So long as you keep them civil.

For Monday’s front page, we posted synopses of the Trump/Vance platform in the right column and the Harris/Walz platform in the left column, both as they appear in donaldjtrump.com and kamalaharris.com, and without commentary. 

In today’s right column, Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay offers his critique of the Trump/Vance platform. We are sure there are pro-MAGA readers who may have something to say about the Harris/Walz platform and/or Macaulay’s commentary. As always, you are welcome to submit your comments for posting in the right column. 

Left-leaning readers also are invited to comment on the platforms and on our pundit-at-large’s opinion piece. 

Go to the COMMENT section of the left or right columns, as appropriate, or email editors@thehustings.news  and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

_____
TUESDAY 11/5/24

WEDNESDAY 11/6/24

Not Even Close -- The Associated Press called Wisconsin for Donald J. Trump just before dawn Eastern time, to give the once and future president 277 electors to Vice President Kamala Harris' 224.

"This was a movement like nobody's ever seen before," Trump said at a victory gathering in West Palm Beach, Florida, before the AP call, "and frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There's never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond."

The Republican Party also took control of the Senate Tuesday night. The House of Representatives remains close.

•••

Nabs Georgia, North Carolina – Just after 1 am Eastern time Donald J. Trump led Kamala Harris 247 to 210 in the Electoral College vote count as called by the AP, with 270 needed to win. Trump is leading in Pennsylvania for its 19 electoral votes, at 51.2% to 47.8%, with 91% of the vote in.

Trump also is leading in the key swing states of Michigan, 51.4% to 46% with 59% in, and Wisconsin, 51.4% to 47.2% with 84% counted. Trump has a slight lead over Harris in Arizona, at 49.9% to 49.2%, with 51% in. Just 4% of the votes were counted in Nevada, where Trump was leading 71.5% to 26.8%.

--TL

_______________________________________________

ELECTION DAY 11/5/24

Scroll down one page with the trackbar on the far right to read …

<<<<<<<<<<Kamala Harrisplatform in the left column.

Donald J. Trump’s platform in the right column. >>>>>>>>>>

Shape of the Count to Come? -- First-in-the-nation-to-vote Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, finished counting its six ballots at 12:12 am Tuesday. The result, reports The New York Times: Three votes for Kamala Harris. Three votes for Donald J. Trump.

•••

Yet More Misinfo, Disinfo – Late Monday night as Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald J. Trump were wrapping up their presidential election campaigns, the Office of the Director of National Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI said in a joint statement, according to The New York Times, that foreign adversaries led by Russia were “conducting additional influence operations intended to undermine public confidence in the integrity of US elections and stoke division among Americans.”

Fight misinformation, disinformation … Confused over what you are reading about today’s election on Facebook and X-Twitter, or watching on TikTok and YouTube and the like? The Brennan Center for Justice has this handy guide to voter misinformation.

•••

Wait For It – As in 2020, swing states Pennsylvania and Michigan were not allowed to count early ballots until Tuesday, November 5. Wisconsin’s rules have changed and this year election workers have already begun tabulating the early ballots.

•••

Abortion on the Ballot – Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota have ballot measures to roll back bans on abortion, the AP reports. South Dakota, in fact, has two competing ballot initiatives, according to NPR. In addition, AP says, Colorado and Maryland have measures that would protect abortion rights via their state constitutions. Initiatives to maintain access are on the ballots in Montana and Nevada, and a New York law would ban discrimination against women on the basis of “pregnancy outcome, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

•••

Trump’s Last Rally – Donald J. Trump began what he called his “last rally” after midnight Tuesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he got “kind of sentimental” NPR’s Morning Edition reports.

“But here’s the good news: All we were doing is putting ourself in a position where we could win tomorrow if you show up,” Trump said. 

Earlier, Trump held a rally in Pittsburgh with conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly, whom he once called “nasty” for her question during the first 2016 GOP primary debate on Fox News, of whether Trump has the temperament to be president. 

“He got mocked by the left by saying he would be a protector of women,” Kelly told the rally crowd Monday evening. “He will be a protector of women and it’s why I’m voting for him. He will close the border and he will keep the boys out of women’s sports where they don’t belong.”

