Andy Bloom: Trump versus joy
Gage Skidmore
It turns out Trump isn’t running against Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. Trump is running against someone, or something called “joy.”
Joy isn’t going to help Americans afford groceries or housing. Joy: it isn’t going to stop illegal immigrants from flooding over the border, stop crime, end two wars the nation is embroiled in, or solve any other problems.
Thirty-nine days after becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee, Harris finally sat for her first interview with a member of the press. It’s nearly biblical. Noah rode out the flood, destroying the Earth for 40 days. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments.
Harris’s interview with CNN’s Dana Bash wasn’t quite as dramatic. She brought her pet poodle, her emotional support dog: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, her running mate. The interview was pre-recorded and highly produced.
The narrative is that Harris is “fearless and ready from day one.” The sitting vice president should be able to speak intelligently on the issues at any time. Doing a pre-recorded interview with a friendly media member, sitting with her running mate after 39 days, doesn’t qualify as “fearless” or “ready from day one.”
The interview reveals Harris’s policies are vaporware.
Harris can’t decide if she’s running against the incumbent or as an extension of the current administration. Is she moving forward and turning the page, as she said at one point during her first interview, or is she continuing the current administration’s policies, as she said at another point?
The Trump campaign is struggling with the same issue. Does he try to tie her to the current administration or paint her as a radical liberal?
In her CNN interview, Harris provided the answer: both. She claims her policies have changed, but her values are the same.
She wants to keep the same disastrous Biden-Harris era policies that brought the nation the worst inflation in over 40 years, over 11 million illegal immigrants that have committed some atrocious crimes, created chaos on the world stage, and set the tone for two wars?
On the other hand, her values are the same as in 2019, when she demonstrated her values as those of a radical San Francisco liberal.
In a roughly eighteen-minute interview, Bash asked about nine issues. Harris’s answers were, to be kind, disappointing. Here are the topics, her broad response, and Trump’s rebuttal when they (hypothetically) debate.
The first question was a softball: what will you do on day one? Harris has gotten better at answering without dizzy word-salad answers, but she babbled on without naming a specific action. She mentioned strengthening the middle class, “looking for a new way forward,” and turning the page. She continued with “implementing the opportunity economy.”
Trump can rattle off a couple of executive actions that would move the country past the Biden-Harris policies that caused inflation, opened the border, and set the tone for wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
On day one, Trump will sign executive orders implanting the policies that reduced illegal immigration to a trickle. Congress should act, but in the meantime, Trump can effectively shut the border by executive order.
Trump can also sign executive orders to reinstate work on the Keystone XL pipeline, speed up government leasing for oil and gas drilling contracts, and reduce a broad spectrum of government regulations that will make doing business less complicated and expensive. Then, he can get on the phone with Russia and Israel to speed up the peace process in both regions.
Bash asked Harris what she would do to make prices more affordable. Harris blamed Trump and price gouging. She admitted that prices have risen and are too high. Overall prices are up over 20% since she became Veep. Blaming Trump and price gouging (or gauging, as she previously said) is a poor attempt at shifting responsibility.
A CNN story from May 2024 reports, “Economists at the SF Fed that corporate price gouging was not a primary catalyst for the inflation surge of 2021 to 2022.”
One of her solutions is a $25,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. Her original proposal was to provide cash. Banks don’t accept tax credits as down payments for homes. Her current idea combines two disastrous previous policies. The federal government giving away too much money sparked inflation in 2021. Giving away more money is inflationary. The government’s policies helping people who couldn’t afford homes caused 2008’s Great Recession. Harris wants to double down on dumb.
If there’s one thing Trump has proven, it’s that he knows how to build. What has Harris built? If anybody can increase the housing supply, it’s Donald Trump.
Trump is correct when he talks about the nation’s liquid gold. A greater supply of energy is essential to lower prices. Ensuring people can keep more of the money they earn is also vital. Contrary to the talking points, the Joint Committee on Taxation found that in 2018, 80 percent of taxpayers got a tax cut, five percent received an increase, and fifteen percent saw no change. Letting the Trump tax cuts will damage a still fragile economy.
