With Friends Like These
Typically in the week before a major election, it’s a chance for the candidates to make their final pitch to voters.
But both sides have been plagued by foot-in-mouth disease–not coming from the candidates, but folks speaking on their behalf.
Positive bounce from Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally was derailed by two podium speakers–one, a New York City radio host who said the vice president’s husband was not a good Jew; the other, an insult comedian who likened Puerto Rico to a floating pile of garbage.
That led Joe Biden to call Trump supporters garbage–supporters singular or plural, depending on whether you heard the audio clip or read the transcript. That led the White House to cancel a scheduled day of campaign calls Biden was to make on Kamala Harris’ behalf…only for him to resurface Saturday and say Trump is the kind of guy you’d like to smack in the butt. He said something else, but this is a family program.
Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, called Trump supporter Elon Musk a “gay guy” during a campaign appearance. And Harris supporter Mark Cuban of “Shark Tank” said Trump would never be seen in the company of strong women…which only led to the Trump team trotting out a long list of strong women who have worked with and for Trump.
There have been more, of course. But all of that noise drowns out any discussion of policy, and each has made some interesting promises from the podium this last week–but again, completely drowned out by the sideshows.
I’m guessing each has turned to aides and said something like, “Stop helping me!” It might be about the only thing they agree on this campaign…other than how important tomorrow’s election is to the future of the country.
