Can't say I blame him

 In the first and last interview he gave after being released from St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC, Ezra Pound uttered just three words:  "Words no good."  He had spent the first part of his life as an important modernist poet and critic, the second part broadcasting shockingly antisemitic propaganda on Italian radio during World War II, and the rest in a psychiatric hospital instead of a prison as many people would have preferred.  (John Hinckley, Jr., would supersede Pound as the institution's most famous patient.)  You can see his point -- words had brought Pound a lot of trouble.  Maybe even regret.

Last night in Oaks, Pennsylvania, when Trump suspended his unequal struggle with words for 39 minutes and entertained a town hall with recorded music instead, I could sort of see his point.  "Let's just listen to music.  Let's make it into a music.  Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?"  Especially since every question is just a reason to riff on The Border, inflation, and how "retarded" Kamala Harris is.  It's not the behavior we expect from a presidential (or any other) candidate, but as his coatholders continually point out, Trump is not a normal candidate.  

Of course the questions were submitted in advance, something he continually accuses Harris of getting.  Of course there was a teleprompter (above), another unpardonable sin.  But they forgot to pay for air conditioning and two people fainted.  Trump enjoyed this proof of loyalty so much that he called on others to lose consciousness.  Then he called for the music, what Steven Cheung decided to call "Total lovefest at the PA townhall!"  He "danced," he shook hands, he did everything but take requests.  As the people still capable of embarrassment slipped out, the rest enjoyed a remarkably eclectic list ranging from Pavarotti's recording of Schubert's "Ave Maria" to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" sung by Rufus Wainwright.  Has Trump ever listened to Cohen's words?  Words no good!  Since MC Kristi Noem's contribution to the evening was a quote from The Friends of Eddie Coyle which she weirdly attributed to John Wayne, maybe she, too, needs to give words a rest.

The New York Times chose to report, "Mr. Trump, a political candidate known for improvisational departures, made a detour."  Sounds like he began answering questions in the style of Jerry Lewis.  "Improvisational departures" is the nicest euphemism for "senile fuckbonkers" I've ever seen.  I wonder what News will be deemed Fit to Print when he starts taking his clothes off.  Hannibal Lecter is back on the Trump playlist and he ended the set by reminding everyone to vote on January 5, so we may not have to wait long to find out.

He's apparently avoiding occasions where he can't bring his boom box and lead the crew in "YMCA."  A CNBC interview was cancelled, like the one with Sixty Minutes, while Harris is scheduled to podcast with Joe Rogan in addition to her Fox News appearance.  The Trump gang considers fact-checking to be tantamount to "election interference," if not treason.  Meanwhile Harris is scheduled to podcast with Joe Rogan in addition to the Fox News interview because she is neither scared nor demented.  She's going to be just fine when she fixes Putin with her prosecutorial stare.

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Early voting began today in Georgia and Jason Carter reports that his grandfather Jimmy Carter fulfilled his wish to vote for Kamala Harris.  I hope they didn't make him travel to the polling place.  I voted three days ago by mail.  Surely a centenarian in hospice care could be afforded the same privilege.  

Mr. Carter will be pleased to know that his vote will not be messed with.  Fulton County Superior Judge Robert McBurney has ruled that local officials have a "mandatory fixed obligation" to certify the results in each county even if they "suspect" fraud.  Next, he'll be deciding on the silly new requirement that a hand-count be completed on election night.  Time's running out, Trumpers.