Lawrence: The humanity gap between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was on display today

CRISIS ON THE PLANET. IT IS PROBABLY NOT THE ONE YOU ARE THINKING OF. J.D. VANCE IS THE SINGLE STRANGEST REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT IN HISTORY, INCLUDING SPIRO AGNEW WHO ULTIMATELY PLEADED GUILTY FOR TAX EVASION FROM THE BRIBES HE TOOK AND HAD TO RESIGN FROM THE VICE PRESIDENCY. J.D. VANCE HAS SAID THAT SINGLE WOMEN OR MARRIED WOMEN WHO DO NOT HAVE BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN DISORIENT AND REALLY DISTURB HIM AND HE DOES NOT WANT THEM TO BE TEACHERS. ALL OF MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WERE WOMEN WHO DID NOT HAVE CHILDREN. THEY WERE ALL IN THE CATHOLIC ORDER OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH. THEY TAUGHT ME TO READ AND WRITE. J.D. VANCE HAS BEEN A CATHOLIC FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, SO HE MAY HAVE NEVER MET A NUN. HE CERTAINLY WAS NEVER TAUGHT BY NUNS, BUT HE IS WILLING TO CONDEMN THEM BECAUSE HE IS SO PROFOUNDLY WEIRD. AS TIM WALZ WOULD PUT IT. REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT USED TO BOTH BE NAMED DONALD. NOW ONLY ONE OF THEM IS. JAMES DONALD BOWMAN IS THE NAME ON J.D. VANCE'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE. HIS MOTHER CHANGED HIS NAME WHEN SHE REMARRIED AND DIDN'T JUST CHANGE HIS LAST NAME, SHE CHANGED HIS MIDDLE NAME TO DAVID. HE THEN WENT THROUGH LIFE AS JAMES DAVID HAMILL. WENT TO COLLEGE UNDER THAT NAME AND WENT TO LAW SCHOOL UNDER THAT NAME. BEFORE HE GOT MARRIED HE CHANGED HIS LAST NAME TO VANCE, HIS GRANDMOTHER'S LAST NAME. USING THE INITIALS TD MIGHT BE HIS WAY OF ELIMINATING HIS OWN PERSONAL CONFUSION OVER WHETHER HIS NAME SHOULD BE JAMES DONALD OR JAMES DAVID. AND NAME CHANGES COULD BE AN ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE FOR HIM. PERHAPS J.D. VANCE HAS INSIGHTS EARNED THE HARD WAY ABOUT KIDS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR IDENTITIES. J.D. VANCE'S HISTORY OF NAME CHANGES COULD MEAN HE IS NOW SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS WHO HE IS BECAUSE UNLIKE MOST OF US, HE ACTUALLY NAMED HIMSELF. IN HIS FINAL NAME CHANGE. OR PERHAPS HIS THREE DIFFERENT NAMES OVER TIME HAVE CREATED A DISCOMFORT IN HIM. A DISCOMFORT WITH HIMSELF THAT SOMETIMES COULD LEAVE HIM DISCONNECTED FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, THAT MEANS THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT ARE BOTH, IN THE MOST IMPORTANT POSSIBLE WAYS FOR POLITICIANS, DISCONNECTED FROM PEOPLE. ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THEY HAVE NEVER MET. GOOD POLITICIANS HAVE TO SPEND THEIR LIVES THINKING ABOUT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW AND WHAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO TO TURN GOVERNMENT IN A DIRECTION THAT WILL HELP THE LIVES OF PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW. AND THAT IS WHY WHAT HAPPENED TO J.D. VANCE RECENTLY WHEN HE WALKED INTO A DONUT SHOP IS JUST SO WEIRD AND INTERESTING. J.D. VANCE DID THE STANDARD POLITICIAN PERFORMANCE TO SHOW EVERYONE WHAT A GOOD GUY HE IS, BUT THE ONLY THING HE COULD THINK OF TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE WAS THE QUESTION OF HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE? THAT WAS IT. WHEN THEY TOLD HIM TWO YEARS OR SIX MONTHS HE WOULD JUST SAY OKAY. THAT WAS HIS ENTIRE INTERACTION. IT WAS WIDELY REVIEWED AS A FAILURE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT JAMES DAVID VANCE IS A REGULAR GUY. HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY TO THOSE WORKING PEOPLE. NO IDEA AT ALL. HE HAD NO CURIOSITY ABOUT HOW MANY JOBS THEY MIGHT BE WORKING. HE HAD NO CURIOSITY ABOUT WHETHER THEY ARE MAKING THE MINIMUM WAGE, AS IS COMMON IN PLACES LIKE THAT. