The first United States presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris took place two days ago… well, as much as that hour-and-a-half political faceplant can be called a debate. Indeed, it would be more apt to refer to it as an alleged debate, as the political machine continues to churn out some of the least-productive dynamics to ever burden the world’s attention.
Such is the plight of a population that puts their stock in a person rather than the ideas (or lack thereof) that they champion, and while that night’s showing is hardly going to change the minds of those who are entrenched in their loyalty to Donald Trump, there was still some remarkable sway that took place not terribly long after the “debate” concluded. The spark? Taylor Swift.
Per CNBC, following Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz following the debate (which doubled as a response to the AI-generated images of Swift endorsing Trump), Vote.gov — a website that informs citizens of their area’s voting parameters — experienced a rapid-fire influx of 337,826 new visitors following Swift’s decision to link the website on her Instagram story.
That, of course, wasn’t the only response to Swift’s best foot forward in the political conversation. Trump wasn’t terribly happy with the news, suggesting that Swift would “pay the price” for her endorsement of Harris and Walz. Exactly what he means by such a disturbing statement is anyone’s guess, probably including Trump himself.
Elon Musk came along shortly after, somehow managing to spot the so-inopportune-its-perfect moment to double down on the juvenile, edgy, and grossly misogynistic image that he insists on performing (and make no mistake, it’s absolutely a performance) by offering to “give [Taylor Swift] a child and guard your cats with my life.” Like Trump, Musk’s behavior is likely rooted in being entirely disconnected from oneself, and the aforementioned performance is likely driven by a need to distract from that, as Trump’s performance seeks to distract from the failings of the political system.
JD Vance, Trump’s ever-controversial running mate, chimed in as well, suggesting that very few people are going to be “influenced by a billionaire celebrity.” This comment, coming as though Trump’s entire platform doesn’t hinge on his blunt-force celebrity status that was shoved down his throat ever since he was a young adult, and as though hearing what Vance (or Trump or Musk, for that matter) has to say is a good use of anybody’s time whatsoever.
Because even if Kamala does win (and at this rate, it will be surprising if she doesn’t), we’re all still going to find ways to hate each other. And if Trump wins, we’re all still going to find ways to hate each other, albeit with a bit more encouragement. Stop listening to these pseudo-gurus and focus on doing your best in your own sphere. That’s how we’ll get things done.
Published: Sep 12, 2024 11:02 am