RUTHFULLY YOURS

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The Platform, predictably bland and clichéd but positive in tone, carries the title “Make America Great Again.” It is an expression of both traditional conservativism and conservative populism. It is dedicated “To the Forgotten Men and Women of America,” those made famous by Hillary Clinton’s term “deplorables.” The dedication reflects the new base of the Republican Party, not the coastal elites who in places like Connecticut a couple of generations ago dominated the Party. Today’s Republican Party is more representative of America’s middle class – working men and women, of every race, nationality, and religion. The Platform’s preamble is titled “America First: Return to Common Sense,” an expression of nationalism and a reference to judgement based on practical observations and universally accepted facts.

A political party’s platform must be generic, as it must appeal a large swath of voters. There are, approximately, 162 million registered voters in The United States. According to an April 2024 study by Pew Research Center, registration is about equally divided between Democrats and those who lean Democratic (49%) and Republicans and those who lean Republican (48%). Keep in mind, America is noted for its individualism, citizens who, historically, have not marched to assigned drummers. Republicans, especially, tend to be free-thinkers, more difficult to lasso and corral.

The over-arching tone of the Republican Platform is “America first,” as regards trade and the border, and a return to common sense, as regards manufacturing, the border, energy independence, military strength, and equal treatment of all under the law. This analysis does not pretend to be complete, but among its subjects, the document addresses the economy, defense/national security, education, culture and size of government.

The Platform recommends energy independence, reducing regulation, and making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, while imposing tariffs on some imported goods. Without providing solutions, the document reflects inherent contradictions between free markets of traditional conservatives – Jospeh Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction – and economic populism, the protection of jobs, industries and communities affected by globalization and changes in technology. Finding the balance between these competing forces will be the job of Congress, through debate and discussion. In his speech following acceptance of the GOP nomination, Donald Trump spoke of the need for improvements in education to help people become more competitive in today’s dynamic economy, i.e. a focus on community colleges. The document encourages innovation in emerging industries, such as Crypto, Artificial Intelligence and Space. It argues for the reduction of interest rates, without explaining whether that will be a function of government or markets. And it promises to do away with taxes on tips.

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2024/07/21/new-twists-in-the-election-after-biden-drops-out-n4930935

In the hours since Joe Biden conceded defeat in the 2024 election to Donald Trump, there have been a lot of weird things happening. For starters, Kamala Harris is now working to secure support for her presidential bid. Some Democrats, like the Clintons, have endorsed her. Others, like the Obamas, have instead expressed support for some kind of process to select a new ticket.

Manchin 2024?

Perhaps the weirdest thing is that Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) is now considering reregistering as a Democrat and running for the party’s presidential nomination.

CNN’s Jake Tapper was first to break this development:

This was confirmed by Sam Stein of The Bulwark & MSNBC:

I really don’t believe that Manchin is a viable Democratic candidate, but if he does announce his candidacy it might make it easier for other Democrats (who might actually have a chance) to jump in as well.

Newsom makes his move

Shortly after the news broke that Biden was dropping out, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made a curious move.

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/obama-declines-to-endorse-harris-in-statement-praising-biden-withdrawal-predicts-outstanding-nominee-will-emerge/

As Democrats unite around Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presumptive nominee in the aftermath of Joe Biden’s withdraw from the presidential race, Barack Obama steered clear of endorsing Harris on Sunday, instead alluding to the possibility of an open primary.

The former president, who retains considerable influence in the party he once led, began by praising Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race as an act of public service.

“It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow,” Obama said.

Obama expressed confidence in Democratic leaders’ ability to “create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges” but pointedly declined to endorse Harris.

“I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August,” Obama said. “And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.”

Biden quickly endorsed Harris for president when he withdrew from the race on Sunday and lent her his “full support.” Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also endorsed Harris in a joint statement posted to X, saying that “we are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.”

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/trump-stepped-on-his-own-speech/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=right-rail&utm_content=corner&utm_term=first

Trump sounded different than we’ve ever heard him before at the outset of his convention speech, compellingly recounting his near-assassination last week. He spoke softly, he sounded humble, he didn’t seem particularly interested in chants from the floor. It created a powerful mood. If he had ended shortly thereafter after hitting a few key themes, it would have been an incredibly effective, memorable performance. Instead, he rambled at length, and stepped on the effect he created at the top with a bunch of rally-like riffs. I wouldn’t exaggerate how much the speech is going to matter one way or another, and perhaps it matters most that the material at the beginning will be what’s replayed. But the candidate would have been better served trusting and sticking to what his speechwriters produced for him.

https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/19/the-once-and-future-nationalism/

There is no doubt that the events of Saturday, July 13, 2024, were monumental by virtue of how close we came to the course of our history being altered for the worst. No one understands that better than President Trump himself, who is now determined to shape our destiny for the better and on his terms.

As such, the vice presidential selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance shows that, while President Trump is undoubtedly shaken by a not-too-distant past, he is already looking toward the future.

Another All-American Story

Vance’s meteoric rise, from a small-town kid who grew up in poverty to possibly becoming the next Vice President of the United States, is the American Dream in its purest and most glorious form. As detailed in his captivating memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, the young Vance did not grow up in privilege or luxury. As a child, he witnessed firsthand the rot and decay of the once-vibrant American working class, hollowed out by economic outsourcing and poisoned by the spread of drugs.

But through hard work and raw determination, a number of opportunities arose for him to reach the top of the mountain. After serving in the Marines, he climbed the ranks of society, attending Yale Law School before earning his own wealth as a venture capitalist. It wasn’t an easy life to adjust to, as evidenced by one particularly relatable anecdote when the young Vance knew nothing about the etiquette of a white-tie dinner.

https://issuesinsights.com/2024/07/19/is-this-the-end-of-the-road-for-the-democratic-party/

Now that the Republicans have wrapped up their hugely successful convention and as calls for President Joe Biden to step down are accelerating, the question that must be asked is: Can the Democratic Party survive? Donald Trump made one key decision this week that could seal the party’s fate.

