OK, What Now?
/By Don Varyu
Jul 2024
uffeted by critics, Joe Biden has surrendered his command. It seems likely that Kamala Harris will replace him as the figurehead on the good ship Democracy. In doing that, it would be surprising if she did not pursue the same politiical course that her boss navigated so deftly.
In this moment, many Democrats are cheering: “this is the change we need!” I hope they’re right. But in any exultant moment, it’s easy to forget that “change” also carries the potential of “change for the worse.”
But overriding all this is the fact that the mission has not changed—defeating Donald Trump.
I think there is only one battle plan to follow.
t’s easy to imagine Trump’s message on the campaign trail.
“What have I been teling you? Joe was too old to do the job. That was obvious. But what, now they’re taking the backup quarteback to lead that clueless team? That’s desperae. Joe may have been feeble, but at least he had experience.
“Kamala Harris has done nothing in her current job, which is exactly what she’d do as President. Give me a break.”
o, what to do? There is only one option—and that would be the same whether the candidate was Biden or Harris or Spiderman. It is mandatory to go in with all (rhetorical) guns blazing. Attack Trump head on. Repeat over and over again the dystopia that would be a Trump second term.
My lines would be like this:
“I am Kamala Harris and I’m running to be President. He is Donald Trump--and he’s running to be king. Here’s what I mean:
If you think billionaires need to be even richer--and you poorer--then he’s your guy.
If you want even higher inflation, he’s your guy.
If you want to see the Treasury turn your hard-earned tax dollars into the myth of cryptocurrency, he’s your guy.
If you want to see your Social Security payments decline—or maybe even disappear—he’s your guy.
If you can imagine seeing your daughter or granddaughter raped, and then forced to bear and raise the product of that crime, he’s your guy.
If you want polluted air and dirty water, he’s your guy.
If you want his puppet master, Putin, left free to invade more of Europe--killing tens of thousands more--he’s your guy.
If you want the U.S. military in your town enforcing whatever crazy order he dreams up, he’s your guy.
If you want to see hard-working Americans dragged from their homes, sent to prison camps and then deported, he’s your guy.
If you want to be thrown in jail for simply protesting what you think is wrong, he’s your guy.
If you want one flavor of Christianity to nullify your personal religious freedom…and destroy the very idea of public education…he’s your guy.
And if you want a president who will use his shield of immunity to do whatever the hell he wants—no matter who it victimizes—he is absolutely your guy.”
Of course, Trump’s team will react violently to much of this (even though there is ample evidence to support every one of these charges). But that’s the point. Put him on defense for once—beat attack with a better attack.
The man is beatable—and never moreso than when he gets angry, which he most certainly will in the face of withering criticism.
It’s not time to take the high road. It’s time to punch him in the face.
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