Ordinarily, I never watch the national political conventions because they seem too much like love fests at concerts; only fans normally attend. By this time in the election process, most people have chosen their candidates, so listening to the hype seems unnecessary. And, with the advent of online reporting, you can listen to specific speeches later.
Accordingly, on the first night of last week’s Democratic National Convention from Chicago, I listened to President Joe Biden’s speech live and the rest on YouTube the following day.
The second night, however, since the featured speakers included former President Barack and former First Lady Michelle Obama, I watched the entire event.
Afterward, I discovered that my thoughts on getting Vice President Kamala Harris elected as president differed from those of the Obamas.
First, I confess that I love the Obamas. I always prayed I’d be on their Christmas card list and in their rolodex. My disagreement with them is not one of substance but form.
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As expected, they both gave powerful speeches. For both, the underlying theme was to explain why voters should vote for Harris, and the hope for the future she offers, rather than voting against former President Donald Trump and his plans to return the country to the restrictive constraints of the past.
Even though each of them went on to make the point that Trump is unfit to be reelected, the tone of the speeches still reflected a version of the When they go low, we go high speech Michelle Obama gave in 2016.
Here’s where we disagree.
Positive dreams of joy and hope for the future are great messages that might sway some people. But since there are fewer than 11 weeks before the election, there’s no time for this.
Instead, we need to focus on what will happen if Trump gets a second term.
Ana Navarro, one of the cohosts at “The View,†was another speaker on the second night of the convention. Her remarks should offer a wake-up call for anyone not planning to vote, or those still undecided.
“Trump calls Kamala a communist,†Navarro said. “I know communism. I fled communism from Nicaragua when I was eight years old. I don’t take it lightly.
“And let me tell you what communist dictators do, and it’s not for one day,†she continued (a reference to Trump’s declaration that he will only be a dictator “on Day Oneâ€): “They attack the free press. They call them the enemy of the people like Ortega does in Nicaragua. They put their unqualified relatives in cushy government jobs so they can get rich off their positions like the Castros do in Cuba.
“And they refuse to accept legitimate elections when they lose and call for violence to stay in power like Maduro is doing right now in Venezuela. ... Do any of those things sound familiar?â€
Yes, Ana, they do. These are the sorts of issues we need to be concerned about.
Trump continues to claim, incessantly and falsely, that he won the 2020 election. He has said he will pardon those convicted of crimes relating to the Jan 6, 2021, insurrection. The “Project 2025†blueprint that many of his most prominent supporters have created calls for the replacement of 50,000 career civil servants with MAGA loyalists. He displays clear disdain for any elements of the Constitution that would limit his power.
The press had been so focused on the mental acuity issues of President Joe Biden leading up to the cessation of his campaign that they gave Trump a pass during that time, failing to focus on the massive number of his questionable statements.
We need to remember that Trump lives in a world with rarified air and gold toilets where he is king and everything he does is right. Anyone who contradicts him, especially those in his circle is dispatched. Believing you’re always right is called delusion.
During a recent press conference at Mar-A-Lago, for example, Trump said that “nobody died on Jan. 6.†This must have been quite a shock to the family of Ashli Babbitt, one of his supporters, who was shot and killed trying to break into the U.S. Capitol that day, much less to the families of the multiple police officers who died in the days following the insurrection.
I do believe that Harris has a vision that will benefit all of us, not just the rich. But I’m also terrified that millions of people who believe Trump’s lies won’t give her the chance.
Before she ascended to her present position, Harris spent her entire professional life fighting for justice for working-class people and people on the fringe that Trump would consider losers. She fought drug cartels, and big banks, and prosecuted and convicted violent criminals. She’s had four years of working with President Biden on foreign affairs, the economy and other issues.
If that’s still not enough for you to consider voting for Harris, at least consider voting against the vindictive megalomaniac.