Welcome to the Commentary magazine Daily Podcast for Thursday August Twentieth, twenty twenty, I'm John path towards the editor of Commentary magazine with me. As always Associate editor nor Rossman Heine, our Asia Senor rhetoric Steve rose and high Christine. I can an executive editor a green wild, high Abe, I jump so calmly. Harris gave her big speech last night, I didn't mean anything. There you go.

I'm going to go with no. But I would like I'd like the only one who noticed that a lot of it was just retread of what she said when, when biting person emanated her the other day made, it seem like she could come trotting out. Some of the same rhetoric pressure new in Athens below what what what what struck me was that neither the first ten minutes or something were her biography, and I don't really think that the usual point of vice presidential speeches, which Is to throw red meat to attack the other guy and tell you now serve like please, the party faithful, that's. You know what I'm talking about her life in her career and everything like that is something that is what they serve the intruder, three video is for she's there serve the ticket to say things that the presidential candidate

ordinarily, wouldn't say that is, generally speaking, what we have expected from from the vice president's speech or the nominees. Beach at the convention. This was a little more like she was the presidential candidate going through the you know. I did this here's my mom than I did that than I did the other thing. The sell my parents Matt so in that sense another was I because she had already done her via but there was a bio before her speech, I find all three nights. The convention so far have been pretty bio. Heaven. Right I mean. There's, there's been a lot of you now. Obviously Joe binds life discuss Joe Biden. You know it's been a personal and sort of gun, The linear story of of her in the family and and now with Kamel. I mean, I think, it's bits- that's been in emphasis here, all long distance.

Party that is bio, heavy. The M so fortunate enough not to watch speeches at the time I got to see them in the light of day this morning You can tell that the ten our was deliberately focused on an effort to communicate to glass, Americans and disadvantaged Americans that this is a party. That's gonna have your back that this is a party. That's gonna, be your aunt, be according to Elizabeth born That's a lot of this programme attic liberalism is gonna, come to the rescue here but, commissioner, as broke from that came later, she broke from that cheap. She went back to the themes that had been prevalent over the course Last couple, a nice which were very much about identity, about biography and about how covered is, affecting women and minorities hardest and not as a result of racism from residual race. Some and racial inequities and disparities in the american various american systems, both public and private,

The virus knows now in, I knows us and those us better than we know ourselves the other is. The call is coming from inside the house moment where she was like it sees us. The virus sees us agree. I am in the resolution to the pandemic is tethered in the Arctic Canada is not several that's tethered to our legacy of racism and the two or entwine and that's a bizarre message. That's just a weird one. Maybe that resonates with the party faithful and I mean like Joe Thout blink- fateful. What otherwise, it just was weird, don't forget There is also a time who, together, when calmly, said that there is no vaccine for racism yet, Zack, that's exactly it doesn't have to do when we talk about the could kill. Can we talk about this because it's been quoted? It's obviously like the sound bite of the night. There is no vaccine for

So I think it's a terrible will get us. It's barely a metaphor I don't even know what it I dont understand what it means. First of all, its like well, there's no vaccine for corona either so. What's the point, it's like oh yeah, well, there's a vaccine for corona, but there's no vaccine for racism, but there isn't a vaccine for corona and there's no vaccine for racism, so basic. The problem is that we don't have enough vaccines or that you had expected vaccine for racism. So therefore we have to do the work. As you know, the vat vaccines don't do any work. They just make you a little bit sick. I dont understand I mean it is like yet whoever road at when wow that's my greatest line ever and people are writing about it in Also media, as though it's a great line- and it is a horrible line, is also a very negative view of how we can, if you accept this idea that we are kind of in the

I about raising this country right now, it's very bleak you of how to solve. Accept your arguing, there's no vaccine that the vaccine is kind of. Like you said a simple solution that maybe get your little second, the process, you also have to have enough people take it in order to for it to be If what you say is, as you know, this is structural endemic historical. It's not up I wasn't a message because she didn't really give us anything besides. You know elect us to fix it. That is any sort of positive vision of race and actually figure. That there is a vaccine if you can't argue there's a vaccine against racism, is precisely the system that our country has to enshrined since its founding about equal opportunity and individual rights, I can make a pretty strong argument that that's a vaccine, but right now is not the political moment for the Democratic Party to be doing anything any such thing. There is something crazy about the fact that the first woman of color takes the nomination for the vice presidency and then

about how the country's relation to race, is so diseased that it is the lot work of a lifetime to do something to get over it or get beyond at when her. Just as the person who spoke before her Brok Obama represented. He won the largest number of votes in american history, she's now vice presidential nominee and what he, what she's gonna do, is pedal an unbelievably negative impression of the United States and its handling of race that that in of itself, is a fascinating twist, because It's like this, a world of people who are preaching the evils of systemic racism and how it makes it impossible for anybody to get it. And who are Pulitzer Prize winners, and you know it.