•••

Harris on Rocky Steps – That’s the steady sort of rocky, as in the steps up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Sylvester Stallone runs in his 1976 movie, Rocky.

Harris called the “famous steps, a tribute to those who start as the underdog, and climb to the victory.”

Celebrities speaking at Harris’ final push were Oprah Winfrey, Fat Joe and Philly native DJ Jazzy Jeff. Lady Gaga, The Roots and Ricky Martin performed. 

“We are done with it,” Harris said of the “most consequential” presidential election of our lifetime. “America is ready for a fresh new start, where we see our fellow Americans, not as an enemy but as a neighbor.”  

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_____
TUESDAY 11/5/24

By Stephen Macaulay

How many people who plan on voting for Trump have actually taken the time to go to his official website — www.donaldjtrump.com — and have looked at his presidential platform?

Probably not many. Because he doesn’t offer much in the way of anything but empty bluster or problems that actually exist.

For those who are interested in so-called “kitchen-table” issues, the planks of that platform are pretty flimsy. And if we want to build a stronger America, substantive plans are needed.

So, to review, here are the 20 points of his platform.

1. Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion. 

One might think that when he was president and had a Republican Congress he would have gotten that wall built and paid for by Mexico, that there wouldn’t have simply been a reduced number of illegals crossing the border when he was in office, but that he would have sealed it. None of that happened.

2. Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.

This is a red-meat item. . .until people realize that their family members, friends or neighbors are mistakenly caught up in this operation.

3. End inflation, and make America affordable again.

Sounds good, but there is nothing to substantiate how he would make that happen. Arguably the reason inflation is as high as it is is a hangover from the COVID crisis which, as you may not recall, he didn’t handle very well.

4. Make America the dominant energy producer in the world, by far!

Perhaps someone needs to tell him the U.S. currently is “the dominant energy producer in the world, by far!” As of August 2024 the U.S. produces 21.91 million barrels of oil per day. Saudi Arabia is number two, back at 11.13 million. Looks fairly dominant.

5. Stop outsourcing and turn the United States into a manufacturing superpower.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, certainly no booster of the Democrats, as of September 2024,“Manufacturing employment fell slightly in September, losing 7,000 employees from August but remaining above pre-pandemic levels. Job growth in the sector has slowed in the past year, yet remains well above pre-pandemic levels with 12,917,000 manufacturing employees in September. The sector averaged 12,648,000 employees pre-pandemic (2017–2019).” So arguably, the U.S. is a greater manufacturing superpower now than when Trump was in office.

6. Large tax cuts for workers, and no tax on tips!

Notice there is no detail of how big those cuts will be for workers. And going back to the previous item, in Q4 2017, pre-pandemic and when Trump was in office, there were 153.9 million people employed in the U.S. In September 2024 there were 161.86 million people employed. MAGA? And as for the “no tax on tips” — sounds good, but wouldn’t a higher minimum wage work more efficiently?

7. Defend our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms 

From whom? Isn’t he the guy who is suing CBS and who is threatening his political opponents? And Harris has said that she owns a Glock, so who is threatening gun rights? And since when has there been an issue related to freedom of religion? Maybe he’s concerned with the Bibles he’s hawking.

8. Prevent World War III, restore peace in Europe and in the Middle East, and build a great iron dome missile defense shield over our entire country -- all made in America 

Is WW III something anyone has been concerned with. . .until he started making it seem like it is imminent? And it seems fairly clear that his answer to the fighting in Europe is surrendering to Putin. And as for the Middle East, there seems to be no plan. No surprise there.

9. End the weaponization of government against the American people.

Is this a problem for the American people, or just the many people in his sphere who have been found guilty of manifold malfeasances?

10. Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders.

“Using the FBI data, the violent crime rate fell 49% between 1993 and 2022, with large decreases in the rates of robbery (-74%), aggravated assault (-39%) and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter (-34%).”—Pew Research Center. Here’s the thing: He can claim there is a problem, then “solve it.”

11. Rebuild our cities, including Washington DC, making them safe, clean, and beautiful again. Remember when Trump was going to transform Atlantic City? How did that work out?

