Pre-Debate, Marist Poll Has Harris +1

By Michael Woyton

Ahead of tonight’s presidential debate on ABC-TV, an NPR/PBS News/Marist National Poll shows just one point separating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, the former president, among registered voters nationally.

The poll said Harris at 49 percent and Trump at 48 percent are competitive nationally among registered voters including leaners. That tightens the race from August when Harris was 3 points up from Trump in a multicandidate field.

Among those who say they definitely plan on voting, Harris came out with 51 percent, besting Trump by 3 points, the poll said.

Harris leads the former president among women by 15 points, while Trump is ahead of Harris among men by 12 points.

Although Trump is ahead among white voters, Harris, at 47 percent, is getting support from a larger proportion of this group than Biden did in 2020 — 41 percent — and Clinton did in 2016 — 37 percent.

Independents are showing their favor to Trump — 49 percent — ahead of Harris — 46 percent, the poll now shows. That is a 14-point shift from August when Harris was up 11 points over Trump in a multicandidate field.

Among Latinos, Trump is leading Harris by 19 points, up from 15 in August.

Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, said, when the two candidates square off in Philadelphia, the stakes are sky high because the contest is so close.

“Only single digits separate the candidates on more of the issues important to voters,” he said. “But voters who value honesty are overwhelmingly for Harris, and voters looking for strong leadership are mostly in Trump’s corner.

“Will this still be the case on Wednesday morning?” Miringoff said.

The full results of the NPR/PBS News/Marist National Poll can be found here.

This survey of 1,529 adults was conducted Sept. 3 through Sept. 5. Results have a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points.

Lead art: Google Maps screen grab

Times Calls Trump’s Age, Capacity into Question

By Michael Woyton

Now that the Gray Lady has awakened to the often incomprehensible verbiage of the convicted felon — or at the very least allowed its reporters to write about it — can we expect more or is it one and done?

A news analysis article by Peter Baker in The New York Times said that former president Donald Trump, who is 78, is now facing questions about his age and ability to be the commander in chief.

The “concern” stems from the looming debate, which will air on ABC-TV Tuesday night, and a recent appearance at the Economic Club of New York in which Trump was asked a question about child care and left the wealthy audience members puzzled but applauding. SEE ALSO: There’s No Explaining Trump’s Appeal

To say it was gibberish would be kind, in my opinion, but Baker, who printed in The Times an extended account of the felon’s reply, did what the media has been doing for the former president all along: cleaned it up nicely thank you very much.

“What he seemed to be saying was that he would raise so much money by imposing tariffs on imported goods that the country could use the proceeds to pay for child care,” Baker wrote. “In itself, that would be a disputable policy assumption.”

Sure, we all probably figured out what the hell Trump was talking about, but should any reporter worth his or her notepads make an assumption about the assumption?

And couldn’t there have been a tad more explanation about why tariffs are disputed if not an outright bogus policy that would hurt American pocketbooks?

Baker’s article was a good start, but let’s see more from the mainstream press holding Trump’s feet to the fire instead of giving him a pass and cleaning up after the GOP elephants.

Lead art: C-SPAN video screen grab

Harris Visits Spice Shop; Right Makes Big Dill of It

By Michael Woyton

The Right is all bent out of shape because Vice President Kamala Harris took off a few minutes over the weekend from debate prep to visit what the convicted felon called on Truth Social “an ultra Left Wing, Trump Hating, spice shop,” according to reporting from Rawstory.

Former president Donald Trump even went so far as to say Penzey’s Spices has “terrible, overpriced product, and calls for ‘unity.’ ” As if “unity” is a bad thing.

In her campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Harris visited the shop, spoke with other customers and even hugged a woman who was very emotional.

Penzey’s is known for its emails touting its spices that are peppered with commentary about politics from a liberal point of view.

Bill, the owner of Penzey’s, sent an email advert Sunday evening talking about Harris’s visit.

“Because of all she is and just who our customers are, the video of her visit has been continuously playing on tv news and received millions and millions of online view ever since,” he wrote.

“There are good reasons views have spread like wildfire,” Bill wrote. “She’s a cook. She cares. And in our store built to celebrate the kindness at the heart of cooking, surrounded by kindred caring cooks, the goodness of the moment went off the charts. Whoosh!”

