Celebrating a joyful Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg scorns the weak, cowardly Trump

This Friday, on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Pete Buttigieg celebrated the stellar kick-off of the Kamala Harris campaign. He extolled the “fired-up” Democrats’ “new energy.” And lauded the speed with which the party adapted to the new candidate with a “clear message” and “sense of mission.” 

He contrasted this Democratic enthusiasm with MAGA’s pathetic reaction to the change at the top of the ticket. Salting the wound by telling the truth, he called Trump a coward for running away from the long-scheduled September presidential debate. In his words (video at the bottom):

“Tough talk is this guy’s calling card. Now there is this extraordinary show of weakness. He said: ‘Any time, any place.’

Now he’s pulling out. And, of course, it shows that he’s afraid. It shows that he knows that if the two of them are on a stage together, it’s not going to end well for him.”

The lumbering, racist misogynist oratorically humiliated by an accomplished and feisty Black woman? That’s a video we could all enjoy on a loop.

Pete then points out that the Trump campaign, which had bet the ranch on slamming Biden for being old, had no clue or plan on how to react to Kamala’s triumphant assumption of the mantle. Whereas the Democrats, from the minute Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris, were uniting in support of their new candidate. And had, within two or three days, launched a brand new campaign, with a brand new message, without a single significant dissenting voice.

Buttigieg then identified why the GOP was “flailing” and “unable to adapt.” He said that the existential MAGA flaw was ego exacerbated by a lack of imagination:

“Donald Trump cannot conceive of a campaign that isn’t about the candidate. We are obviously very excited about our candidate. Kamala Harris is a leader that everyone is pulling together around. But also she is articulating a message that isn’t just about herself. And certainly isn’t just about Donald Trump. Although she has that contrast down. It’s about ‘us.’ And that’s the kind of campaign that wins. It’s the right kind of campaign. And it’s also one that literally does not compute for someone like Donald Trump.”

Pete celebrates Biden as a man who chose to voluntarily relinquish power in order to promote democracy and secure the country’s future.

He goes on to point out that while ‘freedom’ is a Republican talking point, it is a Democratic value.

“But the other thing I would say is that, while the top of a ticket has changed, of course, the values have not. I’m especially excited to see the way she’s leaning into ‘freedom.’ A value and a theme that for years … has frustrated me that Republicans have tried to monopolize.

He illuminates the absurdity of the GOP’s boast that they believe in freedom by illustrating their actions are the antithesis of liberty. He adds that if they were serious about protecting children, then they would actually do so - not fight pointless culture wars.

I think they have even more completely relinquished any claim to being able to talk about freedom when they got into banning books. And she has spoken so powerfully, as she did yesterday when she talked to America’s teachers, to the fact that if you mean business when it comes to protecting kids, you shouldn’t be protecting our kids from Toni Morrison. You should be protecting our kids from assault weapons.”

Buttigieg ends by contrasting the joy and optimism of Democrats with the perpetual gloom and doom politics favored by Trump and his acolytes. He is also incredulous that Republicans have decided it is a winning strategy to attack Kamala for laughing. 

The sub-text is that Democrats want to happily celebrate the enormous possibilities of a democratic America. While Republicans are motivated by bedwetting fear of a dystopian future that exists only in the rhetoric of a wannabe fascist.

Pete also believes that while the Trump campaign is a dark cloud blocking out the sun, independents and “future former Republicans“ would much rather be part of the joyful politics offered by Democrats

Why not? Wouldn’t we all rather be happy?