12. Strengthen and modernize our military, making it, without question, the strongest and most powerful in the world.

For a man who denigrates the men and women who have given their lives in service to their country, this is rich.

13. Keep the US dollar as the world's reserve currency.

If he follows through on his isolationist plans, forget about that.

14. Fight for and protect Social Security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age. 

Remember his tax cuts for the workers? Where will the funding for these programs come from? Mexico?

15. Cancel the electric vehicle mandate and cut costly and burdensome regulations.

First, there is no “electric vehicle mandate.” Second, remember the e. coli issue that recently broke out at McDonalds due to some contaminated produce? Bet some of the things that the provider of the produce ignored were considered to be “burdensome.” Just think if these regulations were gone.

16. Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.

Who decides what is “inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content”? Somehow his sensitivity to race, women and political opponents makes him a dubious arbiter.

17. Keep men out of women's sports.

This is one of 20 things that the want-to-be president is concerned with? 

18. Deport pro-Hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again.

Didn’t he say something about freedom of speech in point seven?

19. Secure our elections, including same day voting, voter identification, paper ballots, and proof of citizenship

Does this mean that there should be only same-day voting? If so, why has he been promoting early voting? While there certainly should be vetting of voters, this is a non-problem that he is vigorously ginning up so he can blame something else if he loses.

20. Unite our country by bringing it to new and record levels of success.

Laudable. But where is anything in his list that will actually do that?

The presidential election shouldn’t be treated like a popularity contest. 

Trump may be more popular than Harris, but the presidency isn’t about throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks or making things up on the fly or gutting our freedoms while claiming the actions make us freer.

_____
TUESDAY 11/5/24

Scroll down the page with the trackbar on the far right to read highlights of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent campaign stops. 

Listen to our very first podcast, Pod on the Hustings on Substack.

Democratic campaign schedule:

Friday, October 18: Kamala Harris appears in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Waterford, Michigan.

Saturday, October 19: Tim Walz rallies in Omaha and Chicago.

Tuesday, October 22: Tim Walz rallies in Madison, Wisconsin.

It's all in the past...

Thursday, October 17: Kamala Harris appears in Milwaukee, LaCrosse and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Also on Thursday, Tim Walz appears with former President Bill Clinton in Durham, then continues on to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a solo appearance.

Be sure to visit our Substack page at https://thehustings.substack.com

Email your comments to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

_____
THURSDAY 10/17/24

By Stephen Macaulay

As of August/early September JD Vance had a favorability rating of 36% among Americans and Tim Walz edged him out by 5%, at 41%, according to Gallup.

This means that Walz was tied with Mike Pence in 2020 and Vance was tied with Mike Pence in 2016.

Mike Pence is likely not voting for either of the two men.

But what Gallup also found was that 19% of U.S. adults don’t know who Walz is and 17% don’t know who Vance is.

Which puts the two men squabbling on TV with each other in perspective.

What’s more, the citizens of Houston, Detroit, Baltimore, Kansas City, Atlanta, and San Diego all had something else to view last night that was a solid concern of more than a slice of their populations: Major League Baseball playoff games.

The last time the Tigers were in the playoffs, for example, Obama was president.

While John Nance Garner is the name of an individual that only Ken Jennings might get (“Who was the 32nd vice president?”), his comparison of the office to a bucket of warm spit is equaled by Will Rogers’ lesser-known “The man with the best job in the country is the vice-president. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, ‘How is the president?’”

Vance and Walz could have wrestled in a bucket of warm spit for nine minutes rather than the 90 spent talking and the effect might have been better.

It is commonly said that the purpose of a vice-presidential candidate is to serve as an attack dog for whoever is running for the top job. It is a shame that Don Rickles died in 2017 because he would have been superlative in that role.

But last night the two men were not attack dogs so much as somewhat-civil surrogates for their partners in politics.

Walz looked uncomfortable at the start, as though he wished he was wearing a Cabella’s cap and fishing at Lake Winnibigoshish.

Vance was his usual basilisk-like self.

