Day: October 29, 2024

Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 29, 2024. I’ve been warning about the dangers of Donald Trump’s fascism since he announced his first bid for president in June of 2015. Few people took that warning, or my escalating concern about the fascist features of Trump’s politics throughout his presidency, seriously. Even after January 6, people said my warnings were exaggerated or even hysterical. Now, calling Trump a fascist and talking about the threat of fascism is commonplace. But it still understates the danger. For fascism is no longer a threat. It’s here. Fascism is a major force in our politics. Fascism is a set of ideas that are entirely contrary to the foundations of the American Republic, which is why it is dangerous. It’s also a set of political practices that is already found in our country and threaten to destroy it. That Trump and Trumpism embrace fascist… Continue reading

Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 29, 2024. Election watchers are always waiting for the “October Surprise” that could have a last-minute effect on the election. It could be that the hateful attack on Puerto Rico and Latinos that was the worst of many examples of bigotry in Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally will be the October Surprise of this election. As 8% of the Pennsylvania electorate is Latino and the majority of them are of Puerto Rican descent, this event may cost Trump Pennsylvania. A shift of only 5% of the Puerto Rican vote from Trump to Harris could add up to 30,000 votes which could be her margin of victory. But there is another October Surprise that has been gradually brewing and is likely to get some attention the weekend before the election: we are in the midst of an economic boom. Tomorrow, on October 30th,… Continue reading