Trump – what do his enemies fear?

Donald J. Trump seems to bring out the worst in some people. Present and former elected officials and/or their campaigns are now uttering irresponsible pronouncements about the former President. In any other context they would be libelous – and perhaps under English law they would be. But apart from the libel question is another question their remarks raise: what are they really afraid of?

Trump polls ahead

Over the past five days a steady stream of attacks have appeared against Trump. By no accident, they come as polls show Trump leading, not only over his primary opponents but also over his likely general-election opponent, President Joe Biden. Even the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, producers of some of the most left-skewed polls known to American politics, puts Trump in the lead, 47 percent to 45 percent. They also find Trump leading 48-39 percent among independents. This October 4, 2023 poll was in Pennsylvania; nationally Quinnipiac insists Biden is in the lead – by one percent.

National polls always – always – have a leftward skew. Whenever a Republican wins, he usually wins in the face of polls predicting he would lose. Then the pollsters cry “Foul!” and accuse their very samples of lying to them. So when the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute says the general election is in a dead heat, Biden should worry. (And he does; more on that later.)

Yesterday the Emerson College Poll showed Trump leading Biden 47-43 percent. The Real Clear Politics Average shows Trump leading 47 .2 to 44.9 percent. Trump’s RCP graph in fact begins to look like a hockey stick.

For what it’s worth, Quinnipiac’s latest poll shows that overwhelming majorities, in all demographics, with very few differences among them, hope to avoid discussing politics over Thanksgiving dinner. Those most eager to start dinner debates are blacks, and whites with college degrees. And even they are in a minority.

Biden-Harris release talking points

But Kristinn Taylor at The Gateway Pundit reports that the Biden-Harris campaign released an X thread of political talking points for Thanksgiving dinner. Here is that thread:

Someone should have told them to check with their Quinnipiac buddies before they posted such a thread. As this user pointed out:

The immigration talking points are the worst. Is Trump really planning “rounding up Latinos into mass detention camps” and “shooting people at will”? That’s what the campaign says. (They also said he plans to end birthright citizenship. Indeed he has promised that – and that would be a right and proper thing to do. Furthermore, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has introduced such a bill.) And in case anyone wonders: this is not a parody account. It takes itself very seriously, despite the “red-eye” profile image of Biden attached to the account. (Furthermore, the X rules require parody accounts to so self-identify.)

The “shooting people” remark looks like projection, or “throwing off on the opposition.” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) told former press secretary and new TV hostess Jen Psaki that “Trump should be eliminated.”

He has since apologized, and he might have been speaking of elimination from contention. But if he meant that, he didn’t say how.

Cullen Linebarger, who reported that last, also quoted Joe Scarborough as accusing Trump of planning summary executions.

Just because he hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean he won’t do it when he gets a chance to do it! And if he is voted into office then a lot of these people who are talking about literal, figurative or whatever the hell they’re saying, they’re going to look like idiots! He will imprison, he will execute whoever he is allowed to imprison, execute, drive from the country! Just look at his past. It’s not really hard to read. Joe Scarborough

Apparently Scarborough drew inspiration from The New York Times – something responsible pundits should not do anymore.

A former U.S. Senator…!

But by far the worst performance to date has come from former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who famously lost to Josh Hawley in the 2018 Midterms. If her present behavior is any indication, no wonder she lost. Anthony Scott at The Gateway Pundit reports she said Trump was more dangerous than was Adolf Hitler.

Godwin’s Law proves true once again, though Harvard wants to deny it. Godwin’s Law states: as an online discussion goes on and on, sooner or later someone will make a Nazi comparison. And they will make the comparison without caring whether it is just or not.

Once again: this is projection. Claire McCaskill is saying what she would like to do. As have Joe Scarborough, and those who speak for the pResident.

So what are these people afraid of? Projection sometimes springs from fear – in this case that their enemies are just as ruthless as they are. Or maybe that they are guilty of treason – and incitement to riot, theft, and even murder. So what they really fear, is arrest for their actual crimes.

Which means: anyone who makes statements like what these people have made, is a fearsome person himself. The more reason, of course, to vote against them, and to give no quarter. But perhaps this is not a fit subject to discuss over Thanksgiving dinner.