DV Journal

In today’s polarized America, even a simple visit to a deli can ignite a political firestorm. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris made a well-publicized stop at a Philadelphia deli, drawing a mix of praise and criticism.

Around the same time, a suburban deli hosted a commercial shoot for former President Donald Trump, sparking outrage from left-leaning groups. The reaction from the left was severe, with many unleashing vitriol against the business owner for hosting anything Trump-related. Republicans, on the other hand, largely overlooked Harris’s visit, choosing to ignore the event. These contrasting reactions illustrate a troubling reality: Jewish Americans on the left are entangled in ideological battles that often defy reason, while the Jewish right responds with what might be deemed selective silence.

This double standard is a microcosm of broader divisions within American Jewry and highlights an imbalance. Jewish Democrats who cheered Harris’s appearance quickly condemned any association with Trump, even when it was a neutral, business transaction. The left’s attack on the suburban deli for allowing a Trump commercial underscores an alarming lack of tolerance for differing viewpoints. Meanwhile, Republicans shrugged off Harris’s deli appearance without fanfare, a stark asymmetry that speaks to the widening ideological gulf among American Jews.

The Left’s Backlash: An Overreaction with Consequences

The backlash against the suburban deli owner illustrates the intolerance creeping into even the most basic expressions of free enterprise. What should have been a non-issue—a private business allowing space for a Trump commercial—became a flashpoint for social media outrage. Left-leaning voices attacked the owner personally, with calls for boycotts and cancellations. Those reactions reveal a disturbing trend where any association with opposing viewpoints, even incidental or business-related, is treated as betrayal.

This response is troubling for several reasons. First, it sends a message that political purity tests are increasingly demanded within liberal circles. For left-leaning Jewish Americans, it’s not enough to disagree with the right; there’s an expectation of active repudiation toward anyone even perceived as aligned with conservatism. Second, it disregards individuals who may simply be trying to run their businesses without getting involved in partisan battles. For critics, the mere presence of a Trump ad in a deli is enough to warrant personal attacks, regardless of the business owner’s actual stance. Finally, it reveals a pattern within the Jewish community, where Jews openly attack one another, further dividing the community.

This intolerance reflects an almost irrational standard, where political affiliation “trumps” individual context. The fact that a Jewish business owner is the target of such vitriol is especially painful, given that Jewish communities have historically upheld principles of fairness, open debate, and mutual respect. Yet, in today’s hyper-polarized climate, these values seem to be slipping away.

Republican Silence: Overlooking Harris’s Deli Visit

On the other side, Republicans barely reacted to Harris’s visit to a Philadelphia deli. Her appearance, a classic political gesture aimed at local voters, was met with neither outrage nor criticism by the Jewish right. There was no uproar, and no questioning of the deli owner’s decision to host Harris. In many ways, the Republican response—or lack thereof—demonstrates a willingness to let these gestures pass without backlash.

This restraint, however, may indicate a missed opportunity. By staying silent on Harris’s visit, Republicans missed a chance to highlight the double standards at play. Had the right responded with the same intensity as the left’s reaction to the Trump commercial, it might have spotlighted the inconsistency within liberal circles. Instead, their silence suggests apathy or a belief  these gestures shouldn’t be divisive.

For Republicans, ignoring Harris’s visit may be strategic, signaling a focus on issues they view as more substantial than optics. Yet their quiet acceptance may also reflect a growing frustration among right-leaning Jews, who are increasingly fed up with perceived double standards and prefer to avoid unnecessary controversies.

A Divided Jewish Community

These reactions reflect a larger issue: an ideological divide fracturing shared values and mutual respect within the Jewish community. Jewish Democrats and Republicans increasingly live in separate worlds, shaped by distinct narratives and loyalties. For many on the left, association with conservative ideals is seen as betrayal, and expressing a divergent view comes with a high cost. For Jewish Republicans, the silence on Harris’s visit may reflect a desire to steer clear of symbolic skirmishes and focus on more substantive debates.

This division highlights a loss of dialogue within the Jewish community. As political divides deepen, ideological purity becomes a badge of honor, pushing those with differing views to the margins. The left’s reaction to the suburban deli showcases how easily a community can turn on its own, casting out individuals for associations perceived as “wrong,” regardless of context.

A Snapshot of National Fracture

The contrasting responses to Harris’s deli visit and the Trump commercial reveal a troubling reality. It isn’t just that Republicans and Democrats react differently; it’s the reactions themselves showcase an irrationality increasingly defining American Jewish politics. For the left, the suburban deli’s association with a Trump-related project is seen as an unforgivable offense, while the right quietly ignores Harris’s visit. Both responses contribute to a climate where political allegiance overshadows nuanced thought and association is judged more harshly than intent.

This irrationality is especially perplexing within the Jewish community, historically known for valuing diversity of thought and respectful dialogue. The polarization risks eroding these ideals. Rather than standing united on shared cultural values and security, the community appears fractured, driven by a need to validate political allegiance above all else.

