It wasn’t too many weeks ago when the mainstream media was tripping over itself to parrot the Democrat talking point that Kamala Harris’ coup-launched campaign was full of “joy” and supposedly good “vibes” following the party’s unceremonious ouster of ol’ Delaware Joe. Fooling themselves more than voters, Democrats and their media friends were utterly convinced that “Brat Summer” had arrived, Trump was finished (for real this time, or something), and Harris was the second coming of Barack Obama.
Well, that — not unexpectedly, but still in a relief to Republicans — didn’t last. Piece by piece, the joyful vibes of the Harris-Walz campaign collapsed in spectacular fashion, helped along by disastrously mocked interviews, a failed VP debate performance, and Trump’s secret weapon: himself.
If it wasn’t clear before the 45th president clocked in for a shift behind the McDonald’s deep fryer, that was the the official time of death for Kamala’s joy. The wheels have come off her campaign and there’s been nary a believable attempt to counter what may have been the best presidential candidate speech in Al Smith Dinner history.
Clearly, as in campaigns and administrations past, the wisdom to “Let Trump be Trump” remains true. What he’s doing — from podcasts to fast food to rallies — is resonating with Americans, especially those taken for granted by Democrats, and he’s on a roll.
As early voting stats begin rolling in and polls show Trump with a substantial lead among Latino voters, the wind sure feels like it’s at his back, and the momentum has shifted notably in his direction. In addition to his critical visits to battleground states, Trump is heading to Manhattan for a massive rally at Madison Square Garden.
Trump’s momentum isn’t just a figment of Republican minds, either. Vulnerable down-ballot Democrats — at least the ones not going the way of a hunting trip with Dick Cheney — are acknowledging it, not in so many words, by releasing ads heralding their past support for Trump’s policies. When even incumbent Democrats see the iceberg dead ahead and start throwing up flares and running for lifeboats, there’s clearly something to the numbers.
As a result of Trump reclaiming his rightful mantle as the candidate of “joy” from Harris and “hope” from Obama, Democrats have resorted to their standard playbook: Trump is literally Hitler, he all the “-ists” in the dictionary, and Biden went all the way afield to call for his now-former opponent to be “locked up.”
The media has played its usual role in amplifying “expert” warnings about Trump’s threat to “our democracy” (note: we’re still a republic), manufacturing stories denied by multiple first-hand witnesses, and generally doing the hair-on-fire routine. That’s because they know they can’t rehab Harris or Walz, and no amount of breath can bring Brat Summer 2K24 back to life.
Some commentators, including Fox News’s Dana Perino, have rightly noted that things in this final stretch feel a bit reminiscent of 2016. She and others are right. Trump is riding high; his opponent’s past record and insincerity are now well-known, and this time around, Trump has the advantage of running against the woman currently co-running the country, to disastrous effect at that.
It’s not just that Republicans are feeling like it’s 2016 again, either. In one of many decisions that could make fodder for after-action criticism, the Harris-Walz campaign is being joined in Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama for a supposedly vibe-y joyful rally or whatever.
Those who remember the final stretch of the 2016 race will recall that Hillary Clinton also held a final stretch rally…in Philadelphia…with Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama. This time, apparently, Democrats think this will help them avoid an outcome that left their supporters in blubbering hysterics at the Javits Center on election night.
Frankly, what else do Democrats have to try? They’ve failed entirely in their attempts to derail Trump going all the way back to his ride down the golden escalator in June 2015. The Russia collusion hoax, lies about “good people on both sides,” impeachment one, impeachment two, the J6 committee, multiple indictments, a handful of civil cases — none of it has prevented the thing Democrats most fear: the “vibes” right now.
Instead of making Trump a political and social pariah, unpalatable to respectable Americans and unable to serve as an elected official, Trump now enjoys support from a still-broadening coalition of the unwilling to go down the sewer pipes of radical leftism and socialism.
Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, David Sacks, and dozens of others have jumped from their former parties or off the sidelines to support Trump, JD Vance, and America First policies. Democrats may be experiencing the biggest strategic failure in generations, second only to their failed attempt to cover up Biden’s condition.
It’s partly because the 2024 election shifted from “are you better off today than you were four years ago?” to “do you want to have a future left four years from now.” In that one, the answer has become clear to millions of Americans.
Still, this is hardly the time for Republicans to let off the gas. Becoming comfortable or complacent with the current trajectory would be a disaster and could allow Harris and Walz to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Feel the joy, but stay engaged. There’s still plenty of the fight left ahead, and who better to lead America through it than the man who turned multiple assassinations attempts into a tight five-stand-up routine?