Subscribe

Veep Debate Is A Snoozefest As The World Burns - The Wednesday AM Quickie 10/2/24

By Jacob Silverman —

Not sure if that pre-debate jog in Central Park gave Walz the juice he needed. -Jacob

Subscribe to the AM Quickie's NEW paid newsletters here!

THE BIG NEWS

As Climate Chaos and War Rage, Veep Candidates Offer Few Good Answers

The first question of last night's vice presidential debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz began with a grim reminder of where the establishment political consensus lies. Would you, the CBS News moderators asked almost gleefully, support a pre-emptive Israeli military strike on Iran?

As an opening salvo, it was ridiculous, especially as Israel prosecutes a US-assisted genocide in Gaza and Iran had just finished launching its own missile strike on Israel. Pre-emption has long gone out the window. But the question was really about that inviolable shibboleth of US foreign policy: thou must support Israel. And both candidates, in their own fumbling ways, basically said yes.

That might have been a good moment for Minnesota's avuncular governor to highlight how Donald Trump ripped up the Iran nuclear agreement that helped keep a lid on Israeli and Iranian regional aggression. But it was that kind of night, as neither candidate landed any hard blows. JD Vance was a slimy chameleon, failing to answer questions directly and instead offering an extremely misleading vision of former president Donald Trump as some kind of misunderstood, unifying centrist who could help fight climate change by promoting domestic oil and gas production.

Tim Walz came across as too nice and wonkish – over-coached, perhaps – lacking the folksy ease he's displayed in past media appearances. Gone were "these guys are weird" and "we won't go back." Instead of treating his rival like the political enemy he is, Walz several times expressed agreement with Vance or gave him credit for his (not very convincing) sincerity on an issue. At times Walz sounded like an NPR podcast at 1.25x speed, spitting out liberal homilies and reassurances about Harris' policy prescriptions that lacked punch or clarity.

The most memorable moment came when Walz slowed down and asked Vance a simple question: Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election? "Tim, I'm focused on the future," responded Vance, before clumsily trying to make his answer about Kamala Harris censoring the American public.

"That is a damning non-answer," Walz said.

Walz was right. The non-answer was immediately placed in wide circulation on social media and is almost certain to become part of future attack ads that boomers see on cable news. (Granted, there is already plenty of available evidence showing that Vance supported the GOP plan of using an alternate slate of electors.)

Vice presidential debates can be mostly dismissed as inconsequential. And thankfully so. But last night felt like a missed opportunity to expose the terminally unlikable, unreliable Vance and his support for the Trump agenda of mass deportations, theocratic restrictions on women's healthcare, purging the federal workforce, rigging elections, and corporate rule.

Below is Sam and Emma's live debate coverage. They'll have more analysis on today's show.

Netanyahu's War Machine: Israel Bombs Four Nations in 24 Hours

Israel's invasion of Lebanon continued yesterday with ground operations in southern Lebanon and air strikes in Beirut. "In a surprise announcement, Israel said Tuesday that its ground forces have been operating covertly in Lebanon for the last year, carrying out dozens of small ground operations," according to the AP. Israel has invaded Lebanon multiple times and occupied the southern part of the country for 18 years, so a year of secret raids is par for the neo-imperial course.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems intent on prosecuting on a wider regional war: in a single day, the Israeli air force bombed targets in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. The IDF ordered Lebanese civilians to evacuate as it initiated what it called "targeted raids." The evacuation order covers dozens of communities in southern Lebanon and carries an ominous echo of Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza, which began with warnings to flee to "humanitarian zones." Most of these Lebanese people, naturally, have nothing to do with Hezbollah, and some are even Syrian refugees displaced by a civil war in which Hezbollah sided with dictator Bashar Assad.

Iran Retaliates With Missile Strike Against Israel

Iran launched a reported 180 ballistic missiles at Israel yesterday, with the intended targets appearing to be two airbases and Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv. Some of the missiles were intercepted or hit elsewhere. (WaPo's Evan Hill has a good roundup of geolocated missile strikes.) One person was killed in the occupied West Bank. Israel reported no casualties.

In a statement after the strike, Iran's military announced that the attack was finished for now. "Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said.

In other words, Iran launched a limited, proportionate response to Israeli aggression against Iranian allies in Lebanon and Gaza and recent Israeli assassinations within Iran. Surely this will all end there!