Reclaiming Balanced Discourse

The uproar over these two deli visits is more than a story about one business or a single commercial shoot; it’s a cautionary tale. The Jewish community faces a real risk of losing its ability to tolerate and engage across divides. If purity tests continue to define community standards, the Jewish community risks alienating its own and sacrificing the diversity of thought that has long been its strength.

In the end, it’s not the delis that matter but the mindset behind each reaction. If American Jews can restore reason to their discourse, the community will emerge stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to face the challenges ahead.

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As the Nov. 5 election nears, polls show the momentum is with former President Donald Trump and Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick.

“As long as they avoid any big slip ups, Nov. 5 should be a very, very good night,” a confident Charlie Gerow of Quantum Communications told DVJournal.

Much has changed since the end of July, when Democratic President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris. Democratic euphoria over dropping a nominee who appeared destined for disaster sent the relatively unknown Harris’ support soaring. A five-point Trump lead in Pennsylvania turned into a Harris lead in September, according to RealClearPolitics polling averages.

But as of Sunday, Trump was leading in eight of the 10 most recent polls tracked by RCP and held a very narrow 0.6 percent lead.

It’s much different than four years ago, when Trump trailed Biden in the months leading up to the November 2020 election.

McCormick’s polling turnaround is even more pronounced. After trailing three-term U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) by as many as 14 points in early August, most polls now show the two virtually tied.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) rallies volunteers to door knock in Newtown, Bucks County on Saturday.

“That’s not to say that Casey isn’t going to win, but he’s really having to sprint as hard as he can over the last 12 days and in the presidential race, who knows?” longtime Democratic strategist Neil Oxman told DVJournal.

Pennsylvania Republicans remain confident their message is resonating with voters, while admitting the race remains wide open.

“Nothing is ever certain in the state of Pennsylvania,” quipped Albert Eisenberg with BlueStateRed. “But I’d certainly rather be the Trump campaign right now, and frankly I think I’d rather be McCormick as well. That seat is a jump-ball and the momentum is clearly on the GOP side.”

The Casey name will still be hard to beat given the family’s decades-long history in Keystone State politics. Sen. Casey’s father, Democratic Gov. Bob Casey Sr., spent more than 20 years in elected office, and Casey Jr. has lost only one race in his political career – the 2000 Democratic primary for governor against Ed Rendell.

Northeast Pennsylvania may be the biggest question mark for Casey. Oxman said a lot of Republicans in Lackawanna County tend to vote for Casey because they liked his father.

He said, however, that Harris could hurt Casey in the region. “If he is, then it makes the Senate race even closer.”

Eisenberg thinks Trump could pull McCormick to victory if he outpaces the polls by two to four points. Trump won the state by less than 50,000 votes in 2016 and lost it by 80,000 in 2020.

While early voting is surging this year, no one knows exactly how the election will turn out. Particularly with rumors that Harris is underperforming among Black men and Latino voters.

That could spell trouble for Democrats on Election Day.

“Will everybody that they need, that they need to turn out for them – that traditionally support Democrats – do so and vote for [Harris]? Whereas I think Republicans…are more disciplined,” political strategist Jeff Jubelirer of Bellevue Communications told DVJournal.

DVJournal talked to local voters who were all-in on Trump.

Leslie Morgan from Radnor called this year’s election a “change election.”

She said Americans aren’t happy with the direction of the country, particularly with inflation and gas prices. 

“Inflation is a dream killer and they know that it happened in the Harris-Biden administration. The policies hurt all U.S. citizens,” Morgan said.

She also expressed anger over the decision by the White House to reengage with Iran and said it caused chaos in the Middle East and hurt U.S. allies. “The voters of our beloved commonwealth know this and are seemingly making a statement by swinging to a commonsense ticket of Trump-Vance and David McCormick.”

Ridley Park resident Jim S. said he used to be a Democrat until he voted for Trump. 

“This is probably the most important election of my lifetime,” he said.

Jim suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine because Trump was out of office. “War is not the answer. [The election] is about who is going to do something about it.

“Hopefully, in four years we won’t be paying $8 for eggs,” he said. “Things were great under Trump.”

Republican strategist Jeff Bartos said he believes both McCormick and Trump will celebrate a W come November. He added the Harris campaign was born out of desperation.

“While Vice President Harris cannot articulate a message, President Trump has campaigned effectively on what is clear to Pennsylvanians and all Americans, namely that the Harris-Biden administration broke our economy, opened our borders, and set the world on fire,” Bartos told DVJournal. “President Trump will fix it.”

There’s still some confidence within Democratic circles.

Despite the tough polls and apparent voter discontent, Oxman isn’t convinced they accurately reflect the mood of the electorate. He said one Democratic strategist theorized about a hidden Harris vote, mostly among the under-30 voters.

“[They] don’t answer their cell phones, [their] parents scream because they can’t get a hold of them, they’re not getting included survey research…[the strategist] thinks she’s going to clock [Trump],” he said.

Gerow disagreed.

“Campaigns run on momentum and momentum is running strong for Trump and McCormick. That’s great news for both teams. They look like they can run through the tape at this point,” he said.