The outlets that did fact-checking of what the candidates said pretty much indicated that Vance held forth with a litany of lies, although there was the tendency to be more euphemistic about what Vance said (“Misleading”? Really?). All I can say is that Vance must spend a whole lot of time in the confession booth.

While Walz wasn’t exactly a choir boy in some of his answers, The Washington Post’s fact checker seemed to go out of his way to throw shade at Walz, as though they were afraid the multiple “This is false” declarations appended to Vance’s lies would be a bit much for the readers.

Walz claimed:

“Donald Trump had four years. He had four years to do this. And he promised you, America, how easy it would be. ‘I’ll build you a big, beautiful wall, and Mexico will pay for it.’ Less than 2% of that wall got built, and Mexico didn’t pay a dime.”

And the Post assessed:

“The percentage is exaggerated. About 458 miles of a border barrier was built during Trump’s presidency, but most of it (373 miles) was replacement for existing primary or secondary barriers that were dilapidated or outdated, according to a January 22, 2021, report by Customs and Border Protection. About 52 miles was new primary wall, and 33 miles was new secondary wall. Trump had promised to build 1,000 miles of barrier, so even taking the lower numbers gets Trump 8.5 percent.”

Well, that’s one way of slicing the numbers. Another way is this:

The length of the border between the U.S. and Mexico is 1,954 miles. When Trump talked about his Wall, he didn’t mean fixed up portions or secondary structures. It was going to be a sight to behold, one that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone who dared gaze at it with a notion of trying to surmount it. (Fear, incidentally, is what the Trump-Vance team is big on when it comes to other countries.)

So Trump built 52 miles of wall. Which is 2.66% of 1,954.

Still, the overall assessment is that it was a tie.

In other words, fairly irrelevant.

Although there are those who claim there are those who are undecided or independent who’d be swayed one way or another — get serious:

  1. People vote for the person running for president, not the vice president.
  2. There was a lot of good baseball on last night.

Macaulay is pundit-at-large for The Hustings. A never-Trump conservative, his commentaries most often appear in our right column.

_____
WEDNESDAY 10/2/24

By Todd Lassa

How to summarize Tuesday’s debate on CBS News Tuesday night between Republican veep nominee Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic veep nominee Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota? 

It was nothing like Veep the TV show, except for the almost self-referential -self-stereotyping of Minnesota nice by Walz, who started out shaky and nervous on the way to finding a bit of sympatico with Vance on a couple of issues. He even apologized a couple of times for interrupting Vance and CBS News moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.

Walz’s presence strengthened while discussing the abortion issue as Vance tried to advance Trump’s argument that it is all about states’ rights and falsely claimed the first Trump administration strengthened universal health care rather than repeatedly attempt to appeal Obamacare.

Walz and Vance agreed on the need to build affordable housing, 3 million units according to Walz, while Vance insisted it’s an immigration problem and consistently blamed Vice President Harris for letting in millions of illegals in the past three-and-a-half years. 

They agreed housing should not be commodities for financial institutions to manipulate and that local and state regulations that stifle construction of such housing should be eased, though neither knew how. Nor did either candidate mention how NIMBY is the key issue in stifling affordable housing construction.

Vance did raise the problem of the Harris/Walz home-building program triggering real estate inflation with up-front downpayment aid for, the Republican senator suggested, illegal aliens, which would pile on to the inflation for which he said Kamala Harris also is responsible. 

Vance noted the Trump-Vance solution is to seize federal lands and build the needed housing on it. Vance also repeated Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” mantra, prompting Walz to ask; “Are we going to drill and build houses on the same federal land?”

Vance and Walz agreed on the need for federal money to pay for paid medical leave “to make families stronger,” according to Vance. 

“I think there is a bipartisan solution here,” Walz responded. Trump/Vance seeks a $5,000 child-care tax credit while Harris/Walz have called for $6,000 for newborns followed up with $3,000 for children more than six-months old. Vance added a “school choice” style element in the way early child care is provided, saying churches and small-town communities should be eligible to receive such federal monies.

Though vice presidential debates are considered inconsequential auditions for a job not worth a bucket of warm spit, both Vance and Walz offered more substance and detail on policy proposals than Trump and Harris did in their single meeting. 

