NATIONAL DAIQUIRI DAY UPDATES
Since It Is Tropical-ish Drink Season ...
-When last we left the 2024 Presidential race, Joe Biden's campaign appeared to be teetering on the edge of ending amid the panicked and opportunistic onslaught that started with the June 27 debate, while Convicted Felon Ex-President Trump (R-apist) was preparing to be adored and anointed Nominee, Saint, Superman, and Man With The Largest Schwantz Ever That All Women Wanted and All Men Cower It Its Presence, at the GOPMAGA TrumpFest in Milwaukee, WI.
-So how did it play out? LET'S FIND OUT!
-President Biden put a news lid on early in the day while he continued to recover from his second bout of Covid, which allowed Democrats who want him to leave the race plenty of time to spread plenty more rumors and stories about when and how he was going to step aside. From stories claiming Biden was checking on polling with Vice President Harris at the top of the ticket to stories that he was crafting a speech and allowing for an open convention - a report that came from disgraced 'journalist' Mark Halpern that was soundly denied by Jon Meacham, who was cited as the guy crafting said speech - stories buzzed throughout most of the day, culminating somewhat with MT Democrat Jon Tester asking for Biden to step aside. (Those stories continue today with NBC claiming Biden's family is preparing for his exit.)
-While those stories flowed, stores about the effort by funders to oust Biden was also released - one in which funders were reportedly threatening down ballot Democrats to cut off funding for their campaigns unless they signed on to the oust-Biden action. That the majority of the 20 or so Democrats who have made a public request come from safe Democratic districts and lean more to the center than the left makes the threats all the more ... interesting ...
-The Biden campaign also continued to push back. At least twice last night and twice this morning, spokespeople for the Biden campaign publicly insisted that Biden was the nominee, Biden was not dropping out, Biden is recovering, and Biden will be back in the race when recovered.
-As the day wrapped up, however, Biden allies began emerging. Squad members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilan Omar both released statements supporting Biden, and a letter signed by 1,400 Black women also voiced full support, joining the still-solid Congressional Black Caucus. And as the day ended, three allies emerged that began calling big-funding Democratic donors lobbying to keep Biden in the race: Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, former President Bill Clinton, and most notably ... Hillary Clinton.
-All of which set the table for Milwaukee, which cable news and political media clearly Jonesing for lots of Trump and a competitive race to cover settled in to see what they assure. We were told throughout the weekend that Trump was "changed," that Trump was "chastened," that he wanted to "unite" the country and "heal" the country, and the MAGAGOP were ready with sympathy giant ear bandages worn with the heartfelt zeal of the purple heart Band-Aids worn to mock John Kerry in 2004.
-And the table was set in only the way MAGA could - with a parade of speakers ranging from former Fox News and current Russian state television correspondent Tucker Carlson to UFC head and admitted wife beater Dana White, from shouty failson Eric "Eric" Trump to fellow overbronzed washed-up 80s icon Hulk Hogan (who by all accounts was drunk but still lauded by an NBC floor reporter as giving the best speech of the night) to a 'music' interlude by hardcore MAGAt Robert Ritchie, a rich Michigander performing under the low-rent name Kid Rock. Only the best from MAGA-ville.
-Then Dear Leader shuffle-staggered into his royal box accompanies by AC/DC's "Back in Black" - a song that refers to late singer Bon Scott's hearse - and proceeded to air kiss everyone in the box except daughter Tiffany, whom he actively snubbed. The whole family was there, including daughter Ivanka (whom, as Trevor Noah never allowed us to forget, Trump wants to bang) and automaton husband Jared Kushner (hoping to get the Gaza Strip under his name for resort development), and even an appearance (but not a speech) by 'wife' Melania. There, he awaited his grand entrance to weave his tale of surviving an assassination attempt.
-And in the first 20 minutes or so, that is what he did, describing in a lifeless monotone by following the TelePrompTer script, lying low with heart racing as "bullets whizzed by," thankful that "God spared me," building to the photo of him raising his fist, and prompting the enthralled (and in some cases crying) throng to repeat his chant to "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" (though who they would fight because of the shooting was still confusing as, again, the shooter was a registered Republican).
-The attention then turned to the firefighter who was shot and killed last week, Corey Comperatore. The stage lights shifted to a firefighter uniform and helmet (Comperatore was a firefighter), and Trump walk-staggered over to the uniform, where he proceeded to awkwardly kiss the helmet and attempt to hold it in the way he has held and molested American flags in the process. It was at that point that the camera caught the name on the coat - COMPARATORE. The name on the jacket was misspelled, revealing it was not actually Comperatore's uniform, and the entire bit was just that - a bit.
-Even with all of that, had Trump wrapped the speech there with a bit of boilerplate about Making America Great Again and all that, the mythologizing would have been complete and the news media would have faithfully followed, leading to who knows what in the Biden camp.
-Instead, Trump talked ... and talked ... and talked ... and talked ... and talked ... and TALKED ... and TALKED ... AND TALKED ... AND TALKED ... AND TAAAAALLLLLKKKKEEEDDD! For another HOUR, Trump talked without interruption, and HOO BOY did all that stuff about unity and a new tone go out the window with a thud! And what did Trump say? Let us catalog ...
-Trump broke the unity thing by mentioning "Crazy Nancy Pelosi" followed by the motion of a hammer being used - a reference to Pelosi's husband Paul being attacked by a MAGAt in the Pelosi home that broke Paul Pelosi's skull.
-Trump lying and claiming inflation is wildly out of control (inflation has stabilized, with indications of prices dropping this fall).