And tenured professors and an eight hour every about their own lives is a testament to the falsity of what they are talking about and know? Where would that be truer than of Kamala Harris? Who argue who, because she was chosen both in kind of duel, token rolls right she's. She was chosen because she was a woman. He promised he would choose her as a woman and then he had to choose a woman of color because of this present moment. So I'm under those circumstances, you could say you know the lingering EVA, Racism is that in a wee wee, we're still choosing people on the basis of color, but now we're choosing them in reverse. Well, that's of course not the message, the messages everything is so terrible that even a virus kills black people more than it kills white people. So it's like it's like a kind of

It's like Gogol's overcoat. It's like a universal screwing around so like the fates are just screwing african Americans and black people and people of color and and therefore no wonder they have to say: please go out and vote, please go out and vote do whatever you can hear ugly, we're gonna, send you instructions on how to vote. You gotta vote because their messages at once point of voting you're all screwed anyway, while the other some tax to comma. Harrison. Partition were being these spokesperson of. That message is that it revealed glaringly as soon as you start thinking about it that the political power of talk, I assume that is still quite strong in the Democratic Party but which nobody wants to talk about right. I mean obvious then she was a token peck, but you're not allowed to say that now I actually had tend to think that cheap. You know she's perfectly qualified to do. The job has been nominated to do if you just want a locker publications, but that's not

the democratic parties arguing. We should look at anyone in positions of power. In fact, quite the opposite. We should remove people who are qualified Anne Elliot. Those who have a certain skin color simply because of that that have more people of a certain recent positions of power. So it's strange, you really is kind of a funhouse mirror thing when you start looking into her message versus hers, its first the logic of social justice, activism, which require negative social levelling. The downward pressure on those who are perceived to be benefiting from conditions into which they were born, that they do not deserve, and that is the animated ethos of this party. There no longer interested in programmes that uplift it's part of the programme, but it That's something that gets you out of bed in the morning. What gets yet it out in the morning is revenge, well, there's revenge and then there's the other which, as you mentioned, was with Warren talking about her aunt

Be right, so she was having trouble with child care and she was crying and she was teaching and sure enough time. It she was crying and aunt be said, I'm gonna breakfast to open new MP said I'm I'm it I'll I'll come over and I'm gonna help you right, which is the way things are work in the world which is like your overwhelmed well than a relative comes over and helps you would then she says. But what, if you don't have an ant, be you know and be shouldn't being responsible for helping in the trial? our government should be responsible and less on the issue of the lovely raises the societal sickness she raises. There is the attenuated of family structure jacket. Yet, if that's the case by the way, because strand

It's like one of those things where who takes care of kids in this country. When people go to work, a lot of people who take care of people are like neighbours. Relatives brands and what is the cry of the of the Elizabeth WAR Nights? All those people need to be licensed. You can't just two care of a child in your house you're an act where is your cpr arch well there's also. We are just as we are talking about you, no kind of all those videos that that we're. Being made to watch on the convention now, because it's all broadcasts which reminded me of it was like the clockwork orange it opened his eyes are kept open these forced to watch videos that the american public this weekend. It will be the same next week at the republican dimension, but there's that There is an aspect to her message that is kind of menacing. If you, if you are, conservative skeptical of of state power, because the idea that the government- should become an b is horrifying.

Into a lot of people. Certainly it is to me I mean I don't want a bureaucrat doing what I would happen. And be, or other friends do for me at the fact that I think a lot of she's going to the messaging, which with was hammered out ever again throughout the night about women's feelings. This is really a lot of effort to target women's feelings, not policy feelings only distinct argument, and they they really kind of did that throughout the night. In a number of ways I was struck by the nature of the Knights appeal to women, which is that it The night was dominated by women, with the exception of Barack Obama. You had Nancy pollution, speak Elizabeth warrants. We Hillary Clinton, speak new add this. You know long video about women. A tax him. On and on and on, and that the oddity of the present moment is that Biden.