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT J.D. VANCE KNOWS WHAT THE MINIMUM WAGE IS AND IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR THAT NO ONE IN THAT DONUT SHOP CARED WHO J.D. VANCE IS OR HAD ANY CURIOSITY ABOUT HIM. IT JUST WASN'T A HUMAN EXCHANGE. DONALD TRUMP, WHO YOU KNOW CARES NOTHING ABOUT ANYONE WORKING IN A DONUT SHOP ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET, WOULD HAVE DONE SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN J.D. VANCE IN THAT DONUT SHOP BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE KEPT HIS STUPID BLUSTER FLOWING AT LEAST AND FILLED UP THE DEAD AIR WITH SOME NONSENSE LANGUAGE. TIM WALZ IS RIGHT. THEY ARE WEIRD. WEIRD IN THE SENSE THAT THEY ARE NOT IN ANY WAY LIKE OTHER PEOPLE. DONALD TRUMP AND JAMES DAVID VANCE ARE NOTHING LIKE THE VOTERS THEY ARE APPEALING TO. KEEP THAT IN MIND NOW WHEN WE SHOW YOU WHAT TIM WALZ AND KAMALA HARRIS DID AND SAID TODAY AND KNOW THAT NEITHER OF THE MEN ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET COULD POSSIBLY APPEAL TO PEOPLE AND IDENTIFY WITH PEOPLE THE WAY TIM WALZ AND KAMALA HARRIS CAN WHEREVER THEY GO. WE BEGIN WITH VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TIM WALZ IN BOSTON THIS MORNING SPEAKING TO THE CONVENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS. >> I'M GOING TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I KNOW WE ARE BIPARTISAN. SOME OF THE GRAY HAIRS IN HERE, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AND I REMEMBER IT, TOO, BECAUSE IT IS MY FAMILY. WHEN REPUBLICANS USED TO TALK ABOUT FREEDOM, THEY MEANT IT. NOT ANYMORE. THESE GUYS OVER THERE, THEY WANT GOVERNMENT TO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO INVADE EVERY CORNER OF YOUR LIFE FROM OUR UNION HALLS TO OUR KIDS SCHOOLS AND EVEN OUR DOCTOR'S OFFICE. THE VICE PRESIDENT AND I, WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT VISION OF THIS. WE BELIEVE THAT YOU, NOT POLITICIANS, SHOULD BE FREE TO MAKE YOUR OWN HEALTHCARE CHOICES. WE BELIEVE WORKERS DESERVE TO COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN FOR FAIR WAGES, SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, GOOD HEALTHCARE AND SECURE RETIREMENT. NO INTERFERENCE FROM GOVERNMENT. >> I LEARNED FROM TIM WALZ'S SPEECH TO FIREFIGHTERS TODAY THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS RELATED TO A FIREFIGHTER. DONALD TRUMP IS NOT RELATED TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER DONE WORK LIKE THAT, FIGHTING FIRES. >> I'M HONORED TO BE ON A TICKET WITH SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS LONG SUPPORTED YOUR ESSENTIAL WORK. AS A NATIVE CALIFORNIAN VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS KNOWS THE EXPLOSIVE, UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF WILDFIRES IN THAT STATE. SHE'S BEEN TO THE MEMORIALS AND KNOWS THE DEPTH OF SACRIFICE YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES GO THROUGH. AS A MATTER OF FACT IT IS A MATTER OF FAMILY FOR HER. HE SPENT HIS CAREER AS A FIREFIGHTER AND RETIRED AS AN IAFF MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING. >> THE HARRIS-WALZ CAMPAIGN RELEASED A NEW TV AD ABOUT THE PROJECT 2025 AGENDA TODAY. THE CAMPAIGN IS RUNNING THE AD ACROSS BATTLEGROUND STATES AND IN THE TELEVISION MARKET IN FLORIDA WHERE DONALD TRUMP LIVES, SO THAT HE CAN SEE IT EVERY DAY BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION DAY. >> DONALD TRUMP IS BACK AND HE'S OUT FOR CONTROL. >> I WOULD HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO GO AFTER THEM. >> COMPLETE CONTROL. >> I WILL WIELD THAT POWER VERY AGGRESSIVELY. >> AND HE HAS A PLAN TO GET IT. >> DETAILED PLANS FOR WHATEVER MOVEMENT WILL DO. >> IT IS CALLED PROJECT 2025. A 922 PAGE BLUEPRINT TO MAKE DONALD TRUMP THE MOST POWERFUL PRESIDENT EVER. OVERHAULING THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. GIVING TRUMP THE UNCHECKED POWER TO SEEK VENGEANCE. ELIMINATING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND DEFUNDING K-12 SCHOOLS. REQUIRING THE GOVERNMENT TO MONITOR WOMEN'S PREGNANCIES AND SEVERE CUTS TO MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY. DONALD