catless children

That debate was a doozy, eh? Though he’ll never stop trying, Trump set a personal best in absurdity when he claimed that illegal immigrants in Illinois were eating the pets of the good citizens there. So from this gem to J.D. Vance’s childless cat ladies, we now have a solid metric of the paucity of issues the GOP can muster. When Aging Orange was pressed for a source, he said he saw it on TV.

He careened from clueless observer to Raving-Drunk-at-the-End-of-the-Bar and back as Harris methodically baited him, then patiently watched him dig himself deeper. Trump tried to regroup in the Spin Room, claiming but not naming polls that had him winning 92 to 6 and 88 to 11. A CNN snap poll begged to differ, giving it to Harris 63 to 37. The pundit Larry Sabado, known for objective, generally accurate political analysis, noted that Harris “cleaned his clock”.

It’s difficult to estimate how much effect the debate will have on the election. Harris certainly gained some steam and likely will get a bump in the polls. Donny John will learn nothing from it. His cult will stay unswayed. He still has the tactical advantage of doing anything to win.

But for now, let us revel in a major victory in a historic campaign. And to top off a topping evening, Taylor Swift endorsed Harris in an Instagram post to her 248 million Swifties, signing off as “Childless Cat Lady” with a photo of her holding a cat.

P.S. Let’s keep in sight that 23 years ago today, the U.S. was set on a course that still reverberates in its national consciousness.