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Former President Donald Trump had reporters eating out of his hands–literally–as he gave out bags of french fries at a campaign event at a Feasterville McDonald’s restaurant, where he worked as a fry cook and manned the take-out window. Trump is fond of McDonald’s, even bringing food from the fast food joint onto Air Force One when he served as president.

Trump emphasized Sunday that he’s now worked at a McDonald’s  “for 15 minutes more than Kamala,” after his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris claimed she worked at the fast food franchise while in college.

“I’ll never forget this experience,” Trump said while talking to reporters through a drive-up window where he’d just handed out bags of food to six cars full of customers.

Jim, from Bucks County, who was in a Jeep with four others, said he was getting fries and chicken nuggets. He said he’d won a lottery to be one of the people served by Trump that day. Asked if he believes that Harris worked at McDonald’s, he said, “I don’t believe her.”

“It’s an amazing business. It’s an amazing country. And we’re going to make America greater than ever before,” Trump said.

“We’re going to bring jobs back to our country,” Trump added as reporters called out questions.  He said McDonald’s franchise restaurants employ a lot of people.

“Look how happy everybody is. They’re happy because they want hope. They need hope and that’s what we’re doing is, [we’re] going to give much more than hope.”

Asked if he’d accept the election results, he said, “Yeah, sure. If  it’s a fair election, always.”

When someone mentioned Israel, Trump said he’d spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that morning and that it was good that Israel did not listen to the Biden-Harris administration’s advice.

“Israel is safer now,” he said.

Derek Giacomantonia owns the Feasterville McDonald’s, which was closed to the general public during Trump’s visit. “As a small, independent business owner, it is a fundamental value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community. That’s why I accepted former President Trump’s request to observe the transformative working experience that one in eight Americans have had: a job at McDonald’s,” Giacomantonia said.

Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchises provide some 25,000 jobs, he added.

Trump’s supporters began to line Street Road hours before he was scheduled to get there, carrying signs and flags. As they waited, they shouted “U.S.A., Fight, fight, fight,” and “Trump.” Cars and trucks honked their horns.

A crowd waits for Donald Trump near the Feasterville, Pa. McDonald’s on Oct. 20, 2024

Sally Schlotter, of Feasterville, brought a bullhorn.

“It’s not just D.C. that’s messed up. Our local politicians are, as well. I love my country. Donald Trump brought things to light that were hidden for years,” she told DVJournal.

A nurse, Schlotter said she’s pleased that Robert Kennedy Jr. has joined the Trump team.

“Big pharma, big tech and big government are not for we the people,” said Schlotter.  “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for socialism and communism,” she said. “She wants Medicare for all. That’s socialized medicine.”

Tony Carmen, 88, a Vietnam-era Marine Corps veteran, was also on hand.

“I fought for this country,” said Carmen. “I always supported Trump.”

He even wrote and recorded a song about the former president called “Trouble.”

Trump, Harris, and their surrogates have made repeated trips to the Keystone State. The must-win battleground brings 19 electoral college delegates with it.

After his Oct. 20 foray to McDonald’s, Trump was slated to attend a roundtable at a Black barbershop in Philadelphia. On Monday, Oct. 21, the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania, Harris is expected to visit Chester County.

Told that Sunday was Harris’ birthday, Trump wished her “happy birthday” and said he might send her flowers.

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(For an alternate point of view see, “Point: A Vote for Donald Trump is a Vote for Free Speech”)

Voting is already underway in many places nationwide, and Election Day is only weeks away. While many people have decided whether it’s voting for one candidate or perhaps even against another, some are still deciding whether they will vote.

No matter where you are, I want to share why voting for Vice President Kamala Harris is a great choice.

The overriding reason to vote for Harris is to continue restoring normalcy and protecting democracy. However, even if you put those important goals aside, Harris is clearly the best and most qualified choice.

Harris is knowledgeable. Despite the right-wing punditry questioning the depth of her policy agenda and expertise, Harris has repeatedly delved deep into current policy debates and the specifics of her policy proposals. Whether on the debate stage, at campaign rallies or in interviews, Harris shows the policy know-how necessary to be president.

She is accomplished. Having served the public in various roles for decades, Harris has helped pave the way for justice by prosecuting criminal activity as a district attorney and attorney general, ranging from violent crime to prescription drug price gouging.

As a senator, she sponsored legislation and championed the cause for women’s rights, workers’ rights and mental health. She artfully challenged unqualified presidential nominees. Despite being early in her Senate career, Harris used her expertise and passion to make a difference in an evenly divided chamber.

As vice president, Harris made numerous White House working groups on maternal health, reproductive rights and gun violence prevention topics.

Harris is also mindful. She focuses her work with others in mind. The primary job of being president is to always be thinking of others. Her compassionate approach to governing is a considerable and vital advantage she has over her opponent.

Harris is also accessible. Many Americans can find her life’s experience relatable. That familiarity makes for a natural companion to her compassion and mindfulness. This includes having what many call good “vibes.” That positive and approachable personality opens doors, hearts and minds. The next president will need this to move the nation forward.

