Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | Social Media | June 25, 2024
Two days ahead of the debate, the polls — which at one point showed a slight lead for Trump, on average — are dead even. It’s depressing as hell that it’s still a tie, considering the GOP nominee is a twice-impeached convicted felon who provoked a coup, oversaw a disastrous COVID response, and rambles about sharks. Still, I suppose the GOP is probably saying the same thing: How can it be tied when that other guy is overseeing a surprisingly resilient economy and is, for the most part, on the right side of the issues but is so… old?
I have no idea what to expect from the debate. Like everything else in this election, I expect Biden will technically win, but it will be a wash because no one expects Trump to win, and that’s how American democracy works. Remember the debates in 2016 and 2020? If Trump didn’t completely sh** the bed, he was hailed as a victor because the media plays this idiotic game of expectations where merit is almost completely beside the point. Unfortunately for Biden, if he doesn’t have a great night, it could hurt him more than a bad night could hurt Trump.
Elsewhere, the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. This is a big deal. Orthodox Jews have been exempt from service since the beginning. Benjamin Netanyahu relies on the ultra-right wing of his party for his ruling coalition. Netanyahu is unnecessarily prolonging the war to avoid an election he will lose. The radical right, meanwhile, is pressuring Netanyahu not to accept the terms of a cease-fire proposal endorsed by Biden that would end the war. However, the radical right might change their mind now if it means sending their sons to fight in Gaza. It’s like if America decided to compel the children of wealthy people into military service. America would never be involved in another war again. What’s most interesting is that Netanyahu tried to delegitimatize the Israeli Supreme Court last year to avoid exactly this situation.
Unfortunately, I doubt any of this will actually mean a quick end to the war.
Stateside, the war in Gaza figures crucially in a Democratic congressional primary in New York, a highly diverse district with a large Jewish population. There, Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing George Latimer. Bowman has been an outspoken pro-Palestinian advocate, while the pro-Israel candidate, Latimer, has received millions from AIPAC. The winner of the primary could determine the direction of the Democratic party. Or it could provoke an immense backlash from either side. Honestly, it will probably be a sh**show no matter who wins.
At least in Colorado, it’s possible that we’ll see Lauren Boebert lose her primary. Somehow, she’s ahead in the polls despite carpetbagging her way into another district and despite the whole Beetlejuice handjob business. Republicans simply do not care anymore, except in their efforts to piss off liberals. Talk about chewing off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
And if you want to know how bad things are in the GOP, in a Colorado Springs district—the site of an LGBTQ mass shooting that killed five and injured 17 in 2022—the Trump-backed candidate, Dave Williams, called for the burning of all Pride flags earlier this month.
Speaking of which, the Supreme Court has decided to hear a case for the next term about the limits of gender-affirming care for minors. I don’t expect it will go well.
That brings me to one final point today: Whatever else you think about the two candidates who are running for President — whether you’re a double hater or not — please keep in mind the composition of the Supreme Court. There is essentially a 6-3 conservative supermajority. The two oldest members of the Court, Justices Thomas and Alito, are also the most conservative. If Biden wins, there may be an opportunity to replace one or both, meaning he could tilt the court back into a 5-4 court in favor of the liberal side. If Trump wins, that’s it. The Supreme Court will remain conservative for at least a generation, and they are coming for gay marriage. That is not an empty threat. If Trump wins, a federal abortion ban is very possible, and the decision about whether gays can marry will likely be left up to the states again. Do not let the United States turn into Louisiana because Joe Biden is old. Are you listening, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania? I know you’re not the most liberal states in the nation, but you don’t want the Ten Commandments in every school classroom, do you?
