Opinions to go Online

We live in a complex, self-serving era where you don’t only choose your own self-validating media, but you choose your own definitions–from patriotism to populism. The latter used to refer to prioritizing “the people,” as in average—not elites. “The people,” as in workers, not the wealthy.

Now we have an election where both sides employ populist rhetoric. One side does it, because it still reflects what it stands for. The other side does it, because hypocrisy and disingenuousness seem to work. It also sees opportunity with greed heads, the Clampett vote and a cult-figure candidacy. So what if CEO’s now make 68 times what the typical worker makes.

The Democratic ticket, VP Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, are alums of Howard University and Mankato State, respectively. Both Donald Trump and JD Vance have Ivy League resumes.

Trump is renown for being born rich, pushing tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest, stiffing sub-contractors, orchestrating real estate red lining, pushing nativism, preying on females, keeping his taxes as inaccessible as his Penn grades, being oligarch-friendly and insulting the military. A populist? No, this is not a William Jennings Bryan sequel.

Before becoming a senator and vice president, Harris, the daughter of immigrants, worked her way through law school and into the role of prosecutor and California attorney general. She prosecuted those who imperiled every-day Americans–from bank fraudsters to drug pushers. Her running mate is a former high school social studies teacher and football coach. “Coach Walz” is an avatar of populism and Mid-West neighborliness, a status that is deep rooted.

And no, JD, the path to a better America has nothing to do with “childless cat ladies.”

Right now I’m in Blue Ridge-elevated Asheville, N.C. as a seasonal visitor. It serves as a welcome diversion from heat, humidity, hurricane paranoia and ever-ratcheting anti-woke politics. But some things are inescapable, namely our national politics. Trump held a rally in downtown Asheville recently, and I dropped by to observe the optics. What the hell was I thinking?

The line to get into the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium was long and wound down Haywood Street for nearly a quarter mile. A chain link fence kept Trump partisans separated from anti-Trump demonstrators. Luckily, I had a shady seat in front of a bistro to note-take at a political DMZ.

Optics, from Uncle Sam outfits and “Will Never Forget 1/6” signage to a banner declaring “One Nation Under God” with a skull and crossed assault rifles and crude invective were on full display. Both sides were yelling “USA” amid background music of “God Bless the USA” and “Macho Man”. Chants of “Nazi!” were countered by “No, you’re a Nazi.” Shouts of “Liberals suck” and QAnonesque “Baby Killers” were responded to with “Trump is a liar” and “Trump is a scumbag.” And more than a few F-bombs. Maybe the most deplorable sign was carried by a young teen: “Say No to the Hoe.” What the hell was I expecting other than a cacophony of crudeness?

And there was a digital “WEIRD” van nearby with Trump’s image. Enough. On the circuitous, security-expedited way out, there appeared ever more signage to sigh for. From “Proud Deplorable” and “I’m Voting for the Felon and the Hillbilly” to “Jesus is my Savior and Trump is my President.” Another day at the orifice.

But it could have been worse. I could have been inside hearing Trump blather that “Our country has become a Third World country.” Only with his compliance.

BTW, Trump prepaid $82,000 to rent the auditorium on a short-notice booking. When Trump left the White House in 2021, he left about $850,000 in unpaid rally debt. Most remain unpaid.

I remember when political convention entertainment didn’t mean a major pop culture star or two or three performing. Word of a possible Beyonce sighting recently–and annoyingly–tantalized the media on the last night of the Democratic Convention. But I still remember covering the 2000 GOP Convention in Philadelphia, and the entertainment was provided by Pensacola Congressman/guitarist Joe “Morning Joe” Scarborough and his band, “Regular Joe.”