The vice president is also lawful. It is crucial to have a president who knows the law and faithfully follows it. We have not always needed to make what seems like a reasonably basic distinction, but sadly, we do. Her experience as a district attorney and as the attorney general of California will help guide Harris in serving everyone and protecting our nation’s laws.

Last, Kamala Harris is authentic. The American people do not need to wonder who she is, her motivations or what she will do to lead. She shows us that with her attributes and experiences.

Of course, we can describe Harris’s qualifying attributes in many ways. Smart, kind, honest, passionate, experienced, approachable, professional and even presidential.

So, what should we be looking for in a president?

Someone who is Knowledgeable, Accomplished, Mindful, Accessible, Lawful, and Authentic. In short, KAMALA.

Just moments before sitting down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for a high-profile interview, Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday gave a speech at an iconic Bucks County landmark, Washington Crossing Historic Park, joined by some 100 Republican leaders.

Several hundred people came to see Harris speak. However, they made their way through roads festooned with Trump-Vance campaign signs in purple Bucks County, which now has 3,590 more registered Republican voters than Democrats, according to voter registration guru Scott Presler.

Reading from a teleprompter, Harris spoke about standing where General George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River and marched into Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776, surprising Hessian soldiers, a move that helped turn the tide in the Revolutionary War. Afterward, delegates wrote and signed the Constitution in nearby Philadelphia, she noted.

“At stake in this race are the democratic ideals that our Founders and generations have fought for. At stake is the Constitution itself. We are here today because we all share a core belief that we must put country before party.

“We all have so much more in common than what separates us,” she said.

But she soon turned from statesman-like remarks to attacking her opponent.

Harris said she’s “never wavered from upholding that oath.”

“And that is the profound difference between Donald Trump and me,” she said. “He who violated the oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and make no mistake, he who is given the chance will violate it again. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, and he refused to accept the will of the people in a free and fair election. He sent a mob, an armed mob, to the United States Capitol, where they violently assaulted police officers law enforcement officials and threatened the life of his own vice president. And he refused to engage in the peaceful transfer of power.

Harris also claimed Trump, who survived an assassination attempt, has threatened to turn the military against Americans who he called “the enemy within.”

She promised to “make life better for you” as opposed to Trump, “who I can guarantee will sit in the Oval Office, plotting retribution, stew in his own grievances, and think only about his own self and not about you.”

Former Republican Congressman Jim Greenwood said he’s also represented Bucks County in the state legislature and called himself a “lifelong Republican.”

“I have supported every Republican nominee from Richard Nixon to Mitt Romney. And then along came Donald Trump,” said Greenwood, who chairs Pennsylvania Republicans for Harris-Walz. “Donald Trump is utterly and unequivocally unfit for office.” He said psychiatrists call Trump a “malignant narcissist and a pathological liar…Trump cares only about himself and his ambition.”

Olivia Troy, a lifelong Republican, was a former Homeland Security adviser for Pence and also served under President George W. Bush.

When she was in the Trump administration, Troy said, “I witnessed firsthand his disregard for the American people. And his disregard for the rule of law. I had a front-row seat to the damage Trump created. And I can confidently and without hesitation say he is too dangerous to get near the Oval Office again.

“Trump has never cared about making our country safer,” she said. “Donald Trump’s north star is Donald Trump…She’ll be a president for all Americans. Donald Trump would be a president for one person: himself.”

Former GOP U.S. Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), David Trott, (R-Mich.), former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Jeff Duncan, and former New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman were among the Harris supporters.

Former Illinois GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who joined Democrats on the Jan. 6 Committee and opposed Trump in Congress said, “The last four years I’ve taken stands that have put me on the outside of the party. Some have questioned why I’ve taken the stands. The answer is simple. We must put country first. We must put our country over our party, and like you, I’m putting my country first.”

He was drawn to the Republican Party for its support of democracy and the rule of law, he said. He’s always respected strong leaders, but said Trump “is a whiny, weak, small, tiny man who is scared to death. Donald Trump may be running as a Republican, but he does not share those long-held Republican values of supporting democracy, standing for the rule of law, and faithfulness to the Constitution. As a Republican, that saddens me.” Kinzinger said Harris does share those values. Kinzinger’s support for Democrats was repaid by the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature gerrymandering his congressional district out of existence in 2022.

After the event, Dallas, Texas resident Patrick Mendoza, who worked in the President George W. Bush administration as a program advisor to the EPA administrator, told DVJournal, “One thing W. ran on in 2000 was restoring honor and dignity to the White House. And I think, after the Trump years that’s certainly what we need and what we needed. What you have is a clear distinction in this race. You have one person who is for the Constitution and one who isn’t. One who is for the rule of law and one who isn’t.  And I think it’s pretty crystal clear for a Republican who fights for limited government and for the rule of law, it’s a clear-cut choice of who that should be and who people should vote for in this race, regardless of whether there is an R or a D after their name.”

The Trump team responded.

