thousands of Democratic leaning voters on the phone, and 500+ who have answered their doors.
What I believe based on these interactions is that there are a lot of Democratic leaning voters who are not going to turn out in this city and that the share of votes Philadelphia provides in this election will be lower than in previous elections. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I’ve witnessed lots of signs that lead me to predict this.
Even so, I’m not at all hopeless as to her chances in PA, but I think if she wins the commonwealth it’s going to be because she improved on previous Democratic nominee’s numbers with white women, particularly older white women, throughout the commonwealth.
The bright spot in the City of Philadelphia for Harris is definitely Puerto Rican voters. If Harris wins a close race, it may well be on account of a joke which was an absolute gift to her here.
I’ve run into dozens of Elon Musk’s people in working class areas of Philly. To say the least, the ones I’ve seen don’t have their hearts in it, and don’t seem table to speak to voters effectively. Maybe they are running a better operation in other parts of PA, but here what I’ve seen of it is third rate.
So I think whichever campaign loses PA is going to be able to look back and think (not that this would ever occur to the Republican Nominee himself) that if they’d run things better, or not made a few key mistakes, they could have won the race.
So my conclusion after devoting significant time and energy to this, is that this race in PA is going to be lost more than won.
Thanks for your hard work! I have family in Erie, PA. Erie cost Hillary PA, terrible turnout. Their feedback is encouraging, let’s hope.
Glad to hear your family in Erie is sense good vibes. Hope you get your morale ball 🙂
The crowd surrounding the orange one has given up ‘managing the process’ long ago. They are just grifters hoping for some scraps as spoils. Scraps like ability to off ones enemies at the same time you off the orange ones enemies.
Bravo
I live in Dana Point, CA, a red county but clearly a very blue state. Why should I vote? Why should anyone vote who lives in a red or blue dominated state?
My experience tells me Republicans don’t ask these questions, they vote. They understand just how important it is to down ballot vote. Controlling the undercard provides the power to gerrymander, pass laws, and etc. Many Democrats don’t get the importance. Where I live, only 41% of registered Democrats voted last midterm, sad turnout. This will change Nov 5.
My vote for Harris will not mean much beyond popular vote tally. But, the only Democrat running for my city council, the only Democrat running for our local School Board needs my vote! They already received 3+ months of my life every year since tRump was elected in 2016 – canvasing and registering voters. It’s small stuff. I’m proud one door, one registration at a time. I walk my talk beyond the ballot box. It makes a difference, red Orange County is now very purple and going blue.
In my old football days (NFL receiver), at practice, when we were killing the defense we would throw up a morale ball (wounded duck) to get intercepted – this really pissed them off. H, piss me off, throw me morale ball – vote! Who knows maybe a local Dem running for City Clerk needs your help! LOL.
By the way, I really enjoy reading your work, thank you!
As the kids on Reddit say: This!
I’m sure there is someone down ballot you could vote for H!
I voted. Partly because I have no job. I have not job because I have taken care of the living money thing. I am however happy to see how much effect downballot can have for the good of humanity. I am in a blue leaning state, which has a good population of MAGAT’s.
I am a South African, and wouldn’t dream to have any insight into the American psyche. But in a sense, what I see happening in your country has despite vast, vast differences in economic circumstances, such similarities as well: a polarised political society, a huge wealth gap, and the past experience of having a grifter as president, for ten years. So we had an election as well this year. And despite all of the above, we did the South African miracle thing again – peaceful, fair and a coalition government that has a majority support (for the moment). There is only one reason for that happening, and I believe it the same reason you guys will be ok. At its hart, the average American is as concervative (small c), as the South African voter. They try to get along, they value family, community and religion, and most importantly, they are not ignorant – no matter which race, or in your case politics. All those undecided you have, they will make the right choice – just as we did. The majority decided against a grifter and bitter old man in power again. As wil you. Good luck.
Thank you.
Thank you. I think you are correct.
I wish I was. Just one request. Please don’t deport Musk. We don’t want him back.
If Trump loses and he drags down with him republican senate and house candidates, and the republican party loses everything, maybe that will be the wake up call.
If you think he is the devil the tale of the devil tells us he will destroy as many people as possible before fading away. Destroying the lives of nearly half the population is a big prize.
I live in a red saturated place right down to the dogcatcher. I’m going to vote fully aware my opposition is futile. However our neighbor is running for the school board as an independent. She’s been an educator for many many years, and is qualified for the responsibility. In that my vote will matter.
I salute you.