That video, from 2020 I think, is a post from John Lucas's substack, headlined Kamala Harris, Back When She Was Not Afraid to Give Interviews.
Let's not go into detail on Stephen Colbert's "gee, sorry that I need to pretend to ask you a tough question" obsequiousness. Amid all the sycophancy, he manages to get it out:
How did that transition happen? How do you go from being such a passionate opponent on such bedrock principles for you, and now you guys seem to be pals?
He's referring to Kamala's "passionate" race-based accusations hurled at Biden in their June 2019 debate. And:
Alternating between laughing and shouting, Harris reminded Colbert no less than five times that “It’s a debate!” Just in case Colbert did not get it, she repeated variations of that over and over, with emphasis on “debate” each time.
That interpretation is supported not only by her continued laughter as she kept repeating and emphasizing the “debate,” but by Colbert himself when he said, “So you don’t mean it?” Harris response to that was only to repeat herself — three times for emphasis:
It was a debate! The whole reason — Literally it was a debate! It was called a debate!
Repeating non sequiturs while cackling is hardly responsive. (Also see: "My values haven't changed")
Kamala's campaign only lasted a few more months after her debate performances. (And, as she clearly implied to Colbert, they were performances.) She didn't wear well with the electorate.
Are we already seeing that happen? Let's look at the betting odds, as I type:
| Candidate | EBO Win Probability |
Change Since 9/1 |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | 51.0% | +2.2% |
| Kamala Harris | 46.7% | -2.3% |
| Other | 2.3% | +0.1% |
Hm. A definite Trumpward trend? Stay tuned, it's been a funny old year so far.
Also of note:
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Thank goodness for parenthetical clarification. I, for one, wish George F. Will were posing the Tuesday night questions: How to cause indecent exposure (of their minds) at the Harris-Trump debate. Taking a sample:
For him: Accepting the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination, Walter F. Mondale said: “Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won’t tell you. I just did.” Because of your candor in promising high tariffs, which would be taxes paid by consumers, are you not a Mondalean?
For her: “Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel” (Genesis, 49:4). What research changed your thinking about banning fracking, imposing a single-payer health-care system, questioning cash bail and the existence of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, calling the southern border “secure,” etc.? You have jettisoned so many of your long-espoused convictions, why should voters believe the sudden restocking of your mental pantry?
For both: A joke perennially pertinent in Washington concerns an economist and a normal person falling into a deep pit with sides too steep to climb. The normal person exclaims, “We’re trapped!” The economist placidly replies, “Don’t worry, we will simply assume a ladder.” What do each of you assume — torrid economic growth forever, 20 million elderly Americans moving to Australia, whatever — to justify your shared promise not to alter Social Security and Medicare, which are driving the nation off a fiscal cliff as their trust funds disappear?
If I knew that any of GFW's questions would be asked, I'd probably tune in.
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I might write in "Drax the Destroyer" on my November ballot. Jacob Sullum points out yet another quote that indicates unfitness for high office: 'Sometimes You Need a Strongman,' Trump Declares.
During his Fox News interview with Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, Donald Trump bragged about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's "respect" for him. "They say he's a strongman," Trump said. "Sometimes you need a strongman. He's a strongman."
Since Orbán is not known as a circus performer, Trump's meaning was clear. He was referring to the political version of strongman, variously defined as "a leader who rules by the exercise of threats, force, or violence"; "one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods"; or someone who "has great power and control over his country, although his methods may sometimes be violent or morally wrong." As has long been clear, these are qualities that Trump admires.
Orbán, a self-described proponent of "illiberal Christian democracy," was elected to his third consecutive term as Hungary's prime minister in 2022. Trump endorsed Orbán's reelection, praising his "strong leadership." At a rally last January, he called Orbán "a very great leader" and "a very strong man." Although "some people don't like him because he's too strong," Trump added, "it's nice to have a strongman running the country."
Naw, I'll probably stick with either leaving that space blank or writing in Nikki.
![[The Blogger and His Dog]](/ps/images/me_with_barney.jpg)
