August 26, 2024

"Kinda worried the Democrats are so thrilled with the sudden transformation from Biden to Harris they won’t be as obsessed as they ought to be."

Said Gail Collins in this week's "Conversation" with Bret Stephens.

The next thing Bret Stephens said is "Tim Walz’s football analogy about Democrats having the ball and driving down the field while they’re down by a field goal was a good metaphor." How is that a good analogy? Didn't Walz intend us to think of a game with only a few seconds left?

In any case, in politics both teams have to worry about offense and defense at the same time. You can do either or both whenever you want. But this convention felt like a big sugar high. That's the metaphor that comes to mind for me. A big spike of energy, but then what? That's what Collins is "kinda worried" about. We need some substance, and the "sudden transformation" people are adamantly denying us substance... and I'm getting hangry.

Ah, I see Bret Stephens comes in with another metaphor... about that insipid "joy" theme:
But as our colleague Patrick Healy pointed out in an astute essay, “Joy is not a strategy.” Actually, it’s more like a helium balloon that rises and rises — until it deflates and crumples....

67 comments:

Aggie said...

The idea will be to compress political time, to avoid reflection, introspection, scrutiny above all. They'll talk about an amazing array of spectacular subjects, none of them having to do with the past 4 years or political history of the candidates. Democrat candidates, I mean.

Why, November is practically next week !! See you in the voting booth.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

That's what Collins is "kinda worried" about. We need some substance, and the "sudden transformation" people are adamantly denying us substance... and I'm getting hangry.


Are you "hangry" enough to vote for Trump?

Because if not, then you don't matter to the Democrats

Peachy said...

The corrupt modern Democrat party enjoy the Soviet-like loyalist media in their pocket.

doctrev said...

Joy was a great theme for Obama as an "outsider" candidate running against a retarded and geriatric GOP administration in an unpopular war.

For the VP of a crashing regime funding a much less popular war, it reinforces the idea of Kamablah as a talentless whore/ sorority reject.

rehajm said...

That's fun for them I'm sure but the fatal flaw is leftie policies are so unpopular they need to be hidden...

Leland said...

"Actually, it’s more like a helium balloon that rises and rises — until it deflates and crumples...."
That reference used to be called "Hot Air", and Stephens avoidance of that term shows his bias.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Patrick's got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in his heart
Where?
Down in his heart!
Where?
Down in his heart!
Patrick's got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in his heart
Down in his heart to stay!

Peachy said...

Ignore what you've heard out of Kamala's insane radical leftist mouth.

(Defund the police. "re-imagine the police", please send money to spring rioting George Floyd leftists, open border, high taxes, green energy Solyndra schemes and forced electric car bullshit...)

She's a moderate now! Exclaim the Democrat Party Media Machine in creepy unison with all the loyal D- surrogates.

Peachy said...

Ignore what you've heard out of Kamala's insane radical leftist mouth.

(Defund the police. "re-imagine the police", please send money to spring rioting George Floyd leftists, open border, high taxes, green energy Solyndra schemes and forced electric car bullshit...)

She's a moderate now! Exclaim the Democrat Party Media Machine in creepy unison with all the loyal D- surrogates.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Joy is most definitely a successful strategy. Just like Hope was successful. It's running the "generic Democrat" who always polls better than a real person.

Slap on some silly slogan (Hope and Change, No Malarkey or Joy!) and keep the candidate on message (remember Obama needed teleprompters to talk to kindergarten kids) and let the campaign run the campaign.

It works.

robother said...

But this is a different kind of joy: the Joy of Hatred. Trump, Vance, all those weird MAGA Republicans.

Sebastian said...

"I'm getting hangry" You and half a dozen others. Everyone else knows H&W will flop back to full prog 24/7 right after the election.

Peachy said...

The radial left and big pharma are one.

The radical left + neocon Cheney War machine liars - are one.

Kate said...

The dig about Bobby as Sec of Interior -- "seems to know all about bears" -- is indicative of the conversation living in a bubble. They'd be hard pressed to find someone more qualified for the job, someone with more love for and experience with the parks system and the wilderness, than Bobby. I knew these two were left of me on ideas, but I didn't know they were so bland and incurious.

tim maguire said...

What is "Joy" when the party has no joy but merely wants you to think it does?

I can't get past Collins "kinda worried"--they used to pretend to be unbiased, even when they weren't. Now they simply deny being biased when asked directly but otherwise hardly give journalistic responsibility a thought.

And yet they seem to be utterly flummoxed that they are so widely hated. (Do they even understand that they are widely hated?)

Wince said...