Up by some measures, twenty percentage points with women who, where he is lacking or where he has room to make up grabbed? That's when their reasons ease up up five, seven, eight, nine ten points, where he is tied or work or in the world or in the negative is with men. So Then you would say the thing to do- is to bank the support of women and to pitch the convention to men, because if you can cut into trumps advantage with man, then you just why the way with the election, if you can take three or four five points away from Trump on men with men, you and but either the Democratic Party is unable any more to come up with that appeal, because We all know what the symbolic appeal to man is red. The symbolic appeal to man is security. If you see

twenty minutes on gun control. You're gonna have a problem with men, because one of the ways you would appeal to manage to show people hunting, people, hunting and outdoors Eads stuff like that, but I'm not sure that the Democratic Party has it in its got any law. Or even the most cynical brilliant political jaded consultant to figure a message that can can harmonise with the General democratic message about women and minorities and the Ike and so either they ve made a conscious calculation that You really just need women to come out and vote and they're gonna explain how to vote they're going to push them to vote, because if that advantage among women can can can be

collected in the highest possible turn out. They can generate among women, then he then Bide walks away with the election, but if they can't there, there. They ve basically seeded, even though, according to these Paul's Biden, has around even with Trump with men, but they Seated the male vote and in its it's it's striking because again don't you use ordinarily use political events to bolster where your weak or test our shore up, where your foundations are problematic, not to just simply speak to the people you already have in Europe in your pocket? Don't you think, maybe this makes me as their painting this broad, almost psychological contrast with Trump. Who is she grossly met male right and

said to be the anti trump you should have to go to the other Paul and even though even the way that by is being framed and sold, every anecdote at his being consoling carrying sympathizing a hum. Also, motherly himself right. This is that, as the that is the endorsement of Biden here right so I, the one message is that Biden is empathic, and this is obviously intended as a contrast, Trump who sing. Your quality is that he is unable to demonstrate any kind of empathy he can demonstrate commonality. As with a deep the unfortunate and indeed horrifying way he managed to yesterday with Q and on the monstrous and repulsive and despicable conspiracy. Theory

that he because he said they they they seem to like me, they must love America that thus not showing any empathy for everybody else in the country who was in a pig You know so, but yeah Abiden obviously is famously male. Shall we say right yet the party seems to be determined to play up his more I guess you're not allowed to say feminine qualities, but his more what so that the two the two little video snippets that I think highlight this perfectly as the one where it shows him. Being supposedly being carrying an empathetic when there were some women, testifying in the nineties or unease about around the violence against women act about domestic violence. What struck me about that was how clearly he was sort of mimicking

facial expression in demeanor of someone who knows he supposed to be emphatic at that moment like he was much younger and he he it was. It was I know I remember from the Unita held hearings the one that feminist still really don't like it. If you press him on it, will grumbling and grumbling way acknowledged, wasn't very appealing to the men. There was the snippets of which I think is another real Joe Biden moment that they on revealed, wear them somewhat. Grandmother got on the phone with Joe Biden, and he should away as AIDS. He should away his press person who was trying to get into an interview, and he just talk to this grandma for thirty minutes and boy did he really understand? Of course we were all on our group tanks, Zena Legal cracking up, because that's what I'd do if you followed by the screw, you know, like literally undisciplined garrulous. No misguided, and yet we're supposed to see that, like the fact that those are the moments their reaching for to show his empathy and the fact that since May, I should note his campaign has been actively courting what they call empathy moms through their feet

oh god, and why not meet this is a real strategy for him in its one, actually that they ve been doing for months now. It wasn't hasn't just then this week, so I think that it might actually be him, though, just to be fair, like all of us, probably at least I you have stories of people who literally run into Joe Biden William track and then talk to him for fifteen. Because he just does that. I don't think that's actually work or an act that slow You got a lot of what it is. I mean I've told the story, maybe three or four times on the podcast before it written about it, that a nineteen eighty six when he was a junior senator from Delaware, he came to an editorial board luncheon. Wash in times where I was an editor and we set for lunch, and then the person who were hosted the the event. I think the late Psmith I'm stone sets out Centre Biden, what's gonna happen next week in the Judiciary Committee or whatever, and by an opened his mouth and forty five minutes later. He closed his mouth.

I've never seen anything like it. He CHI Chi could not. He was like you know, a wind up monkey and the and the and the never is never went down. He couldn't stop. You can actually see there are these moments when it was almost like. There was a desperation in his eyes because he did not know how to stop talking, and so that is the real Biden, one of the signs that he was disciplined enough to win this election was how completely and conclusively he damping that down to the extent that people were complaining that he wasn't answering questions way, taking enough time to answer questions during the democratic debates. That was never anything that anyone ever set about Joe Biden, or he's not doing it, because actually he's slowed down right he's, actually not capable of that sort of. You know, extemporary Yes, you know shooting the breeze it with

revealing the extent to which his and of his particular kind. Mobility is at his age, not that there was a compromise, but just that he's he's a man pushing eighty right, I mean this is right. He's gonna, be all your person he's. So all look at you. I was getting my head around that last item and he will be older than Reagan was in his last year in office when he begins his turn. You don't John Harris has a peace, and political reports by them is older than ninety four percent of the people alive in the United States today, when he third, the Senate. There were six people in the Senate who had been born in the eighteen hundreds and of the hundred people and send when he entered the Senate. He has only one of fourteen who

