Here we go again

I could not believe my ears when I heard speculation that the attempt on his life might - just might - cause Donald Trump to mellow, if only a little. Trump himself quickly dispelled the very idea and, as if to make his point, launched into a series of personal attacks against Vice-President Kamala Harris culminating in his appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists. He claimed that "for years" he had thought she was Indian until she started "identifying as black in recent years" implying that this somehow indicated she leveraged her mixed-race background to her advantage. Did I miss something? When did being of either Jamaican or Indian descent become an advantage in a US presidential race? But in a Trumpian twist, this was supposed to indicate her lack of respect for the black race and/or her Indian heritage. The journalists interviewing him countered that Harris' black and Indian heritage had been well-known throughout her public life. They failed to point out that Trump resorting to such innuendo was evidence of his lack of respect for colored people in general, implying that being colored was a disqualification for being President. It was reminiscent of the "birther" controversy about Obama's US citizenship and the questions about his college grades. True to form, he has implied that Harris did not pass the bar exam. As I said in a recent post, we can expect these kinds of attacks to worsen as the election nears, especially if he starts losing ground in the polls or falls behind in fund-raising. The idea is to toss everything at the opponent and hope something sticks. At least it helps shore up support among his MAGA base. Trump has practiced and refined this strategy of casting doubt on the character and qualifications of the opponent without basis over his lifetime and it has served him well. It is foolhardy to expect him to abandon it at a time when he needs it most. Unfortunately for him, doing this over and over de-sensitizes the target non-MAGA audience who now see through it. As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" or as former President George W Bush once said, "Fool me twice (pause) well, the point is you can't fool me twice". Bush appeared to have forgotten the punchline. Middle-of-the-roaders must not forget that most things Trump says are likely to be a lies.

I would like to end this post with an intro to the next one. The difference between this election and the last two presidential contests is Trump's choice of a running mate.

J D Vance fits the bill this time because Trump has religious conservatives' support without picking someone like Mike Pence. Vance has made it clear he thinks Pence was wrong to let the certification of the 2020 vote proceed. Some of the things Vance has said since his selection for the Veep job may have given Trump pause, but he is not one to admit he was wrong. Besides, Vance is servile and eager to please, and changing running mates at this point would dent the image of the strong decisive leader Trump wants to be seen as. I expect my next post to be about Senator Vance. I am sure he will provide me with plenty of grist.