I'm thinking of the bubbles from Joy dishwashing liquid.

Gusty Winds said...

The Harris / Walz campaign has the intellectual depth of a puddle. Just like their voters.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I am mildly surprised that Althouse has not blogged about the Cotton-Karl dust up seeing as it was an amazingly brazen attempt by ABC (?) to invent a policy for this “joy!” candidate which she has not articulated for herself. I’m curious if other people, Trump-skeptic people, find Cotton firm but gentle pushback effective or not.

RCOCEAN II said...

They're just repeating the 2020 strategy. Keep the POTUS candidate hidden. Give few or none press conferences and speeches. Let the MSM carry the ball and attack Trump 24/7 and praise the Democrat. Count on the low information dummies to think Kamala is a "Moderate" and that she had nothing to do with the last 4 years of Biden-Harris.

And of course, stuff the ballot boxes on the election day. What used to be "the Chicago way" is now true of the whole country.

hombre said...

Ever notice that for the most part there was no Biden-Harris administration. Trump never stopped being President and imposing his evil agenda on the bubble people.

Peachy said...

The misplaced "Joy" is just getting rid of crook Joe.
They all luv crook Joe - but - it's time for a fresh new crook.

Jupiter said...

Gail Collins is a witling. Bret Stephens used to know better.

Limited blogger said...

Balloons don't 'crumple'.

mccullough said...

It’s still August. The undecideds are summering.

Ralph L said...

In '92, Perot was polling even with Bush and Clinton in the spring, and Dems knew that they had a seriously flawed winner of the primaries and were seriously glum about it, some even disgusted by him, but the word went out to be happy at the convention, and they were. Perot saw it and stupidly pulled out--temporarily--but ruined his chances. He just wanted someone to beat Bush.

Iman said...

I’m thinking Madge… Palmolive… and you’re soaking in it.

Iman said...

Speaking of puddles, where’s Rich?

tcrosse said...

Weeks ago James Carville warned giddy Democrats that The Icepick Cometh.

n.n said...

With Joe deemed a burden on her party, this is no time for gay holiday.

Kakistocracy said...

Well predictably, Trump is now talking about not showing up for the debate. On his part, probably a smart move as it was inevitable he would open his mouth at the debate. That would be disastrous.

My expectation is for Harris to win the electoral college by a whisker and with 55% of the popular vote.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

“Joy is not a strategy.”

It worked for Adolf and the boys. Kraft durch Freude!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_Through_Joy

Readering said...

Now the campaigns are arguing over debate conditions. Harris folks don't want mikes muted because they see benefit if Trump tries to interrupt Harris. Trump folks want to keep the muting instituted after 2020 interrupting.

Peachy said...

How dare Trump not walk into all the corrupt-left media traps.

traditionalguy said...

Will she allow any real questioning before the rigged recounts get done in late November? Not likely. Lenin didn’t do anything that foolish before the October 1917 Revolution was in the bag.
.

Static Ping said...

It also does not help that "Strength Through Joy" is a literal Nazi program.

narciso said...

https://www.theblaze.com/news/capitol-police-interacted-with-suspect-during-jan-5-pipe-bomb-drop-video-shows

Howard said...

Good point. Both campaigns are running on hate and division. The algorithm makes them do it. The Dems joy and Trump love of USA are mere patinas.

Michael K said...

Michigan is helping by only allowing 50 GOP poll watchers.

Michael K said...

Yeah. I was ready to vote for him until that crazy stuff about his daughter's wedding.

Static Ping said...

The last time someone won 55% or more of the popular vote in a presidential election was Reagan in 1984. The last Democrat to do it was LBJ in 1964. But, yeah, sure.

If you are going to be a troll, you can at least try to be plausible. Clown trolls have their place, but no one takes them seriously.

Michael K said...

More mind reading from Howard. Haven't you seen the studies that show lefties can't figure out conservatives ?

Leland said...

Harris knows the more she talks, the more the polls move against her, so she is trying to get out of the debates. She's already refusing to participate in the Fox News debate.

Michael K said...

"Rich" has these secret sources that tell him what Trump is going to do.

Maynard said...

"Joy" is a strategy for explaining Kamala-lal-dingdong's insane laughing fits.

It would be embarrassing for them to admit that she is actually a drunken idiot.

Inga said...

Well, that’s not surprising. I doubted he would show up to debate anyone that wasn’t poor old Biden. Trump lost his joy when Biden dropped out of the race.

Kevin said...

I’m thinking Behar.

Kevin said...

We would all know this by now if it were coming from Trump.

Lazarus said...