Whereas Vance repeatedly criticized Harris for failing to do anything about illegal immigration and inflation while she has been President Biden’s veep, Walz called out the Trump administration’s tax cuts mostly for the rich and its resulting $8 trillion increase in the federal debt. The Democrat cited warnings from economists -- including economists from the Wharton School (Trump’s alma mater) – that the Trump/Vance proposed tariffs would spur much higher inflation than we’ve had since the pandemic.

Without using the word “tariff,” Vance said the heart of Trump’s plan is to cut taxes, “but penalize companies that are shipping jobs overseas.”

Vance and Walz argued, civilly, it must be said, over the January 6th Capitol insurrection and freedom of speech. 

Vance cited Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as Trump supporters. Walz said the Harris campaign’s support ranges from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to former veep Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift. (Expect an all-caps Trump response to the latter on Truth Social.)

Finally, Walz pressed Vance on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and noted that Mike Pence was not on the stage with him as a result of those efforts.

“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz asked Vance.

“Tim, I’m focused on the future. ...” 

Who won?: Did JD Vance win this one, or at least soften his image enough to improve his low favorability ratings, or was Tim Walz the winner? Email your thoughts about the vice-presidential debate to editors@thehustings.news and please, indicate your political leanings (those on the left are allowed to admit Vance won, and those on the right can give the win to Walz) in the subject line. Or simply enter your comments in the left or right column.

_____
WEDNESDAY 10/2/24

By Rich Corbett

As a conservative voter, my reaction to the vice-presidential debate is that Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) was rock-solid. He reinforced Republican strength when it comes to the economy, border and foreign policy stability. 

Vance was likable, polite, connectable, professional and convincingly competent. By Vance answering the moderators with … “you asked the question, so I’ll answer the question” … it reminded voters just how few answers we have received from Kamala Harris on her flip-flopped positions. As a running mate, he definitely is an asset to former President Donald Trump. 

As for Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), he did no harm to Kamala Harris. He was good enough on the Democrat positions in talking about health care and abortion, but less convincing that Trump is a “threat to democracy” or that Americans would see much change from the last three-and-a-half years. His defense over his past embellishments such as a visit to Hong Kong and Tiananmen Square in his non-answer, “I’m a knucklehead at times,” was memorable, but a reminder that politicians mislead — lie — if they think it will benefit their political future. 

If voters came to the debate not knowing JD Vance or with a negative impression, he likely improved his stature and may have advanced the Trump/Vance ticket. For Tim Walz and his “neighborly guy” image, it disappeared to what seemed artificial anger over January 6th. He appeared far more nervousness than Vance and had difficulty in defending himself and Harris, but quickly deflect into to blaming Trump. It was a hard sell after three-and-a-half years of Biden/Harris. 

Corbett is a longtime reader and a contributor to The Hustings’ right column.

_____
WEDNESDAY 10/2/24

As the United Nations wraps up its annual General Assembly in Manhattan Friday, we seek your comments – whether you lean to the left or to the right – on the serious issues that have come up this week, including …

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s argument for continuing and expanding Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, as war in Gaza continues to grind on (see center column).

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan for Ukraine and its defense against Russia (see center column, again).

President Biden’s final UN General Assembly address (scroll down this page using the scrollbar, to Thursday’s center column, then scroll down with the center scrollbar to Wednesday’s page). 

There’s also thorough coverage of the Federal Open Market Committee’s interest rate cuts in the center column.

Further down the LEFT COLUMN this page, don’t miss …

“No Debate Inflation” by Kate McLeod.

“MVP Performance from Harris and Team” by contributing pundit Ken Zino.

Pundit-at-large Stephen Macaulay has been burning up the RIGHT COLUMN this page, with …

“Where Have You Gone, Edward Gibbon?”

“The Art of the Fraud”

“First Impressions” and

“There’s Reality, Then There’s Trump”

As always, we welcome and encourage your civil comments on our content from the center, left and right columns. Email editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

You can sign up for our free Substack newsletter here.