Still alive, that's that's pretty old. Now, of course, Trump is pretty close to the same trumpet three years younger. So obviously those three years now aren't aren't that much of her that much of a difference, but you is that other great story about Biden and Obama, which is why I was so surprising that Obama chose by MRS Vice president that in his first couple of months in the in the Senate, he was in his chair. Obama, which was next to Joe Liebermann and Biden, recognized to speak and

a bomb, a wrote, a note and passed it took to Joe, and the note said, kill me now because of course, speaking on the set of floor, you can talk forever and Biden was famous for you. No talking forever, as I worry as averting does suggest it, which of course brings up what's interesting about tonight. So tonight, as there are three, there are three or four different qualities about by acceptance speech tonight. The single most important, in my view, is this question of a high wire act that we have been watching for the last couple of months in particular, which is. The anxiety of watching and worrying? Even if you don't want him to be president that he is gonna have a a senior a bad senior moment and we know what those

like right over. There was the bad moment and he wasn't even that old, with Rick Perry in twenty twelve, who said in the debate to other three cabinet departments that I want to close down, and he and he went Bank on the third of them and you were watching it if you were going. No, no, no, no, no, my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Even if you didn't like him or want them to win the republican nomination watching somebody, in that kind of having a kind of brain for it like that was just agony. Last seen last forever, but it only lasted for like twenty seconds or something so there's that which is like he's going to speak for half an hour like or something like that. How how is he going to get through ok, which is a very, very largely Bragelonne teleprompter, though its extent where he has a lot of problems where anyway, has lot problems. Well, I mean I, who knows

I mean he's ok, but here we also hasn't given a thirty minute speech in a long time. I think his speaking style has gotten quite powerful in its understatement. Again, a weird quality but the question is: what message is he going to convey? Is it going to be all about Donald Trump, or is he going to try to say? Not only are we going to be Donald Trump and win, but by the time I'm done this country is going to be in a much better place because of this this this in this and you know we're gonna we're gonna bring reconciliation to the racism, we're gonna. We now we're gonna help. Ex our climate, whatever it is, it he's gonna say how pause The message is eager to deliver and how negative is he gonna go on Trump. Because its main message from the beginning of the campaign, as this is a battle for the soul, the country so is the soul of the country fixed simply by by electing him, in which case he will mostly attacked from

And talk in vague generalities or is the soul of the country also in need of rep repair through pot policy changes and while those policy changes all just be kind of left, liberal claptrap or bia weft, liberal cliches. Or will there be something a little interesting like is I'll. Do anything to try to shore up his position with men. Isn't gonna talk, things in a way that will connect to the Trump voter who wasn't gonna vote in twenty six seem became an voted for trump anyway, because I hated Hilary or because you know Trump seem to be willing to take it to the to the man or whatever. I mean I think it will all be in there. You know one way or another minute. I think What strikes me also better, but the entirety of the convention- and I am sure we will continue tonight- is when they

when, when Elizabeth, worn and security Stepan who and whatever else when they go on, the litany of programmatic liberal fixes, we're gonna that they're going to enact. I I think they ve hammering these very same repair. For so long in exactly the same language that it that it comes across as pure white noise, Now I can't I can't just be me. I mean every time they talk about Fixing the environment and healing the racial divide and all Oh all, the all the sort of

grand operational but repairs that you're going to do on the country. I can think of a better word if it it's it stretches. We ve been hearing this exact thing for so long in every speech, and it is there that the nuts and bolts that long ago were left the argument, because, when Whenever anyone gets into the details, they are too phantom as the mathematically problematic it. It just comes across as as pure white noise well, one of the things I noticed about both the little videos prisoner, the one about the environment, but also some of this stuff like coming out of the Nancy Mouths and Canvas mouse in the last few nights existential to describe.

These particular the environmental crisis and structural to describe trying to sort saw them both of those are abstractions, so I think you're, right did they actually playing to the abstraction angle, because in some sense it's it's just put five get trump out and then as to fix all these existential structural systemic problems. But that day the reliance on abstraction has really struck me. I'm usually the convention's mean on the on the Republicans. I'd like face family. You know service stuff like that, these Actions are really abstract and I wonder how much their landing with with the people who are watching if any Indeed, while I don't even know it's there that abstract, I mean one of the things about saying that a problem is structural. Is that Europe essentially admitting defeat? How do you fix is the only way to fix a stroke

no problem. If, like your, your dismantle, is to give to tear something down and and and and build something or the same thing in its place, you have a bridge is, as a fifty year life at its ending its lot. You can't shore it out because it is about to come. Bob, so you have to tear down and build the meal one. But this is why his slogan is so weird and confusing: build back better because, like without the back you can a bill, better right, tear it all down and re and rebuild something new which is kind of the structural messaging would suggest, but there's this back hark back to like the Obama years and everything was fine preacher. It's really confusing as a message to I also just hated as a slogan, I think it's badly worded before we continue on to Barack Obama and the the speech of the night I'll. Let me a pull back and talk to you about the Bradley Foundations, Speaker Series: we talk to you about it before cuz, making sense of current events during the storm.