-Trump wondering if Biden is called "your excellency" by North Korean dictator and idol Kim Jong Un ("excellency" is not an honorific used with elected heads of state).
-Trump again and again and again and again decried the court cases against him while wildly praising his pet Judge, possible Trump Supreme Court appointee Aileen Cannon.
-Trump railing against out-of-control immigration (it is not out of control) stealing American jobs (the unemployment rate remains at a 60-year low), and charging that illegal immigrants have stolen "107%" of American jobs (aah ... uhm ... er ... I got nothin' on that one).
-Announed that the 2028 Republican convention will be in Venezuela.
-Again praised the fictional serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lecter.
-Referred to The Bastard Scott Walker as the current Governor of Wisconsin (Walker was voted out in 2018).
-Referred to Ronald Reagan's Star Wars missile defense system as "starship spaceship."
-And so much more - over 20 documented lies from the Trump-leaning CNN - which led the assembled MAGAts to emulate their Dear Leader by openly dozing on the convention floor the longer Trump droned. In a speech designed for numerous standing ovations, Trump went over 35 minutes without applause at one stretch.
-When it finally ended after 94 excruciating minutes, the sweat-drenched monotone overbronzed nominee had set a record for the longest acceptance speech in recorded history - and the reviews have been uniformly condemning - even the Biden-hating New York Times admitted it! - as easily the worst acceptance speech in American history - even among some on the right.
-The only shocking thing, as someone who has watched too many Trump speeches over the last two plus years, is that the speech America saw is 2024 Trump - and 2024 Trump is not 2020 Trump and sure as Hell isn't 2016 Trump. THIS is the man with diminished cognitive skills. THIS is the man with clear physical issues (including whatever actually happened to him last Saturday - we still dont' know). THIS is the man the Trump campaign is feverishly working to hide as best they can from now until November to nurse to the finish line while (as Marc Caputo reported) will be replaying their 2016 strategy of White Male Rage to drive the only dependable voting bloc Trump has left (along with voter suppression and fighting the results, as Trump's campaign manager admitted in an interview by saying the election is not over until Inauguration Day). Simply put, this is in no way, shape, or form, an invincible force. Trump CAN be beaten.
-As for Biden and the whispers about what comes next continues, I will repost what I said yesterday on Threads, as this is where I am at right now ...
-"Whatever goes on at the top of the ticket, remember Biden has a TON of leverage. He has the office. He has the delegates. He has the power. He has the infrastructure. He has his own polling he can access (and surely is). And he has better political instincts than pretty much everyone wetting themselves. IF he decides not to run, I will trust that he does it in a way to maximize the chances to win. He's earned my trust and I will defer to him ..."
-Onward to other news ...
-Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was 'sentenced' to 16 years of prison by a Russian court on clearly false charges of espionage. Gershkovich was arrested in March, 2023, and he is now an issue in the election because Trump has said he could use his relationship with Vladimir Putin to free Gershkovich - but has also said he will not do so until and unless he is elected President.
-The United Nations' International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel's occupation of Palestine territories and settlements were illegal and has ordered forces out of the area. The order will not be obeyed as HAMAS and Israel continue to negotiate a cease-fire while Israel and Hezbollah tease at extending the conflict beyond Gaza.
-The worldwide computer outage continues as of this writing, affecting airline travel worldwide and commerce throughout the globe. A glitchy Windows update is being blamed for the crashes, and Crowdstrike, who was apparently responsible for the update, insists a patch is on the way to repair the issue.
-The Emmy nominations are out, with FX's SHOGUN, Hulu's THE BEAR, Max's TRUE DETECTIVE NIGHT COUNTRY and NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE leading the list. First-time series nominations include RESERVOIR DOGS and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, and Apple TV+ had a record 72 nominations.
-And the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors list was released yesterday, honoring artists and culture in the United States. The Honorees, to be given the awards in December, are Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval. and The Apollo Theatre. Congrats to all!!
-And with that, start the weekend as soon as you can!
-On this date in 1848, the Seneca Falls convention opened, formally starting the Women's suffrage movement. On this date in 1877, Spencer Gore won the first Wimbledon Tennis title. On this date in 1903, Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France. On this date in 1969, Sen. Ted Kennedy drove a car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, drowning his companion, Mary Jo Kopechne. And on this date in 1986, the first video taken from the site of the Titanic sinking was broadcast.
-Debuts on this date: the Billboard music charts (1913), MEIN KAMPF (1925), the V for Victory campaign (1941), Tom and Jerry (1941), an American female Army officer (1947), "Help!" (1965), a perfect 10 in Olympics competition (by Nadia Comaneci, 1976), DREAMS FROM MY FATHER (1995).
-Happy Birthday to Edgar Degas, Max Fleischer, Phil Cavaretta, George McGovern, Rachel Robinson, Arthur Rankin Jr., Pat Hingle, Vikki Carr, Commander Cody, George Dzunda, Ilie Nastase, Bernie Leadon, Brian May, Abel Ferrera, Jayson Stark, Allen Collins, Atom Egoyan, Anthony Edwards, Stuart Scott, Vitali Klitschko, Ramin Djawdi, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rick Ankiel, and Yan Gomes.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Aung San, Joe Flynn, Lefty Frizzell, Jack Warden, Frank McCourt, James Garner, Garry Marshall, Cesar Pelli, and Rutger Hauer.
-Lizzie Borden and Howard Schultz were born on this date. You decide if they get a Happy Birthday or if they Feed the Worms.