Friends, it's early days, but I invite your comments on the attempted assassination of President Trump. I want to know more about the assassin, needless to say, and what motivated him. I want to know why he was allowed to scale a building so close to the rally. I want to know whether any of these formulaic statements by Democrats and world leaders convey genuine sympathy and regret -- or secret disappointment that the shooter missed. Overall, I expect Trump will emerge from this trial (which I think many of us saw coming) stronger than ever, and that ought to scare his enemies to no end!
RAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteCould all this be a "conspiracy"? Perish the thought!
RAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteIf this happens again, and the "assassin" (or whoever) is successful, then I hope he has a hand-picked person to take over for him, whoever that may be.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Remember how in the film On the Waterfront, tough Terry Malloy is ready to "throw down" on the gangsters who murdered his brother? The Priest dissuades him thus: "ya really wanta hurt them? Testify against them!"
ReplyDeleteAmerica's outrage at the antiamerican left's relentless personal onslaught on DJT which is now demonstrated probably productive of
truly murderous antipathy and resolve in an unbalanced soul (that nasty little sociopath took at least one completely innocent life firing into a crowd like that)can be directed to justice. Our now grim determination to stop their increasingly unfettered imposition of anarchy and punish the malefactors, can be channeled simply, productively and decisively. Be certain to vote straight GOP, anti dem , in the Nov. election. Want to hurt them beyond all measure? Defeat by "satanic" DJT would reduce them to slobbering dissolution, they dread it so. DO IT AMERICA! Send them down the slippery slope to the gutter they crawled out of in the '60s.
Some very good people bid us refrain from the combative discreditation of our opponents on the two sides of our culture's profound abyss. "We are all responsible "they coo as an overture to Kumbayaa. That's well intended but hopelessly futile.
One side only, is culpable for this cold civil war: an antiamerican left which embraces the credo "by any means necessary" and in doing so exemplifies appalling hate, is fully culpable. Uhh, what were we Americans supposed to do when they embarked on their eradication of America? "Say no but take it" ?
The Dems are in big trouble now. Since DJT rained on their incipiently totalitarian parade in 2016 they have blithely proposed a wide variety of methods for the physical dispatch of those who dare to oppose them (eg. stoning, beheading ) and they have conducted character assassination on a massive scale, both of individuals and to majority "deplorables". Now a nut case has taken them up on it and but for an astonishing coincidence of miniscule factors would have pulled it off.
Their defense will be a familiar ploy: preemption. "We are all together in this and must face it in concert" Well no we are not and cooperation with a faction long since proven set on destroying American civilization would be foolish indeed, especially since we have been building a plausible chance of disempowering them in our Federal Executive branch. What, should we accept "peace in our time " ? No: we must defeat them, impose civilization on them and take our country back.
Though tragic, the unfortunate assassination attempt provides Trump an opportunity to change his tone. The empathy likely to come from the center will be watching his response to this closely. He would do well to tone down his rhetoric and adopt a more unifying message.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, it seems this kind of life threatening event should steer the choice of a VP towards a more "Presidential" pick.
RAY TO RICHIE
DeleteYour comment is borderline stupid. Why should Trump "change his tone" when he just missed death by an inch or so, because some nutcase decided it was time for him (Trump) to die. Your convoluted logic makes Trump the guilty party, in a way. Sorry, but this is what I am getting from your post. What kind of "tone" should Trump be adopting, that you think might tickle your fancy?
Richie from Jack: I think unity is unlikely in a country as riven as ours is between a fanatically assertive faction resolved to force "fundamental transformation" and the common sense majority which supports careful,measured advancement of our civilization .
ReplyDeleteBut a DJT win in Nov. may well bring a setback for radicalism sufficient to manifest a significant return of common sense to our public life and delivery from an unrelenting threat of catastrophic upheaval. If a change in his necessarily adversarial tone can help bring this about it would be beneficial. But in restored power I would expect him to go to the heart of the matter.
Who do you think would be an appropriate VP pick under these new circumstances?
Ray: Interesting that just last night Trump was quoted by the Washington Examiner as saying:
ReplyDelete"This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would've been two days ago," Trump told the Washington Examiner."
Attempting to find some semblance of unity is the only level-headed strategy (if not principled) way forward.
Jack: Let's further qualify the "Presidential" VP pick to one who is "Anti-Establishment Presidential" material. That seems to leave:
JD Vance
Ben Carson
Tim Scott
Tulsi Gabbard
There are some on that short list who are a much more compelling pick. Are the tea leaves indicating JDV? Gabbard? Oh my!
Richie from Jack: Good list: I'd suggest adding Greg Abbott to it. When does one become Presidential? Saint Obama was elected during his first Senatorial term though that example might not commend the idea. Tim Scott would be my choice. Black conservatives, in steadfastly enduring the terrible calumny they experience for their "apostasy" are some of the most courageous, generous and principled of Americans.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy, Richie and Ray et Al from Jack: Just now ( approx. 9:30 am Monday) it appears that Nikki Haley may be the choice. That would be a formidable ticket. She outclasses Kamalifornia by an unbridgeable distance. Her potential rinoism could be dealt with in good time. Winning is everything now. JFK allied with an LBJ who was antithetical to his New England aristocrat personality; Pres. Reagan selected a Bush I who had counseled "moderation" when the Dems were elevating haughty criminal loving Dukakis.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure "Rhinoism" is curable. If she's the VP pick, let's hope she's had a "come to Jesus" (all due respect to the Lord and Savior) moment post primary.
