Now that the debates are behind us, all that's left between now and Election Day are...the October surprises. We may have had three of them just in the last week between the Iranian ballistic missile strike on Israel, the hurricane damage to Georgia, South Carolina, parts of Eastern Tennessee, and Western North Carolina, and the Longshoremen port strike that's going to cripple commerce to about half the country. In short, there's a lot on the President's plate, whomever that person presently is.  

When the missiles started flying, an estimated 180 of them, each one with the capability of being equipped with a nuclear warhead, all eyes here looked to Washington to see how the administration would respond to this escalation. Did we get any word from Joe Biden, technically the man the country elected to run the country four years ago? Negative. We got a prepared statement from Vice President Kamala Harris. 



For the entirety of her time as vice president in the Biden-Harris administration, she's instinctively qualified her support for Israel. Every set of remarks begins, "I fully support Israel, but..." She is currently being advised on foreign policy and national security concerns by Philip Gordon, who has ties to an Iranian government influence network here in the United States. One statement does not alleviate concerns that she's not being sincere with this statement. But to give her at least a modicum of credit, the words she spoke, albeit words she clearly feels are politically necessary to say in order to strike a balance between two factions of the Democratic base, were the right ones. She said the U.S. should fully support Israel's right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed militias. She did not say anything about that right having to be proportionate, or that their right to defend precludes a preemptive strike if Iran is about to weaponize their nuclear program and fit it to those ballistic missiles. 

So according to Kamala Harris, we have one Democratic voice speaking out for Israel. But the big question is, where was Joe Biden? Why is Kamala Harris suddenly the voice of the administration? 

The aforementioned Joe Biden, on the ground in North Carolina a day later on Wednesday to view the damage in the wake of Hurricane Helene, was asked about whether Israel should be allowed to preemptively take out Iran's nuclear facilities. 



So the score is now tied, 1-1 as to whether we effectively support Israel's right to defend itself. Keep in mind, the United States invaded and overthrew Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein over the preemption doctrine of self-defense. Regardless, what Joe Biden said and what Kamala Harris said are not congruent or consistent. 

As for Biden's inane proportionality argument, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Michael Oren, offered up this to explain the absurdity of the Biden position. 

President Biden has called on Israel to respond proportionately to Iran’s missile attack. Should Israel agree and hit Iran with the same number — 25,000 — of rockets and missiles that Iran and its proxies have fired at Israel since October 7? The President also called on Israel…

— Michael Oren (@DrMichaelOren) October 2, 2024

I'm with Dr. Oren. If Biden wants proportionality, it's high time for Israel to unleash 25,000 rockets at Tehran, Qom, Natanz, and any other targets of opportunity that present themselves to Israel. I'd bet the accuracy of Israeli strikes would be a tad more efficient than Iran's. But the overall question remains. Who's actually in charge? What message is being communicated to the U.S. population and to everyone in the Middle East - Biden's position or Harris'?

Since we have a tie, and we're in the unique position of staring down a presidential election in a month where Kamala Harris is on the ticket, what does her proposed vice president, seeing that opinions of vice presidents apparently matter these days, think? Here's Tim Walz from Tuesday night's debate with J.D. Vance.

Having talked with locals and volunteers in North Carolina: Despite Biden saying his visit to the area would not affect rescue/aid operations, his visit halted/delayed operations because of the no-fly zone.

That was a problem because many communities can only be accessed by air.

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 2, 2024

Here is Joe Biden doing something. 

Biden is just staring at pieces of paper as officials attempt to brief him on the response to the damage from Hurricane Helene.

This is the cognitive decline Kamala covered up. pic.twitter.com/kI8lhUjnvz

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 2, 2024

And here is Kamala Harris doing something. 

Kamala — who couldn't be bothered to respond over the weekend because she was too busy fundraising in San Francisco — makes sure the cameras are in place to capture her choreographed photo op pic.twitter.com/I4ubgYsQpq

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 2, 2024

At least she's walking while doing something, so there's that. But do you know what's not being done by the feds? Relief efforts. Well, outside of this kind of relief. 

Biden gave all your money away to illegals and Ukraine… here’s your $750. https://t.co/eWzutKx9XN

— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) October 3, 2024

Here's Jonathan Howard, a member of the Florida State Guard Special Missions unit. He's had it up to here, and just wants to be able to save people that are going to die without intervention right now. I edited the video only to take out the profanities used out of utter exasparation. 

Finally, four days later on Wednesday, apparently the Title X orders were given. 

Biden deploys 1,000 TROOPS to deal with fallout from Hurricane Helene https://t.co/blFKOBTOfu via @MailOnline

— Amanda (@Joyenz1) October 2, 2024

Keep in mind that Biden over the weekend was asked whether he was going to send in more resources, and gave a firm nyet in response. 

Again, who's running things? 

As for the port strike, the strike that Joe Biden confused with the Houthi missile attack (yes, he actually called for mediated negotiations to come to an agreement and settle the strike with the Houthis), Biden's negotiation skills, along with Kamala Harris' negotiating skills, have resulted in exactly squat. Everything coming on shore from the Gulf around the Florida peninsula to the Eastern seaboard are frozen in place, much like Kamala Harris getting hurricane briefing updates. 

Gina Raimondo is the Biden-Harris administration's Secretary of Commerce - you know, all that stuff that we seem to like and need in this country, and the stuff of which is now stuck on cargo ships waiting to be offloaded. Here's her reaction to the then-pending strike on CBNC Monday. 

CNBC: What are you hearing will happen if dockworkers strike and it goes longer than a week?

Harris-Biden Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo: "I have not been very focused on that."

😳 pic.twitter.com/Q6rpqsoiO8

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 30, 2024

If the Secretary of Commerce is not very focused on something that stops the flow of the entire portfolio managed by the Department of which she runs, again I ask the question. Who's actually running the federal government? 

The probabilities of who will lead the country are gradually shifting back to Donald Trump. Real Clear Politics' Electoral College map with leaners gives Donald Trump a slim, but comfortable projected win. Polymarket inverted again on Wednesday, giving Trump a narrow probability of winning.

🚨 2024 election forecast, @Polymarket

🔴 PRESIDENCY: R+2 (51%-49%)
🔴 SENATE: R+45 (73%-28%)
🔵 HOUSE: D+25 (63%-38%)

Oct. 2 pic.twitter.com/fmok4RYugC

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 2, 2024

Projecting chaos at home and abroad instead of leadership in the last month of the campaign is never good for the incumbent. Tim Walz was a living embodiment of chaos on the debate stage Tuesday night. He looked like he was standing on hot coals the entire night. Kamala Harris is trying to pull off the President-with-benefits stunt - pretending to be president without any of the responsibilities or record of performance to defend. And Joe Biden is at the best he'll ever be today. He'll be worse tomorrow. He'll be worse, yet, next week. Who knows what condition he'll be in by Election Day. 

Donald Trump has been branded by a lot of people as the chaos candidate. But upon further review, it just doesn't get any more chaotic than what is being offered by the Democratic Party as everything around us continues to unravel. Vote smart, and vote early. It's time we had someone we voted for actually running the country again.