Hello Everybody,
There has been such an avalanche of press coverage about the 2024 Democratic National Convention that my personal experience outside the convention seems of little interest. Perhaps perusing my rambling here will give you an alternate angle to view these intense times. If you are just skimming/gisting this long ramble check out the clever memes at the end.
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These notes are mostly for my own memory's sake and will be archived here:
https://logicalpoetry.com/election2024
Here is a 9 minute video that shows some of the vibrant large crowds I was in - at the 2 protests in Chicago and the Harris/Walz rally in Milwaukee:
I use political events as an excuse to travel. I enjoy being “on the road”. I am reminded of a former colleague who would travel wherever in the world a solar eclipse was happening. I took the train to Chicago and am now returning through Denver where I will see a friend from high school.
The 2024 DNC Convention was a unified voice for Harris and Walz. The only part of the convention that I was able to watch as it happened was Harris's acceptance speech on Thursday night. I was very impressed.
There IS a kind of “deification” (deify - to worship or revere as a god; idealize; exalt) of the candidate. Rah rah. I hope she's not a narcissist. How can one not let it go to one's head and believe that you are the "chosen one". Trump certainly did/does. Harris kept saying Thank You to get the crowd to stop cheering so she could speak. Trump responds to cheering by just basking in the adulation, as always.
I loved her taking on Trump in an explicit detailed way. The prosecutor is speaking. Such an excellent communicator. Without notes. I imagine Biden trying to do the same and not being able to.
Lots of promises. Like any politician. What about foreign policy? I was glad to hear that she asserted the rights of Palestinians and acknowledged the suffering of innocents.
Almost too much rah rah. Excessively positive. I'm not a "party guy". I'm not good at celebrations. I’m too much of a realist and cynic. If and when she is elected, bliss and peace and prosperity will not immediately descend on all.
The large protests on Monday and Thursday were a very unified and passionate voice against Israel's military actions in Gaza and the U.S. support for Israel. The people attending were mostly young people. I'd estimate the average age was 25-30. SO many police were there - to keep everyone safe and to make it clear that any illegal ruckus would be dealt with promptly. But so many phalanxes of police? I presume they were all paid for their time. Who paid? The campaign, DNC, or the city? I did not witness it but apparently a few frustrated protesters decided to break a law and get arrested. I’m glad that did not dominate the news stories (except on Fox”News").
There is an analogy to 1968. A Ralph Nader Radio Hour podcast explains it well:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ralph-nader-radio-hour/id874581610?i=1000663529425
Another recent podcast with Ralph was a conversation with a doctor who went to Gaza to help out. He spoke about the conditions he witnessed first hand. Very disturbing:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ralph-nader-radio-hour/id874581610?i=1000662125520'>
In 1968 the DNC was also in Chicago, Johnson => Humphrey vs Nixon, Viet Nam war, the draft, assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and RFK. Today is analogous but Israel is a sovereign nation that makes its own military decisions. We in the U.S. have a great deal of influence (economically and diplomatically) but the final decision about policy is theirs.
October 7 was, no doubt, a horrible tragic day for the Israelis. Where was the Israeli defense on that day? Their "Iron Dome" could not prevent that kind of guerilla warfare. Here’s an insightful podcast (Background Briefing) that happened soon after October 7th:
I'm reading a book about the history of Palestine from 1917-2017. Colonization and apartheid. Increasing oppression for years. Desperate people do desperate things. A sign at the protest said this: "Resistance is justified when people are occupied".
I have learned about the symbolic image of the watermelon and the Palestinian flag colors. See this site:
https://hyperallergic.com/666111/how-watermelon-became-a-symbol-of-palestinian-resistance/
I would like to see the president and secretary of state hold an "education session" where they explain to the nation all the things they are doing to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. And all the hurdles and frustrations they are having. And what they're doing to prevent a wider war. Such a session would be much better than protesters marching and chanting on the streets desperately hoping (demanding) to be heard and the politicians and administration doing their thing silently in private meetings not shared with the public. I'd like to see a real dialogue to help each side understand the other's point of view.
When I travel I eat vegan and drive electric. I patronize the local vegan restaurants. Using the Turo app (or turo.com) I rented a Polestar 2 electric car. Very fine. I admired it so much that I may swap my 3 year old VW ID.4 for a used Polestar 2 which apparently can be had for $25k. Public charging in rural Illinois and Wisconsin is quite different than in urban SF Bay Area.
Back and forth from Chicago to Milwaukee I observed the many farms and was gobsmacked at how much corn and soy is being grown. Rural midwest America is a very different political world than urban Bay Area. Our nation is SO diverse.
The incredible density of downtown Chicago with the many skyscrapers. I try to imagine how the city provides water, gas, electricity, sewage. And transport, deliveries, and waste removal. So much steel and concrete. The subway is excellent and easy to navigate. The river is a real presence. Here's a clever 3 minute video I made showing the river and the skyscrapers and political implications:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wzj1Om7gF3k&si=IZb7eSlZyRhT1Ljw
The Milwaukee Harris/Walz rally on Tuesday was great fun. A total unified love-fest for Harris and Walz. We were given bottles of water and a fun bracelet that glowed red, white, and blue. I think they had them at the RNC as well. It was clever and well planned to have the Harris/Walz rally in the same place where the RNC was held. The place was filled to capacity.
For me it's somehow easier to say Kamala than Harris. The word "Kamala" has a more fluid pleasant flow than "Harris". It is likely sexist to use just her first name rather than her last. It won't be called the Kamala administration, right? It's not the Joe administration.
With the incredible momentum and enthusiasm for the Harris/Walz campaign I am thinking that I may not travel to a swing state to do canvassing as I have done before. It seems that there will be plenty of local volunteers to do those things. Maybe instead (or in addition) I will help with congressional district elections in the California central valley.
Harris/Walz excitement and enthusiasm is all over the news and this must be driving Trump crazy. I expect he will concoct something outrageous to try and grab the headlines. As the election gets closer and the polls show that he may lose, his behavior will become even more unhinged. I hope the press won't fall for his antics. Recently, Trump decided that he needed to have a "press conference”. What for? What news? None. He just blathered and didn't really answer any questions.
Maybe I'll travel to witness a Trump rally to experience the MAGA culture that many of our fellow Americans subscribe to. In 2022 I did attend and witness two rallies for Herschel Walker - the comically unqualified (and Trump endorsed) candidate for senate in Georgia. I wrote about that bizarre experience here:
https://www.logicalpoetry.com/ga/3.html
Trump is not really running for president. He is running to stay out of jail. If he wins the election he can simply tell "his" DOJ to drop the two federal cases in D.C. and in Florida. January 6th and his theft of classified documents (and the obstruction of justice) will fade away and become minor footnotes in American history. If he loses the election I fear (expect) that he will not accept the result and a Wild Crazy January 6 will happen again. The Georgia election interference case would not go forward because one cannot subject a sitting president to trial.
The Harris/Trump "debate" on September 10th and the Walz/Vance "debate" on October 1st will be “must watch" TV. I hope the prosecutor can directly confront the perpetrator (or is it spelled perpetraitor?). I would love to see if Harris can somehow "cross-examine” the felon. "Debates" do not normally allow candidates to question each other (why not?).
Even more fun will be the sentencing on September 18th in the New York election interference hush money case. Finally, he will be held accountable - criminally accountable.
Of the many sources of news and information (there are too many - which allow us all to be comfortable in our own echo chamber - confirmation bias and all…) these are the ones that I rely on:
and for a conservative Trumpian view (if you can stand it, not all can...):
That's a lot. I'll end there.
We are all Americans. How will we vote?
I am hopeful.
Jon
