Yuck - parasites and who knows what other chemical poisons are in those so called corn chips...

"A voluntary evening lockdown has been enacted in four Massachusetts towns amid a potentially fatal mosquito-born disease." UTL COMMENT:- Bill Gates, anyone?? ? ⏯ @RealWorldNewsChannel ✳️ @RealWorldNewsChat

A later moment. The post The best Rainbow song, according to Ritchie Blackmore first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

By all accounts, Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech at the conclusion of the Democrat National Convention last week was well-written and well-delivered. It did what it was designed to do: complete the wondrous transformation — achieved in record time by the Democrat Party elite with extensive help from the mainstream media — of a ridiculed and unpopular sitting vice president into a charismatic candidate for the presidency. (READ MORE: The Democrat Party is a Cult) Kamala Harris also benefited from that most subtle of advantages: the blessing of low expectations. Lampooned for years for her inane word salads, she stood and delivered with the sudden skill of a pool shark finally playing for money after previously demonstrating clumsiness on the felt. Those who would poke holes in the speech whether as not her words, as nearly empty of actual content, as unnecessarily nasty to her opponent, or as consisting largely of platitudes, miss the point. A huge swathe of the American electorate today forms its opinions of candidates on totally different grounds from how past generations evaluated whom they would vote for. A politician’s actual ideas, intelligence, record, or character count for little if anything. From a People of Reason to a People of Feeling That is because, as a society, we have largely transitioned from a people of reason to a people of feeling. And when it comes to important political speeches, the combination of packaging and feelings (cue all the DNC references to “joy”) easily overpowers statements of fact or appeals to logic. Political analysts often fail to see the societal wood for the electoral trees. The wood in which this election is being fought is a fundamentally changed America. One in which past political assets are no longer relevant, replaced by new must-haves in the battle for the nation’s hearts (and not so much its minds). (READ MORE: Märtha and Durek Cash In on Their Wedding) It’s not just feelings instead of facts. It’s very much identity (what you are, not who you are) over substance. Emotion over policy. Newness over experience. Positivity over pragmatism. Niceness over abrasiveness. Brevity over length. Memes over depth. It’s all about the “vibes.” The Democrat Party understands this. And they have been very quick to realize that, suddenly blessed with all the hardware advantages (woman, bi-racial, attractive, relatively young) that neither Biden nor Trump possess, all they had to do to make Kamala Harris very much electable was to write — quite literally — the right zeitgeist software on which she would operate. Republicans Should Engage In the Democrat Campaign Game Of course, software programs are not the same as ChatGPT. They can’t adapt to new situations, answer queries, and elaborate on statements on the fly. And given Harris’ unhappy experiences with off-the-cuff public and media speaking in her current position, the input — the speechwriting — thus becomes not just a valuable element in her campaign, it becomes her campaign. Hence the rigorous avoidance of press conferences, media interviews, or unscripted public events. The teleprompter is in a sense the real candidate, Kamala Harris its human form. The debate in September will indeed at long last put Harris on a stage fully exposed to the elements. But here too one can imagine Harris — intensively and ably coached by Team Obama talent — maneuvering the battle to terrain favorable to her, that of personality and emotion. After all, who can remember what was said in the Reagan–Carter debate of 1980 except Reagan’s devastating dismissal of Carter taking point with his genial, “There you go again…” If the Republican Party can start fighting fire with fire — countering effective words with even better words — and focus on emotions, symbolism, values, and on painting a convincing picture of a more promising future (which is what Trump was able to do with disaffected “flyover country” voters in 2016) it has a chance to make this, at the very least, a closely contested election. (READ MORE: When It Comes to Israel, These People Are Idiots) Words have always mattered in politics. But the ears receiving them are different now. Clarity, brevity, positivity, projecting likeability, and speaking the new language of persuasion will be key to winning this election. Carefully written and rehearsed speeches are now the key players, in and of themselves. The Democrats just proved that. Can Trump and the Republicans now figure out that they must not just walk the walk, but also talk the talk? The post To Win in November, Republicans Need to Talk the Political Talk appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