“It’s quite pathetic to see former ‘Republicans’ of the past dug up out of irrelevance to have one last moment in the sun by campaigning for another four years of unlimited illegal immigration, rising prices, and endless wars under Kamala Harris. Fortunately, as with any other theatrical prop, they’re all going to be tossed aside the moment they stop being useful for Democrats – which will be November 5, when President Trump is reelected by Pennsylvanians,” said Pennsylvania Team Trump spokesman Kush Desai.

Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not ban fracking, she will not confiscate your guns and she will not take away your gas-powered car.

“Contrary to what my opponent is suggesting, I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive,” the Democratic presidential nominee recently told a Michigan crowd.

However, like her previous promises, Harris has a record that contradicts her current stance. In fact, she co-sponsored the  Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019, which would have ended the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2040. Except the version Harris backed actually moved that date up to 2035.

“Ending sales of new gas-powered cars is part of Kamala Harris’ climate change plan,” as the Sacramento Bee headline said.

“We’re facing a climate crisis that must be met with bold action,” Harris said.

Harris’s defenders argue that her aggressive proposals to end gas-powered cars were part of her 2020 presidential strategy of running in the progressive lane. Now that she’s the vice president, they claim her true colors are on display.

As vice president, Harris has supported “net zero emissions” by 2050 and ending the use of gas-powered cars to achieve that goal.

Harris also included a social justice element in her current arguments, claiming that low-income and minority communities are disproportionately affected by pollution from gas-powered vehicles.

“The pollution from vehicles powered by fossil fuels has long harmed the health of communities around our country — communities overlooked and underserved,” she said in 2021.

“But there is a solution to this problem. … Electric cars, trucks, and buses.”

So, what’s behind Harris’s shift on gas-powered vehicles? Americans don’t want EVs.

“It’s become very clear in the last year or two that there’s a lot of consumers that just don’t really want electric vehicles,” said Kenny Stein, vice president of policy at the Institute for Energy Research.

About 14 million new cars were sold in the United States in 2022, and 1.6 million were EVs. Many of those sales came with generous federal and state tax subsidies. As more Americans become familiar with electric vehicle technology, their interest in owning an EV is fading.

The 2024 Mobility Consumer Index found that only 34 percent of U.S. consumers plan to buy an electric vehicle — fully battery or hybrid —for their next car. That’s down from 48 percent a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration has continued to pursue policies to push Americans into EVs. The Environmental Protection Agency wants tailpipe emissions standards that will make gas-powered cars mpossible to manufacture.

The EPA’s emissions standards mean that gas-powered cars can make up no more than 30 percent of auto sales by 2032.

“Make no mistake: This is a coerced phase-out of gas-powered cars,” the Wall Street Journal wrote.

Meanwhile, taxpayers who don’t drive EVs pay taxes to subsidize their sales.

According to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, direct state and federal subsidies for EVs average $8,984 per vehicle over 10 years.

To achieve the EPA and Harris’s goals, billions more taxpayer subsidies will be required. And most environmentalists concede that, regardless of Harris’s protestations that if you like your car, you can keep your car, regulations that keep gas-powered vehicles off the market will be needed, too.

The costs are already rising. The Inflation Reduction Act was primarily a green subsidy program. The Tax Foundation estimates that, over the next decade, its energy tax credits are likely to cost more than $1 trillion.

“The IRA’s credits for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in particular are proving to be much more costly than anticipated, costing about $180 billion over the next decade,” it reports.

In September, House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., called out the Biden-Harris “radical rush-to-green energy agenda.”

“The EPA’s latest tailpipe emissions rule is not really about reducing air pollution — it’s about forcing Americans to drive electric vehicles.”

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Pennsylvania is in play and may end up in the win column for former President Donald Trump.

When historians write the saga of why Vice President Kamala Harris failed in her presidential bid, they may attribute it to one fatal choice: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her VP pick.

When I watched Ohio Sen. JD Vance take apart Walz in the vice-presidential debate, I imagined the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, sparring with Vance.

Shapiro would have held his own against Vance and perhaps scored a few points.

So, why didn’t Harris pick Shapiro, a slam-dunk choice who enjoys immense popularity in a state that she needs to win?

The first reason underlines why Harris does no real interviews and can’t answer basic questions about solutions to inflation and the illegal immigrant crisis. Shapiro would upstage her. He is much better on his feet and has a much more commanding speaking style, not to mention a commanding grasp of the issues. People would wonder why he is not at the top of the ticket.

The second reason he wasn’t chosen intersects with the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel. Shapiro, who is Jewish, not only called out the horrors of the Oct. 7—horrific attacks by Hamas on Israelis—he pointed out the hatred and antisemitism on many college campuses protesting against Israel and told university officials to remove the encampments.

Shapiro forcefully and eloquently laid out the case against the haters.

Despite his political talents and the fact that he might have carried Pennsylvania for Harris, it seems clear that the far-left Democrats found his defense of Israel and Jewish college students abhorrent.