First, some history.

When Ronald Reagan won the Republican Party’s nomination in 1980, Democrats were in a similar bind as they are today. The party was in disarray, the nation fed up with clueless leaders, and voters were ready for the bold conservative leadership Reagan promised.

But Reagan made one fatal mistake.

After he’d won the nomination, he still hadn’t decided on a running mate, and a scramble ensued. Reagan had the chance to nominate a smart, talented – and young – conservative who shared his vision and would build on it. Instead, he listened to party insiders who said he needed to “broaden his base” by naming an establishment Republican and he picked George H.W. Bush.

This was the worst possible choice. Bush was an establishment hack, an inside-the-Beltway elitist, and the guy who had handed the left its best attack line – “voodoo economics.”

As soon as Reagan was gone, establishment Republicans regained power, shoved conservatives to the side, and systematically undermined Reagan’s achievements, all while mouthing conservative platitudes they knew could win elections.

They turned the GOP from a landslide-winning party to one that has managed to win the popular vote only once since 1988.

We are at a similar crossroads today.

Despite having won five of the last eight presidential elections, the Democratic Party today is in far worse shape than it was in 1980.

It has been completely overrun by its America-hating, DEI-ESG-CRT-socialist-Marxist-spewing radical fringe, which obsesses over things such as “transgender” rights and a phony climate crisis instead of jobs and opportunity.

https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/18/can-we-let-the-voters-decide-not-the-fbi-cia-doj-lawyers-prosecutors-and-judges/

When Donald Trump seemed to have a lock on the 2016 Republican primary, the Democratic Party concluded that the people could not be counted on to do the “right thing” of electing the Democratic candidate in waiting Hillary Clinton.

What followed were eight long years of extralegal efforts to neuter candidate, then President, then ex-President, and then candidate again, Donald Trump.

The nonstop efforts were all justified as “saving democracy”—albeit by nearly destroying it.

In 2015-2016, the Hillary Clinton campaign fueled the lie that discredited ex-British spy Christopher Steele had discovered Donald Trump to be a veritable Russian agent.

Hillary did not disclose that she had paid Steele—with checks hidden through three paywalls. The FBI, under Director James Comey, also hired the fraudster.

Yet almost nothing in his “Steele dossier” was true.

The FBI doctored evidence submitted to a FISA court. Comey leaked to the press confidential documents about his private conversations with President Trump.

Comey’s successor, Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, lied on numerous occasions to federal investigators.

Both former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper repeatedly lied to the nation, saying that Trump was de facto working with the Russians.

The result? Trump lost the 2016 popular vote but still won the Electoral College.

https://issuesinsights.com/2024/07/18/cackling-while-america-burns/

The campaign by Democrats to force President Joe Biden to drop out waned a bit after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. But it quickly resumed as Biden stumbled and bumbled through the week. Just yesterday, news broke that Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Biden to step aside, as did Calif. Rep. Adam Schiff.

While there’s not a single person on any list of possible replacements who wouldn’t continue the decline of the U.S. under Biden, one stands out as more frightening than the rest: Kamala Harris.

There’s an easy explanation why Harris is one of the most unpopular vice presidents. She is an unserious person and a classic midwit, defined by the Urban Dictionary as:

​​Someone who is around average intelligence but is so opinionated and full of themselves that they think they’re some kind of genius. Midwits have a shallow understanding of things and at first can seem a bit smart, until you dig deeper and realize they’re just posers.

But let us skip any further preambling and go right into the reasons why Harris would be a wreck in the White House.

First off, if she were elected president, there would be at least another four years of the Biden administration, which in reality would be Barack Obama’s fourth term. Little good has come from the combined 11 1/2 years of Obama and Biden. “Fundamentally transforming” this country has not improved it but instead drained it of its identity, independence, cohesiveness, and perpetual optimism.

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/portal-donald-trump-elon-musk-david-samuels

EXCERPTS

The photograph of a bloodied former President Trump defiantly pumping his fist in the air beneath the American flag as his Secret Service minders struggle to protect him was immediately among the most indelible political images of the past half-century. As memorable as a hunched Richard Nixon signaling V for victory, or JFK standing tall in West Berlin, these are the kinds of images that are impossible for political operatives to gainsay or counterfeit, because they capture character in action. Once seen, these images are impossible to unsee. This was one of them.

In Trump’s case, the photograph was of a man who took a bullet in front of his supporters and lived, just like he said he would. He got up with blood on his face, in front of 10,000 or more people, and showed both the presence of mind and the unkillable ego strength to stage the political photograph of the century with himself as the star. Worship him or hate his guts, it was the most Trumpian act imaginable.

For the record, I don’t vote. I think it’s wrong for reporters to pick sides. But I found Trump to be a vulgarian whose first term in office was mostly a disaster, culminating in the social catastrophe of mass lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations whose health effects remain to be reckoned with. In his time in office, he was: easily distracted; surrounded himself with a sordid assortment of flunkies and scum; confused words with actions; and displayed the managerial ability to run a shoeshine stand in one of his few remaining Manhattan buildings, which are decorated in taste so gaudy it seems likely to repel even midlevel Azerbaijani millionaires, or whoever the audience for these places was originally supposed to be.

However, as it turns out, I am even less of a fan of the people who have spent the last seven years weaving wild conspiracy theories about a duly elected president in an attempt to drive him from office by zeroing out the store of public trust in every institution in America, and in doing so have turned the American press, academia, and other places that once served entirely useful social functions into a Soviet-style moral, intellectual, and aesthetic wasteland.