We need some substance, and the "sudden transformation" people are adamantly denying us substance...

"We?" "Us?" I see plenty of substance coming from the Democrats and it's not good. Wage and price controls, higher taxes, more spending, endless wars. They are already out on a limb. They can't go out further, and they can't go back, so what's left but fear and "joy"?

But, sure. The sugar high isn't going to last until November. Then again, they only have to hold on to their base and the extensive and inclusive fortifying operation will do the rest.

Iman said...

“Harris folks don't want mikes muted because they see benefit if Trump tries to interrupt Harris”

Sweet Jaysus, they just need to give Harris plenty of time to talk and she will expose the empty vessel within. She can’t help it. She has nothing of consequence to offer.

Aggie said...

'You know, you're soaking in it, dear' It gives me no Joy, remembering Madge.

Gusty Winds said...

The new found Democrat enthusiasm for Kamala and even Walz has a North Korean fawning great leader feel to it. Even though the people of North Korea live in squalor and darkness, they cry and fawn all over themselves in the presence of the Jong-Uns. Or, they are told to act that way or else...

The Harris-Walz campaign has the same creepy feel. Feels forced, not organic.

wsw said...

It takes a Potemkin village.

planetgeo said...

The Biden-Harris administration has morphed into the Hiden-Harris campaign. The antidote isn't to complain about it but to list and keep playing her and Walz's previous policies and stated positions. The economic ones are a killer. Even our own finance expert Rich won't touch them.

mikee said...

Fortunatelyfor Harris' handlers only the mail in ballot harvesting will determine this election. Real voters are completely optional. Texas, for example, since 2020 scrubbed 1.1 MILLION names of illegitimate voters ( the dead, those moved out of state, felons, illegal aliens, etc.) off the voter roles against strong Dem opposition.

Dogma and Pony Show said...

Not sure "joy" is going to work when that's about the last thing people across the country are feeling. Seems out of touch.


Dogma and Pony Show said...

Think mylar.

FleetUSA said...

Her strategy sound more like Ali's "rope a dope"...but she can't punch.

donald said...

The Democrats want divisions of joy all through the republic.

William50 said...

Inga said...

Well, that’s not surprising. I doubted he would show up to debate anyone that wasn’t poor old Biden. Trump lost his joy when Biden dropped out of the race.
-------
Why won't Kamala debate on Fox? What's she so afraid of? Does she need access to the questions before hand?

Stephen said...

“The next thing Bret Stephens said is ‘Tim Walz’s football analogy about Democrats having the ball and driving down the field while they’re down by a field goal was a good metaphor.’ “

The NYT is not only the newspaper of record but also the newspaper of proper English usage. It would distress my 6th grade grammar teacher that 60 years later no one cares about when to call something a metaphor, simile, or analogy.

BTW, was Tim Walz demonstrating his Midwest football cred? The Chiefs were down three points to the Niners in overtime when they drove down the field to score the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left in this year’s Super Bowl.

Howard said...

It's the Dems post convention hangover walk of shame

Mutaman said...

Dave Begley said...

"The CIA was in on it somehow."

This is why we pay Begley the big bucks.

Rabel said...

After the pick six at the debate the owner called down to the sideline and ordered the coach to pull the QB.

Unfortunately, Ryan Leaf was the backup.

We still don't know the name of the owner.

Jim at said...

Well predictably, Trump is now talking about not showing up for the debate.

There is no way in hell Trump will back out of debating that turnip. What you're doing is whistling past the graveyard. It ain't gonna work.

Jim at said...

It would be embarrassing for them to admit that she is actually a drunken idiot.

I'd rather she be a drunken idiot .... because if she's that stupid when she's sober, we're screwed.

wildswan said...

Trump has RFK Jr., Tulsi and JD Vance vs Shamala and Mean Dad. I think he's managed to create the new look needed to oppose the new Dem candidate. And the implied theme is meritocracy vs mediocrity. Get in a few more like Elise Stefanik and that guy over in Michigan, etc. and send The Magnificent Seven out to do joint barbecues, all mingling with the crowds, picking up vibes and complaints. Get in seven comedians to weave through doing Kamala laugh imitations.

Aggie said...

Here's a thrilling transformation for you: Over a million ineligible voters have been removed from the Texas voting rolls.

457,000 dead people
463,000 who have moved without notifying their registrar (the 'suspense' list)
134,000 who have confirmed they have moved to a different address
65,000 who failed to respond to a query on their registration
19,000 who requested their registration be cancelled
6,000 who registered illegally, as they are convicted felons.
And over 6,500, who are registered illegally but are non-citizens.