I remember 2016. It was the year that started off with Alan Rickman -- my favorite actor -- dying in January and it didn't get any better from there on out. In fact, if you followed me on Twitter back then, you'll remember 2016 as the year I made and sold dumpster fire Christmas ornaments.
Back then, I was also in the never Trump camp. I didn't believe he could beat Hillary Clinton and was mad he was going to stick us with that insufferable hag for the next four to eight years, and I worried he wouldn't govern in any way resembling a Republican. I pulled the lever for Gary Johnson.
I'm not too proud to admit I was wrong.
With Trump back on the ballot again, this time against an even more insufferable, unlikeable, and downright communist opponent in Kamala Harris.
Hillary Clinton is despicable, but there's a chance Bill could've tempered her politically. We have no such guardrails with Kamala Harris. It's clear she wants to rule rather than govern.
But what we do have is history, and I am strongly convinced it's about to repeat itself.
And Michigan Democrats agree with me:
Nervous Democrats in Michigan suffering 'PTSD' and 'paranoia' over 2016 as election day nears: Report https://t.co/HvAuw40FEg
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 3, 2024
Some Michigan Democrats are worried about a repeat of Hillary Clinton's loss in the state as election day nears and Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump remain neck-and-neck in the polls, according to reports.
"Smart Democrats have a healthy sense of paranoia," Michigan Democratic strategist Adrian Hemond told the Associated Press (AP). "If polling is as far off as it was in 2016, we’re cooked."
A new poll released by the New York Times and Siena College found Harris had 48% support in Michigan and Trump had 47%. Clinton narrowly lost Michigan to Trump in 2016 despite consistently leading in polls, making her the first Democrat to lose the state since Michael Dukakis in 1988.
In the last several weeks, I have started having very strong vibes that 2024 is going to be a repeat of 2016.
Why? Well, let's start at the beginning:
The reason Biden was ousted by the Democrats is not because he's obviously suffering the effects of progressing dementia but because he was going to lose. Their one shot to turn the tide was to nominate someone who -- unlike Kamala -- received some delegates in 2020. In fact, if the Democrats (ya know, those tireless defenders of democracy) had done their duty and held a snap primary after removing Biden I am confident Kamala Harris would not be the nominee.
Change my mind.
Kamala brings nothing to the table that's fundamentally different than Biden. In fact, her proposed policies are worse. Her price controls proposal was lambasted in the usually friendly media. She was so unpopular back in 2020 -- when she was demanding gun control and banning private health insurance and gung ho about decriminalizing illegal immigration and defunding the police -- she didn't even muster support among the Democrat base.
In fact, back in March, Kathleen Parker was calling for her to step aside in The Washington Post.
What has changed between 2020 and now?
For Kamala, nothing. Her values haven't changed. She said so herself. But now we've seen her in action as the VP and presumptive nominee and she has been unimpressive.
Add to that the multiple crises happening on her watch, and she's got a problem. Several of them.
There's her godawful response to Hurricane Helene. While North Carolinians drown and had their lives upended, she was fundraising in San Francisco. It wasn't until Donald Trump went to Georgia and 'dragged' the issue into the race that Biden-Harris even considered setting foot over there. And when they did, we learned FEMA is broke because it blew its budget on illegal immigration and the best Kamala can do for Americans -- the people she wants to govern -- is $750.
Illegal immigrants keep pouring over the souther and northern borders
Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel after the Biden-Harris administration loosed sanctions and sent the state sponsor of terror pallets of cash. It's very clear Kamala is torn between standing by our ally and not alienating Jewish voters but also catering to Dearborn and the Squad.
Longshoremen up and down the east coast are striking, crippling supply chains at a time when Americans need to rebuild and threatening to make inflation worse.
Oh, and the economy still sucks.
Last, but not least, there are the polls. In 2016, they greatly overestimated Clinton. If they're as off as they were eight years ago -- and Michigan Democrats seem to fear they are -- Kamala's goose is cooked.
And I am more than okay with that.