Time can be trying conceived in liberty. The Bradley Speaker Series is a new video series of offers meaningful perspectives through engaging fifty men interviews, visit Bradley, F D, end dot, org, slash liberty to watch their most recent episode featuring me Daniels, president of producing university dales as a former guy. Urban. The Anna previous director of the Office of Management and budget and a twenty thirteen winner of the Bradley Prize This episode you'll learn more about. Why produce one of the first universities to announce its intention to reopen, and here some encouraging news about students response to returning

Daniels also addresses the loneliness crisis among younger people and offers guidance to federal state leaders on managing the colored nineteen pandemic. That's Bradley with an L E. Why, at the end, F d and DOT org slash liberty to watch the Mitch Daniels Video new episodes? Will they be weekly so comeback, often and subscribe to the Bradley Series Youtube Channel to be notified whenever a new one is posted, speaking of all of this talk about structural racism, which was a dominating theme of the Kamala Harris talk right before her was Barack Brok. Obama spoke, and I was struck by the difference in his message in what I think was the best speeches delivered since two thousand, for he delivered it in in Philadelphia and standing front of the image of the preamble of the constitution and he essentially, I'm pretty embryos implies

they explicit that people like us seem to be the logic of the one thousand six hundred and nineteen project cuz, he said, look the constitution's not perfect. It said that you know it is and that the founders weren't perfect, but in this document they planted the seeds for the the healing of the document itself and the improvement of the country over these two hundred years to make us free air and better and fit, her, and here we are standing here and it and then again implicitly like we have a president who doesn't care about the constitution, doesn't care about how to perform the tasks and duties the presidency, and that therefore, are democracy, is at risk

I agree with the Brok Obama, but hardly anything, but I was profoundly encouraged myself to see that this narrative about the you know the love! The evils of the american experiment was almost explicitly repudiated by the last american president, favour of a stronger and more powerful message, How you want change, you want things to change. Things are terrible. It's up to you, everybody listening to me they want. Play feel cynical. They wanted depressive serve an interesting met, a message about about about political message, which is that the purpose of the Trump campaigns appeal to you or how they talk or what they're doing is to get you to think that there is no point in voting

an end at one of the things about Democrats is there more Democrats and there are republican. So it's very much the case that if Democrats can convince people who say their Democrats to vote a graphic, they they will win most elections, and so in that he was pushing and pushing in pushing this point. This is how you vote. This is why a vote. This is what the purposes of voting. This is what you can do with your vote. Don't feel disempowered people before us who didn't have these rights. Didn't give up. That was was the other interesting messy use, Lewis Louis and said, like people like John Louis, had every reason to give up. They every reason to think that this system was unfair and wasn't gonna do right by them, but they didn't take that they didn't take no for an answer, and neither should you and I thought that it was a dazzling,

speech, and that is one that will be anthology eyes. No, are you disagree with me yeah now, I didn't get any of that in part because we're not all about me. Some of that I agree with you on, like I said I had the privilege of not watching this live, I washed it and they so bring light of day, and I not especially energized by the president's speech is cadences performance comparing to his wife's performance, which was positively electric. This was kind of a downer bit of his news. In my view, it was encouraging that the president did say that this document will flood the constitution while flawed at it in its inception, allowed for the kind of changes and right

that we now presently enjoy. It is therefore a redeemable document, that's valuable message but, as you said, almost explicit, which means it wasn't fix, was it there was implicit and require a fair bit of interpretation in order for you to get their own with. The president did saying President Obama did say were a variety of things that I think exacerbate the existing tensions in the country. The notion for ample that was again implicit, but just barely veiled notion that Republicans when elections, only in so far as they can to press your vote or cheap, that's not gonna, do anything to lower temperature- you know we as a party- can accept as various firstly that Joe Biden will end the pandemic. Good luck with that!

also that you know we don't want our kids to grow up on an uninhabitable planet which is fortunate, because if the planet is uninhabitable, no one will be growing up on the planet. Quite a lot of rhetorical exercises here that again sort of youth land on paper, but I dont think they land. In person. Now I know I'm in the minority here I know everybody has formed this opinion and everybody's opinion is reinforcing everyone else's opinion, and this will be the greatest speech to have ever been spoken by an order again since Demosthenes but I did not see this I think that everybody else saw. I thought this was just slightly better than Camel Harris's performance, which was not very good at all as speeches go broke, Obama has delivered many very well then speeches, and this to me was not one of them. I remain one his favorite address of mine- was in the immediate wig of the verdict. In the trail on Martin killing the the verdict