On the first anniversary of Oct. 7, the Anti-Defamation League released data indicating antisemitic attacks increased by 200 percent over the past year. And at least 1,200 of the 10,000 reported incidents occurred on college campuses.

I have found few, if any, messages from college and university presidents on the anniversary reminding people of the savagery of the original attacks and the fact that rape and torture were not acts of rogue outliers but the policy of Hamas when it massacred innocent Israelis.

The national office of The Council on American  Islamic Relations issued a statement that read, “ On the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks and the start of the genocide in Gaza, we reiterate our condemnation of such violence and demand that President Biden use American power to end this year-long disaster. It is long past time for President Biden to force Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a comprehensive ceasefire deal that ends Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” On the same day, Vice President Harris, in a “60 Minutes” interview, refused to say that President Netanyahu was an ally of the United States.

I visited Israel on a tour with 30 of my listeners, and I came away with a deep sense of Israel’s need for security. I support its need to continue to hunt down members of the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

But stopping Israel from rooting out Hamas in Gaza is where many in the Democratic Party have landed, and each week we get further away from the memory of Oct. 7, the more they will push for a ceasefire.

Amanda Greenberg, writing at Broad  + Liberty, makes the point many try to disguise as DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). She writes, “According to believers of DEI, Jews are “White” and are, therefore, oppressors.”

This oppressor-colonizer narrative that’s now taught in many schools plays into the ongoing criticism of Israel and is used ultimately to mitigate the appalling Oct. 7 attacks.

So, as we move past the first anniversary of Oct. 7, I contend that Josh Shapiro was not chosen as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate because of bias. The Democrats will see the result of that bias when Trump wins Pennsylvania and is once again president of the United States.

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No Republican has carried Bucks County since 1988, but GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance was in Newtown Saturday to try and break that streak. And trends show the purple county may be in play.

Vance was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of some 1,500 at the Newtown Athletic Club, with supporters chanting “U.S.A.!” and “JD!”

Donald Trump’s running mate delivered the message they wanted to hear, making the case that Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t capable of doing the job.

“The problem with Kamala Harris is she’s got no substance,” said Vance. “The problem with Kamala Harris is she’s got no plan. The problem with Kamala Harris is she has been the vice president for 3 ½ years and has failed this country. Let’s send her back to San Francisco where she belongs and put Donald Trump in the White House.”

Vance hit the three issues Republicans believe are their best sellers with Pennsylvania swing voters: Inflation, energy and immigration.

“We’ve got natural resources in the state of Pennsylvania,” Vance said. “Great natural gas. Let’s get it out of the ground for Pennsylvania workers. When Donald Trump is president, we’re going to drill, baby, drill and bring back the great American economy.”

“Kamala Harris wants us to buy energy from every tin pot dictator from all over the world,” said Vance. “Kamala, we say, ‘no way.’ We’re going to buy it from our own people, right here in the state of Pennsylvania.”

“We’ve got inflation at 40-year highs,” added Vance. “We’ve got groceries at 25 percent higher than when Kamala Harris took office. That’s because Kamala Harris cast the tiebreaking vote to on almost $4 trillion in new spending, printing money that we don’t have to juice inflation and destroy the middle class in the state of Pennsylvania.”

He also blamed Harris, “the border czar,” for the “wide open southern border.”

“It is an invasion in this country,” he said. “When you let in 25 million people, many of whom are bringing fentanyl into this country, and they’re competing against Americans, buying homes that ought by right go to American citizens, that is why we have sky-rocketing housing costs here in Pennsylvania and across the country.” And illegal immigrants are driving down wages for American workers, he said.

Not only will the Trump-Vance administration continue to build the border wall, they’ll deport illegal immigrants. “We’re going to go to war against the Mexican drug cartels,” he said.

Vance said they would deport the criminals first. “There are 13,000 illegal immigrant murderers in the United States America right now,” he said. “They’re in this country because Kamala Harris let them into this country.”

While polls consistently show Pennsylvania is too close to call in the presidential race, the assumption is that Philadelphia’s suburbs are a deep-blue corner of the Keystone State. But Bucks County could be a key exception.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton narrowly edged out Donald Trump in Bucks County by one percent and fewer than 3,000 votes. And it’s the home of Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, whose held onto the seat even in blue-wave elections.

While it’s true that Joe Biden beat Trump solidly in 2020 with a four percent and 17,000 vote margin, since then, Biden’s been bounced from the ticket, and there are now more registered Republicans than Democrats in the county for the first time since George W. Bush was in the White House.

How important is Bucks County?

“If you win Bucks County, you keep the Southeast close, you win Pennsylvania and he’s president of the United States,” said Jim Worthington, owner of the Newtown Athletic Club where Vance spoke.

During his speech, Vance called out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for what looked like a partisan campaign stop at a munition factory in Scranton with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.).

“We spent $200 million on Ukraine.  You know what I wish Zelenskyy would do when he comes to America? Say thank you to the people of Pennsylvania,” said Vance. “Donald Trump is the candidate of peace.”

After the speech, DVJournal asked Vance how a second Trump administration would handle the Ukraine/Russia war and Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah.

