By james art I spent last weekend in Clark County, Nevada walking the neighborhood (going door to door) with the goal of making America civil again. Saturday’s neighborhood walk had to be cut short as I had to drive 30 minutes to North Las Vegas for the Kamala Harris Rally. Cheyenne High School’s 3,000-capacity gym filled quickly, so I was left sitting in the packed cafeteria with 500 other supporters watching a wide-screen TV. After waiting about 90 minutes, they began with the undercard: the candidates for Congress, state Assembly and Senate, and then United States Senator Jackie Rosen, who is running for re-election.
I heard some screams and rushed to the front of the stage as former President Barack Obama entered the transfusion room with his Secret Service team. All I can say is the guy is a rock star! Obama is lean, charismatic, eloquent and can finish a sentence without rambling or rambling, unlike a presidential candidate. We got the shortened version of his speech before he walked out to the crowd and started shaking hands. I had never shaken hands with a President of the United States before and it was the thrill of a lifetime. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
Funny moment where the Secret Service team was pushing back into the crowd and I raised my hands, swinging them back and forth as I said, “Dude, we’re Democrats. We don’t conceal carry.” The Secret Service agent laughed. Obama then went to the main gymnasium and gave his 30-minute speech, which included the cost of diapers for young families. Obama talks about all the diapers he changed when his girls were little.
“Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper?”
Someone in the crowd shouted, “Yours!”
Laughter erupted.
Sunday and Monday were pretty much the same, walking up and down the neighborhood’s dead-end streets in 88 degree heat. Then on Monday afternoon, we were told to report to the DNC precinct for a special guest, as Nevada Senator Jackie Rosen showed up with his friend Jimmy Kimmel, who literally grew up across the street from the office we were leaving. Think about it… there are approximately 350 million Americans and only 100 US Senators and I have to meet one. Well, two actually, as in nine days Adam Schiff will win his California Senate race. I met him a few weeks ago at the Carter House.
The Las Vegas metro is ground zero for the 2024 election, so last Tuesday former President Bill Clinton was in Las Vegas to campaign for Kamala. Not to be outdone, on Wednesday morning JD Vance held a rally at Treasure Island Casino, which I attended. Trump held a rally Thursday in Las Vegas with top Republican surrogates Kash Patel, Vivek Ramaswamy, Charlie Kirk, Tulsi Gabbard and Tucker Carlson (who?) standing up for him. Stop laughing. Trump’s catchphrase is “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Hell yeah! Four years ago I was stuck in my home while the idiot in the White House mismanaged the pandemic. Should I drink bleach? Injecting sunlight? Child, please!
Mainstream Republicans such as former President George W. Bush, former Vice Presidents Mike Pence, Dick Cheney and Dan Quayle, Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, along with former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are also not running for Trump. Psyche! That was a joke. None of these Republicans will come close to Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris just held a rally Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia, where Eminem introduced Barack Obama, who rapped the first few lines of “Lose Yourself” a cappella:
“His palms are sweaty, his knees are weak, his hands are heavy;
There’s already puke on his sweater, mom’s spaghetti;
He is nervous, but on the surface he seems calm and ready.”
Then Bruce Springsteen came on stage. Beyoncé, Willie Nelson and Tyler Perry joined Harris at a rally in Houston on Friday. Democrats also have other key surrogates, such as former first lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Mark Kelly. Gavin Newsom and Josh Shapiro.
Yes, I know, celebrities don’t vote in the seven battleground states since most of them live in California or New York. This election will be close, as 49% of the country voted for the pussy-grabbing, convicted rapist, convicted fraudster, the first president who did not have a peaceful transition of power, who tried to overthrow democracy on January 6th. God help us!
Matthew Owen lives in Eureka and believes the First Amendment allows for free speech. You can find him at [email protected].