Item one: The planned rally raises creepy echoes of Fritz Kuhn’s pro-Nazi rally in 1939. But there’s a lesson here for the Harris campaign. |
Donald Trump announced Wednesday during a speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that he’ll be playing Madison Square Garden. His campaign has rented the self-proclaimed "World’s Most Famous Arena" for Sunday, October 27, and Trump said it means that "we’re going to make a play for New York." Trump is not going to win New York. Harris is 14 points ahead in the Empire State in the current FiveThirtyEight averages. That’s closer than the 2020 result of 23 points, but it still isn’t spitting distance. So we can say it’s a waste of his time and money, and that’s a good thing. But it’s not entirely stupid either, and there’s a lesson in this for Kamala Harris and her campaign as we wind toward the home stretch. But before we get to that, let’s just pause to note the creepy historical echo of a neofascist rally taking place at Madison Square Garden, because there was one of those before, and it’s the first thing I (and I’m sure many other people) thought of when I heard this news. I mean the famous rally held in the Garden (then a completely different building, but still named Madison Square Garden) on February 20, 1939, by the German American Bund and its leader, Fritz Kuhn. This was a pro-Nazi rally. The stage was adorned with a gigantic image of George Washington surrounded by stars and stripes. There were also swastikas and Hitler salutes galore among the 22,000 attendees. No, I’m not saying there will be swastikas this time around, although one can’t help but wonder if the various white supremacist groups backing Trump will send contingents. The guy plays to semi-empty houses that are half the Garden’s size, so something’s going to need to be done to paper the room. If he hews to the custom of, say, GOP conventions, he’ll invite as many Black supporters as he can up on the stage with him. So no, he’s not going to win New York, and yes, there are disturbing historical resonances at work here. But here’s the one way in which this rally isn’t stupid or offensive. |
|
|
In partnership with: Democracy Forward |
On Wednesday, October 16, Join The New Republic's Greg Sargent, Democracy Forward's Skye Perryman, and other top policy minds to discuss the far-reaching implications of Project 2025, the policy blueprint outlined by ultraconservatives for the Trump administration, on democracy. |
|
|
At this point in a presidential campaign, establishing momentum becomes important—having the look of a winner. As I’ve often said, the swing voters who’ll decide the election don’t have strong political allegiances; these are people who view politics, as Wisconsin Democratic chairman Ben Wikler recently said, the way we political-junkie types view Olympic sports—we know they exist, and we pay attention for a brief period every four years, and that’s it. We choose to root for non-American Olympic athletes based on a bunch of emotional and nonrational factors—whether we have warm or cool feelings toward their country, whether we like the way they carry themselves, the way they smile—and maybe most of all, whether they have a shot at winning. In the 100-meter dash, we’re more likely to cheer for the Jamaican who has a real chance of medaling than the guy from Norway or whatever; nothing against Norway. So campaigns need to do things in the closing weeks to communicate momentum and exude winner-ness. Having an unexpected rally at an unexpected and famous place qualifies. It shakes things up a little. It dominates, or at least figures prominently into, the cable news menu for probably four days—two before, the day of, and one day after. And if Trump can actually fill the place, or come close, that too communicates energy. Harris came out of the blocks with a massive burst of energy, which has certainly stalled to some extent. Heading into these final three weeks, she needs to create some new buzz. Simply doing more events will help. She just hasn’t been on the trail enough. She needs to show that she can still draw the thousands she was drawing in August. A new proposal or two will help. It’s hard to say how much policy matters at this point, especially against an opponent who has contempt for policy, but it can’t hurt. Her proposal on long-term home care this week was actually pretty important—it’s a huge hole in Medicare and would make a difference in millions of people’s lives. Surely that got through to some voters. But at this point a campaign is mostly about gestures and stagecraft. The Harris campaign could use some events that create mojo. A surprise endorsement from a prominent Republican or some other unexpected person from the corporate world or the military or some such. An event that tops Trump’s on the same day—in a stadium, maybe, if she can fill it—and totally steals his thunder. That could take the form of a concert featuring some of her celebrity supporters if they can all be pulled together on the same date—Beyoncé, Bruce, Billie Eilish, John Legend, and most of all, you know who. And just campaign, campaign, campaign. Look hungry. Look like you want it. I remember in 2000, Al Gore campaigned nonstop for the last 48 or maybe even 72 hours. I recall it making a difference. He was generally behind in the polls, and while yes, he did end up losing that race, he lost it on First Street Northeast (i.e., the Supreme Court) on December 12. He won it on November 7. The Harris campaign has received criticisms, many of them deserved, in these recent weeks. But the campaign has also done a lot of things right. The polls say she has become the candidate of change, which is an extraordinarily hard thing for a sitting vice president to pull off. She has narrowed or, according to some polls, eliminated Trump’s advantage on the economy. She’s catching up among working-class voters, as Timothy Noah noted this week. So some of those ideas that the press finds boring, the small-business tax credit and so on, must be getting through to somebody. But this is the time to win news cycles and be seen as being on offense, not defense. I sure hope the campaign has a few surprises up its sleeve. |