_____
FRIDAY Sep. 27, 2024

MONDAY 9/30/24

It’s All About Iran, Again – When he speaks before the United Nations General Assembly Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will emphasize more than ever that Iran is the international community’s primary antagonist, Haaretzpredicts, even as Israel proceeds toward all-out war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu’s speech comes after he dismissed the international community’s insistent – futile – proposal of a three-week ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

•••

On Zelenskyy, Harris and Trump – The White House’s short readout of Vice President Harris’ meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday indicates no movement on Zelenskyy’s request to be able to launch US missiles into Russia. Instead, it reiterates “the importance of continued, strong US support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, President Zelenskyy’s plans for victory, and efforts to secure a just and lasting peace based on the will of the people of Ukraine and the UN Charter.”

Biden’s announcement … Harris’ meeting with Zelenskyy followed President Biden announcing additional aid of nearly $8 billion to Ukraine for long-range strike weapons, air defense and additional F-16 pilot training, according to TheWarZone, which adds that $5.5 billion will come from Presidential Drawdown Authority and $2.4 billion from the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative.

Meanwhile … At gilded, American flag-bedecked Trump Tower, Donald J. Trump announced he would meet with Zelenskyy in New York Friday morning. 

“America is paying only a small fraction of the money the United States of America is paying,” Trump told reporters, “and we have an ocean between Russia and ourselves. They don’t.”

The Republican presidential nominee reiterated his administration’s success in forcing European members of NATO to “pay up” on their dues, and repeated that he knows Vladimir Putin “very well” and will make a peace deal with Russia and Ukraine “very quickly.”

Poland’s view … NPR’s Steve Inskeep interviewed Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in New York for Morning EditionFriday.

“We will continue to support Ukraine irrespective to anything anybody does. Europe has contributed to Ukraine even more than the US,” Sikorski asserted. “Your assistance is crucial because it’s weighted towards military assistance, which is what Ukraine needs most.”

The European Union “transfers roughly 1.5 billion euros per month” to Ukraine to pay officials wages and pensions, he said. “On this one, we’re really not a free ride. We’ve really rallied around.”

Sikorski said Poland believes continued support for Ukraine eventually will result in victory against Russia, as Putin does not have infinite resources, including troops. 

“This is a colonial war. Hopefully Europe’s last. It’s been going on for too long, two-and-a-half years, but most colonial wars take about a decade. Anything shorter than that will be a bonus. Personally, I think that Russia will start running out of resources in about 18 months to two years,” he said.

Sikorski further asserted that like Poland and the rest of Europe, Ukraine’s defense has widespread, bipartisan grassroots support in the US. 

“When people hear about Putin’s war crimes, stealing children to be Russified? I mean, how sicko do you have to be to do that?”

Presumably, Trump, who knows Putin “very well,” understands.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_____
COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

FRIDAY Sep. 27, 2024

Editors:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is getting $8 billion more US tax dollars from Biden? No wonder Zelenskyy is campaigning for the Democrats. 

Today’s US political left seems to prefer sending billions more to support the war, rather than working toward peace as they did decades ago. We’re at the point the funding serves little purpose but to continue the killing on both sides (I’m having Vietnam déjà vu). The country has truly gone dystopian, now that the liberal Democrats are the war hawks and Republicans are the ones talking about finding peace.

--Rich Corbett

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

FRIDAY Sep. 27, 2024

By Ken Zino

While I’m not a big fan of covering politics as if it were a sport, Vice President Harris and team had an all-star performance last night against Team Trump on my scorecard. They are clearly the favorites to win the World Series of American politics this November. 

Well prepared from scrutinizing Trump game film, the Democratic game plan shut down all the usual Trump plays of bluster, lies and apoplectic rage. Harris was ready to be thrown at, which Trump did multiple times, but he wildly missed her because he couldn’t hit the strike zone with his increasingly wilder pitches. 

Moreover, the loser Trump couldn’t make adjustments during the game and was so flustered that he committed babbling and ranting error after error allowing multiple runs for Harris. From the first inning fastball of the aggressive Harris handshake, Trump demonstrated he couldn’t recognize, let alone hit a curve, so to speak, or any other Democratic pitches as he was shut out enduring a humiliating no-hitter. What could you expect from a loser who boasted about his coaches – autocrats Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban. Harris crushed the ball, noting both wanted him in power because they know “they can flatter you and manipulate you.”

