Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Elon Musk's response to Taylor Swift says it all

Kamala Harris finally got her all-important endorsement from Taylor Swift. I know it's a sad reflection of modern society, but Ms. Swift - like it or not, and whether she likes it or not - has an iron-clad grip over the beliefs and opinions of millions of Swifties. Arguably, it is the next thing to a cult, one of the largest and most influential in recent history. But, what she says makes a difference.

What she actually said was: "I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos." 

A clear, reasoned assessment if ever I saw one. And, in a nod to Trump's running mate, JD Vance, she signed off as "Childless Cat Lady", complete with a photo of her and her cat.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, has the celebrity backing of one, Elon Musk. Musk's response to Taylor Swift's endorsement is telling: "Fine Taylor ... you win ... I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life". Like so many of Musk's attempts at humour, it falls flat, but with a slightly disturbing edge to it.

Setting aside his autism, and the difficulty some autistic people have with reading the room and judging their tone, Musk's flippant response is emblematic of the glaring difference between the Republican and Democratic camps in today's politics. "Civil, reasoned and compassionate vs. boorish, irrational and rapacious" may be one way to characterize it.

UPDATE

Donald Trump himself managed a response on a similar level of gravitas and sobriety: "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT". Um, OK, thanks for that considered comment, Donny. How mature was that?!

UPDATE UPDATE

Nothing daunted, Musk followed up with another equally off-colour "joke" after a possible second assassination attempt on Trump (although it turns out the gunman did not fire any shots and never actually had a line of sight on Trump): "And no-one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala".

After a tsunami of complaints, Musk deleted the post. But, really, the guy is impossible.

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