Came down and walking on the name of the gentleman who was indicted, journalism There is. Thank you, the indictment of George Zimmermann, which was a profound and forest I didn't and then a lot, and I think, TAT, take the temperature down in that moment, and it was one that that that it doesn't get recognized very often for about reveal that he is capable of that kind of deck, propriety and prudence, and that was not on display here. You did not take the temperature down, that's probably not his objective anyway, or maybe not they drafted party out of power, but that doesn't render rendering a responsible exercise. Okay. So I don't remember that driven

speech so is delivered at press. It was almost imply understand, I'm just thing: I'd I'd I'd, I dont remember it and I think I'm gonna remember this one. So that would be my rub. Retorted. I would be my my response to your remembering that he gave many better speeches, but who knows like time Time tat may be. Everybody will forget everything: Hillary Clinton, by the way litter. Lee says eating any to win by a big margin or they're gonna cheat. So somehow she is morphed, isn't just more into Trump she literally morphed into Trump saying that, if that you know they're, they're gonna steal the election. This is the implicit, an implicit message, that brought Obama has delivered at John. That was issued. And again reprisal last night, albeit in less explicit terms, he said, the Republican Party is dismantling democracy and doing everything they can to cheat their way to the end of this election deal legitimizing the results in the event that the incumbent winds, which is not something that is out of the realm of possibility and within it.

Extremely irresponsible exercise. Well fair enough. But let's, let's just let's to stipulate that We we are living in a rhetorical, irresponsible time, and it would There is a way in which I find all of this noxious beyond belief and yet. Speaking not as anybody who supports you know practically a single element of the democratic agenda. It would be kind of unilateral disarmament. To allow trump to say anything that he wants about anything ever and not to take advantage of the fact that what we now think of as being normal and proper imprudent political rhetoric that that that that would that they're supposed to huge standards, that

The longer exist to the extent that those standards no longer exist, Obama was very much within the realm of the responsible. Let's just say- and you know once again do we have to say this Trump yesterday praised Q and on which is all I pray and the protocols of the elders of Zion, the President of the United States, talking about Q and on favourably, because he said this, they support me and they love this country. They don't love this country, they despise and hate this country. They hate everything, that's good about it. They are poisonous monstrous vicious site, product losers and we are living at a time in which president I'd states seems to think that it's ok

say something nice about them. So if Barack Obama says in our hints at the idea that it would be illogical, you know an election in which they he accepts the intention that voter, that Republicans are all that voter suppression and that they're trying to destroy the post office, and all of that that he says that implicitly, but not explicitly that to me as a form of restraint. Given you know, given what the what the rivals are are saying. I'm not I'm pondering that. I think that there are two different things going on there, though, because you ve got conspiracy. Research on both sides, but I feel like we ve had a useful and impact the argument and spend made pretty consistently by people on the left about Trump about it. How he is deal a generalised, the presidency and undermined how're. Democracy is supposed to work,

not everyone on the less on them if they come to the same tactics that trump himself uses. But I do think it is worth noting that that a former presidential candidate and former Secretary of state aid. Former president- are both kind of not even hinting but saying outright to their voters. If we lose its, probably because this was an old stolen election that is distinct, they dont. I do think that you can argue that change the discourse, and I think that certainly without a doubt, but they are you meant that I think, if your principles on either side, the we should all be making is that we really shouldn't succumb to that. I think we should try to try to rebuild the country's faith in its own institutions, particularly supper product. We elected institutions and just entered a few months from election time about how you're, already assuming its gonna be stolen and have that be a former president of former Secretary of State saying that pretty consistently

worrisome, and it's just as worrisome to have trump. You know indulging conspiracy theories and saying similar things. On his I mean he said the same thing. This is just all around bad when anyone does it- and I actually in this case I do not want to hold the Democrats to a higher standard. If their argument about Trump is correct and they need to be even more principle, because the Republicans obviously given up on and trying to reign and trumpet all It is interesting because they did the two aspects of the of Obama speech. You're talking about Europe highlight the to kind of twin nightmares of the time. One is the dismal It is public discourse where anyone can say any thing, you're responsible any level of leadership.

