The Witness Chronicles, September 4, 2024

A bunch of political crap

Photo by Boston Public Library on Unsplash

I Don’t Have Kids. Does That Make Me An Enemy of the State?

JD Vance is an idiot, and other breaking news

There’s a lot of weirdness out there right now and Vance’s odd problem with childless women is right up there. I happen to be a man, last time I checked, and I don’t have kids, so I’m not really sure where that puts me in Vance’s pantheon of useless people.

His stupid obsession with children and women is the last thing Republicans need right now, yet more and more of his baloney about the topic keeps popping up. But it contributes to today’s latest speculation in the news.

Basically, the story this morning is that Republicans really want Trump to lose so they can get their party back. Where this comes from is not clear to me but it is showing up as today’s latest speculation from the geniuses that write every day about this nonsense (like me). But when I see the same meme showing up across my news feed, I have to wonder where it came from.

I mean, think about it. It makes sense that semi-sane GOPers might want some semi-sanity back in their party. It’s pretty nuts. But I suspect these kinds of stories are actually rooted in the need, this election cycle, to feed the conveyor belt of crazy that we have been riding for months.

I have a reader, named Clem, who likes to lambast me for my constant criticism of Donald Trump but occasionally shows some reason, and I appreciate him. But I have a reason for my constant criticism and that is the very real danger his people and their plans represent. They want to destroy a democracy that has worked for hundreds of years, albeit with ups and downs, and place their guy above the law that keeps us from descending into chaos.

Those are pretty good reasons for banging the anti-Trump drum. And maybe, if these speculations about an anti-Trump rebellion brewing in his party have any basis, that is why. The Project 2025 plan won’t just hit us Democrats- it would hit every politician in the country.

But I’m a little fascinated, as an observer of this madness, by Vance’s weird logic regarding childless women (why not childless men like me?). His theory is that not having kids means you are not invested in the future of this country, so your value is meaningless.

Right.

This all ties together if you buy into the current notion that the Republicans actually want Trump to lose. Why not alienate women in general? And insult the military service members who gave their lives for the country? And, while you’re at it, go after Jews, LGBQT+, people of color, and anyone not born in the US?

If you look at it pragmatically, supporting these positions looks like an intentional losing strategy. (Damn, now I’m talking myself into this.) But there’s a big flaw in this reasoning. Donald Trump desperately needs to win at any cost because losing might mean going to prison.

That’s a major dose of reality and that’s why this election crap is unlikely to be over on November Sixth. If you don’t think that’s a serious motivation, look at another leader facing convictions if he loses his office, Bibi Netanyahu of Israel. He has overseen the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and his own people in his desperation to retain control.

I know, I’m jumping around a bit, but this all ties together in explaining how our country got to this strange place. Just six weeks ago it looked like Trump had this thing in the bag. Then Biden dropped out and Kamala Harris did the unimaginable and united Democrats in less than 36 hours.

And that may have been a gift to those on the right who wanted Trump out. A woman who single-handedly represents almost everything Trump is against and is also an experienced criminal prosecutor. Yikes. And she has that laugh, just the kind of thing that sets Don off.

In this context, JD Vance’s odd ideas are good for a little newsy stuff but really just verify the value of Trump’s judgment in picking him against the advice of his advisors. So why not see him as another gift to the anti-Trump Republicans?

While I sit here speculating about all this stuff, it is a gorgeous early fall day outside, clear, cool, and sunny as hell. And I think a walk and an espresso (yes, I’m northeastern liberal scum) are in order, along with getting all this crap out of my head. Clem, if you’re around, I’m headed to Fuego Coffee downtown. Want to talk?

Martin

This is from a reader supported newsletter. Please consider helping out by upgrading to a paid subscription or donating a small amount through Buy Me A Coffee, a site for small financial contributions. Thanks, ME