Thank goodness for counter programming for the GOP debate. I know my beloved blogging sisters live for them, but I would rather get cadaver tissue for another dental implant. Do I make myself clear? I always end up despising the moderators and the prepared, canned lines that potential nominees are thirsting to use. The last great prepared dig was Ronald Reagan to Walter Mondale. President Reagan refused to exploit, for political purposes, Walter Mondale’s youth and inexperience against him. Election over. None of this group is good at delivering prepared jibes. Oof.

Tonight’s counter programming is Donald Trump speaking to striking members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) at a non-union auto parts maker, Drake Enterprises. He was not greeted by UAW President Shawn Fain. Fain welcomed Creepy Joe Biden to a picket line on Tuesday, got the photo op, stayed for 12 minutes and scooted out of there.

For the Clinton Township, Michigan event, the venue was small and intimate. Only about one thousand inside and several thousand more outside.

HAPPENING NOW: Instead of participating in the second Republican debate, former president Donald Trump is giving a speech to hundreds of blue collar workers in Michigan, including dozens of UAW union members. pic.twitter.com/WapNhkCCGN

— Emel Akan (@mlakan) September 28, 2023

Drake Enterprises is owned by the Stemple family and Trump spent a while praising this (non-union) shop. From the Las Vegas Sun:

The company makes automotive and heavy-duty truck components, including gear shift levers for semi-trucks, said its president Nathan Stemple, who noted a shift to electric cars would cripple him. The large manufacturing facility was filled with machinery and flanked by American flags and pallets of auto parts for Trump’s appearance.
While Trump aides had said his audience would include several hundred current and former UAW members, as well as members of plumbers and pipefitters unions, the crowd also included many non-union workers who support the former president. Some said they had been invited by people who did business with Drake; others said they had simply arrived at the factory Wednesday afternoon and been allowed to attend.
Tony Duronio, 64, a longtime Trump supporter and real estate broker who lives in Clinton Township, said he received an invitation from a group called Autoworkers for Trump. Duronio praised the economy during Trump’s time in office and echoed the former president’s criticism of electric vehicles: “Nobody wants ‘em,” he said — and applauded Trump’s decision to skip the debate.
“He’s the frontrunner. He doesn’t have any competition,” he said. “Look, if it ain’t him, I may stay home ’cause the rest are no different than Biden.”

When speaking to the Detroit workers, Trump emphasized “Made in America”, of course, to chants of “USA”. About Electric Vehicles, Trump said that he doesn’t use them but he knows that they don’t go far enough and they are “too damn expensive”. Trump bragged about keeping Chinese cars out of the USA with tariffs. Cheap Chinese car would further destroy the U.S. auto industry.

After spending about five minutes talking about the typos in NAFTA. Trump gets super angry about typos. But, it was good to remind the world that Picket Line Joe supported NAFTA and that it cost us about 4 million jobs and factories moved out. Even Biden endorsed the NAFTA replacement USMCA. Shawn Fain needs to endorse Trump for President for the future of the U.S. auto industry. Trump believes in choice in schools and cars. If you want to be an EV, that’s fine, but it should be your choice.

For those who say that Trump spends too much time talking about those who “done him wrong”, becalm yourself. Trump laid out his plan for energy independence, “Patriotic Protectionism”, the American Dream, reciprocal tariffs and stiff penalties on China and other foreign countries.

The evening started to close with Trump recounting Biden’s foreign policy failures, especially Afghanistan. Trump emphasized not only the 13 personnel killed, but the tens more who lost limbs. Finally, the forfeiture of Bagram, which is one hour from China.

Trump closed the evening with Make America Great Again and Soul Man. I cannot lie. I am a fan girl. I will vote for whoever the candidate is, but I hope it is Trump. And, if Trump doesn’t provide it, I hope that some candidate will provide counter programming because I hate the current debate set up.

Governors DeSantis and Christie 100% correct for calling out Donald Trump for letting us down by not being on that debate stage. And the crowd cheered. #GOPDebate

— OhioforDeSantis (@Ohio4DeSantis) September 28, 2023

Yep, I think I will go stream Downton Abbey rather than watch that shitshow. Trump 2024.

Featured Image: Gage Skidmore/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons