(The Daily Signal)—Vice President Kamala Harris completed her second whole interview of her mostly cloistered presidential campaign Wednesday night.
Frankly, it was an embarrassment for American corporate media and gives the lie to the idea that the Harris campaign is all about defending “democracy.”
The interview was exactly what one would expect if you’d followed the Harris campaign at all. It was a series of mostly softball questions, delivered in the friendliest of confines on left-wing MSNBC, conducted by an admiring and sycophantic host, Stephanie Ruhle.
That setup was practically telegraphed ahead of time.
Five days before the interview, Ruhle went on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” and claimed that Harris didn’t have to answer any substantive questions from the media.
“Kamala Harris isn’t running for perfect,” Ruhle heatedly told the New York Times’ Bret Stephens, another guest on the program. “She’s running against [former President Donald Trump]. We have two choices. And so there are some things you might not know her answer to. And in 2024, unlike 2016, for a lot of the American people, we know exactly what Trump will do, who he is, and the kind of threat he is to democracy.”
Ruhle said it was utopian—“nirvana”—to think we the people might get substantive answers from Harris on how she’d govern if elected president.
Really, what a crazy idea that some of us may have that we should live in a free society, where leaders are expected to account for themselves, and the people are the boss.
Basically, Harris isn’t Trump, so anything at all is good enough, right?
How interesting it is that after those comments, the Harris campaign almost immediately announced that they would allow Queen Kamala to come down from on high and grant Ruhle a humble request for an audience.
It was a “coincidence” that didn’t go unnoticed by commentators on X.
hahahaha
Stephanie Ruhle slobbered over Kamala a few days ago, saying she doesn’t have to do interviews because democracy is at stake, and the Harris campaign immediately called her up and says, “You’re our kind of interviewer.”
Incredible. https://t.co/ziPPQEtYzo
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) September 25, 2024
Stephanie Ruhle goes on Bill Mahar and lick spittles Kamala Harris saying it doesn't matter that she doesn't answer questions or what she believes. Peter Baker calls her "the great" for landing a pretaped interview because of it. https://t.co/LCqF3ioY1w
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 25, 2024
It is really bad form for MSNBC to have someone argue that Kamala Harris doesn't need to take questions at all and then have that same person conducting the interview with her. Like if they care about journalistic ethics at all, they should assign a different interviewer. https://t.co/YdPcJXOuvK
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) September 25, 2024
As for the interview, Harris was asked a few gentle questions about her proposed policies, to which she responded with mostly shallow, bumbling non-answers.
Unsurprisingly, Harris has few ideas about how to cover the $1.7 trillion in spending she’s proposed other than to raise corporate taxes on “billionaires.” Harris additionally had no answer for how she would get this corporate tax hike through with the Republican Party controlling the Senate, if they win back control in November.
So, we just have to assume more borrowing and more inflation. Great stuff.
Here is Harris addressing increasing housing and other costs in society, but her grand idea is just to say, over and over, that our problems must be addressed “holistically.”
NEW: Vice President Kamala Harris says "holistic" three times in a 15-second period.
The VP proudly showed off the word during an interview with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle.
"Looking holistically at the connection between that and housing and looking holistically at the… pic.twitter.com/Z9DMdR97Qj
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 25, 2024
Using “holistically” in this way is akin to using other meaningless corporate-speak buzzwords like “creating synergy” that are intended to sound profound, but mean nothing. I suppose it’s slightly better than saying that the plan for lowering costs is lowering costs.
NEW: Kamala Harris is asked about her plan to lower the cost of living, says she will do that by lowering the cost of necessities.
Remarkable.
Question: What will you do to lower costs?
Answer: Yeah. I first of all, thank you both for being here and yours is a, a story I hear… pic.twitter.com/UQUNCnvesO
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 20, 2024
There was hardly any real substance to the interview at all. Aside from a handful of policy questions, Ruhle and Harris joshed about accusations that Harris never worked at a McDonald’s in her youth as she claimed.
Harris said she made fries, not burgers. But besides laughing and taking potshots at Trump, she didn’t really get into specifics or dispel the notion that the story about her working at a fast-food chain might be made up.
There’s really nothing more to say about these tepid, jovial back-and-forths, but it is notable how similar this was to Harris’ previous CNN interview with host Dana Bash. A handful of “tough” questions received only the lightest of follow-up questions and a large portion of the interview was fluff, wasting the time of viewers.
That would be fine if Harris was generally out on the campaign trail talking to the press and conducting interview after interview like a typical presidential candidate in the age of “democracy.”
It’s wholly unacceptable when one considers that the vice president was dropped into this race in a last-second swap, in which she never even answered to Democratic primary voters. We really are supposed to just accept that the reason to vote for Harris is that she’s not Trump, just as Ruhle said.
When the MSNBC host was later asked about Harris’ vague policy answers, particularly on why the Biden administration ended up keeping many of Trump’s tariffs in place, Ruhle made the excuse that the issue is “complicated.”
It’s totally fine that Harris didn’t give clear and direct answers, because “we are not talking about clear or direct issues,” she said.
Ah, yes, as Sun Tzu doubtlessly once said, the ways of the great leader must be mysterious and opaque to those who must follow.
Since when are members of the press expected to run PR for the politicians they interview?
What we should take from this MSNBC interview is that America’s media don’t want to ask her tough questions in an election. They want to conduct and plan her coronation. They are hardly even interested in getting answers about the way she will promote left-wing policies.
Just being in power is apparently good enough.
In some sense, Harris’ gilded tower campaign is even more disturbing than the Biden basement campaign. Any pretense of illuminating the policy positions of the candidates before the people is gone.
Hard questions won’t be asked. “Joy” and “vibes” will suffice.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
