gaffe

Thursday August 1, 2024

J.D. Vance’s extreme and divisive rhetoric, coupled with Trump’s lackluster campaign strategy, has turned their ticket into a significant liability, overshadowed by Kamala Harris's rising appeal and strategic positioning.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 1, 2024

Link to the animated making-of clip of this cartoon.

J.D. Vance—Trump’s Liability in 2024

The 2024 U.S. presidential race is tumultuous, with Trump’s attempted assassination boosting his support while concerns about Biden’s age and performance challenge his candidacy, pushing Democrats to rethink strategies.

July 17, 2024

J.D. Vance, once seen as a strategic vice-presidential pick to bolster Trump’s appeal among the Republican base, has quickly turned into a significant liability. This sentiment is echoed by Maureen Dowd, Andrew Coyne, and Justin Webb, who collectively highlight Vance’s controversial views and missteps.

Andrew Coyne vividly characterizes Vance as a “smarter Trump,” noting that while Trump has always been defined by his “venomous ignorance,” Vance embodies a more calculated, yet equally problematic form of extremism. According to Coyne, Vance’s “wooden” demeanor and “bookish smarm” have bored and confused audiences, exacerbated by his past remarks that have alienated not just liberals but many Republicans as well. Coyne argues that Vance’s failure lies in his attempt to be the smart, strategic successor to Trump, which ironically makes him a greater liability. Unlike Trump, whose ignorance acts as a form of invulnerability, Vance’s calculated opportunism and lack of humility have made him a target for criticism.

Opinion: A smarter Trump turns out to be a weaker force 

December 14, 2017

Maureen Dowd provides a starkly critical view of both Trump and Vance, suggesting that Trump’s own retrograde attitudes towards women are outdone by Vance’s “draconian and mean-spirited” views. Dowd describes Trump as stuck in a “1959 time warp,” marked by outdated and offensive perspectives on women, but Vance’s views, according to her, are even more egregious. She highlights Vance’s dismissal of women who don’t fit his traditional mold, arguing that his belief that only women in traditional marriages have a “direct stake” in America is not just archaic but “un-American.”

Dowd also criticizes Vance for his attempt to sanitize his previous derogatory comments about women, which he dismissed as mere sarcasm. She portrays Vance as embodying a modern-day “faux-billy” who tailors his beliefs to match his ambitions while projecting an image nurtured by extremist ideologies. His stance on issues like abortion and his promotion of policies targeting women’s rights further underscore his unsuitability.

Opinion: JD Vance, Purr-fectly Dreadful

Donald Trump's cynical exploitation of religion during Holy Week, epitomized by the sale of a "God Bless the USA Bible," underscores the dangerous fusion of nationalism and faith, prompting a call to preserve the integrity of true Christianity against such commercialization.

April 2, 2024

Moreover, the unexpected nomination of Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden has added to Trump’s woes. Harris has invigorated the Democratic base, as observed by Webb, presenting a sharp contrast to the Trump-Vance ticket. Harris’s campaign has gained momentum, while Trump’s appears directionless, unable to effectively counter Harris’s growing appeal.

However, Harris’s current momentum could easily be whittled down with gaffes and the inevitable dirty campaigning as time goes on. The Democratic Party’s fortunes also depend on Harris’s imminent choice of a running mate, which could further strengthen her campaign. A strong vice-presidential pick could solidify her position and highlight the eroding appeal of J.D. Vance.

Analysis: Kamala Harris has rattled Trump. Things could get really ugly

Kamala Harris's candidacy offers a dynamic and historic alternative to Donald Trump, with the potential to energize the Democratic base and appeal to swing voters despite significant challenges.

July 23, 2024

Reader reactions to Webb’s piece reinforce the notion that Trump and Vance are out of touch. Trump lacks essential qualities like wit, warmth, and wisdom, making his attacks on Harris seem desperate and out of place. Vance, meanwhile, exacerbates the situation with his own misjudgments, making him a poor choice for attracting swing voters.

As Harris rallies support and assembles a strong campaign team, Trump and Vance seem increasingly isolated. The “childless cat ladies” demographic, underestimated by Vance, might very well play a crucial role in the upcoming election, potentially tipping the scales against the Republicans. The combined effect of Vance’s unpopularity and Harris’s rising profile suggests that the GOP’s strategy is faltering, making it an uphill battle for Trump in November. (AI)

 

Wednesday July 15, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 15, 2020

Oh, for a viable alternative to the Liberals

Merely by the celebrity of the Trudeau family, potential conflicts of interest are going to arise, as one did last week when the federal ethics commissioner opened yet another investigation over Justin Trudeau’s role in awarding a $19.5 million sole-source contract to the WE charity to administer the $912 million Canada Student Service Grant program.

July 11, 2020

The WE organization hires all kinds of speakers, performers and leaders for events intended to inspire youth to take local action for global change. Two of those speakers over the past four years were Trudeau’s mother Margaret and brother Alexandre (Sacha) who were paid $250,000 and $32,500 respectively.

His wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is an ambassador for the organization.

On top of that, finance minister Bill Morneau is also drawing criticism because one of his daughters works with WE.

I’m not convinced anything overtly nefarious happened here. There is a big difference between corruption and conflict of interest. The public service has said it was their recommendation to award the contract.

June 23, 2020

But good gracious, the cabinet still had to rubber-stamp it and at the very least two seasoned public figures should know, at the very least, to recuse themselves, especially after being sanctioned twice by the ethics commissioner.