Harris bragged about the return of manufacturing jobs to the U.S. If she increases the corporate tax rate, those jobs will evaporate as quickly as they returned.
Bash asked Harris why she hadn’t done more now in her current role. The answer was one of the biggest swings and misses of the night. Harris said she was proud of their accomplishments and cited capping insulin costs at $35 for seniors as an example of something Trump had failed to do.
Trump began capping insulin costs for some seniors with Medicare Part D in 2020. Biden-Harris expanded it to all Medicare, not all seniors – as she claimed. Seniors (65+) are eighteen percent of the U.S. population. According to the CBC, just under 30 percent have diabetes. It’s a significant subset of the population, but greater issues must be addressed.
Harris continued to talk about controlling prescription drug prices. Legislation has already passed that allows Medicare to negotiate an increasing number of drug prices. Because the federal government can severely punish drug companies that don’t agree to its price demands, this law does not come without unintended consequences, which include reduced innovation, limited access, cost shifts, and market distortions.
While everybody wants medicine at lower prices, other countries with governments that negotiate, or control prices demonstrate the downside. There are numerous advanced treatments for cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, and other rare diseases that are unavailable outside the U.S.
Harris should have prepared a better answer for an obvious question. In every reputable opinion survey over the past three years northward of, 60 percent of people say the country is heading in the wrong direction. The wrong direction number will push Harris to the “new way forward message.” At the same time, she said she would maintain Bidenomics.
America, how do you like the prices of groceries, homes – everything? Has your paycheck kept up?
Bash asked Harris about the Green New Deal and fracking. The topic doesn’t matter to many Americans who don’t know much about it – but Pennsylvanians (where the election may be decided) do.
Harris tried to spin hardest on this topic and gave the “My values have not changed” line. She said she “made it clear in 2020 that she abandoned her plans against fracking.” Bash pushed her on this and asked if she saw scientific data, but Harris repeated her rehearsed values answer and said she was clear in 2020.
Democrats know they are vulnerable when CNN’s “fact checker” Daniel Dale can only find one false statement in a Harris interview – and this was it. Specifically, Dale said, “She didn’t make it clear.” He showed a clip from the 2020 VP debate where Harris noted that Biden said he wouldn’t ban fracking, not that she supported the idea or had abandoned her stance. Nobody has a statement before becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee where she says she has changed her stand.
Harris has flip-flopped on every major issue for no legitimate reason – except that her values have changed. Without fracking, the U.S. loses jobs, especially in Pennsylvania, and becoming energy independent is harder.
Even more laughable was Harris’s response to the border and immigration. Here’s another challenge: Find any reputable media outlet that reported Harris was NOT the Border Czar before she became the Democrats’ nominee.
It’s another fantastic epiphany for the candidate who said that illegally crossing the border shouldn’t be a crime. And she pledged to uphold the law.
Sure.
Here’s a pledge Trump can make: I will veto any spending bill that funds sanctuary cities. I’ll send back any bill and demand the removal of funding for sanctuary cities.
The legislation Democrats deride Trump for killing contains provisions that, for all practical purposes, codify illegal immigration. The bill allows up to 8,500 border crossings in a single day, or 35,000 a week, before the Homeland Security Secretary, at their discretion, MAY (emphasis mine) close the border. Thus, 1.8 million border crossings a year would be possible without anybody considering it a problem.
Democrats say I’m making this up. So, here’s the entire bill.
Republicans were correct when they claimed that no legislation was necessary to close the border. Less than six months before an election, Biden reinstated some of Trump’s border executive orders to slow border crossings.
Bash asked Harris how voters should process these changes. Harris responded that her values haven’t changed. That means she will continue the Biden policies the country has disapproved of for three years until her approval numbers tank again. Then, she’ll default to her San Francisco radical left-wing values and destroy what remains of American exceptionalism.
Walz got two questions. He ducked both and attributed to bad grammar his statement that he carried weapons of war into an active combat zone. That would be believable if he didn’t also lie (and have challenge coins made), boasting a higher rank than he was entitled to, lie about a DUI arrest for decades, inflated his role as a coach on a high school football team, as well as claiming IVF treatments. Axios wrote a story about the Walz gaffe problem. He rivals Joe Biden, who made a career out of gaffes. If Trump said the same thing, Democrats would call it lies and appoint a special prosecutor. Walz is another “plain-spoken” fraudulent pol.
