wow ...
While at lunch with B on Saturday I openly wondered which next news story would kick "Biden is Old" off the headlines, because I'd decided Biden was not going to resign and his delegates were not going to abandon him. B argued in response that the "Biden is Old" story could never truly go away, because Biden will still be old, the story would recur for as long as Biden is in office. Yes, but, it couldn't stay at the TOP of the headlines all the way through November. News gets old also, much faster than humans do.
I believe Trump is only the fifth President or former President to be hit by gunfire, going back nearly 160 years to Lincoln. The last was Reagan over 40 years ago. So, it's obviously huge news, for many the first time in their lives a US leader was shot. It will even overshadow the Republican National Convention to be held this week. Every convention speech, and especially Trump's acceptance speech, will be interpreted with reference to this assassination attempt.
A very close call for Trump, hitting his ear, but the shooter was about 130 yards away. With light and variable winds, that's a long distance for somebody trying to hit the center of a head without a laser sight, without on-location practice shots. Of course a laser sight would've given up the shooter's location and intent more quickly, giving up the element of surprise. There were Secret Service sharpshooters on hand, and they took out the shooter after only about eight shots.
I'd expected the next big news story to be Trump's pick for VP.
Betting markets immediately rewarded Trump at the expense of Harris, as they'd already counted out Biden. And with the shooting happening in Pennsylvania, now betting markets no longer view PA as a tossup state, Trump just won PA by getting shot there.
Let's see how the Internet spins any revelations about the 20-year-old local white male shooter (he was a registered Republican). Who will be scapegoated for his acts? Did anybody know what he was up to? How did he obtain his weapon? Who were his parents? This story is going to get milked. Investigations and conspiracy theories will persist well past the election.
I believe Trump is only the fifth President or former President to be hit by gunfire, going back nearly 160 years to Lincoln. The last was Reagan over 40 years ago. So, it's obviously huge news, for many the first time in their lives a US leader was shot. It will even overshadow the Republican National Convention to be held this week. Every convention speech, and especially Trump's acceptance speech, will be interpreted with reference to this assassination attempt.
A very close call for Trump, hitting his ear, but the shooter was about 130 yards away. With light and variable winds, that's a long distance for somebody trying to hit the center of a head without a laser sight, without on-location practice shots. Of course a laser sight would've given up the shooter's location and intent more quickly, giving up the element of surprise. There were Secret Service sharpshooters on hand, and they took out the shooter after only about eight shots.
I'd expected the next big news story to be Trump's pick for VP.
Betting markets immediately rewarded Trump at the expense of Harris, as they'd already counted out Biden. And with the shooting happening in Pennsylvania, now betting markets no longer view PA as a tossup state, Trump just won PA by getting shot there.
Let's see how the Internet spins any revelations about the 20-year-old local white male shooter (he was a registered Republican). Who will be scapegoated for his acts? Did anybody know what he was up to? How did he obtain his weapon? Who were his parents? This story is going to get milked. Investigations and conspiracy theories will persist well past the election.