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Bryan Zepp Jamieson<\/i><\/p>\n
September 10th<\/sup> 2024<\/i><\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will probably decide who the next president will be. For Trump fans, there is hope: if he wins, you\u2019ll never have to endure another presidential campaign again. People like Leonard Leo, Elon Musk and Jared Kushner will be deciding your rulers from now on. No more silly elections where weak and foolish nobodies can push the movers and shakers of society around.<\/p>\n That, in a nutshell, is what is at stake here. Do you want to keep your country, or turn it over to people who have no problem with turning Donald Trump loose on you? Plutocrats in Germany faced a similar situation in the early \u201830s. It didn\u2019t end well. Nor would it end well here.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s what Harris needs to do tonight. Don\u2019t attack Trump personally other than to call out his lies. Start the debate by pointing out that every lie Trump tells will be listed and refuted by her campaign the following morning. Every single one. Feel free to needle him: mention his criminal convictions and policy failures.<\/p>\n Second: refute the right wing talking points, rather than Trump\u2019s inevitable lies. The border is not in crisis. Immigrants aren\u2019t creating a crime wave of any sort. Inflation has halted. Unemployment is good. The military is strong. Energy production is the highest it\u2019s ever been, including oil. Oh, and as a personal favor, could you assure people that Canadians aren\u2019t sneaking over the border to eat your cats? I would like to be able to order cat food online without getting a visit from the FBI.<\/p>\n Hammer policies, but don\u2019t drown the viewers in details. There\u2019s only a half dozen that really matter to voters. Tell them that on immigration, you will ask the new Congress to take up the border bill that Trump scuttled. On the economy, talk about jobs. You\u2019re in great shape there. Mention the number of jobs\u2014millions–created by the Inflation Reduction Act. Assure people you will submit a national reproductive freedom act to get the zealots out of our beds. Press for an end to the slaughter in Gaza. Remind people that in a situation very similar to America\u2019s, Netanyahu stays out of prison only for as long as he is conducting his \u2018war.\u2019 Let people know that Netanyahu no more represents the spirits and ethics of Israel than Trump does America. Both are criminals willing to sacrifice country for personal gain.<\/p>\n Promise to move forward on global warming. It\u2019s too late to avoid serious damage, but it\u2019s not too late to avoid self-annihilation. Although you\u2019ll probably want to give that a more positive framing.<\/p>\n Point out that much of the GOP leadership of former years have endorsed you, or at the very least refused to endorse Trump. You have people like Liz and Dick Cheney who realize that you are better than Trump. He is not a Republican, he is not a conservative. He is a fascist. Much of the GOP leadership, including a huge swath of Trump\u2019s administration, prefer you to more of him. And no, that is not normal. It\u2019s a sign that every responsible and patriotic conservative, no matter how different their policies, put America ahead of Trump and what he represents. The Guardian just reported that \u201cAnthony Scaramucci, <\/strong>who served as Donald Trump\u2019s White House communications director, and Olivia Troye,<\/strong> who was homeland security adviser to Mike Pence<\/strong> and a top aide on the Trump White House\u2019s coronavirus task force, will speak out against Donald Trump<\/strong> and for Harris ahead of the debate, the campaign said.\u201d Nobody has ever heard of defections like those before, ever. Trump is widely hated within his own party.<\/p>\n Even though your mike will be muted as he speaks, don\u2019t be afraid to mug for the camera. He\u2019s going to say some ridiculous things. Don\u2019t hesitate to laugh, roll your eyes, and make \u201cwhat-in-the-fuck-is-he-talking-about?\u201d gestures. Don\u2019t make the mistake of taking him seriously. He hasn\u2019t earned it, and never will. Let America know you don\u2019t see him as a worthy opponent, because he is not.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot riding on this. You can do it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bryan Zepp Jamieson September 10th 2024 Tonight\u2019s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will probably decide who the next president will be. For Trump fans, there is hope: if he wins, you\u2019ll never have to endure another presidential campaign again. People like Leonard Leo, Elon Musk and Jared Kushner will be deciding your rulers … <\/p>\n