“I have a very detailed plan for how we’re going to bring peace and prosperity back to the world: elect Donald Trump,” said Vance. “When you have weak American leadership, and you have an American leader that nobody respects, you have wars breaking out all over the world.  If Donald Trump was president, Russia would have never invaded Ukraine. If Donald Trump was president, Hamas would have never attacked Israel.”

“We’ve got to get back to commonsense American deterrence,” said Vance, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq. “You’ve got to make the bad guys worry that if they do something screwed up, somebody is going to make them pay for it…Peace through strength.”

Vance also scoffed at Democrat claims that they’re for the middle class.

“If she stands for the middle class, why does she want to tax the middle class to give rich people money to buy electric vehicles made in China?” he asked. “Why does she want to destroy Pennsylvania energy? If you stand for the middle class, unleash Pennsylvania energy workers.”

Harris has flipped on various positions from banning fracking and private health insurance to embracing them now that she’s the presidential nominee.

“She’s not actually governing that way,” he said. He’s told Trump, “Sir, I think she’s going to show up at your next rally with a red MAGA hat.”

Vance also rejected the claim that Trump is only appealing to the GOP base. He said their campaign is reaching out to Democrats and moderates who agree with them on many issues, noting that former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and former Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are backing Trump.

“There are a lot of Democrats out there who want an economy where normal people can afford to buy food and housing, and to those Democrats, I say, ‘You are welcome on the Trump-Vance team.’”

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Tuesday’s debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris continues to trigger reaction from Delaware Valley voters. Most tell DVJournal they think Trump missed an opportunity to win undecided voters.

Philadelphia resident John Featherman, a Republican who ran for mayor in 2011 and Congress in 2012, said, “Harris won on debate points, but I’m not sure it will make any difference in how people vote. Most people watching this debate already had their minds made up. The question is whether it had any effect — even marginal — on undecided voters.”

Skippack resident Debbie Jr. “D.J.” McGinley said, “There were so many lies with Kamala. Why do they continue letting her lie? It won’t change my vote even though Trump was flustered: Trump 2024. She had three and a half years and has done nothing. Also, it’s 9/11 today. This should’ve been a conversation last night between the two of them (to) close the borders.”

“Both candidates were losers as neither did anything to convince undecided voters that they were the better choice,” said Tim Daly, of Lower Makefield. “Harris was overly rehearsed and confirmed again to the public she is disingenuous. Trump was Trump, acting boorish while taking the bait with stupid responses to Harris’ prepared script about rallies and getting money from Fred Trump. Nobody cares and she did this to use up time and get the spotlight off her.

“The biggest loser of the night was (moderator) David Muir, who carried out the orders of ABC execs to gang up on Trump to demand answers to questions of and fact check Trump, while not doing the same to Harris when she did the same,” said Daly. “Worse, Muir pushed liberal false narratives on the fact checks as there is badge cam video of the Haitian migrant arrest over the cat and the National Crime Victimization Survey data produced by the BJS (Bureau of Justice Statistics), which details the increased crime seen across the nation.”

Felice Fein of West Goshen also believes the moderators were unfair to Trump.

“Having watched the CNN debate between Biden and Trump, which I thought was well done, I was disappointed to see that the ABC moderators did not press Harris to provide specifics like they did Trump. There are some very simple facts regarding policies, economic numbers, and immigration about which moderators could have questioned Harris’ record, yet they did not. Overall, she seemed well rehearsed, ready with bait to draw Trump’s ire, and he took it. Had Trump stuck to the Biden-Harris record and juxtaposed it to his own, then Trump could have wrapped up the election last night. As it is, voters still have more candidate and policy research to do and potentially another debate to make decisions about the future of this constitutional republic,” said Fein.

New Hope resident Gee Moses said, “It plays into the Democrats’ side for sure. Kamala and the Democrat operatives from ABC baited Trump over and over. It was clear he wasn’t prepared, seemed frazzled and rambling. Pushing things that may be true but (they) seemed exaggerated, especially to a majority of the country who gets its news from MSM (mainstream media). So, they would not of heard of the realities on the ground, like animals being eaten. The 21 million-plus illegals, and other comments will seem like a lie especially after MSM will claim they are.

“Trump blew his opportunity to define Kamala for 31 percent of people who said they need to learn more about her,” said Moses. “He missed his opportunity to challenge her and put her on the defensive, exposing what a weak and flawed candidate she is.

“The Democrats have exposed the American public for being shallow and easily manipulated,” said Moses. “They turned Harris from an extremely unlikable anchor on the party to the next coming of Obama without her doing interviews or having policies. It was a pure PR campaign, and they learned from COVID if you just tell the lies enough, people will not only believe them but pass them along as truth. Trump needed to push back and expose this hollow shell of a human, and he failed miserably.”

Springfield’s Joy Schwartz ran for Delaware County Council last year.

“Trump appeared somber and pre-occupied,” said Schwartz. “His demeanor may not have been attractive to some, but it was completely appropriate given the gravity of the problems facing our country, and his obvious frustration with having to debate the two biased moderators as well as the candidate. Trump won on the issues.”