Of course with the good publicity comes the not-so-good.

Bill said that “never has the media of the right tried as hard to boycott us or ‘Bud Light’ us as they are trying right now.”

He said that lots of angry emails are coming his way, as well as a spotlight from “Fox & Friends,” one host of which called Penzey’s “the meanest spice shop in America.”

A portion of text on Penzey’s website was read over the airwaves: “Going forward, we would still be glad to have you as customers, but we’re done pretending the Republican Party’s embrace of cruelty, racism, COVID lies, climate change denial, and threats to democracy are anything other than the risks they legitimately are.”

Bill wrote that he very much wanted those words read so every Fox viewer could hear them, and in this case, they were read by Fox itself.

He said the Right being angry at his store and the attempts to boycott him was punishment for welcoming Harris into his store.

“They are also doing this in hopes of deterring any other store from doing the same,” Bill wrote. “Not letting them win at this would be a good thing.”

At this writing, Penzey’s website is unresponsive (server error), but the company’s Facebook page is still active.

Lead art from Penzey’s Facebook page.

‘Shrub’ Weighs in on Prez Race as Only He Can

By Michael Woyton

So former president George W. Bush continues in retirement providing the type of leadership we came to expect from him during his administration. I really wonder what Barbara would think of her son.

Hell, even Liz Cheney and her father, Dick, have weighed in and are voting for the Harris/Walz Democratic ticket.

There’s No Explaining Trump’s Appeal

By Michael Woyton

Video of the convicted felon babbling about child care at the Economic Club of New York this week is bothersome enough on its own.

What sticks in my craw are the reactions — or lack thereof — of the audience and the panelists/questioners to his “word salad.” Actually, I think it aspires to “word salad.”

If these are indeed the titans of NYC economy, then I am certain that they, and their stockbrokers, are immensely satisfied with how the stock market and the economy has fared for them during the Biden/Harris administration.

Then why are they applauding and nodding their heads when former president Donald Trump stands before them and speaks gibberish?

The moneyed class cannot be blind to all that the man represents — anyone who has lived in New York knows Trump — but they still want to be able to keep more of their money through his deficit-raising tax cuts. It’s only the money for these people, by and large. They know — or feel — they will make it through an endless authoritarian presidency just fine, thank you very much. See Russia and its oligarchy.

And there’s the thing I will never understand about Trump’s rise to the presidency and taking over the Republican Party.

There were so many things — mocking a disabled reporter, saying John McCain is not a hero because he was captured, the misogyny, multiple felony convictions — that should have ended his political career.

But he was given and continues to be given a pass.

The mainstream media helps by constantly playing clean up after Trump says something. After the Economic Club of New York appearance, The New York Times called his answer to child care “jumbled,” and not an incomprehensible mess.

Moreover, the press will gloss over what the convicted felon said and in the next breath complain that Vice President Kamala Harris needs to add more context to her tax policies.

We need reporters to stop pulling their punches and actually report what Trump is actually saying.

Donald Trump cannot put a coherent thought together and cannot explain his policy decisions.

The 2024 presidential campaign cannot and should not be covered as if it were normal.

‘It Does Not Have to Be This Way’

CV or Not CV, That Is the Question

By Michael Woyton

The brouhaha about Vice President Kamala Harris not putting a stint at a fast-food restaurant on her professional résumé is seriously much ado about nothing?

My journalism résumé contains nada prior to 2002 — because there’s no room for anything more than two decades ago. Certainly, it wouldn’t be of interest to a headhunter or an HR person that I freelanced on a regular basis with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra during college or worked at a jewelry factory to put myself through grad school.

It seems the GOP is searching for things to muddy the waters as far as Harris is concerned.

And if that’s all they can come up with, fine.

https://twitter.com/MamaSissieSays/status/1829275037620179371

Chefs Stir Up Donations for Kamala’s Campaign

By Michael Woyton

UPDATE AUG. 31, 2024: In an Instagram post, Susan Feniger said Cooking for Kamala raised more than $225,000.

Black women recently got together on a Zoom call and raise a million bucks for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Then there were members of the LGBTQ community, White Dudes, Comedians and others livestreaming for dollars.