ReplyDeleteRichie, Dr. Waddy , Ray et al from Jack: I'm glad was wrong about Haley;Vance is a very solid pick.
ReplyDeleteI think that in picking Vance, though his decision may have predated the assassination attempt, DJT is saying to his faithful base " Don't worry; I am not going kumbayaa. Not after ALL THIS! "
I am not bothered by Vance's past opposition to DJT. Who, I ask you WHO, would ever in, say 2014 ,have seen DJT as a serious Presidential prospect? I read NYC newspapers regularly for decades preceding his debut in politics. I thought him a lightweight, an ostentatious dilettante. His rise to formidability and possible greatness has been astonishing beyond measure.
Reunion of the U.S. in 1861-65 was the result of an intense conflict in which one side disempowered the other. Our current civil war need not be as dampered down as to preclude uniting the country with a solid victory over the antiamerican left which initiated the appalling division which obtains today.
Wow, we knew this year would be full of drama and surprises. Its out '68ing '68 by now . By now this is probably not a dominant thing in his mind but I'm very glad for DJT in that the dems' lawfare abomination received another heavy setback today in the dismissal of the documents case which was their rationale for gleefully sacking his home.
Ray, your wish is Trump's command! Now he's got J.D. Vance as his stand-in. Of course, no one can truly replace Trump -- perish the thought!
ReplyDeleteJack, you make an excellent point, as usual: revenge (or justice) is a dish best served cold. There's no reason for us to get hysterical about the poisonous climate that produced the attempt on Trump's life. Instead, let's win the election. That will be the ultimate and final rebuke to lawfare, TDS, etc.
Yes, we came INCREDIBLY close to seeing Trump's brains dissolve into a blood-red cloud, and that should NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, if the Secret Service and local law enforcement were even minimally competent.
Richie, your advice clearly isn't moronic, because Trump is following it. In the short term, there's no doubt that he can benefit from dialing down his rhetoric -- and Biden is in much the same boat. We all know how quickly people and the news cycle move on, though. I suspect Trump will be throwing punches again within days. In a way, though, his entire campaign and his entire persona have pivoted along the lines you suggest. He's more restrained, more disciplined, and more "presidential" than he was in 2016 or 2020. That's both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do -- especially since he's ahead!
It's interesting to see the lot of you pondering Trump's VP choices, now that he's officially made his choice. Haley would have been a disaster, in my opinion. She's clearly not comfortable with Trump as a man and as a leader. Vance, though, has also expressed doubts about DJT. So had Rubio, once upon a time. But maybe we shouldn't see Trumpism as an all-or-nothing proposition? Trump seems grown-up enough to understand that people change, and that toadying isn't the only thing that recommends someone as an ally. Vance is capable of critical thought, yes, and anyone who is will occasionally be disappointed with Trump -- fair enough. The important thing is that we share the same values, worldview, policy agenda, etc. In that regard, Vance seems like a choice that Trump and Trumpers can live with, and even be proud of/exhilarated by. RINOs, by contrast, may not be swooning, but basically their dilemma is whether they can pull the lever for Trump. For them, Vance is an afterthought.
To Ray,
ReplyDeleteThis CNN clip of "Undecided Voters" demonstrates the rationale and result of an adjustment in Trump's tone following the assassination attempt: https://youtu.be/9zTgNPDpjY4?si=v-F2emBILt_D4djE
I was not implying Trump bears fault. That falls squarely on the demented mind of the shooter. No doubt however, the rhetoric from both sides has been excessive, with the mainstream media and the left significantly exacerbating the situation.
In his 1985 address to Congress, Ronald Reagan cited the well-known Proverb, "Without a vision, the people perish." As was his custom, he then articulated a vision for a nation that would thrive if it could:
- The reduce and simplify federal taxes
- Increase manufacturing productivity
- Decrease dependency on welfare and government subsidies
- Trim the government's economic footprint
- Implement sound monetary policy
- Rein in violent crime and restore justice to society
Remarkably, these challenges persist 40 years later.
Helping people envision the positive outcomes of sound policy transcends personality shortcomings.
That, good sir, is the tone Trump should adopt to secure his victory in November. More importantly, if he wins, it is the tone he must maintain if the conservative ideals the party holds have any hope of being implemented.
Hmm. I agree with you, Richie, that the best way to win over the voters is with a positive message and an attractive policy blueprint. Unfortunately, while Trump has his moments of "that shining city on a hill", he's also capable of being bluntly, and even crassly and childishly, negative. Trump can be marginally more mature, more disciplined, and more upbeat and gracious going forward, yes, but let's be honest: he's still Trump. He's still got those hard edges that so many people detest. Trump ain't no Reagan, in short, and that's one of the reasons why the Democratic candidate, whoever he/she turns out to be, has a fighting chance. This is a country that, fundamentally, doesn't like Trump (sorry, Trumpers, but that's just statistics). Ergo, any Democrat can beat him, IF they can unite all the Trump haters, but, given the wide candidate field this time around, that won't be easy.
ReplyDelete