Yes previous game film shows Trump said he would let Russia “do whatever the hell they want” to our NATO allies. And he calls soldiers who gave their lives in defense of American democracy “suckers” and “losers.” Top American military generals and national security officials – including those who worked for Trump – have warned that he is “dangerous” and “unfit” to lead, and now he is surrounded by ultra-loyalists who enable his worst impulses.

When Trump lied about “migrant crime” in cities: “Well, I think this is so rich,” Harris said. “Coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, has been found liable for sexual assault and his next big court appearance is in November at his own criminal sentencing.”

Harris meanwhile kept adding to her score in what was a rout of Trump. She spit on his wild pitches while laughing. She was a joyful player with positive moves – in the tradition of “let’s play two,” which will be the second debate. Here, I wouldn’t “Bank” on it because Harris has sunshine, fresh air and the team behind us, as the great Hall of Famer Ernie Banks observed. 

Trump’s rally crowd was leaving the stadium because he wasn’t talking about doing anything for their problems. “You will see during the course of his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter, he will talk about windmills cause cancer,” she said. “What you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you, the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your desires.”

The result was a convincing win for the Democratic candidate in the first game of a double header who used her experience from years in minor league politics to show that Team Harris is ready for, and can win and stay in The Show. 

“Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people,” Harris said. “Clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that.” Trump will be sent down to the minors. 

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

CPI is 2.5% -- The Consumer Price Index fell to 2.5% in August, from a 2.9% rate in July, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The Fed’s Open Market Committee is expected to react to cooling inflation with a quarter- to half-point interest rate cut at its next meeting next Tuesday-Wednesday. [Chart: Bureau of Labor Statistics]

THURSDAY 9/12/24

Use the trackball on the far right to scroll down to Wednesday's coverage of Tuesday night's ABC presidential debate, including commentary in the left and right columns.

Between the House and a Hard Place – House Republicans consider Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) six-month stopgap spending bill too spendy and House Democrats will not vote for it with the SAVE Act as a rider. The SAVE Act, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and separately passed in the House, would require voters to present proof of citizenship in federal elections, just in time for November 5 and Johnson, a close Donald J. Trump ally calls it a “righteous” pursuit of election integrity. But his DOA bill will likely give way to a “clean” stopgap that would extend the budget deadline beyond September 30 into December, Punchbowl News reports. 

Johnson’s debate reaction … Asked about Trump’s Tuesday debate performance in a press scrum Wednesday, Speaker Johnson turned and walked away, into the House chamber. 

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Another Conspiracy – You might still be pondering Donald J. Trump’s repeat in Tuesday’s debate of a raging conspiracy theory, apparently begun by a white supremacist, that Haitian immigrants are eating neighbors’ pets in Springfield, Ohio. Trump misstated the animals involved in the conspiracy theory, claiming Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats rather than cats and ducks.

Meanwhile … The Trump camp has begun promoting a conspiracy theory that began among MAGA followers following the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, The Washington Post reports. After his right ear was grazed, Trump thanked local law enforcement for protecting him, offered condolences to the family of an audience member killed in the attempt and called for unity.

Now, he has begun promoting conspiracy theories calling the assassination attempt, by a registered Republican who has left no signs of a political motive, an “inside job” by government agencies or in fabricating Democratic ties to attorneys representing the shooter’s parents, according to the report. 

“I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things they say about me,” Trump said during the debate Tuesday.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

By Stephen Macaulay

There is one simple reason why Donald Trump should not be elected. Arguably, he ought not be the Republican nominee because of this.

He still thinks he won the 2020 election. He has no evidence for it. He make claims that he has it, but if he did, if he had the honest-to-god-fact-checked proof, then wouldn’t he have blasted it out, oh, say, January 6, 2021?

The man does not have a grasp of what is generally considered to be accepted reality.

You know, that stuff that’s based on facts, not grievance.

“Everyone” this, “everyone” that.

Yet no substance. Nothing tangible.

And this is the guy who should be running the country?