But Trump isn’t facing Kamala Harris. He’s running against “joy.” Republicans suspected that from the start, but after 39 days as the nominee, she did a pre-recorded interview with a neutered old guy sitting next to her as she revealed her vaporware policies.
If Trump gets ready, practices, and remains disciplined for the debate — and if these are the best answers Harris can offer — he will dismantle her.
About 45 percent of voters are locked into Harris, and 45 percent are locked into Trump. Somewhere in about seven states, maybe ten percent of voters aren’t sure or are persuadable. The debate will swing many of the undecided and persuadable. If this is a contest about joy, Harris wins. If this is a contest about policy, Trump should win.
Andy Bloom is President of Andy Bloom Communications. He specializes in media training and political communications. He has programmed legendary stations including WIP, WPHT, WYSP/Philadelphia, KLSX, Los Angeles, and WCCO Minneapolis. He was Vice President of Programming for Emmis International, Greater Media Inc., and Coleman Research. Andy also served as communications director for Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio). He can be reached by email at andy@andybloom.com or you can follow him on Twitter at @AndyBloomCom.
Andy,
The hubris of the elites who scoffed at the idea Biden would not be the official candidate only less than two (2) months ago was astounding! Not as astounding as Zuckerberg admitting the deep state censored Facebook and election info. And then Biden dropped July 21, 2024. So, what is even more astounding than those instances? Ignoring, pretending, and not mentioning that tens of thousands of fraudulent mail-in votes will be tabulated which are synced to provably false addresses – these are facts not able to be denied or disputed – in “about seven states.” Especially when you acknowledge this very fact about how little cheating it will take to swing this election:
“About 45 percent of voters are locked into Harris, and 45 percent are locked into Trump. Somewhere in about seven states, maybe ten percent of voters aren’t sure or are persuadable.” The elites do not seem to understand the deep anger and patience of the common people, nor their numbers, and that they are simply exhausted. I’m wondering when will their patience of millions just snap? Because they won’t burn down their own neighborhoods, and that may explain why D.C. is so good at building fences (walls) when they want. Violence is never the answer. Vote. Press on!
How bad is it when your first media interview as a presidential candidate gets recorded, edited and then broadcast – and it is still a disaster?
Worse yet, the interviewer encouraged and coddled the ‘strong female attorney general’ with leading softball questions who needed her male running mate to hold her hand and ‘brush her hair’ during the interview. I cannot wait for the presidential debate.
Lets talk about what Trump has said on day one, he will be a dictator. Stopping any protests any where’s in the United States, a violation of the the right to free speech and free assembly. he wants to hold military tribunals for his enemies and use the DOJ and FBI to facilitate this. He will replace tens of thousands of non-partisan government employees with political employees who will do anything he asks even when it violates the law. Worse yet, the high level appointees will easily manipulate him to enact Project 2025
Now lets talk about Trump and some of his past statements.
Immigration – Mexico will pay for the wall.
Healthcare – I will release a health care plan better than Obamacare in two weeks. He said this 15 times
Covid – No Americans will die from Covid.
North Korea – I will get them to give up their nuclear weapons and look at the love letters they sent me.
The Abraham Accords – A peace treaty with 5 countries that pose no threat to Israel. But ignore that Jared got a 2 billion dollar loan from Saudi Arabia 6 months after he left office.
As for Moses and the ten commandments, Trump breaks a lot of them.
2. THOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN. COMMANDS: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows. – Like his recent statement about how he thinks that God wants him to put America right.
3. KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY. – This from a man who never goes to church, but had no problem using one as a photo op, while he held a bible upside down.
6. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. – I bet even Trump can’t remember how many times he has done this.
7. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL. – COMMANDS: respect for the property of rights and others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public office. Just look at all the people who have sued him, employees he has not paid, vendors he has refused to pay in full, or all of the people he has scammed in projects like Trump University.
8. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR. – Lets talk about all of the lies he tells about people, even those closest to him.
9. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE. COMMANDS: purity in thought. FORBIDS: willful impure thought and desires. – Grab them by the pussy.
10. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS. COMMANDS: respect for the rights of others. FORBIDS: the desire to take, to keep, or damage the property of others. – Like classified documents after leaving office.
Are you feeling the Joy now?
You know the ‘dictator’ comment was debunked.
I frankly don’t care what kind of Christian Trump is except being pro-life. How’s that document case going by the way? What about the 11th commandment?
Why don’t you tell us what you like about Harris and her platform instead of splattering your TDS?
By the 11th Commandment do you mean this; “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” You mean like Trump’s statements about how there will be military tribunals for his enemies, especially the House January 6th committee.
By all means lets talk about what I like about Vice President Harris.
Harris will make sure that women will have the right to have control over their bodies.
Harris understands that America is not a Christian nation and that we are a country of many faiths.
Harris knows that big corporations control the cost of goods and services and will make sure they are accountable for their actions.
Harris will restore the bipartisan immigration bill that Trump killed.
Unlike Trump who gave the wealthy a permanent tax cut, while letting the middle class tax break end in 2025. That the middle class will have a permanent tax break while the wealthy and large corporations will pay their fair share.
Harris will protect Obamacare, which protects Americans.
That gun laws will ensure that assault rifles are banned to prevent more school shootings like the one that just happened in Georgia.
That America will be the leader in climate change, like we have lead in so many other things in the past.
Most importantly, she is not Trump. Who is a clear threat to democracy and will enact Project 2025 at the behest of his political appointees given Trump’s fragile mental state.
Bravo comrade. You should have sprinkled a few unicorn emojis in there.
Biden /Harris have made a career breaking the 11th commandment with weaponizing the DoJ against Trump.
Harris clearly doesn’t care about religion as she is especially militant against Christians on which this country is founded upon. Harris attacking corporations will make us New Venezuela. You should take up residence there. She will end the middle class tax cuts because the were Trump’s. Harris is on record to put all Americans on Medicare, just like ‘if you like your healthcare / doctor you can keep it’ was a lie with Obamacare. The courts have upheld all challenges to infringement on the 2nd amendment. What’s her new plan rely on? Stacking the Supreme court. Re: Georgia: the FBI had this kook in their sights a year ago and let him skate. Current laws being followed would have prevented this. Climate change is a hoax and allows our enemies to gain global energy dominance AT OUR EXPENSE. “Democracy” under the liberal democrats was clearly demonstrated as hey kicked Biden to the curb and installed Harris without a single vote from the citizens of this country. She’s an empty vessel and will be controlled by deep state liberals and be a laughing stock on the international stage, leading to world war 3 as seen by her and Biden’s last 3 years in office. You seem confident on what Harris brings to her platform. How would you know? She hasn’t outlined any details to any of her (Obama’s) policy, except to change her policies on immigration and tip taxes to Trump’s policies. Feeling the Joy? Most of America certainly is NOT.
Trump broke the law at the state and federal level, when you do that state AG’s and the DOJ file charges against you.
“Harris clearly doesn’t care about religion as she is especially militant against Christians on which this country is founded upon.” Has Harris passed any laws that prevent Christians from following their faith or attending Church? If America was founded by Christian principles why do we have separation of Church and State and where in the Constitution does it state what the official religion of America is?
“She will end the middle class tax cuts because the were Trump’s.” The middle class tax cuts will end in 2025, because that is what Trump signed into law. While the tax cuts for the wealthy are permanent. It should have been the other way around.
“You seem confident on what Harris brings to her platform. How would you know?” Try search for “Harris Political positions” on the web and you will find them.
“kicked Biden to the curb and installed Harris without a single vote from the citizens of this country.” And the only people who are complaining about this are MAGA cultists.
“Harris is on record to put all Americans on Medicare” – As someone who has been on Medicare for over ten years I have a had fewer problems getting the care I need than with private insurance.
