Dem
48
Ties
1
GOP
51
At this point, it's clear that Donald Trump's trip to Arlington was an unforced error. He did not succeed in tarring Kamala Harris with the Abbey Gate tragedy, much less with the broader problems related to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, with the general attempt to use dead soldiers as political props, not to mention crass actions like giving the "thumbs up" over a soldier's tombstone, Trump did a bit of damage to himself. Maybe more than a bit, given his spotty history when it comes to honoring and dishonoring the nation's war dead.
The latest chapter in a story that, thus far, just isn't ending, involves 1st Lt. Jimmy McCain. He is the youngest son of the late Sen. John McCain. Given the poor relationship between Trump and the Senator, and given the nasty things that Trump said about the Senator, it is somewhat improbable that Jimmy was going to cast his ballot for The Donald, even if the Arlington incident had not taken place.
However, it did take place, and it's lit a fire under the younger McCain, who is furious about the "violation," as he calls it. "It just blows me away," he said. "These men and women that are laying in the ground there have no choice [whether or not to be used as window dressing for a campaign event]." So, he has switched his registration to Democratic, and has made clear he will be voting for Kamala Harris.
As someone who is an active-duty soldier, we presume McCain cannot campaign for Harris or otherwise endeavor to influence voters. In fact, we're not sure why he felt it was OK to share his plans to vote for Harris—we thought that was verboten. In any case, it's out there now, and we could imagine it moving the needle a little in Arizona. John McCain is still well-loved by many Republicans there, and now both his widow and his son have come out for Harris (although his daughters and his other son are remaining silent). On top of that, there is an approximately 100% chance that Trump will say something nasty, either about Jimmy, or about John, or about the entire family. That will fan the flames even more. Needless to say, if the Grand Canyon State ends up being close—and it could well be—every vote counts. (Z)