In a country where a deadly riot conducted by followers of an enraged candidate who lost an election that wasn’t close, lied about losing and sent a mob of patriotic martyrs to overturn the will of the voters, an estimated 50% of likely voters appear to believe that this riot was not a riot at all but “legitimate political discourse.” That was the phrase Ronna Romney McDaniel, head of the MAGA Republican National Committee parroted to describe the direct, frontal assault on democracy, with very fine people on both sides. the finest people.

“We had no guns,” claimed their madly riffing candidate the other day, lying, as is his reflex, “only they had guns”. The “they” in question was law enforcement. Ha ha ha! Isn’t that hitlerious? “Arnold Palmer, gigantic cock, I shouldn’t say this, but mine is only slightly bigger. I know, I know!”

Belief is all that matters in the United States of advertising, and if you truly believe it, you have every right to act righteously on that belief. The triumph of American Exceptionalism right there, boys and girls.

You claim my God is imaginary? Blasphemy! That gives me the right to put you to death. God sez so!!!

Shawn McCreesh summed up this “vicious and absurd” election beautifully in the New York Times today. He sets the scene the Troll-in-Chief whipped up outside his quick McDonald’s photo op in swing state Pennsylvania:

The parking lot throbbed with hatred, fear and neighbor’s suspicion of neighbor. It became a microcosm of this year’s election, vicious and absurd. There was shouting about Project 2025 and the Jan. 6 riot. Transgender youth and vaccines. Tariffs and abortion. Fascism and communism. Mr. Trump’s supporters wore T-shirts that said “I’m voting for the convicted felon.” The other side yelled, “Lock him up.” One person wore an orange prison jumpsuit and a mask of Mr. Trump’s face.

This is what the mood is like in a swing state, 16 days before an election. Sixteen days before this election. Nearly a decade into the Trump-era of politics, the language is apocalyptic. Social media has supercharged the crude negativity.

campaign notebook

Maybe this social media blasted country really is mad and stupid enough to allow Trump, Bannon, Musk, Giuliani, Kerik, Flynn, Ginni Thomas, Peter Thiel, Miriam Adelson, JD Vance and random Hitler fans to establish massive righteous concentration camps in the name of Jesus Christ and intoxicatingly unfettered predatory capitalism. I hate to say it, and I’ll probably be saying it through broken jaws on the train to camp, but this country will deserve it if violent xenophobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia, lust for tax breaks and other forms of bullying stupidity tilt this unaccountably close election to triumphant American Nazis, based purely on advertising stoked rage.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press uncritically retailed three Trump whoppers in a one minute and nineteen second account of Orange Manhood’s Mickey D trolling exercise in Feasterville, Pennsylvania the other day. The compulsive liar, wearing an apron like a real minimum wage worker, spat out three juicy ones in seconds in this beautiful, free Trump campaign ad. “She never worked at McDonald’s,” (she did) “McDonald’s just confirmed that again, by the way” (the corporate giant, taking a principled moral stance, declined to comment. again) “in other words, she’s Lying Kamala.” (don’t you mean Lyin’ Ted, you demented fascist?)