Is it just me... or has this presidential race become the most petty and childish in U.S. history?

Blazing Reader,

"They're garbage!"

"She's stupid!"

Whether it's Biden calling Trump supporters "garbage" or Trump calling Harris "stupid" — it sure feels like this presidential race has become the most petty and childish in U.S. history.

Yes, some of Trump's jokes have been clever, tasteful and witty — such as when he told Senator Chuck Schumer that "considering how woke your party has become, if Kamala loses, you still have the chance to become the first woman president."

But other jabs — like calling Harris "low IQ" and "stupid" — sound more like schoolroom taunts than political debate.

When I wrote Much Ado About Corona I never called people stupid — instead I showed how they were doing stupid things. It's far more effective and entertaining. Some days, I miss Ron Paul — he was both articulate and hard-hitting without any pettiness.

Otherwise, I'm completely undecided regarding Trump's authenticity. Supporters seem to gloss over the fact he still believes there was a pandemic and that the poisonous injection he "warp-speeded" saved the day. He's either corrupt, ignorant or playing five-dimensional chess. I hope it's the latter. And I do hope he gets elected (though I would have preferred Ron DeSantis or Vivek Ramaswamy) so we can find out for sure (judge a tree by its fruit). There's no question what kind of Marxist hell a Harris presidency would lead to. Trump, at least, offers some mystery, hope or, if nothing else, entertainment.

But even if Trump proves to be freedom incarnate, it's questionable how much a president can do with $36.95 trillion in debt. Millions of name-calling Americans who believe McDonald's takeout will "Make America Healthy Again" may not be ready for the belt-tightening required to climb out of such a deficit.

For a hopeful spin on Trump and his showmanship, check out episode 884 of Just Right, "The Trump card — is being played" at https://justrightmedia.org/blog/archives/14806.

And for a sobering take on Trump Mania, check out this interview on The Way Forward with Derrick Brooze explaining why he believes voting for either party is pointless and what should be done instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agxol3fmqms

There. I said something about the election. Or, whatever it really is.

Stay sane and read great books,

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/