|
|
TNR Travel: Final days to join us in Cuba |
Join a special group of readers and supporters on a lovingly designed, all-inclusive tour of one of the most amazing places in the world. Drawing on The New Republic’s special contacts among local historians, artists, and chefs, we’ve created a first-class experience that will immerse you in Cuba’s colorful and unique history, politics, and culture. |
|
|
Last week’s quiz: "Want fries with that?" A brief history of American fast food. |
1. What was the first fast-food chain in America, opening its maiden branch in Wichita in 1921? |
A. Burger Chef B. Beefsteak Charlie’s C. White Castle D. In-N-Out |
Answer: C, White Castle. Here’s the history, about which there isn’t anything terribly interesting, at least in this account. But they were the first. |
2. Which fast-food chain used the word "scrumpdillyicious" in its advertising? |
A. Howard Johnson’s B. Baskin-Robbins C. Dairy Queen D. Tastee Freez |
Answer: C, Dairy Queen. Here is a 1970s ad deploying the word and featuring a Black child as the main character, no less. We had a D.Q. on High Street in Morgantown. Ah, the graham cracker milkshake! I wonder if they still make that? |
3. Which was introduced first—McDonald’s Big Mac, or Burger King’s Whopper? |
Answer: The Whopper debuted in 1957, surprisingly, while the Big Mac didn’t bow until 1967. The Big Mac was introduced at a McDonald’s in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, interestingly—at least it’s interesting to me, because before we got our first McDonald’s in Morgantown, in about 1973, if we wanted McDonald’s, it was that very one that we drove to, which is still there, on Morgantown Street (we didn’t even have to make any turns!). |
4. According to EatThis.com, which of the following is the fattiest fast-food sandwich in America, clocking in at an impressive 4,075 calories and 128 grams of fat? |
A. Large Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub, Firehouse Subs B. Pretzel Bacon Pub Triple, Wendy’s C. Big Kahuna Cheese Steak, Jersey Mike’s D. Triple Baconzilla!, Checkers |
5. Match the celebrity or accomplished person to the fast-food chain where he or she worked. |
Barack Obama Madonna Brad Pitt Russell Simmons |
|
El Pollo Loco Baskin-Robbins Orange Julius Dunkin’ Donuts |
|
|
Answer: Obama, Baskin-Robbins; Madonna, Dunkin’ Donuts (in Times Square); Pitt, El Pollo Loco; Simmons, Orange Julius. Not sure this tells us much of anything about these people, but there you are. I like to imagine Barack memorizing the 31 flavors. |
6. McDonald’s has the greatest number of franchises across the globe, around 38,000. Which chain is second? |
A. KFC B. Subway C. Pizza Hut D. Dunkin’ Donuts |
Answer: B, Subway, at around 36,000. I’m not a Subway person myself. I have kind of a weird thing about sandwiches. I like meat, cheese, and condiments. If I’m in a fancier place where they offer things like caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms, I may go for those, but that’s about it. Don’t ask me why. I think it’s a mouth sensation thing more than a taste thing, since I’m good with lettuce and tomatoes and raw onions in other contexts. |
|
|
For this Inside Story, two progressive Keystone State activists, J.J. Abbott and Kadida Kenner, tell editor Michael Tomasky what’s happening on the ground in the crucial battleground state. |
|
|
Last week’s quiz: It costs what?!From last week’s fast food, we move to haute cuisine, fancy eats, and slow food. |
1. Which of the following is not one of the five mother sauces of haute cuisine? |
A. Lyonnaise B. Béchamel C. Espagnole D. Hollandaise |
2. Match the dish to the place where it was invented. |
Fettuccine Alfredo Boeuf Bourguignon Lobster Newburg Bananas Foster |
|
New York Rome New Orleans Burgundy |
|
|
3. According to Food & Wine magazine, what is the oldest restaurant in the world? |
A. Ma Yu Ching’s Chicken Bucket House, Kaifeng, China B. White Horse Tavern, Newport, Rhode Island C. Rules Restaurant, London D. St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, Salzburg, Austria |
4. According to TheInfatuation.com, where would you find the most expensive tasting menu in New York City, at $395? |
A. Daniel B. Per Se C. Le Bernardin D. Atomix |
5. According to TheWorlds50Best.com, what was the best restaurant in the world in 2023? |
A. Central, Lima B. Diverxo, Madrid C. Alchemist, Copenhagen D. Trèsind Studio, Dubai |
6. How much food is thrown out by American restaurants each year? |
A. Up to 12 billion pounds B. Up to 19 billion pounds C. Up to 24 billion pounds D. Up to 33 billion pounds |
That’s billion. Remember, a billion is one thousand millions. Jeepers. Answers next week. Feedback to fightingwords@tnr.com. —Michael Tomasky, editor |
|
|
Timeless voices, unmatched insight: exploring the works of great writers past and present |
|
|
Update your personal preferences for newsletter@newslettercollector.com by clicking here. Our mailing address is: The New Republic, 1 Union Sq W , Fl 6 , NY , New York, NY 10003-3303, United States Do you want to stop receiving all emails from Fighting Words? Unsubscribe from this list. If you stopped getting TNR emails, update your profile to resume receiving them. |
|
|
|
|