On Thursday, there was definitely something in the oven when Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell organized Cooking for Kamala, a livestream video, with chefs and foodies on hand to talk and answer questions, cook some of Vice President Kamala Harris’s favorite recipes and raise some money for her campaign.

Padma Lakshmi, Joe McHale, Rep. Eric Swalwell and Susan Feniger during the livestream Cooking for Kamala fundraiser. (YouTube screenshot)

The 90-minute livestream event was co-hosted by Padma Lakshmi, of late from “Top Chef,” and Joel McHale, who had a role as an ultra-cruel chef in “The Bear.” Chefs and celebrities appearing during the event included José Andrés, Giada de Laurentiis, Ruth Reichl, Susan Feniger, Stuart O’Keeffe, Mary Sue Milliken, Patton Oswald and Rosie O’Donnell.

According to the on-screen tally, more than $219,000 was raised to support Harris’s campaign by the end of the cook-fest.

Swalwell said that the total amount of donations would likely exceed the goal of $250,000.

Watch a recording of the livestream here:

Andrés spoke with McHale about cooking with Harris.

He said that she is a terrific cook, who “rocks in the kitchen,” adding that Harris once cooked him a paella.

Andrés said that, as president, Harris will make sure no one in the country goes hungry.

He also spoke highly of vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz’s tater tot hot dish.

Chef José Andrés speaking with co-host Joel McHale. (YouTube screenshot)

Swalwell said that there were giveaways such as signed cookbooks and dinners that people could still try to obtain by donating through the Cooking for Kamala website.

Recipes cooked during the livestream were:

X Labels NPR Article About Trump Arlington Visit as Spam

By Michael Woyton

Elon Musk’s social media platform formerly called Twitter applied a “spam” or “unsafe” warning for a while on a posting published by the national news organization NPR about the campaign of convicted felon Donald Trump and his visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

A little background:

On Monday, the former president was at the national cemetery to commemorate the third anniversary of a deadly attack in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of 13 service members, NPR reported. The attack took place during the disastrous withdrawal of troops, for which Trump blames President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

During the visit, Trump’s campaign staffers had a physical altercation with a cemetery staff over a violation of federal law prohibiting using military cemeteries for campaigning purposes, NPR said.

The Trump campaign released a video showing the presidential candidate laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and joining Gold Star family members at graves in a section of the cemetery — Section 60 — where recently departed military personnel are buried.

NPR reported that the Trump campaign “was not authorized to film or photograph in Section 60, and two campaign staffers “got in a physical and verbal altercation with the Arlington staffer” when she tried to prevent the filming.

While the family members said they gave Trump’s people permission to document the moment, they did not have the power to suspend the rules, Arlington officials said.

In response to the accusation of the altercation, the Trump campaign responded by saying the woman cemetery staffer was “mentally ill” and a “disgrace,” Mediaite reported.

The U.S. Army said the employee at the cemetery decided not to press charges against Trump’s staffers. The Army said she acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.

The NPR article in question was published Thursday and is headlined “Army says Arlington National Cemetery worker was ‘pushed aside’ by Trump aides.”

A tweet by reporter Stephen Fowler said the former president shared a TikTok video that likely violates a federal law against using military burial grounds for campaign purposes.

At this writing, the article is no longer flagged as unsafe or spam, but readers have to wonder why Musk’s social media platform formerly known as Twitter would allow a media organization such as NPR to be treated that way.

Just because an article doesn’t please Trump or his trumpers is no reason to try to censor it.

And keep in mind that the convicted felon has seldom shown himself to be a fan of people who served in uniform. He famously called American war dead “losers” and “suckers,” Foreign Policy wrote, and has mocked “the very idea of service, sacrifice or discipline.”

None of this is lost on veterans.

He Said That To Vlad? No Way!

By Michael Woyton

Gotta wonder what demographic the convicted felon believes will be persuaded by his rather strange exchange with Elon Musk about talking to Vladimir Putin about invading Ukraine.

I’m guessing it’s people who still think it’s the early 1990s.

And why isn’t it a bigger story that former president Donald Trump was speaking differently Monday night compared with the way he spoke during his Mar-a-Lago press conference?