And the other is the total lack of faith or belief in in the country as it stands so which, which is more flexible and which is more valuable. I think you were. I agree with no, that yet not great that Obama implicitly spoke as if, as if the elections would be so would be stolen if, if the Democrats lost at the same time, I have to say I have to agree with John ultimately that the the the more important aspect of this for the moment was his imploring Democrats and people and liberals not to give up on the idea of America and its founding, but that is such an indictment of his coalition told, because he had to gently gently, defend the constitution of the United States in that

and we're looking upon that as though it was this great act of courage when it wasn't he explicit, I'm, not He had come about saying it's courageous, I'm just saying it's heartening, that's all I I've been the vague net. He did nothing courageous. There is, I I would not accuse Barack Obama showing courage in any way shape or form ever as far as I can tell. Courage, as is, is, is outside of his bailiwick, he's a cautious, prudent and clever person, but not a courageous person, and I I want to give him credit for courage, and I also think it's fair to say that This is all well and good for him to be standing in for the constitution and his shredding of the constitution repeatedly during his term was the predicate that allowed Donald Trump to start doing things that were relatively similar. In his term. So he deserves all the criticism you can possibly have for you now the Dhaka dreamer.

A pen and a phone and I'll do whatever I want to now that now that I dont have us in our super majority in the Senate game. So I he guide. I want to praise him for any of that. I'm saying that simply as a as a message saying: you're in American, you have the power. You have the authority, you have the strength to make a difference, what you do is a very important message at this moment, maybe maybe The it is the crisis of the liberal left liberal. Yes, this is a revolution moment of that the only people who are being empowered at this moment are the people who want violent, revolutionary change philosophically, when you know was just two years ago and twenty eighteen that Denmark,

its affected, a forty seat, turnover in the house and took control of, as the representatives by normal boring political spade, work that appealed to voters who were convinced to cast their ballots for Democrats who otherwise cast ballots for Republicans in the previous election, that's what the political system is, post being do with if change is necessary, and yet we were living at a time in which the that very party can even forgot away to say No, you shouldn't be burning down the Moldova Federal Office building, so the Mayor Portland. Finally, they did out that while he still supports black lives matter, he was very much opposed to the violent attack on the melanoma building into then really were where the hell have you been four for two months, you unutterable piece of crap well the person, but it's a good. It's a good job. May be overrun.

You're, not letting her say, be all right. Now, it's like! No! No, don't you that don't do that, you're, making This is a broader problem for the left's big tenders, as was Duckworth. When, when asked about why Balkan was speaking in the post me to era, we are a big tent and this is the problem right because, on the one hand they galvanise younger voters chronic owners, the ones who are out on the streets protesting with arguments how they ve been victimized systemically by the system in which they have been raised, trade so that galvanizes them they that that motivates I'm awfully on the Democrats, hope it motivate them to vote for binding On the other hand, you have a lot of voters and night. I would include the folk suit John mentioned and the bad the especially way working class men for whom that message doesn't resonate and for whom? I don't feel the Democrats have yet given any response to the violence and unrest is still continuing in the streets. They either.

Downplayed, which I think is condescending too to voters or they ve claims that it was only a reaction to things that the trumpet mistress she was doing, which is also not a sustainable argument, because the feds are no longer in these cities in its going on. So I do think that if you want voters to see themselves as angry victimize people. You then have to have a message for all the voters who find that message condescending, it's an intense, will argument, but it's not false to say that the president has driven everybody crazy and that we are experiencing now, craziness. This is literally what Donald Trump defenders say when he does idiotic things like endorse q and on all you don't get it there he's just trawling he's just gonna drive everyone crazy, look around everyone's crazy and as well. What we have to re elect now, everyone's crazy. You know These regulations to their two pieces of doses, as as as were as talking here, Steve Bannon, has just been.

Guided by the by a federal prosecutor. As part of this a we build the wall, this private effort to raise money to build the border wall which, as was an act of Charlotte re when it started in apparently he into other people, are have been. None have been indicted for male fraud and an effort basically too to take me. They from people to do something that they then in output put in their own pockets? That's a pretty striking development taxing opponent of arrest in development to which is interesting. His oh, my god. That's right had sir, but it's it's it's interesting, also because some of the best attacks on we build a wall, M M revelations about this sum. You know that huckster ism that that was involved in income.

Bring people out of money to do this within the conservative press, largely in the in the daily collar last year, or so all power to them, and that's an interesting. So now we have Two of Obama's three campaign managers why jail manifold, one indicted ban and try and managers. Trumps tromp manages I'm sorry monitors so now I'm sorry was actually three because quarrelling dusky was in fact charged with a battery with battery. So there's four so only Kelleam Conway remains out of the out of the grip of you know. Of Johnny LAW, so one so that that that's that's, that's pretty strike even though, by the way, I have to say that their this line that dead, that Democrats and liberals are desperately peddling. The release of the Sun Intelligence Committee Report proves that from should have been kicked out of office because he was a russian agent.

Proves no such thing. It's simply at a more elaboration on the thing, we knew and that nobody knows we outside of idiots question that there were that the Russians were interested in fighting around with our election and that the Trump campaign was perfectly willing to accept help from the Russians if they could get it. You know at the Trump Tower, beating and and and and other things, but That said, you know stealing fourteen dollars as as well as men Four dead end that ban and apparently now being accused of being part of aid scheme to defraud people out of money by pretending that the wall could be built with private funds. That's that's! That's pretty pretty staggering. I think one thing that nothing can user of the name. We were all watching and taxing amongst ourselves is it I hadn't impeachment has.