QUICKEST QUICKIES

  • The Longshoremen's Strike Is Just Beginning Tens of thousands of members of the International Longshoremen's Association are on strike, which is slowing or stopping activity at a number of major ports. The strike has the potential to inflict billions of dollars in lost economic activity – which, of course, is the point of this kind of labor agitation. Pay the workers! via WaPo.
  • Claudia Sheinbaum Takes Office As Mexico's First Woman President Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist who served as mayor of Mexico City, was inaugurated as Mexico's first woman president. Sheinbaum is part of a new wave of female politicians who are now heading top Mexican institutions. via WaPo, AP, and NPR.
  • Sean Combs Will Be Facing Many More Lawsuits More than 100 plaintiffs plan to file lawsuits against Sean Diddy Combs, who was recently indicted for sex trafficking and racketeering. Lawyers claim that they represent a range of men and women, some of whom were children when they were allegedly victimized by Combs. via WaPo.
  • A Right-Wing Think Tank Is Hunting For Woke Bureaucrats Three staffers at the Heritage Foundation have filed thousands of FOIA requests looking for workers at government agencies using terms like "climate change," "DEI," and even "voting." The requests seem designed to glean intel on government workers that can then be spun into fake stories about woke deep state Democrats. via ProPublica.

SOME NUMBER

33,000

That's how many striking Boeing machinists are at risk of losing their employee health insurance. The workers, who have been striking for less than three weeks, offer "another perfect example of why we need Medicare for All," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

10/2: It’s Hump Day! Sam and Emma break down the biggest moments from the Vice Presidential debate last night.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

GRIFTER-CON Morons Did Not Disappoint

Our hallowed republic is pretty safe from these guys.

Donald Trump's Hurricane Lies BUSTED By Republican Governor

As usual, Trump is finger-painting his own reality.

PARTING WORDS

"Let’s be real, Hezbollah was in control and the country was dependent on their will. Everything is very uncertain. We are into the unknown now."

-- Lebanese political analyst Georges Haddad speaking to Prospect Magazine about the potential instability being created by Israel's attack on Lebanon.

Anniversary Sale!

It's the 20th anniversary of The Majority Report, and we have the merch to prove it! Buy some swag at shop.majorityreportradio.com and help us keep going for another 20 years. Thanks!

Quickie Discount Code Corner

Hey check it out! Stuff on sale!

Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024! https://nationcruise.com/mr/

Check out Seder's Seeds at sedersseeds.com! 
It's growing season, so it's time to get your very own Seder's Seeds! Go to https://sedersseeds.com and get 15% off your entire order when you enter the discount code Majority

IAC Laser Engraving: Visit https://iaclasers.com and use Coupon Code MAJORITY10 at checkout to save 10% on your order. They have also updated their site recently, so if you’ve visited in the past, you’ll want to visit again and check out the new products.

Fast Growing Trees: This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF their first purchase when using the code MAJORITY at checkout. That’s an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF at https://FastGrowingTrees.com using the code MAJORITY at checkout. https://FastGrowingTrees.com code MAJORITY. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

Earthbreeze: Right now, my listeners can receive 40% off Earth Breeze just by going to https://earthbreeze.com/majority! That's https://earthbreeze.com/majority to cut out single-use plastic in your laundry room and claim forty percent off your subscription.

Blueland Cleaning Products: Blueland has a special offer for listeners. Right now, get 15% off your first order by going to https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY. You won’t want to miss this! https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY for 15% off.

Prolon: Right now, Prolon is offering The Majority Report with Sam Seder listeners 10% off their 5-day nutrition program. Go to https://ProlonLife.com/MAJORITY.

ExpressVPN: Stop handing over your personal data to the Big Tech monopoly that mines your activity and sells your information. Protect yourself with the VPN I trust to keep me safe online. Visit https://ExpressVPN.com/majority. That’s https://ExpressVPN.com/majority to get three extra months free.

Ritual: Essential for Men is a quality multivitamin from a company you can actually trust. Get 40% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/MAJORITY. This offer is only available through January 31st. Start Ritual or add Essential For Men to your subscription today.

ZBiotics: Go to https://zbiotics.com/MAJORITY to get 15% off your first order when you use MAJORITY at checkout. You can also sign up for a subscription using my code - so you can stay prepared no matter the time or occasion. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Henson Shaving: Henson Shaving is giving my audience a 2-year supply of blades for FREE. Just go to https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY, That’s https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY. Add a razor and 100-pack of blades to your cart, then enter code MAJORITY to get the blades for free.

Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/majority. Go to https://shopify.com/majority now to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

LiquidIV: Revive yourself for the New Year. Grab your Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Sugar-Free in bulk nationwide at Costco or get 20% off your first order when you go to https://liquidiv.com/majorityrep at checkout. That’s 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://liquidiv.com.

Nutrafol: Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code TMR. Find out why over 4,000 healthcare professionals recommend Nutrafol for healthier hair.

Sunset Lake CBD: Sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com.

CozyEarth: IF you’ve never tried Cozy Earth, I've got awesome news!  You can SAVE up to 35%  off Cozy Earth right now!  But hurry... this offer won't last.  Go to https://CozyEarth.com and enter mypromo code MAJORITY REPORT at checkout for up to 35% off on your first order!  That's https://CozyEarth.com promo code MAJORITY REPORT.