PurpleAmerica Endorses Harris

We're Moderate and Independent, Not Stupid or Cowardly--Taking Notes Bezos?

PurpleAmerica seeks to cater to the middle of the American electorate. Over the course of the past two years since we started, we’ve been critical of the extremes of both sides and worked hard to bring the debate back to the middle ground. We’re in favor of improving the lives of most Americans and pragmatic policies that work.

If you have been a regular reader of PurpleAmerica, you know we think Donald Trump is the single worst human being ever in American politics. For starters, he’s an idiot who couldn’t tell you how government works at the level most fifth graders understand. He’s a billionaire nepo-baby ignoramus who’s failed at pretty much every business venture he’d ever attempted, including a casino (seriously, how do you bankrupt a casino?). His only real asset is his name which he licenses and moronic QVC watchers think it stands for something classy when in reality it’s on par with cheap knockoff labels like Guchi and Kevin Cline. His only skill is in conning people into buying his bullshit. I’ve called this out repeatedly. He was a disaster as President before, he’ll be even worse the second time around without guardrails and the worst people feeding his id. Anyone with two eyes and a memory should know he would make a terrible President.

But last week, the absolutely absurd happened. The Washington Post, the epitome of top notch political journalism, the paper that broke Watergate, the main paper source for DC politics and government, and one of the biggest papers in America, refused to endorse either candidate this year, 11 days before the election. This is something they hadn’t done since 1988 (they said either candidate then would be fine) and the first time they expressly haven’t endorsed anyone since 1972 with Nixon. Apparently, sources indicate that an endorsement of Harris was coming and written and that Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, Blue Origin and the Washington Post, killed it. Nobody knows for certain why, but there is speculation it was because he was worried about retribution against his business interests should Trump win, and with such a close race in the polls he was hedging his bets.

To that I say— COWARD. That’s what he is. He has more money than all but two or three people on earth, he’s practically untouchable, he could squash Donald Trump like a bug if he wanted to and instead, at the moment America needs a backbone, he turns yellow. It’s utterly insulting. Insulting to our intelligence, insulting to the American electorate, insulting to everyone who does business with him.

I wasn’t going to explicitly “endorse” Harris. If you’re a regular reader you know where I stand and I didn’t think I had to. Besides, I’ve kind of already done it here and here, disussed Biden as the greatest President in my lifetime here, and have utterly ripped on Trump here, here and here. And that’s just a taste. I am no Harris fanboy, but up against Trump’s Hades she looks like Athena. Longtime PurpleAmerica reader RobotJim always is kind of shocked when I post liberal emails where they think I’m a MAGA GOPer in disguise because I am critical of Harris or progressives from time to time; no, I’m just not a huge political icon groupie like many out there. But this utter absence of moral clarity by The Washington Post requires a clear, unambiguous statement.

PURPLEAMERICA STANDS BEHIND KAMALA HARRIS 100% for PREISDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SHE IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WITH THE CONSCIENCE, INTELLIGENCE, MORAL CORE, PRAGMATISM AND ABILITY TO COLLABORATE WITH NATIONAL AND WORLD LEADERS. SHE IS THE ONLY REAL CANDIDATE WHO WOULD WORK ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO ADVICE FROM THOSE THAT KNOW BEST. KAMALA HARRIS, UNDERSTANDS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, SHE UNDERSTANDS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE, AND SHE WOULD MAKE A FINE PRESIDENT.

To be sure, we have our disagreements with Harris. Nonetheless, this election should be a no-brainer. That it is this close makes me sad more Americans don’t open their eyes to what is happening around them. Trump is a walking horrorshow. He’s a philandering, cheating, fraud who has broken every single one of the seven deadly sins in broad daylight, and convinces his crowds its a good thing to break them again to which he gets thunderous applause. He’s a cancer on the American Body Politic, and needs to be excised as soon and as completely as possible.

Jeff Bezos, take note. I may not have the pull of the Washington Post, but I’m no fucking coward.

PurpleAmerica’s Recommended Stories

I’ve been a WashingtonPost subscriber for 30+ years, going back to the time I lived in the DC area working on Capitol Hill. On Friday afternoon after this debacle, I cancelled my subscription.

Part of what makes this whole “non-endorsement” offensive is that the Washington Post had built up a brand that it was going to continue strong journalism and fight against shit like this. They changed the motto on the masthead to “Democracy Dies in Darkness” when editor Marty Baron took control at the start of Trump’s term because he thought it important to reassure readers that the truth will still come out and they will still promote solid journalism. With this event, all that is out the window.

Fixed it for you Jeff.

PurpleAmerica’s Cultural Corner

For those out there who may be fans of Dante’s Inferno, you’ll appreciate this next little nugget.

So after Virgil and Dante enter the Gate of Hell, the first thing they see is what is commonly referred to as “The Vestibule of Hell” which isn’t a part of Hell proper yet (the various rings of Hell different sinners are). Instead, what they see is a plantless field with people and angels chasing a blank banner for eternity. If they stop, they are stung by wasps to move again.

Dante explains that these are the morally neutral and the angels who wouldn’t choose sides in the war between God and Satan. They stood on the sidelines, but not choosing a side is also a choice. Neither Heaven nor Hell wanted them, so they are placed here.

I can think of nothing more apropos for Jeff Bezos right now than this passage. At a time of a clear moral choice, he chose to stay silent. It’s patently offensive.

PurpleAmerica’s Obscure Fact of the Day

When Carl Bernstein called John Mitchell in the middle of the night asking for comment on how the Washington Post was going to publish that the Nixon White House knew of the Watergate burglary and tried to cover it up, Mitchell responded “[Washington Post Owner] Katherine Graham is going to get her tit caught in a wringer if she publishes that.” That Graham went forward is a testament to her courage and a moment in time for journalisms finest hour. Instead we get this:

PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject

Apparently McKenzie Scott, Bezos’s ex-wife and well known philanthropist, won Bezo’s balls in the divorce settlement.

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? MAKE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE!!!

Footnotes and Fun Stuff