There are a million reasons to vote for a candidate, but my generation needs a better approach. Even after the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign still depends on online chatter to boost her appeal. Many social media users, especially from Gen Z, have adopted Harris’s laugh, her comments on coconut trees, and singer Charli XCX’s “Brat” album as innovative ways to brand her campaign. And they are swooning for her, big time. (READ MORE: The Democrat Party is a Cult) While virtual rhetoric does not indicate reality, the Harris camp uses these assets in their official messaging beyond the internet. The approach is working, as news outlets promote the campaign as a “joyful” alternative to today’s divisive atmosphere. Impressions Count More Than Policies The memes that Gen-Z Kamala supporters push are information shortcuts — bite-sized identifiers that help voters decide their candidate. You’d hope that, after getting a taste of what Kamala is like online, young voters would look into her political positions and decide if she truly represents their interests. But that’s not how my generation operates, and Harris’s campaign managers are taking advantage of that. To my generation, impressions are now more important than policy — and this campaign cycle is proof. Democratic Party elites ousted Biden for being “too old” to run. To some, Trump is “low energy” and a “dictator,” while progressive Kamala is “queen.” This branding tries to form the basis of public discourse surrounding the candidates and how it perceives them to govern. While internet trends are valuable in defining candidates’ priorities, they lack detail on how they would each perform as the president of the United States. This works in Kamala’s favor. If young voters are content to follow the “vibes,” she doesn’t have to prove she’s the best person for the job. That’s why Harris’s campaign website doesn’t even have a policy section. Trump had to do it for her. Gen Z Has Little Riding on the Election. They’re Still Voting. Unlike older Americans, Gen Z doesn’t have home ownership fees, healthcare or insurance plans, or other tangible goods that could be affected by bad policy. Hence, Gen Z’s vote is more risky and emotionally driven — they can afford not to vote solely on policy. But like any new consumer or voter base, Gen Z does not know what it wants. As a voting bloc, we understand the significance of our vote more than its rationale. We have consistently high turnout in midterms, special elections, and referendums, rivaling other generations in turnout. We are politically active and tend to favor Democrats by wide margins. (READ MORE: The Spectator P.M. Podcast Ep. 71: Does Vance Have a Moral Duty to Support a Federal Abortion Ban?) But Gen Z’s motives for voting Democrat are shallow, swayed by Hollywood factions that exert enormous influence over political life. Entertainment personalities quickly rallied around the Harris campaign, performing at her rallies and hosting fundraisers. When my peers repost “Kamala is brat,” they feel included in a larger coalition that captures the moment and trajectory of America’s values. The Harris campaign capitalizes on our fascination with celebrity culture to pave their way to the White House. It’s why they offer substantial sums of money to influencers to back the Democratic ticket. This discreet tactic, called astroturfing, creates the false appearance of grassroots support to form public opinion and woos Gen Z to partake in remix culture and digital activism to promote a platform we don’t fully understand. It’s moves like this that have turned the most unpopular vice president in recent history, weighed down by ineffective leadership, into a “femininomenon” overnight. So why is this working? Why does my generation seem to lack any interest in real policy discussion? The answer is in Gen Z’s attitude toward American life. Most of my peers feel aimless. They are prone to anxiety due to the overwhelming negativity of world affairs and reflect a top concern of emotional well-being above all else. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, they feel lonely and yearn for social connection — emotions offset or intensified by social media. My generation’s hope lies in what originally made politics interesting. By becoming policy-minded, Gen Z can enhance their civic knowledge, understand their vote’s magnitude, and restore their life outlooks. Maybe one day, none of my peers will care what Kenan Thompson says about Project 2025. But today, it’s a welcomed distraction from the more pressing stakes of this election. (READ MORE: American Campuses Threaten Students and the Nation) Our politicians owe it to us to tune out the noise and detail their visions for America. Only then can our youth escape the vice grip of optics and truly become the next generation of powerful and educated voters. Alex Rosado is a Gettysburg College alum, a Research Fellow for Horizon Info Consult, and a Contributor for Young Voices. Follow him on Twitter/X at @Alexprosado. The post Gen Z is Clueless When It Comes to Voting appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

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