The NY Manhattan DA’s office and the militant GA DA both conspired with the Whitehouse (visitor log) to bring bogus indictments on Trump. Fani’s folly has fallen apart and she may go to jail. The NY kangaroo court has been delayed and will be overturned on appeal. The FBI used the FISA court illegally to spy on Trump while Clinton, Wray, Biden and Obama don’t get prosecuted – Biden for the same thing Trump is accused of regarding classified documents. Biden withholds US aid until Ukraine fires its Prosecutor General (who was investigating Burisma) and brags about it. Trump asks Ukraine to report back on that and he gets impeached. Your statement is hollow.
“Has Harris passed any laws that prevent Christians from following their faith or attending Church?”
Separation of church and state has nothing to do with Harris’s disdain for Christians. That’s an ignorant statement. Harris promotes abortion, scrutinized Catholic judicial nominees, and opposed Catholic pro-life pregnancy centers and activists to which the Justice department has handed out overbearing and unjust sentences to Catholic Pro life demonstrators while she bailed out BLM demonstrators who burn down cities. In 2019, Harris introduced the Do No Harm Act, which would have virtually eliminated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, forcing Catholic medical professionals who receive federal funding would be coerced into committing abortions. Harris believes that Catholics who participate in public life and government must leave their faith behind.
“The middle class tax cuts will end in 2025, because that is what Trump signed into law.”
They can easily be extended. She’ll veto it to spite Trump.
“Try search for “Harris Political positions” on the web and you will find them.”
I did. I went to her official website and it only instructed me how to donate to her campaign. That was it. CNN lists what it THINKS her views may be: the majority of which are to extend Biden’s agenda, but to ‘supersize’ them with more federal spending. Brilliant. Incidentally, there was also a strange website that showed her crawling into Willie Brown’s office. Maybe “Harris Political Positions” wasn’t the best search title.
“And the only people who are complaining (Biden being forced out) about this are MAGA cultists”
What? You say libs like yourself don’t care that your party has told you who you will vote for? The foundation of democracy is the power of the people to vote in a free election. Tell me what democracy issue you fear losing with Trump? Your voting rights? Censoring your free speech? Your party has already done BOTH. Absolutely moronic response on your part.
“As someone who has been on Medicare for over ten years I have a had fewer problems getting the care I need than with private insurance”
That’s wonderful for you, as you had a choice to make. What do you think would happen if EVERYONE was forced onto Medicare without any choice? Do you think you would have the same experience? What would that do to taxation? How big would the government grow to run it? How many hospitals and health professionals would close up and drop out? Never mind – as long as your happy. I’m guessing Medicare falls short regarding mental illness treatment.
Your move pigeon.
“That’s wonderful for you, as you had a choice to make. What do you think would happen if EVERYONE was forced onto Medicare without any choice?” – When you have a life threatening illness you are forced onto Medicare because private insurance cuts you off.
The FBI got a wire tap on a Trump staffer who was making political deals with the Russian government before Trump took the oath of office.
“Harris promotes abortion” -Is she forcing Catholics to get abortions?
“forcing Catholic medical professionals who receive federal funding would be coerced into committing abortions.” As part of the Hippocratic Oath it states “First do no harm”. That means Doctors can’t pick and chose what they will and will not do for a patient based on personal beliefs.
“Biden withholds US aid until Ukraine fires its Prosecutor General (who was investigating Burisma) and brags about it.” That Prosecutor had a none reputation for sending innocent people to prison for murder and was slow walking the Burisma case. European and the American governments wanted him replaced.
Weak weak pathetic response. Harris will force everyone in regardless of any health issue. Your statement doesn’t equate.
You’re lying regarding the wiretapping of Page. Under FISA, the government must prove to a judge that surveillance of an American is justified because it suspects that person of being a foreign agent. Since defense lawyers never see the court filing, the Justice Department must accurately report every detail related to the request for surveillance. The inspector general report said that FBI investigators failed to inform the Justice Department of crucial information when seeking permission to wiretap Page. “Much of that information was inconsistent with, or undercut, the assertions contained in the FISA applications that were used to support probable cause and, in some instances, resulted in inaccurate information (LYING) being included in the applications,” the report stated. Page was never charged with a crime. Comey and Wray blamed it on a low level grunt even though they both were tasked to check his work. They should both be in jail.
