The GOP Anxiety Attacks
Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president has completely thrown the MAGOP for a loop, uncertain what to do after having focused their entire campaign on President Biden. Indeed, it's done so to the degree that it’s made many of them panicked and crazy, and attacking in any way they can grasp.
That’s not hyperbole.
For starters, the MAGOP wants to literally sue the Democratic Party for making Kamala Harris its presumptive nominee, rather than President Biden. Such an action, as polite as one can be, is monumentally lunatic, especially given that (among many reasons) Democrats hadn't even officially named their nominee -- and still haven't. Further, the MAGOP also have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission so that Kamala Harris can't get the money previously raised by the Biden-Harris campaign, despite the reality that she's the "Harris" part of Biden-Harris.
Years ago, there was an ad that said, "Never let them see you sweat." This the equivalent of the MAGOP going into a sauna, perspiring up a storm and broadcasting it live TV.
But that's only a warm-up, the opening act of crazed panic. Because yesterday, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced Articles of Impeachment in the House against VP Harris. No, really. The reasons he gives for impeachment are…oh, seriously, who cares? It’s ludicrous -- trying to impeach people, after all, has become the MAGOP default alternative to governing -- but I’ll make it easier for everyone and translate all the various reasons he gave: because Kamala Harris is a Black woman who is challenging Trump.
Not just challenging Trump, but Harris just had the biggest single day of fund-raising in political history, and brought in $106 million over the first 36 hours. Perhaps even more importantly, 62% of those giving money were first-time donors in the 2024 election cycle. And 58,000 people signed up to volunteer. A separate PAC, Future Forward, announced that they had additional commitments of $150 million.
Further, the smears of Harris have already begun, the latest and perhaps most repugnant being that she slept her way through Democratic politics. (Considering the MAGOP's huge, existing problems with women voters already, this is sure to infuriate women all the more who too often have had to put up with such a charge whenever they succeed.) One of the most aggressive in reprehensively pushing this is Megyn Kelly, who -- given her years at Fox where sexism ran rampant -- you would think would be more sensitive and averse to saying such things. But then “You would think Megyn Kelly…” is a phrase that almost has lost all meaning at this point.
Just so people know the actual story – so that, armed with facts and reality, and can response – this is what panicked MAGOPs are trying to twist into the implication is that Kamala Harris is sleazy, a slut and slept around: Thirty years ago, Harris dated a man named Willie Brown, the well-known Speaker of the California Assembly, for a year. It was a long relationship, and they were perfectly open about it. Though Brown was married, he had been separated for a decade. So, basically, it was two “single” people dating, for a year.
That’s the story.
And of course what the story also leaves out is the reality is that Kamala Harris was elected D.A. of San Francisco, twice elected Attorney General of the largest state in the country, elected Senator of the largest state in the country, and elected Vice President of the United States. You only accomplish any of that, let alone all, by convincing the public to vote for you. When she ran for Senator, she received 7.5 million votes. By Megyn Kelly standards, Kamala Harris must be exhausted. By reality standards, she has long been wildly popular in California.
Furthermore, MAGOPs are also pulling out the desperate and racist and misogynistic attacks on Kamala Harris ranging from “She’s dumb as a rock” from Trump to that she’s just a DEI Vice-President hire, which are spreading like wildfire through the party. All of which are basic dog whistle racist codes at their core, as well as an attack on women.
Of course, the reality to that is Kamala Harris was elected D.A., twice elected Attorney General, elected Senator, and elected Vice President of the United States. None of those are hires. All are campaigning and convincing the public to vote for you.
Yes, I know that’s a repetition of the comment above. It bears repeating. Over and over. Not just to remind the public of the truth, but to drill it into the pea brains of the racist, misogynistic MAGOPs.
The MAGOP have gone so crazed about Kamala Harris that its House leaders actually sent out a memo to party members urging them not to make racist comments about VP Harris. Pro Tip: when you have to send out an literal memo to your members begging them not to say racist things, you have already lost the racist battle. The most you can hope for is to stop the racist bleeding and try not to lose the racist war.
The MAGOP have had such a meltdown over Kamala Harris and are so uncertain what to do about this accomplished Black woman (which speaks horribly about their skills in planning) that they are flailing around and lashing out at her about almost anything, even the most basic characteristic that we prize in people -- the expression of joy.
The crack RNC Research team (which is hilariously incompetent, regularly putting out slams that only serve to help Democrats) has already had two such tantrums since only Sunday. Their first effort was a video of Kamala Harris standing with a big crowd of NCAA women champions to honor the athletes – it was a lovely video. And yet the RNC Research clods for some unknown reason (other than panic) tried to slam Harris for -- are you ready? -- standing in front of a one of the smaller young women, blocking her. Yes, really. Putting aside for the moment how infantile this “charge” would be, if true, in a presidential campaign -- first, the video clearly shows a military aide positioning people where they should all stand, and second…the “charge” show a complete lack of understanding for how the concept of angles work! After all, if the person holding camera simply moved two feet to the left, you would have seen the young woman behind Kamala Harris perfectly. But the MAGOPs are so lost, that this was something they felt they had to go after a Black female presidential candidate about.
