Kamala Harris was a terrible district attorney in San Francisco; an abusive and failed California Attorney General; a nonentity as a U.S. Senator; and an embarrassment as Vice President. Still, she may "fail up" once again.
First, the argument against her. She is, or was, a terrible campaigner in 2020, dropping out in 2019 before a singe primary vote was cast. She is an awful speaker, repeating vapid platitudes ("unburdened by what has been" ).
He has a record of radicalism and failure, from bailing out rioters (and joining them), to failing to stop the migration crisis at the southern border, to... the list just goes on forever. She has no proven ability to do anything whatsoever.
Still: she is black (and Indian) and female. Amid all the cackling about DEI and its failures, politics does not really care about qualifications for office. She represents a chance for a historic first, which Democrats will feel good about.
The party has united behind her and its fear of defeat will motivate it to fight harder, not to capitulate. That is as it should be: we are Americans, and we do not go down easily. This will be a close election and Trump's victory is uncertain.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...