I mentioned at all during this convention and we're going to Korea about data? Primo was spotted that won't, I said no mention of impeachment and when was impeachment, anyone want to guess It was seven months ago. It was. Seven or eight months ago, like it wasn't in twenty seventeen granted the pandemic head and the pandemic has made everything before the pandemic seem like it was. You know prehistoric times, seven and a half months ago. Donald Trump was the third person indicted for third president, I you know impeached and yet yes, no mention that's good. Well, I don't even possibly imagine it's gonna be talked about a lot by trumpet his surrogates next week at the republican convention there. I I don't think so you don't they

Do you think so? One right, yeah now it'll be there. If you don't lie in a hoax and the Republican Party has adopted all of his rhetorical texts and it will absolutely be feature, know they'll, say coup and hopes, but they're not gonna use the impeachment as their example of the coup in a hoax. They'll use the Mahler hoax and hopes of this in the hope that they are not going to talk about Impeachment Gazette doesn't help him remind people that he was impeached, doesn't help him. Fifty percent of people thought that he should be removed from office in fifty percent. Didn't that's not good numbers, it would have been like you know, two thousand and sixty then maybe he could like play victim a little bit. The way Bill Clinton did, but I item that. That's something that he necessarily wants to lean into. So did anybody think that Biden is going to knock it out of the did? The can buy knock it out of the park tonight, isn't even possible, given the optics of one of the.

No audience speeches, but he doesn't need and over the fence homerun he needs an inside the park. Double. I guess so as though, although tomorrow, when these major moments, don't go over big, it's kind of bad it economy, like you know, when Romney's speech kind of well, you know like we're just hey there. Like a dead fish, I mean you know, didn't change the poles much or anything like that, but obviously there the sense of a missed opportunity or not or inability energize people or to thrill people orders. You know, I can see him as president, so My my secret can my own little person, conspiracy theories, that Kamel his speech last night was deliberately you no kind of low key and not you know energetic because by contrast, if it had been binding tonight will look,

an older and less energetic than he might already. So maybe he he comes on strong and like all he has to do is get through it. I think you know is right. I mean it doesn't have to be some wonder it just has to be gotten through with saw Energy, a couple of come on man and the call it a triumph I think you're convention at that I just thought, I think, there's a very good chance that will get through it solidly sufficiently because he doesn't have to do anything. Extemporaneous need us enough to respond to any one. If he will take his time and red eyed, I think I think it'll be good enough. If he doesn't literally fall off the stage No one will remember the conventions by November ok, but you may have to fill you may have to say

It's as if you're older age area on the Euro trance, if he were for the states, which is why I think, by the way, not at anybody will listen to me or that you know what I'm saying means any. But that if I were they, I would make this look like an oval office speech. That's rat! There's no audiences, no crowd standing in the way Kamel. It did in front of a podium with flag behind her pausing for applause yeah the wide showing how terrible it reacts so area, I accept your nomination and gave it a few seconds pause for applaud that weren't forthcoming. We pretend to be president. Sit at the resolute desk have have a seal on the desk. The way Obama had to see who, on the podium when he spoke in Denver in in two thousand you don't make it look like he's already, the president. That's that's what I would do, because that that is that that is a language that we can understand. Why, the president? Doesn't

When the present gives a formal of Olaf's addressing those, never audience you speaking intimately to a camera and that is how how its presented and to present the convention speech like its everything, but there's no people just strikes me as one of the one of the signature failures. Obviously, the better speeches that were given at this convention were not given as though they were delivered to a crowd, but without a crowd Michel in the living room Obama. Outstanding in the standing in there and then a centre and unlike that, that would be my butt well conventions matter, and it is to convince partisans, disaffected partisans to come home, two energize voters or otherwise on the side of the fence, and that's why you get the polling bump from these conventions

another is not gonna be theirs. It there's area unlikely their separately, any Pauling bomb, but you perhaps redounds one being that he's pretty much at where he's gonna be. This would run he sat down. There is where he is, he went, All you got to do is stay where he is, but he can screw it up. That's only second, no one is watching these things. Well, you know when you say no one, it's still twenty million people which, in the sky By the way, given the way things will be argued, audience are network news, all hospital room like this. Now that don't adds you'll get, it fell, twenty million people and nothing gets an audience of twenty million people were now assume. The debates are gonna be wildly watched if they actually happened, but will have to see where that goes. So we will reconvene tomorrow to do the post mortem on either the triumph for the disaster. That is the job I address

poor, Christine, no enable I'm John ports, keep the camel burning.