Never mind that their own party leader has been convicted of 34 felonies, been found liable by two juries for rape, found guilty of business fraud, said he wants to be a dictator, said he wants to throw out parts of the U.S. Constitution, wants to deport millions, wants to build internment camps, and has signs of early dementia. But…but…look where Kamal Harris was told to stand!!
And that she laughs.
Yes, that’s another issue Republicans and RNC Research are pushing. That Kamala Harris likes to laugh. And has a great laugh. So, in misguided hopes of ridiculing her, they’ve put out videos of her laughing. (Or “croaking” as the ace RNC Research team put it.) No doubt women voters just love seeing MAGOPs slamming a woman for laughing, showing emotion, showing joy. By the way, in response, Democrats online have put out videos of Kamala Harris laughing, as they understand that this is A Good Thing.
As is dancing.
Yes, Kamala Harris loves to dance. MAGOPs don’t like this. And ridicule it. Only in the party of Trump would dancing and laughing be considered a negative. And not realize that your criticism of it will only backfire on you. Because, again, Democrats online have put out video of Kamala Harris dancing, showing her joy of life.
This is an old video, and I think maybe I’d previously seen two seconds from it. But I had never seen the whole thing. However, Democrats have made sure now that people see the whole thing. Because it’s pure joy.
By the way, this video clearly is no reason to vote for Kamala Harris, or anyone. If it was, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire would have had a dynasty in the White House. But it is a reason to make a comparison of personalities if a question like, “Who would you rather to have a beer with?” or “Who would you let babysit you six year old daughter?”, is something a person feels is valuable.
Or if age is important to a voter, assuming he or she thinks a candidate is qualified.
Because, sometimes, pure joy is considered A Good Thing by many.
(By the way, about halfway through, it appears like Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff shows up in a brown sport coat and gray sweater dancing in the upper right. Apparently, the family that dances together advances together.)
MAGOPs hand-wringing concerns over Kamala Harris have already become so desperate in their panic attacks that they even got former conservative British Prime Minister Liz Truss to come to their aid. Truss went on Fox and criticized Kamala Harris for not being "brilliant." Putting aside how she would answer if asked whether or not she thinks Trump was "brilliant," here's how needy MAGOPS are at the moment -- in case you've forgotten, Liz Truss served as Prime Minister for only two months! She not only likely had almost no contact with VP Harris, but was herself ridiculed by the British so mercilessly to the point where she was literally compared to a head of lettuce. (Really!!) There is even a Wikipedia page on her and the lettuce. By the way, the head of lettuce won.
So, that's how crazed and lost the MAGOPs have become -- and keep in mind: it's only been two days since Kamala Harris has become the presumptive Democratic nominee to be president! No doubt, MAGOP strategists will figure out things they want to seriously campaign on. But the bottom line is that, foundationally, this is who the party is and how little they have ready from the starting point. (Hey, even I've known for the past year it was possible that President Biden might have to withdraw from the race. But the MAGOP didn't figure that out and plan for the possibility??!) And the more these racist, misogynistic panic attacks continue, the more the public is likely to find it creepy, uncomfortable, foolish, and a reminder why they don't like Trump and voted him out of office last time. And why there was no Red Wave last time, either.
The MAGOP at its core is racist and misogynist, joyless and empty. But that's not just me saying that, its members have needed to be reminded by their own party leaders not to make racist comments.
And it all points to a big problem Trump may face if he and Harris debate. As I've noted here and elsewhere, Trump hates being laughed at. In fact, in a rally speech the other day, he actually said that out loud, how he hates, hates, hates, hates being laughed at. (A sure strategy heads-up to his opponents... Well-played, sir!) And this relates to a family story his niece Mary Trump has related -- how as a boy, Trump was ridiculing his younger brother at dinner, so his father dumped a bowl of mashed potatoes on him. And everyone laughed at him and he was humiliated. She took it a step further yesterday in a new article --
In the article, Mary Trump -- who is a licensed psychologist -- reiterated how her uncle "hates being laughed at." To which she added, "Donald also hates women (especially strong women) and minorities, so you can see why current Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris terrifies him to the point of incoherence. He says she’s 'crazy.' His childish nickname for her is 'laughing Kamala' because she feels joy, and joy is something he has never experienced and doesn’t understand. Faced with the reality that he is now running against a vibrant, intelligent, experienced woman who is fully two decades younger than he is, Donald spent Sunday and Monday flailing, trying to find an angle of attack that would stick."
As a result, he's so lost trying to figure out what to do, she added.
Imagine now that "laughing Kamala" laughs during their debate, assuming they do have a debate, which seems likely since Trump just suggested having several, which shows his concern. Imagine further if during her pre-debate preparation VP Harris figures out how to find places to not just laugh on stage with Trump, but laugh at Trump...
To be clear, none of this is about Kamala Harris. It is about who today's Republican Party has become.
Keep in mind, that reminder from GOP House leaders about not making racist comments went to its House members. No doubt they realized that also sending the reminder to their party leader would have no impact.
But then, in fairness, they're okay with Trump having been convicted of 34 felonies, been found liable by two juries for rape, found guilty of business fraud, saying he wants to be a dictator, saying he wants to throw out parts of the U.S. Constitution, wants to deport millions, wants to build internment camps, and has signs of early dementia. So, what's another racist comment thrown into mix?
And who knows? Maybe they'll pick up those voters who hate accomplished, successful Black women who like to laugh and dance.
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