“Vice President Harris’s fake gravitas, smugness, and over-rehearsed facial expressions did not enhance her otherwise confident and polished delivery.  As usual, she was short on substance. All fluff, no stuff,” Schwartz added.

Scott Presler isn’t a Delaware Valley resident, but he’s been active in getting Republicans in the area registered to vote. He’s widely credited with helping Bucks County GOP registrations pass the Democrats for the first time since George W. Bush was president.

“What I saw during the debate is a Vice President — Kamala — who currently has the power to make changes & has failed to use her position for the last 3 and 1/2 years,” Presler posted on social media.

“I saw a politician who doesn’t care that her failure from the Afghanistan withdrawal killed 13 soldiers; her failure to secure the border killed daughters, like Laken Riley; her failure to cut our bloated spending budget has resulted in crushing working class families; her failure to show strength lead to Putin invading Ukraine; & her plans to increase taxes are going to drive Americans into homelessness. Kamala came off as pompous, smug, & arrogant.”

But Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) posted about Trump’s mention of reports of immigrants eating pets in Ohio: “I don’t know who needs to hear this but stop asking me about fracking when the other side’s call-to-arms is people eating dogs.”

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Crime and the porous border were the focus of a pre-debate telephone press conference held by the Trump campaign.

While Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and other speakers honed in on those topics, most reporters asked questions about the debate.

One topic that’s rarely reported is the so-called “bipartisan” immigration bill that Democrats blame former President Donald Trump for tanking.  Schmitt said the bill “fell apart because it would have made the problem worse.”

“It would have created a process outside of the judicial system that we have now for asylum agents to fast-track illegal immigrants to become citizens through asylum claims. That doesn’t exist now.”

“It would have supercharged. It would have created an express lane to more illegal immigration,” said Schmitt. “Secondly, it would have taken jurisdiction out of the state of Texas.” Instead, cases would be heard by the D.C. Court of Appeals. “This was a bad bill. It fell apart under its own weight because it didn’t help the situation. It made it worse.”

The DVJournal asked if Trump would hold Vice President Kamala Harris accountable during the debate for her flip-flopping on fracking, defunding the police and mandating EVs. That question did not get a direct answer.

“The president is certainly full of surprises,” said spokeswoman Danielle Alverez. “I know that we can expect him to be his charming self. We know he’s incredible when it comes to weaving in and out of topics. He’s incredible on those policy issues.”

Mace said, “Kamala Harris has been a disaster as border czar and unleashed a wave of violent migrant crime across the country and plenty of people in the mainstream media for years now dubbed her the border czar…The Harris-Biden administration took more than 94 executive actions on immigration, including halting construction of the border wall and ending the successful remain in Mexico policy.”

Crime Prevention Research Center President John Lott said despite recent claims that crime has fallen during the Biden-Harris administration, “violent crime has soared dramatically over the last few years. Total violent crime fell 17 percent during the Trump administration, and then it’s increased by 43 percent under Biden.” He explained of the two measures of crime statistics, the FBI data and the Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey, the latter is more accurate.

Many crimes are not reported to the police, who then turn that information over to the FBI, he said.

“If you look at total crimes in those cities using the National Crime Victimization data, only 8 percent of total violent crimes and only 1 percent of total property crimes result in arrests,” he said.

National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez said he’s worked under five different presidents, and “this is by far the worst we’ve seen in the 27 years I’ve been down here.”

“We have apprehended over 10 million people,” said Perez. “The scary number is the 2 million year-to-date are known gotaways.”

Many of those crossing the board, who come from 170 different countries, are gang members, he said.

“They’re taking over cities and towns, making every state a border state,” said Perez.  A Venezuelan gang, Tren de Auragua, and an El Salvadoran gang, MS 13, are very violent, he said.  “Not to mention the cartels that have profited under border Czar Harris’ reign.”

“They made money hand over fist,” bringing in people and illegal drugs, he said. And it’s not just the southern border. Illegal immigrants are also coming across the northern border from Canada, he said.

Answering a press question, Schmitt said Harris “was the tiebreaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which pumped $1.4 trillion [into the economy], which supercharged inflation. That’s her record. She proudly boasted about undoing all the successes that we had under President Trump’s term…This is her record, and he can’t really run away from it, although she doesn’t want to do press conferences, and she doesn’t want to handle the back and forth with reporters.”

Mace said Harris was the tie-breaking vote 33 times.

“She owns everything this administration has caused,” said Mace. “She celebrated. She cheered [President] Joe Biden on as the border czar…She can’t hide from border policy, that has seen spikes in inflation and spikes in crime. And she’s not taking the tough interviews. She’s not taking tough questions, and Donald Trump is out there every single day. He’ll talk for an hour and a half…There’s just no way out of flip-flopping or lying. She has lied over and over again on her policy. She has now taken policies from Trump’s website multiple times over. She’s plagiarized from Joe Biden’s policies and website.”

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