TRUMP MAY TRY TO DENY IT, BUT THOSE ARE DONALD TRUMP'S PLANS. >> REVENGE DOES TAKE TIME, I WILL SAY THAT, AND SOMETIMES REVENGE CAN BE JUSTIFIED. >> HE'LL TAKE CONTROL. WE'LL PAY THE PRICE. >> I'M KAMALA HARRIS AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE. >> AFTER HIS SPEECH WITH FIREFIGHTERS IN BOSTON TODAY, TIM WALZ MET VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IN GEORGIA TO BEGIN A BUST WORK IN THAT STATE WHERE A RECENT POLL SHOWS KAMALA HARRIS AHEAD OF DONALD TRUMP, 50-48. THEY WERE GREETED BY STUDENTS OF SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY, GEORGIA'S OLDEST HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY. THEY THEN VISITED LIBERTY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL IN HINESVILLE, GEORGIA, WHERE THEY LISTENED TO THE SCHOOL MARCHING BAND REHEARSAL. ♪♪ ♪♪ >> NOW YOU >> NOW YOU ARE ABOUT TO LISTEN TO TIM WALZ TALKING TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND JUST IMAGINE J.D. VANCE OR DONALD TRUMP TRYING TO TALK TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO KAMALA HARRIS TALKING TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN A MOMENT ABOUT DISCIPLINE AND TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP, IMAGINE J.D. VANCE OR DONALD TRUMP TRYING TO TALK TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT THOSE THINGS. YOU WILL HEAR KAMALA HARRIS TALK TO A HIGH SCHOOL BAND, TELLING THEM ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE BEING IN BAND IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE ONLY GAP BETWEEN TIM WALZ AND KAMALA HARRIS AND THOSE STUDENTS IS AN AGE GAP. IT IS NOT A HUMANITY GAP. THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. YES. THERE ARE GIGANTIC POLICY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GOVERNING POLICY TO SEE THE GIANT HUMANITY DIFFERENCE, THE BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND J.D. VANCE AND KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT. TO THE STAFF THAT IS HERE, MY PREVIOUS JOB TO THIS WAS OF COURSE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND COACH, WHICH I WEAR WITH PRIDE. WELL OF YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US IN YOUR SCHOOL AND THANKS TO ALL THE STUDENTS THAT ARE HERE. I THINK YOU EMBODY THIS IDEA AND THE VICE PRESIDENT TALKS ABOUT IT. EACH OF OUR INDIVIDUAL TALENTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN OURSELVES. IT IS AN AMAZING THING, BUT IT IS PART OF THIS BAND AND IT BECOMES REALD WORK CAN ACHIEVE. WHAT DISCIPLINE CAN ACHIEVE. WHAT TEAMWORK CAN ACHIEVE AND THAT IS THE STUFF OF A GREAT NATION. ALL OF IT. SO WE WANTED TO COME BY TO REMIND YOU THAT OUR NATION IS COUNTING ON YOU. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ACHIEVED AND I WILL TELL YOU, I WAS IN BAND WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT. COACH KNOWS ABOUT PLAYERS AND ALL THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING. A WHOLE LOT OF REHEARSAL. A WHOLE LOT OF PRACTICE. LONG HOURS. SOMETIMES YOU HIT THE NOTES, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T, RIGHT? BUT ALL OF THAT PRACTICE MAKES FOR BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND THAT IS A METAPHOR. THAT IS SYMBOLIC FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO OVER YOUR LIVES. YOU WILL SHOW WHAT A WINNING TEAM LOOKS LIKE. YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW WHAT IT MEANS TO PUT YOURSELF OUT ON A FIELD, TO PUT YOURSELF IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO DO IT. SOMETIMES YOU WILL HIT THE STEP RIGHT. SOMETIMES YOU WILL NOT. SOMETIMES YOU WILL WIN THE GAME, SOMETIMES YOU MAY NOT. BUT YOU NEVER LET ANY CIRCUMSTANCE KNOCK YOU DOWN OR SLOW YOU DOWN. YOU JUST KEEP GOING. THAT IS WHO YOU ARE AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE SO CONFIDENT IN EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO. SO JUST KEEP BEING YOU AND ALL OF THE EXCELLENCE YOU ARE BRINGING TO EVERYTHING YOU DO. OKAY?