Okay, look. My perceptions of the world are filtered through Cynical Hater Brain, so it’s possible I’m totally off base here but I just don’t think an electorate that once gaslit itself into thinking torture is a moral good because it worked on 24 works like that. https://t.co/0G7QHzcUs7
— Open Source Stupidity (OSSTU) Starfish (@IRHotTakes) October 3, 2024
… But stranger than we [Democrats] can imagine. Today’s GOP is in a very (yes) weird place, from what this lifelong Democrat can tell.
Journamalistic botfly Tara Palmeri, at Puck, on “Vance ’28 Chatter, McCarthy’s Motives & Trump Money Troubles”:
… Not long ago, of course, J.D. Vance was widely considered a drag on the ticket (cat-ladygate, that interminable convention stemwinder, the whole “America’s Hitler” thing) with a bionic billionaire sugar daddy. (It’s hard to imagine Vance’s political rise without Peter Thiel’s checkbook and Tucker Carlson’s lobbying.) But whether or not his nimble debate performance has any impact in the polls, it certainly restored his standing in the premature but inevitable 2028 conversation. “It was a moment for him to come out of Trump’s shadow,” said one Vance ally.
Tuesday night was clearly a reset for Vance. He proved that he’s capable of turning on the folksy charm that eluded him on the campaign trail, and that he could appeal to middle America as a potential leading man against future primary adversaries like Ron DeSantis or Glenn Youngkin. CNN’s snap poll showed his likability shooting up 19 points, from negative 22 points to negative 3—still underwater, but a sign of palatability. “He did himself a lot of good beyond that one night,” said a Republican consultant. “If he can pull off the MAGA banner in a non-offensive style that sells, then he could be the natural heir apparent, and that’s what you’re seeing start to gel here.” Another Republican operative noted the electoral value of Vance’s hybrid, country-club friendly MAGA approach that was once considered DeSantis’ lane. “This is the party. Get on board, or get the fuck out of the way,” this person said. “They think we’re all knuckle draggers and Neanderthals. J.D. Vance can debate any part of the establishment and can whip their ass.”
When he wasn’t on Truth Social, posting about the death of disgraced baseball legend Pete Rose, I’m told that Trump enjoyed the V.P. debate. While he might resent Vance for his strong performance, he was apparently overtaken with giddiness by Tim Walz’s general squirminess. (Even Democrats close to Kamala Harris admit that Walz was just “fine.”) For now, Trump sees Vance’s performance as affirmation that he chose wisely and Harris did not.
All that said, it’s not lost on those around Trump that they need to manage their glee over winning the news cycle, particularly since it was inelegantly displaced by the Jack Smith bombshell. “We understand that this debate doesn’t matter, but it was the much-needed win after the last debate,” said a campaign source, acknowledging the low morale. This being Trumpworld, of course, there’s an unspoken protocol regarding the appropriate amount of praise to heap on anyone besides the principal. “When you have so much staff radiating with glee, there’s a risk that it will irritate the old man,” the campaign insider continued. “No one is going around one-by-one praising J.D. to Trump.”
Grim Dawn Open Thread: <em>Not Only Stranger Than We Imagine…</em>Post + Comments (190)