Your statement regarding the Hippocratic Oath is bogus and untrue, as many variations of the oath are present at MD graduation because of the conflict and definition of the original HO. Only 56% of doctors even take the oath. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act 1993 sees to it that a Catholic doctor cannot be forced to abandon their religious belief by performing abortion or sterilization.
You just proved my assertion on Biden. He broke the law when he withheld funds regardless of what your opinion is of the prosecutor. I’m sure it was the slow walking of Biden’s son Hunter’s coverups that were causing the delays.
You’re a typical liberal spouting falsehoods with a straight face and no shame.
You’re starting to tire and bore me with your weak counters. Coo, coo…
” I went to her official website and it only instructed me how to donate to her campaign.” Since you are not smart enough to click on the “X” to get past the campaign donation page here is a direct link to Vice President Harris’s issues page. Including her response to the middle class tax break.
https://kamalaharris.com/issues/
The issues page only came out yesterday, after this article was published.
Believe what you want, you know you’re wrong.
When doctors work at a facility that receives public funding they do not get to pick and choose what they will and will not do based on personal opinion. Tax payer money does not fund discrimination in healthcare or any where else. Catholic doctors could just as easily refuse to treat a patient because they have a had a divorce, are not a Catholic, or any number of other reasons that might violate their faith. If they feel that their faith prevents them from treating any patient they should go work in private practice.
“In a 2000 survey of US medical schools, all of the then extant medical schools administered some type of professional oath. Among schools of modern medicine, sixty-two of 122 used the Hippocratic Oath, or a modified version of it. The other sixty schools used the original or modified Declaration of Geneva, Oath of Maimonides, or an oath authored by students or faculty or both.” So much for your 56%.
P.S. Page breaks are a thing. A wall of text is not.
You just proved my points with your stat on taking the HO. Your search has 62% of schools “OR A MODIFIED VERSION OF IT”. A “2000” survey? Was it written in cuneiform? Either way, the HO isn’t absolute with all doctors.
There was no ‘X’ or an ‘issues’ page when I visited her website.
PS: A “page break” sets up a new PAGE, not a paragraph indent. I can see how a wall of text may intimidate you since you’re used to cartoon pictures and Kamala’s speech patterns and word salads.
BTW: her “humble middle class upbringings / McDonalds employee” BS is coming back as FALSE. She’s a fraud and so is Walz.
“Your search has 62% of schools “OR A MODIFIED VERSION OF IT”. Either way, the HO isn’t absolute with all doctors.” The point is that 100% of doctors take an oath to provide their patients with the best care possible. Not just the ones they approve of.”
“There was no ‘X’ or an ‘issues’ page when I visited her website.” Thanks for confirming you did not go to the webpage or use the link I provided. Trump’s campaign page does the same thing. When you go to the main page there is a pop up that solicits donations and in the upper right hand corner there is an “X” to close that solicitation to get to the website.
“I can see how a wall of text may intimidate ” – A wall text makes it look like you have written a giant run on sentence, With no separation when you change thoughts.
Try to keep up, slowpoke. You got spanked in the newest Harris story. Should I use page breaks?
Backpedal much? Your HO point is moot regarding the original context of Harris despising Christians. It walks like a duck.
Your HO point is moot only because all doctors take an oath to do what is in their patients best interests. Not what the doctor does or does not want to do based on the doctors personal beliefs. Harris does not despise Christians/Catholics, she won’t let one religion be favored over another, like it says in the Constitution.
Harris released her talking points 30 days after accepting the nomination. Unlike Trump she doesn’t constantly change her positions on policy.
YOU stated the original HO was what all doctors take. It is NOT true as many take a MODIFIED HO that allows for religious deviation.
Harris’s actions against Catholics say different. You’re delusional.
Trump hasn’t changed a thing.
Harris has flipped on immigration, Border wall, Fracking, EV mandate, defunding police and government run health care – only in a desperate attempt to win the election. Smart people see right through it.
https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/refusing-provide-health-services
Read it.