Impromptus

Harris in the arena, &c.

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Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign event at West Allis Central High School, in West Allis, Wis., July 23, 2024. (Vincent Alban / Reuters)
On presidential politics; Russia and China; the Olympic Games; and more

My old colleague David Brooks has written a column headed “What Democrats Need to Do Now.” It is smart as all get-out. My old colleague Kevin D. Williamson has written a column headed “If It Has to Be Harris . . .” Again, smart as all get-out. The subheading of Kevin’s column is “Some thoughts on how she could wage her coming culture war in a less Pyrrhic fashion.”

I myself have lots of ideas about how Harris should run. I thought of writing them down. But David and Kevin have spoken for me, essentially. Also, I thought: “Jay, you would ask her to be other than herself. You would ask her to be — well, more like you.”

Did I ever tell you about the best comeuppance — or one of them — I ever received? I think I have. It came from Amir Taheri, the eminent Iranian journalist (in exile). We were talking about Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human-rights lawyer who is the 2003 Nobel peace laureate. I guess I was saying to Amir, “Why doesn’t she do this, why doesn’t she do that?” He answered, gently, “Because then she would be Jay Nordlinger, rather than Shirin Ebadi.”

I have had frequent occasion to think of that.


More in Kamala Harris

Anyway, Vice President Harris would be well served to do as Brooks and Williamson — and I — say. But . . .

• Below is a bulletin from the Republican National Committee, issued last Friday. Judging from this, I think we can say that Ronna McDaniel’s tenure as head of the RNC was . . . tame? RINO-esque?

• In 1989, ex-president Gerald Ford was asked whether a woman would become president. He was asked by a schoolgirl. Ford’s answer is interesting. When it happens, he says, it will happen because a woman is vice president and then the president dies. And “once that barrier is broken,” he says: look out. A man will have a hard time even getting a presidential nomination.

• Earlier this month, several Republicans were mentioned as possibilities for that party’s vice-presidential slot. Now several Democrats are being mentioned. I think of William Safire, the columnist for the New York Times (with whom I grew up, so to speak). He would cite “the Great Mentioner.” “According to the Great Mentioner . . .”

Marvelous writer. A style cool, wry, and elegant.

• A headline from the Associated Press: “What’s in a name? Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance has had many of them.” (Article here.) That is very American — self-reinvention, accompanied by name changes. Think Gatsby . . .

• By now, you may have well seen this clip from our ex-president and possible future president:

Couple of thoughts: First, people have their own ideas of what a Christian is. Second: I think of Republicans of yore, such as Bob Dole, Howard Baker, Jack Kemp, Lamar Alexander, Pete Wilson. At the time, they seemed pretty good. Pretty solid, pretty respectable. By the light of today, however, I think they look like Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and the rest.

• Among Trump’s supporters are many who regard themselves as “China hawks.” I wonder whether Trump’s message here sits comfortably with them:

• I often hear from people who are pro-Kremlin but anti-PRC. This is curious, given the alliance between Putin and Xi — their “no-limits partnership,” as they call it. Last week brought significant news:

United States and Canadian fighter jets intercepted four Russian and Chinese bombers flying in international airspace near Alaska on Wednesday, officials said.

This marked the first time that Chinese military aircraft had been intercepted in that area, according to a U.S. official, and the first time that Russian and Chinese bombers had flown together near Alaska.

Americans and others should have no illusions: Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Hamas — they are all aligned. They are together. The Free World had better rouse itself from its slumber.

• Here is typical PRC behavior: “Lawmakers from at least six countries say Chinese diplomats are pressuring them not to attend a China-focused summit in Taiwan, in what they describe as efforts to isolate the self-governed island.” (For the news report I have quoted, go here.) This is small beer for a government committing genocide (according to the U.S. State Department and other bodies). Still, typical, and noteworthy.

The Chinese government is a bully at home and a bully abroad.

• Russia meddles (and worse). China meddles (and worse). Iran meddles (and worse).

