Merely one moment of how low he can go

There was so much adolescent nastiness from Trump last night, I find it impossible to nominate a single instance as the vilest. This one, though, was at least among the finalists and, happily, added one more item to my already elongated scroll of reasons to even more deeply detest this small man of an insidious
 guttersnipe. 

She’s a Marxist — everybody knows she’s a Marxist. Her father is a Marxist professor in economics, and he taught her well.

To defame a distinguish scholar of political theory on national television — his opponent's father no less — was, it's true, only characteristic of Trump's chronic tenacity to punch down and assault even family members of the swarms of people he hates. But that one was singularly contemptible.   

(Personally, I don't see the epithet of "Marxist" as defamation. Its economic ism and historical analysis are largely outdated, although there remain some truths in its social science; additionally, Marxism is not limited to either discipline. But in this cherished land of free speech and free thought, most Americans do hear the word Marxist in terms of an individual's degradation. And therein lay Trump's usage — its mass-market reception.) 

The Times noted that "her father, Donald J. Harris," is "a renowned economist who has been a fleeting figure in her life." In other words, there was little time for him to indoctrinate Kamala. Dr. Harris turned 86 recently; he was a popular professor and is still at Stanford as an emeritus.

Harris has been clear that she supports capitalism, not that truth has ever deprived Trump of baseless vilification — direct, and McCathyism's guilt by association — and a refusal to accept reality. The Times also reminded readers that Harris has been endorsed by "more than 80 chief executives." (Helpful note to Trump: That's not really a sizable number when you consider America's hundreds of Marxist CEOs. So there's a line you can use hereafter.) 

Harris said in response to Trump's laughable "Marxist" that "from my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless." That much came through with stirring clarity. 

Comments

[VoiceOfReason]

The debate's best meme: "She was a childless cat woman with a laser pointer, and he chased the dot all night."