He claims that he did everything great during his term. He claims that the country is in the shitter since.

When it is pointed out that there have been improvements in things like employment, he says that’s because of what he did.

So could we take it a step further and say everything good that happened on his watch was a consequence of what Obama put in motion?

He can repeat and amplify stories about illegal aliens eating pets. He can claim — with no backup information — that crime rates in other countries are down because all of the bad, very bad, very, very bad . . . insane criminals who have been sent to the U.S.

But if he still thinks that he won the last election, then there is a serious problem — not just for him, but for us if he gets reelected.

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

By Hugh Hansen

It could have been much, much worse. It could have been a little bit better. 

I continue to have a hard time wrapping any part of myself around the idea there are 1.) genuinely undecided voters who 2.) sought to make their decision based on watching the debate (I felt that way about the conventions too).

So, what was there for them to see and hear? Trump told many more lies than Harris did, though the moderators only spoke to a few of them. Both candidates sidestepped questions, though in my biased opinion Trump did more of it, and sidestepped into wackier territories. 

Harris missed a rhetorical opportunity when asked whether they should have acted earlier or differently on the border; that was the moment to tie it to Trump's torpedoing the Congressional border deal, e.g. "We thought we'd dealt with it more comprehensively and six months earlier, until he meddled." 

I was glad she got it in a minute later. Trump gave the Blue side a gift with the criminal immigrants eating pets thing, and with "performing transgender operations on illegal immigrants in prison," things that only the most MAGAfied didn't laugh at. Those will translate better into social media clips, too.

Eight weeks.

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

By Charles Dervarics

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump squared off in a heated debate last night that saw the presidential candidates cover familiar ground — from abortion to the border — but with a bevy of personal attacks that surprisingly had the former president on the defensive.

While Trump predictably leveled some of these attacks, Vice President Harris repeatedly took the offensive to criticize Trump and get him off his game. This strategy was most evident during a tense back-and-forth exchange about the border, when Harris invited voters to attend a Trump rally.

“You’ll hear about Hannibal Lecter, how windmills cause cancer, and what you’ll also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.”

Rather than go back to criticizing Harris over immigration, the former president instead defended his rallies and crowd sizes. He also opted for unconfirmed claims about migrants in Ohio eating their neighbors’ pets.

While Trump labeled Harris a “Marxist” for her past progressive views, the vice president used several issues to dig at the former president. She noted his many indictments and felony convictions and claimed that military and world see him as a “disgrace.” 

She told viewers the former president cares most about himself. “Donald Trump actually has no plan for you, because he is more interested in defending himself than he is in looking out for you.”

For his part, Trump seemed to score some points by citing prices that have climbed “60-, 70-, 80% higher than they were a few years ago” and pledging to cut taxes and “create a great economy” similar, he said, to his own presidential record prior to the pandemic. 

He also criticized the Biden-Harris administration for only taking action on immigration a few months before the election and criticized Harris for her past views including a ban on fracking — a major issue in one of the key battlegrounds, Pennsylvania.

Both candidates skirted interviewer questions to tout some favorite talking points. Harris sidestepped a question about whether voters are better off than they were four years ago, instead citing her plans to support affordable housing and expand the child tax credit. Trump turned aside a question about his past statements on abortion to criticize Democrats for supporting late-term procedures.

The debate in Philadelphia was billed as perhaps the only meeting between Harris and Trump prior to the election. After last night’s event, the Harris campaign called for another debate, and Fox News also has invited the nominees to meet again before the Nov. 5 election.

All that was topped, for Vice President Harris, last night with a post-debate endorsement from Taylor Swift.

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…meanwhile…

CPI Gets Closer – Closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation target, and anyway, an interest rate cut of a quarter- to a half-point is expected to come out from next week’s meeting. For August, the Consumer Price Index dropped to 2.5% according to the Labor Department, down from a 2.9% annual rate in July. The month-over-month increase was 0.2%, same as July, with an 0.5% increase in shelter accounting for most the increase in prices. Food was up 0.2%, consisting of food away from home up 0.3% and food at home unchanged from July. Energy was off 0.8%. 

--TL

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WEDNESDAY 9/11/24