In a recent speech on the Senate floor, Mitch McConnell referred to Russia, China, and Iran as “America’s greatest strategic adversaries.” (He did this while discussing Viktor Orbán, who has warm relations with those three dictatorships.) Again, America ought to look sharp.

• On the same theme:

The Kremlin is turning to unwitting Americans and commercial public-relations firms in Russia to spread disinformation about the U.S. presidential race, top intelligence officials said Monday, detailing the latest efforts by America’s adversaries to shape public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.

More from the same report:

Russia continues to pose the greatest threat when it comes to election disinformation, authorities said, while there are indications that Iran is expanding its efforts and China is proceeding cautiously when it comes to 2024.

Look sharp.

• A moving story:

With an Irish flag overhead and bagpipes playing, three sisters of an Irish-born recipient of the Navy Cross christened a warship bearing his name on Saturday — and secured a promise that the ship will visit Ireland.

Another sentence:

The future USS Patrick Gallagher is a guided missile destroyer that is under construction at Bath Iron Works and bears the name of the Irish citizen and U.S. Marine who fell on a grenade to save his comrades in Vietnam.

(For the report in question, go here.)

• Regular readers of this column are well familiar with Oswaldo Payá — the Cuban democracy leader who was killed by the Castro regime in 2012. A great man. (I recently podcasted with his daughter Rosa María, who continues his work.) Readers are also familiar with Bishop Rolando Álvarez, of Nicaragua: a former political prisoner, exiled to Vatican City last January. A man of tremendous courage.

There is a prize named after Oswaldo Payá: a “Liberty and Life” prize. It has been awarded to Bishop Álvarez. To read about this, go here.

• “Brazil apologizes for post-World War II persecution of Japanese immigrants.” Some apologies are necessary, some are less so — merely performative or frivolous. This seems to me a right and just apology. The story whose headline I have quoted is here.

• Churlishness about the Olympics could curdle rocks. I hear it all around me. Long have, actually. Personally, I love Paris and I love the Olympics. Wish I were there. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks.

• Caeleb Dressel reminded me of Mark Spitz. (Incidentally, I have never before seen “Caleb” spelled that way: “Caeleb.”) A U.S. swimmer, he has won eight gold medals, overall. Spitz won seven in Munich, and nine overall.

To read a report about Dressel, go here.

I remember the Munich Olympics, in 1972. I was eight. I remember the massacre of the Israelis, and my parents’ shock and grief over it. I remember Spitz.

Funny thing, memory (tricky, too).

• “They got the best player in the world,” said Anthony Edwards. He was referring to the Serbian basketball team. Specifically, he was referring to Nikola Jokić. That is high, high praise. Edwards himself is one of the best players in the world. It’s one thing if you or I praise Jokić, or declare him the best. But “Ant”? Man alive.

• “Vive la France! Léon Marchand fulfills the hopes of his nation with a swimming gold in 400 IM.” That story is here. “IM” stands for “individual medley” (I have learned). A phrase occurred to me: “Marchand! Marchand! Qu’un sang impur . . .”

(Bad joke. I am punning on the Marseillaise.)

• I don’t know if you remember this, but there was a period when lots of people were sour about Caitlin Clark, who had just joined the WNBA. They were sniffy, catty, resentful. I wrote about this in a column: “Something about Caitlin, &c.”

A quick excerpt:

A couple of days ago, word got around that Caitlin Clark would not be selected for the U.S. Olympic team. Maybe this is a right call. (About women’s basketball, I know little.) But some people pumped their fist over this, which was interesting.

There is something nasty in people that just can’t stand a person who’s at the top of her game and enjoying life. She must be taken down.

Well, some people are having second thoughts, or close to them, about Clark’s omission from the Olympic team. (For a story on this, go here.) I hope the period of anti-Caitlinism has passed.

Have you had enough from me? Don’t answer that. Thanks for joining me, and catch you soon.

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