Jon Reisman

Like a majority of my fellow Americans, I do not want to have to choose between the lying corrupt senile head of the Biden crime family and the egotistical me first/country second Donald Trump. The Democrats desperately want to run against Donald Trump, and the Republicans want the Democrats to stick with an impaired Biden and incompetent Kamala. The bi-partisan reaction to a Trump-Biden rematch is simultaneously from the Lord’s Prayer (lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil) and Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry Callahan (make my day)

The Democrats have engaged in determined election interference to assure that Trump is the GOP nominee, including multiple indictments, impeachments, election fraud, politicizing the Justice Department and raging against “MAGA Republicans.” The Republicans have given no indication of being able to unite around a plausible Trump alternative, and in truth would much rather run against Biden and Harris than slippery Gavin Newsom, witless Gretchen Whitmer, or uncriticizable Michele Obama. Any criticism of a black woman, including Kamala, automatically results in a charge of racist sexism. That dynamic is already on display in Maine with Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross, who can call for storming the capitol and criticize “white liberals” (including “great white mother” Governor Janet Mills) as more sensitive to LGBTQ+  as opposed to BIPOC issues with total impunity and with no negative consequences whatsoever. The Democrats and press (but I repeat myself) treat Speaker Ross as if she’s the Pope- infallible and beyond criticism. (If you’re wondering how I can criticize Harris, Obama and Ross, it’s because leftists have been calling me a racist sexist right winger for so long that I’ve either developed natural immunity (it’s like vaccination, but better), simply don’t care, or both.) Indeed, go ahead, make my day.

Recent whistleblower testimony about the Biden crime family, the politicized Biden Department of Justice inquiry into their nefarious activities and the shady at least temporarily shelved Hunter Biden sweetheart immunity plea deal has resulted in US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy making noises about an impeachment inquiry into the Big Guy. It is long overdue. In 2022 I advised GOP 2nd CD candidates to advocate for impeachment; advice they chose to serially and collectively ignore with the predictable result of first failing to win the GOP primary and then losing to Jared Golden. If Biden insists on pressing his ridiculous “Bidenomics” success myth, Republicans should respond with a new meme: BidenJustice. Please, make my day.

I will be supporting any of the following, in rank choice order, for the GOP nomination over Donald Trump: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Doug Burgum, Nicki Haley, Tim Scott, Glenn Youngkin, Chris Christie, Will Hurd, Asa Hutchinson (more Lord’s prayer here with the last three.) Should Trump prevail and win the GOP nomination, I will consider, with gritted teeth, a lesser of two (or more) evils vote, and even a no labels candidacy of Joe Manchin. A choice between Trump, Biden and Manchin would definitely not make my day

I believe there is very good chance that Biden will withdraw in the late winter or spring, as a consequence of scandal, health and political reality.  If that happens I really hope the Democrats are forced to go with that testimony to affirmative action, the first black woman vice president, cackling Kamala Harris. If my choice was between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, I would probably investigate moving to a red state where at least some of my liberties had some small chance of surviving, but fleeing to seek political asylum would definitely not make my day. 

Depending on how late in the campaign season it occurs, Biden’s withdrawal and Kamala’s oppressed identity would mean that only another black woman (Michele Obama) could plausibly replace her as the Democratic nominee. Michele is (probably) a lot smarter than Kamala and she didn’t sleep her way to the top with Willie Brown, so she has that in her favor, but not a lot else.  A Biden withdrawal precipitating a catfight between Michele and Kamala would make my day, but following that would be a very frightening nightmare. Do you feel lucky punk? 

Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Selectman and a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own and he welcomes comments as letters to the editor here, or to him directly via email at [email protected].