Well, I’ve finally been persuaded to read “Young Man in a Hurry,” Gavin Newsom’s memoir. Every presidential wannabe publishes a book at some point before an election, and Newsom is no exception. Usually these books quickly disappear into $1 bins at the bookstore. But Newsom’s seems to be the exception: it’s at the top of the best-seller lists. I’ll have more to say when I finish reading it.
Meanwhile I’m writing this as Trump is prepared to give his SOTU speech before Congress. I’m as curious as the rest of you what he’s going to say. I’ll have more to say about that, too, afterwards.
Back here in Oakland, I’m struggling whether to support the half-cent sales tax proposal that will be on November’s ballot. The doomsday scenario scares the hell out of me. I depend on BART. I don’t own an automobile. I grew up in New York City and took subways and buses everywhere. I’m a transit guy. I’d hate to see BART wither away. Is BART simply scaremongering us? Do I vote “no” and take a gamble or “yes” and see more of my money taxed? I don’t know. Fortunately, I, like all of us, still have eight months left to decide.
After the State of the Union
The thing Trump and MAGA don’t understand is that a lot of people agree with his policies but personally don’t like him because he’s such an asshole. A wise president would at least try to be more likeable and less vulgar, but Trump is not wise.
Last night’s SOTU might have been Hitler haranguing the Reichstag, before an adoring nazi audience. Of course, as he congratulated himself, the Democrats sat sullen and silent. And why not? When Trump bragged about America being respected abroad “as never before,” who could keep a straight face? America is reviled by our former allies, and by all countries that are not dictatorships. Trump looked horrible, his jowls sagging down to his shoulders, his face more orange than ever, the eyes porcine and vindictive. The Biden bashing was predictable, and getting stale. There were amusing moments, as when RFK Jr. rose to applaud Trump’s praise of “drill, baby, drill,” despite having previously been known as an environmentalist. What won’t ambitious hypocrites do to supplicate their masters? As for the men’s hockey team, I hope they eventually understand that Trump pimped them out for his political gain, as he did with that handsome young aviator who got his legs shot off in Venezuela. Trump says he doesn’t like handsome young men—he’s no fag, he wants us to know—but he loves having them around as showpieces.
There’s no depth he won’t sink to. He actually praised Charlie Kirk, the vicious, homophobic muckraker, who wished to make America a White, nationalist “Christian” country. America is better off without Kirk, but sadly, we still have people like Trump and his MAGA slaves, who peddle the same crap. But finally, to hear Trump talk about God is the ultimate insult. Trump is about as “Christian” as I am, which is to say, not at all. He had no use for religion his entire life until he realized he needed the evangelicals to gain power. Didn’t it embarrass his acolytes when he was photographed with hands laid on him by White, male psychos? Trump made that Faustian deal with the devil, and in that moment, he became the joke he is today.
Plenty of patriotic hokum. Lots of smug cries of “USA! USA!” And not a word about Epstein. The coverup continues.