• The Democratic National Convention hit the enthusiasm trifecta: freedom, faith and football.
• “Madame President.” What would Shirley Chisholm say? We say: “Thank you.”
• “The path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.”—VP Kamala Harris—aka “, La.”
• Think back to the debate debacle. What a political 180. Some have termed it going from “despondency to delirium.” It looks like a Barack (“Yes, she can”) Obama sequel in enthusiasm and pride. And presidential nominee Harris, along with VP nominee Walz, are now TikTok sensations among young voters. Walz’s popular account is now known as Tim.
• “Hope is making a comeback.”—Michelle Obama at the Democratic Convention.
• The campaign raised $82 million during the week of the DNC.
• Let’s hear it for former (Republican) congressman Adam Kinsinger, who spoke at the convention. He is not a “RINO Judas.” He’s an actual, country-first patriot.
• Some Obama alumni, such as Eric Holder and David Plouffe, are gravitating to the Harris campaign.
• The Harris-Walz campaign has a National Republican Engagement Director, Austin Weatherford.
• Joe Biden has now gone from an awkward-optic octogenarian to arguably the most consequential one-term president in history.
• “The one thing about Tim Walz is that he kind of dropped out of a Norman Rockwell painting. He looks and sounds like small-town America.”—Democratic political analyst David Axelrod.
• Harris made a smart, strategic stop in Dearborn, Michigan right before the Chicago Convention. It has the largest number of Arab Americans of any city in America. She sat down with its mayor, Abdullah Hammoud.
• Merch update: The union-made, $40 Harris-Walz camo hats have been an instant hit.
• Endorsement update: “March for Our Lives,” a youth-led, advocacy organization committed to ending gun violence, has made its first-ever political endorsement and announced support for VP Harris for president. Harris has underscored her commitment to passing universal background checks, red flag laws and an assault weapons ban.
• Upon Harris’ election, Biden could become a de facto “President Emeritus,” an adviser role with a party shout-out for a job—and career—well done.
• No, Harris was no “DEI hire.” As we’ll see in the debate.
• No weed-wacker: Harris is the first major party presidential nominee to support marijuana legalization.
• Harris trivia: She’s been a president before—of the Black Law Students Association at Hastings College of Law.
• Pro-Palestinian protests could impact the election. But nothing should be more impactful than a candidate who’s a proven Islamophobe.
• More than 12% of Americans identify as multi-racial.
• America(n’t) Go Back.

• Donald Trump turned 78 earlier this year. Donald Duck turns 90 later this year.
• How the hell can anyone be an “undecided” voter in the age of Trump?
• Alas, there are no life assurance
• Thank you, highway signage. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to find a personal injury attorney.
• Fats Domino. Chubby Checker. But still no Pudgy Parcheesi.

• Dodged bullet: No pickle ball courts on Honeymoon Island. Yet.
• Approximately 11,000 homeschooled students live in Hillsborough County.
• Sports apparel retailer Foot Locker will relocate its headquarters to St. Pete next year. It will be Pinellas County’s 4^th Fortune 500 headquarters. The others: Jabil, Raymond James and Synnex.
• In 2026 Port Tampa Bay will add a 6^th cruise line, as Oceania Cruises comes aboard.

• The Harris campaign has added approximately 22,000 new volunteers over the past month—plus “cat-lady phone banks.”
• “Any time there’s a surge in volunteers for either party, that’s a great sign.”—Roger Austin, lecturer at UF’s political campaigning program.
• Party reality: The Republican Party has about 3 million active registered voters in the state. The Dems have about 1 million fewer.
• Unwelcome mat: Visit Florida has taken down website pages with information that helps G.B.T.Q. travelers.
• The cut-to-the-chase legacy of a certain former UF president: Ben $a$$e.

• According to Microsoft’s latest threat intelligence report, Iran is evolving its chaos-sowing cyber-attack tactics in the U.S. presidential election.
• “Influencing” on social media was a $34 billion industry in 2023. There were more than 500,000 self-identified active influencers.
• Of the 100 most-watched network TV programs last year, 93 were NFL games.
• Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a temporary block on access to X.

• Not to downplay Israel’s disproportionate overkill in Gaza, but it’s worth noting that the U.N. Human Rights Office acknowledges that co-locating combatants with civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law.
• Guyana–between Venezuela and Suriname—has been dubbed the “New Qatar” with off-shore oil reserves of more than 11 billion barrels. Formerly a poor country, Guyana’s GDP increased by a third last year.
• Mexico’s oil production has tumbled to a 45-year low this year.
• Don’t say War: The official, Putin-ordered euphemism for the Ukraine invasion is still “special military operation.”
• The EU and Norway have banned Russian tourists.

• “Breaking,” as we know, was part of this year’s Olympics. But what about the Limbo Bar and the Bristol Stomp?
• Attendance for the first Rays-Athletics game in Oakland: 3,998. The franchise will relocate next year to Sacramento—and ultimately to Las Vegas.
• For the first time, a team from Florida (Lake Mary) has won the Little League World Series.
• The New York Times ran a piece comparing the woeful Chicago White Sox (who recently lost 21 games in a row) with the Philadelphia Phillies of 1961, who lost 23 straight. Also referenced was 1964 when the Phillies blew a 6 ½ lead with 12 to play. It’s still known as the “Phlop.”

I was a Philly guy back then, so I do remember it. I also recall one of the more memorable lines that came out during that stretch. The Phils lost 1-0 to Cincinnati. The Reds scored when Chico Ruiz stole home with Frank Robinson, THAT Frank Robinson, at the plate. After the game, reporters asked Reds manager Dick Sisler what would have happened had Ruiz been out. The quick, blunt response: “He’d still be running.”