Early Political Rhetoric for the 2024 Campaign

Although it seems as though the 2024 presidential election has been going on for a long time, we don’t even know the names of all the major candidates yet. With the departure of Joe Biden and the entry of Kamala Harris into the race, the contest has suddenly become more exciting. I expect to write a lot about politics between now and November 5. but now seems a good time to collect a few ideas I have mostly expressed elsewhere.

I have already written about my initial reaction to the sudden rise of Kamala Harris, and I was delighted that I own KAMALA buttons left over from 2020. I look forward to having buttons that include the name of the Democratic vice presidential candidate as well, and I expect to be wearing some button daily throughout the campaign season.

The Trump campaign—and just about every Republican who has anything to say about Biden’s replacement—has been referring to Harris as a “DEI hire.” She is not the typical male WASP office seeker, of course, but her selection in 2020 was not a “hire.” Whatever her heritage, she is a very accomplished public servant. As a candidate, she is

                                                Democratic
                                                Enthusiastic and
                                                Intelligent

I have, on the other hand, described Trump as 

                                                Depraved
                                                Egotistical and
                                                Ignorant

One hopes that campaigning will rise above this level of rhetorical combat, though it is unlikely that Donald Trump’s rants will advance beyond his usual puerile remarks. (I took my own extended shots at Trump as a wretched person in “A Trump Alphabet,” a collection of poems perhaps unsuitable for children.)

There is now an official, albeit terse, GOP platform. And there is the Project 2025 tome from the Heritage Foundation. Each suggests what the nation may be in for should it foolishly elect Donald Trump to a second term. Rather than analyzing either of these declarations, I have written my take on the overall direction of Republican objectives. In “The GOP Program,” I argue that the party works to benefit the wealthy class, supports social issues not out of commitment but as a way to get votes, and attempts to manipulate the political system to its own benefit.

I like buttons and have designed many of them over the years. (One of my favorites from 2016 asked “How would Jesus vote?” I discovered, however, that my answer was not necessarily everyone else’s.) Anyway, after writing “The GOP Program,” I decided to design a button for the Republicans:

Alas, I doubt the Republicans will use my design