Donald Trump Goes All Fat Elvis

 My old friend John Wooley is a journalist, author, and radio personality who occasionally produces and appears in movies and documentaries. Recently he told me another pal of his had referred the 2024 version of Donald Trump to, "Fat Elvis." You know, that old bloated Elvis singing ancient tunes on a Las Vegas stage to an equally ancient audience who seems to be slowly disappearing. 

Both John and his buddy have a point. During this Presidential campaign, has Donald Trump said, or done anything that would win him the votes of someone who voted for Joe Biden four years ago? Has Donald Trump wowed any new audiences? Does he have any new admirers, any fresh blood in the cult? Or is he simply playing to the same crowd, attempting moves he simply can't pull off anymore thanks to far too many prescription drugs and peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches?  

At this moment in August, all the evidence points to no as the answer. In a matter of less than three weeks a moribund democratic party and campaign has come alive with enthusiasm, excitement, and growing confidence. The polls are starting to turn toward Kamala Harris. She is now the one drawing the huge wildly cheering crowds. Her rallies are the ones now being covered by the media and talked about with awe. Suddenly, it is Kamala Harris who represents politics in a new and inspirational way.

Meanwhile, Fat Elvis is standing in front of the same crowd, singing the same old shit over and over and over. The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson put it this way, "I think it is time for his care givers at Mar A Lago to start getting Grandpa Donald into bed earlier at night, because he's not capable of being President." 

At his most recent rallies Donald Trump has dragged out insults he began using against republican opponents in the 2016 primaries. Harris is a low IQ individual, he's said. Joe Biden is smarter than her, he has claimed. In addition he has fallen back on the thinly veiled racism which first put him into the political spotlight. She used to claim she was Indian, then she suddenly became black. I didn't know she was black for years, he said. Then he told another crowd, the democrats wanted to get rid of her, but they couldn't because it would be politically incorrect. He added later that night, There is about nine different ways to pronounce her name and I don't care if I get any of them right. 

Is there anything in all that which would make you say to yourself, "Boy I screwed up four years ago, I'm now going to vote for Donald Trump now."

I didn't think so.

The only new track we've heard from Mr. Trump lately is his growing insistence that when Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden at the head of the ticket, it was somehow unconstitutional. Suspicions are growing that by doing so he is laying the groundwork to contest the results of the election if he loses--which is now a distinct possibility. 

That's right members of the Supreme Court, not only was the election stolen for a second time, but Kamala Harris can't be President because it is unconstitutional for democrats to call backsies. 

And just to prove this version of Fat Elvis is, All Shook Up, Trump has doubled down on his claim Joe Biden will demand democrats give him the nomination at their convention. He told a recent crowd, "I've been told Joe Biden is going to go into that room and tell them, I want my Presidency back." He insisted Mr. Biden would accomplish this feat by challenging he, Donald Trump to another debate. 

It would seem that while Fat Elvis' mental capacities have diminished, his ego has not.

The Harris-Walz campaign still has its work cut out for it. The road to the election is full of land minds and ambushes. Any sort of major screw up could cost it dearly. However right now it has Fat Elvis on the run. 

And that same old Fat Elvis act has finally grown stale and tiresome. As B.B. King once sang, "The Thrill is Gone." 

Luckily for the nation though, if you look around, you'll find it whenever and wherever Kamala Harris speaks.

8-11-24