What happened to transparency and doing politics differently?

I find it extremely discouraging that we can’t get beyond these kinds of simple ethics issues. We’ve had 153 years of political scandals from both of the seesawing governing parties. Can we ever expect something different? Is human nature really that intractable?

October 23, 2015

I have lots of friends who despise Trudeau. They believe he is only prime minister because of his celebrity. There’s some truth to that. There were better candidates in the Liberal leadership race, but it’s doubtful any of them could have won the election in 2015, or at least a majority government.

My Trudeau-despising friends think he is entitled, narcissistic, incompetent and insincere.

It’s getting pretty hard to argue with that, not that I have ever whole-heartedly defended him, my only real defence being that the Liberals as a whole are the lesser of evils.

Of course, all the opposition calls for criminal investigations and for Trudeau to resign are political posturing. Ultimately, he will get his knuckles rapped for a third time and his fate will be in the hands of public opinion when the next federal election rolls around.

Unfortunately, at this point, I still don’t see a viable alternative emerging. (The Interior News) 

 

Wednesday April 20, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday April 20, 2016 Trump commends first responders to '7-Eleven' attacks Donald Trump made an awkward slip of the tongue at a rally in Buffalo, N.Y.,Êon Monday evening, referringÊto the Sept. 11, 2001, attacksÊas "7-Eleven."Ê "I was down there, and I watched our police and our firemen down on 7-Eleven, down at the World Trade Center [in New York City], right after it came down, and I saw the greatest people I have ever seen in action," said the businessman, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president. The 2001 attacks on Manhattan and the Pentagon are commonly referred to asÊ9/11.ÊThe convenience store chain 7-Eleven isÊknown for its Slurpee frozen drinks.Ê Trump was apparently oblivious to the fact he'dÊconflated the two. Ê He was speaking to thousands of supporters at a rally held ahead of the New York primaries on Tuesday. The video was shared widely onÊsocial media, including as a Vine with nearly fourÊmillion loops. (Source: CBC News)Êhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/trump-seven-eleven-video-1.3542293 9-11, September 11, gaffe, Donald Trump, speech, 7-11, 7-Eleven, terrorism

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 20, 2016

Trump commends first responders to ‘7-Eleven’ attacks

Donald Trump made an awkward slip of the tongue at a rally in Buffalo, N.Y., on Monday evening, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as “7-Eleven.”

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday February 10, 2016 Poll: Trump, Sanders lead ahead of New Hampshire's vote Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican race in New Hampshire on the eve of the vote, the final CNN/WMUR tracking poll finds. On the Democratic side of the race, it remains Bernie Sanders' primary to lose, with the Vermont senator holding a 26-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The field of candidates vying for a second place finish behind him is finally beginning to separate, according to the survey. Trump holds 31%, down two points from the February 3-6 release, but within the poll's margin of sampling error. READ: The full CNN/WMUR tracking poll results Behind him, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio earned 17% support -- within the margin of sampling error of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 14%, but significantly ahead of the fourth and fifth place candidates in the poll, Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 10% and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 7%. Behind Bush, Carly Fiorina stands at 5%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4% and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 3%. Aside from Trump, none of the Republican candidates moved more than 1 point in either direction compared with the previous CNN/WMUR tracking poll. About three-quarters of the interviews conducted for this poll were completed before the Republican candidates debated Saturday night, their final such match-up before Tuesday's election. Although the post-debate sample size is too small to produce a separate estimate of the vote, interviews conducted Sunday and Monday found no drop in support for Rubio, and actually showed a slimmer margin between Trump and Rubio. There has been little movement in the last two days in the other metrics tested in the survey, with about two-thirds still saying they expect to see Trump win on Tuesday (64%), and about a third saying they would never vote for Trump (32%). (Source: CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/politics/donald-trump-bernie-sa

Wednesday February 10, 2016

“I was down there, and I watched our police and our firemen down on 7-Eleven, down at the World Trade Center [in New York City], right after it came down, and I saw the greatest people I have ever seen in action,” said the businessman, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president.

The 2001 attacks on Manhattan and the Pentagon are commonly referred to as 9/11. The convenience store chain 7-Eleven is known for its Slurpee frozen drinks.

Trump was apparently oblivious to the fact he’d conflated the two.

He was speaking to thousands of supporters at a rally held ahead of the New York primaries on Tuesday.

The video was shared widely on social media, including as a Vine with nearly four million loops. (Source: CBC News)

 

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Friday February 29, 2008

February 29, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 29, 2008

Smitherman apologizes for diaper comment

Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman has apologized for his comments about “seriously considering” wearing an adult diaper to better understand the condition in nursing homes. 

“I guess it’s not surprising that people have jumped on it but I’m disappointed that anyone would see this as trivialization,” he told Global Morning News Thursday. “I really didn’t mean it that way.”

The comments were made Wednesday at Queen’s Park following complaints from nursing home staff about residents being forced to wear soiled diapers for much of the day because there are not enough caregivers to change them. 

The fallout in response to those comments by various opposition parties Thursday was vast. 

Some have called for the health minister’s resignation for the insensitive remarks and others have asked Mr. Smitherman to come up with a concrete solution to improve long-term care in the province. 

“If people were offended or think I shouldn’t have raised those comments. I apologize,” Mr. Smitherman told a Toronto radio station Thursday. 

Valerie Hanley, whose elderly mother is one of the 75,000 people living in long-care in the province, was disgusted by the health minister’s comments.  (Source: National Post)