Hello, happy Thursday. 5 days left until the election, oh well, the election is finally coming to an end.

I’m sure most of you have already voted, but candidates are working hard to convince the last critical few who haven’t made up their minds yet. Really?

Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are pushing messages of love and unity. No, I haven’t lost my mind. That’s true.

Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally was filled with chilling hate, but the first five minutes of Trump’s speech (the part TV viewers were most likely to hear) Even without knowing the details, it was quite moving.

“I’m here today to bring a message of hope to all Americans,” he said. If elected, “our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before.”

The problem is that his crowd, and many Americans, believed him when he said he loved this country, loved this country, and cared about making this country better.

Now, let’s get to today’s question. Who loves America more, Donald or Kamala? And what does that love mean to each?

kamala’s joy

Harris spoke Tuesday night at the Ellipse, the iconic park south of the White House where President Trump memorably incited the January 6 insurrectionists.

More than 75,000 people attended, but there was little sign of a riot. Ms. Harris delivered an outstanding performance as a leader and unifier, delivering a grand finale to a campaign about joy.

What interested me was when she talked about the American Dream in personal terms. By now, most people know that her mother (like my own father) was an immigrant from India and her father immigrated from Jamaica (though she rarely mentions her father) .

“I have lived up to America’s promise. I saw how hard my mother worked to give her daughters the same opportunities this country gave her,” she said. Ta. “I have lived up to America’s promise. I have spent my life fighting for people who have been hurt and excluded, and I have always believed that anything is possible in this country.”

America’s promise. How can you not love it?

Harris’ dedication to our country is therefore traditional, an idea of ​​an America rooted in hope for all people, including the vulnerable, the marginalized, and even those who don’t like Harris. .

“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table.” she said.

Take it for what it’s worth. But it’s true that this bicultural kid from Oakland is thousands of votes away from the Oval Office. So when she says she has kept America’s promise, she is telling the truth.

And even if it’s far from perfect, you can’t live without feeling its importance and loving its existence. Maybe she will fulfill her policy commitments, maybe she won’t.

But I believe she understands the fundamental promise of our country.

President Trump’s “Love Fest”

And at the end of the day, the best love is built on trust.

Let’s be real. Trump is completely, completely, painfully untrustworthy. He is unreliable when it comes to paying bills. He cannot be trusted to keep his marriage vows. He cannot be trusted about his record as president and his intentions if re-elected.

President Trump called January 6th “Love Day” and the Madison Square Garden rally a “love fest,” but in reality they were an expression of the narcissist’s insatiable, undeniable love for himself. It was something I did. Trump’s rallies are as much about basking in his own glory as they are about politics. Aspiration is the key.

That’s why this rally turned so ugly, as I wrote about Tuesday. It wasn’t just the violence against Puerto Ricans that made headlines.

Racism and misogyny extended to Jews, blacks, Palestinians, Democrats, and, of course, Harris herself. Not only were Trump’s speakers willing to follow Trump into any darkness, but they also seemed to be competing like dysfunctional children to prove they were the most active and most dedicated. It was.

In short, loving a narcissist is like kissing a rattlesnake. You can drink that smooch with all your heart, but you’ll still get bitten.

That’s why I’d like to end with Arnold Schwarzenegger. of On Wednesday, former California Gov. President Trump is “a candidate who won’t respect your vote unless it’s for him, a candidate who lets his followers storm the Capitol while he watches while drinking Congressional Cokes…an America that doesn’t agree with him.” “He is a candidate whose opinions people think are his own.” It is a bigger enemy than China, Russia, or North Korea. ”

In short, this candidate is a dangerous narcissist, unable to put the welfare of the country above his own desires.

Mr. Schwarzenegger said he would vote for Ms. Harris. Because he’s more America-first than a Republican and doesn’t want “four more years of bullsh*t.”

And as tough as he is, he knows he’s smarter than kissing a rattlesnake.

What else to read:

Must read: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and the billions of ways to influence elections
Oh Joe: Was Biden planning to call Trump supporters “trash” or was he just stumbling in defense of Puerto Rico?
LA Times Feature: When should candidates apologize? This question confuses LA City Council race
stay golden,
Anita Chhabria

PS I love that Joe Biden was putting country first when he left to allow Harris to run. If you need proof that this was the right choice, just look at how he’s been making headlines this week. Biden may or may not have called Trump supporters trash. It’s hard to understand. Personally, I don’t think that’s what he meant, but he said it. And now Republicans will be in a frenzy to turn gaffes into votes until Election Day. Really, that’s fair. But oh Joe, why?

Here’s the clip:

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.